CJ's BUTTer Body Products (are awesome)

I've always had an obsession with lotions and lip balms - just ask my poor mother whom I was constantly asking for money to buy more Lip Smackers.  Because in my young and inexperienced view, if you're going to use them, you really should have one in each flavour/scent, right?  As I've grown up (a bit), had children, and learned more about which ingredients are better for our bodies (or at least, which we would do well to avoid), I've developed different criteria by which I judge the products I use.  This is especially true for products I use on my children's skin.  The skin is the largest organ in (on?) the body, and anything you put on it absorbs into your bloodstream sooner or later.  And so, I try to minimize the number of products I apply to their skin.  This means a product has to be effective (so I don't have to reapply all the time), and free of known harmful chemicals (such as parabens, pthalates, SLS, etc).  CJ's BUTTer is all of these things, and more.

When I committed to cloth diapering full time (instead of part time), one of my first questions was what to do about diaper cream?  I was used to being able to slap on a disposable anytime a bit of redness appeared, and then it wasn't an issue to use an effective zinc based cream.  While I've tried a number of different creams, I had always heard rave reviews about CJ's BUTTer.  So you can imagine how excited I was to be asked to try a number of CJ's products for this review.

I decided to request the sampler of 8 individual BUTTErs, so I could try some different scents, and so I wouldn't end up with a whole tub in a scent I did not love.  As it turns out, that wouldn't have been an issue - the scents were all lovely!  Of the 8 varieties that I tried, my favourites were Lullaby Baby Lotion, My Pixie Pie, and Oatmeal, Milk and Honey.  The EO Carribean Therapy blend was also amazing.  CJ's Original BUTTers  are made with shea butter, olive oil, coconut oil, lanolin, beeswax, cocoa butter, Vitamin E (derived from soy) and gluten-free colloidal oatmeal.   The scented ones are scented either with Essential Oils/Blends, or pthalate-free synthetic fragrances (they disclose on their website which ones are scented using which method, and it's worth mentioning that the synthetic fragrances used do not come with an ingredient list except that they are indicated as being pthalate-free).  The BUTTer goes on so smoothly and is (at room temperature) exactly the right consistency to spread on a squirmy baby's skin - it goes on quickly and evenly.

I've used it to successfully treat mild redness in the diaper area (we've been blessed with few diaper rash issues), but I think one of the best things about CJ's BUTTer is how versatile it is.  I use it on my own knuckles, which for some reason (frequent hand washing associated with cold/flu season, perhaps?) are always dry and cracking, and although they aren't cured yet, they are in much better shape now than they were a month ago.  My son has a dry patch of skin (maybe eczema, but I'm not sure as we've never had it diagnosed) on one of his hands, which I had been treating nightly with various creams and balms, but it wasn't til I started putting CJ's BUTTer on it a couple of times a day that I really noticed an improvement.  I wish I could say it was gone for good, but I suspect I'll have to wait for the warmer weather before that becomes a possibility.  One patch of dry skin it has kept completely in check is my daughter's cheeks.  She has has a cold for a while and along with it, the crusty nose and red cheeks. But every time she sleeps, I put a dab of the BUTTer on her cheeks and under her nose, and over the course of a few days I saw her skin return to its normal baby-soft condition.

I also had the opportunity to try the CJ's BUTTer Lip Balm, which is unbelievably creamy and smooth, and has a long-lasting effect.  And unlike many commercial formulas, if you lick your lips, you're not stuck with some gross fake taste on your tongue.  It just tastes mildly sweet (I have the unscented version).  One last treat in my reviewer sample kit was the CJ's BUTTer Creamy Lotion.  The Creamy Lotion had a refreshing cool and creamy feeling to it, went on smoothly and absorbed quickly, and left a delicious scent (I tried Coconut Lime Dream, Monkey Farts, and Apples & Spice).

I am thrilled to let you know that you can now buy CJ's BUTTer Body Products right here in (OK, near) Halifax, NS - from CJ's All Natural - HRM.  Check out their Facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/pages/CJs-All-Natural-HRM/251573734922333, view the list of scent descriptions here http://tinyurl.com/6mlfzrf, or take a closer look at the product options and price list here http://tinyurl.com/7pmqkss.  Even better, Andrea has generously offered to give away a 4oz tub of CJ's Original BUTTer (winner's choice of Monkey Farts, Warm Vanilla Cake or Apples and Spice scent - retail value of $9.95).  To enter, you must "Like" her Facebook page, and leave a comment ON HER WALL to let her know you're there via Geekmommy Reviews and what scent you would like if you win.  Contest open to NOVA SCOTIA residents only (sorry, out-of-towners), and winners who can't arrange to pick up the BUTTer in HRM will need to pay shipping to their home.  But hurry, contest closes April 22nd.  And hey, if you don't win, you can take advantage of an Earth Day special 10% off sale, good from April 18th - 22nd, by emailing your order to andrea@gettingtonatural.ca and mentioning the sale.

If you've used CJ's products, what is your favourite scent & product?  I personally can't wait to try their Peppermint Lotion, which has peppermint and tea tree oils in it, and is supposed to be great for tired feet AND for an alternative to conventional petroleum based "vapo-rub" type products.

And don't forget to "Like" CJ's All Natural - HRM on Facebook and comment on THEIR wall as I mentioned above for your chance to win a 4oz tub of BUTTer!

Review: Earth Elementals Mid-Summer's Night Cream

My son's cheeks and chin tend to get very dry and chapped in the cold winter, in part because he frequently licks his lips, and often bites his bottom lip, resulting in the area under his bottom lip becoming very red and raw.  I had been using a calendula based homemade cream to treat him, and it worked great, except it came in the tiniest jar imaginable, and soon ran out (especially since I was also using it for my dry cuticles...)

So I went on a mission to find a new balm/lotion that could be used to soothe and heal his dry skin.  I came across the Earth Elementals line of products (http://www.earthelementals.ca) and emailed the company to find out more.  Turns out that this product is made right in my community, and that my local spa sold it at the time.  I was informed that it would be safe for my son, and would not sting his sensitive skin, and so I bought a jar.

This cream is a subtle creamy pink/peach colour, and comes in a dark brown jar.  It smells amazing, thanks to the natural essential oils it contains, and goes on easily without stinging the skin.  Best of all, when I put it on my son's chapped skin at night, I can notice a real difference when he gets up in the morning - the redness is gone, and much of the chapped areas are healed!

I have started to use this as my regular night cream for my own skin (face and hands) and I love it.  I didn't think I'd like using it on my face, as it contains rich shea butter, and I have quite oily skin, however instead of clogging my pores and causing acne issues, it seems to have the opposite effect, making my skin smooth, soft, and helping blemishes to heal.  I also use it on my hands to help my dry cuticles to heal and stay soft.  It does not absorb super fast, especially into my hands, so I make sure it's the last thing I do before lights-out (I don't want to leave greasy fingerprints all over my bedtime reading material).

This cream is well worth the price it costs, and it will last a long time since you don't need to use very much of it at any one time.  50ml is $8 and 100ml is $14.50, and can be purchased directly from the company's website at http://www.earthelementals.ca/creams.htm.  They also list retail locations where the cream can be bought here: http://www.earthelementals.ca/findingus.htm.