Matthew's Puzzle and a mom putting it all together

Monkey Balm Review

April 26, 2013 By Maryann

I told you I am obsessed with the Sea Buckthorn berry and I wasn’t kidding. I found Monkey Balm and it contains that wonderful berry oil that I can’t get enough of. I have been using it on the boys before bed each night. Our middle son, Nico, has always had skin issues. He used to have terrible eczema, which all but went away when we stopped giving him milk, but he is still plagued with dry, and sometimes, rough skin.

What I find totally cool about Monkey Balm is that is comes in a stick form. No getting your hands all gooped up with lotion or creams. Instead you just take the lid off and run the stick over your skin. It is so easy and convenient to use that I have given permission to Nico to use it whenever he needs. It is sort of funny that I found this stick application, since I was just thinking someone needs to make a moisturizer that you could apply hands-free.

Since using Monkey Balm, Nico’s skin has already gotten smoother. I love Sea Buckthorn and really believe in it’s effectiveness. Nico was showing signs of dry skin around his knees; with just two days application of Monkey Balm the dry skin has turned smooth and soft. I even started using it on Lorenzo. He has a tendency to get chapped cheeks, so I started using the Monkey Balm on his face. Like I said, it is so easy to use, even Lorenzo can apply it without issue.

Nico has claimed the Monkey Balm as his own and seems to really love it. It is reasonably priced at $15.95. I plan to take it with us when we go out and have long days in the sun. It will be easy to apply, it won’t leak and I know it will sooth their skin from sunburn, minor scrapes and burns, even rashes. I’m even thinking of getting some for my dad who has been dealing with eczema for a few years now.

UV Skinz Review

April 25, 2013 By Maryann

Every single one of us in our family is fair skinned. My husband has a tendency to burn easily and I worry about the boys being out in the sun for too long. Years ago, before I really understood about good skin care, I got a horrible sun burn. It was so bad that my legs were actually purple, I blistered and became very ill. I started vomiting and had to go to the ER to get IV fluids. Obviously this was a serious burn. It took weeks for my legs to return to a normal color, I actually thought they may never be the same again.

That is why I am adamant that my kids have good sun protection. I know we need to have a fair exposure to the sun to form vitamin D but prolonged exposure can cause damage and when little boys are having fun in the pool they have no desire to come into the shade. I don’t love slathering them up with chemical laden sunscreen. A better alternative is to use UV Skinz.

UV Skinz is a line of sun protective clothing. Matthew received the Blue Ocean Camo Combo with shirt, board shorts and hat. This will be perfect for all our outdoor activities. I like and trust the UV Skinz products so much that I went out and purchased two additional sets, one for our middle son and the other for our youngest son. I am also looking at getting Larry a UV Skinz shirt and possibly even purchasing a UV Skinz cover-up for myself.

I am hoping to have us outside a lot more this summer but I can not take chances with our healthy. I don’t want my children to end up in the Emergency Room with a severe sunburn all because we were having too much fun in the sun.

From the FAQ’s on UV Skinz website: One bad burn in childhood doubles the risk factor for melanoma later in life.Protecting children against UV exposure is essential for skin health into adulthood. A blistering sun burn during childhood increases the risk of melanoma as an adult. Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer.

That is a scary statistic considering my sunburn was so bad I was taken to the ER to be treated. Consider keeping yourself and your family safe this summer with smart sun protection such as UV Skinz.

All Natural Waxelene Review

April 24, 2013 By Maryann

I have a friend that told me she using petroleum jelly on her 8 year old son every single day. He has a bit of dry skin around his eyes and her pediatrician told her to use petroleum jelly daily to help alleviate the problem. I didn’t want to cringe when she said that but my mind was racing will just how bad petroleum jelly is and why on earth would a doctor recommend that for a young boy. I don’t like that it is made from petroleum, there are so many environmental and health concerns associated with that, that it could be a topic all it’s own. But what I did want to do was tell my friend about Waxelene.

I had heard of Waxelene a few years ago and was really excited to have an opportunity to review it here on Matthew’s Puzzle. Waxelene calls itself the petroleum jelly alternative. It contains a whopping 4 ingredients, organic soy bean oil, 100% natural bees wax, organic rosemary oil and 100% natural vitamin E oil, and it has a ton of uses including moisturizing chapped skin, make-up removal or adding a dewy freshness to the skin, to treat diaper irritation, and does not have the deteriorating properties petroleum can have with certain materials.

Waxelene has a slightly earthy or green scent which I think comes from the rosemary oil. It is a pale yellow reminiscent of whipped honey. Unlike regular petroleum jelly, Waxelene does not leave an oily residue, but instead left my hands feeling very subtle. I also like it as an alternative to lipbalm.

Waxelene strives to be a green facility and a green product. Waxelene is packaged in glass jars with metal lids that can be recycled. The facility is powered with 100% wind power. Waxelene made sure their product, unlike those packaged in plastic containers, is not made with petroleum and can be recycled. Not all plastics can be recycled and often end up in landfills.

You can get a 2 oz jar of Waxelene for $6.99 on line, and it is available in some nationwide stores such as CVS, Whole Foods and Bed, Bath & Beyond.

Conscious Box Review

April 23, 2013 By Maryann

I love getting surprises, don’t you? Well that is sort of what Conscious Box is. You pay $19 for a month subscription, and they have a one month, 3 month, 6 month or yearly subscription to choose from. When your box arrives you open it to find what cool green and/or eco-friendly products are enclosed.

I received several interesting items such as a paleo jerky (which my husband loved because it wasn’t sweet and was very thinly sliced), coconut sugar (which I was very excited about), vegetable wash (which I had wanted to try), hand soap, lotion, and several other samples along with brochures. Some of the items were of more interest to me, such as the coconut sugar. I had asked for the gluten free box which may have been more limiting. You have the option for the Classic, Vegan or Gluten Free box. I would imagine that the Classic has the greatest selection since anything can fit in that box, whereas the Vegan and Gluten Free have to meet certain criteria. But I love the idea that Conscious Box offers these additional options.

Free Conscious Box

Conscious Box allows you to pay a small amount and then experience green products you may not have been introduced to before. Right now Conscious Box is offering a FREE box! Simply use SECRETCODE during checkout on any “Monthly” subscription, and you will only be asked to pay shipping so the actual Conscious Box is on them!

I think this could be a fun gift for Mother’s Day if you happen to have a mom, like me, that loves all things green and organic. It could also be a fun care package for a college student, especially one that is hard to buy for. How nice would it be to send to new home owners or expectant parents? I think Conscious Box is a lot of fun and it isn’t terribly expensive, making it very accessible.