Quench dry skin in two areas that need it most: hands and lips

HANDILY

A little effort can go a long way to protect hands, which lose moisture quickly in the cold weather.

1. Invest in a good hand cream:
   Absolutely essential this season, hand creams are thicker and richer than face or body moisturizers, and provide the extra protection hands need.
2. Cover up: The less that skin is exposed, the better. Choose
   a pair of thick gloves or mittens that don’t let in much air.
3. Try an overnight treatment: On an evening when you’re sleeping alone, apply a thick layer of hand cream, put on dampened cotton gloves, then rubber gloves. It’s not pretty, but the concentrated moisture will leave hands feeling soft and smooth the morning after.
4. Give yourself a manicure: Clip nails and file them, making sure to file in one direction to avoid tearing. Rub extra virgin olive oil on the cuticles to soften; wipe excess with a cotton ball. Apply a vibrant nail colour and wait to be asked where you got your nails done.

Recommended:

• Eucerin 5% Urea Hand Cream is a potent, silky blend that is free of fragrance and colourants. $13,www.eucerin.ca ^[1]
• L’Occitane Extra-Gentle Lotion for Hands & Body offers strong protection for sensitive skin, with a formula that includes honey, oat milk and 5 per cent shea butter*. $30, www.loccitane.ca ^[2].
• If you are not nut allergic, L’Occitane’s best-selling Hand Cream ($28), features sweet almond oil, while a 20% concentration of shea butter makes it as luxuriously rich as it gets.
• Zoya Nail Lacquer comes in 60 colours. Its gentle, long-lasting
  formula is formaldehyde, toluene and dibutyl phtalate (DBP)-free. $12, www.artofbeauty.com ^[3]

*Note: Shea butter is derived from an African nut. Check with your allergist before using if you are allergic to tree nuts.

SMACKABLE

Lips need extra love in the winter. The only part of the body that doesn’t have sebaceous glands (which produce oil), they’re thin, sensitive and particularly susceptible to UV damage. These tips will keep them kissably soft:

1) Exfoliate: Lips should be exfoliated about twice a month. Use a washcloth or toothbrush to rub gently over the mouth, removing dead skin cells.

2) Moisturize: When moisturizing your face, dab a bit extra on your lips. And be sure to wear lip balm with SPF every day.

3) Stock up: Like socks in the dryer, lip balm disappears. Keep one everywhere you might need it: purse, car, boyfriend’s place, pencil drawer at work.

4) Drink up: Chapped, dry lips are a sure sign of dehydration. Drink several glasses of water a day, and during the holiday season, try to alternate that glass of wine with one of water. Your lips – not to mention your head – will thank you for it.

Recommended:

• Aveda Lip Tint SPF 15 in Frosted Tulipa offers built-in protection and sheer, pretty colour. $17.50,www.aveda.com ^[4]

• Kiehl’s Baby Lip Balm is extremely gentle, perfect for little ones – but be sure to add a dab of sunscreen with SPF. $10.50, www.kiehls.com ^[5]

• Almay Pure Tints Protective Lip Care SPF 25 conditions lips with a fragrance-free formula. $6.95.www.almay.com ^[6]

First published in Allergic Living magazine. © Copyright AGW Publishing Inc.
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