Winter is approaching and for many of us, that means snowflakes and hot cocoa, ice skating and sledding, cuddling up with a good book by the fire, and baking lots of scrumptious feel-good cakes and cookies. On the other hand, depending on where you live, winter also brings along bitter cold, blustery days, less sun and Vitamin D and more dry inside air.

The best way to protect your skin, health and state of mind is to prepare: both mentally and physically. So as you leave the warmer fall months behind and begin to spend more time indoors, you might want some ideas for winter skincare products to soothe and nourish your skin, as well as a few remedies to fight off the niggling winter flu and cold season.

1. Winter Vanilla Body Butter Moisturiser

Who doesn’t have dry hands during the winter months? Whether you’ve spent the fall months digging in a garden or typing on a computer, the dryness edges in. Some people might experience dry, cracking skin, or patches of itchiness, or just need a good moisturizer to smooth over their bodies.

This easy to make Vanilla Lotion (from Fits a Mama Bear) will leave your skin feeling nourished, soft and supple. Plus, you’ll smell divine, so there’s no going wrong here. You could even whip up a couple of extra batches for friends as a holiday gift!

Not only is this lotion scented with calming vanilla, but it’s also 100% chemical-free, simple to make, cost-effective and extremely nourishing for your skin. You’ll enjoy a winter season with hydrated, soft skin with this lovely easy homemade vanilla lotion.

2. No-Melt, Non-Greasy Hand Cream

Easy to make and individually scented, this hand cream on Mama Instincts beats any store-bought cream. Not only does it not leave a greasy feel, but it nourishes, smoothes and moisturizes cracked knuckles and dry hands.

Preservative-free and super absorbent, this hand butter (butter because it contains no water) will leave your hands feeling supple and moisturized. You can add the essential oil that you prefer, thus ending up with a product that completely suits your taste. There’s no cooking or melting ingredients — just a hand mixer and you’re off!

Try it for yourself and see. No doubt you’ll love it and start mixing up small pots of hand butter for your nearest and dearest.

3. Best Lip Balm for the Softest Lips

For those of you who don’t particularly like the smell or taste of coconut oil, this one’s for you. This lip balm from Eco Living Mama includes a combination of lip-nourishing delights: cocoa and shea butters, beeswax, jojoba and almond oils.

Even though natural, organic lip balm won’t break the bank, this homemade lip balm is even cheaper. Plus, it’s a great idea for a small gift or stocking stuffers. Everyone loves lip balm!

By flavoring it with an essential oil of your choice, you’ll love this lip balm on your lips — and you don’t have to apply all day. Once should be enough to get your lips through those windy, freezing cold winter days. There’s even a link to a lip balm called: White Chocolate Peppermint Lip Balm. Bring on the winter!

4. Homemade Vapor Rub to Always Have on Hand

With winter comes the cold and flu season, and why not be prepared with some homemade natural vapor rub on Schneiderpeeps.com. You may even have these ingredients on hand, which makes preparing this vapor rub all the more easy.

Vapor rub is a welcome blessing when you or one of your loved ones is congested. Just rub some gently on the chest and breathe in. You’ll see that breathing becomes a lot easier after a few breaths.

There’s no petroleum jelly in this, but rather all-natural, wholesome ingredients that will help soothe the discomfort of congestion. Made with olive oil, shea butter and beeswax, plus some extra ingredients like eucalyptus and other essential oils, this vapor rub is essential during the colder winter months.

5. Spicy Salve for Some Serious Pain Relief

During the cold winter months, many people experience joint and muscle pain from the dry inside air combined with the bitter cold outside temperatures. For instant relief and cooling pleasure, try rubbing some of this spicy salve on those achy joints.

Made with the base ingredient cayenne pepper, this salve will ease your discomfort with the magical powers of spice. Cayenne pepper constraints capsaicin (the “spicyness” in hot peppers), which helps to reduce inflammation and relax muscles.

When applied to your achy joint areas, this cayenne salve (recipe by Simple Life Mom) will initially make your skin tingle with warmth and then help to temporarily block pain signals to your brain. You’ll immediately feel some relief as well as a reduction in inflammation. Just make sure to wash your hands thoroughly right after applying!

6. Pamper Yourself with a Relaxing Foot Soak

A truly wonderful way to unwind and relax after trudging around in the snow or the cold is to soak your feet in a soothing foot bath. If you have some saved herbs from your garden, then you can throw them in the bath as well for some extra soothing fragrance and feel.

This herbal, Epsom salt foot bath on gardentherapy.ca will do wonders for your feet and your spirit. Maybe go the extra mile and light some candles around you and just take a load off and enjoy the feel. It’s so easy to throw together: Epsom salt and the essential oils of your choice. Or follow this recipe for a heavenly healing experience.

What a glorious way to draw out toxins, soften your feet and experience a bit of aromatherapy by inhaling the wafting scents of rosemary or lavender or thyme from your homemade foot bath mixture.

7. Potent Yet Palatable: Homemade Natural Cough Syrup

To fight off those nasty coughs that seem to last for weeks and weeks, try this spicy, yet sweet cough remedy (from barefeetinthekitchen.com) to soothe any sore throat. You only need a few items out of your pantry and a couple of minutes and you’re good to go.

Made with spicy ginger and cayenne powder, then flavored with apple cider vinegar and honey, this is a potent remedy to bring relief to any maddening cough or achy sore throat.

After only a tablespoon, you’ll find that your symptoms are improved and you’ll be able to sleep easier. Plus, this homemade cough syrup tastes better than any store-bought remedy.

8. Natural Vitamin C Powder to Keep You on Your Toes

Not only is Vitamin C is great as a prophylactic way to fight off cold and flu, but it’s also a timeworn remedy for stopping any nasty bug in its tracks. Even if you rarely get sick, you might want to make this Vitamin C powder (recipe: thehouseandhomestead.com) to protect against all those winter sneezes and coughs.

This tangy, orange-flavored (from dehydrated orange peels) will keep you healthy and feeling great in the face of winter bugs. If you have a dehydrator, then you’re off to the races. If you don’t, then you can easily use your oven on a low setting to dehydrate your orange peels.

You’ll basically end up with a fine powder (after dehydrating and grinding) that you can add to your favorite hot tea with some delicious manuka honey. You’ll absolutely love the flavor and the health benefits that you’ll receive. Try this Vitamin C powder yourself!

Looking for home-made remedies for other seasons? Check out our favourites for Spring, Summer and Autumn!

Make sure to leave comments or questions below to let us know what you do to jump into the winter months naturally. Or let us know if/when you’ve tried any of the above at home!