**REVIEW** Pantene's Butter Crème Hair Treatment with Argan Oil

 Pantene has been showing up and showing out for me the past year or so.

I never paid much attention to the Pantene brand before last year, but I loved a sample of their foam conditioner I got in some sub box or the other. I loved it so much that I actually bought some and still use it on an alternating basis with another conditioner. But I never thought of shopping Pantene specifically for my kinky-curly hair needs. Then I happened to see this pop up on Amazon:

Yeah. There's a whole lineup of products in that Gold Series. 

Pricewise, most of the products run about $7 to $9 each if bought individually. I see that there are some sets of products for sale. I am happy with the shampoo I use and I already sometimes use Pantene's foaming conditioner so I don't need to go broke buying an entire line of products. What I always need though is daily moisture. So I gave this a try:

That's the Hydrating Butter Creme. It's "infused with argan oil" and supposed to have moisture that lasts 17 hours. I wanted to see about that.

The texture is a creamy oil that has a slightly 
watery melt-down.

I haven't tried it on my freshly washed and conditioned hair but I did test it out today. My hair is 3 days post-wash/condition/twist. It's decent but was still a bit dried out from not being wrapped every night. Also, I ran out of the Hydrasteam products that were so good for my hair. 

Anyway.

This morning, my hair was dry - not crunchy-dry but in that thirsty-need-some-moisture-quick kind of mood. I've been using other products very lightly every day but it's that time of year when the air is getting drier and cooler. My hair always has trouble adjusting to seasonal changes.

Just so I wasn't applying this product to bone-dry hair, I fine-misted it with some water beforehand. I applied about a teaspoon's worth of product to each of four sections of my hair. 

First impressions - immediate impression? This stuff smells SO good. It smells a tiny bit like the Marrakesh oil that is so popular. Not as sensual but it has that slightly amber scent that gets stronger with any kind of warmth. Most of the smell abates quickly, but my hair still has a really pleasant scent for anyone who gets close.

The next impression is that this is very moisturizing. Once I tried just running a small amount through the sections of my hair, I knew I was going to want to use it the next time I twist my hair. So... I did.

That's water-spritzed & the product

It takes an amount of about half the size of a dime for each twist. The tube is a nice 6.8 ounces so that's fine. 

Basically, yes, this does a fabulous job of moisturizing very dry hair. Because of that, I don't care about anything else, but some people will be happy to hear that it is "sulfate-free". 

Best of all, it produced a nice twist-out that was moisturized without being greasy.

Girl, yasss...

I have to admit that this just makes my hair feel better than the Shea Moisture I had been using. My hair felt smoother and had some shine - and shine is not something my hair easily does. But I think that everyone's hair is different and responds differently to products. This just happens to be something that my hair likes apparently.

I started writing this post, as always, several days ago. The update is that my hair does love this. It dried out a bit after a couple of days but I was able to twist again with just a water-spritz and, voila, the moisture revived. Remember what I said about the size of the tube? That's going to last longer than expected because some water will re-boost the first application.

Since I can afford this so much better than I can the HydraSteam products, I will probably use this as a staple and use the HydraSteam when I can.

Peace

--Free

*REVIEW** Skinology Argan Oil for Hair, Face, Skin & Nails

There are lots of argan oils out there (and I've tried a bunch of them), but this was the first one labelled for such specific use:

 This is Skinology's "Pure & Natural Certified Organic" Argan Oil for hair, face, skin and nails.

Now, to be honest, I believe that any argan oil can be used for the hair, the face, the skin, and for the nails. That's what most beauty consumers do use the oil for in the first place. Though I'm sure there are other uses I don't know about, so far, those are the only uses that I do know about.  (I have heard of people taking the oil internally, but I won't be trying that for myself.) I think the main thing that separates one argan oil from another are the same things that separate any type of products: quality and purity. At the end of this post, I will look at some of the terms used on the label but, for now, let's just talk about how this oil worked for me. (And, by the way, heed the product warning of not using if you are allergic to nuts! Not a ha-ha, but seriously...)

