Veria 30-Minute Relaxation Pack. Get two free samples of premium Chandra facial moisturizer.
http://www.freakyfreddies.com/beauty.htm

Register at Veria.com for a Veria Relaxation Pack, which includes a self-pampering guide, a bath salt recipe, 2 free samples of Chandra facial moisturizer, and discount of up to 50% on select Veria products.

Thanks, Hey, it’s Free.

I recently purchased a few new cosmetics that have made me very happy.  I don’t often buy make-up.  I use mine until it’s gone.  Shelf-life guidelines are ignored as I paint my face with the same boring colors day after day until I’m out of everything.  This month I ran out of foundation, moisturizer, lipstick and gloss…insert feminine crisis.  Only thing worse would be running out of mascara.

Or letting my daughter do my hair and makeup…

The Momma Lisa

Truth be told, cosmetics intimidate me.  I hate to buy something and then hate it.  I killed my money tree long ago, so I want to LOVE my purchases.

First, I tried Eucerin’s facial moisturizer with sunscreen.  Since I already managed to acquire a ‘sun spot’ on my face, I figure sunscreen is always good.  It doesn’t matter that the sun hibernates in northern states.  It was an eight dollar risk that I’m glad I took.  I like the moisturizer.  It gets fully absorbed and it’s good for my dry skin.

Second, I came to the conclusion that I just hate foundation.  Some brands give me pimples, others give me eczema, and the rest just feel like a mask.  Maybe I just haven’t found ‘the right one’, but I officially dumped foundation.  I’m only using tinted moisturizer now.  I like the extra moisture and sheer, light coverage.  Yes, you can see a few zits, but since I’m not fifteen, I don’t get a thousand pimples at once.  I think the strangers in the grocery store can deal with seeing a zit on my chin.  If not, there’s always therapy – FOR THEM.

I went to Target and stressed myself over finding a tinted moisturizer.  I ended up choosing Sonia Kashuk’s tinted moisturizer.  I am in love.  I definitely think it was worth the $12.

Next, I moved on to lipstick.  When I was in highschool/college, I wanted my lipstick to last for no less than 48 hours.  It didn’t matter if it was an oil-based permanent paint with a safety warning, as long as it didn’t come off on my cup.  I also gravitated towards the brightest lipsticks I could find.  At night, you could see my lips approaching before my body.  Lighthouses considered hiring me as a full-time beacon in the night.

Now I enjoy a more subtle, natural shade of moisturizing lipstick.  I think something happens to your brain after thirty and you just get smarter.  No offense to all those twenty-something’s out there, but the things I did to my hair and face should be punishable crimes.

My lipstick choice – Revlon’s Caramel Glace.  I even bought a matching lip-gloss since they were buy 1, get 1 1/2 price.  Who can pass up a good deal?

What I’m not happy with is my mascara.  Any suggestions?

Here’s the big question…

ARE YOU GOING SHOPPING ON BLACK FRIDAY?

I really want to be at Target at 5am.  I’m still not sure if that’s going to happen, but it’s my heart’s desire right now.

PS  I added a ’survey’ page to my header.  I’m curious to see what my audience looks like.  Check it out and take the quiz.  Thanks!   Click HERE to go to survey page.

By Sue Shekut, L.M.T. ACSM P.T., Certified Wellness Coach

Years ago a client gave me a Crabtree & Evelyn hand cream as  a holiday gift. I tried the cream and could not believe how well it lubricated my hands–AND did not leave my hands greasy. I went to the Crabtree & Evelyn store to get more and find out what this amazing ingredient was. The salesclerk told me that the amazing ingredient in some of their creams was: shea butter.

However, I was not a big fan of the smell of the Crabtree cream (or it’s price). I have since found many other sweeter smelling creams and lotions with shea butter. For massage, shea butter is a great cream because it gives just enough lubrication for massage therapist’s hands to glide for effluerage strokes, but just enough friction for deep tissue work.

Now I find that shea butter has another benefit that would not immediately come to mind: As a nasal decongestant! I am the first to admit, some wellness people tend to tout the benefits of products far beyond what is realistic (not everything cures cancer, prevents hair loss or keeps your skin looking young forever). I am fairly skeptical about product clams from product manufacturers. But I looked into this claim and it is backed up by clinical research.

