Guerlain Terracotta After Sun Cream

Guerlain's Terracotta After Sun Cream ($53) was calling me when I read the press release. Odd, since I don't "do sun." However, I talked to my friends at the Guerlain Boutique in Las Vegas, and they described the scent using terms like divine and intoxicating. I had to do a brain shift and realize it's a body moisturizer. It doesn't matter whether I prefer to tan or stay pale. I could enjoy this cream.

I ordered two tubes - the last two they had - and received them early today. They are relatively large (5.1 fluid ounces), and they impart a fragrance to my skin that is long-lasting and drool-worthy. Because Terracotta After Sun Cream is a limited edition, if you have any interest in this gorgeously scented body moisturizer, order it now. Wait a week or two, and it could be gone - for good.

Because tanned skin is even more beautiful when it is intensely hydrated, Guerlain is offering its first exclusive Terracotta after-sun care, boasting the Tan Booster Complex to enhance and intensify bronzed skin. Formulated with precious ingredients of natural origin and infused with the scent of tiare, Terracotta After Sun completely hydrates, softens, and soothes the skin from the effects of the sun - or anything else that dehydrates your skin. I don't tan, but I love moisture in any form - and I totally adore the tropical scent of tiare, a type of gardenia that grows on Tahiti, the largest Island of French Polynesia in the southern Pacific Ocean.

The key ingredients of Terracotta After Sun Cream...

• An exclusive complex extracted from the carob, a thousand-year-old tree that grows in the Mediterranean region, is said to prolong your tan. Used before, during, and after tanning, it ought to help you hang on to your golden color.
• Cupuacu butter - this Amazonian treasure belongs to the same family as cocoa and is renowned for its exceptional ability to retain water in the skin.
• Camellia oil and jojoba seed oil - this cocktail of oils with antioxidant properties works in perfect synergy to hydrate and protect the skin, while helping it to rebuild its hydrolipid film (the skin's natural protective barrier). 

Even without a day in the sun, I feel luxurious. It was sunny today. It was also cold and windy, and the black ice that greeted us this morning was dangerous. Yesterday's snow still hangs on the plants, making it look pretty outdoors, but treacherous. I am beyond frustrated and fatigued by our extended winter. Imagine my delight, then, when UPS showed up with the most heavenly tropical body cream I've smelled in some time. It gave me a respite from the endless winter we have suffered.

What happens every year with Guerlain's limited-edition Terracotta introductions? They sell out quickly. I have found myself kicking myself in the butt for waiting too long. Indecision has been my ruin. If you have any interest in this gorgeously fragranced cream, do what I did. Stop lingering and order it.

Photo courtesy of Neiman Marcus

AmLactin Moisturizing Lotion - It's That Time of Year

We've been talking about the winter flakes. There's a simple solution, and it's as close as your local drugstore.

Want a "no-frills" body moisturizer that really works? Try AmLactin Moisturizing Lotion, recommended by many dermatologists. It's a 12% lactic acid lotion that is neutralized with ammonium hydroxide to provide a pH of 4.5-5.5. On average, our skin has a pH of 5.5, slightly acidic, which has its benefits: 1) its acidic nature wards off pathogens that cause disease, and the acidity stabilizes the skin's barrier function, and 2) lipids within the skin's structure retain their ability to prevent moisture loss. As a result, lactic acid, an alpha-hydroxy acid, is a natural humectant for the skin.

Trust me, AmLactin works! I use it or the much more expensive prescription 12% Lac-Hydrin (yeah, nutty to spend more than necessary) every night in the dry months. I use it right before I crawl under the covers. I use it on my chest, arms, legs, hands, and feet. It absorbs quickly, so I don't feel all gooey. It has no fragrance, so I can always add on whatever aromatherapy I may want to lull me to sleep.

The lotion sluffs off dead skin cells and keeps nice, fresh skin at the surface, critical for preventing the symptoms of dry skin. What does it do for me? For one thing, my hands are so dry, they crack open in the winter. I get paper cuts with ease. AmLactin really helps. It's a winter essential. I wash my hands obsessively to ward off flu and other viruses, and that is very drying. AmLactin helps me keep my hands from looking (and feeling) embarrassing. It also keeps my heels from cracking open, which is very painful. It ensures my arms and legs don't look like alligator skin - or old skin. I know I'm supposed to use it twice/day, but I don't find it convenient to slather up in the morning.

