The west coast of BC is known for its dampness in the winter. Rain instead of snow, and waves of rolling fog are the mainstay of our coastal winter. We laughingly joke that we are part amphibian over here, relying on high humidity to keep us hydrated.

Until the temperature drops.

With a century old home heated mostly by wood stove and when the temp goes low our burning goes up.  On the coast when we are sitting at freezing level our humidity also evaporates and we go from “moist and coastal” to “dry and frozen” within hours.

And with constantly running between the basement burner, the kitchen wood cooker and the living room fireplace, our steady heating only hurries the humidity away.

And with each degree we drop, my skin loses another ounce of moisture.

And I end up itching and scratching the winter away until the blessed rains return to the coast and we battle the 10′ chill that seeps into our bones.

Winter dryness is my most dreaded experience and part of the reason we chose to stay on the “wet coast”.  In fact, if you send me to anywhere “in the middle’ in the fall or winter my nose starts to bleed and everything I touch causes electric shock.

But the reality is winter DOES come to the coast and to be able to survive I need to prepare.  I would rather spend my days enjoying our crisp and clear winter cold when it arrives than be stuck in a steamy bathroom, itching and desperate for moisture,  as my layers of skin shed off.

So, I stock up.  I prepare for the winter cold snap with vigilance and commitment, ready to go to battle against the dryness and protect my humidity dependant skin against this attack.

First, the Biotherm Aquasource Cocoon.  Sounds divine, doesn’t it.  

Exactly what my face needs to maintain it’s youthful glow, even while battling the chill!

And for my body?  Nivea Extra Nourishing Body Milk does the trick.

This creamy, nourishing moisturizer helps sooth the dryness and prevents the itching before it can even begin.   Plus, with the added almond milk, I smell good enough to nibble on (and that isn’t such a bad thing for these long winter nights)

No matter what your winter skin Woes are, Shoppers Drug Mart has you covered. Dryness, abuse from the elements or perhaps just months without a ray of sunshine, you can find everything you need PLUS get Shoppers Optimum Points on participating products every time you shop.

And for those of you wanting some extra tips to help combat the winter this year, Shoppers Drug Mart offers in-store complimentary skin care consultations using the beautyRx tool.

A full Skin Analysis includes:

• Moisture Checker- measures you skins hydration levels.
• Video Microscope- magnifies your skin’s surface by 30 times to help diagnose your skin type

The results of your readings will help determine skin care products to help soothe your skin and help you make it through the winter.

Visit Shoppers Drug Mart online today to find what you need to battle the winter skin woes!

And don’t worry about me! I have my stash of moisturizers and am ready to fight the cold this winter! And if it gets too bad, I will book a trip to somewhere humid and moderately temperate to reload on my moisture! A nice jungle somewhere is good for this gal!

Although this post has been generously sponsored by Shoppers Drug Mart, the opinions and language are my own, and in no way do they reflect Shoppers Drug Mart.