One minute you’re stretching out beachside reading the latest tome from Michael Pollan, the greenista’s dream man. The next you’re crouched under your comforter with only your nose sticking out because the temperature in your bedroom is unholy. (Thank you, crappy space heater.) Somewhere between awesome new knee-high boots and debating how far we want to go with the jeggings trend, winter has decided to make its presence known.

And what does this mean? For some of us, our skin makes like a snow machine in its dry, flakey shedding. For others, our mood plummets to a place so dark that not even kittens playing in a box can make us feel better. But there are some ways to fight back again Jack Frost and his minions of wintery hell.

(And yes, winter isn’t all that bad. There’s skiing and an excuse to make hot chocolate a daily occurrence. We give winter that.)

Make friends with steam.

Did I mention that our skin can act like it is molting at the first sign of cold air? One of the best ways you can keep your skin and sinuses hydrated this season is to invest in a humidifier. This contraption will keep the air moist around you, therefore helping your skin to stay hydrated. If you suffer from constant colds, it will also help keep your sinuses clear. Considering buying an Energy Star-rated humidifier to keep energy costs down.

Enjoy the seasonal produce and whole grains

Gloria Tsang, RD, suggests including in some high-quality carbohydrates during the winter months. (To which I say – where do I sign and how much cake?) Our lack of time in the sun depletes our serotonin levels, which can be restored by eating the right kind of carbs. According to Tsang via Healthcastle, “your cravings for carbohydrate-loaded comfort foods are your body’s cries for more serotonin.” But she cautions against eating the wrong carbs, instead suggesting whole grains and sweet potatoes, pumpkin and squash. She also advises indulging in some seasonal fruits like cranberries, pomegranates and citrus fruits.

Get oily.

And by oily, we mean essential oily. If there ever was a time to invest in a good moisturizer, it would be the season of dry skin. Recently, we checked out Skin & Bones, a unisex product designed for the entire body. This product intends to moisturize all parts of the body, including skin, hair, cuticles and nails. It contains a carousel of organic essential oils, including jojoba, frankincense, myrrh, ylang ylang, grapefruit, jasmine, lemon, rosewood, sandalwood, and cedarwood. (You can read about its birth here.)
And how does it work? Skin & Bones provides an awesome hydration which absorbs quickly into the skin. You are able to apply it and get on with your day without leaving an oil slick behind you. But be warned – because of its concentrated essential oils, it is highly scented and initially smells a bit like a mega-spa. However, it does fade into a nice, subtle scent. If you love perfume and better yet, supple skin, this product is a great choice. You can check it out here.

Here comes the sun – now go sit in it.

Making an effort to get some sun may be your best way to prepare for the limited light of winter. Your serotonin levels increase when you’re in sunlight. Get outside as much as possible, taking your exercise routine, coffee breaks, and meditation in the light. Go into the light, and you just may lighten your mood.

FTC Compliance

Images: robboudon, wtlphotos, supersonicphotos, sahua

It was that time of the year again – dermatologist time – when I head off to UCLA to visit Dr. Joan Wu. I adore Dr. Wu. Seriously, in the history of favorite doctors, she ranks right up there with Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. Whatever Dr. Wu tells me to do, I usually run right out and do it. (Good thing she’s not a cult leader, right?) So when Dr. Wu gave me samples of Aquaphor Healing Ointment for super dry skin, I took them. Yes, they weren’t green or eco-friendly, but I knew they would work.

And so they did – within days, dry patches were clearing up. However, my health conscience was not. This product is petroleum-based and filled to the brim with unnatural ingredients. So what’s a green girl with dry, patchy skin to do? I thought about calling Dr. Quinn. Then I decided to consult the green world o’ beauty.

Luckily, I was able to find an extremely hydrating product without quite so many synthetic chemicals. Weleda’s Skin Food provides extreme moisture. It has a light, floral smell and leaves a wee residue on your skin. It gives great hydration, and it worked really well on my driest skin. I’d recommend it for use on hands, feet and elbows.

But how natural is it? It gets a Skin Deep rating of 6, mostly because it contains fragrance and coumarin. But it does boast an abundance of organic essential oils derived from organic pansy, chamomile and biodynamic calendula.

Weleda offers up 2.5-ounces of this product at $17.50. They practice biodynamic farming methods, which means their products are chemical and pesticide-free. And they have a fair trade business policy! You can find Weleda’s Skin Food here.

FTC Compliance

Image: Posh Little

What’s not to love about lip balm? In fact, a girl’s love affair with lip balm often starts very young. You were probably given a clear Chap Stick to soothe your dry lips, and naturally you pretended it was bright red lipstick.

Regardless, you got used to the feeling of soft, moisturized lips.

Cut to a couple decades later, and you’re frantically flipping through your organic cotton clutch for the lip balm you know is in there…somewhere. No one likes dry lips. Of course, we can technically live with dry lips, but who wants that?

Chap Stick was invented by Dr. C. D. Fleet, who decided that petroleum jelly would be the best short-term fix for dry lips. But petroleum doesn’t absorb into the skin, so it prevents the skin from breathing and makes your lips more chapped in the long run.

But not to worry! There’s a whole wide world of natural and organic lip balms out there, and we recently applied our lips to the best of them.

Here’s a look at our favorites, styled by category. It’s like a high school yearbook for lip balms! (They grow up so fast, don’t they?)