I really want to try the special Foot Cream, but I've been using plain vanilla AmLactin on my feet, and it really helps. Looking for the foot cream should be my shopping task of the week. My heels have already started to crack.

You can find AmLactin just about everywhere: at Costco, CVS and other drugstores, and online. You can download coupons from the AmLactin Web site. Ounce for ounce, I think Costco has the best price, but with the coupons, who knows?

If you decide to try it, the company recommends you do a patch test on a small, inconspicuous place for a few days to ensure that you are not sensitive to the lactic acid. I'm not - and I never bothered - even though my skin is very sensitive. I love this stuff!

Photo courtesy of AmLactin

(seed) Grape Seed Enriched Body Cream

I've been dwelling today on things that make me feel good. (seed) Grape Seed Enriched Body Cream ($11.99) is one of them. This highly hydrating, almost whipped, rich body cream is perfect for soothing skin as winter's dry air attacks. Not only is (seed) Body Cream 100% natural, it offers "the benefits of seedology."

Everything begins with a seed. It's a fact that a single seed contains all the nutrients that enable life. When you look inside a seed, it's packed with elements that provide incredible skin health benefits. Our proprietary formulas are developed to deliver the most comprehensive benefits, while delivering an indulgent sensory experience. It's all inside these tiny seeds – the essence and power to create a healthy life.

What are these seeds? Grape seeds, sunflower seeds, jojoba seeds, pomegranate seeds, apricot seeds, apple seeds, strawberry seeds, açaì seeds, passion flower seeds, rice bran seeds - a who's who antioxidants and essential fatty acids. Used in (seed) products, they absorb quickly, but moisturize all day; offer completely non-greasy skin care; and even provide a short burst of natural oil aromatherapy.

The Body Cream is thick and rich, yet not heavy. That's why I described it as almost whipped. It will revive your dry body skin (think scaly legs) and keep it feeling soft and nourished day after day. Shea butter is an extraordinary moisturizer and skin conditioner, but alone it can be seem oily. The proprietary (seed) blend of rich shea with grape seed oil allows the shea to penetrate your skin without being greasy or oily. It's perfect for elbows, knees, or wherever you need extra moisturizing under clothing you don't want to leave a stain.

This huge jar of Body Cream is available in two fragrances: citrus and lavender, both favorites of mine. (seed) sent me a sample of the lavender, and I love it. Just take a look at the ingredient list. You'll want to try it too. All good stuff!

Water (Aqua), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Emulsifying Wax NF, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (Coconut Oil), Stearic Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf (Green Tea) Extract, Glycerin, Gluconolactone (and) Sodium Benzoate, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Tapioca Starch, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics issued a new report, Market Shift: The story of the Compact for Safe Cosmetics and the growth in demand for safe cosmetics, in November, describing a seven-year project, during which the nonprofit organizations that make up the Campaign worked with companies in a unique partnership to raise the bar for safer personal care products. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics recognized leaders among the 1,500 companies that had signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics, and (seed) Brand Body Care is one of 321 listed “CHAMPION” companies, the highest designation.

The report describes how these CHAMPIONS are setting a new standard for personal care products, demonstrating best practices by:

• Making effective products without using ingredients prohibited for use in cosmetics in other countries;
• Disclosing all their ingredients, including those that make up “fragrance,” showing that it’s not necessary to hide these ingredients from the public;
• Working together with nonprofit health groups to increase market demand for safe, sustainable products and practices.

Pretty cool when you're concerned about what you put in and on your body! You owe it to yourself to check out the (seed) Body Care Web site. Make sure to read about (seed)'s sustainability measures while you're there. (seed) offers the luxurious body cream, but also Healthy Hand Creams and a Therapeutic Hand Scrub that I must try next. There's more. Just hop over to see what the buzz is about.

Photo courtesy of (seed) Body Care

Chaz Dean: WEN Bath and Body Products

As I new Chaz Dean groupie (he hooked me with the Pomegranate Cleansing Conditioner), I was delighted to be offered an opportunity to try his new bath and body products. The company sent me Lavender Nourishing Body Lotion ($32) and Lavender Body Cleansing Cream ($32). I don't know anyone who doesn't love lavender. It's one of the most soothing scents on earth. When I see a bed of blooming lavender, I want to roll in it like a cat rolling in catnip. Chaz Dean has the next best thing.

