How dry I am

Happy Valentine's Day to my invisible internet friends! I hope you have something special planned. I don't, but I'm taking my daughter dress-shopping later today, so I'll probably become inspired when I'm out and about. 

In the thirty years I've lived in Chicago, I've noticed that Valentine's Day marks the point when we have just about had it with winter. The jollity of the holidays is long over, the days are getting longer and even--from time to time--sunnier, but what passes for spring in the Great Lakes region doesn't quite cut it. We suffer through an endless series of cool, rainy days during which the birds return, the trees blossom, but the temperature stubbornly refuses to rise above 40ºF/4ºC.

And I've noticed that even though the temperatures are moderating, and the heat isn't on nearly as often, for some reason, my skin is parched. It's like I started off the winter with a good supply of moisture, but now I've run out, and I'm not getting any more until May.

So to avoid feeling dry, tight, and itchy, I've come to rely on these favorite products:

Kiehl's Creme de Corps

Kiehl's Creme de Corps
16.9 oz. / 500 ml /$58

This lotion has the all important moisturizing ingredients: squalane, Shea butter, olive oil, and sunflower and sesame oils. I love it 11/10 and stock up whenever there's a sale. (It's unscented, too, so I tend to mix in a little bit of Bath & Body Works lotion to make it more yummy.)

Neutrogena Retinol Pro+ Serum

Neutrogena Retinol Pro+ .5 Power Serum
1 oz / 30 ml /$39.99

I frequently add a few drops of this to my body lotion. Yes, it's a retinol treatment, so it's designed for use on the face, but I've noticed that--funnily enough--the skin on my face isn't the only part of me that is aging. 

Raise your hand if you have sunspots or other age-related changes to the skin on your chest, arms, or legs. I'll wait. 

Also, I heard some smartypants skin expert on TikTok saying that it would help against crepe-y skin, and let's face it, who wants that??? So on it goes. 

Retinol is an exfoliant, and some people might find it overly harsh, but my skin isn't particularly sensitive, and I'm gentling it down with the very rich body lotion. My theory is it's an oil and it can only help with moisturizing while it gently nudges away any Creepy Bits™. 

And of course, the price cited above ($40???? For a DRUGSTORE PRODUCT????) is the MSRP, and I know you are too smart to fall for that nonsense.