Treat Yourself

Cold climes mean cozy sweaters, boots lined in faux fur, knit hats, cashmere scarves and leather gloves, but they also mean chapped lips, dry hands, brittle nails, hat hair, pallid complexions and itchy, irritated skin.

The only defense is moisture: Be vigilant, be relentless and be prepared. Aside from drinking water and other fluids, the trick is to keep water from escaping when the dry sauna of central heating kicks in.

From hair follicles to toenail cuticles, there’s a winter treatment that will keep your skin, hair and nails glowing all winter long.

So whether you plan on heading out to a spa for professional treatments or intend to set aside leisure time in the evening to pamper yourself, here are some things to consider for getting your skin through the long, chilly winter:

FACE

Victoria Southerland at Stonewater Spa and Boutique at Frontenac, Mo., says you should cleanse twice daily and exfoliate gently on a regular basis, maybe once a week. Consider a more aggressive exfoliating treatment with glycolic acid periodically to help slough off old skin cells and stimulate new cell production, especially if you’re over 30.

Always tone to rebalance your skin before you moisturize, she said. If you don’t, you are likely to overdo the moisturizing because your skin will still feel tight. Then moisturize, and don’t forget the SPF.

Price of beauty: “Look at the symptoms of your skin and address what you want to change, then address the most important things first. You can overdo it,” Southerland said. If you’re dealing with acne, aging skin and wrinkle treatment, you can overdo the acne treatment by causing more dryness and possibly exacerbating wrinkles, she said.

If you really can’t be bothered with multiple steps, Freeze 24-7 ($48 at select Bath Body Works and Nordstrom stores) has introduced Ice Shield, a facial cleanser with SPF 15 sunscreen. It’s the best option for wash-and-wear skin.

Dr. Ellen Marmur, chief of dermatological and cosmetic surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, cautions not to overdo the toner, especially if the main ingredient is alcohol. Cosmedicine has Healthy Cleanse ($35 at Sephora stores) foaming cleanser and toner in one. And if you’re using an intense exfoliator, such as something with glycolic, skip enzyme masks with ingredients such as pumpkin or citrus. Use a hydrating mask, instead, such as one with milk, clay or L’Occitane’s Olive Express Radiance Mask ($32 at L’Occitane stores).

LIPS

“Licking your lips will exponentially worsen the dryness,” Marmur said.

It feels good at the time, but saliva has enzymes that break down moisturizing oils, so licking is a no-win proposition.

Instead, take a little time to exfoliate your lips with an old toothbrush, or just use a regular washcloth. Then apply a protective lip balm, such as Dr. Michelle Copeland’s Lip Protector with SPF 15 ($18 at Target). Keep something with you at all times.

Price of beauty: For those looking to hydrate and plump, Cosmedicine’s Full Benefits ($28 at Sephora) is a lip plumper, hydrator and exfoliator in one.

On the cheap: Marmur advices using anything that feels good, even something as basic as petroleum jelly such as Vaseline or Aquaphor Healing Ointment ($5.74 at Walgreens).

HAIR

Stonewater Spa offers an Express Ritual ($45) that promises immediate results. The treatment penetrates the hair shaft with avocado, jojoba oil and silicone, and mimics the hair’s natural film to give it a soft, silky-feeling shine. It doesn’t require a special appointment and can be added to a regular shampoo and scalp massage.

“The elements outside and the dryness in the building that we are stuck in everyday strips moisture out of everything, the skin and the hair,” said Kim Freeman, a design specialist and head staff educator at Stonewater. “People tend to forget that the hair is attached to the scalp, and the scalp is just like the skin on the face.”

Freeman recommends using hair masks at home once or twice a week during the winter. The mask is an intense conditioning treatment for your scalp. In winter, you want a mask that’s better at retaining moisture and reducing static. Look for ingredients such as protein and glucose.

Price of beauty: Kerastase has a variety of hair masks, including Nutri-Defense (about $52 at Stonewater) for normal hair (that’s enough for about a month of twice-weekly treatments). The masks take the place of a normal conditioning step.

And if you’re ready to moan about the extra time it will take, consider that only about three minutes are required.

Freeman said that the most common excuse for not conditioning comes from people with fine hair who are afraid that they will lose volume.

“Well, if your volume comes from having fried hair, then I tell them that ‘that’s not a cute look either, honey,’ ” Freeman said. She said there are appropriate products for every hair type. Find yours. The hair of a 19-year-old with buoyant curls is a lot different than the more brittle hair of someone going gray.

If you’ve got curls go easy on the flat iron, Freeman cautions.

“People often think their hair is curlier than it is, and they are ruining it with flat irons,” Freeman said.

