This Dry Idea product became mine when I came across it in a discount store. Apparently a drug chain had sold off some old stock when they changed hands, and many of their products ended up in these mark-down outlets. This deodorant, which normally sold for over four dollars in …

When I recently stopped by Bath and Body Works, one of my favorite stores, I picked up a few little things. The “big” things were not on sale, but I was excited to see new fragrances for spring and check out the new product lines.
While I was there, …

I’ve had a problem with thinning hair since I turned forty. I have tried every vitamin, shampoo and treatment I came across. Most don’t work. Here’s an example. This product claimed to have lots of scientifically backed ingredients that helped to restructure and strengthen hair. It even gave an in …

I have thinning hair, and I have tried several supplements that claim to support hair growth and scalp health. It makes perfect sense to me that the problem should be solved from the inside, since hormonal and nutritional factors can play a part in hair loss. I have diabetes, fibromyalgia, …

When I am not writing, I am often cooking. As an at home caretaker, I prepare all the special meals for myself and my mother, who is on a dialysis renal diabetic diet. Hers is quite a complicated one, and I often prepare my own meals separately. In other words, …

I love taking a hot bath in the evening so I was thrilled to receive two varieties of these bath bombs in a gift basket for my birthday. One was lavender, and this one was “Immune Boost.” I soon gathered from the package that immune boost was actually bergamot scented. …

I received a couple of varieties of these bath fizzer balls in a gift basket. As bath bombs go, they are about average. I have used other brands that had a stronger scent, and seemed to condition the water more, and the effervescent effect was a bit stronger. …

When I was buying a few things at a CVS store, I decided to try these Age Defying towelettes, which are really facial cleanser wipes with an odd choice of name. I like to have something on hand when I am doing “dirty work” like gardening or painting– any job …

Being a certified “bath junkie” means I will try just about any brand that looks promising or offers me a good price. I love using various kinds of bath additives, and one favorite that I keep coming back to is a mentholated mineral bath. I have fibromyalgia, and suffer …

I have thinning hair, and a constant weapon in my arsenal against it is some type of volumizing mousse product. I apply it at the roots of my hair to boost the volume while I am drying it, and then to help hold the style and smooth the frizz at …

I have been using Cold Eeze and similar zinc products to reduce the severity and length of a cold for years. I normally take the lozenges, which certainly do help to reduce the time you suffer the cold. Unfortunately, lozenges can sometimes be a bit unpleasant. Dissolving it slowly in …

Prevention is often the best medicine, and that is why I would like to recommend this product to anyone who wears shoes on a regular basis. We can all get fungus if we sweat in our shoes. Having diabetes, it is especially important for me to take care of …

I am not a big fan of mint mouthwash and toothpaste flavors. They burn my mouth. I was looking around and trying various natural mouthwash products to see if I could find one that would be mild enough that I might actually not dread using it.
Alcohol based washes …

Since there has been some suspicion over my blood results, I have taken my doctor’s advice, and even without a firm diagnosis of lupus, I take great care to protect myself from the sun. When I go outdoors, I always wear a high potency sun block. I happened …

Water, and nitrogen. It doesn’t sound like it would be amazing, but according to the French Academy of Medicine, it has amazing properties for the skin. This mineral water spray comes from France. It has minerals that you might find in a mineral soak, which I do believe …

I have used various creams on my feet at night to keep them soft. I also usually end up treating my hands with the same cream, so as not to waste it.
There are plenty of drug store brands that work well, and even some plain natural products like petroleum jelly …

The cute name of this product, believe it or not, is not why I bought it, although I am subject to falling for those kind of marketing ploys. I actually bought it for myself, not a baby– and because of the ingredients. I have always been a tea lover and …

When I made a display of bath beads for my tub, I used a glass potpourri bowl, and ordered a variety pack of various shapes and types of bath oil beads. When they started to run low, I took a look for more variety, as I loved the idea of …

I love to use a powder in the summer to help prevent wetness, rashes and chafing. In the past, I used talc based powders, but after learning the dangers of talc and its association with cancers and lung problems, I switched to the much safer corn starch powders.
Using …

I have irritable bowel syndrome, and although I usually suffer with the diarrhea symptoms rather than constipation, it does occasionally go in the other direction. I take fiber supplements, but there are times when nothing seems to work. I would rather not take laxatives unless it is an absolute …

My mother, who I live with, has an addiction to Avon products. She is forever ordering them and then forgetting she has them. The other night, she was looking for something in a drawer, and came across a little round box of body powder that she did not even recognize. …

I love to take nice hot soaks before bed to help relax me and ease fibromyalgia’s sore muscles. Often, a hot bath is the difference between a night of leg cramps and a good night’s sleep.
As well as being physically beneficial, I love the way it makes me …

I received this metal box of talcum powder as a gift. Although I do not normally use talc as it is associated with health risks, I made an exception for this product. I just don’t use it near “intimate areas” where I would normally use powder. When I use this …

I have occasional problems with dry eyes, and I find relief in using Systane eye drops daily when I have a flare up. When I was having a particularly bad bout, my eye doctor recommended using the Systane ointment at night, because I was waking up with eyes that were …

When I was out shopping one day, I got a rather unexpected case of gas pains in my upper and lower intestines that was quite miserable. I knew it was gas by the way the pain moved around, and I did not have anything with me at the time to …