Chaz Dean's new bath and body products - all of them - are formulated with a nourishing blend of botanical ingredients. They don't have the harsh detergents in conventional soaps. Dean suggests you start a ritual. Your first step should be an "invigorating" bath or shower with the Body Cleansing Cream. I have to confess: Lavender is relaxing to me, which is great because it calms my mind when it's racing. That's OK, there are other scents for an invigorating experience. This very creamy, but non-lathering, cleanser deposits a moisturizer while stimulating collagen production to promote skin firmness and elasticity (I'm starting to see a need for this). I love the way it cleanses gently, and I use it as a "base" for shaving in the shower.

In your ritual's second step, you should apply the Nourishing Body Lotion - or the Bath, Body & Hair Oil - which applies easily, is rapidly absorbed, and provides long-lasting moisture to leave the skin soft, supple, and "glowing with health." I've adopted this ritual in the last week - morning and evening - and I'm delighted with it.

WEN's one-stop beauty products work seamlessly with each other to promote a balance of "beauty, mind, body, and spirit." With lavender, it works for me! Apparently, there are world-famous devotees of Chaz Dean products, including Gwyneth Paltrow (isn't she great in Glee?), Marcia Cross, Halle Berry, Charlize Theron, Diana Agron (more Glee), Daryl Hannah, and Drew Barrymore - to name just a few of my favorites. I think I'm in great company.

The bath and body products are available in lavender, fig, and sweet almond scents. There's something for everyone. I want to try fig next. It's too bad I placed a huge order from Chaz Dean's Web site about a week ago. I would have added fig to go along with the lavender I'm using every day. I ordered more Pomegranate Cleansing Conditioner, some bath salts in different scents, and a few other things to try. A groupie has to be up-to-date on everything!

When I wrote about the Cleansing Conditioner, many of you commented. You discovered it before I did. I also learned at my office that many women had discovered it before me. When a colleague asked me how I got my hair to shine, and I told her I had started using Pomegranate Cleansing Conditioner, she raved that her mother (probably my age) was hooked on it. Smart woman!

Head over the the Chaz Dean Web site. You'll be tempted.

Photo courtesy of Chaz Dean

Jo Malone English Pear & Freesia - Now Available for Bath, Body & Home

Jo Malone's English Pear & Freesia is a beautiful fragrance. Introduced this summer, it was an instant hit. English Pear & Freesia is said to marry poetry and perfume because it was inspired by the ode To Autumn by John Keats. It's a fruity floral and as pretty as it gets.

Upon first spray, there's a burst of King William Pear in its top notes. White freesia (always one of the most fragrant flowers in a bouquet) is among the scent’s heart notes. Amazingly, its dry-down includes patchouli, white amber, and musk. I don't smell the patchouli, which I normally despise. I do smell the musk.

I purchased the cologne the minute it became available, but I wanted body crème too. My friends who purchased the cologne all wanted the body crème. It wasn't available at first. Now it is! The body crème ($75), shower gel ($50), and a home candle ($65) are now available at Jo Malone's Web site and in department stores (Loyd called me the second they arrived at Saks).

Now you can surround yourself with this lovely, easy-to-wear scent. I can't wait to tell my friends who purchased the cologne!

If you order online from Jo Malone, the current special is a free, deluxe sample of Pomegranate Noir Body Crème, along with free shipping and two fragrance samples of your choice. Use code GOLDEN at checkout.

Photo courtesy of Jo Malone

AHAVA Dermud Enriched Intensive Foot Cream

Most of us expose our feet during the summer. We wear sandals, peep-toes, and slingbacks. We even kick off our shoes and relax now and then! We don't want our feet to look baked, callused, and scaly. If you have dry skin, you have to be on top of your game to keep your dry feet looking good. AHAVA's Dermud Enriched Intensive Foot Cream ($26) is designed to make it easy.

AHAVA, an enterprise indigenous to the Dead Sea region, is driven by a deep passion to employ the secrets of the revitalizing effects of minerals on the skin. The company has a Dermud line specifically targeted for sensitive and dry skin. More than any other skin type, dry and sensitive skin requires constant and consistent hydration in order to ensure its healthy function and maintain vitality. Dermud body products contain Dead Sea mud in a unique patented formula that's rich in moisture-enabling minerals and other soothing, natural agents to treat all dryness parameters (scaling, roughness, redness, and cracks) that affect your torso, arms, legs, hands, and feet. I think you will like Dermud body products even if you don't have dry or sensitive skin!