On the cheap: If you’ve got looser curls, consider a product with silicone, a drier oil and a special elixir formulated for blow-drying the hair straight, Freeman said. Elixirs such as Bumble and Bumble’s Styling lotion ($22 at various salons) will protect the scalp. A light pomade will also help smooth the hair without excessive heat.

A dry scalp will lead to dry hair. The scalp follicles feed the hair, Freeman said. So soothe the follicles, and you are protecting your hair from the roots up.

BODY

“If you ever moisturize, then triple your efforts. And if you don’t, then … start,” said Mount Sinai’s Marmur. The cold can be rough on skin, and heavy winter clothing can zap moisture from pores. If you don’t have the time or money for a Salt Glow ($70) and Hydrating Butter Treatment ($95) at a spa like Stonewater, consider Peter Thomas Roth’s AHA/BHA Face & Body Polish ($35 at Sephora); the alpha hydroxy acids and tiny amounts of beta hydroxy acid help exfoliate dead skin cells. Use a gentle cleanser and, while your skin is still damp from the shower, apply moisturizer.

Price of beauty: Nars has a two-piece Body Glow Set ($98 at Neiman Marcus) that is billed as a natural skin elixir. The special lightweight oil formula softens and protects the skin. Body Glow is a hydrating oil with vanilla essence and “chocolate shimmer.” The concoction leaves skin glistening with a faint golden glow. If you’d rather have your natural skin color shine through, use the second bottle, Monoi Body Glow II, a multipurpose transparent oil for daily moisturizing or massage oil. Both absorb quickly and leave a radiant, touchable glow.

On the cheap: For a cheap and easy solution, try exfoliating gently and thoroughly with bath gloves or sponges ($3-$6 at drugstores) and then using a protective body lotion such as St. Ives Mineral Therapy ($4.99) and finishing with a moisturizing lotion such as St. Ives Mineral Therapy Advanced Body Moisturizer ($4.99). For drier skin, consider a creamier product such as cocoa butter, Aveeno, Aquaphor or Eucerne moisturizing products from drugstores ($4-$8). For something more seasonal, consider Cinnamon Buns ($15 at Sephora), a body souffle from Philosophy.

If you have a skin condition such as eczema or psoriasis, don’t use the scrub. Instead, consult a dermatologist for medicated moisturizer creams.

HANDS

Don’t sacrifice virus protection to care for cuticles. Wash hands often and regularly, but that doesn’t always mean soap and water. Hand sanitizers are a great alternative, especially when you want to snack at your desk. And here’s one that will save you the added step of having to apply lotion afterward. EO Hand Sanitizers or single-use hand wipes ($5.99-$8.99 at Whole Foods) are an organic alternative to chemical formulas that can dry out skin. This one has organic lavender essential oil to naturally cleanse and organic alcohol. There’s also a mix of glycerine and aloe vera to keep hands happy and smooth.

Price of beauty: At a spa, you can get mask, exfoliating glycolic treatments and soothing paraffin wax dips for your hands included with your regular manicure for $15 to $60.

At home, try StriVectin’s Specialized Hand Care two-step revitalizing system for the hands ($55 at Macy’s or strivectin.com). This includes a concentrated hand cream and a self-heating nano-exfoliant, $38 and $29 if sold separately.

On the cheap: Marmur said that if you’re looking for a great treatment for brittle dry nails take care of your cuticles.

“Nails grow from the cuticle, so if that skin at the base of the nail is dry, the nail will grow in brittle. Moisturizing the cuticles regularly will prevent a lot of irritating winter problems,” she said. Try SolarBalm cream, oil or conditioning balm for nails and skin ($5-$10 at Sally’s Beauty Supply).

FEET

Last but not least, don’t neglect your tootsies just because they aren’t in the spotlight of the summer sun. They have probably taken a beating during flip-flop season, so now’s the time to recoup the damage with a lovely pedicure, salt scrub, mask and paraffin treatment.

Price of beauty: An ultimate spa pedicure will cost about $70 (Marcus & Malone’s Salon and Spa, 8230 Forsyth Boulevard, Clayton).

On the cheap: You can probably make due with some items from around the house. Mix sea salt and baby oil or petroleum jelly for the scrub and mask with the same hydrating milk mask you’d use on your face. After cleansing, apply a heavy coat of moisturizer and slip on some socks to help it soak in for a few hours.

Lac-hydrin ($12-$14 at select drug stores and lac-hydrin.com) is great on the driest areas of your skin: elbows, knees, feet and hands. Lactic acid buffered with ammonium hydroxide makes the product a super moisturizer, Marmur said.

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(c) 2007, St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

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