When I was in California with my family last month I’d planned a full itinerary that encompassed many of LA’s best sites, including ones that took advantage of the perfect hot-but-never-sweaty California weather like hiking up to the Hollywood sign, stand-up paddle boarding in Malibu, and shopping on Abbot Kinney Road in Venice. Despite wearing high spf sunscreens every day (this one and this one), I think the amount of sun exposure was a lot more than my skin was used to handling because when I came back to Vancouver I noticed that my legs, arms, and hands were much drier than usual. My skin was beginning to peel and I could see a thin layer of flakiness. My hair was also seriously dry. It was time for some major skin recovery so I took out my oils and body butters and covered myself from head to toe before going to bed at night. My skin was soft and smooth again in no time.
If you’re experiencing post-summer dryness I recommend the following:
Coconut oil – I use Maison Orphee coconut oil from Whole Foods. I keep it in the fridge where it stays solid, then when I need to use it I take off thin chunks/slices with a knife and it literally melts in my hands. I use it on my skin and my hair before bed and love the way it smells. You can use it to smooth hair after blow drying in the morning too, but use very little!
Bio-Oil – a great, inexpensive body oil that’s great for day and night. I’ve been using it for a long time and have finished a few bottles already.
Fresh Rice Dry Oil – an easily absorbed oil that I put on my legs in the morning when I’m wearing a skirt or dress. There’s no “marinating” time required so this and the Bio-Oil are great for daytime use.
Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate – I love this facial oil for night time. My skin totally drinks it up.
Shu Uemura Essence Absolute – Do you ever buy products just for the way they smell? I tried a sample of this and immediately fell in love with the scent. I like to put it on before blowdrying and after my hair is dry for smoothing ends and for a rich shine. It’s actually a very effective product so I guess I didn’t buy it just for the way it smells, but the fragrance is what really makes this product stand out.
Kiehl’s Creme de Corps Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter – Okay, this is another product that lured me in with its scent. It helps that it also delivers on its actual purpose, which is to deeply moisturize your skin.
Skoah Body Kream – a Vancouver-based brand that makes body butters with very high shea butter content. The tropikal love body kream (coconut scented) has great “slip”, which makes it great for massages as well. My mom discovered it when it was used on her during a massage.
Decleor (not shown) makes great facial oils too. For extra dry spots on my face I use a rich Decleor cream which I’ve permanently borrowed from my mom.
For inside-out nourishment, I take fish oil supplements from the Perricone MD Skin and Total Body pack. My mom takes it as well, and we’ve both noticed improvements in our skin and energy level.
If you don’t want to get any oils on your sheets (what? you don’t want to moisturize your linens?), I recommend covering your bed and pillow with bath towels