Long winter is rough on babies skin, here is my review on some all natural products that I've been using to fight back the dryness!

Old man winter is getting quite old this year! All this sub zero weather is making most of us BEG for spring. We decided to start planning our camping trip for this summer, to get our minds off the cold and I think it's working! We also started working out again, because we really don't want spring to come and not be able to bike to our favorite hot dog/ ice cream shop but that's another story.

Calendula Oil

 I've noticed that in the winter my son gets little dry patches on his stomach and every once in a while on his legs. Nothing terribly wretched looking but enough to notice and dry enough for him to be itchy. Seems to be a slight case of eczema, no doubt brought on by the cold and dryness of our long PA winters! We heat with wood at our house also, making the air even more dry than some.
After I tried different lotions and creams, switched clothes detergent, and started giving him vitamins- to no avail- I did some more searching. Enter my new favorite products: Golden Calendula Oil and Cocoa Calendula Balm! By Buttercup and Jake- see link below for website.
Originally when I was on their website, I was just going to buy the Calendula Oil but after seeing some more products that looked interesting, I purchased a gift set that included the Calendula Balm, Soothing Skin Cream, and lip balm. Lo and behold when my order came in, they had sent a sample bottle of the oil, as a thank you for my purchase. I was super excited!
I love the oil for right after a bath, because it really seems to soak in and lock the moisture on his stomach and face in, without leaving his skin feeling oily. It also it great for before taking him out to play in the snow, no wind burn!
The  Cocao Calendula Balm is very firm, so you kind have to dig at it to get it out. I usually dig a little out and rub it in between my fingers for a couple seconds before rubbing it onto him. I put this on his stomach once or twice a day, and also on my baby Erin's face since she is at that 5 month drooling stage- great barrier against drool! As the name implies, there is cocoa in it which makes for a yummy cocoa smell and for even more kissable baby cheeks!
I scarfed the Soothing Skin cream and lip balm for myself, though because the lip balm is hooked to my purse, Luke often pops if off and uses it too! (He may have eaten a little of it one day, while I was driving and I didn't realize he got a hold of it-- thank goodness they specified that it's "so natural you could eat it!" because it didn't bother me so much that he ate some- as it did that now I had LESS lip balm to USE. :)
 The Soothing Skin Cream is AMAZING. It's very light and velvety feeling when you put it on and my hands stay well moisturized for a mom who constantly has her hands in water!
All told, after a few weeks using these wonderful, natural products Luke's dry patches are barely noticeable and he it not rubbing at them anymore! Two happy kids with kissable faces and an even happier mom with hands not to dry to turn pages for reading bedtime stories.
 All of these products are made by Buttercup and Jake and can be purchased from their Etsy website here: Buttercup and Jake Esty Store