Bye Bye Dry

Hello Beautifuls!
Penny has found her way back to the drawing board. I know...I know...shame on me for not blogging more regularly...I sincerely apologize but 'life' got in my damn way. LOL!
After this rough winter many of us experienced, its now time to prep your skin for the seasonal changes that will occur. For Penny that means getting rid of this dry winter skin, complete with eczema patches, and blemish marks. In addition to exfoliating (w/ brown sugar body scrubs) and and occassional spa treatment, I've been trying to find rich body creams to help maintain my skins moisture all day.

Do you suffer from severe dry skin? Eczema? Psoriasis? Well, Penny recently tested two good body creams you might want to try. Vanicream Moisturizing Skin Cream and CeraVe Moisturizing Cream have both been recommended for severe dry skin by various dermatology sites. I tried them both and liked them both for different reasons. Here is my list of pros and cons: (read full story...)

Vanicream
PROS:

• Love the pump jar; convenient and not messy
• Thick but not greasy; absorbs quickly
• Not hard to rub into the skin (at least not as hard as Eucerin in the jar which feels like paste)
• Paraben free
• Formaldahyde free
• Fragrance free
• Reasonably priced at $14.99 for a 1lb jar
• Non-irritating

CONS:

• Pump dispenser only works for a little more than half the jar, then you have to open the lid and scoop out the rest; messy
• Felt like it was more effective when I added another oil/lotion to it; by itself it didn't last as long on my skin (usually add Neutrogena Sesame Oil or original Keri Lotion)
• Contains white petroleum; petroleum is supposed to be "bad" for your skin*
• Only found it online (http://www.drugstore.com/, http://www.amazon.com/, etc)

CeraVe
PROS:

• Nice, rich consistency; absorbs quickly
• Reasonably priced at $14.99 for a 16 oz jar
• Moisturizing; claims to "help restore and maintain the skin's natural protective function"
• Contains hyaluronic acid; locks water in skin cells and enhance elasticity/collagen; present in every tissue of the body; becoming a popular beauty product supplement
• Non-irritating
• Contains ceramides that moisturize and soften skin
• Can be purchased in CVS and other local stores

CONS:

• Contains petrolatum
• Contains parabens
• Cream only comes in a jar; can be messsy (also comes in a lotion formula but my dermatologist told me to use 'creams' for my eczema; lotions often have too much water)
• Felt like it was more effective when I added another oil/lotion to it; by itself it didn't last as long on my skin (usually add Neutrogena Sesame Oil or original Keri Lotion)

* Petroleum Debate:
Penny is perplexed by the information she's received regarding petroleum (i.e. Vaseline, mineral oil, etc) because most research states that it is "bad" for the skin. Why? Because petroleum products trick the body into thinking that the skin is moisturized. This in turn stops the body from producing its own natural body oils. After the product has worn off, the skin becomes dryer and more irritable. (This is what Penny experiences with many lotions on the market now). Your skin will cease to moisturize itself naturally and depend on external products to keep it hydrated. Petroleum products are popular with manufacturers because they are cheap. Petroleum is commonly found in many beauty products such as lip balms and nearly all products for dry skin. And every dermatologist I've visited has either recommended or said it was okay to use Vaseline for my eczema. It works to keep my skin hydrated and control the intense itching that comes with eczema. I've heard this from many eczema sufferers. Not to mention, my great-grandma used Vaseline regularly and had beautiful skin until her passing at age 92! So the jury is not out yet for Penny on this debate.

Hope this was helpful.

Be blessed. Be beautiful.
P