After spending my holiday in the blistering cold of the Wild, Wild West, the twenty degree temperatures in D.C. seem downright tropical.  But since the rest of you seem to be turning into little fashionista icicles right before my very eyes, I thought I might share some tips for how to keep up appearances and survive this dip in the mercury.

Because the frigid outdoors and artificially heated indoors can be murder on our hair and skin, it’s important to keep everything moisturized.  To accomplish this lofty goal, there are three drugstore products that you need to pick up pronto:

Eucerin Aquaphor

Aquaphor is a product that I use every day to protect my lips and cuticles.  But during the winter months, Aquaphor does double duty ad body lotion and night cream.  Unlike Vaseline which is sticky, Aquaphor glides on and absorbs into skin to keep it moisturized.  And to my great surprise, it doesn’t cause breakouts when I use it on my face. 

Lastly, for those times when my face gets really dry and I’m afraid to use makeup remover for fear of making the problem worse, I use a Kleenex and Aquaphor to remove my makeup.  If this method doesn’t appeal to you, baby wipes for sensitive skin also do an excellent job of cleansing the skin without over drying.

Dove Moisturizing Body Wash

When the winds howl and the space heater blows, the last thing you want to do is strip away your skin’s natural moisture.  During these times, bar soaps and harsh cleansers only make the task of keeping skin moist that much more difficult.  Instead of soap, try a body wash with moisturizing oil or a luxurious cream to help your skin retain moisture.  Dove makes several nice products that will provide relief from dry chapped skin without breaking the bank, just remember that moisturizing bodywash is only step one and that you will still need to slather on the body lotion in order to fight back against the dry winter air.

VO5 Total Hair Recovery

While Ojon Restorative Treatment is my go to fix for dry hair, sometimes I like to tag team my locks with an in-shower treatment like VO5’s Total Hair Recovery.  This inexpensive conditioner does a surprisingly good job of keeping my hair glossy and frizz-free during the winter months.  Simply comb it through your hair, don the provided shower cap and in five minutes your hair will bounce back from the dead.  Yet another wonderful product found on the drugstore’s bottom shelf.

Don’t let the winter weather and it’s dry air zap the luster from your hair and skin.  With just a little extra effort and a few extra dollars you can fight back against the winter blahs.  Good Luck!  And if you have any tips to share regarding how you are staying moisturized during this dry cold snap, be sure to leave them in the comments.