The groundhog didn’t see his shadow and then half the US gets hit with a big snow storm.  For many of us, this means at least six more weeks of fighting to keep out skin and hair from drying out due to the cold Winter hair and the dryness of indoor heating.

I am always looking for new ways to take care of my skin and hair – all year long- and for dry skin I tried some great products from Desert Essence Organics.

Products from Desert Essence Organics offer a natural way to combat your dry, parched winter hair and skin.  And one of my favorite parts?  Keeping with their mission, all of the products are 100% vegan, biodegradable, cruelty and wheat/gluten free. And contains no parabens, sodium laurly/laureth sulfates, phthalates, artificial fragrances or colors, silicones, EDTA, glycol or petroleum based ingredients (you know, all that stuff that you can’t pronounce in some ingredients lists!).

Desert Essence JoJoba Oil | $ 7.65 (2 fl. oz.) Jojoba oil is a natural extract that has so many different beauty uses.  I loved it as a conditioning treatment for my hair and also as a great fix for super dry lips. Some common uses for jojoba oil include:

• Is a pure and natural extract, which will penetrate and moisturize your skin without leaving any oily residue
• Can be used to remove makeup and to cleanse clogged pores
• It softens your hands and feet after massaging them with Organic Jojoba Oil
• Good for moisturizing the scalp and in preventing dry skin or dandruff
• Suitable for most sensitive skins
• May be used as a leave in hair treatment while in the sun or as an aftershave moisturizer

Check out the full list of fifteen uses for jojoba oil at the Desert Essence Organics website.

Italian Red Grape Body Wash | $8.99 This body wash not only sounds romantic, but is smells delicious!   My husband joked that of course I’d like this  – it contains red wine extract – to which I said, “Who doesn’t love antioxidants?”

• Enriched with natural, botanical ingredient.
• This antibacterial cleanser purifies while nourishing the skin.
• Organic Grape, Resveratrol and Red Wine Extract:  A proprietary blend of ingredients extracted from red grapes native to Italy.  The blend provides high percentage of natural antioxidants
• Alpha Hydroxy Acids: Help improve oil balance of the skin and gently exfoliate to reveal the next layer of fresher, younger skin.

I love how Desert Essence Italian Red Grape Body Wash smells in the shower and how soft my skin feels after using it!   The Alpha Hydroxy Acids exfoliate your dry top layer of skin just enough to prevent clogged pores and make your skin feel velvety soft (and smell delish).

Vanilla Chai Body Hand and Body Lotion | $8.99 Vanilla is one of my favorite scents.  Combined with Chai it is absolutely heavenly.

• Organic Black and Green Teas: Rich in antioxidants and polyphenols, tea is able to protect and repair the skin.
• Organic Vanilla Extract: From orchids that are indigenous to Mexico and are now cultivated in many parts of the world.  Its warm, rich scent provides a calming sensation.
• Organic Sunflower Oil: Helps to repair damage done by environmental stress, due to its high content of the powerful antioxidant Vitamin E.

Also rich in antioxidants, I have to say I just LOVE how the Vanilla Chai Body Hand and Body Lotion smells when you put it on and you keep a hint of it on your skin all day long.  I am sure I got some weird looks when I kept smelling my (super soft) arm!

Tinted Lip Balm | $5.99 This tinted lip balm is delicious!  But try not to eat it because it is great for your lips.  In the Winter, I get chapped lips often and I try to juggle applying lip balm and then adding gloss over it for color – and the results usually are not that great.  Desert Essence Organics Lip Tints does both, and at a great price.

• Hydrate and restore texture to reveal smooth, healthy lips and add a sheer color gloss which offers an even toned appearance.
• Jojoba oil and sunflower oil protect and offer long lasting moisture while vitamin E shields skin cells from UV rays, pollution, and other environmental damage.  Grape seed extract and shea butter strengthen and soothe rough, chapped and dry skin.

I tried this in Red Raspberry and I just love it.  It is also available in Italian Red Grape, Vanilla Chai, and Coconut.

With six more weeks of Winter, we can’t hide from the cold, but we can definitely take care of our skin, hair, and lips to keep us looking beautiful until Spring finally arrives!  Find Desert Essence Organics online at www.desertessence.com, Amazon.com, Drugstore.com, www.VitaminShoppe.com and Vitamin Shoppe stores, and in drugstores.