Let it snow! (As long as I have moisturizer)

Happy New Year, magnificent people!

As usual, the weather in the Midwest has taken a post-New Year plunge. And the sudden drop in temperature is drying out my skin like CRAZY! My hands have taken the brunt of the damage so far. Hand creams are great, and some are even effective, but maintaining moisture on the hands throughout the day has always been impossible for me.

I drink about a gallon of water per day, which as you might imagine keeps me running in and out of the bathroom a lot, and thus washing my hands pretty frequently. I also work in an office where I inevitably end up handling lots of paper, which sucks up the moisture from your hands like a sponge. Between those two factors, application of hand creams throughout the day has proved virtually useless. (But I’m still on the hunt!)

My cuticles are also hopelessly dry and cracked throughout the winter. It seems like I can trim and moisturize them, and a day later I’m dealing with hangnails again. I have a cuticle oil that I LOVE while I’m doing manicures, but it doesn’t absorb quickly enough to be used at work. It ends up smearing around to my fingertips and gets all over my keyboard.

Enter this little Holy Grail product:  The elf Nourishing Cuticle Pen, which you can find here.

Why do I love this little guy??

For one, the marker-like applicator tip distributes the perfect amount of product so it doesn’t run or smear. You can “color” the product on however you like, but it stays where you put it. This means I don’t have to massage it in with my fingers, and it doesn’t run or smear around the nail bed. Voila, I can type up an email right after putting it on.

Two, it absorbs quickly. When you first put it on, it does appear a little wet and shiny, almost like clear nail polish looks when you’ve gotten it on your skin and it starts to dry. The moisture absorbs into the skin within a minute or two, further alleviating concerns about it running or smearing.

Three, it’s EFFECTIVE! It’s made with avocado and almond oils, as well as several vitamins. I’m no chemist so I’m not sure which ingredients do what, but after it absorbs my cuticles look soft and manicured again. Any pain or stinging from hangnails is alleviated and it helps them to heal.

And finally (if you still need another reason!), this stuff is $1 for the tube. One. Dollar. And it lasts for ages. As you can probably tell from the picture, I’ve had this tube for ages. I don’t even remember when I bought it, and it’s been living in my pen cup on my desk for the past few months. 🙂

Do any of you suffer from incurable dry skin during the winter? What do you use that I could try?

Bring on the cold!

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