It’s getting cold and with the drop in temperature our body, hair and scalp can become dehydrated and more sensitive and unruly than usual. Recently we focussed on winter skin care tips for the visage. It is also important to modify our body care routine to protect ourselves from the cold, crisp elements that we suddenly find ourselves in the midst of.

Proper Shower Protocol

Let’s discuss a proper winter shower regimen. It is necessary to exfoliate the body at least twice a week during the colder months. The cold weather dries out our skin and leaves loads of dry, dead skin cells that need to be sloughed away. I use Mio Skincare Natural Dry Brush. Use it while skin is dry right before hopping into the shower or bath. Start with the bottoms of your feet and brush all the way up your body in clockwise circles. Focus time on your wobbly bits like the thighs, bum and side of the waist. Brush your stomach clockwise and then up your bust. Start at you hands and brush up your arms – make sure to get under your armpits. You want to brush towards your heart, in the direction of lymphatic drainage. Not only does this help with skin cell turnover but it helps your body expel any excess bloat or toxins that it might be holding onto.

Body Scrubs

Yu-Be Foaming Skin Polish and Mio Skincare Double Buff Dual Action Enzyme Exfoliator are two great choices for all natural exfoliating body washes. Yu-Be Foaming Skin Polish can be used daily and contains fine grains of rice bran and bamboo to gently cleanse and turn over dry, dead skin cells. It also contains ginger root and ginseng extracts to balance the skin. Double Buff can be used 2 – 3 times per week. Massage it into dry skin and then rinse. Both will even out skin tone.

Hair And Scalp

Despite the dozens of articles you’ve read claiming that you should only wash your hair three times a week, it’s just not true. Just like you wash your face (and hopefully your body) each day, you also need to wash the skin on your scalp. You can keep the shampooing concentrated on scrubbing the scalp area but the skin on your scalp gets dry just like the rest of the skin on your body and needs to be exfoliated and cleansed. I have dry, thick, curly hair that I bleach blond, so I use a leave in conditioner all year round, but during the winter all hair types can benefit from using a light leave in treatment. Caretrico After Treatment Enrich Milk contains hyaluronic acid that gives your hair the extra added moisturizing protection it needs to ward off the wind and cold. Apply it after showering just before your styling product. Wait – one extra layer: Make sure to use a moisturizing hair mask at least once a week. Philip Kingsley’s award winning Elasticizer was formulated expressly for Audrey Hepburn. This intensive moisturizing pre-shampoo treatment (hair mask) delivers elasticity, bounce and shine for everyone from fine to thick curly hair – Elasticizer is nothing short of a miracle worker and much needed during the cold winter months.

Aprés Shower

Mio Skincare A Cream Firming Active Body Cream is the Mr. T treatment of body care. I’m embarrassed to say that until I was introduced to Mio Skincare I was not a body care person at all and was extremely skeptical about body firming products. This moisturizer is the perfect texture – not too thick, not too liquidy. It’s powerful combination of moisturizing omegas, powerful antioxidant and vitamins create a soothing shield to combat dryness and the elements as well as boost elasticity. When used in conjunction with regular exercise and mindful eating – it makes a difference.

By: Alyssa Barrie Weiss, Twitter: @AlyssaBarrie

Winter is upon us. It’s getting cold and with the drop in temperature our skin can become dehydrated and more sensitive than usual. This time of year it is important to modify our beauty ritual to protect ourselves from the cold, crisp elements that we suddenly find ourselves in the midst of.

Don’t Wash Your Face

Try using a face wash at night only. In fact, in the morning don’t use a cleanser at all. Face cleansers can be drying especially in the context of chilly weather. This time of year I use Heaven Skincare EllaJane Celebrity Skin Wipes. These babies exfoliate, cleanse, tone and keep blemishes at bay with apple pectin, honey and peppermint oil, all without drying out the skin! These are gentle enough for those in their teens and twenties as well.

Exfoliate

I also use Lavido Gentle Exfoliator Peeling Cream twice a week. It might sound counter intuitive but it is essential to exfoliate during the winter as dead skin cells accumulate faster during the colder months. This face scrub utilizes oyster shell powder and pomegranate peel grains to gently slough away dead cells and buildup.

