How to Stick to Your Diet During the Holidays

Shannon Smyth

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Medifast. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

How to stick to your #diet during the #holidays! Check out these delicious #recipes! via @agirlsgottaspa #sponsored #medifast #weightloss The holidays bring on the greatest tests of will power, especially when on you have been following a weight loss plan. Every chocolate dessert or new trendy coffee seem that much more tempting when you know they are forbidden. When choosing to jump on board Medifast Go, I was very much aware that I would be hitting every major holiday along the way. I kept feeling bouts of sadness that I wouldn't be able to partake in a cookie exchange or eat two helpings of my mom's famous chocolate trifle. What would I do when invited to a holiday party? It was completely stressing me out. And this is when any other time I'd fall off the wagon. You, too? But I chose to switch up my mindset and keep reminding myself that I am doing this to sustain the life of someone else (kidney donation if you haven't followed from the beginning) and so giving up is not an option. Someone's life depends on me. Then I remembered that Medifast has so many awesome Meal Makeovers in their Simply Well cookbook and on their blog. Below are a few holiday-themed recipes from Medifast that will not only keep you on track with your weight loss goals, but they taste soooo good! Pumpkin Spiced Latte 1 Medifast Meal | 2½ Condiments Yield: 1 serving Total Time: 5 minutes Ingredients ½ cup unsweetened vanilla almond or cashew milk 2 Tbsp pumpkin puree ½ cup strong brewed coffee 1 packet of Medifast® Gingerbread Softbake Directions Combine milk and pumpkin puree in a microwave-safe mug. Microwave for one minute, and stir. Add coffee and the Gingerbread Softbake, and stir until smooth. Serve immediately! #Holiday #recipes (like Gingerbread waffles) - and how to stick to your diet during the fall season! via @agirlsgottaspa #sponsored #medifast #yum Pumpkin Pie Whoopie Pies Yield: 4 servings (2 whoopie pies per serving) Per serving: 1 Medifast Meal | ½ Healthy Fat | 3 Condiments Ingredients 2 packets Medifast Spiced Pancakes 2 packet Medifast Gingerbread Soft Bake ½ tsp baking powder 6 Tbsp egg whites ½ cup unsweetened vanilla almond or cashew milk 2 tsp vegetable oil ½ cup whipped topping ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice Cooking spray Directions Preheat oven to 350° F. Combine pancake mixture, soft bake mixture and baking powder in a medium-sized bowl. Add egg whites, milk, and oil, and mix until a batter-like consistency. Divide batter evenly among eight slots of a lightly-greased muffin tin (should fill only a third of each slot). Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Meanwhile, combine whipped topping and pumpkin pie spice. Once cooled, slice each muffin in half horizontally. Spread one tablespoon of whipped topping on the bottom half of each muffin, and top with the remaining muffin halves. Cauliflower Rice Stuffing Yield: 2 servings Per serving: 3 Green | 2 Healthy Fats | 3 Condiments Ingredients 1 Tbsp unsalted butter 1 cup diced celery 1 cup diced mushrooms 1/3 cup diced yellow onion 2 oz chopped walnuts 4 cups riced cauliflower ½ cup chicken stock 1 Tbsp chopped fresh sage 1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary ½ Tbsp poultry seasoning ½ tsp salt Directions Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add celery, mushrooms, onion, and walnuts. Sauté for five minutes. Add cauliflower rice, sauté for an additional two minutes. Add stock and seasoning; mix well. Cover and cook until liquid is absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes. Frozen Pumpkin Shake Per serving: 1 Medifast Meal | 1 1/2 Condiments Ingredients 1 Medifast Vanilla Shake 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice 1/4 tsp cinammon 1/2 cup cold water 1/2 cup ice Directions Mix all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. The bottom line is that age old saying - everything in moderation. Adjust recipes to make them healthier, don't over-eat and eat smaller portion sizes. You'll thank yourself once the holidays are over and you may just find some really grest recipes that continue past the holidays and find their way into your everyday diet. Now for my 6 week stats – Starting: Weight: 183 lbs BMI: 35.7% (I’m 5′) Bust: 43″ Waist: 44″ Hips: 46″ Butt: 47″ Arm: 13″ Legs: 25″ Neck: 13.5″ Six week mark: Weight: 176.5 BMI: 34.5% Bust: 42″ Waist: 41″ Hips: 43″ Butt: 44″ Arm: 12″ Legs: 24″ Neck: 13.5″ TOTAL:  6.5 lbs lost, 1.2% BMI loss, and  12 inches lost. Follow my journey from the beginning: How to Lose Weight at Home What the First Few Weeks on Medifast are Really Like How Medifast Works If you’re interested in joining me on this journey, you can get 7 days of free Medifast meals + bonus gifts + free shipping on your the first order as part of the renewal plan. If you’ve already worked this weight loss program with success, I would love your encouragement and tips in the comments! *Average weight loss for Medifast Direct® customers using Medifast Go™ is 11 pounds. Medifast Direct customers are in weight loss, on average, for 8 weeks. Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too!

