12 ways to warm up your winter: how to take the chill out of the season with everything from warming scrubs to spa wraps - Beauty in Action

Shape, Feb, 2003 by Jenna McCarthy

Cold weather is great for a lot of things: cashmere overcoats, snowboarding, sitting by a toasty fire. But frigid temps can leave muscles achy and hair and skin parched. To the rescue: a brigade of wonderfully warming beauty products and treatments that will leave your skin and hair in top condition. And, even better, these heating treatments may actually be good for you, says Robert Keller, M.D., president of The Skin Institute at Pebble Beach, Calif. Applying heat to the skin causes blood vessels to dilate, increasing blood flow and bringing a surge of nutrients to the skin. (Avoid them, however, if you have rosacea or extremely sensitive skin as they can aggravate your condition.)

So when jetting off to a tropical isle isn't an option, try a few of these tips to help rid you of the winter chills.

Sink into a short, soothing soak.

A warm bath (not too hot, which can dehydrate skin) infused with essential oils is the ultimate way to find comfort for your winterweary body. Relax in a bath J laced with the 3 peppermint, rosemary and ginger AromaLand Theratone bath salts ($13; aromaland.com), or opt for Fresh Rice Formula f21 c Sake Bath ($75; fresh.com), made from 50 percent sake, which helps soothe irritation and rejuvenate skin. After bathing, slather on an oil-based hydrator (while skin is still damp) to help lock in moisture. Try Nivea Body Creamy Conditioning Oil ($6.89; at drugstores).

Give hair a blast of heat -- and conditioning. Heat opens the hair's outer layer (cuticle) so conditioning ingredients can penetrate better. For optimum results, apply a deep conditioner to your hair once a week and cover it with a plastic shower cap. Then wrap your head in a warm, damp towel (nuke it in the microwave for 30 seconds or so first). Or, for similar results, wrap the towel around your hair and blast it with a blow-dryer set on high for at least five minutes.

Heat-loving products include Graham Webb ThermaCore Therapy ($4 for a single-use packet; 800-456-WEBB), with vitamins, minerals and silk to strengthen and protect strands, and Prive formule aux herbes Intensive Mask ($25; priveproducts.com), infused with nourishing jojoba oil. There's also Rusk Nourish Self-heating Treatment ($10.95; rusk1.com), an oil-based blend that seals split ends and revitalizes locks, and ThermaSilk Heat Activated Intensive Conditioning Thermal Wrap ($7.49; at drugstores), a deep conditioner that comes with its own heat-responsive fabric wrap.

Try a dose of qinqer. Ginger has long been used in Eastern medicine for its warming properties and power to soothe tired muscles. "Ginger is a natural vasodilator, which means it opens blood vessels and warms the skin," explains Debra Luftman, M.D,, clinical instructor of dermatology at the University of California, Los Angeles. Try Origins Ginger Collection, which includes a fragrance spray ($39.50), a microwaveable body wrap ($35), shampoo and conditioner ($12.50 each; origins.com). Or cozy up with Back to Basics Ginger Therapy Collection for hair, bath and body ($9-$25; backtobasics.com).

Deep clean skin with a thermal mask. Warming face masks typically contain clay or other natural oil-absorbers that not only feel good on a cold day, but also help keep skin clear and soft - and give you a rosy glow. Try Biore Self-Heating Mask ($6; at drugstores) or Bio Jouvance ThermoActive Treatment Masque ($59; 800272-1716), which also can be used to treat breakouts on the body.

Get smoother skin with self-heating scrubs/lotions. Another way to thaw out is to get blood pumping manually. Self-heating body scrubs do just that and whisk away the dry, dead skin that interferes with moisture absorption. Products that turn toasty on contact: Yardley Apothary Turn Up the Heat Warming Body Scrub with pineapple enzymes ($8; at drugstores), Trillium Herbal Company Warming Organic Body Polish ($15; trilliumherbal.com) with clove and cinnamon-leaf oil, BlissLabs Hot Salt Scrub with eucalyptus and rosemary ($34; bliss blissworld.com) and Totally Juicy Apple Hot Sugar Scrub with grapeseed oil and vitamin C ($5; totallyjuicy.com).

For an anytime warm-up, rub down with Molton Brown Muscle Warming Ex-Cellerator ($28; www.moltonbrown.com), Phytobiodermie Yang Energizing Gel ($50; phyto biodermie.com) or Noode Skincare Rub Me Body Oil ($15; noode.com). All three not only still the chills, they also help warm and soothe muscles.

Pamper hands and feet with paraffin.

Nothing soothes icy appendages like a balmy paraffin dip. The Homedics Paraffin Wax Heated Bath ($55; qvc.com) is a salon-quality machine built for home use. Dunk dry, cracked hands, feet and elbows into the warm wax bath, and within minutes, dehydrated skin is smooth and supple. For toasty toes between paraffin treatments, treat feet to some serious sole food: Bottom's Up! Warm Honey Suckle Foot Mask-urade heats on contact to moisturize and soothe dry, rough spots with aloe, vitamin E and chamomile ($16; sephora.com).

RELATED ARTICLE: 5 spa treatments to heat you up