December means winter and winter symbolizes dreams of snowmen and cozy fireside nights, but it also means viruses such as the common cold and this year COVID-19 as well. The pandemic unfortunately means a lot of isolation amidst family holidays such as Hanukkah, Christmas and New Years. While I don’t have a doctor degree or any medical knowledge I was able to find some product suggestions to help you get through this winter safely. These can also make great gifts, but they won’t get them until after the holidays- just remember an awesome present is always worth waiting for. Also sometimes a surprise ‘just thinking of you gift’ can mean a lot to a person!
I hope everyone is abiding by the CDC guidelines and wearing masks because between COVID-19, the flu, sinus infections, the common cold and other related viruses, it can be hard to stay healthy.
If you are looking for a mask to wear that encapsulates you or them, but can’t exactly find one you can always give them a mask of their own smile. That’s right. The Skin dudes allow you to make a custom mask of you or their face! The mask is made in the USA and helps our economy during these hard times. You can check the mask out here. They have two sizes large and small and are great to work with to make sure the mask comes out just right! You just need to send them a picture and they will take care of everything else. They are made of 100% cotton and memory foam. The masks come out beautifully. You can get a mask of a smile or a silly face or even a serious one. It is a great way to feel like yourself while still protecting your health. I wore mine the other day and while it does have a black rim, someone thought I didn’t have a mask on! They are very realistic.
Making sure the air around you is clean is an important thing. A giant air purifier in your house or in rooms is easy but what if you need to leave your house or go into a room that doesn’t have a purifier? You can always get a personal air purifier!
AirTamer is a personal air purifier that you can wear around your neck. They have five different versions available, which according to Airtamer can clean the air around you. The products work by “removing airborne pollutants (e.g. viruses, bacteria, pollen, dust, etc.) away from your personal space.”
There are four different models, the A302, the A310 with a leather travel case and without, the Air Tamer Advanced A315 and lastly the A320. All of them minus A302 have the option of a black or white color. These can be worn indoors as well. In fact the A302 even mentions in the description that “it cleans the air of atomic sized pollutants (e.g. viruses, bacteria, pollen, dust, etc) that traditional air purifiers (e.g. HEPA air purifiers) leave behind.”
The products are easy to wear and come with lanyards ao you can put it around your neck. Some versions come with a clip so you can just clip it onto your shirt. There are a few different things that make this brand stand out from others. The first is that there is no huge light that shows through clothing, there is just a tiny light. Furthermore, these also run silently and are fairly small and lightweight. It is a great way to keep the air around you clean. It is also great year round because it also helps with allergies such as pollens, smoke and perfume.
If you or someone you know are having trouble dealing with the isolation you might want to look into Ageless Innovation’s Joy For All companion pets. With these lifelike robotic pets you get all the joy and pros pets can bring without the downsides! You also don’t have to worry about medical insurance, food training, or getting up at midnight to take the dog for a walk. They have a cat with a few different choices for a coat, a kitten as well as a puppy with a golden coat and they will be adding a second choice of coat to the puppy soon. They do shead slightly, but that goes away quickly and just adds to the realness of them. The cat purrs are just like a real one, the animal even slightly vibrates. The dog barks just like a dog. The animals not only look realistic but also respond to touch such as scratching behind the ears or belly rubs. The animals also have some specific movements. While they were initially designed for seniors such as those who can no longer care for animals, whose pet died or whose living facilities don’t allow animals, I don’t think the benefits these animals give can be limited to a specific age group especially during quarantine. They are great for traveling and replacing an emotional support animal. You don’t have to worry about any hassle with airlines or risk causing a serious reaction to others on the plane as I have seen a person go into anaphylaxis from a dog allergy. Furthermore, it is a great gift for people who are allergic to animals and there aren’t allergens in these coats!
If you have noticed that your eyes are getting tired lately, more strained or an increase in migraines, (after making sure it isn’t anything serious from your physician) you should check out TheraSpecs. These orange tinted lenses help block out the blue light waves lengths that are known to cause migraines, headaches and eyestrain. They have multiple frames available as well as sizes including ones to go over your eyeglasses. They also have outdoor glasses as well as the option to get your prescription glasses with the benefits of the theraspec lenses.
