Marla Bosworth is the founder and owner of Back Porch Soap Company. She teaches classes, corporate events and experiences including candle making, soap making, organic skincare and perfumery.

March 02, 2009

Turn Your Dry Hands, Feet and Legs Beautiful: "Top 10 Ways To Remedy Dry Skin"

Today I'm sharing the information I passed around at my Whole Foods vendor day last weekend. So many of you are suffering from dry skin this winter. Here are my tips for bringing your dry skin back to life.

Back Porch Soap Company's "Top 10 Ways To Remedy Dry Skin"

  1. Skip the drying soaps and shampoos. Don't use any products that have sulfates in them. It is an irritant and drying agent that literally strips your skin of its precious oils. While you're at it, throw out any products with parabens or dyes. Choose handmade soaps with high-quality ingredients.

  2. Choose your moisturizer wisely. Our 100% shea butter (the pulp from Africa's karite trees) coats and protects the skin and is my first recommendation for those of you with a tendency toward super dry skin or even excema and psoriasis. Keep your ingredients simple. Toss any moisturizers that contain alcohol, sulfates or parabens.

  3. Nix the long, hot shower. I know, it feels good. Especially on a cold day. But you are robbing your skin of moisture and oils. So cut it short - 5 minutes is plenty - and use warm water instead.

  4. Take your Omega 3 EPA/DPA Fish Oils. In capsules, liquid, whatever it takes. Not only will it help your skin, your ligaments and joints are going to love it. Take two grams of fish oil daily. Also, flaxseed oil is a wonderful supplement for keeping skin healthy and glowing. Check with your M.D.

  5. Drink plenty of water. Yes, it's true and you've heard it all before. Drink eight to 10 8 oz. glasses throughout the day. Your skin is the largest organ and needs to flush the toxins out daily.

  6. Turn on the humidifier. Home heating takes the moisture out of the air during the winter months. A $30 humidifier will aid your skin and sinuses. Most come with an indicator. Try to keep it at 35%.

  7. Moisturize after your shower. This is the best time, since your pores are open and ready for protection.

  8. Take care of hands and feet. Remember to moisturize them as well. I recommend soaking your feet for a bit at night, then massaging them with shea butter and finishing off with a pair of cotton socks. You'll wake up with super soft feet.

  9. Exfoliate twice a week with an inexpensive loofa or bristle brush. It aids circulation (start from the outer limbs and work toward your heart) and removes the surface layer of dead cells.

  10. Cut down coffee consumption. Caffeine is a diuretic, which means it removes water from the body. A good rule of thumb is for every cup of coffee you drink, tack on another 8 oz. of water in addition to the 8 glasses you should be drinking daily.


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Feel free to reprint this blog post with proper credit to Marla Bosworth, Back Porch Soap Company. Thank you!

March 01, 2009

Whole Foods Vendor Day: Dry Skin, Lots of Samples, and Metro Males

Thank you to everyone who came out to visit yesterday at Whole Foods in Hingham, Massachusetts. I handed out several hundred samples of our Lemongrass and Unscented organic oils bar soaps, 100% Shea Butter, Caribbean Sea Salts and information on our soap making classes.

Whole Foods truly embraces local vendors. This month marks my second anniversary with the Hingham store, and I've met so many wonderful people ~ from customers to Whole Foods employees who gladly support local businesses.

Many interesting customers yesterday stopped to chat. One couple was from Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. There isn't a Whole Foods on the Vineyard, so they came to stock up. I also met two Duxbury, Massachusetts residents (where I live) - one who works at Whole Foods and one a customer. And I also had the pleasure of meeting many "metro males" and their wives.

I'm saving this for a later blog, but it is interesting how metro males shop for bath and body products. They are extremely selective, focused, and like to pamper themselves. It's also fair to say that at times their wives call them "soap obsessed." Are you a metro male who loves soap and other bath and body products? Please email me to answer a few quick questions regarding your shopping habits. If I use your feedback, you'll receive a free full-size shea butter ($18 retail value).

Back to yesterday. So as you know, spring is just around the corner. But especially here in the Northeast, so many people are still suffering from winter dry skin, eczema and psoriasis. Yesterday's most popular product was our 100% shea butter. People were amazed that how quickly it soaks into the skin. It is unlike lotion and after handwashing it stays on. It is light, rejuvenating for the skin, and non-greasy.

Yesterday I spoke with customers about overcoming dry skin. From hands to feet, they were all really frustrated. I'm going to share with you what I recommended to them.

My products can help you with two of the Top 10 Ways to Fight Dry Skin. The first is using high-quality soap that is sulfate-free. The second is finding an organic moisturizer, like our 100% organic shea butter. Check back tomorrow for a complete post on the Top 10 Ways to Remedy Dry Skin.

Afterall, it's no fun to be scaly. And sandal season is right around the corner!

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