my kids have gotten SO much use out of these. I plan to make MANY more, and they are washable!! I often imagine myself playing with these foods with my future grandchildren... how sweet! They are very much worth the effort and time it takes to make them!
So I have struggled with embarrassing, open wound eczema for about 5 years now on my hands. Of all places with little ones right!! I started noticing a difference in my hands and even my acne when I left dairy out of my diet. I have since completely eliminated obvious dairy from my everyday life. I say obvious because I have not come to that fine detailing of things that are made with dairy such as bread, butter (yummy) and a cookie once in a while. I have noticed a flare up, however, when I eat a lot of chocolate. I also have a detergent allergy and any soap or lotion that says they are gentle may not be true for my skin. So I wanted to share with everyone (since I am SO SOLD on it) some products that have taken me 5 years to find that have changed my skin. (aside from leaving out dairy... which IS the foremost cause of my eczema)
So the first being Dr. Bronners Magic Soap, BABY MILD. I have found that even the lavender breaks my skin out. (I have mentioned to many friends that if they want to know if what they are using for skin care is truly mild, then let me test it :) ) Things like Eucerine cream, aquaphor, and many other "mild" "great for use on eczema", has sent my skin into an itchy, red, swollen fury. I have been looking for an emollient to moisturize my skin for years now. I have tried Organic Virgin Coconut Oil that I bought at a local health food store and it was great for getting rid of the blisters, but it actually had a drying affect. I had never been able to find a suitable cream to moisturize with, because ALL of them had SOMETHING in it that irritated my skin.
A couple of good friends have been talking about Tropical Traditions.com for a while. I just never believed that Coconut Oils could be different, but they ARE! I bought the "Gold Label Standard Virgin Coconut Oil" and I noticed that it was unlike the oil that I bought at the health food store. It was more "stick with you", waterproofing,... I am not sure how to describe it, but it was better... and my hands actually feel moisturized... usually my skin is SO dry that my husband says they feel like tree branches. (that DRY!) no matter how much of the health food store brand I put on, it never seemed to quench my parched hands. My husband also bought me the "Tropical Traditions Pure Moisturizing Cream, Unscented". I was VERY, VERY skeptical because ALLLLLLL creams ALWAYS had something in them that instantly turned my hands red, then itchy. I tried it last night, and kept a cynical eye on my hands. I waited for that "ah HA" moment where I could rub it in that NO cream worked on my hands... but that moment never came. As of last night I have been applying on and off, coconut oil and this moisturizing cream probably every few hours and my hands are FINALLY starting to be relieved of their "twiggyness".
I am ABSOLUTELY SOLD!!!!!! I also split with a friend a double order of chapstick and that is awesome also!! I have been getting this annoying stinging on my lips from the store brands, yet my lips are still dry, so I continued to use it. Hope this may help any of you who are fed up with itchy skin like I was.