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The Wanderlust Maui featuring A Girl's Gotta Spa!

Shannon Smyth
@agirlsgottaspa Energizing Citrus Body Lotion featured in The Wanderlust by Bikini.com Maui Winter 2017 The Wanderlust, a subscription box by Bikini.com, is themed around destinations. Winter 2017/18 is Maui and A Girl's Gotta Spa! is thrilled to be a part of it! The Wanderlust is a quarterly subscription box that contains $250 worth of beauty, style, travel, and fitness products. You can either purchase a box individually for $75 or you can subscribe to all of their beach destination boxes for $250 annually. The Wanderlust by Bikini.com Maui box, winter 2017/18 featuring @agirlsgottaspa body lotion Maui has full-sized items you are sure to love. We're so thrilled to be among many great brands with our Energizing Citrus Body Lotion. If you pop over to The Wanderlust, and scroll 3/4 way down, you'll be able to see which items are in the box. (Although they state that some boxes may vary.) If you scoop up this box, I would love to hear from you! Tag us Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and/or Twitter @agirlsgottaspa so we can hear your thoughts! Get yours now: Bikini.com The Wanderlust Maui Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Or check out our natural bath and body line!

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Improve the Quality of Your Sleep with This Hybrid Mattress

Shannon Smyth
Tomorrow Sleep Hybrid Mattress review via @agirlsgottaspa Check out the blog for a promo code! #sleep #rest #review Something we all need, but typically doesn't rank high on the priority list, is sleep. Good, solid, restful, sleep. We're told creatives rarely sleep, that if you are an entrepreneur you'd better burn the midnight oil and at the same time be up before the sun rises to get a jump start on the day. If you're a parent, there's always a million tasks that need to be tackled before you can have the "luxury" of sleep. But sleep is so important for so many reasons. It's how your body recooperates and repairs itself. It lowers your stress level. It plays a role with your weight - too little sleep and you gain weight. Getting 7-9 hours of sleep each night helps to improve mental clarity and focus. It improves productivity. Basically all of the things in life that are important, but when you lack quality sleep, will wreak havoc when out of wack. Tomorrow Hybrid Mattress review plus a promo code! via @agirlsgottaspa #sleep #mattress For far too long, sleep wasn't a priority for me. I'm someone who always likes to be tackling the next task. I need to always be doing. I don't necessarily like working long hours, but feeling like I am accomplishing things, especially once my kids are in bed, well that feels rewarding. Not to mention, laying on my now former mattress brought me pain and endless tossing and turning at night. Our mattress was a traditional spring mattress....and it was 14 years old. Since it had a pillowtop (which was more like a flattened paper at this point than "pillow"), we couldn't flip the mattress. So we added a memory foam topper, but that only worked for a short period of time. I have bursitis in my hips, but I am a side sleeper, so the pressure of my body on the springs would cause me to wake up frequently in pain and have to change positions. Sleeping was not something I looked forward to. It wasn't relaxing. And actually, from all of the waking up, it was more exhausting than anything. And being a mom with 5 kids under this roof, meant I've had to be ready to leap out of bed at the first yelp of, "Mom!" So light sleep it is! However, improving my sleep became a focus when I decided I wanted to become a Living Kidney Donor. I needed to get my body to be the healthiest it has ever been and restful sleep plays a vital role. So I went in search of the best hybrid mattress. We reviewed a hybrid mattress and have a promo code for it! via @agirlsgottaspa #sleep I love the idea of the cushiony softness of memory foam, but I also like the firmness and stability of coils (because who wants to feel like they are sinking in a bed?) A memory foam hybrid mattress has the best of both worlds. Tomorrow Sleep reached out to me to try their mattress at just the right time. What attracted me to Tomorrow Sleep's hybrid mattress, was that it had the support (the coils are wrapped), the high-density memory foam and the cooling capabilities - because that memory foam topper I used to use? It would make me sweat. We tested a memory foam hybrid mattress .. find out what we thought! via @agirlsgottaspa Along with the mattress came their 500 thread count Supima cotton sheets. Let me be real with you for a minute. I've never invested in sheets. I would shop