The Intensive Foot Cream from the Dermud line alleviates the itchiness, redness, roughness, and scaling of dry feet. Dermud’s special blend of Dead Sea mud, minerals, and plant derivatives moisturizes as it soothes and repairs. Included in its long list of ingredients are glycerin, shea butter, jojoba seed oil, coconut oil, aloe extract, lactic acid, Dead Sea mud, Dead Sea water, vitamin E, lavender oil, and more.

It's a nice thick cream, but it absorbs quickly. It has a clean, fresh scent. No one ingredient stands out in the fragrance, but I do detect a slight whiff of the lavender. I use it at night when I get into bed and treat my feet to a short massage as I rub it in. Both the application and the fresh fragrance are relaxing. My feet? Appreciative! Of course you could use it in the morning again because it absorbs quickly and won't leave your feet feeling gloppy in your shoes.

A few noteworthy features make it especially attractive for sensitive skin types. It's paraben-free, approved for sensitive skin, and allergy tested. Plus AHAVA products are not tested on animals.

You can check out AHAVA's products at their Web site. They have a generous special offer now. If you spend $100 or more, you will receive a free full-sized Pure Spa Dry Oil Spray worth $36, along with free shipping. There are so many nice products, I'm trying, without much luck, to narrow down my initial selections. I know I want the AHAVA Intensive Hydration Mask, which won a SELF Healthy Beauty Award. If I could only get my $300 list down to $100!

Photo courtesy of AHAVA

Gillette's SatinCare In-Shower Moisturizer

Today is the last day to enter the Gillette Venus Giveaway Contest. The deadline is midnight. One of you is going to win four Gillette Venus products just in time to go bare this summer.

I have to admit that I'm stunned that there aren't more entries for this giveaway contest. Of course, I was fairly clueless when I scheduled it during spring break and Easter, when so many people are traveling. I do live in my own little bubble - just plugging away trying to make progress on my ever-expanding life management to-do list. Don't even mention organizing the makeup. I get anxious and suddenly need a nap.

Gillette's SatinCare In-Shower Moisturizer ($4.65) occupies an interesting new niche. It's available in two formulas: one for dry skin and one for sensitive skin. The dry skin formula features shea butter, and the sensitive skin formula features aloe vera. Both are designed to help lock in moisture with daily use. Simply smooth onto wet legs, rinse, and pat dry (don't towel rub!) to leave your skin feeling soft and incredibly smooth.

Gillette sent me one of these to try, and I found it a very nice addition to my shower routine. I think you will too! Make sure to use it toward the end of your shower. You can use it anywhere except your face. I have been using it on my super-dry legs. Even if you decide to add a moisturizer after you bathe, SatinCare will give you a nice head start. Use it every day, and in a few days, you will notice that your skin is more hydrated.

The winner of the Gillette Venus contest will win a SatinCare, along with the wonderful new Venus Embrace Disposable Razors, Venus Embrace Pink, and the reformulated SatinCare Shave Gel. So head over to the contest and enter before you log off tonight.

Photo courtesy of Gillette Venus

Melvita Bio-excellence Lait Hydratant pour le Corps

Want an effective body moisturizer that's so lightweight it sinks into your skin instantly, allowing you to throw on a pair of slacks or blouse without fear of an oil slick? Melvita's Bio-excellence Moisturizing Body Milk ($28) was made for you!

This fresh, creamy body milk provides in-depth nourishment for the driest, most dehydrated skins and forms a protective film - without leaving behind a trace of "goo."

It combines the softening and exceptionally soothing properties of baobab with the firming qualities of kigelia and the invigorating qualities of macadamia, moringa, coconut. Added to the mix are the softness of shea, cocoa, and avocado butters and the soothing qualities of stevia and pumpkin sterols. Sound heavy? Only in effectiveness!

This body milk has a very subtle fruity fragrance. Each time I apply it on my legs and arms, I catch a slight whiff that smells berry-like (maybe strawberries?). It's a non-greasy, milky lotion that has a lasting moisturizing effect on my legs, which came out of winter looking as dusty as a scalp with dandruff! I'll admit that even beauty bloggers don't take the time to moisturize after every morning shower.

Like most Melvita products, Lait Hydratant pour le Corps (do I sound more wordly when I use its French name?) is a natural, organic treat for your skin. Melvita is French organic body care and beauty products leader. The company is located in the heart of the Ardèche countryside. Founded in 1983 by beekeeper and biologist Bernard Chevilliat, Melvita (meaning “honey and life” in Latin) has been a pioneer in the field of organic beauty for more than 25 years and is a passionate advocate for the complete organic lifestyle.

