Oh my word. I have never (and I mean never) had this serious of an issue with dry skin. I’ve had sunburns and chapped lips. But my face is the grossest thing in the world right now. My chin (as I mentioned in yesterday’s video) is cracked. Like, straight up cracked desert ground status.
I woke up one morning and noticed my chin was pretty red. By the end of the day it was painful to touch and was drawing attention. I could feel the salespeople staring. I made a beeline for Sephora (why, oh why, do good stores have to be so convenient in NYC?). I seriously begged the first person I saw there to help!!!
Growing up in Florida, I always had different issues with my skin. With 99% humidity and a ridiculous UV index, I was more concerned about finding a weightless everyday sunscreen.
I’m not used to having dry skin! I didn’t even know where to begin in the Sephora. Luckily, the girl helping me was a pro (obviously, she works there….). She was beyond helpful. Maybe a little too helpful based on the amount of money I forked over for moisturizers.
So here’s what I ended up with:
First, I got a new cleanser. I thought I was okay with drugstore stuff, but the Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash is amazing. It is so thick and, well, frothy. It feels amazing and it also smells super minty and clean. That’s pretty much all you could ask for in a cleanser.
I was also pretty sold on the Origins High-Potency Night-A-Mins night cream. If I could marry a moisturizer… I would marry this stuff. That’s how serious it is. While I do appreciate a good flair for the dramatic, I’m not exaggerating here. You only need a tiny dab, but it smooths on super well and you wake up with the best feeling skin.
For the daytime, I got the Fresh Soy Moisturizing Creme. It comes with SPF and without SPF… but considering my aversion for sunlight, I opted for the extra protection. I’m not impressed (although I don’t hate it either) with the smell, but it’s super smooth. It’s great for wearing under my regular makeup.
Oh, and my favorite is the Fresh Rose Marigold Floral Water. Do I have any idea what it does? No. Do I care? No. It smells so nice and I feel like I live in a different era when I mist it on. It’s light and refreshing. And I’m assuming it has some sort of hydrating qualities. I’ll take it.
So I ended up with all these things. It wasn’t until I got home that I realized I may have overdone it. (Anyone else think that the perfume spray is a conspiracy theory to get you a little crazy so you buy more?!) However, I have to say… they’re amazing. After 24 hours, I could totally feel the difference. My skin is less red (YAY!) and smoother (Double YAY!) and less dry (Triple YAY!).
What do you use during the dry winter months?
xoxo
I've used the Origins cleanser and the night cream, they are wonderful! Good picks! 🙂
AKB
http://asouthernbrunette.blogspot.com
Nice suggestions! Haha I could have def used these while visiting NYC this past weekend. PS, love your new city 🙂
<3!
I deal with dry skin year round, so I'm definitely going to try the Origins products. They sound great. Normally, I use the St. Ives Moisturizing Body lotion and a Neutrogena face moisturizer.
xx Allie
Consider investing in a humidifier. I'm not sure what you have in the states (or what access you have to it) but try going into something Home Sense that we have here in Canada, or even Walmart or Target or somewhere, and buy a humidifier. It's totally worth it to lug home. The one I bought has a built in air purifier, which is great for older buildings, and you can either turn it on with the fan, or have it set to stay at a specific humidity level and it will automatically turn it.
It's done WONDERS for my skin, and as long as I drink throughout the day when I'm not at home, my skin stays really healthy. If you still have problems after the new products you should definitely give a humidifier a try.
I feel the same as you! My change wasn't as drastic as Florida to New York, but I did go from a very warm, humid beach area to a very cold, windy, dry one, and my poor face is hardly living to tell the tale! I'm living off of Clinique's Moisture Surge — it's tinted moisturizer with SPF, so it replaces my regular makeup. It's a life-saver.
I just want to first say that I'm a long time reader and first time poster, this subject is so near and dear to my heart that I had to comment.
I live pretty close to New York City and winter dry skin is a huge problem for me. I swear by Origins, it's amazing. I use the cleanser you listed above, although, it's actually their second-most drying (stripping?) cleanser. I have a travel sized "A Perfect World" cleanser, which doesn't give you the "squeaky clean" feeling of the C&B, but IS even less drying and still does a great job cleansing. I also use Origins toner (just at night in the winter). When it comes to moisturizer I use Philosophy's "Hope in a Jar". However, twice a week I use Origin's "Drink Up intensive mask" (smells delicious).