the discount sites and scoop up microfiber. I've seen friends rave about the best sheets they have ever slept on, but upon looking up the various brands, I would scoff at the price tag. Well, I'm scoffing no more. I could not believe the softness of these sheets. They don't slip or slide off the mattress. I also loved that they were not ice cold and crisp when I'd slide into bed at night. I typically end up going to bed with socks on my feet because my sheets are cold, but these sheets are always room temperature. After being spoiled by these new Tomorrow sheets, I told my husband we are always investing in good sheets going forward. Monitor and improve sleep! via @agirlsgottaspa If you interested in improving your sleep, you'll want to take a look at Tomorrow's Sleeptracker. Prior to installing this, I simply used my FitBit to see how many hours a night I was sleeping, how many times I was restless and how often I woke up. But the Sleeptracker takes things to a whole new level and really dives deeper into how you are sleeping and offers daily tips through their AI. The Sleeptracker sensors are placed under each side of the bed and plugged into the monitor. You will need to be able to get WiFi in the bedroom in order for it to sync with the app you download on your phone. You can set a sleep goal (mine is 7.5 hours), set a timer to remind you to go to sleep and to wake up. Each day the app compiles data regarding your breathing, heart rate, deep sleep, light sleep and REM sleep, as well as how many times you woke up and how long you were awake. It also emails you the data as well. The readings on my FitBit were almost always the same - restless 22 times, woke up 3 times, awake anywhere from 30-60 minutes. So I took notes to compare my FitBit the last night sleeping on my old mattress and then again once sleeping on my new Tomorrow hybrid mattress. The difference was stark. Before: 22 times restless, 2 times awake and 45 minutes awake/restless; with the new mattress 10 times restless, 1 time awake and 10 minutes awake/restless. That was just the first night. Each night since (and I am writing this after a month of use), most nights my Sleeptracker shows I am only up 0-1 times, awake 10 minutes or less and that I am getting a lot of REM sleep. The quality of sleep is definitely improving. The only thing I have not figured out yet is how to increase the amount of deep sleep I get. (I always thought REM sleep was deep sleep.) From my Sleeptracker analysis, it shows I am mostly getting light sleep and REM sleep. Tomorrow also offers a comforter, drapes, pillows, and a mattress protector. They offer a 100 day trial on the mattress, which typically ships quickly in 2-3 days. If you're not happy, returns are free. To put it all together, I'm in love with this mattress. The sheets are amazing and I enjoy the Sleeptracker to help me monitor and work toward the perfect night of sleep. For a limited time, Tomorrow Sleep is offering A Girl's Gotta Spa! readers $150 off any $500 purchase (expires 12/31/17). Use the promo code SPA150 at checkout on www.tomorrowsleep.com. Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Or check out our natural bath and body line!

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Renpure Coconut Water Hair Care Review

Shannon Smyth

A Girl's Gotta Spa!

Coconut is my favorite fruit. The scent reminds me of sandy beaches and its benefits, from the water, milk and oil, are all-encompassing. I was recently sent Renpure's Black Label line of hair care - Coconut Water - to try out. This collection features extra virgin coconut oil and natural coconut water in each product. Both ingredients promise hydration, shine and overall healthier hair.

Renpure Coconut Water Shampoo review via @agirlsgottaspa #shampoo #coconutwater

Renpure Coconut Water Hydrating Shampoo: Both the shampoo and conditioner come in 16oz bottles. They are both safe for color treated hair and are free of sulfates, parabens, dyes, gluten, and phthalates. What's interesting about the shampoo is that I expected it to smell like coconut. But it smells like citrus (at least to my nose.) I do like citrus scents, so it's no big deal, but psychologically I was thrown off.

Without the sulfates to create lather, it can be a little difficult to determine how much you need to cleanse your hair. The first few times I overdid it and my hair felt very heavy afterwards. I have fine hair, however, I have a lot of it giving it the look (and feel) of much thicker hair. It's always a fine line for me between using products that give me the right amount of hydration without weighing it down. Once I figured out the right amount of product for my hair, it was a much better experience and I ended up really liking this shampoo.