You can purchase Melvita at SkinStore, Beautorium, and other online sites. Right now, SkinStore has a great offer with purchase. While supplies last, you will receive a free moisturizing duo worth $20 with any $45 Melvita purchase. That's a great way to try some new products!

Photo courtesy of Melvita

Gillette Venus Inner Goddess Giveaway Contest

Are you ready to reveal your inner goddess? Gillette Venus has generously offered to help one lucky giveaway contest winner!

You read Rebekah George's tips for a red carpet summer. She mentioned Venus Embrace, the most technologically advanced razor available today. The Venus Embrace has won prestigious beauty awards. If the editors of Allure, Shape, Cosmo, and Health.com love it, you will too.

Now, the advanced shaving technology of Venus Embrace's five blades surrounded by a Protective Ribbon of Moisture is available in disposables. I don't know about you, but I love to use razors as long as they work and then toss them. The Venus Embrace Disposable Razors are right up my alley.

Get ready for this summer's bare season with a set of four fabulous new products - all of which are available at mass market drugstores and retailers. You can even shop online at Drugstore.com or Gillette.com.

The four new or reformulated products?

Venus Embrace Disposables – The first and only five-bladed disposable razor for women and the most technologically advanced disposable on the market. Get an irresistibly close, smooth shave in just one stroke with a new SoftGrip handle for greater control.

Venus Embrace – Venus’ most technologically advanced five-bladed refillable razor with a Protective Ribbon of Moisture and pivoting head is now available in pretty pink.

SatinCare In-Shower Moisturizer – SatinCare’s first ever In-Shower Moisturizer helps lock in moisture for up to 24 hours after five days of use and eliminates the need for a moisturizer after showering.

Reformulated SatinCare Shave Gel – SatinCare Shave Gel delivers up to 35% more glide than ever before.

The winner of this giveaway contest will win each of these four fabulous products just in time for tank top and bikini season!

How can you enter to win? Comment here telling us your favorite bare look for summer. It's that easy! How do you stay cool and look your best? Willing to share your secrets?

After you comment, feel free to e-mail bestthingsinbeautycontests@gmail.com and identify your comment. You can never be too careful about sharing your e-mail address on a blog, so I would follow this second step if I were you (the alternative is to code your e-mail, e.g., myname at gmail dot com, in your comment).

The deadline for entries will be midnight, April 5. I will use a random number generator to select the winner.

In the meantime, look for these new products at your favorite store. Why not use the best?

I will be posting this contest at Free!Grechen too. Good Luck!

Update 4/1: This is not an April Fools' joke! I have extended this contest deadline by three days to April 5 to give more of you a chance to enter. Check out my April 1 review of the Venus Embrace Disposables.

Photos courtesy of Gillette Venus

Pure Fiji Coconut Milk and Honey Body Butter

I am a sucker for tropical fragrances - any time of year. When a body butter hydrates my skin and takes me on a trip to the islands, I fall in love. Pure Fiji's Coconut Milk and Honey Body Butter ($45) evokes pure rapture.

This nourishing body butter instantly hydrates dry skin. The ingredients? Coconut milk, "exotic drift nut oils," and raw honey, boosted with royal jelly. It's pretty basic: a body butter that leaves a divine fragrance as it moisturizes your skin. The best part? This fabulous fragrance lasts! I like to use this body butter at bedtime and drift off to sleep dreaming that I'm resting in the shade of an umbrella, surrounded by sand, drinking a yummy fruit drink, and eating coconut slices - just like my memories of Barbados.

Pure Fiji is a great company. Based in New Zealand, Pure Fiji uses the finest quality plant oils and extracts in each of their products. The line does not contain ingredients that commonly cause allergies or problems for sensitive skins, uses organic materials whenever they can, and does not test on animals. All Pure Fiji containers are recyclable.

Here's a little more about the company, abstracted from their Web site.

Pure Fiji endeavors to ensure that products will benefit customers through exceptional performance and value, while positively impacting the people and economies of the local communities from which the raw materials are sourced. Pure Fiji believes this is achievable by using ingredients from renewable resources and eco-friendly packaging.

