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Sheryl Kraft

Sheryl Kraft, a freelance writer and breast cancer survivor, was born in Long Beach, New York. She currently lives in Connecticut with her husband Alan and dog Chloe, where her nest is empty of her two sons Jonathan. Sheryl writes articles and essays on breast cancer and contributes to a variety of publications and websites where she writes on general health and wellness issues. She earned her MFA in writing from Sarah Lawrence College in 2005.

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5 Beautiful Ways to Prep for Winter

5 Beautiful Ways to Prep for Winter

Here are some tips to care for your skin and hair this winter.

Your Health

With winter upon us—and the election finally behind us—your health and sanity are not the only things in need of attention.

Your beauty is an important consideration, too. After all, with colder temps comes drier air—and that air, in search of moisture, starts to suck it out of your skin and hair. Dryness equals wrinkles, breakage and a reminder that being a so-called natural beauty comes at a price.

That's precisely why I've gathered some helpful ways to prepare for the dry time of year.

"Don't ever think you can't make a difference," President Obama told our nation following this historic election.

Hopefully these products will help you make a difference in how you feel this winter.

Moisturize your body. In 1988, Ahava opened its first eco-friendly factory overlooking the Dead Sea. They've been going strong ever since. This Dead Sea Water Mineral Body Lotion absorbs quickly and has a pleasant subtle scent of prickly pear and moringa. It's also got aloe vera and witch hazel extracts to help boost moisture and soothe skin. Smooth it on—and let your skin drink it all in.

Plump and hydrate your lips. The harsh winds of winter can whip up some pretty chapped lips. And chapped lips look so withered and blah. Life Cell Skincare has a solution: its Lip Plumping Treatment hydrates and plumps at the same time (no injections required). The topical treatment stimulates collagen and hyaluronic acid production and claims to help your lips look significantly fuller after just one week of use. In my opinion, your lips can never be too moisturized—but alas, with age, they can be too thin.

Indulge your facial skin. Words like "rich" and "luxurious" are used to describe this face cream from iS Clinical, which gives your precious skin a head start on the winter by protecting it against the harsh elements. It hydrates and moisturizes with botanically derived antioxidants, resurfacing acids and growth factor. At $195, the price may be a bit steep for this Youth Intensive Creme, but when it comes to lines and wrinkles and putting your best face forward, only you can decide if the investment is worth it.

Soothe and repair. Rough, dry elbows and heels and ragged cuticles and dry patches. Let the winter fun begin, or not. Green Goo sounds, well, gooey, but it's not. Instead, it's a company that makes "Food for Your Skin" with natural herbs and essential oils. I like their Skin Repair that's packed into in a handy little tin small enough to throw into a bag. Aside from soothing rough skin, its magic blend of aloe vera and vitamin E oils can treat sunburns, puffy eyes, wrinkles and scars. I must admit, the company got me with their aim to "bring the Farm to Farmacy." Cute, huh? Oh, and the fact that it rubs in nicely and doesn't leave a greasy residue is a big plus, too.

Care for your hair. Give your strands a boost and feed them well with healthy ingredients like grapeseed extract, argan and olive oils. From Mastey comes this color-safe restorative mask that's 100 percent vegan and paraben-free. The company also offers shampoos and other hair treatment products that will help care for the health and wellness of your precious locks. Because hair matters, too.

More Reading:
7 Amazing Health & Beauty Finds
Quick and Dirty Winter Beauty Tips
Shaving Face

This post originally appeared on mysocalledmidlife.net.

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