BillyKnowsBest

The Best Self-Tanner for Your Face: Jergens Natural Glow Healthy Complexion Daily Facial Moisturizer

I ran my first Skincare 201 consumer clinic and sampling bar yesterday (I often lecture on skin care to Avon Representatives, but this was the first time I brought my presentation to friends and customers). My skincare focus for winter is always about keeping my skin well-hydrated in cold climates, and protected from sunlight, and I love sharing the benefits of Anew skincare with people interested in effective, affordable anti-aging skincare.  But I got a product request for a facial Self-Tanner, and didn't have a product recommendation.  Now I do.  Jergens Natural Glow Healthy Complexion Daily Facial Moisturizer gets high marks for efficacy, low odor, and skin-caring broad-spectrum SPF 20 protection. Buy it on sale at drugstore.com for $6.37, also available in Fair to Medium.

The Best Probiotic: Nature's Way Primadophilus Optima

Last July, I wrote about Probiotics, and my success with them in controlling persistent. unexplained gastro-intestinal distress.  A few friends wrote in with other suggestions, and then I discovered Nature's Way Primadophilus Optima. It has a wide spectrum of bacterial strains (14) and a very high potency: 35 million CFU/capsule, guaranteed through the shelf-life of the product.  In addition, it has an enteric coating to ensure that the probiotics are delivered to the gut and not destroyed by stomach acid, and a reasonable price -- around $30 for a 2-month supply (60 capsules).  Buy it for $31.32 with free shipping from Amazon.com, or as low as $28.75 when you buy at least 3 bottles from VitaDigest.com. (Save an additional $3 with coupon: CS3SAVINGS.

The Best Personal Sensual Lubricant: Liquid Silk

Relationships are sticky. Good lube may not solve your relationship issues, but it sure can help reduce friction -- especially in the bedroom.  Liquid Silk is the very best available.  It's a creamy, light-weight, water-based/silicone hybrid that gives you the best of both types: long-lasting silkiness that never gets sticky, yet rinses off easily with just water, leaving no residue.  It's condom-friendly, non-staining, unscented, comes in a convenient pump jar and is a bargain compared to most lubes: The 8.45 oz bottle is just $13.95 with free shipping at drugstore.com.

The Best Shower/Bath Oil: Liiv Botanicals Triple-Phase Bath and Shower Oil

I never liked the smell of Neutrogena Body Oil -- even though it's fragrance free, there's something really off-putting about the Chinese take-out evocative "light sesame" scent.  And while many people love the "woodland fresh" scent of Skin-So-Soft bath oil, I, like mosquitoes, find it repellent.  But I actually like the very light, clean fragrance of Liiv Botanicals Triple-Phase Bath and Shower Oil.  And it's a great, easy, non-greasy way to combat winter skin dryness.  It's currently on sale for $6 -- 50% off -- with free shipping when you use coupon code "FSANY."

The Best Hand Sanitizers: Remi-D, Soapopular and Cleanwell

While health experts agree that simple handwashing with soap and water is the best way to sanitize your hands, there are situations where doing so isn't practical.  Hand sanitizers are everywhere now, and while the alcohol-based products like Purell are the most prevalent, personally, I find the sticky alcohol-based gels kind of gross.  Some people also find that repeated use can dry out the skin, and their high alcohol concentration makes them flammable.  My personal favorites are Soapopular and Remi-D.  The former is a foaming liquid, the later a spray mist -- both dry quickly, and don't leave your hands sticky.  Both use Benzalkonium Chloride as an active germ-killing ingredient, a widely-used germicide and a preservative in things like eye drops and nasal spray, but it does have some minor allergy and safety concerns   Cleanwell uses a patented blend of plant oils that harnesses the natural antiseptic power of thyme to kill germs.  It is unequivocally natural and safe... though personally, I don't like the smell of thyme on my hands.  Buy Soapopular at amazon.com, Remi-D at CVS.com, and cleanwell at amazon.com.