Pure Fiji takes great pride in using ecologically friendly ingredients and supporting the environment that sustains business in the Pacific. They make every effort to minimize their carbon footprint, and where appropriate, enhance Fiji's unique ecosystem. Botanical ingredients, such as their blend of nut oils, are wild-harvested, which means they select the nuts from trees that grow in their natural habitat. That practice reduces their requirement for energy-dependent irrigation and fertilization methods. Bottles used in packaging are PET, which are an environmentally responsible choice that requires 24% less energy to produce and generates 40% less solid waste than glass bottles. Gift packaging is made by hand using natural fibers, such as handmade paper or delightful woven baskets.

These enlightened philosophies also played a big part in the design and construction of Pure Fiji's new, state-of-the-art factory and its daily production processes. Passive solar dryers are employed, and oils are cold pressed in the villages that supply them. Spa linens and staff uniforms are sun-dried, eliminating the need for electricity. Pure Fiji even recycles the chaff and seed casings from the nuts in the factory gardens - which act as a nursery for Pure Fiji's tree planting programs along the coastline, a source of a variety of flowers and herbs for use in their spa, and even supply fresh vegetables for the factory staff to use in their meals.

So, if you want to try a fabulous body butter - and feel good about using a "green earth" product - browse the Pure Fiji Web site to find the Coconut Milk and Honey Body Butter or another product that grabs your attention. You can order from Pure Fiji by clicking on the store that matches your country, or Google Pure Fiji for other online sources.

Photo courtesy of Pure Fiji

88 Orange Body Butter

88 Orange Body Butter ($56) is new at b~glowing. It must be popular because it's on back order. Mine came earlier this week, even though I ordered it in December.

Want a trip to an orange grove to dispel the winter blues? This may be your ticket! Wearing 88 Orange Body Butter is like time travel to the untainted orange groves of Southern California or those of Florida in the "old days" before freezes and development decimated many of them.

This luscious body butter has top notes of bright citronella and sweet tangerine, heart notes of fresh-pressed organic orange blossoms and cool water lily, and base notes of bright neroli and clean lilac, the fragrant lilac from your grandmother's garden - not the recent hybrids bred for color rather than fragrance.

88 Orange products are organically grown in Orange County, California, and their headquarters is in Costa Mesa. The company, founded in 2007, makes T-shirts from organic yarn, offered in colors inspired by the beaches and groves of Orange County. Their T-shirts are laundered in their signature "blossom" scent - the fragrance in their body butter. "88" represents the ideal size of an orange picked from the tree to go to market.

I "stumbled" onto 88 Orange when I was browsing b~glowing. I love orange blossom fragrances, and as I read the fragrance notes, I was clicking on "Add to Cart." I'm glad I did! Opening the jar is like peeling an orange. The scent is juicy and delicious, and the moisturizer is rich with shea butter, cocoa butter, and sunflower seed oil. Slathering with 88 Orange before bed has already become a bedtime ritual - just like giving my furry friend his Pounce treats.

88 Orange Body Butter is a b~glowing exclusive. An Eau de Parfum, soy candle, and fabric softener are also available. I've been thinking...I need that fabric softener!

Photo courtesy of b~glowing

Skin Free After Shower Moisture Spritz

Skin Free After Shower Moisture Spritz ($11.99) is a spray oil made for all skin, but targeted for delicate, sensitive, and dry or damaged skin. It's helpful for those with allergies, eczema, psoriasis, or dermatitis, and it's perfect for those who want to use natural oils to moisturize after bathing. According to Skin Free's Web site, their products are also recommended for pregnant women, babies, diabetics, renal patients, the elderly, and people who have undergone chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Skin Free products have no fragrance, colorants, or petroleum products in them. The After Shower Moisture Spritz is simply olive oil, sweet almond oil, and vitamin E - no water, no preservatives, no suspect chemicals. That's why it's so good for men and women with skin that's dry or irritable.

You might ask, "Why would I pay $11.99 when I could mix these ingredients myself?" One reason is the convenient spray; it's easy to apply. A second reason is the formulation - somehow Skin Free is light and non-greasy after application. I don't like putting regular olive oil on my skin on a regular basis because it leaves a heavy film and damages my clothing. I also have to admit that my olive oil costs more than Skin Free, but that's another story!

Skin Free makes soap, a Niaouli Butter Stick, Super Moisture Body Balm, Whipped Tamanu Body Butter, and more - all for sensitive skin. They also make formulas for blemish-prone skin. All Skin Free products have been designed and formulated by Julie Hilton, a practicing pharmacist with over 30 years experience in compounding products and natural skin care. Julie started the company in 2000 when she and her husband moved to the Blue Ridge of Virginia.