Put Butter in My Nose? C’mon, You Must Be Joking

According to a study published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, shea butter does relieve nasal decongestion, actually better than conventional nasal drops! Now, it’s just one study. But my experience of shea butter is that it’s pretty amazing butter and lubricating dry nasal passages when I have a stuffy nose makes sense. But, don’t just take my word for it.. Read the study here.

So What is Shea Butter?

 

Shea tree

Allafia is a company that sells unrefined Shea Butter. According to their website, “Shea Butter is the oil from the nuts of wild Shea trees (Vitellaria paradoxa) scattered throughout the wooded savanna of West and Central Africa. Shea Butter has been used for centuries in Africa as a decongestant, an anti-inflammatory for sprains and arthritis, healing salve, lotion for hair and skin care, and cooking oil. However, the protective and emollient properties of Shea Butter are most valued for skin care.”

What Does it Matter if It’s Refined or Unrefined Shea Butter?

According to Alaffia: Most Shea Butter available to the general public outside West Africa is white and odorless: in other words, it has been “refined” to remove the natural scent and color of natural Shea Butter. In the process, the majority of the effective agents are also removed.

In addition, refined Shea Butter has usually been extracted from the shea kernels with hexane or other petroleum solvents. The extracted oil is boiled to drive off the toxic solvents, and then refined, bleached, and deodorized, which involves heating it to over 400 degrees F and the use of harsh chemicals, such as sodium hydroxide.

Shea butter itself!

Shea Butter extracted in this manner still contains some undesirable solvent residues, and its healing values are significantly reduced. Antioxidants or preservatives such as BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) or BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) may be added as well. The end result is an odorless, white butter that may be aesthetically appealing, but lacks the true moisturizing, healing, and nutritive properties of true traditional Shea Butter.

Refined Shea Butter is often hard and grainy, not smooth and creamy like pure, unrefined Shea Butter. Refined Shea Butter  has an extended shelf life, a white, uniform color, no odor, and greatly reduced therapeutic benefits from the Shea Butter. All of the Alaffia butters are handcrafted and unrefined so they retain their natural healing and moisturizing properties.

Where Do I get Some Unrefined Shea Butter  in the U.S.?

Whole Foods Market carries Allafia products as well as many other shea butter based creams and lotions. I like Affalia because they do not refine their shea butter and their pricing is reasonable. (A little jar of shea butter last a long time!)   Affalia is also a fair trade company.

To purchase jars of Affalia Shea Butter online, click here. To purchase Alaffia products at Whole Foods, stop by a local store or click here.

What is Fair Trade?

 

Fair Trade Enpowers Whole Communities

Fair trade means paying a fair price or wage in the local context, providing equal employment opportunities, engaging in environmental sustainable practices, providing healthy and safe working conditions, being open to public accountability, and reducing the number of middlemen between producers and consumers. Fair trade is environmentally, economically and culturally sustainable and gives local communities the opportunity to self empower.

Buying products from producers that are fair trade certified means you can feel good about the product you are buying. A fair trade product means the actual people toiling away in the fields of far off Africa are getting paid a fair wage for their work and are able to support themselves and their families from their own labor.

The founder of Aliffa, Olowo-n’djo Tchala, grew up in poverty in Togo. He dedicated his life to empowering communities in Africa. He chooses to promote indigenous African natural resources that are culturally, spiritually, economically and ecologically sustainable. Traditionally handcrafted shea butter fits these criteria. It is a renewable resource of African origin; shea trees are wild, requiring no chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Furthermore, it is an integral part of many savanna communities and, consequently, there is a wealth of local and traditional knowledge of making shea butter. The fair trade of our handcrafted shea butter and shea butter skin care products is bringing income to and empowering our communities in Togo, while making indigenous, sustainable and effective skin care available to the global community.

Aliffia Shea Butter

Give Gifts Friend and Family Will Love And You Will Feel Good Giving

To give some great holiday gifts this year, why not give those you love a product that not only helps their skin feel good but in this cold and flu season, may help them breathe better if they get congested?

Does Working Well Massage Get Anything From Promoting Alaffia or Shea Butter Products?

Nope. No money, no free stuff, no kickbacks. What we do get is the satisfaction that we are telling our clients and readers about great products and helping in some small way to promote fair trade in a far off country. And that is worth more than a few dollars!

