Makes Me Happy Monday : Yardley Soap

Do you have dry skin?
Years ago, when I was a BeautiControl Consultant, I learned a simple way to figure out if people have dry skin.
As a consultant, at the start of a class, we would ask the question, “Is your skin dry, oily or normal?” And, simple enough, people that have dry skin would say, “Oh! My skin is DRY!” And people who have oily skin would quickly proclaim it! Every body else?  Well, they would have a quizzical, puzzled look and have no answer. They might wonder out loud about their skin type …  and you’d know that their skin was “normal” or “combination.”

Well, let me tell you: I have dry skin.
No. Really.

I’ve never had to wonder. I’ve always known it. I’ve been to doctor and dermatologist … as a child and an adult. I’ve used all sorts of therapies (like light therapy) and prescription and non-prescription ointments, lotions (like Alpha Keri … yuk. pew. It used to be so stinky and sticky-oily. Hopefully that has changed.) and creams (like Eucerin). My skin has always been dry … forever. period.

And the winters are killers for me.  In fact, some time in September or October, before the leaves really begin to turn, a rustling, breezy crispness blows into the south and our humidity is whisked away.  That day in fall is very, very d.i.s.t.i.n.c.t. In the spring, there is no such reversal.  There is no “day” when the humidity sweeps back in. In the spring and summer, the humidity builds slowly until we hit a stifling heaviness that hangs through July, August and some, if not all, of September. While others bellyache about the heat and humidity, I love it. You hear them in the grocery store lines and at outdoor events fussing and griping. I just smile …. and enjoy my supple, soft, comfortable-to-live-in skin.

Because, that day in fall? That is a day that my skin mourns. I know it’s time to settle into winter.  That is the day that I know I have to begin to be very careful with anything that touches my skin. I have to take extra care to keep my legs and hands moisturized. And, honestly, the winters are quite uncomfortable.

And as the years have passed, I have met more and more people who have trouble with their fingers cracking in the winter. The thumb on the predominantly used hand is where the problem usually arises. Sometimes, the index finger is also involved. The skin will split and leave a crack that usually takes a few days to heal and is generally very tender.  Aside from the discomfort, this open wound puts the person in danger of picking up any  number of viruses and bacteria that can cause illness – germs that would generally be kept out of our system had the skin remained closed and healthy.

This past year I have found such a treat in a delicious soap that I want to share with you. Yardley London makes this wonderful soap called Almond Milk. It is one of three (shown here) natural soaps listed on their website. I happened upon it in my local Publix store.  I haven’t seen it in every store that I shop in, so I’ve made it a point to keep a few back up bars so I will not be without it.

I have not let another soap touch my skin this winter. (I don’t even let soap touch my hands when I wash my hair. I have a box of salon gloves that I wear when I lather my hair. It would only take ONE  lather to leave my hands dry and reeling for almost a week.)  I use Almond Milk in the bath and there is a bar at every sink in my home. 

And my hands have had no fissures this winter. Not one.  This.is.a.miracle. I have lived uncomfortably for AT LEAST ten years! My skin … my legs …. have been so comfortable this winter. And, ya know what? As I’m writing this I realize that I haven’t been sick a single time this entire winter! Not once! I can’t say that I can give the soap all the credit for my health, BUT I KNOW that I can give it credit for keeping my hands crack/wound free … which has certainly kept germs out of my system better than if there HAD been tender open wounds.   This soap has been such a blessing.

And listen to the ingredients!! Palm, coconut, palm kernel, sunflower and sweet almond oils. Honey and shea butter, oatmeal and goat milk powder are also in this delicious bar. So, yes, it leaves my skin feeling nourished and moist(er) …. it also smells yummy!!

There is no “sodium laurel sulfate” in the bar at all!! None!  Yay!! Because I certainly don’t want to remove any oils from my skin!! (Wiki says: “SLS is a highly effective surfactant and is used in any task requiring the removal of oily stains and residues.”)

You would expect this bar to be pricey since it is natural (nothing synthetic) and organic (no chemicals), but the bar runs between 2.50 and 3.00. I have to tell you …. I love it so much that I keep an extra bar in my van to give away when the topic of dry skin arises in conversation (which it does, from time to time).  It means that much to me! And I know that it would mean that much, as a gift … even from a stranger, to someone else with truly chapped, dry skin.

I happened upon this sweet little bar back in the summer.  I’ve used it faithfully all winter long and just loved its delectable richness.  I didn’t want to write about it until I had gotten to prove it’s loveliness.  And I can honestly say that this bar beats any soap bar I’ve tried: hands down (pun intended).

If you KNOW that you have dry skin, please pick up a bar and try it out. You won’t be disappointed.

Yep, Yardley London’s Natural Almond Milk Soap Bar Makes Me Happy
this Monday morning ….
and all winter long!!

What Makes You Happy This Monday Morning?

(Note: This is not a paid or compensated endorsement. This is just a praise from me … hoping to share something that might bless you – especially if you have dry skin :D)