Julie Gabriel, author of The Green Beauty Guide takes a holistic approach to winter skin care. Here, the Toronto-born nutritionist and organic skincare creator shares a favourite homemade recipe for year-round moisture-rich skin.

Herbal Coconut Body Butter
This butter can be used on face, hair and body skin. You can load up the coconut butter with whatever herbal teas and infusions you happen to have in your kitchen.

Ingredients
• 2 cups coconut oil
• 2-3 twigs fresh rosemary or a tablespoon dried leaves
• 2-3 stems fresh mint or 2-3 peppermint tea bags (preferably organic)
• 2-3 rosehip tea bags
• 2-3 nettle tea bags
• 1 carrot, peeled and finely sliced

Method
Melt coconut oil on very low heat in a metal saucepan. Add the rest of ingredients and allow simmering on very, very low heat for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to allow ingredients to infuse evenly. Strain and pour the coconut butter into a pot and close tightly. Cool down and use as necessary.

Application
Massage as necessary into hair, skin, even nails.

Storage
Store in a refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

—Athena Tsavliris

The sculptor Rodin may have favoured raw and exaggerated textures, but his namesake cream is as smooth as polished bronze.

Rodin Crema hand and body cream ($80) is a luxurious blend of essential oils with notes of jasmine and neroli. It’s surprisingly light in texture and helps restore balance, moisture and luster to winter-pummeled skin. —Athena Tsavliris

At Gee Beauty, 2 Roxborough St. W., Toronto, 416-486-0080, www.geebeauty.com

You may recognize Gillian Tweedie as co-owner of Goodnight but did you know that she is also a kick-ass long distance runner? With a 3:03:10 debut in the NYC marathon under her belt, Tweedie is now preparing for a grueling 1:20:00 half, and that means no break for winter. Whether your goal is 5km or 25km, Gill’s winter running tips will help get to the finish line.

1. Add strength training and hills to your workouts: You will be amazed at the speed and strength you can gain by running through the winter months. Strength training will help you maintain proper form in the snow and if you can run hills in the winter, you can take on anything in the spring.

2. Sign up for a spring race: Registering (and paying) for a race will keep you motivated- like the Chilly Half Marathon on March 4th in Burlington.

3. Run with a friend: Kilometres seem to pass faster when you’re catching up with a friend while on solo runs music makes all the difference. Summer Principles by Prince Language is my current mix of choice.

4. Wear the proper gear: Wear enough layers and you won’t be cold (I promise) but it’s also worth investing in a pair of Gore-Tex runners for the really bad days. I like Nike’s Running Shield Collection.

5. Consider a running coach or club: I train with Darren Weldrick and have made huge improvements in less than two years. Or join run ambassador Adam Reynolds and me for a run club starting January 23rd at 6pm at lululemon athletica 153 Cumberland St.

Style, substance and speed, the girl’s a triple threat.

—Julie Whelan

With so many good, eco-conscious cleansers, moisturizers, and cosmetics out there, it’s never been easier to go green.

Featuring everything from cleansers and body oils and sunscreens, this Quebec-based company is all about keeping it natural. Smith Farms is the brainchild of sisters Julia and Rebecca Sinclair-Smith and boasts products made from 100 per cent natural ingredients, free of nasty parabens, pesticides, or artificial dyes.

Each product, including a medicinal marshmallow face cream, ($28) goat’s milk soap ($15) and shea butter lip balm ($5) is handmade at the family farm in Western Quebec and packaged simply using eco-friendly materials.

Just think, cosmetics good enough to eat. —Athena Tsavliris

See website for stockists, www.smithfarmsproducts.com

The biggest shock after the blue line appeared? Learning that pregnancy is ten months long. Thankfully, you get a lovely present at the end. In the meantime, here are a few things that kept Toronto Contributor Marianne Wisenthal’s sanity intact:

Being pregnant through winter meant that I couldn’t swan around in flowing empire- waist dresses. Instead, it was maternity jeans six days a week (and PJ’s on the seventh). Montreal’s Second Clothing makes the coziest pair of over-dyed black skinnies that won’t fade as you wash, or pinch as you grow. $118 at Rhonda Maternity, 110 Cumberland St., Toronto, 416-921-3116, www.rhondamaternity.com

Alas, there’s no miracle cure for stretch marks—you’ll either get them or you won’t (ask your mother). I did, however, find a great remedy for dry itchy skin in Substance Belly Jelly. Packed with lavender, oats and Vitamin E, it’s truly the balm. $19 at Ella & Elliott, 188 Strachan Ave., Toronto, 416-850-7890, www.ellaandelliot.com

