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How To Get Your Skin Ready For Winter

The main purpose of protective styling is to preserve your hair’s health and length. Protective styles such as braids and twists, wigs and weaves, and head scarves and hats require minimal manipulation to your own hair and allow the strands to be covered from the cold. However, moisturizing your hair and allowing it to breathe are still vital.

Tip: To avoid stressing your strands and scalp irritation associated with repetitive styling, try rotating regularly between different protective styles.

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Despite what you thought before now, transitional skin care applies to you and me. And since I’m in a giving mood, allow me to lovingly suggest a few products me that will help your dry skin survive the Fall & Winter seasons with ease.

The one area of our face that gets paid little attention to during skin care talks are our lips. Lypsyl Intense Protection Lip Balm LypMoisturizer Honeyberry ($2.99, walgreens.com) is a product that can be used any time of the year, but it becomes especially useful to you as the weather cools. Never mind the yummy honeyberry fragrance, this pure Swedish beeswax lip balm is infused with avocado butter to moisturize, Vitamins A & E to soften & heal and shea butter to heal & protect.

The toughest fact to accept as truth is that we’re aging. But rather than ignore this truth, embrace what is and use products like Sadick Dermatology Group’s AM Protection Cream ($36, sadickdermatology.com & sephora stores) – a highly moisturizing protective day cream with SPF 20 to address environmental factors like harsh weather and UV radiation that contributes to the visible signs of aging. Sadick’s cream is an oil-free formula that instantly smoothes your skin’s texture and tone and creates a perfect canvas for makeup.

You can’t escape from it. During the day, everyday, it’s your responsibility to wear a sunscreen of SPF 30 or more like DNA Defense’s SPF 30+ ($45, dnaegfrenewal.com). This is a fast-absorbing, non-greasy formula that also protects skin against photo-aging (damage brought on by extreme exposure to sunlight) and cellular damage.

Click here to read about the only line of skin care products made specifically  for multi-hued skin tones and more.

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1. Invest in a humidifier. Using a humidifier in your home or office will add moisture to dry winter air and help keep your skin hydrated. Run the humidifier in the rooms you spend the most time in, including your bedroom.

2. Lower the thermostat. When it’s chilly outside, what’s the first thing you want to do? Crank up the heat! But central heat can make the air in your house even drier. Try setting the thermostat at a cool yet comfortable setting—68°F to 72°F—to maintain healthy skin.

3. Skip hot showers. Although it may be tempting to warm up with a long, steamy shower, hot water dries out your skin by stripping it of its natural oils. Instead, take a 5- to 10-minute lukewarm shower (or bath). You should also avoid using excessively hot water when washing your hands.

4. Choose cleanser wisely. The wrong soap can worsen itchy, dry skin. For instance, steer clear of regular bar soaps, since they tend to contain irritating ingredients and fragrances. Instead, start washing with a fragrance-free, moisturizing cleanser or gel. You can also prevent winter skin problems by using less soap.

5. Modify your facial skincare regimen for the season. During the winter months, choose cream-based cleansers, and apply toners and astringents sparingly, if at all. Many astringents contain alcohol, which can further dry your skin. Look for products that contain little or no alcohol—unless your skin is excessively oily. At night, use a richer moisturizer on your face.

Click here for more

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As the temperature gets cooler and cooler, our hands tend to get drier and drier, so to combat that ill side-effect, try L’Occitane’s Shea Butter Mini Hand Cream ($10, us.loccitane.com). It’s smells of honey and sweet almond extract with a hint of jasmine and ylang-ylang. This balm glides on your hands and protects dry and dehydrated skin.

Here are some tips on how to get your bedroom ready for the fall:

1. Add layers. Put away the light summer blanket and add a warmer blanket or two to your bed.

2. Bring in warm hues. Use warm rich and vibrant colors such as reds, browns, oranges, yellows and golds.

3. Window treatment. Replace your light sheer curtains with a heavier textured fabric.

4. Warm things up with a rug. Use a throw rug to compliment your existing bedroom decor. I have hardwood floors in my bedroom and as the weather gets cooler, I usually add a lush throw rug to step on when I get out of bed in the morning.