Renpure Coconut Water Conditioner review via @agirlsgottaspa #haircare #coconutwater

Renpure Coconut Water Hydrating Conditioner: Like the shampoo, the conditioner has a bit of a citrus fragrance to it. It doesn't have any coconut scent at all. Do not get me wrong, scent has nothing to do with how the product works, but I'm still scratching my head as the label's ingredients are chock full of all variations of coconut oil and coconut water, and I can't figure out how it is giving me citrus vibes. There wasn't any trial and error with the conditioner, as it worked perfectly from the start. My hair felt smooth, it had a less brittle feel to it and frizz was diminished.

Renpure Coconut Water Replenishing Treatment Mist: It just takes a few spritzes of this mist to add some extra moisture to your hair. I found it very beneficial over the summer in-between washings and I plan to use it again once the thermostat gets turned up and my hair begins to dry out again. It's lightweight, but definitely delivers on its claims. Have you tried any of these products from Renpure? Questions and comments welcome! 

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How Medifast Works

Shannon Smyth
There are a plethora of weight loss programs out there. Equally as such, there will always be both positive and negative reviews. Prior to joining the Medifast Go diet plan, I wasn't exactly sure how it worked. Obviously I knew you ate their food, and I saw an abundance of amazing before and after photos, but I still wasn't entirely sure what to expect. Now 4 weeks in and I have a good handle on how it works.

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Halotherapy at Kalahari Poconos

Shannon Smyth
The salt room at Kalahari Poconos via @agirlsgottaspa #salttherapy #spa #poconos Kalahari opened here in the Poconos with much fanfare a few years ago. My husband used to be a delivery driver who often brought their heating and cooling equipment onto the grounds and would come home and tell me all about the massive indoor and outdoor waterpark with his eyes sparkling with child-like excitement and as big as saucers as he gave me detail by detail. He and the kids would often talk about how amazing the waterpark looked, but what got my attention (of course) was that they had a luxe spa. Halotherapy at Kalahari Poconos via @agirlsgottaspa #spa #salt #spatreatment #poconos A recent addition to Spa Kalahari is Halotherapy (or salt therapy.) Salt therapy has become increasingly popular in the last few years for its many health benefits. At Spa Kalahari their Halotherapy room is separate from their Hydro Escape (which includes a sauna, whirlpool, steamroom, multi-sensory shower and Relaxation Sanctuary), but still located within the expansive spa itself. If you are not familiar with salt therapy, it is known for its anti-inflammatory and bactericidal effects. It's recommended for healthy people as it boosts the immune system to help combat the high amounts of pollutants and bacteria we all breathe every day. The negative ions produced, help combat stress and depression. Halotherapy is not to be a replacement for any medication or medical treatment, but is a complement to traditional medicine techniques. The way it works is that Himalayan salt is under your feet while a halogenerator vaporizes pure salt into the air. Surrounded by salt, you simply relax and breathe it in. You may experience a dry throat and increased coughing during or after your session. This is a natural reaction of the respiratory system in some people. If you experience discomfort, you should end your session.  Sessions typically last for 45 minutes. Halotherapy at Kalahari Poconos via @agirlsgottaspa #spa #kalahari #poconos Salt therapy, while good for the lungs, it is also good for the skin as well. Acne, dermatitis, eczema, and psoriasis can all benefit from salt therapy. Of course, there are certain medical conditions that it is NOT recommended for, such as infectious disease, acute stages of respiratory disease, cardia insufficiency, COPD with 3rd stage of chronic lung insufficiency, coughing of blood/bleeding, open sores or wounds (because, ouch!), infections accompanied by fever, any form or state of tuberculosis, high blood oressure/hypertension in stage 2, and hyperthyroidism. Have you tried halotherapy? I'd love to hear about your experience in the comments! Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Or check out our natural bath and body line!

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What the First 2 Weeks on Medifast are *Really* Like

Shannon Smyth
Having gotten two weeks under my belt of being on Medifast, I'm going to get real with you and explain what it's really like to be on this weight loss plan for these first few weeks. I'll break it down question by question.

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A Girl's Gotta Spa! Energizing Citrus Body Wash in YES!

Shannon Smyth
@agirlsgottaspa Energizing Citrus Body Wash in YES! A Girl's Gotta Spa! Energizing Citrus Body Wash is featured in YES!, the magazine inside the USA Today network of newspapers nationwide. I'm pretty much doing the happy dance! If you are new here and not familiar with our body wash, it is vegan, 98% natural and Leaping Bunny certified cruelty free. It has a variety of plant-based ingredients including 30% aloe to soothe dry, irritated skin, chamomile, comfrey, and calendula. It also has shea oil to hydrate, citrus essential oils to brighten and kelp to revitalize skin. Citrus oils are also known to be great for acne-prone skin. You can find it on our ecommerce store: www.agirlsgottaspa.com/store Be sure to check out our body lotion and salt scrub. We offer free shipping on orders over $50. To stay in the loop regarding our bath and body line, please subscribe to our mailing list. Also check out our ever growing list of retailers that believe in our mission statement – You Deserve to be Pampered. If you are a retailer looking to sell A Girl’s Gotta Spa! Please contact us!

