Tag Archives: dry skin

Pacifica Rainbow Watermelon Lip Balm Review

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Pacifica Rainbow Watermelon Lip Balm Review

Hello!! During the wintertime, I like to switch up my skin care and use more nourishing products to combat dryness. In Ohio, our winter has been super mild and, other than my hands, I experienced minimal dryness overall. However, that cannot be said for a new to me issue that cropped up over the past month and change: My lips have been permanently chapped. Around the beginning of January, my lips went from completely fine to totally awful. And, it was TOTALLY AWFUL!!

My lips were so dry and flaky and they were constantly cracking at the sides. It was annoying and, honestly, a little painful because they were so sore and tender. I tried at least three different chapsticks and all of them literally did nothing and that was frustrating because it just kept getting worse. At the beginning of February, I decided I needed to up the ante and headed to TJMaxx to see if I could find anything with more oomph. There weren’t too many options to choose from and I walked away with a lip balm by Pacifica and the hopes that it would help:

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^^^ Can we please talk about how my nails match this lip balm perfectly?!

I wasn’t expecting much from this lip balm at all, if anything. Then, I used it and ate my words. The Pacifica lip balm is, hands down, the absolute BEST balm that I have ever used. In fact, after just a few short weeks of having it, I already had to order more because I refuse to let chapped lips be a problem for me again. And, now I know that it won’t be!

Let’s start off with the scent, because it is delightful. The Rainbow Watermelon smells exactly like the Watermelon Lip Smackers of my youth and nothing pleases me more than that fun dose of nostalgia! It’s also nice to have a touch of summertime even in the winter. Even if this balm didn’t do jack, I would have been happy to use it based on scent alone lol.

But guess what? This balm did do jack. It did A LOT of jack! After using this balm religiously since buying it, I will never use a standard chapstick again. It wasn’t until using the Pacifica balm that I noticed how a regular drugstore chapstick just sits on top of your lips. When I used the Pacifica balm for the first time, I could actually feel it absorbing and working on a deeper level to rid myself of perma-chap.

I figured that it would take a while for my lips to heal fully because they were pretty bad, but I began noticing results so quickly. Within a few days, the dry and flakiness were eliminated. By the end of the week, the cracks on the sides of my mouth healed completely and during that process they didn’t break open once. The Pacifica balm moisturized so well that even when I didn’t have a fresh application on for a while, my lips didn’t feel in danger of resorting back to the way they were before. I can’t believe I went so long suffering from chapped lips when my solution was just a trip to TJMaxx away!

If regular chapstick is failing you, then I cannot recommend the Pacifica lip balm enough. I’m so excited for my multipack to ship so that I can try the Coconut and Vanilla scents! 😀

What is your favorite chapstick flavor? What is the best product for chapped lips? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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Lush Vampire Kisses Lip Scrub Review

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Lush Vampire Kisses Lip Scrub Review

Hello!!! This winter, my skin hasn’t been too bad in terms of dryness but my lips are a completely different story. It feels like they have been chapped constantly and in the eternal words of Napoleon Dynamite, my lips hurt real bad. I am in a never ending battle of applying and reapplying chapstick and I have yet to come out victorious. However, I think I found my new secret weapon that was gifted to me by my bestie this Christmas – a lip scrub from Lush! Check it out and let’s discuss:

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My sweet Kate of Live In The Nautical hooked it up this Christmas with a care package of Halloween themed Lush goodies including the Vampire Kisses scrub. I am convinced that all Lush products have magic in them because they always seem to leave a noticeable difference after just one use, which was certainly the case with the scrub. In fact, I used it for the first time about a half hour before writing this post and it is the most soothed that my lips have felt all winter.

To start with, the Sour Grape scent smelled amazing and tasted just as good! I love the smell of artificial grape because it smells purple if that makes sense? Even if it doesn’t, just know that it was a delight and there was nothing sour about it. As I was applying it, I definitely consumed some and at first I was like “oh shit” and then I remembered it was a sugar scrub lol yum! 😀

I left the scrub on as I showered and washed it off during my cleanser routine and I could feel right away how effective it was. The Vampire Kisses scrub helped to remove all of the dead skin that was halting the healing process. It left my lips feeling so completely smooth and well hydrated thanks to shea butter being one of its ingredients. I also felt like the chapstick I applied afterwards was able to actually work because it wasn’t just sitting on top of flaky skin.

