Just a Spritz.

Gabe has been complaining about his dry skin for about two months now, and I feel like we've tried everything. From changing his body wash, originally Axe, then to Old Spice  then Dove Men's, and now finally we switch between Dr. Bronner Pure Castile Soap and Burt's Radiance Exfoliating Body Wash. We have been very happy with our natural products, for they have eased the irritation and itching a bit.

However, being a girl who has a beauty regimen, I knew washing wouldn't make it better, he also needed to moisturizer. That was another product search, which ended in a lot of unhappy results. He hated the greasy feeling, over-bearing scents, and he always ended up itching again. Our best results came from an aloe vera lotion, but we had to stop using it, because it had hemp in it, which he informed me traces can come up their monthly National Guard drug tests. So we could only use it part of the month, as well as the Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap. Finally, after spending an outrageous amount of money in lotions, I decided to make my own. Which ended up costing under a dollar each bottle!

Now Gabe is a muscular guy with broad shoulders, and he can't reach his back because of it, so I decided that a homemade spray lotion would be perfect for him, and after hours of research, this is what I came up with.

Non-Greasy Moisturizing Spray

Ingredients:

• ¼ c. distilled or filtered water
• 1 ½ tsp. pure glycerin (I got mine at Wal-Mart)
• 1 tsp. grapeseed, sweet almond, or hazelnut oil (I prefer grapeseed, also at Wal-Mart, others at Fred Meyers)
• 4-5 drops Vitamin E Oil (Wal-Mart)
• 8-10 drops essential oil of your choice (optional)
• Bottle (at least 3 oz.)

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients, and carefully pour into bottle. Makes about 3 ounces each, and will keep for several weeks.
2. Shake well before each use.
3. Spray liberally all over body, especially after showering or bathing. Rub in if needed.

Variations:

• Substituting rose water, an herbal tea, or pure aloe vera gel (without thickening additives) in place of water.
• Tea tree and lavender essential oils mix well for moisturizers.