Love the skin you’re in!
It’s that time of year when we can almost taste the warm, sunny days ahead but we’re still battling the cold winter weather and the unflattering toll it’s taken on our looks and our confidence. The easy, affordable way to reverse beauty bothers—like dry hands, dull skin, rough patches and puffy eyes— and prep our mind and body for spring? Take cues from these A-list beauties, who treat their skin and hair with inexpensive drugstore picks (and their simple at-home uses), so you too can look like a million bucks, on a dime!
To calm eczema
Cold weather interferes with skin’s barrier, which can exacerbate the itchy dry-skin condition, says Philadelphia-based dermatologist Erum Ilyas, M.D.
A-list secret to stunning: Eucerin Eczema
Relief Cream (Walmart.com). “Because I have eczema, my skin is really dry,” Garcelle Beauvais has said. “I try to stay as moisturized as I can, so [I apply it] right out of the shower or in the morning—that’s my routine.”
How it works: Ceramides in the cream (natural lipids that make up skin’s barrier) restore and strengthen the outermost layer of skin to repair and prevent eczema flare-ups, while its anti-inflammatory oatmeal eases redness and soothes irritation. To do: After showering, apply the lotion to damp skin (when it’s most permeable). Use daily for hydrated, itch-free skin in two weeks.
To repair cracked hands
Our hands bear the brunt of winter wear and tear, thanks to excessive hand-washing and sanitizing. The result? Super-dry skin and painful cracks.
A-list secret to stunning: Weleda Skin Food (Target.com). Julia Roberts has said about her favorite hand treatment: “I put it on my hands after I wash dishes, and wind up putting it on my elbows and feet.”
How it works: The thick, emollient cream contains anti-inflammatory calendula that calms skin irritation and speeds healing, says Dr. Ilyas.
The plant extract also contains fatty acids that replenish moisture levels in skin, while its antioxidants mend and seal cracks.
To do: Apply a pea-size amount of cream to hands twice daily for soft, supple skin in two weeks.
To smooth forehead furrows
Forehead lines, caused by repetitive facial movements, are made worse by stress and more obvious by dry winter skin.
A-list secret to stunning: “I go to the drugstore and get Frownies… sleep with them on, and the next morning, look better. I swear by them,” Rene Russo has said of the patches sold at drugstores like Walgreens.
How it works: “The patch’s adhesive holds skin taut and limits muscle movements overnight—when most facial-scrunching occurs—to smooth out creases and stop new ones from forming,” says New York City dermatologist Debra Jaliman, M.D.
To do: Apply to wrinkles before bed. Use nightly to see fewer lines within one month.