How to Hydrate Dry Winter Hair and Skin
By Woman's Day Staff
Hydration Station
The icy winter air, as well as indoor heat and blow drying, certainly has a way of sucking all the moisture out of your hair and skin. But you don't need to suffer until spring: Fight back against brittle locks and dull skin now by replenishing your body's lost moisture. Read on for 12 thirst-quenching products for every type of parched skin and hair.
Quench Thirsty Hair
Whether you're indoors or out, winter's wrath is unavoidable. Inside, forced heat and the much-needed blow dryer are sapping moisture from your mane. Outside, low humidity, gusty winds and the mandatory hat (which can absorb your hair's precious oils) are doing the same. The remedy: hydration. "Each week, condition with a treatment containing a humectant like glycerin that attracts and locks in moisture, and in turn restores shine," says Rodney Cutler, owner of Cutler/Redken Salons in New York City and Miami.
If Your Hair Is... Curly
Heal parched curls with an airy foam that won't weigh them down. At bedtime, coat dry hair with Kinky Curly Midnight Miracle Overnight Repair Treatment ($22; Kinky-Curly.com). Its castor bean extracts and silk proteins seal in moisture while you sleep. The next day, wash as usual.
If Your Hair Is… Fine
Save your static-prone hair with a cream that's rich enough to condition it but not heavy enough to make it appear greasy. The ultra-light NOU - NOU Pak by Davines ($28; Davines.com) provides that delicate balance. Comb it through shampooed hair, let sit for 5 minutes and rinse.
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If Your Hair Is… Coarse
For your brittle ends, call in the big guns: hot oil treatments. Smooth Dove's Nourishing Oil Care Serum ($4.74; at Walgreens) onto dry hair and set it with a warm dryer for 10 minutes-the heat activates the nourishing oil so that it soaks deep into the hair shaft.
If Your Hair Is… Normal
Since your hair type is less likely than others to go flat, you can tolerate rich ingredients like shea butter. Massage a mask like Fekkai Essential Shea Ultra-Rich Mask ($30; Fekkai.com) into damp hair; let the shea butter, glycerin and avocado oil sink in for 10 minutes and rinse.
Revive Parched Skin
As with hair, frigid temperatures and dry indoor heat cause water to evaporate from your skin because there's more moisture in it than in the air. Bundling up doesn't help matters-all those layers keep skin from breathing. Fight back with a one-two punch of body scrub and moisturizing lotion or oil. "Once a week all year round, exfoliate with a body scrub to help slough off dead cells that make skin look dull," says Ranella Hirsch, MD , a Boston dermatologist. When skin is freshly exfoliated, lotion and oil are better absorbed. To maintain hydration, smooth on the lotion daily after a shower.
If You Have Normal to Oily Skin
Salt scrubs break through skin's oils. Rub about a tablespoon of Aubrey Organics Natural Spa Sea Wonders Invigorating Bath Salts ($18.85; Aubrey-Organics.com) on rough patches of skin; follow up with the cooling Nivea Express Hydration Freshening Gel ($8; at drugstores).
If You Have… Dry Skin
A sugar scrub with tiny granules is gentle on your skin. Try Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy Stress Relief Sugar Scrub ($16; BathandBodyWorks.com), which has sunflower and almond oils. Then use a rich cream like St. Ives Hydrating Vitamin E Advanced Body Moisturizer ($5; at drugstores).
If You Have… Sensitive Skin
Since salt and sugar scrubs are too harsh for you, use one with jojoba beads-they're round, so they won't scratch skin. Try Eau Thermale Avène Gentle Body Scrub ($20; AveneUSA.com), followed by a dose of an aloe oil like Jasön Aloe Vera Beauty Oil ($6.39; Jason-Natural.com).
Refresh Your Face
It's just as dry as-if not drier than-the rest of your body, but your complexion requires extra attention. "When your skin is dehydrated, imperfections like redness, uneven tone or texture, and fine lines and wrinkles become amplified," says Rolanda Johnson, PhD, senior beauty scientist for Procter & Gamble. Once a week, use a facial treatment that's formulated for your biggest concern.
If You Have... Dull Skin
Help skin generate bright new cells with an exfoliating mask, like (1) OneLove Brand New Day Microderma Scrub & Masque ($39; OneLoveOrganics.com), which has skinpolishing pineapple enzymes.
If You Have... Fine Lines
Replace your night cream with a light serum that has exfoliating glycolic acid and moistureattracting glycerin, which keep skin supple. Try Olay Regenerist Night Resurfacing Elixir ($24.99; at drugstores).
Find out other important ingredients to look for in anti-aging products.
If You Have... Large Pores
To combat deadskin buildup in pores, which makes them look larger, apply a mask with pore-shrinking grape acid, such as Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Revealing Mask ($46; Caudalie-USA.com).
If You Have... Red Skin
Calm angry or chapped skin with a gentle treatment packed with soothing colloidal oatmeal and algae extract, like the 15-minute Dermalogica UltraCalming Relief Masque ($42; Dermalogica.com).
If You Have... Dry, Tight Skin
You'll benefit from a boost of ultranourishing shea butter, which prevents water
loss from the skin. One product to try: Meaningful Beauty Cindy Crawford Rich Moisture Masque ($52; MeaningfulBeauty.com).
Original article appeared on WomansDay.com
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