Winter skincare

Taking care of your skin is always important, but especially so in winter. Cold weather, rain, snow, wind, the heating in your apartment... it all comes together at dragging your skin down. But do not despair! Treat your skin right, and it will thank you a thousand times!

Face
First off, exfoliate. You don't want to look flaky! Most people exfoliate about 2-4 times a month.
Always use a good moisturizer that suits your skintype. If you apply moisturizer in the mornings, try one that has SPF in it. Using sunscreen every day is very important, also in winter. If your moisturizer doesn't have SPF, then pick a foundation which does, or wear sunscreen underneath your makeup. My moisturizer, Dior HydrAction Visible Defense, has SPF 20.
A quick tip: The packaging that many moisturizers come in is big and heavy, including mine. I bought some small pots which each hold 10ml, and then scooped a bit of the moisturizer into it. It's so much easier to travel with your moisturizer when it is so small!

Eyes
Remember to use good eyecream. This is very important. Since I'm still young, I don't use one with "effective ingredients", but instead I use a moisturizing one with aloe vera, from The Body Shop.
A quick tip: For an extra refreshment, which also helps relieve puffiness, store your eyecream in the refrigerator between uses!

Lips
Dry and flaky lips are not attractive at all. Not to mention that applying lipstick on that kind of thing is a nightmare. So, number one: Exfoliate! You can buy really great lip exfoliators, but I fell in love with the one by YSL a few years ago, and have been using that one ever since (check out my review here).
Make your own lip exfoliator: Mix a bit of olive oil with a bit of sugar, until you have a grainy paste. Rub it on your lips, leave it on for about five minutes (longer if you have time and want seriously soft lips!) and then wash the scrub thoroughly away with water.

And second, moisturize your lips by using a good lipbalm. I love lipbalms by Origins (bonus: they last forever) but many companies make great ones.

Hands

Yes, you should also exfoliate your hands. I haven't seen a whole lot of handscrubs around, but one that I use, love and can deffinitely recommend is the "Butterfly kisses" by Alessandrio. It is scented with grapefruit and mint, and leaves your hands soft and refreshed.

Use a good lotion on your hands. In winter, my hands get very dry, so I use my Hemp Hand Protector by The Body Shop every night before I go to sleep. You might want to use something a little lighter, though, if your hands don't get seriously dry.

Also, take good care of your cuticles and nails. This "Cuticare Nourishing Pen" by Alessandrio does a wonderful job at moisturizing even the driest cuticles.

Finally, don't forget to take good care of your whole body. Once again, the steps are two and they are simple: Exfoliate, and moisturize! The two products pictured above, I got for Christmas. I love both of them. They are by The Body Shop, and the scent is "Wild Cherry". I hadn't tried it before, but I do really like it. I also love Vanilla and Coconut, try them out :)

In winter, I switch from body lotion to body butter, since the butter type offers deeper moisture. The Body Shop offers a great range of body butters (and lotions), I love trying out new scents.

Dry elbows? Try rubbing them with a bit of lemon juice! The lemon juice actually helps soften the dry skin and remove dead skincells. Afterwards, you can use a few drops of olive oil to soften them even more. (Of course, if your elbows are cracked, then you should not use lemon juice on them.)

That's it! Know any good skin tricks that I left out? Please tell us in the comments!

Love, Miss Diorista.