I am so eager to use the Vampire Kisses scrub by Lush again now that I know how well it works. I highly recommend it if you’re suffering from chapped lips and my only regret is that I don’t have one of their lip balms to use afterwards. I think I see an online Lush order in my future!

What is your remedy for chapped lips? What is your favorite Lush product? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Eos Heal + Repair Body Cream Review

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Eos Heal + Repair Body Cream Review

Hello! I don’t know about you guys, but it is about that time of the year for me to start experiencing extremely dry hands. Every morning when I walk my sweet pup, Archie, I step outside knowing that my hands are going to be raw by the time I get back. Combined with the fact that I have spent almost every day of the past three weeks Pureling constantly at the Cleveland Clinic and washing my hands a lot after interacting with the bunnies, my hands are awful by the end of the day.

I have tried many a lotion to combat dry skin and have been pretty impressed. However, I recently started using the Eos Heal + Repair Body Cream that I was gifted with by my bestie last year and I can confidently say that it blows every other lotion that I have tested out of the water. Let’s discuss:

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^^^ This product is cruelty free!

Before we get into the details, we must start with how good the Pomegranate Raspberry scent smells. The tart raspberry is counterbalanced by the soft pomegranate notes and it makes for a perfectly light fragrance. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind a more powerful scent but this one is just right to use before bedtime because it’s comforting rather than stimulating. Before I rub the lotion in, I always have to take a whiff because it seriously never gets old! 😀

When it comes to my dry skin, it takes form on my hands through noticeable redness and parched skin. I never use a lotion expecting it to be a cure all to this issue on the first go so you can imagine my surprise when I woke up to see my hands back to their normal shade and totally hydrated. My hands felt so touch-ably soft and smooth and it almost made me forget how bad they were prior to using it. This was not a one off occurrence but an every use thing and I am marveling at the results even now as I type this.

While I am a huge fan of cocoa butter based creams, I have learned through trial and error that my skin responds better to shea butter and this cream has it in spades. A huge plus about this product is how easily it absorbs into the skin without a greasy residue despite the shea butter base. From my time working at The Body Shop, I learned that cocoa butter bases tend to have a thinner consistency than shea and this was a concern for me. I am a very tactile person and can’t stand when lotion doesn’t absorb fully. This was not the case with the Eos cream at all and it melted into my skin with ease even with a thicker texture.

I have been using the Eos Heal + Repair Body Cream since the beginning of November and I will be so sad when it is all gone. It is, hands down, one of the best creams that I have ever used and I would highly recommend it if you are experiencing winter skin too!

What is your favorite body cream or lotion? Do you prefer cocoa or shea butter? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

SpaScriptions Hyaluronic Acid + Sugar Scrub Review

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SpaScriptions Hyaluronic Acid + Sugar Scrub Review

Hello! I have been sitting on some new skin care from TJMaxx and have finally had the chance to use a Hyaluronic Acid + Sugar scrub by SpaScriptions that I bought in September. I have been using it every morning for about a month now and it is, easily, one of the best scrubs that I have ever used. My only regret is that there was only one of them at TJs because I would have happily bought ten of them! If you are looking for a gentle scrub to help ease dry skin this winter, then this is the one for you. Let’s discuss:

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^^^ This product is Leaping Bunny certified.

I had two first impressions when it came to the SpaScriptions scrub (Try saying that five times fast!): 1) The color was so pretty – like lavender pixie dust and 2) It smelled just like candy. These are small things but it enhances the experience every time I use it and the sugary scent is a nice perk me up in the morning! A little of this product also goes such a long way because it lathers up like crazy into a foam, making it so easy to work into your skin. The amount that you can see squeezed onto my hand is all you need for your face and neck, making for a great value. After one month of daily use, I have barely finished half of the bottle.

What I like the most about this scrub, other than out well it works, is the texture of it. It’s more like a cream cleanser with a bit of extra grit from the sugar rather than a full on scrub. With cold winter days drawing ever closer, it is the perfect option for removing dead or dry skin without drying your face out even more. Every time I use this scrub, my skin feels so soft and looks simply radiant. Saying these past few months have been tiring for me is a severe understatement but my skin never looks it!

