Scrubbers and things

The cold, dry winter months have turned my skin into a mess resembling the Sahara desert and Amazon rainforest simultaneously — ultra dry and overly moisturized. Part of the problem is dry skin. Looking to alleviate the situation, I went hunting for a body scrubber. Spa Dreams, a line of bath and beauty products made specifically for Linen ‘N Things, creates a few choices in back scrubbers. Basically, a long plastic or wood handle with a loop on one end and a scrubber on the other. Sounds simple enough, but let’s go through them shall we? First up, plastic handle with a synthetic, dyed-mesh bath puff. Second, wood handle with 4-inch coarse loofah. Third, 3.5-inch round disc of semi-stiff nylon brush bristles attached to wood handle. Fourth, same as the last but with intermittent plastic nodules to give a slight backrub while scrubbing. Prices range from $4.99 to $8.99. I opted for the one with brush bristles sans nodules ($5.99) and now am the proud owner of an almost scrubbed-raw, brightly glowing red back devoid of dead, dry skin cells. The brush bristles held soapy lather well and got the job of exfoliating done. After losing my grip on it twice, though, I was very glad to have gone with the wooden handle option rather than plastic, which could shatter or snap if dropped hard enough.



Surprisingly, Linen ‘N Things has a large array of products that have nothing to do with towels, sheets or the like. An entire section holds beauty and health products (curlers, styling irons, lighted magnifying mirrors), athletic equipment and workout devices (As-Seen-On-TV items such as ab crunchers, cardio and Pilates workouts), and home spa items (whirlpool, massaging foot bath, self microdermabrasion kits, pedicure packs). Did I mention patio furniture?



[Linen ‘N Things,1200 S.W. Cooper Point Road S., Olympia, 360.705.1109, www.lnt.com]

Lots of lotion

Now that my skin is smooth and supple again, I want to keep it that way. While picking up lightbulbs, paper towels and envelopes as part of an exciting trip to Big Lots, I stumbled on the lotion aisle. Holy crap, tons of good stuff here and cheap — with name brands galore! Yves Saint Laurent, Udderly Smooth, The Healing Garden, L’Oréal, and Vaseline Intensive Care by the jumbo three-pack. Prices ranged from $1 to $5 (for the three-packs), which is way better than at Albertsons or another similar store. And unless I’m completely crazy (which might be the case), I don’t think lotion expires or goes bad, so it’s totally safe to buy at a discount store. Yippee!



[Big Lots, 3800 Bridgeport Way W., University Place, 253.565.8273]