Cold Weather Fashion and Beauty Tips

Experts reveal their best all-naural tips on how to keep your skin healthy and stay warm in winter weather

Jan 21, 2020

Some people love winter… and some people love to hate it. Whether you’re all-in on skiing and boarding, snow forts, and snow days or you spend the winter snuggled up in your weighted blanket with dreams of palm trees and flamingos, the effects of winter weather can not be ignored. The dryness, cold, and transition from indoor heat to outdoor chill can affect your skin, nails, health, and overall comfort. We asked some fashion and beauty experts to share their tips to keep you looking and feeling your best whether you embrace the chill or ride it out in hibernation mode.

Even if you live in a snowless environment, winter can still suck the moisture out of the air, leaving your skin, hair and nails dry and chapped. Some of it has to do with the change in weather, but it also comes from being indoors with the heat on. Most indoor heating systems can dry out the air. And when you go from 70-degree temperatures indoors to a 20-70-degree decrease outdoors, that’s going to affect your entire system from head to toe! If you find yourself constantly applying lotion and lip balm or suffering from cracks on your hands from dry skin, ask your parents if they can put a humidifier in your room at night when you sleep. Not only will it soothe your skin, it can also calm your nasal passages to let you breathe easier and fight off colds.

stay stylish in winter weather and all year round

Wear layers, stay hydrated inside and out, and keep your hands and head covered for ultimate comfort in winter weatherCourtesy of Igor Stepanov via Unsplash

Fight Winter Dryness

Laura Yoder of Black Coffee Beautiful has loads of suggestions to keep moisture in and keep you hydrated.

Opt for a tinted balm instead of lipstick. This will keep your lips hydrated and protected from the elements but also add a small pop of color. Burt's Bees has a really good all natural version.
Put a small travel size hand cream in your bag and use it throughout the day. The cold weather combined with the soap used in most schools is incredibly drying for both the hands and nail cuticles.
Don't forget to moisturize your face! The wind and cold, dry air are exactly the reason our skin flakes and peels in the winter. Help combat that by making sure you moisturize.

Burt's Bees has an intense hydration line to keep your skin healthy the all-natural way

Manicures aren’t just for girls!

Take a look at your hands… is your skin dry? Do your fingernails crack or break easily or are they uneven? What about where your nails meet your skin – the place called your nail bed – is it a smooth arc, or is it rough with pieces of skin and cuticle hanging off? For most of the year, you don’t need to bother much with your nail beds and cuticles, but when the weather is dry, you may need to take a little extra care.

Tati Dantzler of Tati’s Nails has created a line of eco friendly, vegan friendly, natural, ageless, genderless nail care products to encourage healthier, longer, stronger natural nail care. Her line consists of cuticle oils, sugar scrubs, and “mani bombs”, which you can find online on her website www.tatisnailsxoxo.com or at a local pharmacy. A mani-bomb is similar to a bath bomb. Mani Bombs are usually made from oils, butters, and salts and fragrances that are supposed to be healing and moisturizing, to soften your skin and your cuticles and moisturize your skin and nails. The best ones contain all-natural ingredients with no perfumes or dyes.

To use a mani-bomb, fill a bowl with warm water. Drop the mani bomb in and let it fizz to release the oils, butters, and salts into the water. Dip your hands into the bowl – fingertips first –both at the same time. You can soak while it is still fizzing, and, in fact, that’s part of the fun! Soak your hands for 5-10 minutes. You can play with the water and rub your hands together to rub in the oils while you soak. Take your hands out of the water if your fingertips start to look like prunes or raisins – that’s a sign that the natural oils in your skin are being washed away and the soak is doing more harm than good. When you take your hands out of the soak, pat hands dry. You can use one up to once a week!

Also it’s very important to use cuticle oil to stop hang nails, cracked cuticles and brittle nails. A little cuticle oil goes a long way, and can be applied at night after you wash up, along with a hand lotion like Shea Butter Hand Cream from Bath and Body Works.

Pamper your hands with a mani bomb and cuticle oil. It feels good, smells great, and is good for your hands and fingernailsCourtesy of Tati's Nails

Fix Chapped Lips

Avoid chapped lips with natural lip balms made without petroleum. Petroleum-based lip balms and flavored balms can dry out your lips and make you feel like you need to reapply constantly. The mark of a good lip balm is when you apply it once, and it lasts for hours! Amy Rzepka, founder of Queen Bee lip balms, created her products to be as all natural as possible, using products like beeswax, shea butter, and coconut oils to moisturize and protect the all-natural way. Their products are really reasonably priced, too, and shipping is free for orders $19.99 and over.

The folks at Bee Essential put together this odd yet funny commercial to share the difference using all-natural products can make when you're battling winter dryness.

Beessential Foaming Hand Soap Commercial

Stay Warm, Look Cool

Laura of Black Coffee Beautiful also offers some fantastic style tips to keep you cozy and warm but avoid overheating.

Don't forget the gloves! It's easy to think, "I'll only be outside for a few minutes," but that cold air is awful for skin. Plus, there are SO many cute gloves to purchase making them the perfect accessory.
Speaking of accessories, a blanket scarf or bulky infinity scarf are great for added warmth, but also complete any outfit.
Layering is a chic way to dress in winter. Start with a lightweight turtleneck or long sleeve tee, add a cardigan or sweater and then finish with a scarf.
Add a cute pair of socks with your boots - they not only help complete an outfit, they help keep your feet warm.

When you're wearing layers like this comfy scarf, you can look fashionable and stay warm in the snowCourtesy of Brooklyn via Unsplash

Every Outfit Needs a Good Foundation

Allena Rissa of The Better Fit has some great suggestions for your base layers:

Make Leggings a Staple in Your Wardrobe: Whether you’re lounging in the house on a snowy winter day or going to school in the brisk air, leggings are the perfect pair of pants to have in your wardrobe. A pair of classic, black leggings will pair with almost anything in your closet, especially your favorite winter boots and long sweaters. Plus, if it’s really cold, you can find leggings that are fleece lined (making them even warmer than jeans!).
Layer with Bralettes: While bralettes are typically worn in the warmer months, you can easily turn these cute pieces into winter fashion by layering them with warmer tops! Wear a thick knit sweater that hangs off your shoulder, and have a fun colored bralette underneath.