Is your sunscreen currently hiding behind winter skin balms and healing hand lotions? It may not seem like a winter skincare necessity, but it is important to use sun protection on your skin year-round. Including dark, chilly winter months.

If you haven’t used sunscreen since the last days of fall (ok, summer) it’s time to bust that stuff back out. Skin is not exempt from the damaging effects of UV rays just because it’s cold outside.

We’ve talked about the difference between UVA and UVB rays here before, but here’s a breakdown: UVA rays can cause skin cancer, sagging skin, and wrinkles. UVB rays are responsible for sunburn. Obviously, our skin is still susceptible to these consequences no matter what the temp.

If you doubt UV damage is a thing in winter, research backs it up. A study by Australian researchers published in 2013 proved that sunscreen helps to prevent photoaging – the process that creates loss of skin elasticity, wrinkling, and dark spots. Participants who applied SPF 15+ three to four days each week showed less skin aging after four and a half years than those who used sunscreen irregularly.

Since we all try to avoid the dreaded skin aging for as long as possible, be sure you add sun protection to your winter skincare routine. And not just any sunscreen, but products made with natural mineral sun protection and healthy ingredients. Here are the best sunscreen products for the season.

Best Sun Protection for Winter Skin

Tinted Moisturizer: A tinted moisturizer with sunscreen is an essential wintertime beauty hero. This multi-tasker handles moisture, coverage, and UV protection in one. Try Lily Lolo BB Cream for a radiant look with SPF 15 protection that includes anti-aging ingredients. Comes in three natural shades.

Facial Powder: Dust a layer of facial powder with sunscreen over your makeup for added protection. Lily Lolo Mineral Foundation creates a soft, smooth finish with SPF 15. Choose from a wide range of colors.

Facial Moisturizer: Hynt Beauty Sun Prep is moisturizer, primer, and sun protection in one product. Put down as a non-greasy base layer prior to applying foundation for a flawless look that keeps skin healthy.

Skin Hydrator: For added moisture with sunscreen, that is also customizable, turn to Kari Gran Three Sixty Five SPF 28. Made with red raspberry seed oil, which has natural sun protective properties, this blend is gentle on skin. Try mixing with mineral powder for a made-to-order foundation.

*Disclaimer: Help support EcoSalon! Our site is dedicated to helping people live a conscious lifestyle. We’ve provided some affiliate links above in case you wish to purchase any of these products.

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Dreaming of the beach? You may be stuck somewhere less balmy right now. That doesn’t mean you can’t bring the beach to your beauty regimen. Get in on the benefits of sea salt beauty products.

Winter tends to suck the life out of skin and hair. Or at least the moisture, bounce, and glow. Read on to find out how one ingredient can make you feel (or at least look) like you’ve spent a day at the beach.

You know how hair and skin feels super soft and recharged after a day at the beach? That’s sea salt in action. The oceanic mineral is responsible for creating those deliciously natural waves in hair and smoothing skin. It is also added to beauty products for its therapeutic effects.

Cosmetic sea salt used to be exclusive to high-end spas. Now beauty products containing sea salt are economical and can be found in many beauty shops.

Sea salt is sourced from the ocean or other salt water bodies and evaporated. It requires very little processing, as opposed to regular table salt. We tend to think of salt as dehydrating, but this minimal processing means the sea salt retains its moisturizing abilities.

Sea salt used cosmetically actually restores hydration and balance to skin and hair. The ingredient is suitable for all skin types, even sensitive. One caveat: never use sea salt products on skin that is irritated or has open sores.

How to Reap the Benefits of Sea Salt

Let’s start at the top. Beachy waves are enviable any time of year. To get them in a less-than-coastal climate try Captain Blankenship Mermaid Sea Salt Hair Spray. If you’ve used a sea salt spray before you may have noticed dryness. This is most likely due to chemical ingredients that have been added to the product. Why would we want to add dryness to already sapped strands? We wouldn’t! This spray contains essential oils that offer shine and bounce to landlocked locks.

It is amazing how a healthy complexion bolsters a dreary wintertime mood. This time of year we need all the help we can get. Sea salt is also a boon when used in skincare. The salt softens and draws toxins from the skin. Plus, it boosts circulation so you regain that pretty glow you’ve been missing. Try May Lindstrom The Clean Dirt.

