Recently my husband started using the Vanilla Sandalwood Beard Balm from Lovely Beards. I took notice of the delightfully light and subtle smell every time I went in for a kiss.  One evening the balm was laying on the bathroom counter and out of curiosity, I decided to take a look at the ingredients and see what was behind this wonderful scent.  I was surprised to find that all of the ingredients were 100% organic.  I began to wonder about these ingredients and whether they would make my dry chapped hands feel as smooth and soft as my husband’s face a beard.  So, I did a little research on the ingredients.  

Here’s what I found:  

Shea Butter – Used in thousands of cosmetic properties, helps give that natural glow and best of all helps you look younger by boosting cell growth. Moisturizes the scalp to help relieve dry, itchy scalp and dandruff. Relieves windburn, sunburned and dry itchy skin (once again I will be taking this with me at the beach and on the mountain). Best part it reduces stretch marks, cellulite and scarring (I’ve had 2 kids and I wonder if they could sell this in a Costco size container. Maybe I could just bathe in it to tighten everything up). It also helps with diaper rashes.  so I’ll I’m thinking I should be putting this balm in to my kiddos diaper bag (I do love the convenient size). 

Beeswax – dry/chapped skin relief, natural moisturizer (locks in natural moisture when applied – I desperately need this when I’m skiing in Colorado. I look and feel horrible the whole trip because I’m broken out in dry rashes and painfully cracked skin that no moisturizer can heal.) Pain Reliever, Acne treatment (it has strong antiseptic, healing and anti-inflammatory properties) and helps liver function ( I thought really, then I went on to read and remember that the skin is the largest organ and what goes on the body, goes in the body. 

Almond Oil – Is a miracle oil, it makes dark eye circles vanish, treats eczema, is a natural/safe make up remover, and relieves itchiness and irritation.

Coconut Oil – has a multitude of uses both in the kitchen and on the skin. A few of my favorites are after shower moisturizer (I stopped using lotion two years ago and just use coconut oil), lip balm, sunburn treatment, acne healer and diaper rash oil. I also use it for my cracked heals and cuticle cream. 

Aloe Vera – Heals cold sores, natural sunburn treatment and helps hydrate the skin.

Vitamin E – Repairs damaged skin and fights those suborn free-radicals that cause aging. 

Vanilla – It’s a powerful anti-inflammatory as topical use, it’s also has antibacterial and antioxidant properties that help the skin heal naturally.

Sandalwood – Helps with mental clarity, focus, calmness and helps treat dry skin.

All these tidbits of information were found on Dr. Axe’s website www.draxe.com. I’ve used his website for a long time to research natural remedies. 

Later that night, I started sneaking a bit of my husband’s Vanilla Sandalwood balm and to use on my hands. I've only been doing this for a few days now, but I’m starting to see some real improvement.  

I'll post an update in a few weeks to let you know how it's working.  In the mean time, feel free to share this information with your friends - just don’t tell my husband.