Moisture Surge.

Things get progressively dry in the skin and hair department the deeper we get into the cold weather season. I don’t know about you, but busted hair and cracked heels in combo with dreary November rain doesn’t do anything for my totally-imagined Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Here are my go-to’s to combat everything from tight skin to brittle hair and angry cuticles:

1. Pantene Pro-V Restoratives Time Renewal Replenishing Hair Mask ($6.50)
2. L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream ($11)
3. Burt’s Bees Thoroughly Therapeutic Body Butter ($13)
4. Bliss Foot Patrol Foot Cream ($18)
5. Kiehl’s Lip Balm #1 in Coconut ($9)
6. L’Occitane 95% Pure Shea Butter in Apricot Flower ($15)
7. Aquaphor Advanced Therapy Healing Ointment ($9)

Dry hair means breakage, and breakage is a bummer. I have long hair, which happens to be both naturally dry and a bit coarse from its natural wave.  My heat-styling habits don’t help matters any. All of this in tandem with dry winter weather means I have to step my protection game up or it’s Split End City. Pantene’s hair mask (1) is a great option, and you can get it on the cheap. Slather it on once a week to keep your hair healthy.

Shea butter is a God-send. It’s a little heavy, but you need that extra bit of moisture-oomph November through February. L’Occtaine’s hand cream (2) is a perfect purse-sized companion that smells incredible and keeps my hands moisturized.

(Can we talk about the feel of tight, dry hands and feet? Creeps me out. In other news, I’m anal-retentive. There you have it.)

You’ll also find shea butter in Burt’s Bees’ body butter (3). Bonus if you love the smell of honey, because Thoroughly Therapeutic smells exactly like it. I work this stuff in at night post-shower and wake up with super soft skin. I keep L’Occitane’s body butter (6) around for some heavy lifting– think super dry elbows and knees. I’ll also rub a tiny bit into my cuticles to keep them from hangnailing me to death.

Chapped lips are the worst, yes? Hate them. Not only are they uncomfortable (sometimes painful), but who can apply gloss/lipstick with ragged chunks of skin caking everything up? Gross. Kiehl’s lip balm (5) is amazing; I’m partial to their coconut flavor year round. For seriously chapped lips (like can’t-eat-spicy-foods-or-smile-too-wide chapped), hit the Aquaphor (7). It’s an incredible ointment that not only protects the skin from further damage, but heals you up in the meantime. (Neosporin will do in a pinch, too.)

Winter isn’t exactly pedicure season, but slipping into bed and nearly shredding the sheets with calluses and cracked heels isn’t so sexy. I like to coat my feet in a layer of Bliss’ foot cream (4) and then slip on a thick pair of cotton socks. Really nerdy and not so cute– but your feet will thank you.

Do you have any winter moisture staples?