Hydrating your largest organ: More important than you'd think.

"Your epidermis is showing." I used to hate when other kids would say that to me. Now I say it to my kids and they laugh at me. Not that being laughed at is anything new for me.

We all know that our skin is our largest organ and we know it needs to be properly cared for or it gets angry. I read all of these magazine articles and other reviews by people that are suggesting these outrageously priced beauty products and think "Jeez, your lotion is the same price as I pay for a nice dinner out with my family." Who has that kind of money in this economy without embarrassing themselves in front of the nation? I sure as hell don't. So, I figured that maybe there are a few of you out there (even though only 1 person really reads any of my nonsensical ramblings opinionated and honest postings) that may be in the same boat and wanting some information from a normal every day down to earth, broke a s joke stay at home mom and full time college student. Well, if you're in that category, or just like laughing at me like my kids do, then feel free to read on. If you aren't, you may wanna skip over to another, much more talented fit blog and read away at the enlightening studies and struggles of others much more glamorous than I.
You may like Charlotte of The Great Fitness Experiment who tries every new fitness redonkulousness to hit the news wire, has heart warming tales of her trials as a mother, raw and heart wrenching honesty of her struggles with years of skewed body image and eating disorders and her amazingly hysterical and comfortingly similar sense of humor. Oh, and she wrote a book about it all. Or maybe you're a bit ornery today and you're in an "eff that noise" kind of mood. If that's the case, might I suggest some you time reading the amazing Crabby McSlacker who also has a Life Coaching business, but doesn't allow that much positive in the way of her execution of cranky views of all of the back and forth double speak of the studies that come out about health and fitness and foods that may or may not kill you with some alien amoeba from Someplanetwedontknowyetland. Or, if you're looking for a inspiration from a Jewish Misfit that is super crazy fitness driven, but oh so amazing in her Yoda looking Nike shoes, hop on over to meet Carla who is Unapologetically Herself and raising her awesome tornado to be the same and stay fit and mindful while they do it.  And lastly, if you're in need of some inspiration from a woman who finds the HOTTEST steamy delicious half naked man pictures you will EVER find on a not adult site, go see Kelly and read her Mantastic Mondays posts. I love all of these ladies and it's not all about the women at all times. There are some good tips and reads in there for all of the men, too. And you never know, you may find a cool giveaway or an interesting bit of info you didn't know before. (And remember that Fitfluential Ambassador thing I told you about? Yeah, I think they're all on that list and Kelly is the leader of that cult fitness pack). I hope to one day finally be one of the cool kids and get into that group of people. ;)

And now for the info I mentioned on affordable crap to stop the winter dry crackling or angry redness of the skin some people may have wanted to read about.
First, again, I'm going to say that every one of these obnoxious and droning opinions are my own, all of the items have been purchased by me, none were provided for me by the companies and I'm not getting paid (or threatened) to say any of this, it's just an honest opinion of some stuff I've found that works for me. The only exception that applies is when I receive something from a survey company and I'm allowed to spread the word. I will be sure to explain those when I come to those instances.
Also, if you have allergies or sensitive skin, please make sure that the products you buy are safe for you and I do not recommend applying or using any of these products on irritated or abraded (scratched or scraped) skin. Also know that NONE of these products are intended for use other than what is printed on their labels and are for external use only, so while the body scrub is made of sugar and smells absolutely amazing, you SHOULD NOT EAT IT, cause ya know, it's not food.

First up, I would like to start with the least expensive, but know that NONE of the products I buy are more that $8. Anything more is a waste to me, unless there's a coupon or it's on clearance.
This is the Skintimate Shave Lotion in the Revitalizing line with some exfoliating pearl stuff in it. I admit to buying the wrong one, but the link takes you to my preferred type. This is a LOTION, not a gel that foams, so it's not thick, but I really like that it's super moisturizing. Walmart, Target and Publix all sell some variation of it and it's a little more expensive than the shave gel they make, but I like this better. It runs around $2.50, but there are always coupons for about $1 in the Sunday papers. I give this overall a 4 star rating. would be 5, but they don't have a strawberry scent and I'm addicted to strawberry. They have a variety of infused vitamins and such and different scents, but I like the least scent possible, since my scrub smells so good. (which I'll get to a little further down the road.)

Next we have the Dove Deodorant Ultimate Go Fresh in the Burst Scent. I love this because it's a refreshing citrus scent without being too powerful. It does the heavier b.o. blocking for days you need it, but will need to be reapplied after you workout, before you stop at the store on your way home from a hard core crossfit class. It's not the clinical strength and if you smell like me (a cross between a construction worker and a garbage man) post workout, you'll wanna pack this in your gym bag or invest in the more expensive heavy duty one. This will run you about $2.75 for the larger as pictured, but it lasts a long time and you can usually find the gift packs that have 2 of these and a body wash or lotion in them. 4 stars since I do have to reapply quite a lot from my man stink.

Nivea Bodywash is super moisturizing and comes in a variety of scents and levels of moisture, but they don't make my favorite apricot (that actually smells like a fresh sliced nectarine) scent anymore. You can find it on Amazon.com, but if you wanna just grab it while you're at the store, the Orang Blossom is a very close 2nd. I have a condition called Keratosis where my skin doesn't create enough keratin on it's own and I end up with red spots and bumps on my arms if I don't exfoliate and moisturize enough. It's not painful, just itchy and looks a bit funny at times. This bodywash starts the moisture process and earns 4.5 stars from me. (the apricot totally earned the full 5) It will run you about $3-$4 depending on where you buy it and if you have coupons. (I FREAKING LOVE COUPONS!)

Johnson's Aloe and E Baby Lotion usually runs about $4, but it's THE BEST lotion I've found for my skin. I hate the greasy and sticky lotions and need something with little to no scent. I also need it to be safe for sensitive skin as well as super nourishing for my disorder. Johnson's does it. This is a solid 5 stars and you can usually find it pretty cheap and there are quite a few coupons out there for baby stuff. You can also sign up for the mom programs through Johnson's and Publix and get coupons sent to you in the mail. LOVE!!!

This Body Scrub is FREAKING AMAZING! And at just under $5 at Walmart, you can't go wrong. It smells delicious and the scent that remains on your skin is minimal, but still there. It exfoliates wonderfully and lasts quite a while as long as you don't get too much water in the container. I use it on my face and my whole body and my skin is SO SOFT when I'm done. Definitely a full on 5 stars. And if you don't like the brazil nut smell, they have a coconut lime that's very citrus like and isn't too heavy on the coconut. This is the one that smells Nom-worthy, but do not eat it. it's not supposed to be consumed regardless of the sugar content.

Now, that's 5 products that will cost you less than $20 if you are a bargain shopper. They are totally worth it and you don't have to worry about breaking the bank on beauty stuff that the magazines are spouting their praises about.
So, do you have any products that you're totally in love with that cost less than $10? If so, please tell me about it, I'm always up for trying new stuff.