Give yourself a facial

If you can’t afford to go out and pay someone else to give you a facial, create time and space at home to nurture yourself a little. Start by setting the mood…take the phone off the hook, put on some nice music, get into some comfy clothes and get ready to relax.

Start by cleansing your skin. Then try some exfoliation and a deep cleansing mask.  Lie down and rest your eyes while the mask does its work.  Once the mask is washed off, try some toner and a lovely nurturing moisturizer.  I’m sure you have your own favorite brands that you use.  Otherwise the body shop stocks lots of inexpensive goodies.  I really love the range of ‘Ayana Organics’ that I sampled on the weekend.  See below for Sams lovely range of products.  What I particularly like about them is that they are all organic, are not tested on animals and they are all created under the fair trade scheme.

There are easily hundreds of ways of creating a petroleum-free hand and body moisturizer, but finding the right balance of ingredients capable of richly penetrating skin while reducing the drying effects of regular washing is no easy task. Add to that finding an affordable base capable of retaining viscosity and effectively carrying a light scent without relying on additional emulsifiers and you’ve got an interesting challenge on your hands, literally

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We keep a wide range of oils on hand for research and production, and the pros and cons of each are bountiful. The moisturizer offered here is our very basic variety, and was created with affordability in mind.

That being said, while canola oil (derived from rapeseed) is easily found in kitchens, few know that it is often used in natural cosmetic preparations, as well. Canola offers barrier-repair and anti-inflammatory properties and it is easily absorbed by skin to help prevent the evaporation of moisture. Canola is also said to be capable of soothing skin that has been irritated by surfactants, making it extra helpful for those only beginning to avoid petroleum based cleaning agents (i.e. detergent).

Basic Natural Hand and Body Moisturizer available at http://justthegoods.etsy.com

A note to our vegan friends: We are pretty darned excited about this product and are happily carrying on research into a vegan version employing either soy or carnauba wax. It’ll take us a few more weeks since product testing is a big deal to us, but when our mission is accomplished, you’ll be the first to know!! Stay tuned!

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We are presently offering this moisturizer in three varieties:

+ Lemon verbena and coriander essential oil blend smells like as delightful and fancy-free as a lemon lollypop! Lemon verbena helps to banish depression and relax and refresh the body and mind by promoting stress control. Coriander also refreshes and uplifts the mind by helping to reduce mental fatigue and tension. Lemon verbena is antiseptic, coriander is an analgesic, and both are consider aphrodisiac.

+ Our Uplifting Blend offers soothing, warm floral notes through a combination of three essential oils: Bergamot is an antiseptic antidepressant that helps to relieve tension, stress, and depression; Rosewood is also an antiseptic antidepressant with aphrodisiac properties that also balances dull, dry, and oily skin while promoting tissue regeneration; Geranium is helpful for treating dermatitis, bruises, burns or cuts while also contributing to the control of stress and PMS symptoms. This light blend is bound to pick you up and float you into a better mood =-)

+ Unscented

Custom scent blends can be arranged on request. Convo us with your ideas, and we’ll see what we can do for you!

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This item reflects 110 g / 3.8 oz (or more!) of product shipped in a completely reusable 125 ml canning jar; however, if you would like to reduce your product and shipping costs, this item can be mailed in a carefully packed re-sealable plastic bag allowing you to store your moisturizer in a jar of your choice. Please note that although temporary storage in plastic for shipping is fine, we do not recommend keeping cosmetic items containing essential oils in plastic for a prolonged duration as the oils react with the plastic causing it to break down.

Our order of re-sealable plastic bags should be arriving soon, and we’ll make a separate listing for items in that format when they do, but for now we’ll be shipping out in conventional sandwich style bags <=-). Convo us for more accurate shipping rates.

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All Just the Goods cosmetic items are produced without:

- Parabens
- Sulfates
- Synthetic Fragrances
- Synthetic Dyes
- Petro-Chemicals
- Phthalates

An all natural item, this moisturizer has been tested extensively by us and our friends (some of whom are, admittedly, party animals), but all the same, please use the same precautions you would with any other new skin care product.

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Here’s a review from our friend Divya:

“Mmmm. This is nice. I like it!”

And here is a review from our friend Hope:

“Oh that smells really good!”

