Friday, November 8, 2013

Autumn S.O.S: Combating dry skin and frizzy hair

It's cold, it rains a lot and the sunshine is almost non existent. This is my view of Autumn and if you're anything like me this cold, harsh weather does nothing but bad things for my skin. I recently posted an article revealing my Autumn essentials but as it gets colder and my energy decreases I'm finding it more and more effort to keep up with my beauty regimes. In light of this i have developed a very quick but effective way of combating dry skin and hair which requires the minimal amount of effort. 



I'm going to start with hair. Personally if the choice arrises between staying in bed for an extra 10 minutes or spending time de-frizzing my hair I am always going to choose bed. This combined with the fact I colour, backcomb, hairdry and straighten my poor hair means i need a good set of products to pop on. Enter Herbal essences Bee Strong shampoo and conditioner. This duo not only smells delicious (honey and apricot extract are an amazing combination)  but has a really creamy texture which has a great effect on your hair from the very first use. This definitely helps my hair to feel and look less frizzy, and instead leaves it with a velvety soft texture. Using these means i feel less concerned if i forget to use a heat protecting spray, and if I don't feel like straightening my hair I can afford to leave it au naturale. I've been combining this duo with a Toni & Guy shine gloss serum. I'm not keen on serums, past experiences have led me to believe they make my hair feel greasy and heavy. However this serum is extremely light and leaves my hair with a glossy, healthy shine. It may not get rid of my split ends but certainly helps to hide them, which is good enough for me. 

Everybody's skin is different, and the cold weather effects people in a variety of ways, however for me my upper arms are affected the most. The cold months leave me with bumpy arms that don't make me feel particularly ladylike. I've found the best way to combat this is with a good scrub, and Soap and Glory do a particularly excellent range. My favourite at the moment is the Scrub 'em and leave 'em body buff, which has slightly larger particles than other body scrubs I have used. I've found this to be more effective than buffs with finer grains as it is more efficient at getting rid of dead skin. Using this scrub 3-4 times a week has definitely left me with smoother arms. Alongside this I've been using an old favourite Palmers Coacoa Butter. This formula is enriched with Vitamin E giving it a very creamy, rich texture. Rather than being greasy or leaving you with that 'sticky' feeling, this cream seems to melt into the skin making it feel really fresh and soft. This product also smells gorgeous, really chocolatey and decadent without being overwhelmingly sweet. For those really dry areas (ankles, knees, elbows...all the awkward nooks) I've been teaming this with the Balance Me Rose otto body cream. This has a really feminine fragrance, which some may find overwhelming but I really like. This cream is really nourishing and works almost immediately to get rid of dry patches, replenishing the moisture in your skin.

Lastly I've got a couple of handbag essentials for you. The first is one I've raved on and on about last winter, and I still obsessively use, the Lush Popcorn lip scrub. This is a product I use daily, but especially in the cold weather when my lips are particularity dry and chapped. You can use the full review here but this is an essential for anyone who wants smooth, exfoliated lips without any effort. Last but not least is another Soap & Glory beauty, Hand Food. This hand cream is the perfect product to pop in your bag or desk drawer and use throughout the day. It's not greasy and it doesn't take lots of frantic rubbing in. I've received several compliments when using this hand cream about the beautiful smell most importantly the softness of my hands. This is well worth investing in before winter creeps up!

What are your tips for avoiding the perils of the cold weather?



Herbal essences Bee Strong shampoo & condtioner - £3.89
Scrub 'em and leave 'em body buff - £8
Hand Food - £5

2 comments:

  1. For ultra dry hands I use the miniature BodyShop hemp hand cream. Nothing beats!

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  2. oooo yes! I tried it but the smell put me off a little bit. It is very good though :)

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