Trust Me—This $5 Shower Product Keeps My Skin Baby Soft In the Winter Time
This should be in everyone's shower routine.
If there's one thing I love about winter, it's that it gives me an undeniable excuse to cocoon in my apartment for a few months without having to face the world too much (or the frigid New York City climate for that matter). What I don't love is the number the dry air does on my skin. It's usually around this time of year that my complexion and body begin to feel uncharacteristically dry and uncomfortable, and while most of the time this is nothing that some of the best body lotions can't fix, being holed up at home gives me all the time in the world to regularly turn my tiny bathroom into a makeshift spa so that I can pamper myself into oblivion.
Soft skin all winter is the goal.
These days, I like to exfoliate regularly, sloughing away all the dead skin on my legs, arms, chest, and feet to make myself feel velvety soft from head to toe. Read ahead to check out all the exfoliating products I swear by to keep my skin smooth and soft in the winter.
Top Tools
There are some things a loofah just won't do—exfoliating is obviously one of them. These are the tools I typically like to keep on deck for keeping my skin über-soft and free of dead, rough skin.
Dry brushing is meant to get rid of flakiness and dull skin before you shower (hence the word “dry”). This brush has soft bristles that get rid of roughness and uneven texture without feeling scratchy or uncomfortable against the skin.
I love a body scrub just as much as the next person (more on those in a moment), but I like to use them along with an exfoliating glove when I’m in the shower to put a little grit behind my exfoliating experience. If scrubs aren’t your thing, you can also use them to rub in your body wash in lieu of a loofah.
Wash This Way
The stars of the show are obviously my lineup of scrubs and body washes, which includes a mixture of physical scrubs meant to scratch away dead skin, as well as chemical formulas that feature active, skin-friendly ingredients.
OSEA’s body scrub has a thick texture that features a blend of salts from the Himalayas, New Zealand, and Hawaii. The salt crystals themselves are pretty fine, and they exfoliate without being too rough, messy, or scratchy while leaving the skin with a soft, moisturized glow.
If you’re more of a chemical exfoliator, Naturium’s exfoliating body wash is one of the best out there. A blend of glycolic, lactic, and tartaric acids come together to get rid of bumpiness and uneven texture without leaving the skin feeling harsh, dry, and itchy. I can attest to the fact that, after using it for a few weeks, it cleared up a few blemishes that popped up on my back.
This is one of my absolute favorite launches from the last year, mostly because it’s a shower oil that doesn’t actually feel like an oil. It has a thick texture that almost feels like a jelly, but it transforms into a gentle lather once it comes in contact with water, cleansing the skin without stripping it or making it feel dry.
Feet First
Spending a handful of months wearing close-toed shoes means my feet feel really neglected around this time of year. That's not to mention that living in New York City and spending so much time walking can do a number on them that a foot cream can't fix on its own. These are the products I turn to when I want to feel baby soft even down to my feet.
I’m not above using a foot mask—at this point, I regularly apply masks to my hair, face, and lips, so what’s one more area to give some TLC. My heels get especially dry and rough in the winter months, but this treatment gives them some much-needed hydration and uses a blend of AHAs to break down calluses.
If you need something that requires a little more elbow grease than a chemical treatment, use foot sponge that’ll gently buff away dead skin and calluses.
Glow Up
No shower routine is complete without a moisturizer (the key is to moisturize while your skin is a little damp to really let the hydration set in), and some of my favorite ones feel just as luxe as the aforementioned scrubs and in-shower products. Presenting, my current holy grails.
This is an impressively soft formula that feels less like a traditional butter and more like a thick moisturizer since it lacks the greasy texture commonly associated with the former. It’s a jar of product I sincerely wish I could bathe in; not to mention that the tangerine scent is so perfect and subtle.
I’ve been obsessed with this body oil since Pattern’s body collection launched in the fall. Oils can be hit or miss for me because if they’re too thick, they tend to be sticky and rub off on everything, while a thin oil can just be messy. This one is the perfect in-between; it absorbs quickly without transferring to other surfaces and it has a subtle amber scent that lingers without being too overpowering.
![Strawberry Coconut [buttr]](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/xFhTXrxJjWExDEMmWRU5EB-1920-80.jpg.webp)
Skin BUTTR’s body butters are all pretty thick, but they moisturize well and come in handy when you want to give the skin below your neck some long-lasting hydration and a glow that makes you look like you just returned from sunbathing on an island. Strawberry Coco happens to be my favorite scent, though the brand has a full lineup of others that include notes of mango, cocoa, and peppermint.
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