Are you asking yourself what skin care steps do I need to achieve healthy looking skin? Do you feel you might be missing something to achieve that goal or maybe you might not know where to start altogether? I’ve made your own monthly facial routine guide to help you with that goal.

This is the order in which your skin care routine should be used:

Cleanse (am/pm) Depending on your skin type choose the right cleanser for your skin.  Cleansing helps to remove makeup, dirt, grime and oil.  It also helps aid in the cell renewal process.

Exfoliate (1-3 times a week) Improves the texture and appearance of skin by removing dead skin cell layers to make dull skin look more vibrant.   It also helps to penetrate active ingredients deeper into the skin.  Do not over-exfoliate because it can lead to an over-production of oil or can irritate the skin.  Our skin undergoes natural exfoliation, so that’s why you should only exfoliate a couple of times out of the week if so.

Tone (if necessary) Another step that depends on your skin type.  You should definitely tone daily if you have oily or acne prone skin.  Other than that a quality cleanser should do the job at removing dirt, grime, oil and makeup.  If you can’t seperate from your toner,  just remember ingredients like alcohol can do more harm than good.  Rose water is a good and safe choice.  Read this blog entry to learn more.  Is toner necessary?

Treat (if necessary-am/pm) If you have any skin conerns like blemishes or hyperpigmentation there are spot treatments for these problem areas that should be put on the skin before any other product to get the full benefit.

Serums (am/pm) This is a form of liquid with active ingredients and antioxidants that can treat dehydration, excess oil and fine lines.  It is chemically formulated with smaller molecules so it penetrates deeper into the skin.

Moisturize w/sunscreen (am) Invest in a daytime moisturizer with sunscreen, so you don’t have to buy a moisturizer and a sunscreen seperately.  Protect your face daily against exstrinsic factors such as the sun, wind and pollution. Yuck!

Moisturize (pm) Ingredients in moisturizers help retain water in your skin.  Advanced ingredients help skin optimize normal cell and collagen production.

Masks (weekly) Apply a mask to benefit from certain skin concerns.  Oily skin?  Clay masks help detoxify skin and remove unwanted oil while preventing and clearing up blackheads.  Dry skin?  Revitalize it! By using a hydrating mask it helps put moisture back in your skin.  There are many face masks for different skin types!

Facials (monthly) Ahhh!  Unwind yourself  into a relaxing  facial while helping your skin concerns.  Basically this is what a facial consists of: cleansing, steam, exfoliation, neck and shoulder massage, face massage(so tranquil!), face mask, and application of a moisturizer and sunscreen.  Learn from the esthetician what ingredients are best for your skin and what products benefit your skin type the most.

Doing this will help YOU achieve your skin care goals!

1. Guerlain Terracotta Bronzing Power 01
2. MAC Tinted Moisturizer in Medium
3. Cover Girl Lash Blash in Very Black – waterproof.  The brush is different from most other mascara brushes I’ve seen, and it keeps my lashes separated better.
4. Urban Decay Primer Potion.  It really, really works.
5. Diorshow Mascara in Azure – a beautiful blue color
6. Wet n’ Wild Mega Liner in #863 – it’s a teal/green color. (oh, they call this turquoise on their website.)
7. Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes in #15L – blue eyeliner pencil.

There is no doubt that when winter comes around, it can really do damage to our skin. The low humidity can dry out the skin, and eczema often becomes a problem. However, there are things which you can do to beat those winter skin blues.

How to Treat Winter Skin!
There are various things you can do in order to keep your skin happy and healthy all throughout winter. These include:

Purchasing a Humidifier
Who does not have their heating on and their windows closed in winter? The last thing we want is to be sat shivering in our own homes! However, the trapped heat can be really damaging to our skin and it can often cause our skin to dry out and if you have Eczema it can make it even worse and the itching may become unbearable. A humidifier keeps the moisture in the air and can stop your skin from drying out.

You do not even have to pay a fortune for a good humidifier, they are usually inexpensive and they can be purchased from any local drug store. However, you should buy more than one to keep the whole house humidified, but you will be thankful for it overall!

Switch to an Oil Based Moisturizer
If you do not already, you should now start to use an oil based moisturizer. Generally, the more oil the moisturizer contains, the more effective it will be in defeating dry skin. The best moisturizers to go for are the ones that actually come in oil form. These usually are made up of 80% oil and 20% water and they are absolutely ideal for winter skin! The water and oil combination helps to create a protective layer which generally makes it more moisturizing than creams and lotions.