I really liked that this oil absorbed so well - not just coating my skin with an oily residue. A bigger test of how well it absorbs was that I was able to use it on my (kinky/curly) hair and it didn't weigh it down. (I applied it lightly to my damp hair, especially the ends. I'm going to keep using it this way once I trim my ends to see if it helps the condition of my hair.)

Like I said before, all of the argan oils I've used have been for the same purposes, but I can tell that this one does work better than some others.When I replaced my Solar Oil by using the Skinology on my nails and cuticles, I was able to get a lot of moisture out of the tiniest dab of the argan oil.

The other ways I tried this out was to moisturize the edge of my hairline. I tend to get a lot of dryness there since it's a spot I don't concentrate on when I use face creams in general. That gave me the idea of using the argan oil on my face after doing a mask treatment. I just applied small dabs of the oil (especially around my eyes, on the chin and on the forehead), patted it on and let it rest before I rubbed in my regular moisturizer. You know how dry your face can get after doing an exfoliation or mask, right? This method of moisturizing worked so well, I'm going to make it part of my routine.

So, while I'm generally skeptical of elaborate claims on product labels, I have to admit that the Skinology lived up to my highest expectations for an argan oil. Not only does it work really well, but the Prime pricing is great. On top of that, there is a full, no-questions asked, keep-the-bottle, money-back guarantee. By the way, I have used other Skinology products and they have all been of the same good quality.

Now, here is that other info I promised. Try not to nod off while reading it. If you use oils in your beauty routine, this is good stuff to learn about.

The part of the product description for this oil that interested me the most was the "Triple Extra Virgin Cold Pressed" statement. Let's break that down a bit. I couldn't quickly locate information specific to argan oil, but I'm looking at how the USDA (pdf file link) defines terms for olive oils.

• Virgin olive oils are the oils obtained from the fruit of the olive tree solely by mechanical or other physical means under conditions, including thermal conditions, that do not lead to alterations in the oil, and which have not undergone any treatment other than washing, decantation, centrifugation, and filtration...

I didn't find any mention of "triple extra virgin" at that source. When I looked for definition of "cold pressed", I checked out the Wikipedia article on olive oil for an idea of what it means for that oil to be cold pressed:

• Cold pressed or Cold extraction means "that the oil was not heated over a certain temperature (usually 27 °C (80 °F)) during processing, thus retaining more nutrients and undergoing less degradation".[43] The difference between Cold Extraction and Cold Pressed is regulated in Europe, where the use of a centrifuge, the modern method of extraction for large quantities, must be labelled as Cold Extracted, while only a physically pressed olive oil may be labelled as Cold Pressed. In many parts of the world, such as Australia, producers using centrifugal extraction still label their products as Cold Pressed.

Okay. So there you go. If any of you know anything about oils (especially that whole "triple virgin" thing) please share!

Peace
--Free

DISCLOSURE: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

**REVIEW** North

This is probably my favorite of all the argan oils I've tried. I mean, it's my top favorite. I can't say much more than I did when I reviewed it on Amazon, so I'll cheat and (mostly) repeat:

Notice the "all-purpose" use

Not all Argan oils are created equal. Most of them do the job of moisturizing and relieving problems with dry skin, hair and nails but, I have tried so many different brands, that I am learning which ones seem to do the job best. This 100% Pure Virgin Argan Oil by NorthCoast Products is one of the best so far.

Like with most oils, this one claims to be free of additives (fragrance, color, chemicals, etc.), but because of how good it treated my skin, I believe the claims for this one.

And not tested on animals

My test is to apply the oil to the driest part of my skin. Usually, this is my hands. When I dabbed this brand on to the back of my hand, I could feel the moisture going to work as soon as I began massaging in the oil.The best thing though is how the oil absorbs completely so that I have the moisture without the greasy residue sitting on top of my skin. It moisturizes like a really good lotion without the mess of an oil.