Finding a nice-looking maternity bra that doesn’t poke or flatten shouldn’t be harder than installing an infant car seat (and yet it is). I stocked up on organic cotton Majamas at Evymama. The changing rooms have chairs and you can sip tea while the staff measures your bourgeoning tatas. $40 at Envymama, 266 Jane St., Toronto, 416-913-0546 and 230 Danforth Ave., Toronto, 416-465-9991 www.evymama.ca

Growing a human can be a pain in the neck, back, feet, ankles and head. I can’t say enough about the fine hands of RMT Julie Moore. Her side-lying prenatal massages are the best in town. Better still, her little therapy room is one-door down from The Ceili Cottage so you can stop in for sticky toffee pudding on the way home. Julie Moore RMT, 1303 Queen St. E., Toronto, 416-768-4722, www.juliemoorermt.com —Marianne Wisenthal

We’ve read that Kirsten Dunst wears different scents depending on what character she's playing.

If you too are fickle when it comes to fragrance bypass the big name blends in favour of a beautiful indie scent ($45) created by Oregon-based alchemist, Heather Sielaff. Olo is just delightful. Each scent is hand-blended in limited edition batches and is inspired by the perfumer’s personal experiences.

Lightning paw (don’t you just love the name?) is subtle mix of bergamot, vanilla, jasmine, patchouli and wood. The combination of pine, juniper, cedar and vetivert in Forêt is lovely too.

And for the girl who really can’t commit, try a sample kit ($30).  —Athena Tsavliris

At Robber, 863 Queen St. W., Toronto, 647-351-0724, www.robberstore.wordpress.com

Coconut is one of those funny fruits that people love or loathe. If you fall into campo amor, have we got a product for you.

Packed with 100-per-cent organic fresh-pressed Philippine coconuts, Barlean’s extra virgin coconut oil (same oily, thick consistency of Vaseline) is as good on toast as it is on your tummy.

[Use it] “straight, in cooking, baking or frying, as a spread on toast or muffins and as a massage/body oil or hair tonic,” reads the label. Talk about multi-purpose.

And as long as you don’t mind smelling like a Daiquiri, it’s wicked on winter-worn, irritated skin. —Athena Tsavliris

$13.69 at Noah’s Natural Foods, 322 Bloor St. W.,Toronto, 416-968-7930 (and other locations) www.noahsnaturalfoods.ca

Forget false lashes this holiday season and amp it up a notch with extreme lashes instead.

Our newest discoveries from Paperself are worth batting your eyelids for. They are laser-cut into whimsical patterns like peonies, butterflies and peacocks. Wear with natural lippy (try toffee shine) for a mod-inspired look. —Athena Tsavliris

$18.95 per two-pack at the Paper Place, 887 Queen St. W., Toronto, 416-703-0089, www.thepaperplace.ca

Burning the midnight oil is making our blood sugar spike faster than the European debt crisis.

To fight our junk food demons, we’re signing up for a healing raw food cleanse. Big on Bay Street, Carol Belmonte’s daily delivery includes berry and nut-based smoothies, box lunch and dinner, snack and fresh-pressed juice served in glass bottles. The meat, sugar and gluten-free menus are laced with energizing super foods like acai berry, maca and cacao nibs (to release toxins), and tasty dishes include spaghetti made from squash and zucchini, Neatballs fashioned out of nuts and seeds, or burritos with collard wrap and cashew-based ‘cheese’.

Carol promises that a five-day cleanse will change how you see the world. Someone tell Berlusconi. —Marianne Wisenthal

Raw Food Cleanse from $425/5-days, Belmonte Raw, 1022 Queen Street E., Toronto, 647-340-1218, www.belmonteraw.com

“Having a dull hairstyle is like putting an olive on top of a chocolate sundae,” said Miss Piggy. “It makes your whole appearance unappetizing.”

So when she can’t shell out on regular visits to the coiffure, Miss P. uses these little sponge rollers  for bouncy curls that look salon fresh.

Simply roll them into damp hair, vacuum, mumbo or bake a mud pie for an hour and then once the hair is dry unroll the rollers, finger comb, and tease with your favourite styling product.

E Voilà, hair that would make Kermie blush. —Athena Tsavliris

$11.99 for 15 rollers, Goody Summer Wave Rollers are available at Loblaws, Walmart and Pharmaplus.