Take Precautions Before You Go Outside
Before venturing out into the winter weather, it is always better to protect yourself and your skin first. Believe it or not, you still have to protect the face from the sun in winter and so a moisturizing sunscreen with a sun protection factor of at least 15 should be applied.

Wearing gloves is also an essential tip as the hands often get dry and damaged from the severe cold. Sometimes the gloves can be made of a material which will irritate the skin so make sure the gloves that you choose are really comfy. Many people wear a cotton mitten underneath a woolen mitten just to be extra warm, and this does really help to keep the hands protected.

Make Sure That You Dress in Layers
However cold it is outside, it is important that we dress in layers so that we do not overheat and sweat excessively. With layers you can easily take something off if you become too warm. Sweating causes itchiness so it is definitely worth avoiding! Loose fitting cotton clothing is always better as it allows the skin to breathe, whilst at the same time keeping it warm.

Condition The Hair More Frequently
The hair also becomes dry in winter and so it too needs added moisture. A good conditioner should sort this problem out and a conditioner which you can simply spray into your hair and leave it in may be worth thinking about as it will lock in the moisture for longer.

Use a Moisturizing Shampoo
As well as a conditioner, a good moisturizing shampoo is also needed to make sure that the scalp is cleaned properly. Itchiness of the scalp can be a real problem and a good moisturizing shampoo can really help.

Overall, to best look after your body in winter you need to make sure you are getting more moisture into the body than normal. Prevention is always the best cure so be fully prepared and you should sail through winter with no major problems!

Wow! Today we whipped up some great new items! First, chai spice shaving solid and an extra moisturizing shaving solid made even lovelier with lavender and bergamot essential oil. When we were pouring it into jars, it looked like vanilla fudge… gooey, creamy, and enticing! It cooled into a solid very nicely, and now the exciting part: testing these goodies out!

We also made more lemon verbena and coriander hand moisturizer and perfected an aromatherapeutic moisturizer — an uplifting blend featuring bergamot, rosewood and geranium. Sooooooo heavenly!

Finally, we wrapped up the day experimenting with vegan lip balm formulas. In all honesty, there is still a ways to go — swapping out the beeswax and lanolin is a greater challenge than expected! Or maybe we’ve just become too accustomed to those ingredients? In any case, we know the process will take time and we’re committed to carrying on until we’re absolutely satisfied YOU will be absolutely satisfied.  The most interesting thing about our experiments, so far, is that we can see that there is absolutely no reason to spend $6.99 on a vegan lip balm like some products we know We’re pretty sure we’ll be able to keep each tube to $3.00 or less, and even *that* is pretty cool news!

Moisturizing our skin is essential for maintaining a healthy and youthful skin. It helps remove dirt and dead skin cells. It also helps increase water content and protects it from shedding. But there are a lot of cleansers that can harm our skin. So it is important to choose the right product out there.

Gingerlilly Intense Moisture Boost provides intensive moisture and nutritional compounds while preventing environmental damage and that is the good thing about it. It also protects from free radical damage, provides anti-age benefits, moisturizes & hydrates, replenishes nutrients and antioxidants and assists in replenishing the lipid barrier

Salute’s Gingerlilly Intense Moisture Boost has prepared this skin loving am/pm moisturizer designed to balance your complextion whilst firming, tightening and toning effortlessly at the same time. Cultivated throughout the Amazon rainforest, Camu Camu fruit (aka Rumberry) has the highest recorded amount of natural Vitamin C known on the planet and is renowned for it’s antioxidant properties. D-beta-fructan cleverly escorts this Vitamin C to the skin cells promoting better quality collagen and elastin, while the ginger root oil warms the skin tissue promoting better ingredient absorption. The benefits are simply a more beautiful you.

If you love Selute’s  Gingerlilly Intense Moisture Boost, your man will also like Walnut Shell Face and Body Scrub.

I’m not big on switching products cause every time I do, I always end up running back to my Proline Lite Creme Moisturizer.

 But a couple of Sundays ago, my formerly nappy now chemically dependent niece asked me to put a few braids on the side of her head. She pulls this product out of her bag, and as I used it, I decided I really liked it and needed to try it out on my hair.

