Aubrey Organics-- Rosa Mosqueta Luxurious Hand and Body Lotion

I raved about this lotion in a previous post and I promised I would dedicated an entire entry to it. This stuff is fantastic! Great smell, consistency thick enough to truly feel luxurious but not so thick that one cannot spread it. And it actually works on stretch marks, old scar tissue, etc., especially when paired with the Rosa Mosqueta Rose Hip Oil. You skin easily absorbs this lotion and you feel an immediate change in the skin. Using a good moisturizing soap/gel of your choice reinforces Rosa Mosqueta's ability to maintain supple skin.

The Rosa Mosqueta Rose Hip Oil from Aubrey's comes in a roll-on vial. Other companies have put the same oil in a dropper vial, but both systems work the same. You only need a little bit and to use it consistently. That is key. Don't expect to put it on, whenever you remember, sporadically and then complain that the oil isn't doing anything and the claims are bunk. They are not.

Your stretch marks will not disappear but they will fade to the point of being near-invisible. Dark marks formed by old scar tissue will also fade and some of the scar tissue may even heal, depending on how old the scar is. I had this perfectly round scar that I picked at a couple times on my left leg and that picking made it heal to an ugly dark, dark brown that stood in stark contrast to my goldeny-olive complexion. I noticed considerably lightening after two weeks of using the oil by itself and it has accelerated since using the complimentary lotion.

Rosa Mosqueta is the name of a specific rose that only grows in the Andes Mountains of Chile. There are other rose oils, the essences of other roses, by far one of the largest flower families out there. But the rose hip oil that lends a small miracle to the well-being of your skin is the Rosa Mosqueta rose hip oil. There are other rose hip oils out there, notably Rosa Damascena, also known as Rose Otto or Bulgarian Rose Oil, but I haven't tried it so I can't recommend it. While I usually order from Aubrey Organics, other stores carry Rosa Mosqueta and make sure it is pure. Rosa Mosqueta is expensive and in some places the oil may be mixed with other oils.

(Photos from Aubrey Organics.com, used without permission)

Sunsilk Hydra TLC

(Photo taken from Walgreens.com without permission.)


So I received a three-pack sample of the Sunsilk Hydra shampoo, conditioner and leave-in-moisturizer thingy. They have been sitting in my room almost all summer until two weeks ago when I actually decided to try it. Some promotions gals were handing them out on North Michigan Avenue and the poor girl that handed me my sample had the most horrible lisp, so it sounded like she said, "Here'th thome Thunthilk thampoo!" Believe me, I'm not mocking her. I felt so embarrassed for her, having been there before with a speech impediment but I have to question the wisdom of her supervisor making her promote a product with so many "s" words, knowing she had a lisp.

Anyhoodle, the products were...okay. My hair didn't feel worse after using it, which is a miracle in and of itself as it tends to be very sensitive to what is put in it. But it didn't feel as great as it has in the past. I wouldn't give up my Pantene Midnight Expressions for the Sunsilk Hydra TLC. However if your hair has been recently damaged by horrible chemical processing, then Sunsilk would do a good enough job at repairing the damage.

Skin MD Natural

I would like to thank Pete Grimaldi at 21st Century Formulations in Beverly Hills, CA for contacting me about Skin MD Natural and sending free samples. I received a 120ml sample and three small sample packs, which I gave to my Mom. I was very anxious to try the lotion on my hands since that is a major problem area for me in terms of dryness.

This review is going to highlight pros and cons of Skin MD Natural since it did not totally work for my hands in the way that I hoped. Yet it is still a great lotion for other dry areas such as my feet and there is no reason to give a negative review just because it didn't work on one of four problem areas; after all nothing is perfect. Keep in mind that your mileage may vary (ymmv).

Pros: Skin MD Natural does live up to its claims of being appropriate for sensitive skin. A product of a five-year collaboration of leading dermatologists, a gynecologist and a cosmetic chemist, the lotion is hypoallergenic, fragrance-free, color-free (milky white), paraben-free, non-comedogenic and is not affliated with animal-testing or by-products. You know how some lotions claim to be fragrance-free but you still pick up a distinct scent? Not with Skin MD. This is fantastic for a variety of reasons, the main one being sensitive skin usually has a negative reaction to fragrance, especially synthetic ones.

Feels great, easy to spread and a little does go a long way in some areas of the body. For example, I used most of the lotion on my feet after a home pedicure and my tootsies felt fantastic. This is a problem area for me since I exercise a lot, so the feet sweat, dry out due to the salt in the sweat and then become very uncomfortable. Skin MD worked better on my feet than other lotions made especially for the feet. After the first day of using the lotion on mis pies, it was another two days of showering and exercising before I had to reapply.

There are very specific instructions to follow so don't disregard them. Skin MD is a shielding lotion that creates a barrier of protection to keep out irritants from anti-bacterial soaps and harsh cleansers. When it works, it works quickly and satisfactorily. But...

Cons: It just didn't deliver the moisture I needed for my hands. I was hoping that it would improve the look and texture of the skin. At first it felt good. The instructions tell you to "apply small amount, initially every 2-8 hours", which I did for a full day and, "then 12-24 hours". Still my hands became as dry as parchment.

I have to wash my hands a lot more than the average person. I am still my mother's caregiver and considering her compromised immune system my hands have to be clean or covered with those awful latex gloves (which also dries out my hands) when handling food for her. Of course also I'm doing a lot of cleaning, especially in the bathroom, with products containing bleach. So I was very excited about this lotion because I noticed my hands looking a lot older than their 26 years. The formula just wasn't strong enough for me.

Instead I use Aubrey Organic's Rosa Mosqueta Luxurious Hand & Body Lotion (which I will review at another time). I put some on last night and have since washed my hands four times and it's still going strong.


As I said, ymmv with this product. In the customer reviews many afflicted with disorders like eczema rave about Skin MD Natural, so don't let my "con" section discourage you from trying it. I am still recommending this product and if I had to give a specific rating, a definite 4 out of 5.