The views expressed in this Opinion article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
Canada's winter weather has arrived early and that means it's time to brace yourself for a couple of chilly months ahead.
This can be daunting if you're a newcomer to Canada and are about to experience your very first winter — like me — but thankfully there are some tried-and-tested products that can help.
After hunting down the best places to buy winter jackets in Canada, and then making sure I've bagged the right boots and accessories, I thought I was all set.
But, I was wrong. There are some heavily underrated items that have been recommended to me by Canadians over the last few months, and some of these have already proven to be absolute life-savers for me.
From vitamins to SAD lamps, here's a few of the recommended, must-have winter items that should be in any newcomer's survival kit.
SAD Lamps
A SAD lamp.
Despite the misleading name, SAD lamps are actually recommended to help beat those winter blues.
SAD actually stands for Seasonal Affective Disorder, which can be triggered by not getting enough sunlight during the colder months.
The main purpose of this lamp is to replicate sunlight and essentially trick your body into thinking the sun is out.
There are a variety of choices of SAD lamps out there, from budget and portable varieties, to really high-end ones. So, you can take your pick.
I do think they should have a happier-sounding name though (sun lamp, maybe?).
Humidifiers
I noticed these devices in several people's homes as soon as I landed in Canada.
I had previously thought the main purpose of humidifiers was to create a soothing ambiance. But, clearly, I was wrong.
As numerous people have told me over the last few months, humidifiers are helpful if you've been feeling like all that indoor heating is making your skin dry.
Some have even said it makes them breathe easier and feel less stuffy when indoors during winter.
All of these are good reasons to pick one up, I'd say. You can find them in most big stores.
Lip masks
Laneige Lip Mask.
I'm not big on beauty trends and, to be honest, I downright scoffed at the idea of a mask that was delegated to my lips.
That's before I experienced my first snowy day in Canada and woke up the next day with lips that were swollen, cracked and bleeding.
"I think I didn't drink enough water," I told a colleague.
The real reason, as she informed me, was the weather. And the solution? A lip mask.
There is obviously a huge variety to choose from but Laneige's lip masks (available from Sephora for $29) came highly recommended. There are a number of flavours to choose between and they even have a cute lip applicator.
The best part is you don't have to worry about it all day. It's a sleeping mask, so you can apply a film over your lips before you hit the sack and wake up to hydrated lips in the morning.
A total win, in my book.
Moisturizers
A pile of moisturizers.
While we're on the topic of moisturized lips, the rest of your body shouldn't be neglected either.
The cold has a way of drying out your skin faster than I'd ever realized and having a good moisturizer is super helpful for these chilly months.
I'd definitely recommend a good face moisturizer according to what suits your skin type. For a body moisturizer, I've been recommended Aveeno body lotion (available at Walmart and Costco).
What you purchase should also depend on which parts of your body are prone to getting dry. For example, stock up on hand cream if you have dry hands, and petroleum jelly if you get cracked heels!
Basic cold medication
There's nothing worse than being sick, except maybe having to trudge in snowy conditions just to buy basic medication.
Which is why, if you're a newcomer, you should make sure to stock up on the basics.
I picked up NyQuil, Claritin tablets, Tylenol tablets and Strepsils. Halls cough drops and Vicks' inhalers were also recommended to me.
Hopefully, I won't need them. But hey, better safe than sorry, right?
Vitamins and supplements
Vitamin D tablets.
This is an underrated item on the list, and one I probably wouldn't have known about if I hadn't been warned.
It's pretty normal in Canada to take extra vitamins in the form of tablets during winter. The major reason being that the lack of sunlight can be detrimental to health and you can often need supplements to make up for it.
After speaking to a doctor, I picked up vitamin D tablets. People have also recommended vitamin C tablets, multi-vitamins and calcium tablets.
However, I do want to emphasize that you should speak to a doctor before taking any medications.
Thermos
This might be a more personal thing, but I love sipping on hot water when the weather gets colder.
If you're like me, and you don't want to re-boil the kettle every half hour, I'd recommend you get a flask that keeps your water hot for longer.
That way you get hot water constantly, even if you wake up in the middle of the night and don't necessarily want to turn the kettle on!
Hopefully, this list will help you battle the winter blues just a little bit better!