Relaxing and getting a good night's sleep hasn't been easy for me the last year and a half, and I am guessing it might not have been the easiest for a lot of you either. Baths have become a solid part of my nighttime and mental health routine ever since the first shut down last spring. Even with baths, getting to sleep and staying asleep has been a regular challenge. This is where Dr. Teal's Melatonin line of bath products comes into play.

Dr. Teal's Sleep Bath Melatonin Foaming Bath and Dr. Teal's Melatonin Sleep Soak Epsom Salt both have soothing scents that contain actual essential oils as well as Melatonin to help you relax and have a deeper sleep.

-Melatonin helps regulate sleep and wake cycles
-Lavender and Chamomile essential oils help reduce stress and encourage relaxation
-Promotes a better night’s sleep.
-Long lasting bubbles gently cleanse
-Paraben-free  ~drteals.com

The formula has a rich Lavender scent that is accented by Chamomile and Patchouli. Mixed together in the formula it comes off as less heavy than straight lavender. It also is super relaxing to breathe in. Melatonin is in it to help relax your body, as well as the Epson Salt that is in both formulas.

Dr. Teal's Foaming Baths are by far my favourite bubble baths out there. They are gigantic in size, produce huge bubbles and are not drying to the skin all while being affordable. This formula has Shea Butter in it to help hydrate the skin. They never leave a ring around my tub and even have Epsom Salt in them for muscle pains. The Sleep Bath formula is no exception. This stuff foams up and smells great. 

Dr. Teal's Epsom Salts have also been reviewed on here a few times. I love them because you really don't need a ton to get the scent pay off.  I often find myself using far less than the 2 cups they recommend, but since I actually want to get the most out of the Melatonin in it I actually do use 2 cups. 

They also recommend mixing it with your body wash and using it as a scrub (homemade scrubs are always awesome). They also recommend soaking in it for at least 20 minutes (my baths are now approximately 90 mins to 2 hours long so it is not a problem at all for me).

I definitely found while using these two products, and often together that my muscles were less soar (and man have they been soar lately) which is a major part of my nighttime restlessness. As well the relaxing scent helps get me into a bedtime routine feel a lot faster. I actually started to brush my teeth and do my skincare before my baths because I often start to drift off in the tub and want to go right to bed without losing that feeling.

Overall I love these two products alone and together. Now that the weather is cooling down I feel I will be using them nightly in my ridiculously long baths. My muscles feel less sore and I get into a very relaxed state using them and I end up sleeping better all around. There really is no downside to them.

Fresh's Oval Soaps have been pretty famous since they first launched in 1993. Wrapped in artisan paper and wire with a little gem stone, they are luxurious and feel quite decadent to just even hold. Well this year Fresh has launched a Limited Edition Zodiac Oval Soap Collection just in time for the holidays.
Just like Fresh's other Oval Soaps, these are wrapped in artisan paper and wire for a very high end look. The big difference is each sign gets its own decorative paper, has a drawing of the sign and a element related stone. Making it a really glamorous and large bar of soap. At 8.8 oz or 250 g it is absolutely huge compared to other bars that are out there. They are triple milled so they last a long time and are nice an heavy too. They are made without parabens, sulfates and phthalates.
The signs are divided into four scents based on their elements and each get their own colour scheme and little stone to represent them.
Air Signs: Gemini, Libra and Aquarius get Verbena as their scent. Bright and fresh with green citrus as its scent, while the soaps packaging is blue and grey with an aventurine stone.

Earth Signs: Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn get Sugar scented soap. Blended with sweet caramel and citrus it smells fantastic. Wrapped in olive and brown packaging with a quartz stone.
Water Signs: Cancer, Pisces, and Scorpio get Waterlily. With a sheer aquatic and floral blend it smells incredibly clean. All wrapped up in Turquoise and aqua packaging with a fluorite stone.

Fire Signs: Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius soap have Mangosteen. With Mangosteen and Nectarines it smells fruity and light. This soap comes wrapped in orange and red with a Tiger's Eye stone.
I happen to be a Virgo, so that means my soap is Sugar. I love the wrapping, it is so pretty and just feels decadent. Once I finally opened it (I really didn't want to, I wanted to keep it there forever) I could just smell how great it was and marvelled in its size. This is quite the soap and it will make a great gift for anyone. The back side (like all their oval soaps) says the name of its' scent, in this case Sugar.
I think these make such a great gift, I already ordered two for friends up coming holiday gifts. Not only is it a very pretty and luxurious bar of soap that I think makes a great gift, it is personalized just for that person. They know you really thought about buying it just for them. They also make for great stocking stuffer type gifts, making each person feel nice and special.
You can pick up Fresh's Zodiac Oval Soap Collection at Sephora.ca for a limited time only for $18.00 Cad.

*Product was sent for review, all opinions are my own. And yes, I did go buy two for gifts for my friends who love astrology with my own money.

While dealing with ridiculously dry skin isn't new for me, attempting to concur it once and for all is. I learned a great tip for dealing with my dry, dehydrated and peeling skin...layer my products. I was told that I should think of by body hydration the same way I do my face, serum then lotion or cream. So simple, yet it never occurred to me.  So, as the humidity left the Toronto air and the cold has set in, I finally decided to give it a go using Vichy's Idea Body Serum-Milk and Body Balm.

IDÉAL BODY SERUM-MILK:

This Serum-milk is an emulsion gel enriched with mother-of-pearl particles to enhance the skin. As a milk, it delivers hydration and comfort, as a serum, it has a very fresh, fluid and melt-in texture that is instantly absorbed. It is possible to dress immediately. -vichy.ca 

This is a light cross between a serum and a milk that absorbs really easily into the skin (something I love). It isn't heavy but it is really hydrating. I feel like my skin just drinks it up every time, and every time my skin feels and looks great after. I love the lack of effort needed to get it to absorb into my skin, definitely one of the best perks in this line.

IDÉAL BODY BALM:

This balm is ecognised for its excellence by Institut Vichy experts, enriched with nourishing and protective Shea Butter, the "cocoon effect" texture is smooth and enveloping. It melts into the skin on application, is quickly absorbed and leaves a powdery, non-greasy and non-sticky finish. It is possible to dress immediately -vichy.ca

The balm has all the wonderful qualities I look for in a body butter, cream or balm, it is thick, rich, creamy, dense, hydrating, oh so hydrating. It is just so wonderfully thick and soothing now that it is cold outside. It also isn't heavy or greasy, which lets it absorb easily into the skin. It is only lightly scented so I don't end up with irritated skin like I might if I were to use a butter that is focused on fragrance. It also blends in wonderfully well, not heavy or thick, taking a long time to absorb, but nourishing and hydrating, which I think is quite exciting in a balm.
Since using these two products together, my skin has gotten a lot better. It is no longer chap and flaky, I feel I finally found the dynamic duo I needed to keep my skin well hydrated without too much effort. My arms no longer look dry, they look soft and smooth, radiant and not something I am afraid to show in the winter months.

In addition my dry, 20+ years older then me looking hands have started to look more hydrated and plump, maybe only 15+ years older then me now (it's a start).


* denotes items were sent to me for review. My opinions are still all my own.