January, 2010:

I’m referring to the current tagline on my blog, ending “now in the temperate desert of the Okanagan where moisturizer is much more important”. A few people have commented on it without realizing that, actually, keeping my skin moisturized has become a really big deal for me, far more so than when I lived in Vancouver. I had no idea.

Back in my former coastal rainforest life, moisturizer was something I wore mostly in winter, and then just around my nose (where skin would get flaky for some reason). Come late fall I’d go rummaging through my toiletries collection for the hand lotion, which I’d then forget about in the spring. The “cold” (I now no longer consider Vancouver winter to have that, though I did at the time) would make my knuckles raw.

I had peppermint foot lotion from The Body Shop, sort of as a personal tradition because I used to massage my feet with it as a kid when I got foot cramps. I hardly ever used it in adulthood, yet always had a bottle on hand to remind me of my lost youth.

Body lotion and body butter (butter? Am I toast?) were these bottles and jars I’d get as gifts from people and never use. Whenever I’d have to clean out the cupboard under the bathroom sink I’d find an array of these items and feel a bit guilty for never touching them; but I had a theory that these were entirely unnecessary cosmetics, at best just another version of perfume.

No more. Good thing I didn’t throw them all out when I moved to Kelowna.

I noticed the climate difference instantly when I got here in August. It was summer, but I had to start using the face moisturizer right away. And hand lotion. And that peppermint foot lotion, not that it helped that much. I just dried all up, like a raisin. When it got colder, I noticed dry skin on my legs for the first time ever: hence the discovery of the purpose for body lotion.

I kept waking up coughing at night, and was finally able to use that humidifier I’d bought years ago but hadn’t used in ages because it had made my bedroom so humid that water was dripping off the furniture, and it didn’t help my colds anyways. Now it just makes things comfortable (and helps my skin), and I’ve been running mine every day since I got sick last week.

Oh, and my hair! When I was in Vancouver over New Years and it was pissing down with rain most of the time, my hair curled up from all the humidity and I realized how much my hair had changed in Kelowna. It comes out boringly straight, here, and I’m rather depressed by that, because it looks kind of dumb straight when it’s been curly or wavy as far back as I can remember. The dry air also brings static electricity and all the tiny, half-grown hairs tend to stick up, too; I wondered if maybe my hair was damaged until a stylist said no, it’s just the weather.

One rather silly result of this newfound need for skin products has had me drop mega cash at Sephora when I’m in Vancouver. My favourite moisturizer so far is Hope In A Jar, and not just because I find the name hilarious. I also have fancy and expensive versions of hand and body lotion, but their names don’t generate a sense of yearning so there’s no point mentioning them.

I have yet to find a good hair conditioner, though; my usual Fructis doesn’t really cut it here anymore, as Kelowna’s water is harder than I’m used to and my hair is still pretty tangled when I exit the shower. (Can you guys recommend anything?)

So, yeah. I guess my limited experience outside of BC’s coast meant I had no idea how climate affected my skin, hair and health. It’s just not something I would have thought about, though perhaps my surprise makes me a bit of a dumbass. But there you have it, that’s why I mention it in my blog’s title. Don’t neglect your skin, peeps.