I also tried this oil on my feet (my real problem area). When I applied it initially, the results were good, but not as much as for my hands. Since I have extremely dry feet (it's actually embarrassing how dry they can get so fast), I decided to do a soak in warm water and exfoliate them with a rough washcloth before I tested the oil again. This time - great results. Just like with my hands, I got a lot of moisture without the stickiness and mess. (And, yes, I have done the same test with the other brands. This one is still my favorite so far.)

A lot of Argan oils (the ones that do an adequate job) are not ones that I would want to use on my face. Maybe the ultimate reason I chose this as my current favorite is that I am able to use it on my face (even around my eyes) and get such good results. Some other oils tended to be too heavy (or, at least, they didn't absorb well enough) for that. I had to let this one "rest" for just a minute or so before I could apply makeup. It's really nice for night time use when I want to use a bit more around my eyes, on my forehead and on my neck.

The biggest factor in how well this particular brand of Argan oil works seems to be how well it absorbs. I'm assuming that it's because of quality. Now, it is on the pricier side - especially for the 4-oz size. I've almost used mine up because I do like it so much and use it more than the other ones that I have. That's probably a Pro and Con, depending on how you look at it.

By the way, they offer a 90-day Money Back Guarantee. Check out the North Coast Products website to look into getting discounts by joining their mailing list.

Peace
--Free

DISCLOSURE: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Do Yourself Beautiful (Naturally)

So many things to do with some of the products I get a chance to review. A friend of mine came to visit today and we were sharing and exchanging beauty products. She fell in love with the organic coconut oil I shared with her. She was telling me about a sugar & coconut oil skin treatment she's been wanting to try. All that talk of beauty products and recipes got me to thinking about putting together this post.

There are a lot of yummy-sounding recipes for and ways to use Coconut Oil, Argan Oil, Lemon Oil and some others ingredients. Here are some of the ones I've run across that I really like the sound of:


Coconut Oil

• Homemade hand scrub
• A face cream also using Shea Butter & Tea Tree Oil
• A non-toxic eyeliner
• Some beauty tricks using Coconut Oil

Argan Oil

• A hair serum treatment
• 3-ingredient customizable facial oil
• Cuticle oil cream

Lemon Essential Oil & Lemons

• 43 uses for this oil
• 10 uses for it
• 11 beauty uses for lemons
• Household uses for lemons
• Uses for lemons "that will blow your socks off" (love the title)

Other Essential Oils

• Always good to know cautions of using essential oils
• And to know surprising uses for them...
• A ton of ways to use essential oils in almost every way

Good stuff, right? 

I will do more posts on using some of the other products I have either reviewed or just run across in my daily life. 

By the way, many thanks to all these sources for some good and useful info! If any of you have more DIY stuff that you like or have heard about, please share with the rest of us.

Peace

--Free

**TrueSol Moroccan Argan Oil

Argan oil is one of the richest and most versatile of all the oils I use. I love it. I really like when one is good quality. This one is of great quality and feels marvelous on my skin:

This is 100% pure Moroccan Argan Oil by True Sol Nutrition.

I have used this on my skin, nails, feet, and hair. I judge the quality of it based on the fact that I can just straight apply it to my face and hands and get instant relief from dryness - without an overly oily residue. (Although, I do lightly blot my face when I'm going to be applying makeup afterwards.) When I use it on my feet and hands, I get almost zero residue. Guess that tells you about the state of my feet and hands...

Paraben free

This is one of the 2 oils I used as a carrier while using the tea tree oil I am also beginning to love. The Argan oil is rich enough to protect my skin from the straight tea tree for spot treatments while the odor-free factor allows me to use it with my fragrant essential oils.

