11 Fabulous Winter Beauty Must-Haves
Winter is one of the toughest seasons when it comes to beauty. With colder temperatures, dry air, and so much time spent indoors, your skin, hair, and nails are faced with a new set of circumstances. Do you adapt your beauty routine to the seasons? If not, you may want to consider a few new products to keep you looking great all winter.
Readers have emailed me wanting solutions for so many winter beauty dilemmas, from static hair to ultra-dry skin, so I thought I’d address them all with this article. I have a whole slew of winter-specific beauty products that I use to survive December, January, February, and March, so I thought I’d share my best ones with you.
Here are my top 11 beauty must-haves for winter. I honestly doubt I could survive without these products:
1. Deep Conditioner
Since I bleach my hair on a regular basis, my hair is already easily damaged. Add dry winter air into the mix, and it’s a recipe for split ends, dehydration, and frizz. Fortunately, a good deep conditioner keeps my hair hydrated and protected year round – I really couldn’t live without it!
Loreal Nature’s Therapy Mega Moisture Cream is an amazing deep conditioner – it’s really moisturizing and smells great. Another conditioner I swear by is coconut oil. You can buy it at your local health food store, rub some between your palms, and apply to your hair overnight. You’ll wake up to fabulously shiny and soft hair!
2. Body Lotion
You knew this one had to be on the list. One of the worst things about winter is how dry your skin gets. Even those of us who never have dry skin can often get it in the winter. That’s why body lotion is a must-have to keep your skin smooth and soft.
Which body lotions are the best? I love Bath & Body Works‘ body cream in Black Raspberry Vanilla, but all of their scents are to die for! Any of their body creams would make a great winter body lotion. I definitely recommend them.
3. Anti-Aging Facial Lotion with SPF
My skin is normally very oily, but in the winter it gets dry and needs extra moisture. Lately I’ve been using Olay Total Effects Anti-Aging UV Moisturizer with SPF 15, and it’s fabulous. Doesn’t make your skin too oily and never causes breakouts. Even better, it’s fragrance free and has SPF!
Remember, even in the winter your skin still needs sunscreen to prevent premature aging and wrinkles. Wear a product with SPF of at least 15 every day, even when it’s cloudy out, and even when you stay inside! Your skin will thank you in the long term.
4. Pumice Stone
A pumice stone isn’t exactly a cosmetic, but it’s still a necessity for the winter months. A pumice stone helps get rid of dead skin and keep your feet looking pedicure-perfect, even during January. Perfect if you want to get ready for Spring Break or just want to keep your feet in good shape year round.
If you want to buy a pumice stone, this one from Amazon is only $2.99! It will last forever too, so it’s a good value for the price.
5. Blush
Blush is essential during the winter to add a healthy glow when you’re pale. If you normally wear bronzer in summer, consider switching to a blush for the winter months.
I’ve talked about blush here before, and my favorite blush ever continues to be NARS blush. It comes in a billion colors, lasts forever, and looks completely natural when applied with a blush brush. Celebrities and makeup artists alike all love NARS, and I can’t see myself using anything else.
6. Moisturizing Body Wash
Normal soaps and body washes can dry your skin out, and since it’s already dry during winter, you need an extra-moisturizing formula to keep your skin soft.
There are tons of great moisturizing body washes out there, and you don’t have to spend a lot to get a quality product. Right now I love Olay Body Wash Plus Body Butter Ribbons – it’s really rich & moisturizing and only costs about $6 for a huge bottle.
7. Body Butter
For those seriously dry areas that lotion won’t fix, body butter is your miracle product. Just put it on the roughest areas of skin and watch the dryness disappear. The Body Shop makes some body butters that smell amazing, but if you’re on a budget, Boots Body Butter, available at Target, works just as well and costs a fraction of the price.
8. Lip Balm
Probably the most important item on this list for me! Nothing is worse than chapped lips – they look bad, they hurt, and sometimes it gets so bad that you can’t even wear lip gloss. Lip balm is your chapped lip rescue product!
If you read CF often, you know my pick for the best lip balm ever – Rosebud Salve! It fixes even severely chapped lips, comes in a cute little pot, and smells amazing. Even better? It costs less than $5. Talk about a budget beauty product!
9. Self-Tanning Lotion
To keep your skin from looking too pasty, resist the urge to hit the tanning beds this winter! Instead, fake a little bit of post-vacation color with a gradual self-tanning lotion like Jergen’s Natural Glow. It builds up over time so it looks totally natural, and you’ll never get streaks or a fake orange color like you would with regular self tanner. It’s the perfect thing – a natural looking touch of color without any of the sun damage.
10. Hairspray
There’s nothing I hate more about winter than the constant flyaway hair and static cling! What about hat hair? So many things can go wrong with your locks during the winter. That’s why hairspray is so essential.
