My hands, elbows, knees and feet are especially dry, sort of like sandpaper. I rub on lotions or creams so infrequently I don’t know why I bother at all. They’re usually heavy, sticky or greasy –sometimes all three—and I often have to remove the excess lotion with a tissue. Plus, my skin usually becomes dry again in a couple of hours.
When I promised the folks at Vaseline that I’d try the reformulated Vaseline Intensive Rescue Repairing Moisture body lotion, I was skeptical. There’s nothing fancy about the bottle. You can buy it in the drugstore, Walmart and in many supermarkets for under $5. Although it has a long name, it makes a short and sweet promise to “relieve very dry skin in 1 use and help heal dry skin in 3 days.” Words like “powerful” and “therapeutic” are also used to describe the product.
I grew up with a jar of Vaseline Petroleum Jelly at the ready, whether my mother rubbed it on our chapped cheeks after we played in the snow for hours or on the rectal thermometer. So I felt some allegiance to the brand.
I’m skeptical no more. The lotion works. It really works. I swear. I squeezed out approximately one tablespoon of fragrance-free lotion, which took about 20 seconds of rubbing to be absorbed by my hands. My hands immediately felt soft and continued to feel soft, even velvety, throughout the day.
I’ve also been using the lotion on my feet, which are dryer than my hands and, after a few days, the skin cracks were healed and the soles felt softer. The reformulated lotion includes Stratys-3, a moisturizing complex that hydrates the skin at the “top, core and in the deep-down layers,” the company says.
Vaseline has invited me to take a “winter challenge,” which will further test the effectiveness of its lotion. I picked baking, because my daughter and I decided to make cookies for the FOF Christmas dinner party this week. The lotion should come in handy since our hands will be constantly exposed to water, heat and other drying agents, including flour, during a short period of time.
Stay tuned.
0 Responses to “Geri Smooths The Way”
Mary Benson says:
I identified so strongly with what you said about your skin and the lack of effectiveness of moisturizers that I made it a point to go and get the Vaseline Intensive Care Repairing formula that same day! Frankly, I am amazed and impressed with how well it works. I actually *forget* to add more moisturizer as the day goes on, because my hands no longer feel dry. And my spouse commented on how soft my face feels. What a relief to not look at my skins and think “alligator skin” followed by “oh no, my shins look just like my mother’s!”. Thanks so much for sharing this, Geri.
Geri Brin says:
hi mary,
I am so happy you like it, too, and appreciate you taking the time to comment.
Geri
Happy New Year Fashion Flash! | Menopause Makeover | The Ultimate Guide to Taking Control of Your Health and Beauty during Menopause says:
[…] Over Fifty‘s founder Geri Brin is trying reformulated Vaseline Intensive Rescue Repairing Moisture body lotion. Will it relieve her dry […]
Lou Gillihan says:
I love the rings! Where can I get one? Thanks, Lou
Geri Brin says:
hi lou,
the blue ring is from Bergdorf Goodman. I can’t remember the designer’s name; bought it a couple of years ago. The band is silver so it wasn’t a fortune. The green one is from a shop in Manhattan called Mariko that sells unique jewelry. Bought that this year. It’s silver, too.
Geri
Lou Gillihan says:
Thanks, I’ve been looking for awhile ,saw one at a Vermont craft show in Oct. passed it up and now that style is really hard to find. I will look at those options, I also bought the moisturizer
And love it.
Connie says:
Hi Geri! First of all. I love your nail polish. Second of all. Thank you for taking the time to comment on my comment re: plastic surgery. You are so right. Who is to say what makes us happy or more confident or at ease with ourselves. There are so many things about my appearance that I would love to change…don’t get me started. But for the past two years I have battled two types of cancer succesfully, chemo, radiation, surgery, endless tests. And I am now recuperating from major back surgery (a long ago bicycle accident came back to haunt me now that I am in my late 50’s. Oy!) The thought of going under the knife to fix my..take your pick..neck, thighs, lips, wirinkles, brown spots just doesn’t seem worth it. I am just happy to be alive. Until this surgery I was teaching Pilates and I was amazed at how many women in my classes had the most horrible things to say about their appearances! I found something beautiful about every one of them. In some cases their “flaws” were what made them so interesting and lovely. I know I’m in the minority here. Since I can’t afford cosmetic surgery it is not even an issue for me. And I do not begrudge those who choose to do it. I live in Southern California so I am one of the few of my friends who have had nothing done. I know it can change lives for the positive. I still think there is an epidemic of “wanting to get work done.” Geri, I think the world of you. And you do look pretty fabulous, I must admit. Once again. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. Connie Snow*
Geri says:
Hi Connie,
The polish is Essie’s Mocachino. I’m glad you like it.