Once again, to go over the general benefits of Argan oil:

• Moisturizing for dry (and even acne prone skin)
• As a makeup remover and skin cleanser (rub in and wipe off with a towelette)
• Improving skin elasticity (which could help with stretch marks)
• Soothe chapped lips, and
• mix with tea tree to make a lip treatment, or
• mix with an exfoliant to make a lip scrub
• Mix with an exfoliant to make a face/body scrub
• Help soothe razor burns
• Treat dry scalp and hairline
• Use on nails and cuticles
• A hot-oil treatment for hair (and for the skin - especially good on feet!)
• Tame your flyaway hair
• Add shine to hair
• Use as a leave-in hair conditioner
• Fade sunspots on the skin (I've heard it can possibly heal sun-damaged skin)
• For dry facial skin, you can add a bit to your cosmetics
• The oil is high in anti-oxidants

And the list goes on and on and on.

This brand is really good. The one drawback for some might be that the price is higher than for other brands. I counter that with the fact that this oil is of a really good quality (and that makes a big difference). I used this on my face and was happy that it didn't clog my pores or leave a nasty residue. I wouldn't be as picky for an oil that I was going to slather on my feet or knees, but when it comes to my face, I prefer quality over quantity. The other thing that I noticed was that the website listed on the bottle is no longer working. By ordering through Amazon, customers will be protected with the standard Amazon return policy.

Peace
--Free

DISCLOSURE: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

**REVIEW** Pura d'or Hair & Body Care

Nice to have a set of products that will treat my hair and skin. This set is from Pura d'or:

A complete care system

 These products are formulated for hair growth/prevention of hair loss. I haven't used it long enough to tell you about that, but I do think that when used regularly, it probably does help. That's because of how each of the products worked for me.

Actual sizes I received

Let's look at each part of the set.

The shampoo works really well for cleansing without drying my natural (kinky/curly) hair. It feels really good during the washing and the only thing I didn't like about it was the smell. There's a very strong, medicinal/herbal smell that reminds me of fresh planting soil. That's the negative part. The positive part is that the smell only applies to the shampoo and doesn't last long.

The conditioner is very pleasantly and  faintly scented. I can't put my finger on the type of scent, but it's more of a fresh smell and not perfume-y. And it is such a great conditioner. It left my hair softer than normal (even after drying and before otherwise treating with moisturizers and follow-up products).

I had 2 of my nieces try out the shampoo and conditioner just so that I could get opinions from ladies with different hair textures. One niece, (who has naturally very healthy hair that she wears straight and unprocessed) liked the conditioner but not the shampoo. She wasn't pleased with the smell, but her main point was that it didn't feel as if it was cleansing her hair as well as her store-brand shampoo. She did love the conditioner - both for the smell and the resulting softness. My other niece (who has more of a caucasian texture of straight/slightly wavy hair) liked both products as much as I did. She did agree with my other niece and I about the smell of the shampoo.

As for the Argan oil, we all loved it on our skin and nails.I happen to like using oils for my cuticles and this worked as well if not better than the actual cuticle oil I have purchased off the shelf It was a bit too heavy for my 2nd niece's hair if she applied any more than the very tiniest amount. My other niece and I love it. Our hair tends to be much drier and the oil absorbed well into it without weighing it down at all. Still, we applied it sparingly.

I like using the oil on my face at night. The weather has suddenly gotten colder an drier in the past several days and my normal moisturizer wasn't enough. This oil absorbs so well that I didn't even need to blot it. I applied a couple dabs from my fingertips to my face concentrating on my eyes and smile lines. For ladies who have dry hairline edges (me!), dab some of the oil on and, instead of rubbing it in, just keep dabbing until you have worked the moisture into the hair and skin.

Only take a couple of dabs

So, yes, this is good stuff. Like I started out saying, I can't swear anything about the hair growth/hair loss prevention, but I can see how that might be the case. I think it's important to use a product for a while (and to use it correctly) before expecting results. I like that these products do work well together, and I love the oil.

