Naturalla Beauty

Winter weather may have come late to Toronto, but now that it's here, it's not kidding around.  Monday saw temperatures as low as -15°C - and that's before factoring in the windchill!  Brr.  Inevitably as soon as the negative temperatures hit, my skin needs a little extra love, and that's where these products come in...



Wildcraft Cell Regeneration Face Serum
I had the pleasure of meeting Jessica and Laura from Wildcraft at a green beauty event a couple months ago and got to learn a little about this local Toronto company.  Everything is handcrafted in small batches and made with predominantly raw, organic, and local ingredients.  The Cell Regeneration Serum features a blend of rice bran, meadowfoam, rosehip, hemp, seabuckthorn, and sunflower oils, and hydrates the skin beautifully without any heaviness or greasy residue.  Carrot seed extract and frankincense and palmarosa essential oils provide additional anti-aging benefits and give the oil a unique spicy/earthy scent that I really enjoy as well.  You could certainly use the oil by itself, but since I've been on more of a cream moisturizer kick of late, I've opted to use it a little differently.  I like to mix a couple drops into my moisturizer for an extra punch on days when my skin feels more dry or in need of a boost.   

Rachel's Plan Bee Bee Cream
I've written about Rachel's Plan Bee several times before, but the Bee Cream is a new discovery for me this winter.  It's a concentrated product that hits that perfect intermediate between a balm and a body butter.  You get the richness and nourishment that you would from a balm, but with a softer whipped consistency.  Like a balm, a little goes a long way and you don't need to use a lot to get great results.  The Bee Cream has the lovely RPB signature citrus vanilla scent, though I find it milder than in some of the other products like the Body Oil and Polish, which, for my sensitive sniffer, is another plus.  I've been using the cream mainly on my feet and cuticles - both of which are super soft now - but it's one of those great products that you could probably find a million and one uses for.  

SBT Seabuckthorn Lip Balm*
In the winter, lip balms always get split into two categories in my head: indoor and outdoor.  Its slippery, thinner consistency puts SBT Seabuckthorn's Lip Balm firmly in the indoor category, but where this Canadian balm really excels is in its ability to heal and nourish sore chapped lips.  I'd go for something heavier and more protective before braving a snowstorm, but this is what I'd reach for right after.  Made with both seabuckthorn seed and fruit oils, as well as shea butter, beeswax, and a host of other nourishing oils, it feels like a product that really feeds your lips, helping to repair any cold-weather inflicted damage.  The balm is unscented and unflavored, so the earthiness of the seabuckthorn does come through, but it's in no way overpowering or offensive.

Ilike Carotene Essentials Gel Mask*
The Carotene Essentials Gel Mask was specifically formulated for summer skin, but I've been finding the same hydrating soothing blend of carrots, fruit, and honey fantastic for winter skin needs too!  Our first tendency is often to reach for rich oils and butters to combat dryness, but skin really needs a combination of oil AND water for optimum health.  The Gel Mask provides that water component and only needs to be left on for about 15 minutes.  It's soothing and provides light hydration - which you can then seal in with those richer creams and oils if you want.  I did a more detailed review of this mask over the summer.

Dry Brushing
Don't get me wrong, I love a good body scrub or polish, but some days they just feel like that extra step I can't bring myself to do.  What I can get behind any day of the week is dry brushing!  It takes less than two minutes to brush your entire body, leaves no slipperiness or oily coating on the tub, and in addition to exfoliating away dead skin, it also offers lymphatic and circulatory benefits.  There's tons of information about dry brushing out there, but it's hard to get wrong: just start gentle and make sure to brush in a direction towards your heart.

Has the cold weather hit where you are?  What are your winter skin essentials?

I try to keep my skincare routine pretty simple year round.  Usually it's just soap and moisturizer morning and night, plus the occasional scrub and mask.  This winter, however, I've felt like my skin's needed something more, so I ended up jazzing things up a bit.  I figured I'd share what I've been using lately.



Cleanser: Young Living Valor Bar Soap
I've written about this soap multiple times before, and this step hasn't changed.  I've used this loyally for the last couple years and it's a great basic, no frills cleanser that isn't too drying.  It also removes makeup well and doesn't leave any kind of film on your skin like a lot of bar soaps do.






Toner: Humphrey's Witch Hazel + Essential Oils
Originally I found witch hazel too drying to use all over, so I was using it irregularly and only on specific parts of my face.  When my skin started acting up around the holidays, this is what I reached for first.  I wasn't quite breaking out - it was more like congested pores - but they disappeared completely within the first couple days of using this.  I use straight witch hazel, but I do mix in essential oils to cover up the witch hazel smell, which I'm really not a fan of on its own.




Toner #2: George's Always Active Aloe Spray Mister
When I first reviewed this, I was just using it as a makeup setting spray.  With switching things around, I began using it more often as a toner, and I really like it!  I tone with witch hazel on a cotton pad and then I mist my face with 3-4 sprays of this.  It's refreshing and gives a little boost of extra hydration underneath my moisturizer.








Moisturizer: Young Living Sandalwood Moisture Cream
As I've said before, although this isn't my favourite moisturizer from Young Living, it's less expensive and you get twice the amount of product, so I do rotate between the two.  It's still a great basic moisturizer, I just don't get that "best moisturizer ever" feeling that I do from the Boswellia Wrinkle Cream.  





Facial Oil: Pai Rosehip Bioregenerate Oil
I don't find my skin needs the extra moisture of an oil all over, but I do like to use one on more specific "problem areas."  I also only do this step at night.  I've been struggling to get rid of a couple fine lines on my forehead (frown lines?) and some redness and broken capillaries on the sides of my nose and I'm hoping this will help with both.  I know technically you can't fix broken capillaries with anything topical, but I do notice they're a lot less visible in the morning, if I apply this the night before.  It's still a bit early to tell if it's helping with the lines, but I'm hopeful!



Lip Balm: Balm Balm Unscented Multipurpose Lip Balm/Badger Creamy Cocoa Cocoa Butter Lip Balm
Both of these lip balms are pretty recent purchases, but they're what's been on my lips most often lately.  The Balm Balm is more salve-like and soaks into your lips quickly, leaving them hydrated but almost dry to the touch, while the Badger is creamier.  It smells divine and moisturizes while leaving your lips feeling coated and protected.  The Balm Balm makes a great lip treatment, but the Badger is what I reach for before braving the cold outside! 




Scrub: Nourish Exfoliating Body Polish
I've been exfoliating with Nourish's Body Polish one or two times a week.  I like it and it's definitely gentle enough for the face, but at some point I'd like to find something better.  I recently tested out a sample of Pai's Kukui & Jojoba Exfoliator, which left my skin feeling incredibly smooth, but I'm not sure I loved it enough to purchase the full size.  I'm definitely interested in trying more scrubs with jojoba beads in them though!





Mask: Homemade Clay & Honey
I posted the recipe a while back and it's still what I usually mix up when I'm in the mood for a face mask.  Honestly, this isn't something I do very regularly - probably once a month or so.






This is a lot more steps than my previous skincare routine, but it doesn't actually take very long.  Now I'm wondering...do you change up your skincare in the winter?  Are there any scrubs you love?  I'm also looking for an eye cream - particularly something that will help with dark circles.  If you have any recommendations, I'd love to hear them!