Sea salt is great for reducing puffiness and increasing skin tone. A spritz of Shamanuti Seaweed Toner will induce those beach vibes instantly. Balances skin’s pH, refines pores, and smells amazingly summer-ific. A winter skincare dream come true? Maybe.

Soak in the goodness of French Grey Sea Salt with Pursoma Ocean Potion Bath. No need to brave the cold and head out to a spa. The salts in this product combine with sea algae for the ultimate detox right at home. Soothes sore muscles and draws out impurities.

Bumpy, scaly, rough skin? If your body seems beyond repair at this point, it is time to enlist the help of sea salt. Exfoliate dead skin cells and soften skin with Soapwalla Almond Luxe Body Polish. A mix of healthy oils, raw cane sugar, and sea salt. Your bod will be buffed, polished, and sweetly scented in no time.

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Image of woman holding sea salt via Shutterstock

The post Benefits of Sea Salt: Bring the Beach to Skin and Hair appeared first on EcoSalon.

‘Tis the season for merriment, but dry skin issues can leave us feeling less than jolly. Enlist an organic skin balm and your scaly, cracked, irritated ailments will vanish. How’s that for a holiday miracle?

Skin balm is the ideal product for treating excessive winter dryness. From facial dryness and irritation, to cracked fingers and heels, it is practically an overnight fix for all your dry skin this winter. Definitely a must have for the chilly season.

While multitasking is taking a backseat to mindfulness in 2015, there’s nothing wrong with a beauty product that treats more than one issue. Skin balm can be used as a facial moisturizer, lip balm, elbow and heel treatment, whole body skin soother, and even helps open stuffy noses.

When choosing a skin balm be sure to go organic. Petrolatum is the main ingredient in many mainstream balms. Not only does it come with serious health risks, but clogs pores and prevents skin from breathing. Other harmful cosmetic ingredients may include synthetic fragrance, synthetic colorants, and parabens.

Following are our top picks for organic skin balms + how to use them:

1. May Lindstrom Skin The Blue Cocoon – The luxe of all skin balms, this healer touts Blue Tansy (a natural anti-inflammatory) to calm and soothe irritated skin. The price tag is on the higher end, but with this stuff a little dab truly will do. Use as a spot treatment for red or upset areas. Perfect for all skin types and smells great too!

2. Suti Purity Organic Moisturizing Balm – This balm can seriously be used for every dry skin issue. I love it in winter for face, hands, and feet. Soaks quickly into skin so you aren’t left with a grease slick. Apply before bed for serious hydration while you catch your zzzs.

3. Suti Cleanse Organic Facial Cleansing Balm – Another fave by Suti. This balm is perfect for cleansing dry skin. If you’ve been applying extra moisturizer and still seeing irritation or extra dryness, it is likely your cleanser. A cleansing balm binds to dirt and makeup, gently removing them from skin. Perfecto for this time of year. At nighttime simply warm a small amount of this balm between fingertips and massage gently into face. Rinse with a warm water and apply moisturizer as usual. Your skin will be so much happier.

4. Dr. Shannon’s Organic Skin Balm – This one works wonders on those odds and ends. Cuticles, lips, even razor burn respond well to a swipe of this simple yet superhero-like balm. Stash a tiny tin in your bag for on the go balming.

5. S.W. Basics Cream – Ok, this is a straightforward skin cream. But it’s balm-like qualities can’t be denied. We use it to treat chapped lips and skin all winter long. It also works wonders on eczema. And it lasts forever, so this one is a steal.

6. Balanced Guru Balm Me Up – Super smooth, this stuff is a bedside bestie. Slather it onto hands and feet pre-sleep and you’ll wake up soft as a petal. Cocoa butter and citrus oils make for some sweet aromatherapy action too.

7. Zoe Organics Breathe Balm – Little one have a cold? Apply this convenient balm stick to chest and soles of feet for relief from stuffiness and cough. Made with cocoa butter to soothe and eucalyptus and tea tree oils to open things up. Works on adults too!

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Image by A.A.

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