7 ways to moisturize your hair in the dry, winter months.

It doesn’t matter if we are raven-haired, red-headed, blonde or brunette. It doesn’t matter if our hair is thin, thick, textured or kinky. During the dry winter months, we might as well hook our heads up to outlets for all the static electricity we produce. The cold, dry temperatures of winter can siphon the moisture from our skin and hair like a sponge. So how best to fight back against winter?

Stop washing your hair every day
We live in a world where most people make best friends with anti-bacterial wipes. Dirt is the enemy. But so is washing your hair too much. Over-washing can strip important oils from your scalp, resulting in dry, over-stimulated tresses. Plus, what’s better for dry hair then your own, natural oils? At the least, try to skip a daily washing.

And when you do wash, consider a homemade shampoo like this one from beauty expert Narine Nikogosian: Combine one tablespoon of dried jasmine with one teaspoon of honey with two eggs yolks. Boil the dried jasmine with one cup of water for five minutes. Steep for ten minutes, then strain. Blend the jasmine, honey and egg yolks. Apply to your hair, and then rinse with cold water.

Install a water filter on your showerhead
Municipal waters contain drying chemicals that can strip your hair of its essential oils. Chlorine and other chemicals used to clean our water supplies can wreak havoc on our hair. Anyone who has spent a significant amount of time in a swimming pool knows that hair follicles will eventually make hair like a Brillo pad if not properly rinsed. Here’s more information on shower filters.

Wash your hair backwards
Horst Rechelbacher, founder of Aveda and Intelligent Nutrients, is also famous for this hair care tip. First, apply half a teaspoon of your favorite oil to your scalp and work it through. You can use jojoba, olive, or sweet almond oil. Second, apply your conditioner and let it sit for a few minutes. Third, use a small amount of shampoo to wash out your hair. Finally, if your hair feels tangled, put a little remaining oil on your fingers and comb through your hair. The oil treatment helps loosen and attract dirt which the shampoo then washes away.

The avocado: not just for salads
The avocado is a triumph of moisturizers, oils and vitamins. But before you add some to your salad, you might want to consider treating your tresses to a homemade avocado mask. Take one small avocado, mash it together with one tablespoon of honey and one tablespoon of olive oil. You can even blend them together. Apply to damp hair for at least 30 minutes, then rinse. This recipe works on all hair types.

Rinse with olive oil
You can give yourself a fancy “hot oil” salon treatment with a mere tablespoon of organic olive oil. First, rinse your hair with warm water. Then work the olive oil through your tresses with your fingers. Let it sit for twenty minutes. Then rinse with cool water, following up with a bit of shampooing if your hair feels too oily.

Sooth your scalp
An irritated, dry scalp can throw your hair out of balance. Organic stylist and expert Felicia Howe recommends Simply Organic Scalp Spa Treatment ($23.99) to tame your irritated head. As Felicia Shares, “I’ve been using this all season, it’s been saving my hair and scalp. It’s amazing.”  This professional-grade product contains olive leaf extracts.

It’s all about serums
Sometimes you need a serum to act like the really great sequel to your favorite conditioner. Serums can leave your hair extremely hydrated while giving you the fresh out of a spa smell. Basically, a serum delivers the goods to your hair in a concentrated punch. So you want to make sure you use one that has clean, green ingredients.

Yarok Hair Care offers a serum entitled Feed Your Youth ($25) containing hydrating Yarrow and avocado. John Masters Organics has their Dry Hair Nourishment and Defrizzer ($16.00) which combines certified organic jojoba, lavender and rosemary. Both can be used in a “set it and forget it” fashion where you work the ingredients into your hair in the evening, only to be washed out in the morning.

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For many of us, the second we feel a tinge of stress, anxiety, or fatigue, it’s immediately plastered all over our eyes like a mask. I call it Zorro face. I could be sporting an awesome Carol Young Undesigned dress, killer organic kicks and as much USDA certified lipstick as my pucker can handle. But if I’m tired, I might as well be wearing a black mask across my eyes.

Luckily, we can rescue our peepers with a variety of natural remedies. Drinking water certainly helps with hydration, and puffiness is best combated with chamomile, green tea or aloe. You can apply tea bags or cooled cotton pads soaked in chamomile, green tea and aloe vera gels. And don’t forget the old spa favorite, cooled slices of cucumber. Cucumber is known for its soothing properties and will help relax eyes, reduce redness and dark circles.

Not into DIY eye healing? I have some suggestions for gentle products you can buy.

First, the age old question: Gels or creams? Gels have a temporary tightening effect, and work well for younger skin since they aren’t as rich as creams – a necessity for mature skin. Gels tend to be more soothing and better at reducing puffiness. Creams are best for fine line reduction. (They plump the skin to reduce fine lines.)

