By its pure design, the winter season is not on your side when it comes to your skin. The colder months lack humidity, which pulls the natural oils and moisture from your skin's surface to cause dryness. Then, it throws in icy cold wind to not only add to the trouble, but potentially cause windburn and other issues too.
Indoor heating systems don't help matters at all, and rather add to the problem by drying the environment (and you) as well. This is why the winter months wreak havoc on these parts of the body. Skin, hair and nails can become dry, brittle and affected by the elements throughout the cold weather season.
While we all know this about winter, and to slather on moisturizer, conditioner and other products for the battle, it can be a lot of extra steps during already hectic lives and lifestyles. The key to getting the job done and doing it as effectively as possible, all lies in the products -- not the effort alone -- that you use. In fact, good products can make it easier to fight off winter's abuse on your skin, hair and nails. By doing their part well, they save time while handling the problem for you.
Ideally, you'll want to moisturize daily if you can. If the idea of covering yourself head to toe with moisturizer sounds like it'll take extra time you don't have, opt for a shower oil instead. Wait until you're about to finish, and cover yourself with a thin layer of the product from your feet to your shoulders. Towel off without removing it, and it'll create a layer of moisturizer on the skin. You can also rinse it off if you prefer. Aesop makes a selection of shower oils that work well and smell great.
Sloughing off dry, dead skin can also play a part in keeping winter's elements at bay. Look for a body scrub that has natural oils in it, which can pack a moisturizing punch in addition to helping to take away any dead skin accumulated. Eight Skincare's shower scrub blends eight natural oils (hence the name!) that took on and won the driest of skin here. Smooth Naturals is another worthy option. The banana scent smells so good!
For nails, you'll hear a lot about Bio-Oil, and it does work! It's inexpensive and can be found at most drug stores or online. Load up your cuticles and nails with a dab at least once a week, and you should see a difference in dry, cracked skin around the nails on your hands and feet. For hair, From The Lab's Hair Mask is very good. Load your tresses up once a week or so and sleep on it, then rinse in the shower in the morning.
A good facial oil can also be an asset in the winter. Derma E offers a handful of choices that are delicate and great for most skin types. You can wear it under makeup, use at night, or wear on the weekends when you're makeup-free for a bit of extra dewy moisture on your forehead, nose and cheeks.