Stuff Parents Need

Easing the chaos in the nest, one find at a time.

Olay Launches Products for Sensitive Skin! Review and GIVEAWAY!!

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Spring is such a beautiful time of year. Everything is in bloom and looking absolutely stunning. The beauty of nature is positively breath-taking this time of year.

It’s also a nightmare for your allergies, if you have them. I actually didn’t suffer from allergies at all (except for a random allergy to goldenrod) until I left the South for 2 years and then came back. My body, it seems, had completely forgotten how to handle all this pollen and threw a complete fit! That was back in 2004, and it hasn’t been able to recover yet. Every year when the flowers start blooming, I have to reach for some allergy medicine to help get me through.

This year, in addition to sneezing all the time, my skin is also extra-sensitive (I attribute this to pregnancy). Things that never used to bother my face are suddenly giving me rashes or burning when I apply them. Yikes!

That’s why I’m turning to Olay for my skincare needs right now. Did you know that they have several fragrance-free options, which are designed for sensitive skin (and are also great for those folks currently suffering from allergies….your skincare products can make your suffering worse if they contain irritants!).

There are 3 products I have been using this month, and I’ve had absolutely no problems with any of them.

First and foremost, I have to sing high praises for the Olay Clean & Mild Makeup Remover Cloths. I don’t usually buy this type of product, because to be honest, it seems a bit indulgent. I mean, just get out a wash cloth for goodness sake! But let me tell you, in the last weeks of my pregnancy when it took all of my strength just to think about washing my face, these were invaluable. If I hadn’t had them on hand, I probably would have just gone to bed with a dirty face. Just being honest. These also are going with me to the hospital. I really love them! This product retails for $4.99.

Second, I’ve been LOVING the Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream. This product, itself, is not new, but the fragrance-free formula is new. In my experience, sometimes skincare designed for sensitive skin seems to lack the same powerful punch that other products have, particularly when it comes to anti-aging properties. Not this one! Olay Regenerist has won MANY awards for its effectiveness, and I’m thrilled to be using it without any worries that my skin will negatively react to it. This product retails for $31.99.

Finally, for these tired mama eyes, I’ve been using the Olay Regenerist Eye Lifting Serum. If there’s one facial product that you should definitley seek out a sensitive skin formulation for, it’s eye cream! Imagine if it contains irritants in it and then it gets into your eyes. Ouch! This product from Olay is fragrance-free but still works really hard to hydrate the skin around your eyes and to life and brighten the entire eye area. Love it! It retails for $24.99.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a gift set from Olay, containing the same products I reviewed!

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(Maternity Monday) Noodle & Boo Skin Perfecting Creme Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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I’m 28 1/2 weeks into my pregnancy. I look like I’m about 36 weeks along. Seriously. Some would probably say I look 40 weeks pregnant! I’m super short and the baby has nowhere to go but out. This is also my second pregnancy, so my body seems to be quick to remember how to expand to make room. All this is to say that I’m one round lady these days, with no hope of shrinking any time soon!

So as my belly grows, my skin is stretching. And itching. LIKE CRAZY!!! I need relief, and if there’s a chance that a product might help with stretch marks, well that’s a bonus. I actually had been using a stretch cream product that I used the last time, and it did seem to work, but it had a critical flaw: it is SO greasy! Seriously, I have to not put any clothes on after applying this stuff for a minimum of 10 minutes…way too long!

For the past month, though, I’ve been using a product from Noodle & Boo (remember the review I did earlier for their fantastic super soft lotion?). It’s called Perfecting Creme. I’m just going to be up front about the negative of this product: it ain’t cheap! A 3.5 oz tube will set you back $42.00.

Now let me tell you why I think it’s worth it.

First and foremost, it isn’t greasy! Yay! But that doesn’t mean that it isn’t an AWESOME moisturizer. My belly feels so soft! It also helps tremendously with itching. And when you itch like crazy, you will do anything to get relief. This perfecting creme most definitely provides that relief.

Second, this pregnancy stretch marks cream contains a peptide compound that helps prevent and reduce stretch marks while naturally promoting the synthesis of collagen (that’s elasticity for your skin!). So far, I don’t have any stretch marks. I can’t promise that this product will keep them from appearing, but I do feel confident that it will at least help reduce their severity if I do get them.

Third, this stuff smells SO SO SO good. It made with cocoa butter and avocado oil, but if you ask me, it smells like sweetened almonds. It honestly brightens my mood when I apply it, which is a happy little perk.

I’m so glad I got to try this product. It isn’t something I would have picked up for myself, but now that I have used it, I would highly recommend it to other expecting moms. It’s worth it, and so are you! Be sure to check out the rest of their line, which includes lots of great baby skin careproducts.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win a tube of Noodle & Boo Perfecting Creme! Woo hoo!

 

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Maternity Monday: Noodle and Boo Lotion Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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One thing I wish I had taken the time to do more often with Darah when she was a baby was infant massage. There’s so much research out there indicating that this is such a great bonding activity for baby and parent. I was always so worried about whether or not she was cold that I didn’t massage her as often as I would have liked. I’m going to be more intentional about giving my little one lots of touch and ski-to-skin contact this time around.

I know this is a great thing for babies, and it is also a great thing for toddlers! Darah likes to “do lotion” after her bath or really most any time that I mention it as an option. She’s actually not an overly touchy child, but she loves a massage!

I try to make sure that I have high quality, hypo-allergenic and all natural products to put on her skin, and I’ll be even more diligent about that with the baby in its first year. Right now we are testing a product that we are really enjoying. It’s called Super Soft Lotion by Noodle & Boo. It smells fantastic; like a baby! It’s made with sweet almond oil and contains natural antioxidants. I find that it moisturizes Darah’s skin without leaving a greasy residue. I appreciate that because in the winter months, I do want to get her dressed quickly after her lotion time, and I don’t worry that this lotion will get all over her clothes.

Noodle & Boo products are made to be used on newborns and babies with sensitive skin, so there is no need to worry about potential reactions. Their baby skin care products are also formulated to comply with some of the most stringent consumer production standards in the entire world (those set by the European Union and Japan). I appreciate that a U.S.-based company goes above and beyond what our own country’s regulations require. That shows a true dedication to providing the very best and safest products possible.

One other great thing about Noodle & Boo is that they aspire to help children in need by donating a significant portion of their profits to different children’s charities. I love an organization that really gives back.

Noodle & Boo has a fantastic line of products that you and your baby are sure to enjoy. I highly recommend the baby lotion as a gift for your little one, or as an extra special baby shower gift.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need winner will win a Noodle & Boo Super Soft Lotion!
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