In the winter our skin and hair can get very dry from the lack of moisture in the air, but did you know that your face cleanser, shampoo, lotion and cosmetics could be making the situation worse? Not only can they dry you out, but they might also be polluting your body with un-safe chemicals.

To maintain healthy, hydrated skin and hair follow these tips:

1) Get rid of any cleanser or shampoo with the ingredient sodium laureth sulfate. It’s a degreaser that will strip your body of necessary natural oils which protect your skin and hair. Plus it helps other chemicals enter more easily into the body.

2) Make sure your lotion doesn’t contain alcohol, mineral oil, or petroleum. Alcohol dries out skin and hair. Mineral oil and petroleum are petrochemically derived ingredients that only give the feeling of hydration but actually block the skin from being able to breath and release toxins from the body.

3) Don’t use mineral powder or long wearing foundations as your face makeup, as both types of formulas will dry out your face, making you look much older!

4) Use as many products as possible with natural, plant derived ingredients. If you can pronounce the names of all the ingredients in something, that’s a great start!

For more information on how to make healthier choices in beauty, visit GreenBeautyTeam.com