Good luck with your products and please report back!
Allison
My skin freaked out when I was in NYC for New Year's- I tried the Hope in a Jar moisturizer and it seemed to work- my aunt also set up a humidifier for me and that seemed to help as well!
For super dry spots try using a dab of Aquaphor..it is a miracle worker!
So glad to see your recommendations! I moved a few states north over the summer and have been having some major dry skin issues this winter–it's awful. I'll have to take a look into some of these products. I have really oily skin too so it's an extra mess, Mary Kay actually has this moisturizer called "Velocity" that's almost a gel consistency and I swear by it these days!
Carly, do you have any suggestions for an eye cream? I.have.wrinkles. (late nights & early mornings are not agreeing with me!)
I have complete empathy. The part about drawing attention? That's my life, seriously. I live in Utah, where it's super dry Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. All. The. Time. And it's really unfortunate for me, because I have THE driest skin ever. I don't worry about a zit break out, I worry about a dry spell! (I can count on one hand how many zits I have ever had.) So, I've found that Mary Kay's Intense Moisturizing Cream works WONDERS. I also use Burt's Bees Sugar Scrub (Yes, on my FACE). It works miracles, because it completely removes all traces of dry skin, and the moisturizer keeps it silky smooth all day. It's also a wonderful layer to have just under my makeup; it does a great job as a sheer foundation for when I don't feel like covering up my freckles!
a humidifier in your apartment will be your new best friend! it will instantly help with dry skin. and up the amount of water you drink throughout the day!
OMG I did the EXACT same thing freshman year in Boston. The switch from SC to MA was intense on my skin and I went into Sephora and walked out with Purity by Philosophy cleanser and Clinique moisturizer. It saved me! And my skin finally calmed down 🙂
And I agree with @lajdioa about the humidifier.
I know it's going to sound crazy, but a slather of aquaphor (found at CVS for a minimum) overnight, the next morning your skin will be baby soft. It has vitamin E which is essential for your skin (especially in the cold months), and while it will feel greasy on, the next morning I promise amazing results.
i work at Sephora! lol you should also try the Modern Friction by Origins the gentle exfoliator it helps also.. i have the night cream i LOVE IT !! 🙂 .. Which Sephora did you go to in NYC?
i am a HUGE fan of vitamin e! sometimes at a duane reade you can buy it already in the liquid form, or you can buy the gel pills and pop them. just put it over the driest roughest spots at night. it works WONDERS- discovered it when i got windburn skiing and it makes a huge difference overnight.
good luck!
i am a HUGE fan of vitamin e! sometimes at a duane reade you can buy it already in the liquid form, or you can buy the gel pills and pop them. just put it over the driest roughest spots at night. it works WONDERS- discovered it when i got windburn skiing and it makes a huge difference overnight.
good luck!
gotta agree with elizabeth – vitamin E oil is the best and so cheap (like, $7 bottle will last you months)… you don't need much and i love that the ingredients don't sound sketchy/like straight up chemicals. vitamin E boosts the skin's ability to replenish itself and improves elasticity – lots of pregnant women use it to keep from getting stretch marks, actually. try it!
Well, this is pretty much the opposite of Sephora, but I swear by a big tub of Eucerin original moisturizing creme in the winter months. A little goes a long way, it's fragrance free, and it is seriously effective. In addition to using it on my feet, hands, or wherever else is dry and cracking, I dab some on my face before I go to bed at night a few times a week max (and seriously, don't use much at all!), as it's the only thing I've found that rebalances my moisture level. You also can't really argue with the price value.
When I'm out East at school for the winter I'm never closer than a half an hour drive from a half decent department or beauty store so I just use the same Clinique products I have to hoard from home (which is not cold or dry) and bring back to school with me. Not ideal. Maybe I'll have to try and hoard more appropriate winter products on my next trip home.
I'm a huge Origins fan and am going on ten years with their skincare products, so it was awesome to see that you've started using them! However, I have to agree with Allison above, if you have dry skin, you shouldn't be using Checks and Balances — it's for oily/combination skin! I used it for a long time myself and agree – you can't beat the minty smell! There's a reason it's one of their best sellers. It shouldn't be advertised though as a great product for dry skin because if your skin is truly dry or even sensitive, it's going to make it worse in a few weeks! I'd also recommend A Perfect World for combination skin or the Dr. Andrew Weil or Organic line if your skin is super dry or sensitive