Moisturize

When the temperature drops, I turn to one of my all time favorite skin care lines, Cosmetics 27. It is an apothecary style range tailor-made for YOUR skin. The idea is to mix the products together to produce a formula that is right for your skin today. The change in season, weather, pollution, stress levels and even physiological factors can alter the behavior of skin. Cosmetics 27 utilizes the Ayurvedic properties of Centella Asiatica to boost the skin’s ability to regenerate and heal itself. While experimenting and getting to know your skin requires a little more time and effort, you’re worth it and your skin will thank you. Cosmetics 27 Baume 27 is a rich, almost balm textured moisturizer packed with anti-aging skin healing nutrients. It contains a patented cocktail of all natural ingredients that feed the skin what it needs to work optimally and renew itself. Best of all you will see results. I am 40 and have sensitive, dry skin so Baume 27 is my savior this time of year. Apply while skin is still a bit damp and take at least a full minute to massage it into your skin.

Layer It On

Just like we begin to layer clothing as the temperatures drop, similarly, we need to layer on skin care to nourish and provide our skin with the extra protection it needs. I can’t stress enough how important it is, especially if you don’t all year round, to add a serum and even a face oil to your regimen. I mix Cosmetics 27 Essence 27 and Huile 27 with Baume 27 to give the moisturizer an extra added boost of nutrients. Essence 27 is an ultra fine hydrating, anti-aging emulsion that brightens the complexion and increases the skin’s density. If you don’t typically use a serum, this is an excellent entrée into the genre. Then there is Huile 27. This anti-aging elixir is a master multitasker that provides essential nutrients that help rebalance skin functions and restructure the epidermal tissue. A must for those with dry or more mature skin. I also use it as a lip balm, hair and cuticle oil.

Lips

During the winter my lips look so chapped, it appears as though a wild animal has been gnawing on them. I layer Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream and Cosmetics 27 Huile 27 under a Lancome Juicy Tube. It takes a village. Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream is enriched with vitamin E, vitamin B2, and camphor and has a uniquely high glycerin content and absorbability achieved through a special manufacturing process. It even helps heal cold sores.

By: Alyssa Barrie Weiss, Twitter: @AlyssaBarrie

As a working mom who likes to work out, I often leave my house at 7:30am with all the supplies I need for my 7:30pm gym class…I don’t have time to go home between work, kids and class. Because of this hustle, packing my gym bag with the proper products has become a crucial life skill. What do I ABSOLUTELY need? What’s extraneous? What’s a little bit of a luxury that will make a big difference to me at 9pm? All this and more is taken into consideration.

Vine Minus Ion Care Water Does. It. All.

Fixes post-gym crazy hair. Is a great antibacterial pre-workout skin prep and post-workout skin refresher. Due to its germ-killing abilities, you can even use it to wipe down your yoga mat after class. (Read more about the benefits of Care Water.)

Mio Skincare Clean Slate Swipes & Ursa Major Essential Face Wipes

I’ve gushed about both of these products so many times, I’m hoping you’re already packing them in your gym bag on the regular…both are spreading like a virus among my fellow gym members. They come individually wrapped, so they are super compact. I shove a few of each in my bag on Sunday night so they’re there when I need them. Each jumbo Mio Skincare Clean Slate Swipe is formulated with natural ingredients to help prevent blemishes and post-gym breakouts, as well as aloe vera and omega oils to exfoliate and moisturize skin. They efficiently & effectively remove makeup, sweat and oil. Their cucumber and mint infused scent makes me feel like I’m bathing in a huge glass of the cucumber water I sip while at the spa. Mio Swipes are suitable for both face and body, so I like to use one all over post-workout (it is THAT big). Pre-workout, when just my face needs a cleaning, I bring an Ursa Major Essential Wipe specifically for that task. These award-winning wipes also cleanse, exfoliate and hydrate skin to leave it (and you!) feeling refreshed and so clean, clean.

Yu-be Moisturizing Skin Cream

I love kickboxing for so many reasons. What it’s doing to my knuckles is not one of them. To prevent farmhand hands, I make sure to coat my knuckles in this ultra-protective, healing cream before I put my gloves on. If you’ve used Yu-be Moisturizing Skin Cream before, you know its myriad uses, from nose to toes. The one ounce tube is convenient enough to keep in my handbag, so I have it even on my rest days.

