Winter Skin Saviors, Part 2: First Aid Beauty

Winter is not my friend. My body tends to get pretty dry, especially my legs. In the winter, they get pretty itchy, and depending on how poorly I am taking care of myself, sometimes scaly too! I suppose I suffer from a lifelong habit of not really liking body lotion. Often, they are so strongly scented and so heavy, that they're a pain to put on. I feel like i have to wash my hands and let the lotion soak in before I move on with my morning routine... and if you know me, my morning routine needs to be the quickest possible thing on the planet. LOL. (If I can barely manage to brush my hair in the car, do you think I have time for body lotion?)

Enter First Aid Beauty. Thank God I discovered the Ultra Repair Cream two years ago, during a particularly harsh Chicago winter. I was so itchy and dry, and my boyfriend was experiencing persistent eczema flare ups. Regular use of this  cleared up his eczema brilliantly, and it only took a few weeks. My legs and body were itch free all winter! Woohoo.

Now what I love about the Ultra Repair Cream is it's relatively fragrance free, fluffy formula. I suppose by fluffy I mean whipped, as it is almost like a heavy mousse in texture. I find that brilliant, as it is light on your hands and absorbs quickly. Yay!

A few weeks ago, I finally bit the bullet and picked up the Ultra Repair Concentrate. I had been curious about it since it came out, and I suddenly realized that this balm was exactly what we both needed. While it does take a bit longer to absorb, this miracle balm cleared my dry, veering on scaly skin on my hands and legs just in the first day. And, it hasn't been back! My boyfriend and I both find this balm to be a nice barrier against harsh conditions too, so if you live somewhere cold and windy, it is definitely worth a try!

If you're interested in either of these products, Sephora has some great value sets to try. The Ultra Repair Cream also comes in not so massive sizes (2 oz and 6 oz) and overall, both of these products are extremely affordable!

What do you think of these 2 products from First Aid Beauty? Are you hankering to give them a try? What about products that you love for your skin in winter? I'd love to know! :)

Winter Skin Saviors, Part 1

Earlier this week, we experienced exceptionally warm weather for a Chicago winter, but we were back to cold, cold weather today. I thought it would be timely to share some of my winter skincare favorites. Origins Make a Difference Plus+ Rejuvenating Moisturizer is a product I picked up during the Sephora VIB sale. I have to say that this moisturizer is really keeping my skin hydrated - not just on the surface, but it just feels GOOD.

I discovered La Mer the Lip Balm towards the tail end of last winter, and let me tell you, it continues to be a HUGE part of my life. I'm obsessed. My perpetually flaky dry lips feel plump and normal and even have better color. As long as I use this regularly, my lips are in good shape. They aren't pretty when I forget to use this for a day or two!

Everyone needs a good hand cream in the winter as well, and this year I dug up this cheerful cream from Bath & Body Works. It's the Look Ma, New Hands! cream from there True Blue Spa line, and it has gotten my hands through many a winter since high school. While I've branched out and purchased Kiehl's Ultimate Strength Hand Salve, which from my limited experience of it is quite wonderful, I still like this cheerfully packaged, lightly citrus scented hand cream.

In the next installment, I'll be sure to show you the two products that are keeping my boyfriend and I eczema and itch-free each winter - a few favorites from First Aid Beauty! What are your must have winter skin items? I'd love to know! I'm always on the lookout for something that makes winter a little easier to bear! :)