UNDEFEATED: Why Dove Remains the Champion In the Shower

Dove body wash has been a part of my family for years. The way my skin felt after I got out of the shower became my obsession and I knew I didn't want to use anything else. 

Unfortunately, over time, I began to venture out to other body washes like Olay and SoftSoap, but none of them could do what Dove had done for me. For the longest I continued to use SoftSoap and began to tell a difference in my skin. My skin became drier and now even water dries it out too badly.   I could tell that SoftSoap body wash didn't have the ability to keep moisture into my skin, instead, it stripped it of moisture causing me to rely heavily on lotion to keep the soft skin. 

One day I saw an ad for some new technology Dove added into their products called NutriumMoisture, supposedly helping to better retain the skin's natural moisture. With the help of a coupon, I bought my favorite Dove scent and after one shower I could tell the difference.

The NutriumMoisture technology made the soap thicker and it felt as if I were putting lotion on my body while in the shower! After I got out of the shower, not only the lovely scent remained on my skin, but my skin felt very hydrated and soft. I've recently discovered that it makes a great shaving cream as well!

The only negatives I could say about Dove body wash is the price. It does indeed holds the highest price on the shelves which would naturally deter people. But honestly, what price would anyone pay for better skin health? A couple dollars more is a small price to pay for the reward of long lasting healthy skin!

VASELINE: My Skin's Greatest Ally Against Winter

Vaseline always lived in the background of my life, as a jar filled with thick, greasy jelly you would only use as a last resort. Today, in my adulthood, it’s on the forefront; the general of my armies. In this case, my skin cells. Winter in Florida is mild compared to the northern states, but it affects our southern skin just the same.

I truly began to use Vaseline’s products a year ago when I discovered their new line of lip therapy. It was the cutest little jar and it came in four flavors. I even bought the set for a friend. Every day, I applied the Vaseline to my lips before going to work. In less than ten minutes, I could feel the health of my lips change. They are softer than any moisturizing lip balm could offer. Because of its greasy-jelly state, it lasts much longer. I wore it for nearly five hours before finally wiping it from my lips. Most lip care barely makes it two hours!

Last year when I decided to try Vaseline’s lotion collection, I was disappointed, it felt thin like water and did little to care for my dried out skin. I tossed the bottles and moved on the next best thing. It was until a month ago when my friend let me try her new Vaseline Intensive Care with aloe lotion, I saw a difference in its texture. It was smooth but just thick enough to help heal and care for my skin. Now I have my own collection of lotions. I keep one bottle each in my car, house and work locker.

One interesting use I discovered for Vaseline was through an article pinned on Pinterest. The article talked about using Vaseline and socks for great foot care. All my life I’ve had to soak my feet in lotion. The driest skin on my body is the bottom of my feet. If I go too many days without lotioning them, the skin between my toes split (quite painful) and the heal of the foot hardens. According to the article, all I had to do before bed was to rub a nice amount of Vaseline to my entire foot and pull socks over them. I tried it for the first time. The next morning, I couldn’t believe it; my feet were softer than a baby’s bottom. They felt both healthy and hydrated.

 Now with winter approaching, I have all my Vaseline products in order and ready for the cold. With Vaseline by my side, protecting and caring for my dry skin, I can look winter in the eyes and say, “bring it on!”

COCONUT OIL: The Ultimate Shaving Moisturizer

Shaving is a burden most women can relate to. Even with the best shavers, and the best creams, there remains the tedious duty of shaving itself. But when that job results in the smoothest legs, that work becomes well worth it.

In the past, when I shaved, I would get smooth skin, but would end up with dry skin. Even when I used shaving creams infused with all sorts of moisturizers and lotions, the dry skin would come afterwards. After watching a news segment on home remedies for beauty secrets, I decided to find my own remedy for my legs.

