All Things Winter Skin Care with Kim Cross

Cross By: Francheska “Fancy” Felder

Fancy: Welcome back, Kim! We are excited to have you. What is new with you?

Kim: I’m so glad to be back with you. It’s been an amazing four years with SwagHer Magazine, and I’m stoked to see where we’ll go next!

Zhi has blossomed since our last conversation. To compliment my goat milk skincare & candle line, I’ve started teaching soapmaking and candlemaking classes as well as landed in a new store in Collinsville, VA (Gourmet Keto Express). I write e-books that coincide with my new membership program that allows me to help others be intentional with practicing selfcare through encouragement, accountability, and outstanding products. Did I mention I designed a coloring book, started business coaching, and I write self-care articles? There’s so much-we’d have to sit another day to cover it all.

Fancy: What inspired your skincare brand, Zhi Bath & Body, for those not as familiar with you?

Kim: Zhi was inspired by my need for skincare products that did not agitate my skin. I left military service with the beginnings of a skin condition that progressively got worse over 20 years. When I first started looking for options, natural skincare products that smelled fantastic and didn’t agitate my skin were hard to find. In the twenty-plus years since, I’ve honed my craft of being a hairstylist--where I also learned to formulate. Couple my experience in haircare with being too stubborn to quit trying to find a solution for my skincare, I began crafting my own products. I was a disaster at first, but the lessons were priceless. I’m now 16 years into formulating and crafting natural skincare and home fragrance...I’m soooo excited about the future of Zhi Bath & Body!

Fancy: Since you are former military, did you ever think that you would be working in this industry?

Kim: Absolutely...for the most part. I knew I would be in the beauty industry at seven years old when I braided my doll’s hair myself for the first time. I did all my friend’s hair throughout middle school and high school (and in the Navy). I tried it, had it, duplicated it, messed it up, and everything in between if it was a fun, funky style. I also came from a military family, so service was also engrained pretty deep. There was something so normal about being in JROTC that being in the military was just right for me. Thinking on my time in the Navy, I can say with certainty that it prepared me to be the dedicated formulator and business owner I am today. I’m unafraid of hard work, tough working conditions, dumb things going wrong, and even pushback for being a woman. I have no doubt that the drive to succeed came from serving in the military. It changes you...makes you better. It feels amazing being back to my first love with know-how and drive to keep going.

Fancy: So we know that you are all things skincare. What are some reasons for winterizing our skin?

Kim: It’s simple really...so much so, that most of us don’t even think about it. Look at your skin as your house. If your home has drafty windows, you either seal them or take measures to keep winter out, right? The same is so with your skin; you keep winter out by moisturizing, sealing, and protecting the skin. Cold weather is very drying to the skin. It zaps the moisture right out of your summer glow, causing everything from cracks that can get infected to acne breakouts. Skin cracks as it dries and produces more oil to accommodate and, in turn, creates breakouts. It is all preventable.

As the seasons change, so should your skincare routine. Your skin is just as stressed as we are when colder weather enters, so being purposeful with your skin routine is key.

Fancy: What preventive skin care measures should we take during the wintertime?

Kim: Oh my God, it’s ridiculously easy to take preventive measures and won’t cost any more than your current routine. I’m not talking buy a brand new line of winter products; I’m recommending replacing the basic products in your skincare routine--the cleanser and moisturizer.

Fancy: What products do you suggest for winter skincare survival?

Kim: If you have found a skincare line that works for you, by all means, see if they offer a cleanser with extra moisturizers. I make Ultimate Moisture for Dry Skin--a goat milk cleanser and lotion with extra moisturizers with a foot balm for tired, dry, cracked feet. We are always open for a conversation to formulate a custom blend that caters to individual skin types. In general, as the weather cools, opt for:

Oil-based cleanser - Especially for the face since it’s the most exposed part of the body.

Heavier moisturizers - Thicker lotions or creams with protective butters like shea and mango and oils like avocado.

Less exfoliating - Winter is already an irritant for the skin. Exfoliating in winter is necessary but not as frequently as it can add to the irritation caused by the weather. And don’t forget to use sunscreen. The sun is still out in winter; sunburn still happens.