The SpaScriptions Hyaluronic Acid + Sugar scrub is one that I would most definitely use again. It checks all of my boxes of being cruelty free, an excellent value at just five bucks, and fully effective. I think that you will like it, too, if you give it a shot!

How often do you restock your skin care? Where is your favorite place to shop skin care? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

January 2022 Finishes

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January 2022 Finishes

Hello everyone and welcome to the first beauty empties post of 2022! Beauty care in the winter is all about hydrating dry skin, which I tended to this past month with lots of body butters that I finally got around to using from The Body Shop. My hands have suffered from dry winter skin for as long as I can remember and they have looked much better this time around thanks to these product finishes:

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Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

TBS Body Butters: I have always been fond of the products from The Body Shop and their body butters are wonderful. Using them is such a lush experience and it feels like the ultimate treat from my own self care perspective. The Moringa butter is not my favorite scent by TBS but that’s because I’m not a floral girl, however, if given the opportunity I would happily use any of their product lines!

It took about a week and a half to finish each mini jar from nightly use on my hands and areas where I have stretch marks. After the body butter is on my hands, I put on my compression gloves for bed and have noticed a huge difference in the discoloration and texture of my dry skin. TBS body butters are the best extra oomph that you need for nourishing winter skin.

Equilibria Oil: This oil treatment was a Christmas gift that actually included soothing CBD in its ingredients. It took me roughly two months to finish the Equilibria Daily Oil Treatment and I would use it again if it was gifted to me but wouldn’t buy it for myself. The scent wasn’t the most pleasant and it was also a mixed bag in terms of effectiveness. Sometimes, it left my skin feeling even dryer than before and left my face with unsightly red patches. Other times, it felt hydrating and my skin looked picture perfect. Not the best product but not the worst.

Clinique Moisturizer: The Moisture Surge moisturizer by Clinique was a freebie from a past Sephora haul and I really enjoyed it. I finished the jar after a week of morning and night use and wish that I had more of it! This moisturizer had a slightly thicker texture than a traditional gel one and was ultra nourishing but never felt heavy. It absorbed quickly and sat well under makeup. I probably will never get a full size of this moisturizer but will always order it if it is a freebie option with Sephora!

Overall, my first beauty finishes of 2022 was pretty good. While I’m pleased with most of the products, I’m even happier to be using up lots of the goodies in my new and improved beauty hoard! 😀

Which products did you use up this month? How do you combat dry skin? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Face Mask Haul

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Face Mask Haul

Hello! One of my favorite ways to relax in my free time is by trying out new face masks. Whether they’re good or bad, it doesn’t matter all that much to me because I’m spending some me time pampering myself. It has been a while since I had a big face mask haul so when I was at Target, I just had to pick up a variety to enjoy on those snowy nights in. Check it out:

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I don’t venture to my favorite stores very often anymore, which is so sad to me. In fact, the last time I went actual shopping at TJMaxx was months ago! So, I was surprised by the huge variety of face masks that Target had to offer. Originally, I thought that I would just purchase one or two but I ended up with six and if I didn’t contain myself, it probably would have been more like ten lol!

Since it’s winter, I picked out a couple of masks specifically to hydrate and combat dry skin, which will be most useful. And, of course, I never say no to a brightening or charcoal mask, either! While all of these masks will be fun to use, especially the glitter gel mask, I am most excited to try out the lip mask. My lips have been SO dry as of late and nothing that I do seems to help. Fingers crossed that the BioRepublic lip mask will perfect my pout so I’m not feeling like Napoleon Dynamite all winter long. 😀

Be on the lookout for lots of new Face Mask Festivities posts these next few weeks, starting off with the much anticipated lip mask!

Which products do you like for dry lips? What is your favorite face mask? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

A La Maison Hand & Body Lotion Review

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A La Maison Hand & Body Lotion Review

Hello! Today, we are going to do a review of a hand and body lotion that my mom so sweetly surprised me with that I am fricken obsessed with. While I do love my Bath & Body Works lotion, I have never used one better than A La Maison’s so I just had to share it with all of you. To help combat dry winter skin, I can’t recommend this product enough:

I have been using this lotion for the past several nights before bed and I have never had such wonderful results before. During the winter months, my hands tend to get really red no matter how much lotion I use. Although my hands aren’t super dry, red belongs on my hair and not on my hands and it can be a bit unsightly. Within three uses of A La Maison, my hands have returned to their normal shade of pale and I was simply amazed.