My experiment began with a jar of 100% organic Coconut Oil. I rubbed the oil onto my dry arms and legs. The oil moisturizes the skin almost instantly. Next, I took my favorite shaving cream and spread the cream over the coconut oil. It takes a little effort to rub the two substances together but eventually they’ll blend. Lastly, I used my shaving razor and shaved my arms and legs as normal. The results blew my mind.

The skin was smooth and soft like silk sheets, even an hour after shaving. There was no ashy white skin in need of lotion, and no rough skin surface from the previous shaving. My arms felt as if I had never grown hair a day in my life.

Amazed by the results, I decided to research why the coconut oil made such as difference to my skin, according to OrganicFacts.net, it’s all in the science. The website explains it best,

“Predominantly, these saturated fats (in the oil) are medium chain fatty acids or triglycerides. When applied on the skin, they keep it smooth to the touch. Due to the presence of these fats, coconut oil also retains the moisture content of the skin, as the fats eliminate moisture loss through the pores on the skin. When ingested through the regular consumption of coconut oil, these fats deposit under the skin, thus keeping it healthy and smooth, giving it an even tone and reducing the appearance of the pores” (Anonymous, 2009).

So there you have it, ladies, the secret to legs like Venus. Next time you run to the store, grab a jar of Coconut Oil and begin to enjoy the smoothest and healthiest skin you have ever experienced!

Sources:

Coconut Oil for Skin | Organic Facts. (2009, January 11).

 Hendricks, S. (2015, October 12). 18 Cool Ways You Never Knew You Could Use Coconut Oil - Gurl.com. Retrieved October 14, 2015. 

SOUND OFF: Nivea In-Shower Lotion VS Jergens Wet Skin Moisturizer

Have you ever felt like no matter how early you prepared for work or an outing, you still get pushed for time?

Applying lotions and moisturizers to your body after a fresh shower could really take up most of that precious time. In most cases, it takes just as long to lotion my body as it does find the perfect outfit and applying the make-up.

Someone for the lotion companies must have heard the cries because the markets have exploded with the trend of in-shower lotions. Two, in particular, are Nivea's In-Shower Lotion and Jergens Wet Skin Moisturizer. The primary focus of these two products is to basically kill two birds with one stone. You can shower and lotion your body at the same time saving you a load of time doing one after the other.

With every company releasing their own version of shower moisturizers, I decided to experiment with two and compare.

NIVEA's IN-SHOWER LOTION:
According to the instructions, all you have to do is apply the lotion on your skin after cleansing with your normal body wash, rinse and you're done. No need for any external applications. My result? Perfection. The lotion rubs on smooth over the water and leaves a lovely scent on my skin well after I've dried off. Afterward, was the feel of lotion on my body.

JERGENS' WET SKIN MOISTURIZER
When Jergens's came out with their moisturizer, they were determined to hit three birds with one stone, you could shower and moisturize at the same time, save time from tedious body lotioning and save perhaps a gallon of water when showering by simply applying the moisturizer after cleansing without the need to rinse off. The end result is to save you time and give you silky smooth skin without the lotion hassle.

My result: Go back to the drawing board Jergens. Granted, the moisturizer goes on very smoothly even when wet. It spreads evenly and coats the skin very well. But it's when your skin is dry when everything seems to go south. According to the instructions, you have to pat dry your skin after applying the moisturizer. Who has time for that? It's quite the contradiction because the time you save not rinsing, you're using that time (and more) to pat dry your skin.

Another issue would be the feel of your skin after your skin. I noticed how heavy my skin felt afterward. The moisturizer was too thick and felt like grease on my skin. I tested the moisturizer two nights in a row to eliminate the idea of me overreacting or showing favoritism to Nivea. But after a second time, I couldn't take it anymore. Nivea was clearly the better lotion to use.

SOUND OFF: Ear Buds vs Headphones

Photo Credit: Natesh Sood

Living in the 21^st century, we are surrounded by the distracting noise of everyday life. Every once in a while we need to plug into our tunes and let the music take us away. We are taken away by two methods of listening: ear buds, and headphones. Which is the better choice?