So this past Monday, I decided to give it a try.  It is has a water/glycerine base, is greaseless, light weight with a really benign scent to it. That’s really important to me since I have horrible perfume allergies. When I rubbed it between two fingers, it didn’t feel tacky and didn’t leave any residue. When it dried, it left my hair touchable, but moisturized.

Ingredients: 
Water (Aqua) , Glycerin , Propylene Glycol , Polyacrylamide , C13-14 Isoparaffin , PEG-12 Dimethicone , DMDM Hydantoin , Laureth-7 , Disodium EDTA , Fragrance , Limonene , Butylphenyl Methylpropional , Linalool , Hexyl Cinnamal , Citral , Benzyl Alcohol

This one gets a two thumbs up from me. Sells for about $4.19 and $4.50 and you can find it most anywhere. Picked mine up at Walgreens.

If you’re a fan of products like Proline Lite Creme Moisturizer, you’ll probably like this too. It’ll be a great alternative, and I whole heartedly give it a two thumbs up!

The countdown has begun for several magazines as they work to compile the year’s best and brightest fashion and beauty products. As for Elle magazine however…the results are in!

Click here to see the Top 55 products of the year as chosen by us beauty junkies.

Cold weather can wreak havoc on your skin, leaving it dry and itchy, flaky, and full of unsightly blotches. Harsh winds, freezing temperatures and even increased heating, can all leave your skin feeling and looking red, blotchy and dry.

Protect your skin from these harsh weather changes by following a few important tips:

-Use Sunscreen. The sun can take its toll on your skin, even during the cold winter months. Save your skin from dangerous sun glare from snow and ice by using an SPF 30 or higher sunscreen while enjoying outdoor activities like skiing, snowboarding and sledding. Even on a cloudy day, nearly 80% of the sun’s dangerous UV rays makes it to your skin.

-Boost Your Moisturizing routine. Don’t use the same moisturizer year-round. Stiff winds, cold temperatures and even indoor heating systems can suck the moisture right out of your skin, leaving it in desperate need of some extra care. Use a heavier, thicker, or even foamy opaque style moisturizer during the winter months. And use it more often. Most professional skin-care specialists recommend three or more times a day during the winter.

-Take fewer baths and avoid hot water. Both dry the skin, adding to those cold weather skin woes.

-Exercise regularly. Increase your circulation to deliver more nutrients to your skin cells. It is known to boost collagen production, a natural skin-saver.

-Eat Fish. It’s high in omega 3 fatty acids which are proven to revitalize skin.

-Use a humidifier (especially in the bedroom), to help put lost moisture back into the air ‘ and your skin.

-Wear lipstick or other lip coverings to protect dry and cracked lips. Reapply often, and avoid sore and chapped lips.

-Exfoliate weekly. Smooth away dry patches on your face and body with a weekly exfoliation treatment.

-Stay away from alcohol-based skin-care products. They only dry out the skin, causing even more winter skin damage.

-Wear skin-friendly clothes. Winter fashion is notorious for aggravating the skin. People are prone to wear itchy heavy fabrics that irritate the most sensitive of skin. Bundling up for cold weather activities can also cause overheating and sweating. Let your skin breathe this winter with soft, cuddly and breathable fabrics.

Keep your skin smooth and healthy during even the harshest winter. Take special care to give it the attention that it needs and it’ll look great no matter what the weather outside.

The problem with dry skin is not just that it is dry. It is not just that it looks dull. It is not just that it can be flaky. One of the main things about dry skin that can drive people crazy is when dry skin becomes itchy.

Some people can have dry skin and never be bothered by any itching their dry skin might bring up. However, there are other people who might scratch, scratch, scratch away and still not feel relief from their dry skin. Having annoyingly itchy skin may occur at any time if you naturally tend to have dry skin. There are other people who experience the worst itch during dry winter months and even moisturizers and creams do not seem to help.

You can experience itchy dry skin just about anywhere on your body. Legs can become annoying when you are at work or school, the top of you head can be embarrassing because dry skin and constant itching can lead to dandruff like flakes, and itchiness on the face can lead to a less than pleasant look.

Yes, it is hard to stop scratching, but the important thing is that you need to learn how to do so. Even if scratching at a patch of dry skin seems to yield results in the form of dead skin cells flaking off, scratching is doing you no good.

