Winterizing beauty

Attention winter sports enthusiasts: Time to begin your conditioning.

You might have started your cardio and thigh-strengthening exercises already, but what about your outdoor skin-saving routine? Have you given your hair a preventive dose of moisture and nourishment?

Remember, your hair and skin are the front line against the elements when you're outdoors this winter.

That's why sunscreen is still a must every day, said Dr. Kathy Fields, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at University of California-San Francisco.

"The sun is up and shining even on a snowy day. If you see light there are UVA rays, they can cause cancer and will cause wrinkles," she said. "Sunscreen should be a habit like brushing your teeth."

Diana McDaniel of Fredricktown, got a facial at Spa 151 in Cape Girardeau, Thursday, Nov., 29, 2006. This was her first time getting a facial. (Diane L. Wilson ~ dlwilson@semissourian.com)

Ultraviolet B rays are not as strong in the winter, but they're still a factor, she said.

Fields, a co-founder of the cosmeceutical skin-care line Rodan & Fields, encourages use of sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or above, and one with a base of either zinc oxide, mexoryl or avobenzone, as opposed to titanium dioxide formulas, which she says are weaker but also are recommended for babies or those with sensitive skin.

"The wind will rip up your skin as easily as the sun will," said Tennie Rust, a skin-care specialist at Elements Salon in Cape Girardeau. "That's why it's important to continually moisturize your skin in the winter."

Around this time of year, people become susceptible to eczema and rough, itchy skin.

That's why Mindy McClain of Spa 151 in Cape Girardeau advises people to continue exfoliating their skin in the winter.

"Especially around your heals, elbows and hands," she said. "Your skin can get extremely dry in the winter months, so it's important to take off dead skin cells."

Other preventive measures include using only gentle cleaners and using nourishing moisturizers, with either hyaluronic acid, ceramides, oatmeal or chamomile as ingredients, according to Fields. Those tend to be rich moisturizers without being greasy. It also helps to have a humidifier running in the house.

For the lips, go for heavier petroleum-jelly-based moisturizers, which are most effective after the lips have been polished gently with a pumice.

Aside from keeping your lips healthy, a layer of lip gloss does wonders for your otherwise limited makeup routine, said Troy Surratt, global consulting makeup artist for Maybelline New York.

Keeping hair healthy

Hair presents other challenges. It gets dry in cold and wind, and dry hair breaks. However, if you tuck your hair into a hat, you're stuck with hat hair. Either way, there's static at the end.

"People love the look of hair hanging out the bottom of a hat, but wind and cold are ripping through it and that's worse than sun and salt every day in the summer," said Andrew Bartfield, vice president of education at L'OrDeal Professionnel.

Leave-in conditioners work well during the winter months, said Cindy Stewart, owner of First Impressions hair salon in Cape Girardeau. "If your hair is really dry, then you should use a conditioner every day," she said.

Preventive steps should be taken before going outside -- perhaps a professional strengthening treatment at a salon -- and then trimming off any damaged edges after it's over, Bartfield recommends.

Denise Merideth, a hair stylist at Elements Salon, said the best treatment for hair is to not shampoo every day.

"People may think their scalp is dry but a lot of times they are over-cleansing," she said. "What your body does naturally for your hair is better than any product you can put on it."

For maintenance in between, Bartfield suggests using ceramide-based styling products that will help revive the hair's weakened barrier layer.

And the most important thing to prevent fraying or splitting is to use a wide-tooth comb from the bottom up, instead of a brush and pulling from the top down, after taking your shower.

"If you're pushing top to bottom, you're pushing tangles together. If you go section by section from the bottom, you're dealing with one knot at a time," Bartfield said

For styling, it's actually easier to work with winter hair than summer hair, said Brian Magallones, stylist for Garnier Fructis.

No one has the frizzies caused by humidity, he said.

While hat hair can't be "cured," it certainly can be minimized by wearing a low-slung ponytail, which, Magallones adds, is one of the hottest Hollywood looks right now.

There's not much a woman with short hair can do when she's going in and out of the cold, but as soon as she gets home, if she works a little water-based wax through her hair, she'll have a modern, textured look instantly, Magallones said.

Magallones shares his strategy for static: "Static comes from a lack of moisture. Anything that adds moisture helps with static. Put it in before you blow dry. Pick creamy products, not sticky products. Think of things that nourish your hair."

His preference is Garnier's Smoothing Milk but he says other glossing products will do. Apply another light layer of the product right before you head out the door.

~Staff writer Jennifer Freeze contributed to this report.

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Banana hair mask

• 1 ripe banana
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil

Mix ingredients in a blender or food processor.

To use, massage the mask into your scalp and through the roots. Cover hair with a plastic shower cap. Leave on for 15 minutes, and shampoo twice to get the mask out of your hair.

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Honey oatmeal facial

• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup of oatmeal
• 2 tablespoons of honey

Grind oatmeal in a blender or food processor. Set aside. In a small bowl, stir together honey and yogurt, and then add ground oatmeal. Mix thoroughly until a smooth paste consistency has been reached. Smooth over face and neck, leave on for 15 minutes and rinse off with warm water.

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Avocado carrot cream mask

• 1 avocado, mashed
• 1 carrot, cooked and mashed
• 1/2 cup of heavy cream
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 tablespoons of honey

Combine all ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Spread gently over your face and neck. Leave on for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse with cool water and follow with your favorite toner.

This mask combines avocados, rich in vitamin E, with carrots, which are high in beta-carotene and antioxidants, and cream, which is high in calcium and protein. These ingredients will rebuild skin collagen, improve tone and texture and fade age spots.

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Frozen egg and honey mask

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup of coconut oil, melted but not hot
• 1 teaspoon of honey

Beat the egg in a small bowl until frothy and well-mixed. Slowly add the liquid coconut oil and honey, beating until the mask is the consistency of mayonnaise.

Take an empty toilet tissue roll and set it on end in a clean bowl. Spoon mixture into the cardboard toilet paper roll. Place tube in a bowl and store it in the freezer overnight.

To use, peel away the top 1/4 inch of cardboard roll and smooth the frozen stick over your face. Leave the mask on for 5 to 10 minutes, then rinse with warm water.

Return the cream stick, covered in plastic wrap, to the freezer and keep frozen between uses.

This mask is recommended for dry skin, and is soothing on a sunburn.

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Rosemary honey olive oil hair conditioner

• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup warmed olive oil
• 4 drops of rosemary oil
• 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum (available at health food stores)

Place all ingredients in a small bowl and mix thoroughly.

To use, apply a small amount to slightly dampened hair. Massage your scalp and work the conditioner through your hair.

Cover your hair with a warm towel (your microwave or dryer can heat it up) or shower cap. Leave the conditioner in place for 30 minutes.

Shampoo lightly and rinse with cool water.