Honestly, both, it all depends on lifestyle and personal preference, but it doesn’t hurt to know the pros and cons for both.

Ear Buds

Photo Credit: Nikki Lee

            Pros

·      Flexible

·      Easy to conceal or hide away

        Easy to store

Cons

·      Easy to lose

·      Uncomfortable at times due to abnormal shape

·      Sound escapes easily

·      Higher chance of hearing loss

Headphones

            Pros

·      Fashionable

·      Better with noise cancelation

·      Often quite comfortable with padded muffs

·      Better sound quality

Cons

·      Bulky

·      Hard to hide away

·      Little airflow around ears (depending on which one you buy)

Photo Credit: Nikki Lee

Depending on the activity or lifestyle, one would choose one over the other. For example, a teenager at school in a classroom may use ear buds because it’s easy to hide away from the watchful eye of the teacher. On the other hand, a musician may prefer headphones because of the better sound quality and noise cancelation ability. Either one works in either situation, it just depends on the person.

Nowadays, listening to music often means bumping up the volume to dangerous levels. In the long run, it causes damage to a listener’s hearing, which may become permanent.

According to the American Osteopathic Association website, James E. Foy, DO, an osteopathic pediatrician from Vallejo, California, states the following about loss of hearing in teens.

“Today, 1 in 5 teens has some form of hearing loss - a rate about 30% higher than it was in the 1980s and 1990s - which many experts believe is due, in part, to the increased use of headphones.”

On that scary note, the best advice given by experts and parents alike would be to turn them DOWN! Nothing wrong with rocking out but rocking out safely prevents permanent hearing loss at thirty years old.

#RockItSafe

Sources:

 Hearing Loss and Headphones - Is Anyone Listening? (n.d.). Retrieved August 9, 2015, from http://www.osteopathic.org/osteopathic-health/about-your-health/health-conditions-library/general-health/Pages/headphone-safety.aspx 

 Sood, N. (2009, July 7). Gadgetell Guide: Should I buy headphones or earbuds? Retrieved from http://www.technologytell.com/gadgets/48700/gadgetell-guide-should-i-buy-headphones-or-earbuds/ 

COUPONS.com: The Reliable Way to Save

What would the world be like without coupons? Well, normal actually but that's besides the point.

A year ago, I saw a story on the news about "extreme couponing." This is the act of someone with an obsession with coupons and saving every nickel and dime that they can through discounts and coupons. The story didn't too much interest me until the news reporter quoted the results of a study done with coupons. Studies show that the average American can save up to $10,000 a year from coupons. WOW right? What could YOU do with ten large in your pocket?

actual printed coupons from the site

With high hopes and plans for my piece of the pie, I began researching coupon sites. I joined several online sites but in order to actually receive the coupons, they wanted you to either purchase a product or take a million surveys. After that, I felt it wasn't worth the save and I gave up.

One day I found Coupons.com through an ad somewhere and I decided to check it out. The set up was easy, all I had to do was register and download its printer access attachment. Afterwards, I just browse coupons by category, and hit print. It's that easy!

My mother runs an in-house business where she takes care of state hospital clients so food and household supplies usually costs a fortune. I use coupons.com to print coupons that helps her save money. After calculation I help save her anywhere from $30 to $60 a month! I don't know about you but that's extra money towards a bill, or pair of shoes.

If you're on the go, Coupons.com now has a downloadable app that allows you to pick your coupons and have them sent to your email so you can print them anywhere!

SmartSource, Redplum, and P&G coupon booklets usually
found inSunday newspapers.

The only negative to Coupons.com would be the inability to print the coupons in black and white. The downloaded attachment overrides your printer and forces the printer to print the coupons in color. I've researched it and according to other forums, there's not much you can do to change that.

If you're not computer savvy or don't have access to computer and printers, P&G, Redplum and SmartSource coupon booklets in weekly newspapers remain a great alternative. The positive, you save a lot of money on ink!

Coupons.com has been a great help for me and my family for two years now. Its easy, it's mobile, it's awesome!