Sunday, January 4, 2009

Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion + Sunscreen SPF 15: A Review



Living in Maine, dry skin is almost a given in the winter months. The cold winter weather tends to chap the skin quickly, leaving it rough and needing some TLC. I hate wearing dark colored clothes in the winter, because my skin will leave it's "dandruff" all over the clothing and it just looks horrible.

Another thing about winter weather is that while the sun may not be as bright as the summer months, sun damage can occur anyways. The snow and ice are perfect reflectors of the sun's damaging rays-I've seen skiiers and ice fishermen come back home with sunburns on their faces even when it's 20 below zero. That being said, you shouldn't just let your guard down because it's cold outside and the sun may not be as hot as the summertime. I make sure to wear sunglasses if there are snow and ice outside and I'm driving, because there are days when the glare is so terrible it makes it difficult to see.

I was pretty excited when Pete Grimaldi from 21st Century Formulations contacted me and asked me to try out their new product, Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion + Sunscreen SPF 15. My dad has had skin cancer lesions removed off from his face, ears and lips by lasers within the past few years-and the results are not pretty. He is fair skinned like myself and the years of working outside in construction, fishing and hunting caught up with him. I actually went to a women's health clinic last year and checked out my face with ultraviolet lights and was shocked to see signs of damage I had from the sun due to the few sunburns I had when I was a child.

In the wintertime, I tend to look for the heavy, creamy types of skin lotions, usually with alot of scent. And I NEVER use it for my face, I'd be sure to break out from clogged pores or something. When I tried the Skin Care MD lotion, I was surprised to see it was for face, hands and body. The lotion was thinner than I expected, so I decided to try it on my face too. I've been using it for about two weeks now, and no breakouts! I like the fact that it absorbs quickly, leaving my skin feeling soft but not greasy. There is a slight sunscreen type smell, but it is not unpleasant. I have a rather large scar on my right forearm and that area tends to dry out the quickest but when I used the Skin MD I noticed that the area didn't dry out quickly at all-which was a nice surprise.

I ended up bringing the Skin MD Shielding Lotion + Sunscreen SPF 15 to the office and had my two co-workers Rhonda and Nicole try it out. Nicole tried it, and didn't think it was that bad-but she is someone who likes alot of scent, and the slight sunscreen smell it left didn't appeal to her. Rhonda, on the other hand really liked the sunscreen smell and used the product a couple of times. She has pretty sensitive skin and was a bit hesitant to put it on her face, thinking it'd break her out but she did-and so far no rash or breakouts reported. You really don't need a lot of this product to get the job done-it tends to sink right into the skin almost immediately, and a little will go a long way.

There are many benefits to the Skin MD line, and you can read them here: www.skinmdnatural.com I would probably wear this product with the added sunscreen more in the summertime than in the winter since I tend to hibernate inside during cold weather. But working in the garden, by the pool with my daughter, or on vacation in a warmer climate I would be sure to have it close by. I know CVS sells the product, because I saw it on the pharmacy counter-you can also buy from the website but if you want to save on shipping costs I'd see if there is a store near you. This particular product retails for about $25 a bottle for a 1-2 month supply. The regular Skin MD retails for about $18 a bottle. If you have CVS ExtraBucks to use, you could even use those towards the purchase cost. While the price may seem high for some of you, I can tell you that those laser treatments my dad got were several thousand dollars A POP-with no health insurance. Which would you rather be paying for?

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