5 Favorite Winter Essentials for Dry Skin

Even though Southern California isn’t the driest of winter airs, we’ve lived in some low humidity cities where winter is really harsh on your skin (especially when we lived in Utah!) I feel like my skin is naturally dry but I’ve found a few things that definitely help my skin and overall health in dry weather. Here are my top 5 winter essentials:

1.  Humidifier– We actually have 2 of this same humidifier! I use one in my room in the winter (or if I’m sick) and we’ll use the second one in the kids’ bedrooms if they get sick. I feel like I can breathe better at night and feel more rested in the morning. I like this one because it’s small, the cord is a good length (it’s about 5 feet long), it’s easy to fill and clean and you can adjust the level of humidity.
2. Gold Bond Rough & Bumpy lotion – this lotion is awesome. It’s made for skin that is extra dry and I use it daily on my upper arms which for some reason are more dry than the rest of my skin. I saw good results in the first week of using it! My skin is much less bumpy and dry.
3.  Saline salt nasal spray – this helps with dry nasal membranes. It’s not by prescription, non habit-forming and great to use for nasal congestion. It’s not medicated and easy to spray in your nose. It also doesn’t taste weird like how some medicated nasal sprays can drip into your throat. I buy this at any grocery or drug store and it’s only a few dollars.
4.  Vicks Vaporub –  I’ve written about this product before and how great it is for a sore throat! There are actually lots of uses for Vicks Rub but my primary use is if I feel a sore throat coming, I’ll rub it on (the outside) of my throat before going to bed. It doesn’t cure an illness but alleviates the symptoms.
5.  Hydro Flask– I’ve also talked a lot about this bottle because it’s honestly one of my favorite things to have cold water all day! I especially love this bottle because it doesn’t collect condensation so I can bring it in a bag and not worry about other items getting wet. I have the wide mouth spout version which I prefer, they make a variety of sizes and mouth openings. Hydration is super important all the time but especially in the winter and can help with dry skin, illness, etc.

*related: 7 Ways to Fight a Cold , more on my Hydro Flask love

*semi related: follow along via Bloglovin’