Mio Skincare Workout Wonder Invigorating Muscle Motivating Gel

My shoulders have been a tension center for years. Building muscle in that area has only exacerbated the situation. Well, this little bottle earns every word in its name. It is perfect for pre and post-workout, as it not only invigorates muscles, but also helps to soothe them. Extracts of Arnica, Horse Chestnut, Murumuru Butter, Spearmint and natural Magnesium increase circulation, ease aches and inflammation and help speed up recovery. This uplifting cocktail of herbs and extracts leaves my body feeling cooled, soothed and ache-free. Though it’s called a gel, Mio Skincare Workout Wonder is a cream…and a creamy cream at that—zero annoying stickiness. And like every single Mio Skincare products, it smells fantastic.

DERMAdoctor MED e TATE Antiperspirant Wipes

Believe the hype around these wipes! They really stop the schvitz without the gross, caked-on feeling of traditional antiperspirants. They are also so gentle. Trying to apply even natural deodorants right after shaving has often made my underarms feel like fire pits. MED e TATE Wipes are Hypoallergenic, non-irritating, non-comedogenic and oil, fragrance, dye, paraben, gluten and phthalate free.

Shower At The Gym? You Need These

Binchotan Facial Cleansing Mask – This 3-in-1 face wash is downright magical. It is simultaneously the gentlest yet deepest cleansing wash I’ve ever used. It also works in 30 seconds flat. And EVERYONE will tell you how amazing your skin looks. Trust me.

Alchimie Forever Dry Skin Balm – What no one told me about working out was how callused my heels would get. Slathering this balm on them straight out of the shower has really helped. Don’t stop there, though. If you shower in the gym, go ahead and apply this rich balm from the neck down.

Philip Kingsley Try Me Kit – This trio will take up hardly any real estate in your gym bag. Pick the shampoo and conditioner that best suits your hair type; all kits come with the award-winning Elasticizer pre-shampoo treatment. Ready for the best trick EVER? Apply Elasticizer pre-workout, then throw your hair up in a ponytail. Elasticizer will help keep your hair in check and the increased body heat will help the product work better. BOOM. Easiest multitasking you’ll ever do.

By: Claire McCormack, Twitter & Instagram

With winter just around the corner we asked Tomoko Takeda Canel, editorial beauty editor who has most recently served as a senior beauty editor at People StyleWatch and Seventeen Magazines, for her top winter skin care tips.

Ditch Your Bubbly Cleanser

Your go-to foamy wash is fine during the summer, but once it gets nippy, anything that lathers can strip skin of its natural oils. So switch to a soap-free, creamy wash or a cleansing balm like Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm. It degunks and removes makeup like a dream.

Supercharge Your Moisturizer

Generally speaking, the thicker the formula, the more hydrating it is. But it’s important to look at the ingredients too. Usually the best ones have one or more of the following: glycerin, hyaluronic acid and ceramides. For AM, I like CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion because it has SPF 30 and works well under makeup. For PM, my skin drinks up Philosophy Back to Nurture Replenishing Moisture Creme.

Exfoliate—But Don’t Go Crazy

If you don’t buff away that top layer of dead skin, all that good stuff in your moisturizer won’t absorb well. But if you overdo it, it can have the opposite effect, leaving your face dry, tight and irritated. So the key is to pick a gentle scrub like Yu-Be Foaming Skin Polish and just use it whenever your skin looks blah—once or twice a week, tops.

Bathe Strategically

You don’t need me to remind you that long, hot showers are a big, dehydrating no-no. But did you know that you don’t need to wash your entire body every single day? Just clean the areas that really need it (underarms, private parts), and let the runoff lather take care of the rest. It might sound icky, but that way your arms and legs won’t dry out as much. Lavido Intoxicating Body Wash is ideal for winter – just enough suds but extremely mild. Its spa-like scent is the perfect pick-me up on cold winter days.

Follow The 3-Minute Rule

So you just got out of the shower. Now pat skin dry and apply a moisturizer while your skin’s still damp. Dermatologists say you have three minutes to lock in maximum hydration. But have you tried that? The moisturizer can get all goopy and take forever to absorb! So that’s why I’m loving Jergens Wet Skin Moisturizer with Calming Green Tea Oil. It’s meant to go on wet skin, so it goes on evenly and sinks in fast.

