Health & Beauty | Beauty: Products

The winter is finally getting close and it’s time to once again check out some great body lotions to counteract the drying effect indoor heating has on our skin. Here are some I’ve sampled over the past year and recommend.

Tree Hut’s Hawaiian Kukui Shea Body Lotion smells so good, I like to put it on in the morning instead of cologne. With ingredients such as shea and kukui extracts, vitamin E and aloe vera, it keeps my skin soft and supple. It’s one of my all-time favorites and I cannot tell you how upset I was when it was confiscated at the airport recently—I was dumb enough to forget to put some in a smaller container for my carry-on! A great bargain at about $6 for 11.75 oz., treehutshea.com.


Life Soul Soothing Body Lotion employs a blend of lime and green tea spiced with cardamom and ginger. It is great for bedtime, as it calms the senses while nourishing your skin. The Life series is produced by a company in Britain, Space NK Apothecary, and is free of parabens and petroleum. About $25 for 6.8 oz.

Hemperor skin firming and anti-aging body lotion uses maximum levels of vitamins C, E & A, natural hemp seed, Monoi, sweet almond, jojoba, tea tree oils, shea butter and ginseng to produce one of the richest lotions of all. I like using this on my feet at bedtime to wake up with super soft feet. It also smells awesome. $24 for 18 oz. at hosssauce.com.

M?lie Organics has a sumptuous coconut vanilla body cream with organic and “wildcrafted” Hawaiian hydrosols that add a wonderful aromatherapeutic element. Awapuhi Ginger, aloe and chamomile make this a calming and soothing cream that absorbs quickly into the skin and is a great option when you want to smell good enough to eat! About $30 for 7.5 oz., malie.com.

Another lush organic lotion is Red Flower’s Japanese Peony. This subtly scented lotion also has wildcrafted botanicals and essential oils and has a honey base, a natural humectant that attracts moisture from the air. They also have a variety of other scents—Indian Jasmine, Morrocan Rose—to satisfy every aural preference. $24 for 8 oz., redflower.com.

Wildcrafting, as you may have guessed, is the practice of harvesting wild plants and flowers in their natural habitat. In the US, wildcrafted plants are regulated by the Organic Food Production Act of 1990, helping to ensure harvesting is done in a sustainable way. All of the above products are made in the US unless otherwise noted.