What if you work outside during winter months? In winter, lower temperatures and less humidity rob our skin of moisture. Natural oils and lotions are a safe way to restore balance to your skin. Whenever we rub on a lotion or cream, we’ll eventually absorb all of the natural and chemical ingredients of the product. The more we put on, the more we absorb—it has a cumulative effect.

Three ingredients you want to avoid are polyethylene glycol, petrolatum, and fragrances. There are a variety of polyethylene glycols. Many of them are listed as PEG followed by a number, PEG-100 for example. These are used as emulsifiers and skin conditioners, but many believe they increase cancer risk, promote acne, and contribute to contact dermatitis.

Petrolatum is a mineral oil derivative. It can actually cause premature aging when used long term. Fragrance or perfume is a blanket term used for thousands of chemicals that can cause allergic reactions in many people. If a company doesn’t name their fragrance, replace it with a natural product that does.

If you have dry wintery skin, consider using lotions where the first ingredient listed is, Shea butter, jojoba oil, or Grape seed oil which are all great for dry skin.

Simple Oil Moisturizer
¼ cup jojoba oil
¼ cup grape seed oil (contains vitamins E, C, & beta carotene)
¼ tsp. Bergamot essential oil (used to combat depression)
¼ tsp. Ylang ylang oil
1 Vitamin E capsule
1 empty bottle

Add the oils in the order listed to the empty bottle. Crack open the Vitamin E Capsule and drip contents into bottle. Shake the bottle to mix content and apply directly to your skin. It’s especially good right out of the shower.