Winter Necessities For Dry + Sensitive Skin

In a way you might also call this my “February Favorites” post since these heavenly products definitely got me through the past month of -20 degree days and so much snow it feels like we’ll never see green again. My skin gets super sensitive and dry during the winter months, but these products are great to have all year round if your skin tends to be on the dry/sensitive side anyway. There are a lot more things I could add to this list of course, body butters of choice, body oils, face wash etc. but to trim it down these are what I’ve narrowed down to be my absolute favorites for helping to calm and hydrate my skin.

1) Sibu Beauty Sea Buckthorn Nourishing Facial Cream – This is has become my favorite daytime face cream over the past four months or so. As you can see my current one is empty (I just ordered another yesterday). It has omega 7 fatty acids, is light and non-greasy and ideal for daily use. It has a light citrus scent. It is 100% natural, paraben-free and cruelty-free, and contains NO dairy, yeast, wheat, gluten, sodium or preservatives. It helps keep my skin calm and even throughout the day and doesn’t irritate me at all. I also love their toner and serum…but ah, I was trying to keep this list from being a mile long!

2) Sibu Beauty Sea Buckthorn Replenishing Night Cream – I literally don’t know how I lived so many winters in the Northeast without this in my life before. So glad to have discovered it. Designed to protect your skin’s natural lipid barrier, it noticeably reduces visible sun damage, dryness and fine lines. It just really helps to lock in moisture overnight and feels like a drink for my face. I look forward to putting this on each night because my skin loves it so much.

3) Spa Technologies Age Defense for Luminous Eyes – I discovered this by way of a Spa Heroes Beauty Box, and have never found an eye cream that I love so much. This one gives immediate results. When I wake up with extra tired, puffy eyes, this stuff wakes my eye area up within 60 seconds and keeps it moisturized. I’ve been having extreme dry skin irritations around my eyes this winter and this has been a life saver. It instantly soothed what other creams did not. It contains a cell-rejuvenating mix of organic marine algae, liquid oxygen and micronized silver, as well as soy and rice bran peptides to actively decongest and reduce dark circles while omega-3-endowed laminaria and porphyra algae strengthen tissue.

4) Burt’s Bees Hydrating Lip Balm with Coconut & Pear – I’ve tried lots of lip balms in my life…probably hundreds…many hundreds. And this one tops the list. I put it on after any face creams in the morning but before makeup so it has a little time to sink in and it keeps lips in top shape without feeling waxy or greasy. It doesn’t make lips flake but really helps them to stay moist all day. Great under any lip color. Plus it smells wonderful!

5) Phenome BLOSSOM Therapeutic Mask – This is a treatment I weekly or every other week. This company uses 100% plant waters in all of their products instead of regular water which I just think is so cool. This mask is a light gel formula that contains rose blossom, ideal for sensitive skin, skin with broken capillaries or prone to irritation – which I have. It hydrates, relaxes, reduced redness and makes my skin feel new again after having a rough time of it. It smells of delicate petals and fresh water and I like to lay down for 10 minutes while it sinks in, close my eyes, breathe, and imagine I am floating in a serene pool of lilies and roses.

6) Evanhealy Rose Petal Facial Tonic Hydrosol – I’m almost out of this one too because I use it so much. Facial tonics have become such a big part of my beauty routine that I’m planning on doing a whole other post about them. This one is one of my ultimate favorites for dry skin. I use it just after washing my face to lock moisture in, just before or after doing makeup, and sometimes just in the middle of the day because it feels good. This stuff is pure and smells ah-mazing. No alcohol. No preservatives. No artificial fragrances. No GMOs, petroleum-based products, parabens. Cruelty free. Only 100% steam distilled Bulgarian Rose Petal Floral Hydrosol (Rosa damascena floral hydrolate).

7) JustNatural Dry Scalp Shea Butter – My scalp goes through phases and during the past 6 months it has been dry and itchy. Shampooing every other day instead of every day helps, but once a week this scalp treatment does wonders. It is free of mineral oil, silicones, and petroleum so no icky residue. It instantly calms my scalp with Karanja oil and Shea butter, as well as potent Manuka, Ylang Ylang and Sage essential oils with herbal extracts of Horsetail and Nettle. I’ll typically just part my hair in 2 inch sections (about 5 parts, if that makes sense) and then blend in a little bit along each part line while hair is still damp out of the shower. I’ve also used it as a deep treatment mask all over my entire scalp, let set for 15 minutes, and then washed out in the shower.

8) Jason Smoothing Coconut Oil (USDA Organic) – Last but definitely not least. In fact, if you threw the classic “you can only choose one product to take with you to a deserted island” question at me I would probably choose this one. This coconut oil is simply the best thing that happened to my skin this winter. It smells like a coconut macaroon because it is just pure coconut oil and can be used in SO many ways. Most importantly it soothes angry red dry skin flare ups when nothing else will. I use it on my face, lips, ends of my hair, hands, nails, elbows, and am so. in. love. It is solid in the jar and then melts quickly at first touch. Like magic. I wish they made a mini jar of it for travel…but I probably have a little jar I could put some into for travel – I would not want to be without it.

I hope this post helps some of you out there with dry and sensitive skin! xo – Naomi