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| My white bear and winter products |
Dry scalp and dry skin are major problems during the cold months in Japan. Dry scalp causes dandruff while dry skin can cause chafing. I never had a disturbing case of flaky scalp until I started living in Japan. My skin has never looked so dry, I could almost scratch the surface, until I came to Japan.
To avoid these overall dryness, here are the products I use. I find them effective in the previous cold seasons in Japan:
For the Scalp: Okuto Shampoo and Conditioner
Okuto Shampoo and Okuto Rinse (Conditioner) are Japanese medicinal hair care products. They were purposefully made to address dry scalp. I use them in tandem, 2-3 times a week. I heard that the shampoo alone is effective. I just use the conditioner so my hair won't get frizzy. They have a mild scent which is good for both men and women.
Okuto Shampoo and Rinse can be bought in most drug stores. It costs around 500 Yen per bottle. For me with a medium-lenght hair, one bottle lasts for 3 months or more.
There's no special application of Okuto Shampoo and Rinse. I use them as I would use any shampoo and conditioner. The only different thing I do is I take time to massage my scalp after applying shampoo. I use a round brush which can be bought in any 100 Yen store.
I use Okuto Shampoo and Conditioner all throughout the cold season. My only complaint is that Okuto doesn't address falling hair, just flaky scalp.
(If you're having problems with falling hair, check this: How to Cure Falling Hair in the Fall.)
For the Skin: Nivea Creme and Nivea Lotion
I'm a little bias with using Nivea products because I've been using them for a long time. There are cheaper products out there which I tried but I still find Nivea more effective.
For the face and hands, I use Nivea Creme every night, after shower. The texture is a little thick but it spreads and dries easily. You can use it in the morning, too but I heard it can darken the skin when exposed under the sun. I don't like to apply it in the morning because I use make-up everyday. Thanks to Nivea Creme, my face and hands didn't chafe during the past cold seasons. Nivea Creme can also be used on the body especially on the knees and elbows.
For the whole body, I use Nivea Skin Milk (with Deep Lasting Moisture), regularly. I'm a little lazy with applying lotion but I try to do it at least every other day. Nivea has other products but I opted for this because of it's texture. (Plus the label: Deep Lasting Moisture) It's not watery and not creamy, just enough thickness and lightness to dry easily and stick on the skin.
Nivea Creme and Lotion can be bought in any drugstore. A small bottle of Nivea Creme costs about 300 Yen. It can lasts for almost 2 months. Nivea Lotion costs about 600 Yen and can lasts for a month, depending on your body built.
These products have been my "weapons" for the past cold seasons. They helped me with overall dryness in the scalp and skin.
Have you found them useful too? Share your experience in the comment section.
