Winter is just around the corner and with that, I am fully living my chunky sweater Uggs cozy comfy fantasy, like the basic girl that I am.
Unfortunately I have about 10% humanity still in me (the other 90% is unicorn) which means that I also struggle with dry hands the majority of Nov-Feb. I did NOT sign up for that.
Due to my desire to not have iguana hands, I have been constantly on the search for the best hydration products over the years, and as per usual, have compiled a list of my favorites. Are you even surprised at this point?
Also, for kicks and giggles, I am throwing in some of my favorite body hydration secrets for winter months. Thankfully, the overabundance of estrogen in my system makes this not be an issue but somewhere along the way, my hands did not get the memo…
Now I know what you’re thinking and yes, even super extra people use and swear by Aquaphor, probably more than your average person. Want evidence? I have a purse tube, a house tube, and also a house TUB on hand (get it?) at all times. I don’t even know if I need to go into details with this because it is well known that Aquaphor can solve literally 99.999999% of your problems, from dry skin to a broken heart. This is literal magic.
The ONE drawback with Aquaphor that has me continuously searching for alternative products is that it leaves behind a greasy residue. Using this at night is one thing, but during the day? Forget it. I would rather have dry hands than ruin my clothes. Priorities!
Listen here. When this product was discontinued from Lush, I (and evidently the rest of the Lush community) HOUNDED sales assistants asking if it would ever come back. Recently, Lush decided to finally listen and brought this miracle product out of hiding. If you love the scent of neroli, buy this house down boots. The best part is that a little goes a looooooong way with this product.
Con: the old tin packaging was tea. This packaging? I currently am mustering the courage to use a butterknife to cut this into small pieces and stuff it in a reusable tin myself because I am not unwrapping this solid grease blob as if it’s a stick of butter every time I want to use it. LUSH. DON’T MAKE ME DO THIS. BRING BACK THE OLD TIN PLEASE.
Shea butter is known for being hydrating and soothing, and when I first bought this product (for a whopping $42, yes I know), I was so in my element and obsessed with how this looked on my “Hydration Station” <–what I call the lotion tray on my nightstand. It worked, felt nice and the scent was soothing and comforting. Win win!
Now can you find a cheaper shea butter anywhere else on the market? Absolutely yes. But, is that shea butter going to make you feel luxurious, expensive, fabulous, and beyond hydrated? Probably also yes. I promise you that Whole Foods more than likely has something exactly the same as this and for a fraction of the price. Or literally any organic market in the world carries the same product.
You can totally skip out on this product unless you have some extra money to burn, in which case treat yo’self and live your life. I certainly don’t judge.
…………*adds to cart*
4. Burt’s Bees Farmer’s Friend
This is one of those products that is my magical secret weapon. Not only does it come in a tin (which, in case you haven’t realized yet, I am OBSESSED WITH TINS), the scent gives me “I work in an organic market in a small town living my Hallmark movie fantasy” vibes. And I am SO here for that.
This is the first hand salve that I ever used as a teenager and I have been obsessed ever since. I have recommended this to various people in my life who have chronically dry hands and it does not disappoint. Plus, I am always tempted to glue googly eyes onto Farmer Burt’s face, which makes for a free laugh. The only thing stopping me is that this lives on my nightstand, and I don’t need to be traumatized at night.
I currently have two tubes of this in my house–one on my nightstand (brand new) and one in my daily purse (almost done). This is a super thick multipurpose salve made with royal jelly–cuz I’m the queen bee–that smells like warm honey. Be sure to squish the tube a bit before putting some on because it can get a bit solid if exposed to colder temperatures. Not much else to say about this besides that I love it, I bring it everywhere with me at all times, and it really is a multipurpose product.
Consider this a much more expensive, honey scented luxury yellow version of Aquaphor.
Lush carries several scents of these massage bars but whichever you choose will be super hydrating and soothing. Once this comes in contact with warmth, it melts into a smooth oil consistency that leaves behind a velvety finish along with a light scent. I use this on my body in the wintertime right before going to bed. Just be aware that if your house is cold at night–scientific evidence that you’ll sleep better and what not, blah–it might take a moment to melt. It definitely feels like I am sometimes rubbing a solid Lego block on my legs before my body heat warms up the product. Once it warms, I’m good to go.
I love all things gourmand (another post coming soon) so the turmeric latte scent is my favorite. Plus, the scents are versatile so you can choose one for every season!
My final secret hydration product is pure argan oil. I carry a small tube dropper of this in my daily purse, and I have a full size bottle on my nightstand. Argan oil is great for overall hydration–hair, skin, nails, cuticles etc. It truly is multipurpose.
I use this for everything and sometimes I like to layer this on top of another product, mainly a cream based one, like a hand lotion or something. I really feel like it seals in the hydration and acts as an extra barrier. My hands look more youthful after using this at night.
I have used a few different ones before but I keep going back to the Josie Maran oil. There is something about the consistency that other brands like Moroccan Oil or the Ordinary are just missing. Plus, Josie sells refills so I just keep my bottles and fill them as needed. We love an environmentally aware brand!
There you go, my friends! Several different hand and body hydration products to get you through the winter months. Wait until the spring/summer when we talk about which hydration products I use that give you a natural SPARKLE AND GLOW!! Because glitter!!!!
With love and fashion,
KM
in my κούκλα era 
Leave a comment