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This $9 moisturizer keeps my winter hands from cracking — get it in time to stuff in stockings, with Prime
This popular balm has been around since the 1800s and can fix a variety of skin issues!
It happens so fast: As soon as the temperature drops and heated winter air fills my apartment, my skin turns dry and dull — especially the skin on my hands.
I've tried lots pricey lotions and moisturizers, but none relieve my dry hands as quickly and as well as this $9 product known as Bag Balm. Since I started using it a few years ago, I've become obsessed. Bag Balm has replaced all the other hand creams in my bathroom cabinet. It's part of my daily routine — and, thanks to its old-timey tin, it's also one of my favorite stocking stuffers.
In addition to protecting hands, this inexpensive all-purpose balm can treat sunburn, diaper rash and treat minor cuts and scrapes — making it the perfect stocking stuffer for anyone on your list.
The ultra-rich cream dates back to 1899, when a Vermont pharmacist first created it to soothe dry and cracked cow udders (yup, you read that right!). Then folks realized the thick ointment could address skincare issues for humans as well, and it became a staple.
I first learned about it from my sister, who used it to treat my nephew’s diaper rash. She recommended I give it a try for the dry skin on my hands, and I’m so glad I did!
Comprised of just four ingredients: petrolatum, lanolin, paraffin wax and 8-hydroxyquinoline sulfate, the skin-saving salve can be used not only to alleviate dry skin, but also to treat minor cuts and scrapes, frostbite and diaper rash; it can soothe sunburns, new tattoos, cracked cuticles and more. It comes in a cute green tin that I keep right by my sink, so I can rub a bit on my hands right after I wash them.
While I primarily use Bag Balm on my hands, I also rub a bit anywhere else I feel like is lacking moisture (feet, elbows, knees. Sometimes I even put a bit on my lips if they're feeling particularly dry. Since the cruelty-free balm is animal-safe, I even use it on my dog's paws and nose after going out in the cold to prevent them from cracking.
The balm has been made in the same town — Lyndonville, Vermont — since it’s launch in the 1800s, and it’s free of any added fragrances, colors, alcohol, parabens or phthalates, so you can feel good about putting it on your skin. My hands have never been softer, and I truly believe Bag Balm is the only thing preventing them from cracking every winter.
That's why this is such a perfect stocking stuffer. It's so versatile and so effective, it can solve problems for just about everyone.
But you don't have to depend on my opinion alone: More than 16,500 Amazon shoppers have given Bag Balm their seal of approval too, with one calling it “My holy grail.” They continue: “Dry and chapped lips?? I put on a THICK layer before bed every night and I wake up with lips as smooth as a baby's bottom. Face drying during the change in temperature? Bag Balm it every night. Dry elbows? Bag Balm it. Dry knees? Bag Balm. Dry whatever?! Bag balm. You get the point.”
Another raves, “I've been buying this brand for 30 years. This is the best to moisture and heal dryness.” A third writes, “Best stuff in the world for cracked hands, fingers, feet, elbows. Originally made for cows' udders, it is a wonder balm. We can't live without it. Well, we don't want to. It lasts forever - you use very little. A must-have for the medicine cabinet.”
It's kind of amazing that a lotion described by users as a "wonder balm" costs just 9 bucks. Order today with Amazon Prime, and you'll have it in time for Christmas. It's the stocking stuffer that keeps on giving — all year long!
The secret's out: More than 16,000 Amazon shoppers are fans of Bag Balm. And this four-ounce tin is only $9!
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