Having irritable bowel syndrome means sometimes dealing with constipation as well as diarrhea. It is rare for me to have constipation with my illness, but it does happen, especially after prolonged flights or car trips. The last time I took an actual laxative was after a long car ride. I …

When I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia, I bought my first blood glucose monitor and when test strips started to get too expensive, I started looking for a more affordable monitor and test strip duo. Reviews pointed me towards the ReliOn Ultima sold at Walmart and Sam’s Club (or …

St. Ives is a good company that I remember from the early eighties when I used to try out their lotions and shampoos. I have lost a good bit of weight in the past year, and with my being in my early forties, my skin has shown some reluctance to …

I first discovered this on the shelf at a cosmetics store. Its appearance caught my eye.
The clear, simple packaging highlights the beauty of this lovely pearly green shampoo. The next selling point was the fragrance. It was a wonderful, potent spa-like eucalyptus scent that reminded me a bit of the …

When I was helping to care for an elderly friend, we had many long talks– about everything. One day she noticed I had a small scar on my arm that had darkened a bit. She told me to get the “Black and White” cream from her cabinet and use it …

I am not sure why I thought that this would be different than any of the other many self tanner products I have tried over the years. I have suspected lupus, so I cannot get a “natural” tan as I must avoid the sun and wear heavy duty sun block …

The one word review for this product would be– wow! This is a very unique primer and I am glad I spent the extra money to try it out. I had become unhappy with the pores close to my nose. They started to look large and makeup was starting to …

I bought this towel when I was taking a look at what new product Earth Therapeutics had to offer online. I have always loved their foot products, and have probably tried most of what they have to offer in all their personal care lines.
My hair is not exceptionally …

When I first saw the bottle that was being used on my hair, I thought it looked like something that belonged in a pharmacy, not a salon. However, soon enough, I smelled it and changed my mind. This shampoo was being used on my hair because my stylist …

Australian sea kelp is the star in this convenient Aussie product. Although I usually use a rinse out conditioner when I shampoo, I like to have some leave in type on hand too, in case I have a need for freshening up the hair after a humid day, or get …

I was a bit confused when I saw the label on this conditioner. I thought perhaps it was an alternative to shampoo, because a product like that can be very useful for dryer hair types. As it turns out, this is in fact a conditioner, to be used on clean …

I bought this product to see if it would help me create a fluffier style with more body for the top portion of my hair, which is thinning. I also wanted some lift in the back portion so that it would make a wetter style at the ends look a …

I have thinning hair near my crown, that showed up in my late thirties and has gotten worse since I turned forty one. I have tried many volumizing shampoos and various treatments and some have been very good– which has prompted me to keep trying every new one I …

The last time I was shopping at Ulta, I decided to try some of their hair spray. It was on sale, and I had previously purchased some of their other products and enjoyed them, so I expected the Ulta hair spray to be of similar quality to other Ulta …

I have had a problem with periodic mild adult acne for years. I saw this product on TV and decided to give it a try. I had tried others and found them to be too harsh, but I thought maybe since this was only applied to an individual spot, it …

Back when there were only a few options for good quality shower gels, Rainbath was one of the most popular and sophisticated ones around. The classic product has remained the same through many years, a testament to its quality, and an ever-shining star for the Neutrogena company.
I first …

This shampoo had a particular draw for me, because I am lazy, and flat ironing my hair seems to take forever. Of course there is the heat damage associated with it also, but the real issue is– I am lazy! I heard someone claim this was a miracle shampoo …

My hair has very dry ends, and I don’t want to lose the length, so I try to baby them, iron them, and do whatever I can to manage them. On some days, they feel like straw. I have used Redken products before, namely the shampoo and conditioner for colored …

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I went through a phase of trying kid’s shampoos after using a coconut scented one at a relative’s house was a pleasing experience. The two in one formulas were gentle to my hair, and the cool scents were just fun and different. After trying out a cherry almond …

I take chromium supplements to help control my blood sugar and glucose metabolism. I have been diabetic for several years, and find that this supplement does actually make a difference when taken regularly. I have tried various brands and forms of chromium, and most work well. I have used Now …

I have occasional migraines and if you are reading this, you probably already know the misery that they cause. I’ve tried a lot of different things, including prescriptions that I could not tolerate because of side effects, homeopathic remedies, over the counter medicines, caffeine, hot and cold therapies– you name …

I had an interesting thing happen to my face last year. I was using a blush brush that was made from horsehair. I was not aware that there was any problem. Since I have been suspected of having lupus for years, my reporting a slightly red and itchy rash on …

Ironically, I bought this product because I was due to go on a date, and my lips were chapped. I laughed out loud at the name of the product, which although unusual, is not at all unusual for Philosophy. Although pricey, their products are generally excellent– so because I was …

I received this cuticle treatment as a gift for participating in a promotion. It is a convenient form of cuticle oil that you can take anywhere and use anywhere without making a mess. It has a nice fragrance, and contains jojoba, apricot, almond and evening primrose oils along with many …

My partner knows I find ancient Chinese medicine fascinating, and that I will try anything once. I have fibromyalgia, so anti-pain creams, rubs, and gels are no strangers to me. China Gel was one brand that I had heard of, but never tried because I never came across it in …