If you have dry and sensitive skin like me, I can highly recommend these moisturizers. Some of them I’ve been using for decades, and others more recently. I am very prone to rashes and dry tight skin, so I have to moisturize a LOT. These products have been incredible at keeping my skin soft, supple, smooth, rash and flake-free, and shiny. 

Amazon

EltaMD Intense Face Moisturizer for very Sensitive Skin, 2.8 oz

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5

Amazon

Caudalie Caudalie Vinosource Overnight Recovery Oil 30ml, 1 Fluid Ounce

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6

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Cutemol Emollient Cream 2 oz by Cutemol

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7

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Nivea NIVEA Extended Moisture Body Lotion, 16.9 Ounce

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8

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Blistex Silk & Shine, .13-Ounce Tubes (Pack of 12)( Pack May Vary )

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5

1. EltaMD Intense Face Moisturizer

Wow, this is an excellent facial moisturizer for dry and sensitive skin. It’s greasy at first, but absorbs beautifully. You don’t think it’s going to absorb – but it does, and quite quickly. If you have dry skin you will feel a difference after a day’s use. I apply this to my face and neck twice a day. It’s scent-free.

2. Caudalie Vinosource Overnight Recovery Oil

This recovery oil is an extra product that I generally use at night. If my skin is very dry, I use it in the morning too. I apply it before the moisturizer because it allows for even better absorption of the oil and moisturizer that way. It’s not scent-free, yet very gentle on the nasal passages. It smells fresh rather than floral.

3. Cutemol Emollient Cream

Since our hands are extra dry from excessive washing these days, effective hand cream has become all important. Cutemol was recently recommended by one of our forum members and it WORKS. It’s more effective than my current favourite hand creams, so I’ve added it to the mix. It’s greasy but absorbs fast. It moisturizes your cuticles beautifully when you massage them, and lasts. It’s scent-free, and I use it several times a day.

4. NIVEA Intense Healing Body Lotion

I have tried many, many body lotions with varying success. I always come back to Nivea because it feels best, works best, lasts, is fast to apply, and smells nice. I’ve been using Nivea body lotion since I was a teen, and over the decades the texture of the lotions have improved tremendously. I apply body lotion once or twice a day after a shower, and like the fresh scent.

5. Blistex Silk & Shine Lip Balm

I use a range of lip balms, but when my lips are very chapped, Blistex is best. I like the “silk & shine” formula because it puts a little shine on your lips, which looks like lipgloss.The balm is slippery, which I quite like, but you might prefer a more matt balm. Polished and moisturizing. It’s scent-free.

The other fab thing about the first two facial moisturizers is how well they moisturize dry hands when you apply them. Handy!

Companies in the fashion industry are helping our heroic healthcare professionals on the front lines. After all, it’s the world’s top priority, and every available resource helps. Personally, I feel good supporting companies that are making a difference during the pandemic. It gives new meaning to ethical fashion. 

Here are the examples I know about:

Nordstrom is sewing more than 100,000 face masks for healthcare workers.

Boden is partnering with British charity Helpforce by donating their lovely clothing to front-line healthcare workers and recovering COVID-19 patients who might need them.

Karen Kane, who we have visited in California and hold in very high regard, is also making and donating facial covers. I LOVE their message. 

“Help us help our heroes. Karen Kane is donating facial covers made from repurposed fabric to healthcare workers on the frontline of COVID-19. We are also offering these for sale on karenkane.com to continue paying our cutters and sewers while we pause the production of our clothing. We will match every face cover purchased with a donation to a healthcare worker in need. We will not make any profit on these – our only goal is to keep our workers employed and do everything we can to help healthcare professionals in need. We’re all in this together. Please share this with anyone who needs a face cover or wants to help donate to healthcare workers on the frontline. Purchase quantity limited to 3 per order.” 

We have purchased their facial masks, which will arrive next week.

Citizens of Humanity are producing masks too.

Brooks Brothers is converting a suit factory into a medical supply producer. They are hoping to produce 150,000 masks a day.

Gap, Eddie Bauer, Uniqlo, Vera Bradley, Reformation, Zara, and Canada Goose are transforming their workshops into production centres for masks, scrubs and more core products to fight the Coronavirus.

Under Armour is producing masks and fanny packs for healthcare workers.