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How To Lose Weight at Home

Shannon Smyth

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Medifast. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

How to lose weight at home via @agirlsgottaspa About this time last year, I began researching how to become a living kidney donor. I knew I was in good health, I was fairly confident I would pass every physical and psychological test, but what I didn't know was that my weight would be my biggest obstacle. Fast forward to a few months ago and me sobbing into the phone while the Living Kidney Donor Coordinator explained to me that my weight needed to drop and my A1c needed to lower (they are tied to each other, so when the weight drops, typically your A1c does as well), and until then, I wasn't going to be able to proceed with the living donation process. After 3 months of going through test after test, I ugly cried, so thank God she couldn't see me. I was all in for this donation process and now my sweet tooth was catching up with me and preventing me from doing something for someone else. I tried completely overhauling how I ate. I got a FitBit and set goals for sleep, steps and activity. I started working out. However, it took me 4 months just to lose 12 pounds. Friends urged me to get a thyroid test and check to see if I was insulin resistent. Both came back completely normal. I went to a dietician who was completely stumped. I was doing everything she would recommend. She only saw me once because she felt I knew what to do, even though it wasn't moving the needle on the scale. To say I was frustrated was an understatement. I slowly began to fall back into my old eating habits and the 12 pounds came back. I felt defeated. I hated how I looked, no doubt, but I felt even more awful that I couldn't donate to someone in need. Over the last few months I noticed that my Pastor became a Medifast rep. He lost a lot of weight and looks great. Others in my church have also done the program and looked great. However, if being skeptical was a full time sport, then I was in the game. So I did my research. A few times a week during my downtime, I would look up various aspects of the program, as well as, before and after stories from those who had done it themselves. Working 50 hours a week and managing a household of 7 means I don't have time to go to the gym. I also don't have time to do weight loss meetings. Trying to figure out what it will take to make me lose enough weight to begin the living donor process again is overwhelming and exhausting. So, when the opportunity came before me to try Medifast Go, I decided to go for it. How to lose weight at home with Medifast Go via @agirlsgottaspa I know that in order to lose weight from home, I have to be organized. I'm going to be honest, I love that the meals are basically grab-n-go and that I don't need to think if something has too much fat, is too high carb or if it lacks the macronutrients I need. However, there's still things I need to do to ensure success. Be Realistic When I ordered the food, I did so thinking ahead to when I go into maintanence. I like to eat things that taste sweet, I love chocolate, but I also like savory items. So the food I ordered matched that vs trying to act like I was going to cut out all "treats" and be super good. I know me, and I would perseverate on those "missing" treats and likely cheat. The Medifast Go program even has chocolate chip pancakes - something we eat once or twice a month in my house. Additionally, be realistic about every aspect of real life while doing this weight loss program. For example, can you do 45 minutes a day of exercise? For me, that's mostly unrealistic, but 10-15 minutes of HIIT is doable. Set a Goal I actually have two weight loss goals - my "ideal" and my "realistic" goal. Ideally, I'd like to lose 70 pounds. Realistically, I'd be OK with losing 30. This helps you to set your expectations. Set a goal when it comes to your daily activity. I work at home from my desk, so this sedentary job makes it difficult to get in 10K steps daily, but 6500 is more realistic. (I tested my baseline one day and it was 1500 steps. So pathetic.) I can make sure I get there by adding in some fitness before I start my work day. Plan Plan your day the night before. Decide what time you will start eating and which meals you will eat. The Medifast Go plan requires eating 6 times a day. I'm lucky if I can remember to eat 3 times a day. Spacing out eating every 2-3 hours requires advanced planning. One thing that comes in handy? My Alexa Dot. I simply tell Alexa to set a timer for 2 hours from the time I first eat. Each time I eat, I tell her to reset the time. This keeps me on track. (You can also ask, "Alexa, how much time is left until my timer goes off?" and she'll tell you.) Keep a Weight Loss Journal Keeping track of what you eat, your exercise, your weight and measurements will help to keep you accountable and on track. And as you begin to lose weight and inches, you'll stay motivated. Today I started this program and I will be doing it for the next 3 months. I'll be checking in every few weeks to update you on my progress. It is my hope that by the end I can say I'm moving forward with the living donor tests so that I can donate my kidney. Try 30 days of Medifast with 7 Days of Free Meals included in the first month's order with a renewal plan. Offer expires April 30, 2018 or get $15 Off orders of $150+ with promo code SAVINGS15 at checkout! Some exclusions apply. Offer expires April 30, 2018If you've already worked this weight loss program with success, I would love your encouragement and tips in the comments! How to Lose Weight at Home What the First Few Weeks on Medifast are Really Like How Medifast Works How to Stick To Your Diet During the Holidays Can You Cheat on Your Diet and Still Lose Weight? 5 Tips to Lose Weight Right Now *Average weight loss for Medifast Direct® customers using Medifast Go™ is 11 pounds. Medifast Direct customers are in weight loss, on average, for 8 weeks. Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too!

