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!

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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Fight Your Winter Beauty Blues with Our Sale; Top 10 Reasons To Use Shea Butter

Simply put, shea butter is amazing. To start, it is a natural, therapeutic balm for dry skin. And that's just the beginning. (If you are a complete shea butter expert and just want the deal of the month, scroll to the bottom of my post!)

Our shea butter is sourced from Ghana, West Africa. It is organic and 100% pure and natural. Besides being a superb moisturizer, it boasts exceptional healing properties for various skin conditions. Naturally enriched with Vitamin A and E, it is one of my top sellers.

From outdoor adventurists who battle nature's elements to nurses and doctors who wash their hands constantly throughout the day, our shea butter has been protecting skin for 10 years. Unlike lotions that wash off after first use, shea butter sinks into the layers of your epidermis and protects your skin throughout the day. Use it on your face before your daily beauty regime, on your hands, arms, legs, feet...anywhere you need to moisturize.

The Top 10 Reasons To Use Shea Butter:

1. Accelerates the healing of dry, itchy skin or dermatitis.

2. Acts as an anti-inflammatory against arthritis.

3. Natural anti-aging: helps reduce wrinkles, adds suppleness to skin

4. Regenerates skin appearance - wonderful before your beauty regime.

5. Softens feet and cracked heels.

6. Provides relief and in some cases cures Psoriasis and Eczema.

7. Heals wounds and burns.

8. Repairs skin damage from radiation.

9. Prevents pregnancy stretch marks and fades existing scars.

10. Protects skin from sunburn, cold weather, frost bite and oh yes, diaper rash!


Our shea butter is available in 4 oz. tins (shown above). At 100% strength, it is highly concentrated, so a small amount goes a long way.

For extra sensitive skin, I highly suggest our unscented shea butter. This is my recommendation for customers with allergies, who are highly sensitive, and also for children under 10. Our Provence Lavender shea butter is made with pure lavender essential oil, which is also adds healing properties. The bestselling fragrance by far is White Tea, which is light, soft, subtle and sexy. It's a sophisticated fragrance and is popular with both men and women.

For a limited time (through January 31, 2009 or until supplies last) get 50 PERCENT OFF your shea butter order. I've never offered this kind of discount before, so these could go fast. This is the time to stock up! Extra bonus...get free shipping on $60 or more. Get shopping and let go of those winter beauty blues!

Restore Dry Skin and Sore Muscles with Our Jacuzzi & Tub Bath Salts

This time of year I get inquiries from customers who are suffering from dry skin, excema, psoriasis and sore muscles. They are frustrated with their skin condition, have tried products that haven't worked, and come to me looking for a remedy.

Several years ago a woman in Brant Rock, Massachusetts asked me to make a sea salt soak that would be safe for her jacuzzi. She wanted a moisturizing salt soak; that would soothe her sore muscles and alleviate her dry skin.

I spent many days in the studio experimenting with various sea salts and essential oil blends. The end result? A fabulous bath and jacuzzi soak that is therapeutic and moisturizing. I've taken a special blend of Caribbean Sea Salts and combined them with a moisturizing cocoa butter. This is a proprietary blend and is only available here at Back Porch Soap Co. After soaking in these salts your skin will be refresh and rehydrated.


Soaking in sea salt helps remove toxins from your body. Toxins are small molecules, and can cause disease on contact with or absorption by body tissues. By eliminating toxins, we enjoy a healthier, glowing body and overall increased energy. Drink plenty of water after your soak to help your kidneys and liver flush the toxins out of your body. The results are very similar to a full-body massage.

I've created three blends for the salts: Lavender, Lemongrass & Eucalyptus, and Peppermint & Eucalyptus.

Lavender ~ Relaxing, soothing and calming. The perfect night soak.
Lemongrass & Eucalyptus ~ Renewing, cleansing, and uplifting.
Peppermint & Eucalyptus ~ Invigorating, stimulating, and rejuvenating.

So what happened to the woman who helped me invent these products? Well, she's turned out to be one of my best customers. She's put herself on autoship and gets all three salts shipped to her every four weeks. She starts her day with a jacuzzi, and chooses whichever essential oil blend suits her mood for that morning.

If you don't have a jacuzzi, you can still enjoy these incredible salts in a long, relaxing soak in a bathtub. Here's to your health and relaxation!

Top 10 Tips for Alleviating Dry Skin, Excema and Psoriasis

This time of year many people complain about dry, itching skin - from arms to legs. It happens when we head into fall and winter. Homes and businesses start turning on the heat, which means less moisture in the air and less for our skin. Among other things, we tend to drink less water than in the warm summer months.

The good news is that there are 10 tips I'd like to share with you for bringing life back to your skin. (BONUS...scroll down to the bottom for a special promo on my handmade shea butter moisturizers.) Here's to an itch-free winter!



1. 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. Besides, you'll save on your utility bill. And if you can, switch to showers every other day (for skipped days, wash your hair in a sink). You'll notice a difference in your skin.

2. 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. Dr. Andrew Weil recommends two grams of fish oil daily. Also, flaxseed oil is a wonderful supplement for keeping skin healthy and glowing. Check with your M.D. Even simply switching from salad dressing to extra virgin olive oil is another good move to putting good oils in your body for the benefit of your skin.

3. 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.

4. 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%.

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

6. Choose wisely what you put on your skin. 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. It is a concentrated, therapeutic balm. You can find our certified organic shea butter here. I recommend Unscented for men and highly sensitive customers. For those of you who love fragrance, White Tea is my bestseller. It is light, sophisticated and rich. Do you have mildly dry skin? Then I recommend our shea butter body cream, which also contains soy, silk and aloe.

7. Skip the drying soaps and shampoos. Start reading the labels of these products and your skin will thank you. 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. Think of it as something you would use to degrease your car engine. While you're at it, throw out any products with parabens or dyes.

8. Take care of those hands and feet. Remember to moisturize them as well. Keep hands protect with gloves or mitten when outdoors. Protecting them from the elements makes a world of difference. Moisturize hands and feet when stepping out of the shower too, then again at bedtime. 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. Just think of it as prep work for applying moisturizer.

10. Cut down on Starbucks or your coffee of choice. 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).

So you made it through all 10 tips! They will get you through the winter with soft, hydrated skin.

For blog readers, save 20% on orders of $40 or more. Hurry, this offer is only valid until Saturday, October 18! Simply use Promo Code SOFTSKIN upon cart checkout. In addition, spend $60 or more and get FREE SHIPPING! Now is the time to stock up for holidays and long winter months. This offer is valid for continental U.S. orders only.