I Tried 6 Natural Remedies To Heal My Dry Winter Skin, And Here’s How It Went

Light and aromatic, coconut oil is full of saturated fat that helps your skin retain moisture. Erica Joy Dunn, certified holistic health coach and Reiki master, recommends keeping a jar at your desk, bathroom, or kitchen to quickly replenish hands between washes. Like me, I’m sure you’re wondering if the cayenne in this recipe (below) will burn. “The capsaicin in cayenne pepper actually switches off itching and increases topical circulation. The only time you’ll feel a little tingle is if you have open wounds,” says Wayne Perry, natural product developer for Greensations.

This recipe is full of healing ingredients. Take distilled water: Its molecules are the closest match to the body’s natural water, making it more soluble than other waters, explains Perry. The recipe also includes sea salt, which cleanses pores and balances oil production, and a liquid form of coconut oil, called fractionated coconut oil. This means the long-chain fatty acids were removed from the oil via steam distillation, making it liquid at room temperature—a perfect way to beat the sometimes-oily raw coconut oil.