TWO EFFECTIVE ALL-NATURAL SKIN CARE PRODUCTS FOR DRY SKIN...

Hi friends!! I hope you are doing well! Life is still quite busy work-wise for me, so I can't say that I'm 100% back to regular posting just yet, but I wanted to pop in today to tell you about two amazing products that have truly helped me out lately. Perhaps they will help you, too...

I naturally have dry skin and this winter made my skin even more dry. Coconut oil really helped, but last week it just wasn't enough. Spring temps arrived here last week which set my skin off! I had a huge eczema break-out plus my lips and hands started peeling like crazy. It was as if my skin was shedding its "winter coat." Does that happen to you when the seasons change?? Well last week I tried two amazing new-to-me all-natural products that practically healed my skin issues - like in ONE week! I must tell you about them...

When I have really bad eczema break-outs, it literally feels like my skin is on fire. That is what my skin felt like last week. The unnatural soap that I had been using for years was making my skin feel even worse, so I knew I had to find something new. A good friend of mine recommended Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Castile Soap and I immediately went online to research it. It's an all-natural, organic, GMO-free gentle soap that can be used as a body wash, shampoo, laundry detergent - everything. You can see a full list of its uses here. Friends, I LOVE THIS STUFF. There are many different scents, but the peppermint soap makes the skin tingle, which made it really feel like it was working on my problem areas. It smells divine and the scent really wakes you up, too! It's pricey, but a just a little goes a long way. It lathers really well and my skin doesn't feel dry after I use it. I have been using this twice a day for a week (a week today) and my eczema break-out has subsided- in record time I must say! I'm pretty sure I'll never use another soap again... 

If I ever meet Victoria of VMAC + Cheese, I'm going to give her a big hug. One - because she is a great blogger and two - because she introduced me to the one and only lip scrub that has ever worked on my lips. I've always had dry lips. I have an arsenal of lip balms and scrubs that all failed last week when my lips started peeling like crazy. I remembered bookmarking this DIY lip scrub that Victoria posted a while ago and decided to try it. I applied it last Tuesday night then covered my lips with coconut oil. By Wednesday night, my lips felt smooth like buttah and they still feel that way!

Here is what you need and what to do:

1 tsp melted coconut oil (olive oil works here, too)
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp honey
A clean nail or toothbrush with soft bristles
Moisturizing lip balm

Mix the oil, sugar and honey together in a small bowl. Apply the mixture over your lips with the tip of your finger. It will be quite runny, so do this over a sink! Gently rub your lips together. The sugar will exfoliate the lips as rub them together. If your lips are super dry, then use the brush to get a deeper exfoliation. Move the brush in small circular motions over the lips. No need to apply a lot of pressure. The brush will do the work.

Use a paper towel to wipe off the scrub and any dead skin. Then apply a moisturizing lip balm (you know I love coconut oil!).

I hope this is helpful!

Images by me