Canadians love to talk about weather. I have to admit, I'm finding that I am one of those people as I get a bit older. I couldn't have cared less about the weather 10 years ago, but now, I am experiencing the weather. #Winterskin.
I'll be using the hashtag #winterskin all winter on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+ so that you can search for it and find any other items I find that work for the season's effect on our beautiful over thirty skin.
Dealing with #winterskin in the shower or bath
A few days into winter coming to town earlier this month, I started waking up in the middle of the night scratching myself all over my body. This is a nightmare scenario, and it had to be dealt with. I tried my regular Nivea SOS lotion for very dry skin, which promises 24 hours of moisture. Not even close. This was my clue to start exfoliating or "dry brushing."
If you've never exfoliated your body, I highly recommend this video on dry brushing. Instead of a brush, I use a glove, but the principles are the same. Do it once or twice a week in your shower or tub before showering (or tubbing!), and remember to brush toward your heart. I then use a shower cream that is ultra-moisturizing. The glove and shower cream combination I use:
The glove is a no-name that I purchased at Beddington's, but that I'm sure an equivalent can be found in any store like Bed, Bath and Beyond or Target, etc.
The shower cream is the Life Brand equivalent of the Aveeno Skin Relief Body Wash. I highly recommend if you suffer from itchy skin due to dryness like me.
Moisturizing for #winterskin
Nivea SOS Repair and Care Body Lotion has always worked for me in the past, and I recommend it if your skin is dry, but not itchy. Itchy, dry skin is a whole other battle. I tried an argan oil-based product, but it was not enough. I shaved my legs with EOS' new shave lotion (good stuff, nice vanilla scent) which helped, but my whole body is a problem, not just my legs.
I purchased two different shea butter-based moisturizers to compare and contrast with you all in mind. I then exfoliated, showered and slathered each on half of myself to test. I bought:
The Body Shoppe's Shea Body Butter (% shea unknown, but it is fair trade shea from a woman-supporting enterprise in Ghana) (400mL, $15CAD on sale, $30CAD regular price) (Did you guys know that L'Oréal bought The Body Shoppe? I didn't. Hm.)
L'Occitane Creme Ultra Riche Corps/Ultra Rich Body Cream 25% Shea Butter (200mL, $40CAD on sale, $48CAD regular price)
Choosing a winner here is near impossible. Both do exactly what they say on the tin, and I got at least 36 hours of relief with both of these creams. I found I needed less of the L'Occitane cream, which is a good thing because it's more than double the price (when both are on sale) and half the amount of The Body Shoppe (TBS) cream. I liked the smell of TBS product better, it's nutty and mild whereas the L'Occitane has a scent very much like a Nivea or Jergens moisturizer, i.e. a bit chemical-smelling.
Really, both are excellent products for my #winterskin. If money were no object, I would re-purchase the L'Occitane cream because I like the company and I know there is 25% shea butter in the product. Also, L'Occitane tweeted to me that their shea is sourced from a fair trade partnership with over 15,000 women in Burkina Faso. Finally, knowing that L'Oréal owns TBS makes me leery, actually.
However, not everyone can afford the L'Occitane, so I'll recommend TBS Shea Body Butter based purely on price per ounce and a less chemically-scented product. But know how hard a choice this was to make, friends!
Til next time,
Amanda
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