With the dry season upon us, I wanted to provide some safe, non-toxic options to nourish your skin and shine from the inside out.  The cold weather can be very harsh on your skin, but so can most conventional beauty products—filled with chemicals, heavy metals and toxins that can only cause further damage, both to your skin and your health.

Here are a few of my favorites—and always, let’s start with food!

Drink More Water

Yes, yes, we all probably need more water in our lives, especially if you have a habit of drinking a cup of coffee in the mornings like me! Staying hydrated is one of the best things you can do for your overall health and especially your skin!

Each morning I add a splash of lemon juice to my water, I have learned to love the taste and it actually instantly perks me up on sleepy mornings.  This will help gently detox you as well.

In the afternoons, I love doing a sparkling mineral water with a splash of lime as a pick me up.

And yes, having a cute, re-fillable water bottle will make drinking your water that much more enjoyable.  I have tried in vain countless water bottles that I didn’t like, and sadly probably wasted ALOT of money, so just take my word that these suggestions are perfect!

• S’well 25 oz: this version pretty much goes everywhere with me.
• Swell 9 oz: Although a bit small, I love this option for stashing in a smaller bag.
• bkr Glass Water Bottle

*These options don’t have wide mouth openings, so you won’t spill water all over yourself in the car and they don’t have a weird after taste like most re-fillable bottles do.

Eat More Healthy Fats

One of my all time favorite nutrition facts is that our cell membranes (think the wrapping paper around your cells) are made up of a phospholipid bi-layer—in simple terms, your cells are made up of fat!

So eating healthy fats, not only nourishes your cells, but it seriously nourishes your skin! Now, you can apply good quality oils to your skin, but nourishing from the inside out is equally important!

• Grass-Fed Butter
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Duck Fat
• Grass-Fed Browned Butter Ghee
• Unrefined Coconut Oil
• Avocado Oil

My Favorite Products to Nourish Your Skin

// Anyone who makes a Beautycounter purchase this month will be automatically entered to win either a Soothing Face Oil ($68 value) or Rejuvenating Eye Cream ($58 value) or the Limited Edition Nail Polish Set ($47 value).  I will pick THREE random winners, one product for each person, on January 31. //

ALSO—for a limited time ONLY (until Jan 31 or while supplies last) Spend $200+ USD / $250+ CAD, receive a FREE Body Oil in Citrus Rosemary and a Hydrating Body Lotion in Citrus Mimosa ($97 US value / $119 CAN value).

Primally Pure’s Rose and Mint Complexion Mist: Toner is an important and sometimes forgotten step—I actually spray this mist multiple times per day as a nice refresher and it really keeps your face hydrated.  Toner also helps balance the pH levels of your skin and helps prepare your skin for the incoming oil or moisturizer!

Beautycounter’s Face Oils: Raise a hand if you have ever been afraid of putting oil on your skin—this was me times a million.  But here is the deal—your skin, especially your face craves oil, so much so that if you don’t apply it, your skin will actually make more oil, leading to those not so fun breakouts.

Obsessed is an understatement when it comes to these face oils, especially the Balancing Face Oil as it is my personal favorite and has actually helped control minor breakouts and blemishes.

Beautycounter’s Cleansing Balm: This cleansing balm is a miracle worker, because it cleanses your skin while at the same time hydrates and nourishes—so it is sort of like oil cleansing meets actual cleansing, which I love. This works great as a spot treatment for severe dry patches or as an overnight mask about once a week—my favorite way.  Yes, a little goes a LONG way, do do not be dismayed by the price tag!

Beautcounter’s Rejuvenating Day Cream: If you are  a little older and wiser than me, I highly recommend the anti-aging line, Rejuvenating Day Cream.  It is not too thick and will leave your skin nourished and a bit more firm (in a good way!!).  I highly recommend adding a few drops of the oils listed above.

Primally Pure’s Lip Balm: If you walk around my house or search through my bags you will find these lip balms stashed away everywhere—because gosh darn it is the greatest lip balm ever! Creamsicle is my favorite and I usually keep peppermint in my purse to act as a breath freshener and my hubby likes that one too.  Also, keep in mind, some conventional chapstick contain chemicals and additives that actually make you more addicted to them—gross.

Beautycounter’s Sugar Scrub: It is so important to exfoliate your skin with natural options like this sugar scrub, rather than chemical rich and abrasive substances.  Exfoliating will help remove the dead skin so that the oils and moisturizers you do apply soak in and do their job more efficiently and leave your skin so soft!

Beautycounter’s Body Butter: This is a heavy duty, lets-get-down-to-business sort of body lotion without leaving you feeling oily, because there is nothing that annoys me more than oily skin! I have a few friends who rave about this for their pregnant bellies and stretch marks, but can’t speak from personal experience here clearly.

Primally Pure’s Almond & Vanilla Body Butter: This is my go to hand lotion for night, because gosh darn does it do the trick for dry hands! It also smells amazing and you will dream of cupcakes as you wander off to sleep.  I have on multiple occasions wanted to eat this stuff, don’t worry I haven’t!

Get out and soak up some fresh air and sunshine

This is much more difficult in the wintertime months, but so important!  Our bodies and our skin need sunshine and Vitamin D to thrive, so take advantage of those sunny days! Being outside for 10-20 minutes without sunscreen is a good idea for maximum sun absorption.