I love the way that this lotion feels when applying it because it is like a cold cream and I can literally feel my hands getting hydrated as soon as I rub it in. This product absorbs so quickly and I truly don’t think that my hands have ever felt or looked better. I can’t say that I am particularly fond of the Wildflower scent because it is really powdery but that is a small price to pay for beautifully soft hands all winter long. 🙂

If you suffer from dry hands during the winter, then look no further than A La Maison. I cannot sing its praises enough and am already looking forward to buying more! 😀

What is your favorite cream or lotion? How do you combat dry skin? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Banish Dry Winter Skin

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Banish Dry Winter Skin

Every season presents challenges when it comes to keeping our skin healthy, but winter has to be the worst. Cold weather and winds topped off with drying central heating can lead to painful chapped lips and dry, uncomfortable skin. Thankfully there are some things we can do to protect against this and keep our skin healthy and in good condition throughout the colder months. Here’s how to go about it.

Physically Protect Your Skin: No one wants to stand outside in horrible weather but when you have no choice try to physically protect your skin. This means wearing gloves to stop hands from becoming sore and dry. Wear a scarf and pull this up over your lower face and lips. Shield yourself from the wind whenever it’s possible. This could mean standing with your back to the wind while you wait for the bus or finding shelter in a coffee shop or bookstore when the rain or snow begins to come down heavily.

Switch Up Your Skincare Routine: Fall and winter require heavier, richer products that are intensely hydrating. These provide much-needed nourishment to stripped skin and also help to protect it. Your day cream can be a little lighter as it still needs to sit well under makeup but your night cream should be rich and buttery. Choose a product that states that it’s highly nourishing and hydrating. Another essential product in anyone’s skincare routine but particularly in winter should be a good eye cream. This will keep the delicate eye area hydrated and also protect from damage and premature aging. There are more skin care tips on sites like Thank Your Beauty.

Pamper Your Skin: Along with your regular skincare routine, once or twice a week you should really pamper your skin, too. Using oils as a pampering treat is an excellent way to improve dry winter skin. These will deliver on moisture but will not leave the skin feeling greasy or clog up your pores. You could also treat your skin to face masks. Different masks are targeted to different skin concerns so do your research to find out what will work best for you. You could use a lip scrub to gently remove any loose and flaky skin and then follow up with a high-quality lip protector. Our lips lose more moisture than everywhere else on the face which is why they are the first to become dry and sore.

Use SPF: The sun’s rays aren’t just damaging in the summer. They can harm skin all year round and premature aging is just one of the adverse effects. You can prevent this by using an SPF all year round. Since this can be a tricky step to remember (especially when there is no sunshine in sight and everywhere is gray and drizzly!) choose products with SPF included. It could be in your day cream or your foundation. Either way, you kill two birds with one stone and can be safe in the knowledge that you are doing what you can to protect your skin.

What do you do to protect your skin in the winter? What are your favorite moisturizing beauty products? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image By: Pexels

Common Winter Skin Issues and How to Deal With Them

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Common Winter Skin Issues and How to Deal With Them

With cold weather just around the corner, this post is jam packed with tips and tricks on how to deal with the effect that it can have on our skin. Take a look:

Common Winter Skin Issues and How to Deal With Them:

It’s a fact of life that as the weather gets worse, our poor skin can suffer. But what can we do about the most common cold weather skin complaints? For issues like dryness or joint aches from the cold, you can’t go wrong with private label CBD skin care to help soothe chapped, irritated skin or minor aches. Bath bombs, body butter, and salves all can go a long way in providing some much needed relief. For other common skin issues, you can try the following:

Cold Sores: Many people have problems with cold sores when the weather turns. Cold sores are caused by the Herpes Simplex virus and usually occurs when the person’s immune system is compromised. That means they are more likely to pop up when you get a cold or the flu during the winter time.

