Father Winter is lingering about this year, and with his lasting presence comes more dry air, frosty winds and indoor temperatures raised to levels best suited for drying fruit. To combat such seasonal stresses on your skin (not to mention repair the damage December and January have already done to it), a total overhaul of your head-to-toe beauty regime is necessary. Darwin would agree, it’s time to adapt your usual routine to one capable of surviving winter’s harsh blow.

Below, the essential skin care and hair products you’ll need to make it out of the last days of winter with a beautiful spring glow.

First things first: to pave the way for bright healthy skin, you’ll have to polish away any signs of that dull dead layer currently front and centre. Be careful not to aggravate problem areas further with over scrubbing, this can cause unwanted breakouts. Try formulas for sensitive skin like Nuxe Gentle Exfoliating Gel with Rose Petals. The refining botanical exfoliants in this scrub, including Lychee Seed and Nutshell Powder, are balanced with soothing Damascena Rose Petal Floral Water. Follow with light face washes that won’t strip away moisture. Try Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser, it leaves skin refreshingly cleansed without over-drying.

And, should stress be the culprit behind your skin problems, may we recommend some down time with Nuxe Refreshing and Relaxing Moisture Mask, which promises to leave skin looking supple and well-rested.

Lastly, apply a gentle toner, we recommend Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Toner, its mild, non-alcoholic formula will hydrate and soothe skin desperately grasping onto its natural oils.

In the winter, when your skin turns grey and is prone to red patches, the Walking Dead doesn’t seem quite so fictional. This is when a moisture surge is essential. Depending on the severity of your skin condition, there is a spectrum of products that will safeguard you against the harsh winter winds, and help repair any weather damages it’s already incurred. Chanel Hydra Beauty Gel Crème offers a fragrant film to coat the skin, preventing moisture from escaping. Should fragrance irritates your skin (or nose), Clinique’s Repairwear Uplifting Firming Cream is ultra moisturizing, while also age defying. (Winter has a way of showcasing one’s creases and wrinkles.) And, for those looking for fast results, there’s Sephora’s subtly fragrant Intensive Instant Moisturizer, which leaves skin silky soft the moment it is absorbed. For added effect, apply these heavier moisturizers on as an overnight mask, and awake to a dewy and rested complexion.

As for daytime skin care tips: when preparing your face for makeup, don’t forget to quench the cracks around your eyes with Estee Lauder Advanced Time Zone Eye Cream. And, to avoid foundation creases, try applying Chanel Hydra Beauty Serum to smooth and soothe your temperamental skin before taking the foundation brush to it.

Chapped lips are a winter constant. It sometimes seems like the more balm you apply, the more you need to keep lipstick from burrowing into your pout’s unsightly crevasses. Part of that may be due to dead skin that can be easily (and painlessly) removed with the help of a nourishing lip exfoliant like BITE Whipped Cherry Lip Scrub. Simply apply, press lips together and massage side-to-side for oh-so kissable charm. Leave on (did we mention this stuff is healthy enough to eat?), or wipe off  gently with a warm towel if excess skin is hanging about. Whatever you do, let the next step be smoothing on a dollop of Vaseline lip therapy Cocoa Butter — a no-nonsense Petroleum Jelly lip moisturizer that renders lips lusiously supple.

Wishing you could be somewhere warm and sunny with the smell of pina coladas in the air? Sephora is bringing the tropical getaway to you with their Coconut Smoothing Body Scrub and Coconut Creamy Body Wash duo, with the latter also available in travel caps. Though this pair may smell like spring break, their gentle parabens-free formulas make them idea for purifying sensitive winter skin.

Once the rain head has come to a stop, it’s time to reach for your moisturizer. Don’t even step out of the shower for this step; stay in, and apply a rich product like Moroccanoil Body Souffle to damp skin for maximum absorption. Between the argan oil and the shea butter in this cream, your skin is guaranteed to discover revitalization.

Hangnails are an unpleasant seasonal fact; they snag, bleed, and ultimately ruin your otherwise perfect manicure. And, while hand moisturizers help, your nails demand specially tailored formulas designed to strength their hard shell. We suggest a bedtime routine that sees nails and cuticles treated with L’Occitane Cuticle & Nail Cream (made of 30 percent shea butter, its rich formula helps fortify brittle nails), followed by massaging in a generous application of The Body Shop’s Wild Rose Hand Cream (the rosehip oil in this is a potent anti-aging ingredient that carries ultra moisturizing benefits), finished off by tucking hands into a pair of moisturizing True Blue Gel Gloves from Bath & Body Works, infused with natural oils and Vitamin E to  keep hands feeling soft.

Another season factor contributing to your wrinkly hands is: flu season i.e. washing your hands/applying hand sanitizer excessively in fear of contracting a pandemic. Obviously, we won’t ask you to stop washing your hands, but if scaly hands aren’t appealing to you, then ditch that smelly alcohol-based hand sanitizer you’re using, and pack Jurlique Moisturizing Hand Sanitizer into your bag instead. Boasting the ability to keep things germ-free, without sacrificing moisture, this is a sanitizer for those who believe in the power of a handshake.

Start at the root of the problem! Rene Furterer Complexe 5 tones the scalp and strengthens hair, using essential oils such as orange and lavender that saturate your hair and the air, creating an aromatic and relaxing at-home spa experience. Leave on for 5 to 10 minutes; and let the tingly, warming sensation and spicy citrus scents whisk away your winter blues.

Next, indulge your senses further, this time in a Rahua Omega 9 Hair Mask. Sweet and citrusy in scent, this moisturizing treatment will bring bounce back to limp winter locks, while soaking them in the delicious aroma of lemon meringue pie. Leave on 5-15 minutes after shampooing to allow the creamy conditioning treatment to penetrate your hair.

Outside of the shower, try Rene Furterer Volumea to cheer up (and we mean up) sad, flat winter tresses.part from being the ultimate hair pick-me-up, this weightless, volumizing treatment also eases static caused by your wardrobe of winter pullovers.

Published February 19, 2013