Winner Chosen! Congrats to: Victoria, commenter #9! You have e-mail!

‘Tis the season for dysfunctional, dry skin, at least at my house where I actually woke up in the middle of last night because my elbows hurt. I am the kind of person who forgets she has skin until it causes problems. Oh, I wash my face and moisturize daily, but that is because I look pretty crummy when I don’t. No one, including me, sees the skin on my elbows for several months during long sleeve shirt season, and so I forget they are there until they crack and bleed. I see the rest of the skin on my body, but I don’t think to apply any sort of TLC to it until it starts to itch or flake.

I used to be better at this but between developing allergies and small children, it seems like half of what I would try would give me a rash or sit in the cupboard unused while I tended to everyone else’s needs. When your skin care products have an even chance of helping or causing a major rash, you get pretty wary of trying new ones.

When the creator of Earth Muffin asked me to try a few things and let you guys know what I thought, I was thrilled. Everything she makes is 100% natural, both good for the environment and for sensitive skin that doesn’t like unpronounceable ingredients slathered onto it. It was also timely, because my rapidly expanding pregnant belly is really starting to itch!

My favorite things have got to be the Oatmeal Milk & Honey Soak, which is a great bathtub relaxer that is very soothing to dry skin, and the customizable scrubs for exfoliating and cleansing. I love these because I can pick and choose, and if you are like me and your skin likes to freak out at every other ingredient, it is really nice to be able to be picky and leave out the things that tend to irritate.

I have been a big fan of lanolin for many years now, and Earth Muffin has it available at very reasonable pricing in both its pure form and also as a balm with just a little bit of dressing up. Lanolin is pure relief. I do not use a lip gloss or chapstick on my lips, I use pure lanolin, and if I need color, I add just a little lip pencil over it. It gives a nice shine without being gloopy, and protects, soothes and heals chapped, dry skin.

I also use it on my elbows, my big pregnant belly, my cracking heels, a sore schnoz when I have a cold, the kids, and pretty much anywhere else that needs a little soothing relief. This is a product I always have on me. You will find it as the “active” ingredient in many famous skin soothers- but when you cut right past all the chemicals and additives- why not go straight for the good stuff?

It is also a great product for mama and baby care. Pure lanolin is gentle and natural enough to use on sore nursing nipples (doesn’t need to be washed off before breastfeeding), and is a fabulous way to waterproof wool used in cloth diapering.

I’ve been very happy with the goodies I’ve found over at Earth Muffin, and I’m looking forward to trying a few new products! It is nice to have an Earth friendly source for great body products!

Now, if you would like to try these goodies out for free- leave a comment here and you just might win a $10 gift certificate to Earth Muffin!