Air-o-Swiss Travel Humidifier

It's that time of year when the "which humidifier should I buy" requests start coming in.  I wrote about the Honeywell HWM-500 last year at this time -- its UV germ-killing feature addresses the main problem with most humidifiers -- if you don't clean the tank often, bacteria growth can actually make the air in your home less healthy.  The Honeywell is still a great option, but I'm adding the Air-o-Swiss Travel Ultrasonic AOS 7146 this year.  The compact Air-o-Swiss is designed for travel -- instead of a dedicated water tank, you use an ordinary plastic water bottle -- so all you need to carry with you is the small base unit.  And instead of cleaning the tank, you just recycle and replace it.  Buy it for $49.99 at Amazon.com.

The Best Adult Acne Treatment: Avon Clearskin Professional Acne Treatment System

The Defy Your Age Beauty Awards in the September issue of Prevention Magazine rated Avon Clearskin Professional Acne Treatment System best for adult acne. Clearskin Professional is formulated with an exclusive blend of Salicylic Acid, Glycolic Acid and an exclusive Zinc Hexapeptide-11 which work together to clear, reduce & help prevent acne blemishes, retexturize and help control surface oil in oily-prone skin.  Unlike teenagers' treatments, which often dry out adult complexions and make wrinkles more pronounced, this trio of products contains humectants that soften and smooth.  It's currently on sale for $24.99 -- the lowest price ever.  And get free shipping when you shop from this link and use coupon code "FSANY."

Free Cold and Flu Season Remedies at Rite-Aid

I've written about Rite-Aid's Single Check Rebate program previously -- a simple, easy way to claim product rebates, often for the full value of the product purchased.  Last year, Rite Aid offered $144 in free products at the beginning of cold and flu season. This year's offer isn't quite as rich -- only $59 in free products, but it's still a great deal.  Hurry in -- the offer ends Saturday, and most store re-stock today.

BKB: Rite-Aid has another $76 in free products available through 10/14/09.

The Best High SPF Sunscreen

I'm leaving today on a Royal Caribbean cruise that I earned in a sales incentive from Avon.  Although I use an Avon moisturizer with sunscreen daily, for days when I'm spending a lot of time outdoors, especially in a tropical climate where I'm likely to sweat, I use a high-SPF sunscreen on my fac, head and neck.  I've written about sunscreens before, but brands and formulations change, particularly as the science advances.  My current favorite: CVS Age Defense. It's formulation is based on the highly recommended Neutrogena Helioplex formulations, which use multiple UVA filters to achieve protection against those rays which cause 80 percent of photo-aging (wrinkles) and 65-90% of all skin cancers.  CVS Age Defense is currently on sale (along with all CVS store items) - 40% off through October 7th at CVS.com.  Stock up now for next summer or your winter vacation.

P.S. If you're looking for a daily moisturizer with sunscreen, I'm currently using mark. For Goodness Face SPF 30, Liiv Botanicals Vital Day Cream SPF 25, and Anew Rejuvenate SPF 25 on a rotating basis.

The Best Dental Picks: Butler G-U-M Soft Picks

BKB readers and anyone who has seen my bathroom sink know that I'm obsessed with oral hygiene. Driving my obsession are three things: Halitosis, the correlation between poor oral health and heart disease, and the dramatic increases in my gum health that have resulted from small, easy changes to my dental regimen.  I've written about many of these: The best electric toothbrush, the best dental floss, pre-brushing whitening rinse.  My latest obsession: G-U-M Soft Picks by Butler.  The hygenist at my dentist's office recommended these.  They're hard plastic toothpicks, but the action end is covered in tiny soft rubber bristles. Not only are they super-effective at removing food particles from between your teeth and dental work (proven as effective as string dental floss), they also feel great as they massage your gums.  Find them at your local drug store, or buy them (with a handy little travel case) for $2.99 at drugstore.com.