The line is worth checking out at CVS, Walgreens, or Drugstore.com. Nice stuff!

Photo courtesy of Drugstore.com

Avène Cold Cream - Remedy for Dry or Sensitive Skin

I sure wish CVS still sold Avène products! I used to buy them at my CVS Healthy Skincare Store. Then, they went away. I and other customers have lamented CVS's decision to discontinue them. Avène makes some fabulous, gentle products for dry and sensitive skin.

Eau Thermale Avène Cold Cream is an ancient intensive nourishing and hydrating formula credited to Galen, a physician in second century Greece. Composed of water, certain fats, and usually including beeswax, the name of the cream derives from the cooling feeling that it leaves on the skin. It's not your grandmother's cold cream!

EAU THERMALE Avène offers a variety of products that contain their Cold Cream - all for dry, rough, flaky, and/or sensitive skin. Dermatologists recommend Cold Cream to restore the skin's natural protective barrier. Cold Cream ($17) provides intense hydration with an ultra-rich and creamy formula to help heal extremely dehydrated skin while protecting against moisture loss. The cream's soft texture penetrates quickly and soothes the skin with white beeswax and highly refined paraffin oil. It's hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic.

EAU THERMALE Avène also makes a terrific Cold Cream Lip Balm ($11) that is worth every penny. The balm facilitates the healing of dry, chapped lips while leaving a protective layer behind to maintain softness, smoothness, and hydration. Avène says the lip balm's long-lasting formula is "clinically proven" to remain on lips for up to eight hours. It contains sucralfate (used to heal peptic ulcers and shown to help heal skin too) to heal, restore, and protect and vitamins E and F to nourish and provide antioxidant protection.

You can also find a Cold Cream emollient cleansing gel, hand cream, body cream, soap-free cleansing bar, and oil-free cleanser too. A whole line of EAU THERMALE Avène Cold Cream!

Where can you find Avène Cold Creme and other products? Drugstore.com, SkinStore.com, and Spalook.com. At SkinStore.com, there's a 20% store-wide sale. Use code HOL20 at checkout.

Want to know more about Avène? Here's some information from the company.

The heritage of EAU THERMALE Avène dates back over 260 years to the discovery of the curative properties of thermal water. Originating as rain, the water filters through the Cévennes Mountains absorbing precious minerals and trace elements for 40 years until it reaches the mouth of the ancient Sainte-Odile spring. The modern age of Avène began in 1975 when Pierre Fabre, now the second-largest, independent pharmaceutical company in France, acquired the spring and its surrounding land. Since then, over 300 stringent biological, pharmacological, and clinical studies on the thermal water have been conducted by Pierre Fabre and independent researchers to substantiate the healing and soothing benefits of the water. Low in mineral content, rich in softening silica, and pure, it is ideal for the treatment of skin conditions like atopic dermatitis, eczema, and psoriasis. The Avène Dermatological Hydrotherapy Center, based on these properties and the legacy of the first thermal establishment built there in 1743, welcomes up to 4,000 patients a year to its state-of-the-art medical facility to treat skin conditions in adults and children. Launched in 1993, the EAU THERMALE Avène skin care brand was created to capture these same healing benefits to soothe sensitive skins worldwide. Avène is widely recognized as #1 in French pharmacies among skincare brands and is the most recommended line by European dermatologists.

Photo courtesy of Avène

Vaseline Sheer Infusion - Moisture Redefined

A drugstore powerhouse, Vaseline launches a new moisturizer this month. Vaseline Sheer Infusion with Stratys-3 uses a patent-protected formula of three ingredients to infuse and suspend moisture across all layers of the skin.

The Sheer Infusion body moisturizer will be available in three blends: Botanical Blend, Vitamin Burst, and Mineral Renewal. WWD quoted Srini Sripada, marketing director of Unilever Skin Care, as saying, “It is the biggest breakthrough in body lotion in 10 years.” Perhaps that's marketing hype, but it sure sounds worth trying, particularly given the price: $6.25 for a 6.8 oz bottle and $8.99 for a 13.5 oz pump. I'll be trying the pump.

There are coupons available on the Vaseline Web site. There is also a video on the product at the site. Sheer Infusion will be available at CVS and other drugstores. I'm betting on introductory sales.

Photo courtesy of Vaseline.