Pura d'or offers free shipping for the Continental U.S. and, for first-time customers, a 20% discount on products. The products are made with all natural ingredients, are animal cruelty free and USDA biobased certified. There is a "100-day Complete Satisfaction Guarantee" (with a request to complete a short survey for improvement of the products and services).

Peace
--Free

DISCLOSURE: I received my Pura d'ora products( via a BrandBacker campaign) in exchange for a fair and honest review for my blog readers.

**REVIEW** Pure Body Naturals Organic Argan Oil

Let me just say right up front that I'm pretty impressed with Pure Body Naturals. No surprise that I really like the other product I've gotten from them to try out.

Of course, argan oil  generally is getting to be quite popular for its uses in hair care and beauty routines. In some places, it's even used in and on food. I didn't know that before. When I opted to try out this Organic Argan Oil by Pure Body Naturals I was most interested in the products moisturizing properties for hair, face, skin and nails - as it's promoted for.

I do like using oils in my beauty routine and this one worked really, really well on my dry fingernails and hands. It worked much better than any cuticle oil I've ever tried. For my hair, it was just a little bit too heavy. I have naturally kinky/curly hair and when I used this as a leave-in oil, it weighed down the curls.

It was a wonderful skin moisturizer (especially after a warm bath) so, after about a week, I started to re-think the way I could use it for my hair. Instead of trying to put it into my dry (or semi-damp) hair as a leave-in, I used it as a rinse-out conditioning treatment. And... SCORE! I think I mentioned recently how I have damaged my hair into stubborn dryness... Well, this oil really helped add some moisture and shine that lasted after my hair was dry from the rinse. It also worked as a hair softener. I was pretty pleased with that.

The argan oil has omega 3s that are so good for the skin. For facial use, the oil worked well (in my case) as a makeup remover. It's much cheaper than the makeup-removing oils that you can buy at the drugstores, and it worked so much better. Since I was wiping it off using my usual baby wipes, my skin retained enough of the oil for a moisturizing effect without the heaviness I got just using the oil as a leave-on treatment. Just like with my hair, it was too heavy for me unless I used it moderately.

If you have a different skin type (or even a skin issue, such as eczema) you might want to work out your own ways of using the oil to get the benefits. I can tell you that I do like using it on my legs and the backs of my thighs - especially when I'm going to be wearing hosiery - to keep my skin from drying out and feeling abused.

I did use the oil as an overnight facial moisturizer. I applied it sparingly and, by morning when I washed (baby-wiped) my face, my skin felt soothed and ready for my daytime face cream. I also plan to try it as an after-treatment when I use my konjac sponge. By the way, I did notice that, if you do want to wear it as a daytime moisturizer, you may want to blot well before applying matte makeup.

Since this bottle is so big (4oz), I am going to be using some of the oil to mix and use with some of the stronger essential oils I'm trying out. I'm going to love having a Sweet Orange-scented/argan mix for my after-bath moisturizing...

Once again, I have to give Pure Body Naturals credit for standing behind their product with a Lifetime 100% money-back guarantee. Simple, direct, and good.

Peace
--Free

DISCLOSURE:
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

**REVIEW** Tru Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo & Conditioner for Dry Hair

You have no idea what my hair has been through lately. I don't even think you want to know...

Right now, I am struggling with a change in medication (plus, I've been on vacay to a different climate and am back here with the cold), and my hair is not happy. It's been kind of dry and kind of dull. Actually, it's been all kinds of dry and somewhat dull - which is, I guess, a natural thing for dry hair.

Anyway, I am giving this shampoo a tryout:

It'sTru  Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo & Conditioner for dry hair. My hair must have put in a call and these guys answered. Guess what? I like the results. A lot. To be honest, I've only used the shampoo once and the conditioner twice, but they tested well on this arid bush on my head.

The shampoo has a nice smell (herbal?) but isn't perfumey. The consistency is thicker than my current product. I guess it has the thickness of a good syrup, if that makes sense. The conditioner is luxuriously thick - almost cream-like in texture. The scent is much fainter than the shampoo's.

