Thanks to Walgreens for underwriting this post. I was paid as a member of the Clever Girls Collective, but the content is all mine. Visit http://www.discoverbeautywithin.com/.

Winter is a beautiful season. Snow. Cozy fires. Snuggling up with cocoa. What’s not to love? Well, winter skin! Winter is beautiful, but it can cause serious chaos with our fragile skin. Flaky and dry is not beautiful and if your not in the routine of taking care of your skin, then your way past flaky and into dry, cracked skin.

Time out!

Take time to reevaluate your daily routine. Just a few minutes a day is all it will take to protect your skin against dry winter weather. Remember, you are investing in yourself and your family. Worried about costs? I’ve got you covered! You have great products right around the corner at reasonable prices every family can afford.

First: Hydrate. This is simple because your skin needs water, and so do other parts of your body, so drink up! Not only is water essential, it’s something you already pay for. Just turn on a faucet, fill up a pitcher, and cool, refreshing water is waiting for you. Not into plain water? Spruce it up with a flavorful fruit or cucumber slices, close your eyes, and imagine you are on a warm beach somewhere.

Second: Scrub. A more luxurious word would be to exfoliate, but lets face it, when we have dull, flaky skin, we want to scrub away the old and share the vibrant glow underneath. I love using a scrub that can remove the dead surface skin, but is gentle enough for my daughter to use as well with irritating her skin. An apricot scrub is a great choice that can be used two to three times per week without causing irritation. 

Third: Hydrate. Again? Yes, again. This hydration comes from the outside to work with your normal skincare routine to shield against winter’s damaging dryness. Used after your normal cleanse, a refreshing mist will rejuvenate and tone to a brighter you. Gentle enough for daily use, it is safe enough for all skin types, so everyone in the family can use this product, even those with sensitive skin, eczema, or rosacea.

Fourth: Soften. Pucker up! Don’t forget your lips. Often lips are forgotten. Do you hate it when someone kisses you and their lips feel flaky and brittle? Well, guess what? They probably don’t like it when your lips feel that way, too! I’m addicted to taking care of mine and my family’s lips, so to soften we use a product that offers aloe and vitamin E to protect against winter weather blues.

Fifth: Lather. As part of our beauty regimen we moisturize our face, but sometimes we forget the rest of our skin. Our skin not only dries out from harsh winter weather, but the hot shower we took today is no help. I have been known to forget to lather up after a shower and my skin lets me know. Unfortunately, my daughter was blessed with the same dry skin. We welcome a product with aloe and vitamin E made specifically for dry skin.

Sixth: Heal. The areas that need to heal usually remind us. These are the spots that are so dry they are rough or hurt from skin tightness. For me, these areas are my heals, knees, elbows, and cuticles. Yes, you read that right, cuticles. I love a mani/pedi as much as the next girl, but when the budget doesn’t allow for one (usually always), I forget my cuticles exist. Enter an ointment that helps revive really dry, chapped skin – quickly.  

There you have it. My list of must haves! What is great about my suggestions is each item can be added to your normal daily cleanse and protect routine and won’t add a huge dent in an already very tight budget. Each product shown above can be found right around the corner at places like Walgreens.

Do you have a winter must-have? Share it!