The good news is that you can only get them if you already have the virus. The bad news is that it can be transmitted quite easily and that is why you shouldn’t share lipsticks or lip balms if at all possible, as you just open yourself up to the risk of contracting the virus. To treat cold sores, ignore the old wives tales and use antiviral creams. It’s best to deal with them as soon as you feel the familiar tingle. If you leave them to develop, they can become painful and ugly.

Chapped Lips: Even if you are not susceptible to cold sores, the harsh weather of the winter may cause you to get nasty chapped lips. This is when the skin on the lips dries out so much that it begins to crack. It can be very painful, and your lips are at a high risk because they move a lot and go from being wet to dry frequently.The best way of dealing with chapped lips is to use a lip balm regularly. You should also exfoliate your lips once a week so the dead skin does not build up on them.eos.jpg

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Eczema: Winter time is often when people suffering from eczema experience a worsening of their condition. This is because the temperature varies so often throughout the day from the cold outside to the warm indoors which can further dry out and irritate damaged skin. It is worth remembering that eczema is more than just a bit of dry skin that can be dealt with by using face lotion. In fact, it is a recognized medical condition. If you believe that you could be suffering from this, you can get some more information online from West Dermatology.

If you can’t get into your dermatologist’s right away and are looking for relief for your eczema, you could try HarlanMD’s eczema cream for face. It is a prebiotic lotion that can help to both relieve and prevent flare ups to keep your skin looking and feeling its best all winter long.

Redness: A lot of people can suffer from redness in the face during the winter. This is often because they struggle to regulate their body temperature sufficiently. Or, the tiny capillaries in the cheeks become constricted trapping blood flow in that area. For many of us this red face issue, known as Rosacea is embarrassing and difficult to deal with. Some rely on creams to take the redness down, while others swear by green cream which is meant to neutralize the red color.

A more lasting way of dealing with Rosacea is to use a dermatologist developed camouflage cream. These creams are makeup that contains a high percentage of pigment. That means that they are effective at covering up redness and other issues like birthmarks. They are often waterproof once sealed with translucent powder, so the wearer doesn’t have to worry that it will come off in the rain or snow.

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Sun Damage: Surprisingly, another cause of red skin in the winter can be sunburn. We all associate sunburn with hot weather, but the sun can be shining brightly on even the coldest, snowiest day. That is why skiers often wear crazy neon colored sunblock. Make sure that your family is protected against the UVA and UVB rays of the sun all year round by providing them access to sun cream. The ones that you put on once in the morning and last all day are best because it’s likely that they will forget to apply regularly if the temperature is below 0!

Chaffing: Another rather embarrassing problem that winter can bring us is chaffing. This can happen anywhere on the body where your skin meets your clothes but is often an issue on the inner thigh area. It can be very painful and cause red bumps and welts to appear on your otherwise healthy skin. In particularly bad cases the skin can become so dry and damaged that it becomes flaky.

If you are suffering from this problem, there are a few things that you can do. First of all, you can apply an intensive moisture cream to aid healing in the damaged area. Secondly, check the fit of your clothes. Rough trouser seams or friction creating tights can have a lot to do with this issue. Lastly, you can coat the affected area with Vaseline which will add movement and prevent such a friction build up.

Moles: While we have to be careful of exposing any mole that we have to sunlight in the summer, they can still be problematic in the winter. This is because it’s easy to forget to check them regularly because we are much more covered up in the cold weather. However, it is essential to check skin marks like moles for the symmetry and edges. This can tell you and your doctors a lot about your risk of skin cancer. Although it may sound silly, schedule a time each month to make sure you check of this sort of thing. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Blisters: While many people jump for joy, because winter is the season for wearing big heavy boots, it makes others groan. This is because heavy footwear, made of stiff materials is likely to cause nasty blisters on your feet. At least until your boots have broken in with wear.

You can minimize blisters by stretching your boots out before you wear them properly. Wear two pairs of thick socks and your boots around the house so they begin to mold to your feet. You can also use specialized blister plasters or balm which will protect the most vulnerable parts of your feet like your heels and toes. This should make your boots a lot more comfortable and enjoyable to wear come wintertime.

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How do you beat winter skin problems? What is one of your skin care secrets to combat the cold? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah