Winter Skin Pick-Me-Up

As has been abundantly evidenced, I am not a huge fan of winter.



This winter has been particularly brutal for a lot of people, and Philadelphia has certainly not been immune.

Our friends from Massachusetts have deemed this Philly winter
"just like a bad winter back home." Now that's cred, folks. 

My school has already filled their quota of allotted snow days, plus an early dismissal (almost unheard of due to the sheer logistics) and a 2-hour delay. I'm kind of over the unbelievable bitter cold, and I'm definitely over the dry, itchy skin that accompanies even mild winters.



I have psoriasis, as well as just generally dry skin. Most *good* lotions are expensive, and the lesser ones tend to be filled with chemicals and crap that either A) makes me break out in weird, uncomfortable rashes or B) totally skeeves me out.



I was delighted this past year or so to discover coconut oil and all it's mystical properties. Seriously, if you've never tried it, it's good for just about everything. I use it to fry food (no, everything doesn't taste like coconut, although if it's a mildly flavored food the oil makes it taste slightly sweet) as well as for body care. You can shave your legs, put it in your hair, on your cuticles...you name it.



Pretty much all winter I've been mixing up this delightful concoction from How Sweet It Is: Chocolate Coconut Sugar Scrub.

No, my picture is not nearly as pretty as HSII. 

This actually made it onto the list of homemade Christmas gifts I gave to coworkers and friends, and it's been popular across the board. The great thing about homemade sugar scrubs is since they're basically edible (although I don't recommend it) it's definitely not going to be bad for your skin.



These simple, good-for-you ingredients?

Annnnd mix. Forever.

This particular combination LIVES in my shower. I use it last thing before I get out, and then towel dry. I barely need any additional lotion, and it smells great. Plus? That cocoa powder lends a nice warm tinge to my super-winter-pale skin.



(Yeah, my skin goes both ways. All summer out in the sun I get nice and brown, then as soon as winter strikes I look like death. Not a fair, porcelain pale...like malnourished pale, except for the exceptionally chubby cheeks thanks to winter comfort food.)



Anyway, make this. Use it. All the time. And enjoy the super soft, chemical-free winter skin!