Skin MD Review and Giveaway!

Skin MD e-mailed me and asked me to review their Skin MD Natural + SPF15 Shielding Lotion. My initial reaction: “Yay! Free stuff!”. This excitement was quickly tempered by the conundrum of “what standards will I hold myself to when I review products?” . I thought about it some, visited other bloggers I liked and respected and found their product review policy. I then crafted my very own. If you want to read the whole spiel you can find it here. The basics gist is:

• I’ll only accept and review products that I would consider purchasing or that I think my readers would find valuable.
• I’ll let ya’ll know any payments or exchanges that occur, including if I received the product to sample or purchased it on my own.
• I’ll speak the truth. I’ll never guarantee a favorable review and promise to keep it realz.
• I’ll try and hook you up. If the product has an estimated retail value of under $25.00, I’ll request the company submit two samples: one for me to review and one for a reader contest/giveaway.

Alright, so onto the …

Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

Product: Skin MD Natural + SPF15 Shielding Lotion

Website: Clicky Click Click!

Retail Value: $25.00

Skin MD sent me a 4 ounce bottle of their shielding lotion with SPF 15. Now Shielding Lotion claims to “not only keeps the skin hydrated, but provides protection to the skin, preventing dryness and irritation.” How? Science. Lots and lots of science. They’ve researched and developed this formula for more than 5 years. They have a great info page at their website if you want to know the nitty gritty of the science. Or you can watch this video:

I am a lotion fanatic. Why? Because I have naturally dry skin. Because I am obsessed with the idea of my skin stretching and in my mind have convinced myself that thoroughly moisturizing my body helps prevent this. Because lotion is part of my “me” time and pampering that I enjoy and helps calm me. I moisturize my whole body straight out of the shower daily. I’ve noticed after starting water aerobics that I’ve had to switch to thicker body butter as the chorine takes a toll on my skin.

To test Skin MD Shielding Lotion I used it on my hands consistently for a whole week. My hands are chronically dry but get especially bad in the winter. Combined with water aerobics (aka- chlorine) and Kelly’s got ganked up hands.

I was hesitant about this shielding lotion though. Why? Because the SPF15. I know, I know…  It’s important to wear sunscreen. So important. So incredibly, seriously (howcanyoubalkatproductsthathadsSPF15inthem) important?  Well… the smell. Have you noticed that any product with SPF has that smell? That chemically, sunscreen-y smell? I hate it. HATE IT! That smell has made me adverse to all products with this important protection. And as someone who lives in Florida and never truly ever escapes the sun or its damaging UV rays, a product with SPF and no smell is high on my product wish list. Living in the south there are so many people who’s skin does look like leather because they were not using any kind of skin protection. I do not want to be one of these crocodile looking individuals!

I first cracked open the bottle before going to bed. I smeared some all over my hands. It absorbed quickly without leaving any greasy after feel. I waited a second then held my hands up to my nose. Nothing. Nada. Zip. I looked at the bottle. Sure enough it stated “fragrance-free”. I smelled again. Then I held up my hands to a half-sleeping Sarcasm’s face and asked if he smelled anything. Nope. Annoying sunscreen smell test passed.

I carried around the lotion in my purse the next week. A little goes a long way with this product.  A half dime-size dollop covered both hands. I love how quickly the stuff sinks into my skin. As the week went on I found myself reaching for the lotion less and less as my hands didn’t feel as chronically dry.

After a week the skin on my hands looks healthier and softer. The skin feels much more comfortable too; it doesn’t feel tight like they used to. I’ve also noticed the shielding lotion seems to have made my nails more resilient too as the tips are not peeling and cracking as they commonly do in the cold weather.

If you are suffering from dry skin, psoriasis, eczema and contact dermatitis problems I would definitely recommend this product. Skin MD offers an unconditionally guarantee on its products. The price might seem steep ($25 for the Shielding Lotion containing sunscreen, $18 for the Sheilding Lotion without) but a little truly does go a long way. The website says the 4 ounce bottle last 1-2 months and, based on my usage, I’d say at least 2 months. I really liked this product and plan on purchasing it in the future. I also plan on buying a bottle for my friend Loren, who suffers from eczema, for his nurse to apply to his face during winter months.

Now, FOR THE GIVEAWAY!!!

Want a bottle of Skin MD Shielding Lotion to try for yourself? Leave a comment below! It can be about anything! Suggest a topic you’d like to see covered in Choosing Losing! Tell about your experiences with dry skin! Share your favorite holiday carol! Just leave any old comment and your entered to win!

Contest closes January 2nd at midnight EST. Winner will be randomly selected and notified via email. Winner must respond within a timely manner (3 days) with their valid shipping address, or the prize is forfeit and a new winner will be selected.