Trader Joe's Head to Toe Moisturizing Balm

Dear reader, I hope you are well. I hope you are washing your hands. For at least 20-30 seconds while singing a song of your choice, because there are plenty of songs out there besides Happy Birthday and The Alphabet Song that can bring a bit of joy to your daily routine of being vigilant against COVID-19. And the flu. And other infectious diseases. But COVID-19 for sure, because that's all that people want to talk about these days. And I especially hope that you aren't panicking, even if your immediate environment or circumstance is more dire than mine. Because the world has definitely seen worse, even if you personally haven't, and people are resilient. There is no need to clean out Costco's stash of toilet paper. Or gallons and gallons of water. Or those military, nuclear bomb shelter, preparing-for-the-apocalypse food rations. Or copious numbers of face masks that healthcare professionals actually need to do their jobs. But washing your hands is a good thing. Avoiding sick contacts is also a good thing. But discrimination has no place. Living in fear is no way to live. Wisdom and vigilance y'all and keep it moving. 

Y'all don't need another review about hand soap. Or the hand sanitizer spray (That is probably sold out in the Trader Joe's stores anyway - I haven't looked at it to see if the alcohol content is high enough to be effective to kill any harmful bacteria - also COVID-19 is a VIRUS. What does antibacterial spray do for a virus? You tell me...) Cuz during a pandemic, do you really need to buy Trader Joe's hand soap? NO. ANY HAND SOAP. JUST WASH YOUR HANDS ALREADY. WITH SOAP. AND WATER. But if you're like me, and your hands and cuticles are looking real rough from winter weather and handwashing (word from the wise - do not trust a healthcare provider that doesn't wash his or her hands. JUST SAYIN), you always need a lotion that gets the job done. 

I've tried many things, including the Rose hand cream and the ultra moisturizing hand cream. The ultra moisturizing hand cream works pretty well, but I got tired of the packaging. Plus, I don't think it did anything for my cuticles. I mean...my cuticles really take a hit in the winter. They look so terrible the images aren't really quite fit for the internet. So I picked up this all-purpose or "head to toe" balm that is supposed to be good for a number of things. It's not new but I got desperate enough to try something different. No animal testing. Looks like the ingredients are heavy on the shea butter and a bunch of other natural oils/ingredients. Again, like the ultra moisturizing hand cream, this shouldn't be used on irritated or cracked skin. 

1) At first glance, I was not convinced by the smell or texture. Unlike a lot of lotions/body butters, this comes in pretty solid form, and you have to use body heat to warm it up to a wet sand but sort of buttery, spreadable/usable texture. Which requires putting your fingers into the tin itself. Not the most hygienic application IMO but since I haven't been sharing, I'm less bothered by it.

2) The smell - very Whole Foods, organic, hippie, natural, rosemary-like. Again, not my default fragrance but something I got used to.

3) The product claims to have no greasy residue. I disagree - the initial application is sorta greasy, to the point where I feel iffy about touching other objects, especially my phone (which actually might be a good way to get me to put the phone down?). It does take time for the product to be absorbed, so it does feel like you've actually slathered on a barrier or sorts.

4) After the first night of using this, I noticed visible improvement in my previously disgusting cuticles. In the morning, there was no greasy residue, just moisturized skin. After a week of using this, my hands looked alright, unaffected by the winter weather. But if I miss a night or two from sheer laziness, my hands/cuticles go back to looking rather reptilic.

5) I tried this as a lip balm. Didn't really work for me. It also did nothing for my fly aways. But for hands and cuticles? A dream!

6) $3.99 for a 2 oz tin is pretty reasonable, maybe even for each person in your household to have one for their personal use. Y'know, to avoid the spread of all things undesirable. :P

TL;DR: Trader Joe's Head to Toe (and everywhere in between) Moisturizing Balm. A tin of relief for dry as the desert hands and cuticles. 8.5 out of 10. Mantou Joe repurchase? Yes. BTW do you have a healthcare provider in your life you'd like to thank? THIS would make a great little thank you. We don't need more candy. Or cookies. Or donuts. But that's just me. :P