Holistic Feathers

A replacement for Elizabeth Arden’s 8 Hour Skin Protectant

Way back in 1995, I discovered the joys of Elizabeth Arden’s 8 Hour Skin Protectant … pricey for a single mum’s tight purse strings, but I found that it had a multitude of uses and lasted for AGES!

No better description of this product can be found other than to quote directly from Elizabeth Arden’s own website:

“The skincare classic that soothes, restores, calms and helps relieve chapped, cracked, dry skin. Soothes roughness, redness and minor skin irritations.

• Helps protect, soothe and moisturize skin.
• Soothes dry skin and provides anti-inflammatory benefits.
• Soothes and comforts minor weather burns, scrapes and abrasions.

The Legend
Created in 1930 by Elizabeth Arden to soothe skin, Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant became an instant and overwhelming success. What made it so effective is a combination of petrolatum, a skin-soothing beta-hydroxy in one of its first cosmetic uses, and vitamin E. The apricot colored balm was so beneficial to her clients, Miss Arden used it to soothe her famous thoroughbred horses’ legs. Even its name came about thanks to a remarkable performance – a loyal client used it to treat her child’s skinned knee and “eight hours later” the skin was all better.”

Eventually I moved on to different products, particularly those that avoided petrolatum as my skin was developing bizarre sensitivities, in tandem with sensitivities developing on the inside!

So imagine my joy at CamExpo this October (2009) when I attended a seminar, where the founder of Herbfarmacy gave out sample packs of their products.

In a cute tester pot was a lovely herbal balm which looked interestingly similar in colour to the 8 Hour Skin Protectant cream I used to carry everywhere … I tested it on my lips and lo and behold!  The natural herbal smell even REMINDED me of Elizabeth Arden’s magic cream – a real blast from the past.

So my new favourite carry-all products is …

HerbFarmacy’s organic Skin Care Balm

At £8.95 for a 30g pot, this is a good price for a versatile balm – and if you spend over £35 with Herbfarmacy, you get a pot of this organic magic balm for free!

Herbfarmacy says about their Skin Rescue Balm:

“A luxurious herbal blend which melts into the skin leaving it feeling soothed and nourished. With Marshmallow, Calendula, Chickweed and Comfrey, this moisturising balm soothes and protects dry and cracked areas, rejuvenates sensitive and problem skin and nourishes any skin areas you feel are in need of a boost. For eczema-like conditions we recommend you also use our Dandelion and Burdock tincture to boost inner cleansing

Use to:

Moisturise, soothe and protect dry and cracked areas;

Soothe and protect sensitive and problem skin;

Nourish and moisturise any skin areas you feel are in need of a boost”

So what about the ingredients?  Always very careful about what I use on my skin due to occasional sensitivities, I was relieved to find that it was all-natural, wholesome herbal goodness …

Ingredients Ingredients: *Helianthus annuus (Sunflower oil), *Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba oil), *Cera flava (Beeswax), *Butyrospermum parkii (Shea butter), *Althaea officinalis (Marshmallow) extract, *Symphytum sp (Comfrey) extract, *Calendula officinalis (Calendula) extract, *Stellaria media (Chickweed) extract, *Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) extract, *Anthemis nobilis (Roman Chamomile) oil, *Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender) oil, *Helychrysum angustifolium (Helychrysum) oil, *linalool, *limonene, *farnesol, *geraniol, *eugenol (Last 5 essential oil ingredients) * = Organically grown/produced (100%)

I love using marshmallow and calendula macerated oils on my skin, so I knew I had found a new favourite – and of course, rosemary essential oil is a mild antiseptic,  and chamomile and lavender oils will gently soothe your spirits and give you a gentle etheric hug as well as soothing your skin.

I’d love to know if you still use Elizabeth Arden’s magic cream or whether you have switched to different – and organic or natural – products in its place:  and if so, what do YOU use?

Excuse me while I head off and shop at Herbfarmacy and grab my free gift …