Beauty Blog

Incessant sunshine is not my thing. I know that’s a curious comment for a native Southern Californian to make, but it’s been drier than I can handle this year, and so has my skin. I’ve tried keep my hands hydrated with my usual lotions and long-loved remedies, but most are no match for this no-rain-in-sight weather.

Enter Skin MD (about $15.99), a shielding lotion, which promises to bind to the skin and protect it from harsh elements that wreak havoc. I received this product a while back, but didn’t realize how tough it was until the dry winds started up. Honestly, I’m up to my ears in lotion samples here at the Smarter Beauty Blog, and it’s pretty rare that one wows me, but I really like this stuff. A lot.

I guess the thing that most impresses me about Skin MD is that it doesn’t wash off easily. That’s always my gripe about most moisturizers (especially when I forget to put lotion in my purse, and I have to walk around with scraggly hands), but this one lasts a long time even when I fall victim to those harsh liquid antibacterial soaps in most public restrooms. And you don’t even have to slather it on to get the long-lasting effect–a little goes a long way.

For me, all this means less tortured cuticles, cracked skin and irritating dryness. Plus it’s not greasy, it doesn’t stink and it didn’t clog my pores when I used it on my face.

It’s that good.
Click here to read more about Skin MD.

Bag Balm $8.95 (10 oz), Udderly Smooth $4.50 (12 oz)

Honestly, have you ever seen a cow’s udders? They’re pretty gross, but my hands without a heavy dose of lotion could probably give them a run for their money. Yes, it’s true. I’ve been cursed with the driest hands in captivity, an affliction that equals hangnails galore and an intense fear of nail polish remover–ouch! Of course, I’ve tried every cream in the book, throwing money down for the best of the best, but the only thing that has ever really worked for me was originally designed for cows.

Bag Balm and Udderly Smooth are two of the best hand creams ever made, and I would cry if i couldn’t get to at least one of them. Both of them are made to heal the dried, chapped and overworked udders of our bovine friends, but they work wonders for human hands too. My favorite is Udderly Smooth, which doesn’t need to be reapplied too often, but lots of people tout Bag Balm as their fave. It’s really a toss up because both are cheap and they last forever.