Winter seems to have come with a particularly frigid bang this year, and neither my mood nor my skin has been taking it well at all.

If you’re feeling the same way, well, I can’t prescribe any medication, but what I can do is discuss one of the most important tenets of winter skin care: moisturize, moisturize, moisturize.

During the summer heat our body’s oil glands are more than happy to pump out naturally moisturizing oils to coat and condition our skin. However, winter weather is not so kind, and between the harsh, icy winds and arid indoor heat, the oils and natural moisture in our outermost layer of skin can evaporate, leaving skin dry, chapped and stressed!

So, if you’d like to avoid feeling the brunt of winter’s chilly burden, here’s a few organic and natural suggestions for your various needs:

For your average winter concerns, consider Juice Beauty’s Organic Oil-Free Moisturizer, which is light, yet soothing. It also works to oxygenate skin with vitamin antioxidants and sea algae, and “normalizes” your skin’s oil production with cucumber and lemon balm.

Worried about aging on top of dryness? Try Olivier’s Femme Day Cream, a handcrafted cream featuring ultra-moisturizing sweet almond oil and virgin coconut oil, alongside Vitamin E and other ingredients that will promote skin cell regeneration and fight skin-aging free radicals.

For all over skin-protection, try Pangea’s French Chamomile With Sweet Orange & Lavender Body Lotion for “Thirsty” skin! And if you find you love Pangea’s products, consider adding one of their Gift Sets to your wishlist this Holiday Season, or give one to a friend! They were recently given great praise on the Organic Beauty Expert Blog for their 100% Eco-Friendly packaging, and Big Green Cart’s own founder met and was pleased to sample some of their products at the San Francisco Green Festival recently! Plus, I must add, I received one of these fabulous gift sets myself this holiday season (the Pyrenees Lavender with Cardamom set) and am absolutely in love with the luxurious scents. Truly, they’re great gifts for any time of year!

Lastly, don’t forget about your paws just because they’re sheltered by gloves all winter! Slip into MiEssence’s Nourishing Hand Cream and feel the relief of organic shea butter and aloe vera without the greasy residue of some moisturizers, and enjoy the cream’s rose oil-infused scent.