i am going on a trip and bringing a …

Vacation time!  A few of my gang and I are heading out to Big Sky, Montana to go skiing this afternoon and I CAN NOT WAIT!

Since it is going to be 1) a long flight and 2) super duper cold I must pack carefully for my easy-to-dry-out skin.  As previously mentioned in my How To Save Dry Winter Hands post Aquaphor Healing Ointment and Korres Body Butter are no brainers for this trip.

To protect my face from the elements, Aveeno’s Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer with SPF 30 is coming with.  I like this moisturizer as it is gentle on my sometimes sensitive skin, hydrating, wonderful at protecting from the sun, and at $17 a bottle it is super affordable.  As you would also expect, for night time I will rehydrate my skin with Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate.  Protecting my eyes is also important, and the eye cream I’ve used for the past few years is Kinerase Intensive Eye Cream (my next post is in process and about this cream).

We shall not forget the hair!  Bumble & Bumble make fantastic products, and I adore every one I’ve tried thus far.  For this trip, I’ve packed their Super Rich Conditioner to restore and rehydrate my hair.  This stuff is amazing- go ahead and fry your hair on a flat iron (actually don’t, it’s not a good idea) and this conditioner will get you back in business.  At least that is my experience!

Last but not least we have my sun protection.  I like Neutrogena’s Ultra Sheer Dry sunblock because it is fast absorbing and easy to apply; this baby will block out both UVA and UVB rays.  And finally, I might be a tad silly to carry two lip balms with me but I don’t care: Burt’s Bees is with me where ever I go, and Kiehl’s Lip Balm #1 contains SPF to keep the rays from bouncing off the snow and damaging my lips.  Hey, variety is the spice of life right?

Time to put in a few more hours at my day job before it’s time to hit the powder!

how to save dry winter hands

Ugh… I hate this time of year as my hands tend to feel like sand paper.  This year my hands have been so dry that they cracked and bleed a tad bit.  GROSS!

So this is what I’ve done the last two weeks and it’s made a HUGE difference for my hands…

Before bed each night I diligently mix a dab of Aquaphor’s Healing Ointment with a seriously thick and moisturizing lotion like Korres Body Butter (i adore Vanilla Guava), or Dove’s Pro Age Cream Oil lotion and smooth it over my hands.  The Aquaphor helps to heal the cracks while the lotions lock in the moisture I need.

This last week I’ve placed a drop of Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate (see previous post) on the top of my hands and sealed that in with their Ultimate Strength Hand Salve at the suggestion of a Kiehl’s employee.  Using this method each night, I feel that my hands retain the moisture the best and I avoid scary scaly hands.

What else can you do to prevent chapped and dry hands?  Wear gloves when washing dishes as your hands are protected from the water and dish soap… and brillo pads.  Ensure you are using gentle soaps when washing hands, like Method’s Hand Washes or Palmolive’s Milk and Honey wash.  Lastly, avoid scalding hot water on your hands whenever possible as that is a sure-fire way to dry them out!

Happy Friday Junkies!