After what you’ve been through, the idea of elective surgery for anything as insignificant as jowls or eyelids does seem ridiculous. How is your back doing? My husband was advised to have back surgery for stenosis, but he refuses.
I do agree that more and more women want to “get work done.” But I wouldn’t call it an epidemic. I think it’s a result of boomer women wanting to look as good outside as we feel inside. Of course, you have had the misfortune of not feeling so good inside, but thank God, you have conquered cancer. So the heck with plastic surgery.
Thank you for your lovely compliment. I still have enough flaws to make me interesting 🙂
Take care of yourself. It’s wonderful you live in Southern California so you can recuperate in nice weather.
Have a wonderful holiday season. Health above all.
Fondly,
Geri
Margee says:
Thanks for this tip, it’s sandpaper city here too. I’m on an eternal search for a good hand cream and body lotion, and this one sounds very promising so I’ll have to give it a try. As for the rectal thermometer? Yes, we here remember those too. Thanks for the chuckle 🙂
melody says:
I was excited to try this, that is until I read the ingredients. Am trying to stay away from parabens. sigh.
Nancy Norris says:
Geri,I’m running out to buy some.Forgive the crack about “souls” I left on facebook but from a fellow Pisces I thought you would understand! I’m under Nancy NO in facebookI posted some of my paintings there in photo section.I remember sometime in the last 8 months we had a chat regarding my great,great aunt,Mary Cassatt.And that you might like my art.I’ve bright watercolors,some subdued,and a few wild oils.Nothing is abstract in the sense that you KNOW what it is!
Have a peek,dying for your critique.
Nancy
Kate Line Snider says:
Geri, your hands look wonderful! Now this stuff I’ll try. I wonder if it would hurt anything to use it on your face? 🙂
Soledad says:
Funny, I didn’t catch souls the first read through. I had to go back and find it. ha ha
Anyway Vaseline is a good product and not expensive.
Kirin says:
the souls of your feet ? Fell off my chair over that one 🙂 however I do use that lotion and it does as advertised.
Kathi says:
I just checked on line and this product also contains PHENOXYETHANOL a component of jet fuel.
No matter how well it works, I will not use anything with these harsh chemicals in it. A long time ago Dr. Andrew Weill said that we should not put anything on our skin that we wouldn’t ingest since it is absorbed into the bloodstream quickly, and I agree.
Coconut Oil works great on face, sesamy oil on dry, sand paper hands and I also ingest these…
Geri says:
Hi Tony,
I am absolutely hysterical about the soul. Imagine if a lotion could change people’s souls. HAHAHA.
G.
thanks for catching. I will correct.
Toni says:
Okay, Geri, I agree with you on this product. I do think it works well and is cost effective. I did not notice a change in my soul though. (sorry I could not resist, your typo made me laugh) I’m with you – I want a lotion that is absorbed and doesn’t float on my skin and this does the trick.
Geri says:
Hi Lora,
Thank you for your lovely compliment to my hands. I am lucky to have the good skin that my mom and grandmother had (who looked great at 95.) Although I sunned myself as a teenager and into my 20s, I haven’t been much of a sun worshipper since then. Tans look great when you’re young, but I was never interested in looking like George Hamilton. Leather is a great look on handbags; not so much on the face and body.
As I say in the blog, I am not a big user of lotion on my hands. I hate the greasy feel. Most lotions I use make my hands feel dirty and I can’t wait to run them off. I actually look forward to using this Vaseline product since it absorbs in seconds and leaves my hands soft. I sound like a commercial, but I’m telling the God’s honest truth.
Geri
lora says:
your hands look soft and very youthful as far as lines and loose skin! i have tried many costly lotions and watch my hands age daily ( most were for anti aging.) and after an hr or so as dry as before applying. right now i am simply searching for a decent , very effective lotion that really lasts more than an hour, and truly helps dry skin. i am definately going to try this one.
can you answer a question? your hands are very unlined. were they lined prior to using ( not just lined from dryness)?do you use another product for hands that is anti-aging? probably excellent genes and wise sun control in your life! thank you
Karen says:
I bought their lotion (Vaseline) about a year ago and had a coupon for it. What a mistake that was as it was watery and didn’t shake up very well. I don’t use them right away so it will sit for awhile in my stash rubbermaid box. No matter how much I shook the Vaseline lotion bottle, it still came out runny. I am always trying new lotions and comparing them. I find the Lubriderm and Goldbond Ultimate to be the best so far. Parabens are the last ingredient on the bottle and are in all the lotions I have seen. She didn’t mention what lotion to buy that doeesn’t have parabens in the list of ingredients. I guess I will take this slight risk and have nice soft hands, thank you.
Geri says:
Hi Karen,
This is NOT watery, I assure you. Anything but. It has the right consistency, not too thick, not thin at all. My hands have never felt this good.
Geri