In addition to snow angels, copious amounts of hot chocolate and cute hats, winter also brings its fair share of ugly into our lives. From unruly static hairs and dry skin to chapped crumbly lips, even the most well maintained ladies (and gents) can find themselves in a bit of a grooming pickle this time of year. And so, we’ve decided to share with you, dearest ChickAdvisor readers, some of our favourite tried and true winter beauty fixes!

Let’s start with hair. A security blanket and favoured characteristic of many ladies; and unfortunately, the winter months are hard on this featured attraction. It seems no matter how full o’product we pump our locks they choose to stick up. Methinks they’re trying to reach for the little available sun. While we can’t conjure more sun, there are a couple solutions to curb this nasty dilemma:

1. Many salons offer deep-conditioning treatments such as hair masks and gloss treatments, or try a leave-in conditioner to maintain the hair’s moisture levels (but use it in small amounts to avoid an overly greasy result). A less well-known but very effective remedy is gooseberry or amla oil, available in Indian grocery stores and online. Massaging a bit of it gently and evenly in your scalp not only hydrates the cuticle but also improves circulation, resulting in stronger hair.


2. Prepare your own conditioning masks using items from your fridge, such as avocado pulp, yogurt, and egg. You can use these separately or in combination, leaving the mixture on for about 30 minutes before showering. Egg tends to harden upon contact with air, so it is best mixed with yogurt. Even better, use full-fat mayonnaise for a deeper conditioning effect.

3. The freezing weather makes it painful to part with the hot shower regime, but high pressure hot water will actually result in hair loss. Use warm water for washing followed by a blast of cool water at the end. Shampoo your hair less often to let the hair’s natural oil levels build up.

4. Cotton pillows can damage and even break fine hair causing more staticky strays, so we suggest sleeping on silk or satin pillowcases for the ultimate beauty sleep for your mane. Try one from GoodHairDayz.com, or if you’re feeling crafty, why not try to sew one yourself?



5. Exercise and diet are also important for your hair and skin. Drinking plenty of water and eating foods rich in protein, iron, B vitamins and essential fatty acids is key. Include more green leafy vegetables, whole grains, milk products, egg, lean meats, oily fish, beans, lentils, nuts and nut butters in your menu.

6. When in a jam, a quick fix is needed. Wipe hair down with a dryer sheet (and be sure to keep one handy in your purse in case of a static emergency on the job or at school). Another solution is rolling a can of hairspray over your head. Sounds crazy but the charge of the canister actually grounds the hair and helps reduce negative charge!

Next, let's move south into the lip region. Chapped lips can be a huge pain and are most difficult to deal with due to their high sensitivity to moisture. Try these tips to keep your lips luscious and kissable throughout the winter months:

7. Consider Vaseline your new best friend. This magical (and mighty cheap) potion can and should be used in place of balm. Sure, you might not get a pucker from Katy Perry (the girl prefers cherry chapstick) but a small tub of plain ol’ Vaseline will go a long way in rehabilitating the dryness.  As irresistible as it may seem, RESIST the urge to lick lips whey
they’re dry. While it may bring temporary relief, the licking
contributes to even more dryness, fueling the vicious chapped cycle.

See what else our members had to say about this secret weapon

8. Never forget to exfoliate. This is where Vaseline comes into the picture once again. Try putting the stuff on your lips and then gently scrubbing overtop with a toothbrush for the ultimate exfoliating experience.

Lastly, its time to take on the biggest organ in our bodies, which is the MOST prone to dryness – the skin. We’re talking cuticles, elbows, face, and everything in between! So here are some suggestions to cure that oh so pesky “winter itch.”

9. It’s best to shower in lukewarm water no more than once a day unless your body odour is exceptionally offensive.  Same rule applies to hand washing as hot water sucks moisture out of the skin.

10. Always remember that water locks in moisture, so its best to moisturize damp skin. While on the subject, DO NOT rub in moisturizer, but rather pat in to the skin for maximum impact.

We love this organic body lotion from Consonant Body.

by Olga Barsky  and Nidhi Punyarthi