We have all experienced the brutal effects of cold, dry air on our skins. Last January I wrote a post with some easy tips to help minimize some of the damage. You can read that post here. 
But today I want to talk about one product that will help to ease the pain of winter skin - AmLactin. This lotion is my jam and I honestly don't think my dry skin would be able to handle DC winters without it. (Side note - I'm originally from Florida and DC is the farthest north I've ever lived. I know for some of you these winters are a cake walk but for me, 23 degrees and snowy is about as cold as I'm interested in)

Ok, back to AmLactin. There are a few different formulations but as the name would suggest, they all contain lactic acid as their main active ingredient. Lactic acid is an Alpha Hydroxy Acid which means it does two important things: the acid gently disolves your dull, dry, dead skin and it creates a moisture bond to your skin - essentially binding moisturizers to your skin so that it is harder to escape. 

What are some cold weather products that you can't live without? Leave them in the comment section! 

Buying Christmas and holiday presents for your friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, hair stylist, mailman...ugh...it can be a daunting task. I've compiled a list of awesome spa themed gifts that wont break your wallet, so you can check off everyone on your list that needs to unwind!

Breathe Easy
For starters - lets make your recipients home smell and feel more comfortable this winter. I can't live without a humidifier and aromatherapy defusers are a very popular item right now. I absolutely love the idea of combining the two into this gorgeous wood grain Humidifier and Ultrasonic Aroma Diffuser:

If you want to launch this gift into legendary status, I reccomend including an assortment of essential oils so that the diffuser can be fully customizable. I really like these ArtNaturals essential oils. The binding oils are high quality and the aromas smell fantastic and are long lasting. 

Unwindulax 
​Do you have someone on your list that struggles to relax? One of my favorite presents to give is a bath tub gift basket. A luxury bath pillow, an assortment of relaxing bath bombs, a bath tub wine glass caddy and bottle of wine is all you need to give someone permission to take time for themselves! 

Pain Relief
Now for the person who is always in pain. Maybe they have a stressful job, an old injury, or just exercise a lot. Regardless, they're never really comfortable. I love this Back Buddy Trigger Point Tool to help with self massage. This funky contraption is cleverly designed for the person in pain to be able to reach all of their aches and pains on their own. 

Pair the trigger point tool with a weighted neck wrap and you'll be everyones favorite gift giver this holiday season!

What's the best spa-like gift you've ever recieved? Leave a comment - I'm always looking for new ideas!