10 must haves for winter {Product Reviews}

R, another reader of my blog requested me to make a post on the things one needs to stock up for winter for skin care as well as hair care. (R, this one is for you! ). The winter has never been my best friend. I have enough skin and hair woes ranging from chapped lips, dry skin, rough hair, a bleeding nose, the list is quite endless. Needless to say I am pretty much looking forward to the season to get over! Over the past two years, I’ve made a note of products that suit me across the seasons. If something makes my skin oily in the summer, I keep it aside for use in the winters and vice versa. Here is my essentials list that are pretty much required in the winters.  I use these for my skin type which is a normal to combination skin type. Without much ado, the 10 must haves for winter!

10 must haves for winter

Face washes

Since the winter is likely to dry out your skin, you need to opt for a cream base face-wash. You will need something that will hydrate your skin and keep it moisturised. I am yet to find a cream based organic face-wash that will suit my skin. I have been using the Omved Deep Facial Cleanser for the past few months and I find that it has kept my skin wonderfully hydrated and soft till now. But since, it is a gel based cleanser, I am not sure of how effective it will be in the winters. I’ll probably stick to this till I find something better.

Scrubs 

Stick to scrubs that have a cream base. Two scrubs I would love to recommend are the Coffee Scrub by TNC and the  Walnut scrub by Prakriti herbals.  Both these scrubs have worked beautifully on my skin and kept it absolutely soft and moisturised in the winters. I use these at least thrice a week.

Scrubs for the body

Don’t waste money to buy body scrubs, instead make one for yourself at home. Look up  whole load of DIY stuff here, and if you are too lazy to do that try this one. One teaspoon each of coffee powder ( it works better if you have the filter coffee because of the grains), white sugar and brown sugar. quarter a spoon of cinnamon powder and half a crushed clove. Mix in about a tablespoon of olive oil in this. You have your own body scrub ready and let me tell you that coffee is absolutely invigorating!

Body Butter

Body butters are thicker and are known to keep your body hydrated and moisturised for a longer time in comparison to a moisturiser. Lather on some liberally to keep your skin moisturised for a long time. And if you are on the go, one recommendation is the solid moisturising bars. Store these in a tin and dunk it in your bag when you are on the move.

Hair Oils

The winter gets its woes of the dry and flaky dandruff.  If you can, do opt for an oil that helps you combat dandruff. If not warm a bit of oil and add a few fenugreek seeds to it and massage from the roots to the tips of the hair. I indulge in a head massage at least thrice a week and I prefer leaving the oil overnight.

A creamy body wash

The closest that comes to a creamy body wash that leaves your skin all moisturised and hydrated is Dove! It is not the best option to choose from considering the fact that I steer away from all things that do not have the natural ingredients, but sometimes when you do not have the right product available, you need to stick to a commercial one.

Lip Balms 

This one is pretty much required all through the year. But yes, a must must have for anyone in the winters. Use it as a base before you apply a lipstick or even when you have not applied one! I have been using the Omved and the Rustic Art lip balms all these years that have kept my lips perfect even in the harshest of the winters.

Hand and Foot creams

Yes, your body butters will work as a hand and a foot cream, but since your hands and especially feet are more dry that the rest of the body, you will need something specific for them. Try the Exfoliating Foot oil from Auravedic (pending a review!) and the Hand Foot Lotion by Rustic Art. These are bound to keep your hands and feet superbly moisturised all through the winter.

Moisturiser for the face

You will still need something light for your face in the winters. The Omved protective face moisturiser is something I have been using for a really long time. I am about to exhaust the second bottle now and I need a little more than the usual quantity that I use, but this product keeps my skin soft for at least 7 – 8 hours. You will need to reapply this every time you wash your face.

Hydrating shampoo and conditioner 

When it comes to a shampoo and a conditioner, you will need to opt for something that will keep your hair healthy and not dry it out. I use shampoos from Rustic Art, Prakriti Herbals and SoulTree. The conditioners I use are Jungle by Lush or the Hibiscus and Henna conditioner by SoulTree. I tried a super creamy conditioner by Clinic Plus that left my hair superbly manageable and absolutely fantastic, but then I knew the ingredients were not the best!

That was my pretty exhaustive list for the winter! What are your recommendations?

Note: Products have been recommended based on my skin type which is a normal to combination skin.