Dear Mother Nature....please stop torturing me!!!

This has been a winter for the records for MANY reasons....wind, temperatures, snow and dry, dry, dry skin!!!  Oh Mother Nature, please have a bit of mercy on us, please!

I don't know if you are in the same boat as my family here in NH, but when the sweaters come off and you count the seconds before the flannel pj's go on, there's not too much time in between to slather on yet another layer of moisturizer.

There are only a few things that you CAN do to help yourself during this time of the year, and, I am NOT going to be one of those people that tries to convince you that taking 'tepid' showers instead of hot will really help.  Sometimes, the hot shower is the only thing that will get me up on these dark mornings.  No, there are other things that can come to the rescue...

Water!  Drink more than you are used to drinking any other time of the year.  Hydrate your skin from the inside out.  Coffee and tea are favorites this time of year, nice and cozy, but for every cup of caffeinated beverage (a diuretic) make sure you drink twice as much plain water.

Dry Brushing!  Use a natural bristle brush and slough off the dead skin before you get into the shower.  This helps to stimulate your lymphatic system and circulation to get rid of nasty toxins in your body.  Do this starting at your feet and up towards your heart, your finger tips in towards your heart, etc.  You'll feel wide awake and ready to start the day....oh yeah, BONUS, it is also helpful in getting rid of cellulite!

Body Oil!  We keep ours right in the shower so that we can towel off and immediately lock in moisture.  Besides, the oil becomes warm in the shower so it's not a shock to the senses to put on.

Shea Butter!  We are talking about 100% natural Shea Butter.  Work that buttery goodness into cuticles, heels, elbows, lips and anywhere else that you need an extra focus on moisture.

You may be asking....what about my poor hair!?!?!?  Depending on the type of hair you have, you can take the extra body oil left over on your hands and work it into the ends of your damp hair after you shower.  It will NOT make your hair greasy but will help to make it less dry and super shiny.  If you need some serious help, you can also find loads of recipes online to make your own shea butter hair mask using 100% shea, olive oil, honey and essential oils....or you can just finger through a small amount 100% shea butter before you go to bed.  It will have all night to soak in and you'll shampoo out the extra in the morning.  Put a small amount in your hands, rub them together to melt is and work that through your thirsty locks.

Best of luck with this trying time of the year...be well and let us know if you have any questions!