h&b: smooth operator

friends, winter is creeping up on us.  although the weather has been pretty indecisive and relatively mild the past few months, the dry air is slowly settling in as evidenced by my bloody, dry, cracked knuckles, my chapped lips, and my dry scalp.

over the years, i've tried a lot of fancy-schmancy stuff to help keep the "gator effect" in the winter down to a minimum.

here are some tried and true products that i'm willing to bet you'll be into...unless you like bloody knucks, dandruff, and gritty lips...which is totally your call.

baking soda: cheap, handy exfoliater

every journey to smooth and supple skin/hair starts with exfoliation. 

put 1/2-1 tsp in the palm of your hand with your facial wash to buff away dead skin.  use more for a more intense scrub. you can also sprinkle on a loofah in the shower or use it to strip away excess residue in your hair if you mix a small amount in your shampoo. i use this stuff on occasion to help smooth rough elbows, knees, feet, whatever!  it's more cost effective than cosmetic lines out there and incredibly versatile. 

vaseline: cheap, intensive moisturizer

i don't know how vaseline made it's way into this world but i don't want to live without it.  it's not just for beauty pageant smiles.  if you want to moisturize super troublesome spots in a short amount of time, slather on some of this goo and hit the sheets.  make sure whatever you grease up isn't exposed to your sheets, clothes, etc. because this stuff is impossible to get out.  grab an old pair of socks or a rando, mismatched pair of  magic gloves to help protect your linens from the petrol.  i can't stand doing this so i only do it in extreme situations because it totally works.  however, i'm a big fan of vaseline as an emergency lip balm in any sitch.

cetaphil: best drugstore moisturizer (for my money, at least)

cetaphil is a staple in my house.  it's like frank's red hot sauce: i put that s*$& on everything :) cetaphil is a great option for winter moisturizing.  it is a humectant which means it draws moisture in and keeps it there.  it also is non-comodogenic meaning it doesn't clog pores so you can put it on your face and not worry about breaking out.  it also does not have fragrance which is a particular bonus in the winter.  ever notice how lotions with scents BURN BURN BURN when you put them on chapped hands?  that's because of the alcohols and chemicals involved with fragrance.  they actually end up drying you out worse than if you didn't have any lotion on at all.  my friend, cetaphil, comes available fragrance-free so all i feel is 'ahhhhhhhhh' when i put it on instead of  'OMG! AHHHHHHHHHHH!'

pantene pro-v 2-in-1- moisturizing shampoo/conditioner

using conditioner every day can make your hair dull and weigh it down.  however, if you are prone to getting a dry scalp in the winter, using conditioner in small doses every day is a good way to keep dandruff down.  selecting a 2-in-1 product like pantene offers is a nice balance of cleaning and moisturizing without being too hardcore on one or the other.

lastly, chapstick.  i love my chapstick.  i have at least 6 sticks between my office, my house, my car, my purses, my nightstand....wherever.  chapstick isn't just for your lips, folks. i use it on small, dry patches of skin.  i'm not exactly using as directed when i put it on my forehead or knuckles or even when i work some into my palms to help smooth fly-aways and keep my eyebrows in place, but it works.  i would just recommend you use 'original' for those more adventurous purposes. 

side note: my husband hates when i wear stuff on my lips.  it's a guaranteed way to get a big "EWWWWWWWWWWW.....LIP STUFF" and a sour face from him after a smooch.  but when i wear cherry chapstick, the dude has no complaints :)

stay smooth, my babies.  stay smooth.