Go Away Dry, Winter Skin!
Oh, wonderful winter – dry air and all the fun that goes along with it. In our household, we attack dry skin from every angle possible. We have a full house humidifier system, we have individual humidifiers, we drink tons of water and we also lather on lotion.
I won’t review everything we do – not only would it take forever, but I also don’t want you to think we’re over the top (we are).
HUMIDIFIERS
I’ve tried a ton of these, from the tear drop looking one I purchased for my child as an infant (no thank you – if I have to refill it during the night, it’s no longer an option. Also, I have no clue how humid the room is) to the more industrial looking ones with all the bells and whistles (pretty big, but also pretty expensive). I finally decided a room humidifier that falls somewhere in the middle: the Bionaire Ultrasonic Filter-Free Tower Humidifier. Each one is the perfect size for a bedroom (so I suggest getting more than one if you have multiple rooms requiring humidity).
Here’s why I like it: (1) it has a 1.5 gallon tank, which means I only need to fill it up every other day. And this is based on some pretty heavy usage including a full, 12 hours’ use at night and another 2 – 3 hours during the day (for my child lest you think I am able to truly rest this much); (2) no filters to replace. However, it is highly recommended to clean these every 2 weeks because mold loves moisture (pretty simple actually – put maybe 3 – 4 tablespoons of vinegar in the tank, fill it with water and run it outside for a few hours. Rinse it out completely, wipe it down and you’re ready to roll); (3) great, easy-to-read display with a clock, speed level, timer (we never use this) and a humidity level indicator; and (4) a humidity sensor allowing you to set the humidity level you want. This is the key for me – I want to maintain a certain level of humidity, especially in my child’s room. I don’t want to wake up to a sauna with moisture all over the windows.
LOTION / MOISTURIZERS
So, now we have the humidity levels set, but our skin is still like an alligator’s. In addition to drinking copious amounts of water, we use lotion. Lots of lotion. But, how do you find one that not only works but has the most natural ingredients? And, why the heck are there so many options? There’s an entire aisle in Target dedicated only to body lotion…ridiculous. I doubt this will come as a surprise to anyone, but I refuse to buy most / all of the lotions sold in traditional grocery and drug stores. Just take a gander at the ingredient list and try to tell me what some of those things are. No thanks. And I always remember a high school science teacher who tried to stump all of us by asking what the body’s largest organ is…the skin. I don’t want chemicals seeping into the largest organ on my body. Yuck. (btw, be on the look out for a future blog about sunscreens). As for my child, I’m even more focused on finding lotions with the most natural and effective ingredients possible.
On the other end of the spectrum, I’ve tried a ton of organic lotions that just don’t work – some are waxy (too much coco butter or something), some smell awful and some just don’t moisturize. At one point I was advised to put straight coconut oil on my skin. For me, it actually made me itch and made the skin worse. And, for a while, I actually made my own concoction by using organic, unscented lotion as a base and adding a variety of organic oils like apricot, jojoba, etc. (this was when I lived in San Francisco and had access to an amazing co-op called Rainbow where I could buy organic, unscented lotion in bulk as well as all the oils. We don’t live there anymore, but if you do, head over there ASAP. It’s amazing).
So, what do we use? For a body lotion, I’ve found a product that’s “almost green” called EO Everyone Lotion, Coconut + Lemon. I looooove this stuff. It’s actually made by the same company which makes the deodorant I recommended (see my blog on deodorant). The ingredient list is pretty great (no parabens, no polysorbates, no disodium EDTA, vegetarian, non GMO, gluten free and not tested on animals)…and it smells amazing. The lotion comes in other fragrances, but this is the one I’ve found that’s the best for me (the lavender smells a bit medicinal). If my skin is extra dry, I will just add some organic avocado oil into my hand, mix everything up and then apply. I bought a huge bottle of non-GMO avocado oil at Costco (another find!). For a face lotion, I love the Korres line of moisturizers (I get them through Sephora when they have sales). Otherwise, I strictly use PURA D’OR Organic Moroccan Argan Oil – this is a steal!. It’s 100% organic and comes in a relatively large pump bottle (to put this in perspective, its 4 oz. bottle is about $17 – $18 vs. a 4 oz bottle of non organic, Josie Maran at $96). I love this stuff. I apply it right after I wash my face, and then I follow up with my sunscreen. While it’s oil, it doesn’t feel oily, and my skin absorbs it right away – no sheen at all. The oil can also be used for hair as well, although I’ve never used it for that purpose.
For my child, I think I’ve tried everything from California Baby Super Sensitive Everyday Lotion (worked in SF, but not here at altitude), The Honest Company Face and Body Lotion (didn’t work at all for us, even when I mixed in the organic body oil. And when I found out they were sued for misleading consumers with its 100% natural claim when some ingredients weren’t, it kind of pissed me off) to pure avocado oil and much more. So, what do we use? I combine two lotions actually. If I had to choose just one, it would be Weleda Baby Body Lotion, Calendula. Not only does it smell amazing, but it has 99% organic ingredients. The ingredient list is digestible (literally for most of the ingredients). It’s not cheapest alternative, but let me know if you find anything with an equivalent ingredient list for cheaper – don’t think so. If my child’s skin is irritated with red bumps, I also reach for a 2nd lotion which I originally found at Whole Foods (then bought it off Amazon because it was significantly cheaper) called ShiKai Borage Therapy – Natural Dry Skin Children’s Lotion. The smell isn’t awesome (not awful either), so I do mix it with the calendula lotion. And, I’d argue this is another “almost green” product – the ingredient list is rather short and mostly amazing, but it’s not perfect. In a day, my child’s red bumps were gone. Voila!
So, stay hydrated, use your humidifiers and apply the right lotion. Hopefully that’s the best equation to get you through a dry winter.
Peace and love,
The Almost Green Mom
Amy Smith is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com
