COLD WEATHER SKIN CARE
DISCLAIMER: I'm no dermatologist or esthetician - this is simply me sharing what works for me - Every body is different and it's important to find skin care routines that work for you :)
Heading into these colder months my skin always goes through a roller coaster of changes. Especially the switch from eighties to thirties back to seventies in a matter of weeks. I like to have my tried and true methods of soothing, cleaning, protecting and hydrating my skin in a very gentle but effective way.
One of my favorite skin care routines is Oil Cleansing. This consists of simply lathering my face up with high-quality Olive Oil, and then steaming my face with a hot cloth - slowly wiping away the oil from may face. Not only is this super relaxing the idea is that the oil attaches to the dirt in your pores (essentially dirty oil trapped in said pores) and as the hot steam is opening your pores the oil and dirt trapped in there will (in my brain) just sort of slide out with the clean oil. I know this sounds super weird - and trust me, so many people ask why I have a full size bottle of Olive Oil in my bathroom. But - don't knock it till you try it.
Olive oil has a plethora of benefits for our overall health and skin. I use this method when my skin is feeling dry, after the steam and patting dry I often times don't need to apply moisturizer afterward because the oil has replenished the oils my skin needs to feel hydrated. Which is a common thing we sometimes don't realize about our facewash - most don't contain the oils to replenish our skin and end up stripping away the good stuff (kind of like shampoo - which is why we pair it with conditioner.) At any rate, focus on using cream cleansers or something where the first or one of the first ingredients is an oil that's usually a safe bet that it's not going to be too harsh.
So to help you from becoming overwhelmed about all the skin care routines out there on Instagram and tik tok (I've been there) I suggest keeping it simple. Exfoliate gently every other day and oil cleanse twice a week or more if it relaxes you.
An oil I've really been eyeing is the Olio Nuevo from Wonder Valley keep your eyes peeled for a future review!
Bala Bangles
These ankle weights are as low effort as you can get. They're cute an stylish in the realm of workout gear and are great for wearing around the house, on a quick walk or even to the grocery store. They come in a plethora of colors and in either 1lb or 2lb weights. A heavy duty Velcro strap
ensures comfort and prevents slipage. Bala has a wide range of visually pleasing work out accessories but I've always loved these weights. Visit the website for exercise suggestions and to pick yourself up a pair - I promise you'll feel a difference.
Carhartt Pullover
I found this pullover at a tractor supply sometime last fall - It's a really versatile and fantastic article of clothing for a few critical reasons. Living in Vermont the neck chill is real - This fleece has a high button up neck. I like the buttons as opposed to a zipper
for customization. Another thing I love about this pullover is the cinched bottom allowing for easy length adjustment. and my all time favorite thing about this top is the pockets - boy oh boy are these babies deep. There are two tummy pouches ( because I don't know the
correct fashion term for that part of a sweatshirt). One that you can enter from
the top just below the breast all the way down to the bottom hem of the garment - opens and closes with a Velcro flap. The other is your standard hoodie pocket that goes all the way through accessible from both sides. I love an item of clothing that focuses on practicality and this Carhartt pull over does just that for me while not compromising any of the warmth. I'm positive they're making other colorways and patterns by now but this is a quality pullover and I couldn't recommend it more.