Geri Smooths The Way
My hands, elbows, knees and feet are especially dry, sort of like sandpaper. I rub on lotions or creams so infrequently I don’t know why I bother at all. They’re usually heavy, sticky or greasy –sometimes all three—and I often have to remove the excess lotion with a tissue. Plus, my skin usually becomes dry again in a couple of hours.
When I promised the folks at Vaseline that I’d try the reformulated Vaseline Intensive Rescue Repairing Moisture body lotion, I was skeptical. There’s nothing fancy about the bottle. You can buy it in the drugstore, Walmart and in many supermarkets for under $5. Although it has a long name, it makes a short and sweet promise to “relieve very dry skin in 1 use and help heal dry skin in 3 days.” Words like “powerful” and “therapeutic” are also used to describe the product.
I grew up with a jar of Vaseline Petroleum Jelly at the ready, whether my mother rubbed it on our chapped cheeks after we played in the snow for hours or on the rectal thermometer. So I felt some allegiance to the brand.
I’m skeptical no more. The lotion works. It really works. I swear. I squeezed out approximately one tablespoon of fragrance-free lotion, which took about 20 seconds of rubbing to be absorbed by my hands. My hands immediately felt soft and continued to feel soft, even velvety, throughout the day.
I’ve also been using the lotion on my feet, which are dryer than my hands and, after a few days, the skin cracks were healed and the soles felt softer. The reformulated lotion includes Stratys-3, a moisturizing complex that hydrates the skin at the “top, core and in the deep-down layers,” the company says.
Vaseline has invited me to take a “winter challenge,” which will further test the effectiveness of its lotion. I picked baking, because my daughter and I decided to make cookies for the FOF Christmas dinner party this week. The lotion should come in handy since our hands will be constantly exposed to water, heat and other drying agents, including flour, during a short period of time.
Stay tuned.
I was excited to try this, that is until I read the ingredients. Am trying to stay away from parabens. sigh.
Thanks for this tip, it’s sandpaper city here too. I’m on an eternal search for a good hand cream and body lotion, and this one sounds very promising so I’ll have to give it a try. As for the rectal thermometer? Yes, we here remember those too. Thanks for the chuckle
Hi Geri! First of all. I love your nail polish. Second of all. Thank you for taking the time to comment on my comment re: plastic surgery. You are so right. Who is to say what makes us happy or more confident or at ease with ourselves. There are so many things about my appearance that I would love to change…don’t get me started. But for the past two years I have battled two types of cancer succesfully, chemo, radiation, surgery, endless tests. And I am now recuperating from major back surgery (a long ago bicycle accident came back to haunt me now that I am in my late 50′s. Oy!) The thought of going under the knife to fix my..take your pick..neck, thighs, lips, wirinkles, brown spots just doesn’t seem worth it. I am just happy to be alive. Until this surgery I was teaching Pilates and I was amazed at how many women in my classes had the most horrible things to say about their appearances! I found something beautiful about every one of them. In some cases their “flaws” were what made them so interesting and lovely. I know I’m in the minority here. Since I can’t afford cosmetic surgery it is not even an issue for me. And I do not begrudge those who choose to do it. I live in Southern California so I am one of the few of my friends who have had nothing done. I know it can change lives for the positive. I still think there is an epidemic of “wanting to get work done.” Geri, I think the world of you. And you do look pretty fabulous, I must admit. Once again. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. Connie Snow*
Hi Connie,
The polish is Essie’s Mocachino. I’m glad you like it.
After what you’ve been through, the idea of elective surgery for anything as insignificant as jowls or eyelids does seem ridiculous. How is your back doing? My husband was advised to have back surgery for stenosis, but he refuses.
I do agree that more and more women want to “get work done.” But I wouldn’t call it an epidemic. I think it’s a result of boomer women wanting to look as good outside as we feel inside. Of course, you have had the misfortune of not feeling so good inside, but thank God, you have conquered cancer. So the heck with plastic surgery.
Thank you for your lovely compliment. I still have enough flaws to make me interesting
Take care of yourself. It’s wonderful you live in Southern California so you can recuperate in nice weather.
Have a wonderful holiday season. Health above all.
Fondly,
Geri
I love the rings! Where can I get one? Thanks, Lou
hi lou,
the blue ring is from Bergdorf Goodman. I can’t remember the designer’s name; bought it a couple of years ago. The band is silver so it wasn’t a fortune. The green one is from a shop in Manhattan called Mariko that sells unique jewelry. Bought that this year. It’s silver, too.
Geri
Thanks, I’ve been looking for awhile ,saw one at a Vermont craft show in Oct. passed it up and now that style is really hard to find. I will look at those options, I also bought the moisturizer
And love it.
I identified so strongly with what you said about your skin and the lack of effectiveness of moisturizers that I made it a point to go and get the Vaseline Intensive Care Repairing formula that same day! Frankly, I am amazed and impressed with how well it works. I actually *forget* to add more moisturizer as the day goes on, because my hands no longer feel dry. And my spouse commented on how soft my face feels. What a relief to not look at my skins and think “alligator skin” followed by “oh no, my shins look just like my mother’s!”. Thanks so much for sharing this, Geri.
hi mary,
I am so happy you like it, too, and appreciate you taking the time to comment.
Geri