Got milk?

Wednesday, November 8, 2006

Since moving to the west coast my skin has been dryer, especially my hands. I've resorted to having several hand lotions available on my desk and in my purse so that I can apply moisturizer every time after I wash my hands. I guess I'm not used to living with dessert like air and without humidity.

For over a year now, I've been obsessed with SkinMilk body products after receiving a free sample at a Shecky's event. As a result, I've mentioned the brand in several posts already, but I've been using their products now more than ever. I used to be able to buy their items at Duane Reade on the east coast, but now I simply order it through DrugStore.com, although I hear Ralph's stores stock SkinMilk too. I now have their complete line of moisturizers, cleansers and even their anti-bacterial liquid hand soap. My boyfriend likes their stuff too because of it's natural vanilla cream scent isn't too girly.

Vanilla is among my favorite smells, besides rain, fresh cut grass and the smell of burning leaves in the cold air. On the company's site, I learned that vanilla, besides being a yummy smell, helps relax and calm your scenes like an olfactory security blanket.

Research at the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York showed that of all the scents tested, one called "heliotropin"--the essence of vanilla-- actually relaxed patients and reduced their anxiety during difficult medical procedures.  As a result, many hospitals now administer the scent during MRIs, to help reduce claustrophobia. While a hospital in London uses vanilla to help dieters reduce their intake of sweets, since overweight patients who were given vanilla-scented skin patches found that they significantly reduced their sweet food intake.

Besides the smell, SkinMilk is pretty cheap (under $5) and I've always heard how good milk is for your body even when used externally. Cleopatra reportedly bathed in milk and a family friend of mine likes to splash some cool milk on her face once and awhile.  SkinMilk, not to be confused with skim milk, is in fact made with 5% real milk proteins and vitamins A, D and E for natural hydration. Supposedly milk also helps renew skin cells and seals it's unique protein structure into the skin barrier. Your skin literally drinks up the hydrous moisture. So the old commercials were right, milk does a body good--in and out. 

So do try it. I'm especially a fan of their shower gel, body polish, shimmer body lotion and gentle facial scrub (remember, you're supposed to use tiny scrub beads, the harder the grains the worse it is for your skin).

PS: My Aunt Sue just shipped me some yummy all-natural Sugar Cane Lime Cookies from DancingDeer.com. Check out their stuff, 35% of the retail price goes to help homeless families too.