One of my favorite new hairsprays is White Sands Liquid Texture – it holds well and doesn’t feel like typical hairspray. It’s also pretty inexpensive as far as hair products go. Another great hairspray for winter is Phyto volumizing spray. Either product will help you combat frizz, hat hair, and static cling, plus keep your hairstyle looking fresh all day.
11. Water
Photo by .craig.
Yes, water needed its own place on the list. It’s a beauty LIFESAVER in winter!
Drinking tons of water is one of the best things you can do for your body year-round, but it’s so easy to get dehydrated in winter that it’s doubly important. You don’t have to drink 8 glasses a day, but you should keep a bottle of water near your desk and keep refilling it as the day goes on. You’ll see the benefits right away – clearer skin, less dry skin, and even more energy throughout the day. Even better? It’s (mostly) free.
What are your winter beauty essentials?
You’ve seen my picks for must-have winter beauty products – now I want to hear yours! Which products could you not live without this winter? Make a list of your own and leave it in the comments section.
Posted on on January 20, 2009 / Filed Under: Beauty & Hair / Tags: Beauty, Hair, Makeup, Skin, Skincare, The Body Shop, Winter, Winter 2008
Like this post?
Comment Rules: CF is a positive place and our comments section is no different. Constructive criticism is fine, but if you're rude, we'll delete your comment. Please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name and do not put your website in the comment text, as both come off like spam. For more info, see our 
jennifer
Where can you find Rosebud Salve for less than 5 dollars?
kaylee Maxwell
awesome, id add a body scrub to the list b/c it combats flaky dryness so your skin is extra smooth. My favorite is the neutrogena grapefruit bodyclear body wash, b/c, when you’re wearing sweaters all day, you tend to sweat, and that can sometimes lead to gross body acne. But this stuff is perfect preventative and i wash with bath and body works creamy body wash afterward to combat dry skin!
M
Seconding the coconut oil. It’s traditionally used in India…my mom used to massage it into my scalp and hair about an hour before my baths when I was little and my hair was so soft and manageable then. She stopped when we found out I was allergic to coconuts. But she still uses it and so do my grandmother as well as all my aunts (my mom’s sisters) and they all have beautiful hair. She keeps telling me to try olive oil now. She said it’s not as effective but it will do as a substitute.
Lyd
Hand cream!!! very good, since your hands may dry out a lot more often!
Veronica
Instead of coconut oil I’ve always used castor oil. You put it your hair and massage into the scalp, leave it in for about an hour, then wash it out with shampoo & conditioner. Does wonders. You can find it at the drugstore with the laxatives:)
My other modification to your list would be baby oil instead of body lotion, which I hate having to put on, especially because my legs are usually the part that needs it most and perfumes in the lotion sting and leave red marks after shaving. Johnson&Johnson sells baby oil in a gel form that won’t get all over the place; just slather it on after you shower while your legs (or other body parts) are still wet, and it locks in the moisture from the water on your skin. So smooth!
Lo
I love that you add Jergens natural glow. I use it in the Spring and Summer, I love it! Yes it does take time to build up the tan. I notice when I use it for the first time in the Spring (going from pale white) I see a bit of a glow but then when you use it more than you can tell you got a tan in a tube! I love this and anyone thinking about using it I say yes try it and remember to apply for than one time to get the shade you want.
Jenny
Hear hear. I use chapstick constantly. I like the cheapie blistex fruit smoothie 3-pack that you can buy anywhere for like 3 bucks. They smell and taste great (and you don’t have to apply it with your finger!).
If you have super dry skin spots, I find that Aveeno products work best (Gold Bond is good too). I have really oily/acne prone skin also, so I use their clear complexion face lotion twice a day. I use their oatmeal moisturizing body wash also (It smells like cookie dough!). It’s especially good for people whose skin can’t handle the fragrances and dyes they put in most products. It works wonders for my boyfriend.
I’ll have to try the body butter and coconut oil. Thanks for the tips!
Zephyr
jennifer – http://american-discount-beauty-supply.amazonwebstore.com/Rosebud-Lip-Balm-Salve/M/B000BSEPDO.htm
kaylee – I agree with the body scrub recommendation, although exfoliating too often can irritate your skin so that’s why I don’t use them so regularly.
M – Ah, that’s too bad you’re allergic! I’ve heard good things about olive oil too, though, so at least you have that as a substitute.
Lyd – Ooh, good call. I forgot hand cream! Definitely a must-have as well.
Veronica – I’ve never heard of using castor oil! Will have to try it out. Also, I love baby oil but I hate the mess. I haven’t seen the gel baby oil anywhere but now that I know about it the search is on – sounds amazing!