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Skin dry as a desert? Want skin as soft as a baby’s? Most of us don’t use too much lotion in the winter because of all the clothes that we have to put on. Besides, we think, “who’s going to know or see our skin with so much clothes?

Here are some tips on how to soften your skin this winter from shine.com:

First, it’s important to realize that all lotions are not created equal So to find one that will really do the job, look for ingredients that are humectants like glycerin and hyaluronic acid — they’ll attract moisture to your skin. Also look for occlusive ingredients like rosehip, avocado and hazelnut oils to seal that moisture in.

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Second, our moisturizer isn’t the only thing we need to change out during winter. Cleansers and body washes can also dry out skin, so switch to creamy formulas come cold weather.

Click here for more tips

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Shopping for spring and summer clothes just doesn’t have the same appeal when I know I can’t wear them immediately.  With the spring season right around the corner, here are some tips on how to transition your winter wardrobe into spring.

(From sheknows.com)

Put away the heavyweights

Thick sweaters, wool pants and heavy coats can move to the back of your closet as soon as spring arrives. However, there are several “in between” pieces that will still work in your spring wardrobe. Lightweight cardigan sweaters, particularly those in spring colors, are perfect transitional items. Layer your outfit with a cardigan and then take it off during the daytime as the weather warms up.

Add floral print tops

You can change the look of any outfit by adding a floral print. The same grey skirt (or business suit) can have a whole different look when paired with a pink or yellow floral print blouse. This season, florals aren’t the only trendy prints, however. Geometric prints in colorful patterns are also a big hit.

Wear your cut-out booties

Those cut-out booties with peep-toes and cut out sides that didn’t make much sense in the winter are now key as you transition to spring. Though most boots don’t work well in warm weather, these types of booties are just perfect.

Jazz up your neutrals with neon

Grey, black and chocolate brown are mainstains in your winter wardrobe. Don’t toss them aside in early spring. Instead, jazz them up by adding complementary pieces in neon and bright colors. Think 80s when choosing your funky bright accents.

Accessorize for springtime

Your favorite little black dress (or any other staple outfit) can look completely different just by changing your accessories. Colorful print silk scarves, bright chunky necklaces, floppy hats and shiny patent handbags are beautiful choices for spring. Yellows, pinks and oranges are some of the hottest colors for 2009 and they all work well in terms of accessories.

Click here to see your celeb style gallery featuring Solange.

It’s hard enough trying to keep our skin from getting ashy in the spring, and when that cold weather hits, cocoa butter is flying off the shelves! Check out some of these skin-saving tips from BlackDoctor.org.

[From BlackDoctor.org]

During winter, cold temperatures, biting winds, low humidity and indoor heating can cause dry, itchy, cracked skin and chapped lips and exacerbate conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and seborrhea.

But there are some simple steps you can take to protect your skin from winter’s harsh conditions, says dermatologist Dr. Deborah A. Scott, director of the Center for Laser Dermatology and Skin Health at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, in Boston.

Scott recommends that you:

* Stay hydrated. Drinking adequate amounts of water benefits your overall health and helps hydrate your skin from within. You should try to drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day.
* Keep showers short and warm. Long, hot showers strip natural oils from your skin. You should spend no more than 10 minutes in the shower and keep the water temperature below 90 degrees F.
* Use mild skin care products. The best choices are creams, ointments and lotions that are formulated for sensitive skin and don’t contain alcohol. Do not use deodorant or antibacterial soaps, or soaps or shampoos with skin irritants such as fragrances and lauryl sulfates.
* Moisturize daily. Immediately after a shower, pat skin dry (do not rub) and apply moisturizer to help trap moisture in the outer layers of your skin. Carry a travel-size container of lotion with you so you can replenish your skin moisture throughout the day.

What are the other four tips? Click here to find out!

It’s dead of winter, and the forecast shows another day of 30 degree weather. You can’t afford that tropical vacation, and your summer glow is long gone. Well, here are some great bronzers that may wake up your face with a warm, sun-kissed look at a reasonable price.

To see what bronzers Aixa raves about, click here!