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What Can You Do to Treat Eczema? Wet Therapy + Lotion

Shannon Smyth
Need eczema relief? We tried AD RescueWear for wet therapy. See our review @agirlsgottaspa #eczema #skincare Eczema is something we all deal with in my family. For years we'd try prescribed creams, humidifiers in the winter, skipping daily showers and opting for just a few times a week and so on. Then I began to notice I would get eczema during the opposite season (Spring and Summer) than some of my sons. It felt like there was no rhyme or reason to the red, scaly, inflammed skin. A few years ago I decided to research and ask dermatologists why do I get eczema at certain times of the year, when a PR rep from AD RescueWear pitched me their Tencel® fabric sleeves. I'll be honest, I was skeptical. It looked like a simple piece of cloth. How could a small piece of fabric be the solution to our problem? Wouldn't our doctors have mentioned this to us before? However, we were desperate for a solution. I received the sleeves, a pair for me and a pair sized for a child. First we used it on my teen-aged son and then my 10 year old since they have varying degrees of eczema. What is wet therapy for eczema? This is when you wear a wet fabric over the inflammed area for about 2 hours or more after applying a moisturizer. The wet fabric helps to soothe skin and seal in the moisturizer for better absorption. Since wearing wet clothing on your arm (ankle, hands and/or body) can be a little inconvenient during the day, we chose to do wet therapy at night. This is honestly the best way to do it, in my opinion, because you are less likely to mess with it (especially a fidgety child) and it combats involuntary itching while you sleep. There are a lot of moisturizers out there that work well for moisturizing severely dry skin, but A Girl's Gotta Spa! body lotion is plentiful here (for obvious reasons), and with the combination of shea butter, cocoa butter and olive oil, it was pretty much a no brainer to use. Plus there are no synthetic dyes or fragrances in it, which are known irritants with eczema. First, I soaked the AD RescueWear fabric sleeves. Lukewarm water is good, but many times we used cold water since cold helps decrease inflammation. Then I wrang them out until they were a mix between damp and really wet. Next, I applied the lotion to arms and elbows. I gave it a minute to absorb and then slid the sleeve on the arm, covering the elbow. The first morning after using the AD RescueWear Sleeves, I realized I hadn't scratched all night. My sons said the same. We all agreed our elbows felt less itchy, although they looked exactly the same. We applied lotion again during the day and then followed the same routine at night applying the wet sleeves with the lotion. By day 5, my one son's eczema was all but gone. There were a few tiny spots, but the difference was significant. My eczema had also decreased significantly. We continued the same routine nightly until our elbows looked normal. Then we just simply continued applying lotion as normal without the wet sleeves. It seemed the only time the eczema would re-emerge on my sons is when they would skip a day (or daaaaaayyyys, because BOYS) applying lotion. Then we would have to start the process all over again with the wet therapy and the eczema would be resolved within a week. As you know, there is no cure for eczema, so this is just a treatment option to quell it. AD RescueWear is more than just a piece of thin, silky fabric and the skeptic in me has been quieted. In addition to their sleeves for eczema, they also have gloves, sleeves for ankles, shirts, pants, bodysuit and socks. They have come in sizes for both children and adults. I should've written this review years ago when I discovered it. While our eczema is contained to our elbows and parts of our arms, I'm sure there are others that have it more severely. You may have to wear the sleeves and use lotion for a longer period of time. This is just my family's personal experience for the degree that we get eczema. I hope this helps you. If it does, please share this article! Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too!

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