Soothing Gels and Treatments

Best for Your Dark Circles: Dark Circle Defense by Tarte
In short, this product really works. I dabbed a couple swipes over my raccoon circles and they were immediately concealed. It contains finely-milled light refracting minerals which are said to brighten skin, help camouflage dark circles, puffiness, redness, fine lines and wrinkles. I love that this product is completely free of petrochemicals, parabens, phthalates, sulfates, dyes and talc. It does contain ingredients like titanium dioxide and iron oxides.

Best for a Night Out: Lifted by Tarte
Tarte combines firming with cover up. I dabbed a bit of this product on and immediately saw a reduction in dark circles. However, use it sparingly. I got a little too enthusiastic and noticed it flaking off towards the end of the night. It contains Firmitol, which is a clinically-tested, patented, multi-ingredient “performance matrix” combines ingredients like purslane extract, ginseng extract and centella asiatica extract for “an instant wrinkle reducing effect.” It also comes in a biodegradable tube. It’s not certified organic but it is free of petrochemicals, parabens, phthalates, sulfates, dyes and talc.

Most Soothing Gel: Herbal Recovery Eye Gel by Jurlique
Another hit by Jurlique, the Australian queen of the natural skincare! This gel is extremely cooling, light and gives you a mini-spa experience. If you have tired eyes, this is the product for you. It has a pleasant, vitamin scent and is deeply hydrating. It is also “rich in the living energy of arnica and eyebright which help to firm and brighten the delicate skin around the eye area.” Okay! I really like that this product is certified biodynamic from the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture of Australia.

Hydrating Eye Creams

Purely Age-Defying Eye Cream by Jurlique
This eye cream is really rich with a pleasant, floral scent. It made my skin a little pink upon application – but it lasts. Hours later, my undereyes were still extremely moisturized. Apparently, it is “rich in the living energy of Euphrasia and Arnica.” (Arnica is a natural herb known to help with dark circles and bruises.) This product is also certified biodynamic from the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture of Australia and contains natural, wild-farmed ingredients.

Relax Eye Cream by Lavera
This is another hydrating eye cream that will keep your peeps feeling moisturized. It also claims to reduce fine lines. According to Lavera, “In a 3 week test of 30 females with an average age of 42 years young, over 94% said the Intensive Repair Eye Cream visibly reduced small wrinkles and left the skin around their eyes looking well cared for and relaxed.” I don’t know about that, but it is BDIH-certified and contains several healthy plant extracts like tea tree oil, green tea and more.

Firming Eye Gels

Firming Eye Gel by John Masters Organics
This scentless gel is extremely tightening – so much so I was almost inclined to wipe it off after applying it. But if that’s what you’re going for, this is the product for you. It contains oat kernel extract which JMO claims firms and revitalizes while protecting against UVA rays. It is made with certified organic ingredients.

Zia Essential Eye Gel
Like the John Masters Organics product, this eye gel does all the things it promises – it immediately tightens and firms up your skin. It has a pleasant, slightly floral scent. It contains a blend of green tea, cucumber and seaweed. The predominating effect of this product is tightening rather than soothing. If you’re looking for the most organic, this probably isn’t the product for you. It does, however, contain some certified organic ingredients.

The Lip Balm by Revolution Organics
This product, yes, is a lip balm. But I was informed by the company’s publicist that it can be used as an eye treatment, so I gamely rubbed it under my eyes. It’s thick and if you’re looking for an intense, overnight hydration, it could be a good call. But it feels like exactly what it is – lip balm under your eyes. The product is free of synthetic chemicals, parabens, sulphates, artificial ingredients and petrochemicals. It is also USDA certified organic. And, might I add, a fantastic lip balm.

You know the times you’ve run a fingernail down the side of your face and small bits of face have rolled off with it? The ick factor is huge, right? And most of that ick is dead skin.

Sure, you can moisturize with the best organic lotions out there. (And for the best green lotions to use, click here.) But those dead skin cells have to absorb the lotion before it can penetrate the skin underneath.

No amount of organic skin lotion is going to raise your skin cells from the dead. But before you conduct a green funeral for your face, try sloughing off with your best tool of choice – a scrub.

Bringing out the healthy, alive layers of skin on your face will improve your skin immensely. You’ll be less prone to break outs. Your skin will be smoother and have a healthier glow.

Pick a scrub that can make best friendsies with your skin. It is possible to over-exfoliate so be forewarned! If you over scrub, you can sand paper away the natural, protective barrier of your skin.

For sensitive skin, you’ll want a gentle exfoliating scrub. If your skin can take a sand blasting, go for the deep pore scrub. Depending on age and sensitivity, some people scrub daily, some only once or twice a week.

Best Scrub to Lessen Your Carbon Footprint:

Pangea Organics Facial Scrub ($32.00)
This gentle scrub is organic and, even better, fair trade. It contains Egyptian geranium with adzuki bean and cranberry. The smell is interesting – a combination of mud with bits of fruit buried in it. It’s light enough to use daily but strong enough to feel like you’re getting a good exfoliation. It is free of parabens, sulfates and any synthetic preservatives.

