When it comes to beauty, winter can be a real drag. Not only does our skin have to cope with freezing temperatures outside, but it also has to adapt to dry heat indoors. No wonder it struggles to keep up sometimes.
As well as dry skin, the cold weather can often cause cracked lips, frizzy hair and that unmistakable winter paleness. Basically it's bad news for our health, and even worse news for our beauty regimen.
So how can you stay glowing during winter without spending a bomb on potions and lotions that could contain any number of unwanted additives? Well, luckily nature already offers a huge beauty cabinet. Used wisely, natural products can keep your skin and hair looking beautiful, even in the depths of winter.
Moisturizing Lip Balm
Nothing feels better than lip balm on chapped lips. But in many cases, lip balms come loaded with extra ingredients that can dry out your skin even further. So avoid the nasties by making your own from all-natural ingredients.
- 1 1/2 tsp grated beeswax
- 1 1/2 tsp shea butter
- 1/2 tsp sweet almond oil
- 3-4 drops sweet orange essential oil or peppermint oil (or another flavor oil if you prefer)
- 10 drops vitamin E 1000 IU
Melt the shea butter, beeswax and oils together in a double boiler. Take off the heat. Once the mixture has cooled, add the essential oil and vitamin E into the mixture. Stir and pour into lip balm containers and leave to cool.
Winter Hair Treatments
Winter is hard on hair. The jump from freezing temperatures to centrally heated homes can take its toll on your locks, leaving them dry, damaged and dull. The good news is that there are several ways to bring your hair back to life during the harsh winter months.
As well as trying not to wash your hair everyday, treat yourself to an intensive hair mask. And the best bit? They super simple to throw together.
Ginger
If you suffer from dandruff, ginger may be your answer. Just mix 2 tbsp grated ginger with 3 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil, along with a dash of fresh lemon juice. Apply to damp hair, making sure to massage the mixture into the scalp, and leave for 30 minutes before rinsing.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is the ultimate deep conditioner. As well as moisturising the scalp, its antifungal properties helps prevent dandruff. Plus, making a hair mask out of it is simple. All you have to do is combine 2-4 tbsps with 5-10 drops of your favourite essential oil (sandalwood is a good choice for hair loss, while peppermint can help oily hair). Now massage onto your hair, taking care to avoid the roots. Leave for 30 minutes and wash off with shampoo.
Winter Scrubs
Banish dry skin this winter with a homemade body scrub. Invigorating, moisturizing and 100 percent natural, these scrubs will leave you with smooth, exfoliated skin for a fraction of the cost of the shop-bought variety.
Mediterranean Olive Oil Scrub
This simple body scrub is guaranteed to leave your skin feeling dewy-soft.
- 1/2 cup of sea salt
- 1/2 cup of granular brown sugar
- 1/4 cup of olive oil
- A couple of drops of orange essential oil
Whisk all the ingredients together, and then rub over damp skin in the shower before rinsing. You shouldn’t need to moisturize afterwards, since the olive oil will leave your skin silky soft.
Coconut, Brown Sugar And Vanilla Scrub
Packed with coconut and vanilla, this scrub is not only moisturising – it smells incredible too.
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 cup granular brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Mix together all ingredients. Rub the scrub onto damp skin in firm, circular motions, and then rinse clean.