Allbirds, Brooks, and Crocs are giving away their very comfy footwear to all healthcare workers.

Many fashion brands across the spectrum, from Burberry, LVMH, Christian Siriano and Prada, to H&M and Mango, are doing their bit to help prevent and cope with the spread of COVID-19.

This list is by no means exhaustive. Please add other examples you know about below in the comments. Thank you to everyone in the industry who is pitching in.

Software engineer hubs Greg lovingly built YLF for me back in 2006, and on April 5 that year published my first post. I was 35 back then, and I turn 50 in July. Fourteen years later to the day, and YLF is going strong and steady. We haven’t missed a (non-holiday weekday) day of posting yet. 

Helping people find their personal style, solving style challenges, keeping up with an evolving industry, lifting people up when they’re down about their personal appearance, and striving for more diversity and acceptance in fashion, all feels like a calling to me. After 28 years in the rag trade, it’s as if it runs though my veins. It’s what I do best, and I hope to continue doing it for many more years. With a bit of luck, I’ll be the 80 year old, pearl wearing fashion stylist who is still pedantic about pant lengths and outfit polish.

In the midst of a very challenging and stressful world pandemic, it seems a little frivolous to celebrate this anniversary. But I’m big on saying thank you, and now more than ever, I want to express my appreciation. From the bottom of my heart THANK YOU for the tremendous support. You are what makes YLF a special place on the internet by graciously sharing your wit and wisdom in blog comments and forum posts. Your thoughtful, compassionate, intelligent and insightful contributions enrich this community, make me grow as a person, and provide me with daily inspiration. A special shoutout to Fabbers who have supported YLF for more than a decade — some for the full fourteen years. Your loyalty blows my mind, and I’m humbled.

Cheers to helping me spread the word that style is not an age, size, or budget. It’s a do-your-own-thing energy, confidence, and inner ease that is expressed through what you wear and how you wear it. Wishing you all a calm, safe, peaceful and healthy day.

We will rest and celebrate 14 years of YLF tomorrow (Monday), and there won’t be a post for the day.

Staying at home as our communities shelter and isolate has, to some small or large extent, affected our day-to day styles. I have also altered some aspects of my beauty and grooming regimen, because services and products are unavailable. For now, the changes are small, but I imagine they will become greater over time.

Bathing: I used to shower twice a day. First thing in the morning so that I’m fresh for the day, and again in the evening after hot yoga practice or a day of shopping with clients. With hot yoga and shopping with clients on hold until life normalizes, I’m showering once a day.

Hair: My short hair is cut and partially highlighted every six weeks. I’m in my eighth week and it’s unclear when I will have my next appointment. This is where my grooming regimen has changed the most. It’s the most noticeable. Previous attempts to hack my own hair have not been successful. I don’t think I’ll be asking hubs Greg to cut my hair, but never say never. It’s going to be an interesting hair project.

I continue to wash and style my hair daily because it makes me feel better about my appearance and creates a good routine. I crave structure! Wavy and curled on some days, and straight on others.

Brows: I’ve been grooming and dying my own brows and lashes for twenty-five years, so nothing has changed on that front. As long as I can get the dye and peroxide, it’s business as usual.

Make-Up: I apply my regular short make-up routine daily, without fail. It really doesn’t matter that I have nowhere to go but walk our doggy Sam, and do the occasional grocery run. It makes me feel prepared for the day, polished, productive, and creates a sense of routine.

Skincare: My skincare routine has not changed at all. I facially cleanse once a day, and moisturize and hydrate twice a day with the same beauty products. I continue to apply daily sunscreen, and exfoliate a few times a week.

Shaving and Waxing: My bodily hair is minimal so I’ve never waxed. My weekly shaving routine is just the same as long as we don’t run out of razors.

Hands and Feet: I used to have manicures and pedicures every month to six weeks. No nail polish because I bat for Team Naked Nails. I would simply apply a clear nail strengthener after the mani and pedi and that was that. I don’t know when I’ll be able to have another manicure or pedicure, so in the meantime, I keep my finger and toe nails shorter than usual. I won’t bother with the nail strengthener because of excessive hand washing, housecleaning and sanitizing. I moisturize my hands many times a day, my feet once a day, file a little, and occasionally buff my calluses.

Over to you. How have you altered your beauty and grooming regimens while we shelter and isolate?