The conditioner is THICK

Unless I use a good shampoo and conditioner, I get that "crunch" of dryness after washing. To test the shampoo, I let my hair air dry before re-wetting and conditioning. By itself, the shampoo is not super-moisturizing to "natural" (kinky/curly) hair, but it does not strip it. Used with the conditioner, the results were really good. I got moisture without my hair being weighted down. Unfortunately, I have let my hair get in such a state that I am going to have to do some more conditioning before I heal the damage I've caused.

I did use the conditioner again (without shampooing) and I loved how intense a treatment I got without using heat or even leaving the product in for more than a few minutes. I was in a rush, so I just put the conditioner on and tied a plastic shopping bag over my hair for long enough to brush my teeth. I did a cool water rinse and let my hair air dry. Normally, I immediately spritz on a lot of StaSofFro (or rub in a little straight glycerin), but I wanted to see how my hair would look without it. While my hair stayed very soft for a few hours, it did eventually dry out. Way out. Again though, I think that this is because I've damaged my hair.

Bottom line, this shampoo and conditioner duo did wonders for my super-damaged hair. I am going to keep using it until I get this mane back in shape. I can tell that, had I used this when I had my normally dry/slightly damaged hair, I would have gotten amazing results. As it is, the results are still pretty outstanding. I'm surprised that it took so long for my hair to get "crunchy" after a conditioning treatment and no backup product.

To give you an idea of the damage I've done to my hair in recent weeks. I not only went from a cold/dry climate to a warm/dry one (with different water), I also applied a harsh chemical. Usually, I use a kiddie-strength texturizer to soften and define my natural curl pattern. When my local supply was out, I used a product I was unfamiliar with. It was supposed to be a "curl softener" but it felt more like a mild relaxer. Oh boy. So... I lost a lot of my natural curl and volume, plus my hair feels really stripped.

I'm going to keep using these products and will try to remember to do an update on my hair soon. For now, understand that there is a reason I'm going to keep using this shampoo and conditioner: they are doing their job. I need them. I must get my hair back into shape, hopefully, in time for Christmas. Some of my out-of-state family is coming and I don't want to look frightful...

The ingredients in these Tru Moroccan products seem to be just what I need.

Shampoo:

• 100% Organic Argan Oil
• Organic Herbal Infusion 
• Organic Aloe Kosher Vegetable Glycerin
• Wheat Germ Oil
• Vitamin B5
• Organic Asparagus
• Organic Cilantro
• Organic Geranium
• Apricot Kernel Oil 
• Organic Rosemary 
• Jojoba
• Olive Oil 
• Rose Hip Oil
• Tea Tree Oil
• Ethylhexyl Glycerin
• Phenoxyethanol

Conditioner:

• 100 % Organic Argan Oil
• Organic Herbal Infusion
• Organic Aloe
• Jojoba Seed Oil
• Organic Sesame Seed Oil
• Organic Avocado Oil
• Organic Olive Fruit Oil
• Organic Evening Primrose Oil
• Organic Linseed Seed Oil
• Organic Coconut Oil
• Organic Shea Butter
• Organic Starflower Seed Oil
• Pro-Vitamin B5
• Kosher Vegetable Glycerin (Plant Derived)
• Palm Oil
• Oatmeal
• Citric Acid (Naturally Derived)

The 2 ingredients that surprised me were the Cilantro (in the shampoo) and the Starflower - also known as Borage -  (in the conditioner), so I looked them up. That's what those links are about.

Finally, for those who want to know, the shampoo and conditioner are made in the U.S. in an FDA Certified Facility. (For those who care, I will be checking into and blogging about what exactly it means to be an "FDA Certified Facility".)

Peace
--Free

DISCLOSURE:
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Winterizing Skin & Hair

This isn't just for the ladies. These days, a lot of guys care about their skin and hair as much (more?) than we do. I'm not judging. Just going to pass along tips my friends and I use.

