Posted by
Dain,
Sunday, June 17, 2007
9:05 PM (Eastern)
I'm thinking of getting one, to use as lip balm and cuticle salve that I can carry around, and occassionally for the winter when my skin is really, really chapped (you know when you're blowing your nose too hard because of allergies or a cold? a multipurpose emollient will help). But which one? From Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream to Aquaphor, there's a slew of hyped products that I've never really tried. I have a very large tin of L'Occitane Shea Butter, but it's sticky and heavy in its pure form, requiring warming up in the palm beforehand, even though in effect it is very nice indeed. I'd rather save it for lips alone, otherwise my hands are unmanageably covered with shea butter (which is nice once it absorbs, say, if I'm going to bed, for soft hands in the morning). Plus, the 4.9 oz tin is really unmanageable, and I'm looking for schleppability.
Here's the original multipurpose salve, Elizabeth Arden Eight Arden Cream Skin Protectant ($15). Here, the collector's edition, whatever that means. I've never tried Eight Hour Cream, but I veto this particular packaging as bulky and breakable. There is, of course, the all familiar tube, but again, I think it's a bit big for a purse. I don't know if I want to spend that much money for vaseline with oils, and I'm not sure about the medicinal smell—maybe it might be really nice, in a retro way?
A little more chic and portable, is Smith's Rosebud Salve. I recently tried out my friend's Smith's Rosebud Minted Rose Lip Balm ($7), which is a Sephora exclusive. The packaging is perhaps not quite so cute as the original, but I think the formula is more cosmetically elegant. Not only is the texture improved, the Minted Rose formula is also just ever so slightly tinted, but not enough so that it cannot be multipurpose. It's just perfect for a purse, and it's chic but still I'm-too-low-maintenance-to-be-bothered.
And then I thought, do I really want to buy into a product that is essentially fancy emollient? And isn't it just tinted, scented, pretty-packaged petroleum jelly? The good consumer in me realizes, alas. And then I found Badger balms, which is a very small and conscientious company. I can't pick between them, but I've narrowed it down to these two. I'd like either the Sleep Balm (~$4), which attracts me because I'm an insomniac, and the tin is too cute! Here's the copy, which, though it is just copy, is really quite charming: "A dreamy night balm rich with precious oils to calm, encourage, cheer and relax poetic badgers and other restless wanderers." Or, the Evolving Balm (~$7), a golden balm based around rose and lavender, because I think it would be truly multipurpose, especially for my skin type. I'll have to be able to test them out to be sure, but I really like the ingredients list for the Evolving Balm: Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Castor Oil, Natural Beeswax, Extracts of Calendula, Rose Hip, Seabuckthorn Berry & Essential Oils of Lavender, Rose, Gum Benzoin (tree resin) & Roman Chamomile.
I'm favoring the Badger Evolving Balm. I think it is much like Smith's Rosebud, except with natural ingredients (and it probably smells and works better, too).
I had a tube of the Arden once. Years ago, way back when I was working, so its been at least 5 years. It worked really well. It smelled like elephants. Seriously. It smelled just like the elephant house at the zoo. Not elephant poo, mind you, just elephants.
I like the original rosebud salve. I can buy it at an Amish grocery store for less than $4. I cant use it on my lips though, it makes them crack, but I do like it for cuticles and heels.
Never tried the Badger Balm, but they look good and I've seen them around here at the local health-food stores. Maybe I'll try one.
Colleen Shirazi
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June 18, 2007 6:08 PM,
Hmmm...I'm clueless about salves, since I seldom need to salve anything. I have lip balm...tons of lip balm...that's about it.
The Badger stuff looks good.
June 18, 2007 10:33 PM,
I had a tube of the Arden once. Years ago, way back when I was working, so its been at least 5 years. It worked really well. It smelled like elephants. Seriously. It smelled just like the elephant house at the zoo. Not elephant poo, mind you, just elephants.
I like the original rosebud salve. I can buy it at an Amish grocery store for less than $4. I cant use it on my lips though, it makes them crack, but I do like it for cuticles and heels.
Never tried the Badger Balm, but they look good and I've seen them around here at the local health-food stores. Maybe I'll try one.
June 19, 2007 6:34 PM,
Elephants? rotfl
June 19, 2007 9:15 PM,
Yes.
Seriously.
Elephants.
It smells exactly like the elephant house at Brookfield Zoo.
:)
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