Five Faves: Bathroom Edition

Linking up with Jenna today!

It's winter.  Blah.   

It's winter in Maine.....which means very dry air, even drier skin, and the "winter blues".   I thought I'd go through the bathroom in today's five favourites and share a little bit of what keeps all of that at bay for us around the Circus.

1.

Hair

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Okay, this is my one big splurge when it comes to personal care products.  I love this shampoo - I really struggle with dry scalp in the winter, and this seems to really help.  I can tell when I don't use it for whatever reason, that's for sure!

2.

Skin

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I had originally bought this lotion to help with Theo's dry skin - if I don't keep on top of it, he scratches and picks at it until it scabs.    One day, I ran out of my own lotion and "borrowed" his, and fell in love with it!   It's so good for the winter dry skin that happens around here, and I've started using it on all of us.  It smells good, isn't too oily/greasy (a big problem with a lot of the "intense moisture" ones), and doesn't break the bank.   The baby version smells absolutely perfect on Baby Ruthie, too.....

3.

Hands

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This stuff is amazing.  I don't even want to know why or how it works, but my gosh, it does work.   With changing diapers, a baby, and a child with a compromised immune system, I wash my hands A LOT.   They end up cracked and bleeding and painful....one night of lathering this stuff on just before bed almost brings them back to 100%.  Two nights take care of the cracking and dry skin completely.  Highly recommend trying it, if you have a problem with dry hands!  (There's a feet version, too)

4.

Shower

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This may not seem related, in any way, to the dryness of a Maine winter, but I promise it is!  A few years ago, Mike switched to using a safety razor while shaving instead of buying the "normal" ones in the store.  We were both amazed at how well it helped with his sensitive skin - he didn't struggle with razor burn at all anymore!  (red hair = majorly sensitive skin)   I decided to give it a try a few years, because I'm a good follower like that.  It's been the same thing for me - my dry skin used to give me such a problem when it came to shaving.  Razor burn, super dried out skin, itchy patches, no matter what shaving cream or lotion I used.  Did this razor eliminate any of those symptoms?  No, but it did drastically improve them - I'm not sure why or how it works, but now shaving leaves me with soft, smooth skin, and no dry patches.   It was worth the investment (that ended up saving us mucho money in the long run, because the replacement blades are crazy cheap!).

5.

The Winter Blues

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******Before I start this one, a disclaimer:  I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on the internet.   I am also not my husband*****

A couple of years ago (pre-Baby Ruthie), we were trying to get my cycle under control and strong enough to sustain a pregnancy.  A friend of ours, who is WAY more knowledgeable about things like this told us about maca root and how it works, and I thought I'd try it to see how it would help out my cycle symptoms (not super clear ovulation signs and a luteal phase deficiency).  Not only did it help even out my cycle (and I credit Baby Ruthie to the work maca did straightening out my chart), but we noticed an interesting phenomenon.   When I was taking the maca regularly, I struggled MUCH less with depression symptoms, even during the winter.  (I'm one of those people who really struggles with lack of natural sunlight and I'm guessing that if I went to the doctor, I'd officially be told that I have "seasonal affective disorder".   Reading a list of symptoms for SAD is like reading a playlist for my winter life).   When I was good about taking maca on a daily basis, my SAD symptoms were virtually non-existent, and my chart looked picture-perfect.    Could it help someone else?  I don't know - but it might be worth asking your doctor about and/or researching it on your own.   I personally have not noticed any negative side effects, but there are documented instances of things like sleeplessness, and if you have thyroid issues, you should definitely talk to your doctor first because maca contains iodine.   Remember, I'm not a doctor or even pretending to be one, and am only relaying one personal experience with this supplement.  

*****

Alright, I'm off for the day!  More laundry awaits me after our weekend away and school starts back up today.  Have a great day, y'all!