If you are looking for some pain relief, Humble’s CBD Comfort Bar is absolutely amazing. It comes in a deodorant type of bar that makes it easy to apply. The relief from the product comes very fast and the smell is light and pleasant. It is great for sore muscles and even muscle spasms. It has 1000 mg of CBD and I definitely recommend it!
If you are looking for a healthy deodorant that contains no harsh chemicals Troian Bellisario from Pretty Little Liars teamed up with Humble to create her own deodorant. It works just as well as regular deodorants and contain no aluminum. The deodorant follows their all good, nothing bad motto. It works great and smells great. It isn’t overpowering and the scent is very pleasant. 50 percent of all profits from Troian’s original scent, Star Anise & Palmarosa, will be donated to Together We Rise, a non-profit organization whose mission is to help improve the lives of those in foster care.
Something that should come back in 2021 is gloves. No, I’m not talking about winter gloves but gloves that you wear all the time when you are out like Jackie O. (formerly Jackie Kennedy.) There are various reusable gloves out there, but there are gloves and then there are gloves. And no one said you can’t be safe and fashionable!
Mash City has a variety of reusable gloves with various patterns from founder Haleh Mashian’s original digital artwork. These show stopping gloves are not only great for covering your hands to protect them but are definitely conversation starter pieces. These gloves come in various sizes and patterns/colors so you can find one for every outfit you have. They are soft and so comfortable to wear you will even forget that they are on. They wash well and keep their vibrancy.
If you are someone who does gel manicures a lot at home or a salon and are constantly exposing your hands to the UV /LED lights did you know that those lights to dry your manicure can cause issues such as premature aging? You can still get the manicures you love while protecting your hands with maniglovz. They are gloves that cover your hands completely minus your fingernails (and slightly below your fingernails ). These gloves come in a variety of patterns, and colors and you even have the choice to get waterproof ones! What I really love about these gloves is that if you do go to the salon it also, since it is a glove, has the ability to protect your hands (minus your fingertips,) from touching surfaces that could be infected with COVID-19 or other viruses.
CHI is best known for their hair products and tools but now they have disinfecting lights. While there is one for a whole room they also make one that you can put in your bag/purse or even a large pocket. CHI Life Handheld UV Light Wand uses UV lights to get rid of 99.9% of germs in one minute. It is great to bring to the hair salon to use on the chairs or any seat outside your home, or even inside if people visit. You just charge it, move the button on the side to on and press the on button and voila. You can use it on elevator buttons or packages like I do. One minute goes by quickly and it is time to stay healthy. Once the COVID-19 pandemic is over I still plan on keeping it in my bag to use on things like public restrooms because if anything needs to be clean, pandemic or not it’s public bathrooms.
Regardless if you are on the computer, sitting in front of the window on your electronics or shoveling you should make sure your skin is properly protected and Dermalogica’s Invisible Physical Defense is perfect as it is both blue light protecting and contains spf. This triple threat product is soothing to your skin and not many brands can offer the 3-1 this product provides. The Invisible Physical Defense is lightweight and does not have the white residue that other spf’s carry. SPF is an important part of skin care, especially in the winter! So, if you are going for an SPF you might as well get other benefits from it! One of my other favorites of the brand is the roll on Body Glow to Go. It is easy to slip in your pocket so you can keep this moisturizing product with you all the time. It is great to use especially after using hand sanitizer as it can be used everywhere except your face. It can also be used on your collarbone or decollette for a nice shine. I find the smell very relaxing and it helps give your skin that little extra glow! You can find the full size here.
If you are looking for a face oil then check out Colleen Rothschild’s CBD face oil. This 300mg broad spectrum CBD product can help soothe sensitive skin that is irritated or compromised. It can calm redness and infuse your skin with hydration as well as helping with dullness and uneven texture. This USA made product is lightweight and doesn’t have an oily residue where you feel like you need to wash your hands after applying, but lets the oil help your hands as well.