Beauty on a Budget: Q&A Dry Winter Skin

This month was full of winter-skin and makeup questions. Here are your questions asked and answered!

How can I tell if my face needs moisturizer?
If your skin feels dry and tight when you wash your face, you need moisturizer. The key is to determine what kind of moisturizer and how much to use. If your face becomes very oily skin within a couple of hours of applying moisturizer, you may need a less-rich product. Similarly, if your face becomes very dry and tight within a couple of hours, you need a product that contains more oils and humectants. My favorite light-weight moisturizer is Aveda All-Sensitive™ Moisturizer. Hospitals use this for burn victims, so it is pretty amazing lotion. My favorite heavier moisturizer is Nuance Salma Hayek AM/PM Anti-Aging Super Cream.

My lips are always chapped. What can I do about this?
Gently exfoliate your lips with a tooth brush. Then slather on a generous amount of your favorite lip balm. I love lip balms that contain a lot of natural oils. My favorite is eos™ Lip Balm Smooth Sphere. It is less than $4.00, and the lemon flavor is amazing.

My skin is so dry; I can’t seem to put enough lotion on! What can I do?
Every dermatologist (which I am not) will tell you to stay away from hot showers. However, I am a hot shower addict, so I also had to find a way around it. My favorite tricks are oils! Neutrogena makes the most amazing sesame scented body oil, but at $10-$15, it can be a bit expensive, especially if you use it every time you take a shower. However, baby oil is very inexpensive, and it smells amazing. The key is to apply oil right after your shower while your skin is still wet. I always try and wipe some of the water off first, and then use the oil. It’s great because it is very easy to apply and takes no time. Let your skin air dry or pat yourself dry. Wait five minutes and then get dressed as usual.

My hair is damaged now that it’s cold out. It seems like the conditioners I use don’t work!
First, you may need a haircut. Most of us are attached to our length, even if it is nasty, trashy, split-end hair. However, you can never fix split ends. Ignore everything you have been told about repairing split ends. The only remedy is a good haircut. After this, if your hair is still dry, use a deep conditioner at least once a week. I always do it twice. Use a product with natural oils in the first few ingredients. My favorite deep conditioner is Aveda Damage Remedy™, but it has a very high price tag. As an alternative, I use olive oil. Shampoo like regular, and then apply olive oil like you would conditioner. Tie your hair up, and let the steam in the shower do the hard work. Let it sit as long as you can. I keep olive oil in my hair for 10-15 minutes, and then I rinse with cool water. Yes, you will likely have greasy hair faster than normal, but it has done its job, and your hair is healthier for it.

My skin looks ashy in the winter. I have been told not to exfoliate, because I will dry out my skin. What should I do?
I completely disagree. Exfoliation is one of my biggest beauty tricks. I exfoliate my body multiple times a week. I do not do this to my face, however! Ashy skin is a result of dead skin cell build up. The blood supply goes to the healthy skin cells, which gives you a warm, glowing appearance. You have to get those ashy skin cells off to get back that beautiful winter glow. I love the exfoliating gloves you can purchase for $5 at Wal-Mart. I apply a body wash with a salicylic acid, like Neutrogena Body Clear™ Body Wash-Pink Grapefruit ($7.50) directly on the gloves, and scrub. Don’t overdo it! You don’t want scabs, just pretty skin.

My cuticles constantly split open and bleed in the winter months. I don’t know how to keep them from doing this.
Your cuticles split open because they are dry. They need moisture to remain flexible. Think about how many things your hands do a day, and if they don’t have the moisture they need, they will pull tight (think of a dry rubber band) and naturally split open. Spend $5 on cuticle oil and apply it to your nails every night before you go to bed. You could also just grab a little olive oil out of your kitchen cabinet and apply. This will save you a lot of pain, because it never fails that those tiny little cuts hurt worse than the big ones!

Send me your beauty questions: cayladoeshair@hotmail.com!