Best Scrub to Brighten Your Face:

John Masters Organics Jojoba and Ginseng Exfoliating Cleanser ($28.00)
This fantastic product contains certified organic jojoba beads (to exfoliate!) and ginseng (to revitalize!). And the best part? It will leave your face noticeably brightened. It seems to contain almost light-reflective properties that sit atop your skin and make it glow.

Best Scrub to Pretend You’re at the Beach:

Juice Beauty Exfoliating Cleanser ($22.00)
This is another gentle cleanser/scrub that has a rich pineapple base. The fresh fruity scent will bring you back to the beachy memories of childhood or that vacation you once went on where you blacked out from pineapple margaritas. It also contains certified organic extracts of white grape and aloe vera.

Best Scrub for Your Buck:

Noah’s Naturals Face Scrub with Jojoba Beads ($7.99)
This is a great, all-around scrub. You’ll feel like you’re getting a good wash while scrubbing out the baddies. It gives off a pleasant, old-school scent that’s almost floral, without being perfumey. It contains no parabens or sodium lauryl sulfate. It’s not organic, but it’s a good choice if you want an affordable, natural cleanser.

Best Scrub to Love Your Sensitive Skin:

Avalon Organics Exfoliating Enzyme Scrub ($16.95)
This product offers up a light, lavender scent. I used it daily for about a week and my skin did feel smoother after a couple of days. It’s free of parabens and preservatives. It is 100% vegetarian, and contains certified organic ingredients.

Best Scrub to Blast Your Skin:

Burt’s Bees Peach and Willowbark Deep Pore Scrub ($7.99)
If you’re looking for a scrub to really tear it up, this is the product for you. It has a fresh, peachy smell but it does leave a bit of a waxy, leftover feeling. It’s made from ground peach stone to exfoliate and also contains willowbark, a natural source of salicylic acid. 98.45% natural, it is free of sodium lauryl/laureth sulfates, parabens and phthalates.

Best Scrub to Use Daily:

Aveda Tourmaline Charged Exfoliating Cleanser ($29.00)
This product works really well as a cleanser, but if you want a vigorous scrub, look elsewhere. It is not organic but it does contain “naturally-derived” exfoliating beads and certified organic lavender and geranium oils. And it’s tourmaline charged. What, pray tell, is tourmaline charged? Tourmaline apparently “acts as a conductor for the plant energy and the crystalline energy, while energizing the skin and boosting it with moisture and vitamins.”

Best Scrub to Simply Wash Your Face:

Exfoliating Wash by Kiss My Face ($15.00)
This scrub”¦er, wash got high marks for smell. It reminds me of lime and mint, and really makes me want a Mojito. It’s clean and refreshing, but doesn’t feel like a scrub.  It works more like a gel and feels gentle on your face. It’s not organic, but does contain several “certified natural” ingredients.

If you live in a place where water likes to go icy, your skin is probably suffering.  Trust me, I know your pain.  You feel like you’re going to fall into a snow drift, freeze for the next thousand years, and wake up to alien scientists commenting on just how dry your face is.  But worry no more!  Whether your winter involves wind chill or lows in the 50s, we have the moisturizer for you.  So treat your face to our review of these great, green moisturizers.

Mandarin Maximum Moisture by John Masters Organics

This fragrant, concentrated moisturizer is, in a word, outstanding.  (Did I say outstanding?  I meant amazing.)  It absorbs quickly and doesn’t leave you with the greased-out feeling that you could cook bacon on your forehead.  It also contains glycoproteins which “stimulate cell growth for long-term reversal of damage.”  (Take that, sunspots!)  And you can rest easy with John Masters Organics exacting standards.  It contains strictly organic botanical ingredients. And no artificial products are ever used.

Nutrient Moisturizer by Juice Beauty

This product from Juice Beauty is excellent if you want deep, rich moisturizing results.  It has a sort of neutral scent – the kind of smell that makes you think there’s something powerful and vitamin-y in the mixture.  For dry, sensitive, or mature skin, this moisture contains replenishing organic grape juice, vitamin-rich carrot juice and essential fatty-acids.

Infuse Nourishing Multi-Vitamin Moisturizer by Pure and True

This was the most intense of the moisturizers that I sampled.  In fact, if you’re suffering from razor cheeks (a loving term for when you get those winter dry patches), this is the moisturizer for you. I just traveled back east to 20-degree weather and got razor cheeks in what felt like a matter of minutes.  (It was more like two days.)  One application of this intense moisturizer cleared it right up.  This product is free of artificial color, fragrances, parabens, petroleum products and toxic synthetics.

Green Apple Antioxidant Moisturizer by Juice Beauty

This moisturizer lives up to its green apple moniker by being amazingly fruity and sweet-smelling.  If you are into natural fragrances, then this is the product for you.  It is very creamy – use it sparingly, because a little goes a long way.  It contains antioxidant-rich organic apple and grape juices.  And it combines these organic nutrients with enzymes to even your complexion.