Fancy: Besides the weather, we know that stress and hydration can affect our skin, but how does that work exactly?

Kim: Taking the easiest first, drink just as much if not more water in winter. The air is much drier in cold weather and pulls the moisture out of your skin. Again, the drier the skin gets, the more oil the body produces to accommodate. Breakouts will happen. Hydrating skin with products is indeed helpful; drinking water is a wonderful multipurpose method that will save more than just cash. Now stress...wow, it will wreak havoc on skin. Just as toxins find their way out of the body by any means, the body reacts to stress in much the same way--it will come out. A great example is how so many people feel down in the dumps, stressed, and not themselves when colder weather moves in. Many go through seasonal affective disorder, and it can show through with the skin.

Many ‘things’ cause us stress--work, school, kids, business, Covid-19, or even just the lack of warmth and green trees. It can all ultimately come out in the form of rashes, breakouts, and random spots you can’t explain. The key is to take stock of what is happening, create a plan to reduce stress levels, then stick to it. Winter will come and go like clockwork and cannot be controlled. What CAN be controlled is proactive steps to pamper skin to maintain its summer glow in winter.

Fancy: What does your skincare routine consist of?

Kim: I’m so excited; I’ve never been asked that before! Personally, I take a multi-zone approach to my skincare routine due to how my medication affects my body as a whole. My face is pretty normal when I’m not having a flare, so in winter, I use Ultimate Moisture for Dry Skin (Unscented or Eucalyptus Mint). Full transparency, I switch to Eucalyptus Mint in the week leading up to and for the week after taking my medication to counter the odor it causes. I love how the unscented cleansing bar and lotion smell. It is unscented because there’s no added fragrance; however, the natural aroma of the Cocoa, Shea, and Mango butters make it smell so delightful. Last, I have a dedicated foam cleanser (Irrisistible Pusse) to take care of my vaginal health using an organic product. It’s awesome for shaving, tender underarms, and my face...yes, my face. I’m pretty boring with my skincare since small things can cause a flare, so I’ll never be accused of being a product junkie. I tend to stick to what I know unless I’m testing a new product or fragrance--I live by the motto, “If I break out, it doesn’t go out.” My family and a couple of dedicated testers get all the fragrances I don’t care for.

Fancy: Switching gears, who is Kim outside of Zhi Bath & Body?

Kim: Outside of Zhi, I’m a movie junkie that loves hot chocolate all year long and a Pepsi with my coffee. I am a lover of coloring books, tending to my MANY plants and flowers, and gardening. I enjoy tag-teaming various mechanical projects with my husband and Nerf gun battles with the kids. All of these don’t happen as often as before but are SOOO much fun. If time happens to allow, I immerse myself in my aromatherapy and botanical products classes.

Fancy: As a boy mom, wife, and business owner, how do you balance everything?

Kim: Really and truly, I have not been the greatest at finding balance. In recent years, I’ve made strides in building my business around the life I desire to live instead of living around my business...It. Is. Exhausting. Through some awesome mentors, I’ve learned that there are processes I can put in place to get me closer to the goal of my business revolving around my fellas and me, not the other way around. So many times as business owners, we feel a need to do it all. Whether it’s to save money or we just don’t know better, we bite the bullet and do what we feel we have to in order to attain what we call success. Coming to grips with the fact that a single person cannot build an empire is not only the key to success, but it’s also very liberating.

Fancy: Where can our readers find you online?

Kim: I’m all over the Internet!

www.zhibathandbody.com is the skincare, soy candle, and InnerZhi Membership site

www.crosshaircollective.com is coming soon! It’s where you’ll find my class schedule, help with starting a business, e-books and coloring books, skincare and wellness webinars, and (fingers crossed) speaking engagements.

Twitter: twitter.com/zhibathandbody

Instagram: instagram.com/zhibathandbody Facebook: fb.me/zhibandb

Pinterest: pinterest.com/zhibathandbody Clubhouse: @zhibathandbody

info@zhibathandbody.com for general info or if you don’t know who to email

hello@crosshaircollective.com for in-person/virtual classes, business questions, or e-books/artices

kimc@crosshaircollective.com for speaking engagements