Stash Lip Balm Everywhere

It’s all about having one when you need it, so keep one on your nightstand, in every purse, your office, car, winter coat pockets…you get the idea. Pick something thick that comes in a pot or tube. Derms swear by Aquaphor.

Don’t Forget Your Tootsies

Nothing says let’s cuddle like dry, calloused feet, right? A rich foot cream is obviously a good idea, but don’t forget to exfoliate beforehand. I’ve been really into foot peels—have you heard about these? (One to try: Baby Foot) They’re plastic booties that you wear for 90 minutes, then rinse. Several days later, your calluses starts to shed off slowly in sheets (gross, but so satisfying!).

By: Tomoko Takeda Canel, Instagram: @mlletomoko

That moment in late fall or early winter when you realize you’ll be on a beach vacation in a few days. You’re pasty, paunchy and—let’s face it—a little furry. What to do in the week before you leave? We, of course, have some ideas.

Exfoliate First.

I know I’m entering broken-record territory here, but everyone should be exfoliating year round…and especially before bikini-wearing! If you plan on self-tanning before you leave for your winter getaway, exfoliation will ensure optimal application. You can use an actual scrub, like Yu-Be Foaming Skin Polish, which can be used on face and body. It is strong as a face scrub and very gentle as a body scrub. You can also exfoliate every day while you shower with a Sasawashi Mesh Body Scrub Towel. Need more options? In Mio Skincare’s Strong Is The New Skinny Kit, you’ll find another great scrub, Double Buff, which is super-effective as it is designed to be used on dry skin—before you shower. If manual scrubbing just isn’t your thing, another easy option is to choose an exfoliating body wash, like Glytone, which works through chemical, not physical, exfoliation.

Exfoliation is important—but it’s not enough! You’ve got to be properly moisturized as well. Skin feels and looks better when it’s properly hydrated. In the winter, try mixing a body oil and body cream together and applying right after the shower while skin is still warm and damp. You can mix Heaven Skincare Firming & Stretch Mark Oil and Alchimie Forever Dry Skin Balm or (more Mio Skincare!) Mio Skincare’s The Activist Firming Active Body Oil and The A Cream Firming Active Body Cream.

Going For The Gold?

Throw in a specialty treatment product, like Mio Skincare Get Waisted Sculpted Body Shaper, if you’re so inclined. This would be applied before any other body care (except self-tanner), as you’d want the active ingredients to seep directly into skin, unimpeded.

Self-tanner Time

Everyone looks a bit better slightly sun-kissed. Who doesn’t want to look slimmer and tauter before hitting the beach? Institut Esthederm self-tanners are so easy to apply, and look completely natural. For the body, you may want to apply Sun Sheen Light Self-tanning Body Lotion a few times during the week before your vacation so the color can gradually deepen. Be sure to apply a facial self tanner, too, like Sun Sheen Light Self-tanning Face Cream so your coloring is cohesive from head to toe.

Self-tanning How-Tos

I know self-tanner home application can go terribly awry, so here are my best practices. The first step is to cream up the palms of your hands before even looking at self-tanner. You don’t want to get caught tan-handed! The cream will shield your palms from getting saturated with color. If I’m in a huge rush, I like to use self-tanning towels for this step. With the number of products I apply to my body, having one more cream/oil/gel to apply is a bit of a pain. The towels can be used first thing after getting out of the shower, so they don’t interfere with all the other creams/oils/gels. In fact, if you use exfoliating tan towels, they will actually help all subsequent body products absorb deeper into your skin.

Be sure to hit the tops of your toes, sides of your feet and every part of your skin leading up to your underarm, and don’t forget the backs of your legs. So many parts of the body can be exposed that you may not think of…until you see that pale streak staring back at you on the beach.

Wipes are good to have around, too, to wash off your hands. I keep one or two in my bag the day of, and the day or two after I apply self-tanner. Sometimes during the day I’ll notice that my palms look a little too dark, or I’ll see a dark spot/streak somewhere. Wipes are a great, waterless way to clean up any tanning faux pas, no matter where you are.

Heading south for the winter? How do you prep your body? Let us know in the comments below!

By: Claire McCormack, Twitter & Instagram