Constantly scraping away at your skin with your fingernails will only serve to aggravate your skin further and worsen your condition. For some people with dry skin that happens to be the result of a skin condition such as eczema, scratching can have some very nasty results.

Scratching your dry skin can lead to skin cracking or splitting, which can be very painful and lead to potential infections, giving you yet one more problem to deal with when it comes to your skin.

So if you cannot scratch, what do you do to relieve the itch? First off, if your skin is so dry that it is creating an unbearable itchiness, you need to look into a better moisturizer. If you do not currently use a moisturizer, you need to get one, pronto.

It would be a very good idea to get a moisturizer that is an extra emollient in order to enhance the strength of the moisturizing power, as your skin needs it badly. Avoid moisturizers with fragrance; you want a moisturizer with performance, not one that smells nice (not to say that you should get one that smells disgusting; most moisturizers smell fine even without any extra scents).

There are also products out there meant to help exceptionally dry skin in terms of both moisturizing as well as stopping the itch. You might want to try one of these products if your itchy skin is driving you crazy.

If one moisturizer works during several months of the year and suddenly you find it is inadequate during winter months, try switching it up with something more powerful during those times. You may also want to buy a humidifier to help keep the air in your home a little less dry.

Even if you have dry skin, you do not have to be at the mercy of its itch. Make a note of any products that may worsen your condition instead of making it better and get rid of them right away. By taking a few steps, such as avoiding long, hot showers, and using moisturizers, you can stop the itch and be free from the concern of harming your skin by forever scratching away.

You already have dry skin, and that can be a hassle. Dealing with flaky, dull, and itchy skin can become annoying, especially during winter and summer months.

In the winter, you have to protect your skin from the dry conditions left by the lack of humidity, keep it safe from harsh winds and away from cold temperatures. In the summer, you may have to deal with a lack of humidity also, but your main enemy is one large thing: the sun.

Yes, the sun can be a big problem because you cannot exactly escape the very reason we have light on this planet. So what do you do? And why should the sun be your dry skin enemy? Sunlight is healthy, right?

The answer to the question about the sun being necessary is both yes and no. Sunlight is a great source of vitamin D, but people who strut about town gloating over their nice dark tan should not be gloating. A tan is not healthy.

We are people, not chicken browning in the oven. In your case of dry skin, you want to keep it as moisturized as possible, and continuously playing about in the sun can strip you of what necessary moisture your skin still has. Grapes are set in the sun to dry and become raisins.It sounds extreme, but over time the sun could easily do this to your skin.

Of course, you are not exactly in a position to turn into a raisin. At most, your skin will become even drier and harder to restore moisture to. The sun not only sucks out your necessary moisture, but it can damage your skin as well (as if damage through drying was not enough).

Major damage is done down in the layers of your skin you cannot immediately see. The ultraviolet rays (UV rays) from the sun penetrate your skin down into the layers that contain collagen and elastin fibers. These elastin fibers are what keeps your skin stretchy and durable.

Too much UV damage will lead to a breakdown in these fibers and cause your skin to wrinkle and sag as the years continue to go by. You may not be able to see it now, but you will in the future.

Such skin problems can only add to the dryness you already have to deal with, but for now, you will want to do what you can to keep your skin safe from the sun and remain moisturized when you go out. In that case, how do you keep your skin from drying out when you are in the sun?

Before going out, be sure you have been using a good moisturizer. If you have really dry skin, look for a moisturizer that contains emollients and humectants. These will give your skin extra moisturizer power and have more of an ability to retain the moisture as the day goes by.

Second, you will want to be sure to put on a good sunscreen. Not only will a good sunscreen keep your skin better protected from UV rays, but you can also search the shelves for sunscreens that offer moisturizing power.

The number of products in stores that you can choose from now is impressive, each one seeming to have yet one more extra benefit aside from the usual sunscreen protection.

The only way to be completely safe from the skin drying power of the sun is to buy creams or sprays that allow you to appear tanned. This way you can avoid lying in the sun to get that nice browned look. With a simple application that takes a few minutes instead of hours sweating it out under the rays of the sun, you can look as though you have been at the beach all day.

You should not have to avoid the sun completely; the sun and the vitamin D it provides helps to keep away the blues and is to a certain extent healthy. If you go outside, just make sure you have the right protection and moisture already in your skin, giving it an extra edge while the sun shines down on you.

