Love the skin you are in: A giveaway

My wedding bands are the inevitable casualty of winter. The dry, brutal air chaps my skin and the area between my ring and middle fingers becomes chafed and flaky. The only thing I can do to help it heal is to take off my rings for a week or so and apply lotion.

Lots and lots of lotion.

In years past, I didn't pay much attention to the moisturizer I used. I would apply a cheap drugstore find or an overly scented, overpriced selection from a store in the mall - neither of which did much for my skin. I found Aveda's hand relief cream last year, and I fell in love instantly. It was a workhorse lotion without being greasy, had a mild scent and had quick results.

My tube ran out just before the holidays, though, and I had been hoping to find another in my stocking. Instead, I got the best mug. Ever. Since then, I've been scamming lotion from co-workers because I inadvertently forget it every time I am at Target. Too many pretty things. Too distracting.

So it was with them in mind that I disregarded the mention of Dr. Oz (he called the seabuckthorn a "miracle berry") and accepted an opportunity from SeabuckWonders to try its skincare line. (The company also offers a line of supplements.)

About SeabuckWonders:

The wait is over. SeabuckWonders’ personal care product line is here. And it’s packed with a high concentration of sea buckthorn oil for maximum results. That means healthier, softer and more beautiful skin for all those who add these products to their daily routine. Unlike many Sea buckthorn products in the marketplace, SeabuckWonders believes quality and quantity are both important. Because Sea Buckthorn is expensive, many manufacturers provide skin care products with little to no sea buckthorn to minimize their costs. At SeabuckWonders, we focus on maximizing the benefits of our products and therefore, provide a high concentration of sea buckthorn oil in all of our personal care products. It’s a simple formula: More sea buckthorn = more health and beauty benefits. And you can even see the difference. Because our skin care products contain a higher dose of sea buckthorn, you’ll notice a bright, yellow-orange glow—a mirror reflection of the sea buckthorn berry’s natural vibrant color. This intense concentration of sea buckthorn makes SeabuckWonders the superior product line for skin healing and beauty enhancement. High Concentration of Organic Himalayan Sea Buckthorn Infused with Omega 3, 6, 7 & 9 Vegan, Non-GMO Paraben-free, Cruelty-free, and Gluten-free

I'll be honest -I wasn't sure how all of that would translate to skin care. Omega vitamins are great in a diet but for my face? It seemed curious.

And curious I still am. But I can tell you this (and a few thats):

Scrub a dub. I love the facial cleanser. Like love it. It has a gentle exfoliant that gives me the feeling that I actually washed my face and I feel like my skin is tighter after just one use. It has a mild orange scent, from natural orange extract, that is fresh and refreshing. The product claims to make skin more vibrant and I do agree that my skin looks a lot better since using it. It could be a more regular beauty regimen ... or the sea buckthorn.

Facial hydration. SeabuckWonders has two options for moisturizing your face - a facial cream and a deep hydrating serum. I've been using the cream in the morning and the serum at night, and my dry skin has been happily soaking them up. Winter hasn't done my face any favors, and I think I was breaking out because my oil glands were going into overdrive to compensate for the dryness. I say this because I'm obviously (not) a dermatologist. I didn't like the cream at first, I will admit. I felt like it was greasy and though it is scented with the same orange extract as the other products, its odor was a bit off. I am not sure if it's regular use or it was a one-time problem but I no longer feel like it smells funny, and I think it hydrates really well. Maybe even better than the serum. The key is applying it immediately after washing your face.

Hands on. The body lotion is probably the product I've used least frequently, mostly because I forgot to take it to work. So far, so good, though. My chafed area by my ring finger is already looking better after one day sans ring. The lotion is thick without being sticky and not greasy at all. It does require reapplication throughout the day, and I normally do so after going to the bathroom and washing my hands.

Hydration is good for skin but requires frequent trips to the bathroom, require frequent hand washing, which dries out the skin. Such a vicious cycle.

You can try to end it, though, as the kind folks at SeabuckWonders have offered one reader its lineup to help you love the skin you're in this Valentine's season. The winner will receive the skin care kit, including lotion, facial cleanser, face cream and deep hydrating lotion, a more than $70 value.


a Rafflecopter giveaway



Disclosure: Open to U.S. residents only. The giveaway ends Wednesday, Feb. 13. The winner will be selected via Rafflecopter on Thursday, Feb. 14, and will be emailed. The winner will have 72 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be selected. I was sent the SeabuckWonders products at no charge but all words and opinions are my own.