For winters, it's cold here in Alaska, stays fairly warm and dry in most of Arizona, and the weather is all over the place in Texas. You may be able to use some or all of these suggestions.

Moisturize the body:
This is for all year round, but especially if you live anywhere cold, dry or dusty. (My sister-in-law who grew up in moist weather of the Seattle area has the best skin and hair in our whole family.) I use coconut oil in the summers, and still use it (or olive oil) to wipe my face first thing in the morning and just before bedtime. As a body moisturizer, I'm learning that it's just not enough during the colder months. I personally love Jergens and Dove. Jergens Ultra Healing & Overnight Repair lotions are great for after hot baths or showers. (One of my friends says that Jergens has a "scent" she doesn't like. I don't notice.) The "Overnight" is great for all day. As for Dove, when you especially want your skin to have a sexy-soft feel (no judgement), their Cream Oil lotion is amazing. (While it makes my skin feel sexy as hell, I don't find the Cream Oil is enough for a long day in cold or dry weather, but that's just me. My girlfriend J thinks it's just enough for her less-dry skin.) I'm not a fan of Nivea because it seems to only coat my skin, but I have friends who swear by it. ~shrug~

Moisturize the face:
Like I said, I still use oil (coconut or olive) to remove eye makeup and to prep my face morning and night or my Olay or Anew Ultimate. I run a humidifier which helps, but the oil is not enough to keep the dryness away, especially overnight. I prefer Avon's Anew in the winter and Olay's Regenerist. For some reason, the other Avon and Olay products don't work well for my skin. (BTW: you can join Club Olay here.) My sister prefers using Pond's Dry Skin Cream. It's way too heavy for my face, but my sister just found out how well it works for her. For lips (and I have dry lips), my routine is to use an oil/sugar or oil/baking soda mix to to slough with a Wet-One, then I put on a coating of petroleum jelly, rub that in until it's mostly wiped off. If I'm wearing a matte lipstick, I'll use whatever type of lip balm I have on hand or just prep my lips with some face cream. It kind of works, but I'd love to hear anybody's suggestions for a good lip balm.

Moisturize the hair:
Dove, Dove, Dove. Since I got sick, I wear my hair "natural" (no relaxers or perms), but I still dye it. Natural hair for most black people equals dry. Mine tends to be super-duper dry! If I don't want to use heavy leave-in products (and I don't), I can use Dove's Daily Oil Care Shampoo and Conditioner. After I wash and blot, I rub through some Organix Moroccan Argan Oil for extra dry & coarse hair. (They have lighter versions for different hair types.) My hair comes out soft, natural and not dry without being oily or greasy-feeling. I do use some heavier oil on my scalp about once a week before bed. One of my Caucasian friends likes hair treatment by Ion. Her hair always looks like it's clean, soft and well-conditioned.

For the feet, elbows, knees and other really dry areas (like the back of the thighs and butt), you just have to put in a little more effort. I have feet that I hate to whip out even in front of professionals.They are pretty dry! I try to stay in the habit of coating them at night with Vaseline and putting on a pair or warm socks. For those other areas, try putting on a thick coating of whatever lotion you like then blotting it instead of rubbing it into your skin.

Moisturize from the inside:
I have a major crush on my doctors, but I'm pretty pissed (wait for it...) that I'm on a medicine that makes me pee if I even see a glass of water. Still, they are right about one thing: it's important to drink a lot of water. Not soda, not tea, not booze - just plain old water. I've been better about drinking a lot of water for about two months now. I've noticed a couple of things: my mouth is less dry (duh) and my perfumes tend to wear better. It's still not easy to drink a lot of water if you aren't sprinting distance from a restroom at all times. I find myself walking into places, checking for the "Ladies" sign. Just in case.

If you have suggestions for winterizing (or summer-izing) the body, hit me up on G+

Peace
--Free