I am a LOTION fanatic, it’s a combination of the industry I work in, the alluring scents and simply how soft and luscious it makes my skin feel.  I usually moisturize immediately after I jump out of the shower, I read somewhere that its best to do so as your skin will absorb the moisture more thereby you’re reaping the rewards of your purchase. If you don’t already moisturize daily, I urge you to do so body lotions are affordable and help keeps your skin youthful, glowing and smooth! (;

Here we go, my TOP 3 Daily Moisturizers (and yes, I am guilty of using all 3 in a single day).

1)   Aveeno Daily Moisturizer with SPF 15

Aveeno is already known for their fantastic moisturizers and this SPF 15 daily moisturizer is no exception. I love that this is a daily SPF lotion. It’s a itty bitty bit thicker than I am use to for a daily lotion, BUT the SPF makes up for it and its nothing a little extra rubbing won’t resolve! It absorbs quickly and nicely; leaving your skin soft & protected. It’s non-greasy which is a big big big plus in my book. I use this on my arms, neck, hands, anywhere that’s exposed to the sun before I head out. We all know how harmful the sun and UVA/UVB rays can be to our skin and how it can cause premature wrinkles/age spots… NOBODY WANTS that. So this is at the top of my list. As for fragrance, it has a light scent that most SPF products have and lingers for a little but wholly unnoticeable after a while.

Price: very afforable at $7-$13. Several sizes available. Found at most drugstores (purchased mine at Target).

More info & other great products on: Aveeno.com

2. Vaseline Sheer Infusions (Bontanical Blend)

Hailing from Vaseline a staple brand in homes for many many years, Vaseline’s Sheer Infusion is a new line they just launched and THIS specific lotion is what prompted me to write this blog in the first place.

I’ve only been using this lotion for several days, I have to say, I am in LOVE!  The scent is light and pleasant, I have no idea what’s in it, but the lotion absorbs instantaneously leaving your skin literally feeling soft, smooth, silky and luscious. It’s AMAZING. I can not stop rubbing my arm when I first tried this lotion THAT’S how soft this product makes our skin. Ahhhh, I love silky soft skin don’t you? I’ve only tried the Botanical Blend, but there’s also a Mineral Renewal and Nutrition Burst available in the Sheer Infusion line which I’m sure is equally as great as the Botanical Blend. In summation: Vaseline’s Sheer Infusion: absorbs well, is no-greasy, definitely last 24 hours, has a light pleasant scent making it one of my top daily body moisturizers

Price: affordable at $5.99 – $12. several sizes available. found at most drugstores. (Purchased mine at Target). Get a $1.50 off coupon here: www.vaselinesheerinfusion.com

More info on the line: www.vaselinesheerinfusion.com

3. Victoria Secret’s lotion in PINK

Ok, honestly this lotion isn’t all that great for dry skin. It’s good for your hands after a wash, its good for summer days where you don’t need as much moisture. It’s good to have in the car or your purse when you need quick light weight moisture. BUT what this lotion IS good for is… FRAGRANCE GALORE. This is my all time favorite scent. Its fresh & clean with a great hint of floral. its recommended you layer scents for it to last but in all honestly I put this lotion on my arms, & neck and the scent holds throughout the entire day! I am notorious for switching fragrance constantly, but this scent has been a staple in my arsenal. Lasting scent for those looking for a hint of fragrance, but not into perfumes. Absorbs very well, no greasy feeling.

Price: $20 one size available unless you buy it in a gift bag/basket. purchase at Victoria’s Secret stores or via online store.

More Info: Victoriassecret.com

Today has been a stressful day at school as usual. There’s projects, essays, presentations and homework. As soon as I came home, my french/math tutor helped me with pre calculus homework and I’m now taking a short break between all the studying.

Below are some pictures of my bathroom favorites right now.

The Body Shop-Almond Body Butter (lovely scent)

Face Stockholm- Eye dust (electric eyes)

Matrix Essentials -selaing serum (great for frizzy hair in the mornings)

Philosophy-primer (shine control)

Lancôme -make-up palette (perfect for going out during the weekends)

MAC -mineralize skin finish (effective touch-up)

Dior- Miss Dior Chérie L'eau (timeless classic)

L'occitane en Provence- Hand Cream (terrific moisturizer with 20% shea butter)