Most Likely to Be Tasty
Organic Root Beer Lip Balm by Bubble and Bee
This balm goes on smooth and yes, tastes exactly like root beer. The moisture lasts – a few hours later and my lips were still fully hydrated. (And tasty!). It’s made with organic beeswax, sunflower oil and cocoa butter. The flavoring is Stevia-based and all organic.

Pineapple Quench Lip Balm by Alba Botanica
This delicious lip balm tastes like a pineapple margarita over and over, but without the brain-crushing hangover. It does a great job keeping your lips initially hydrated, however you should keep it hand because the need to reply will arise in an hour or so. It’s made with organic coconut oil and apricot kernel oil.

Most Likely to Last at the Beach
Peppermint Vanilla Liplux SPF 15 by Coola
This light, peppermint-y balm goes on silky smooth, and one application lasts a long time. It has an SPF 15 which explains the slight sun block aftertaste. They also have an SPF 30 version for you serious sun worshippers! It contains certified organic flavors and is paraben free.

Lifeguard’s Choice Weatherproofing Lip Balm by Burt’s Bees
From what I can tell, this product does not contain an SPF but it goes on white and therefore acts like the old-time zinc lotions that reflected sunlight. It has a high menthol taste too, but that’s a good thing. It’s recommended for both “sun and snow” and contains a large amount of Vitamin E.  95.20% natural, this lip balm is made with coconut and sunflower oils.

Most Likely to Replace Your Lipstick
SPF 8 Lip Moisturizer by Juice Beauty
This lip balm offers a fantastic, subtle touch of color – a pretty hint of makeup beats lipstick, any day! However it fells slightly drier than some of the other balms and drags on your lip a bit when being applied. It may not be as silky as some, but the trade-off is color. It contains certified organic oils and natural fruit essences.

Mostly Likely to Make You Hungry
White Chocolate Lip Protector by Terressentials
This lip balm tastes exactly like white chocolate. Yum! It goes on silky smooth and provides excellent hydration, but you’ll need to reapply after a while. The ingredients are simple: certified organic cocoa butter, beeswax, vanilla and coconut oil.

And Finally, for the Best All Around”¦
Natural Beeswax Lip Balm by J.R. Watkins
This balm has a strong peppermint taste and really hydrates in all its good, silky smoothness. One application lasts a long time. It’s 100% all-natural (not organic) and contains premium beeswax, vitamin E and shea butter.

Organic Lip Treatment by EO Organics
Another outstanding lip balm, this one tastes great, goes on light and silky and leaves your lips hydrated for a really long time. While writing this article, I had all eight lip balms on the table in front of me, and this is the one I kept reaching for. It’s made with certified organic cold-pressed safflower and sweet almond oils, beeswax, vitamin E and more.

Find your favorite and pucker up!

Image: Aleera

Winter can be rough, and nowhere is it rougher than on your skin.  It’s cold, it’s dry, and you’re more concerned with keeping your legs warm than silky smooth. When you’re rushing out of the warm shower and hurrying to get into your clothes, it can be hard to take that beat to lather up dry skin. And before you know it you wake up, and your body is drier than a Halloween pumpkin in November.

But not to worry! I was lucky enough to test a slew of eco-friendly moisturizers, and I put them through my rigorous list of highly-scientific questions. How well did they moisturize?  How quickly did they moisturize?  And how do you smell, moisturized?  Check out these great, green solutions to keep your skin hydrated.

Open Your Eyes Organic Moisturizing Lotion by Spa Ritual

Of all the products I lathered up with, this is my favorite. 83% organic, vegan, and paraben-free, this moisture is topped off with light eucalyptus essential oils. Spa Ritual has a fantastic smell – you feel like you’re visiting a spa, which I suppose is the point. This moisturizer is thick, hydrating and fresh. And best of all?  It absorbs quickly, so you won’t feel like your outfit is taking in more of your lotion that your body.

Pacifica Body Butter

If you like perfume and deep moisture, this product combines the best of both worlds. These moisturizers are thick, creamy, and definitely leave you with a scented, lasting silkiness.  They are available in florals, fruits, herbs and spices, woods and resins. I sampled the Hawaiian Ruby Guava and trailed around a light, fruity scent for hours after. Pacifica products are free of parabens, propylene glycol, phthalates and lead wicks. The company is working towards carbon neutrality and uses no animal ingredients, including beeswax.

Blood Orange and Vanilla Body Milk by John Masters Organics

This is another highly-scented moisturizer with a light, subtly sweet scent.  It has a great consistency and absorbs very quickly – you don’t have to spend a lot of time airing your skin after application. Made with certified organic ingredients, the blood orange detoxifies and promotes collagen, while milk thistle extracts provide an antioxidant to smooth and nourish your skin.  John Masters Organics are free of sodium lauryl sulfate and parabens. They are cold-pressed and fair-trade.

Kiss My Face Ultra Moisturizer

Kiss My Face has been doing natural longer than most companies, so it’s no surprise they got body moisture right. While I couldn’t find any direct evidence that this product is organic, these moisturizers are paraben-free and contain no animal ingredients, artificial colors or unnecessary chemicals. I sampled the lavender shea moisture, which was light and silky. More importantly, they have an easy scent that is in no way overwhelming. You can apply it and not feel like you’ve jumped in neck-deep to a pool of lavender oils.  On second thought, that sounds kind of appealing. Next article, a look at pools of lavender oils!

Editor’s note: Please welcome Katherine Butler, our new organic beauty product review writer. Katherine will be testing and reporting on everything from the least sticky lip gloss to the best conditioner for unruly hair, so stay tuned for her biweekly column.