Personal Microderm-Review

In the last month I've had a chance to receive and review an at home microdermabrasion system. This is a personal use product that is suggested to use in lieu of spa treatments or as a way to upkeep your skin.

I have used this product three times, so it has given me a chance to see how my skin feels and allowed me a chance to get more comfortable giving myself the treatment. I can honestly say, I've seen in a big difference in my skins texture!

I am like a lot of women, my skin is changing after having a child and getting older. I have had some form of acne since I got hormones and it hasn't subsided as an adult. I have scarring from the acne and I have freckling/sun damaged areas as well. I have dry patches as well as oily patches and it's really hard to exfoliate my skin completely with scrubs, etc. I have the standard T zone oiliness as well.

The Personal Microderm after three treatments gave me a few results that were surprising. After an initial sensitivity, I felt a very smooth surface of skin on my face. My skin did want to absorb the moisture of my moisturizer better and the toner I used did make my skin discomfort away pretty quickly. After two to three treatments, I saw a dramatic result in the softness as well as my pores. I often have blackheads in the cheek by my nose as well as around my nose. That has almost been completely eliminated and all of my other pores are cleaner and smaller too. I asked my husband if he noticed the softer skin, and he said "yes, definitely". Lastly, my sun damage is starting to fade some after the three treatments also.

When using the product, it takes a bit to get used to. Most of us are not trained in how to use the Personal Microderm. This unit comes with a great DVD as a guide, but you really have to learn hands on. It wasn't as easy as it looked at first because you're trying to get the contours of your face with the tool and not scrape your face too hard. The suction aspect is a little jarring at first because it pulls at your skin while the discs exfoliate. This is essentially "sanding" off the top layers of dead skin. For most of us, it will take a couple of uses before we feel comfortable using it on all areas of the face.

Here is a basic breakdown of my experience with this product:

Pros

-good price for treatment type

-skin is noticeably smoother right away

-pores minimized

-more even skin tone overall

-fairly easy to use

-comes with instructional DVD and a few different discs

-easy to keep clean and store

Cons

-discs are only good for about three treatments

-takes some getting used to

-If you want to purchase the whole regimen or many other added moisturizers, etc it can be expensive

As you can see, this does have many wonderful benefits to long lasting and rewarding skin care from home. I attempted to take photos of my before and after but, unfortunately my camera isn't working properly. What I could tell was that in similar light, my dark patches were getting lighter and my skin was much more even.

*Personal Microderm was received free in order to do a review. No monetary compensation received*

Belli Cosmetics Skincare Review *CLOSED*

I've heard of Belli and have even seen moms talking about it on other sites and raving about it. I've never tried it and thought it would be something on my list to try. I was sent the Belli Body Firming Serum and the Belli Skin Smoothing Body Exfoliator. Lucky me!

The Body Firming Serum contains marine proteins, shitake mushroom, and pumpkin seed cake. It's meant to be used daily, as you would your favorite lotion or moisturizer. The shitake mushroom is added to improve elasticity and the rice proteins added help maintain a healthier, smoother skin tone. I liked that it was very light, goes on like a watery gel and absorbs quickly. Not scented and though it's light you can feel it on your skin, tightening slightly. I like it's natural, non greasy feel. I love that it's made with ingredients that aren't perfumed and are totally safe for babies and children.

The Skin Smoothing Body Exfoliator is my cup of tea! I get really dry skin living in AZ and it's essential for me to exfoliate. If I don't, I get that lovely crusty, white, dead skin film on my body. Nobody wants to see that. I also love that it's anti inflammatory. When you're pregnant and after you have the baby, there's so many hormones running through your body that it doesn't know whether it's coming or going. The dryness is just part of it. I really love the invigorating smell of peppermint oil! The ginseng and green tea makes this incredibly refreshing on the skin and leaves your skin very soft and smooth.

So what's the big deal about Belli? It's made by parents that wanted their products to be safe for both Mother and baby and saw a gap in the industry. It's OB-Gyn recommend and 100% Lact-med screened(pthalate free). The products have natural ingredients and are formulated to be safe for pregnant and nursing mothers and their children. That shows their dedication to making a safer and more beautiful environment and makes me comfortable using it.

Win It

One Mom is going to be lucky enough to win a Body Firming Serum and Skin Smoothing Body Exfoliator of their own! That's a $58 value.

Rules

Please go to the Belli website and tell me another item on their site that you would like to try. This must not be these two items. This must be done first or you will not be eligible.

This contest is open to everyone, please leave your email address or I won't be able to notify you if you won.

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Contest ends May 9, 2009 11:59 PM Arizona time

If you want more awesome giveaways including my others, go to the Ultimate Blog Carnival and check them out!

Eco.kid Product Review

Since it's earth day, I thought it was fitting that I would write about Eco.kid. I recently received some really lovely products to try out with my two year old daughter. I reviewed a package with TLC hypo-allergenic wash, Nourish daily conditioner and, Prevent daily shampoo.

First of all, the bottles are decorated with adorable, black and white pictures of children enjoying being themselves. The backgrounds are clean with simple colors and fonts. Eco.kid is made in Australia and uses certified organic ingredients. The ingredients are meant to be pure and made from indigenous, sustainable, and even wild plants.

The shampoo and conditioner I received smell like citrus oils and very fresh. The shampoo lathers fine with water and is gentle enough to use daily. The conditioner smells similar and helps with fine hair tangles. The best part? I thought it was amazing that the ingredients they used deter head lice! I know some people don't even think about it but, believe me, after you've worked with children that seem to be hair lice magnets, you tend to appreciate something this awesome! The body wash is very earthy and smells very much like I'm sitting in a field and smelling the greenery around me. It's creamy and doesn't lather, it's really nice on the skin. My daughter gets dry patches and mild eczema, so it works wonderfully on her without over drying.

Eco.kid's philosophy is that they would rather prevent than treat problems that are happening with our children. They want to make an earth sustainable product that is also good for our little ones. They want to prevent things like eczema from flaring, lice, and allergies. They want their packaging to be recyclable and their products to be as biodegradable as possible.

I really enjoyed learning more about this product and it didn't hurt that my daughter had a great experience with these products with her hair and skin. It's really educated me on "Eco-responsible" products and their effect on the planet and on the micro level, our children.

Skin MD-Review

Just about everyone knows that in winter our skin has a tendency to be dry, cracked, irritated, just plain rough! Here in AZ, we don't have the bitter cold to contend with like a lot of other states but, we do have DRY!

My daughter has mild eczema right now and I get terribly dry skin in the winter. I asked the skin MD company to send me a sample of their natural skin care lotion, because I had heard about it and wanted to try it out. I received my sample a few days ago and am already enjoying the benefits!

I put it on right away because I wanted to see how it felt. There is no colorant and are no perfumes. The lotion has the faintest, familiar scent of your other sunscreen related products. Immediately, my skin was soothed and that was a great feeling! I checked the ingredients on the back and the second ingredient was aloe. An awesome and quality ingredient!

The lotion is not super thick or greasy, goes on easily and rubs in relatively quickly. It contains an SPF 15, which makes it a perfect everyday lotion, especially for us out here in the desert. This lotion is also recommended for those who have eczema, psoriasis, and people that have dry, itchy skin from thyroid problems as well.

Overall, with the quality ingredients and lack of colorants and perfumes, this is a wonderful skin care product! It may take a few days for you to notice significant improvements, but you will see them!