Lo – I know, Natural Glow is so fabulous! Everyone should try it at least once.
Jenny – I really like Aveeno products too – they all smell amazing. And definitely try the coconut oil, you won’t be disappointed!
Erika Wilkins
My school is ontop of a mountain in the smokies, and the cobination of wind and cold dry air makes my lips awful! I use burts bees tinted chapstick to give my face a nice pop of color and keep my lips hydrated.
Also, i use a leave-in conditioner i like sunsilk leave-in treatments.
la petite fashionista
LOVE rosebud salve! i use it on chapped hands in the winter as well.
also, sunless tanning lotion is a necessity for us floridians, we can’t stand being pale as terrible as that sounds haha
n
Could you do an article on cute outfits to 0-30 degree weather? Like how to look cute during a freezing inauguration :)
Emily
This winter I’ve been loving Apivita’s Cucumber Hydrating Mask (which doesn’t exacerbate my acne but moisturizes my winter dry skin and smells yummy), Too Faced’s Snow Bunny Bronzer (blush/bronzer/highlighter/eyeshadow in one in a shade that looks natural on winter skin), and Giovanni’s Hot Chocolate Sugar Scrub (the closest thing to bathing in hot chocolate lol it is really nice before you shave and totally natural).
Rose
I’m a big fan of Burt’s Bees lip balm in the winter and every other season!
I also use an amazing body lotion by Desert Essences. Mine is scented with Lavender oil, and not only does it moisturize but if I put it on before bed and smell it for about 20 seconds I sleep deeply and don’t wake up so many times during the night.
It’s great! You can find it in a lot of health food stores and it’s not too expensive. :)
Monique
My winter essentials are:
FIRST AND FOREMOST
COCOA BUTTER AND VASELINE- they are all year round must haves but in winter they are the bare essentials for my skin survival, keeping my skin smoth, moisturised and smelling yummy cocoa butter is amazing, it fades scars and improves consistency of skin. vaseline can fix any problem, obviously for lips, but also to smooth eyebrows or any other mishap.
Motions hair moisturiser- For me to survive winter split ends i always use on my ends in the morning and before i go to sleep.
Liz Earl face kit- to fight spots etc… in winter, with all the crap i eat, nothing is better for my skin than this routine with masks, scrubs and the AMAZING muslin cloth and polish. I recomend it to everyone!!
Nisrin
Another great hairspary is Herbal Essences
It has great hold and doesn’t smell like regular hairspray. And it’s not one of those gas pressure bottles…it’s more of a spritz. I love it
PerfectLocks
You are right on with these products. I love body butter, especially in the winter. It just gives your skin that extra that it needs when it starts looking dry and dull. I also recommend the deep conditioner to keep your hair healthy and keep the moisture in it.
Caitlin
My lips chap very easily so lip balm in the winter is a must for me. I don’t always think to put it on throughout the day so I put it on before I go to bed every night. It works while I sleep! (my favourites are Burt’s Bees and Nivea works alright too). Also I’m somewhat obsessed with body butter – I have about 6 different ones from the Body Shop, I love them :)
tina
this is a fabulous article. your articles that are based on climate/season are fabulous, rare, and extremely useful. especially the winter ones.
i agree with N about the need for cute outfits for 0-30 degree weather. your article on cute winter outfits doesnt look warm enough for serious bostonian weather :) thanks for all your great stuff
Candi
That White Sands hairspray is REALLY amazing for hold. Obviously this isn’t an every day example, but when I was 16, I was a hair model for Fernando Salas…the guy behind White Sands…and he made my hair into all of these elaborate curls and a fan of straight hair – all standing straight up! Just proof of what this stuff is capable of!
Taleigh
I loved the color of the blush, but could you tell me what the name of the color is? My annoying-ly pale skin definitely needs a pick-me-up and this sounds perfect!
Much love from Tennesse!
Fashionista
I have been using “Olay Facial cleanser” and “Lotus scrub” together along with “Olay total effects 7″ antiaging cream with SPF 15 and my skin has become soft like a baby, moreover Olay total effect 7 has also removed spots on my skin.
For hair I massage my hair with a warm mixture of Olive oil, almond oil and coconut oil and my locks have had the shine I needed the most, moreover they have become soft like feather, I also use Garnier Fructis Conditioner for my locks and use henna for color as well as conditioner.
For lips I use Fa lip balm and for body I use anything available but just after my shower so that the moisture is locked in.
This is my beauty routine throughout the year be it summer or winter and I am happy with the results.
One tip I can give you all is Baby oil, it can be used as makeup remover, moisturiser, lip balm and body lotion and potion to control flyaways.
Everybody feel beautiful and stay beautiful…..muwahh….