the things i love: elizabeth arden 8 hour cream

i sort of don't know what i'd do without elizabeth arden 8 hour cream.

THE LEGEND Created in 1930 by Elizabeth Arden herself to soothe skin, Eight Hour® Cream Skin Protectant became an instant and overwhelming success. What made it so effective? A combination of petrolatum, a skin-soothing beta-hydroxy -- debuting in one of its first cosmetic uses -- and vitamin E. The apricot-colored balm was so beneficial to her clients that Miss Arden even used it to soothe her famous thoroughbred horses' legs. Even its name came about thanks to a remarkable performance – a loyal client used it to treat her child's skinned knee and "Eight Hour®s" later, the skin was all better.

i am slightly obsessed with the stuff.

i think i fully realized how indispensable this product is this morning when i noticed that overnight it had totally annihilated this annoying rough patch on the top of my cheekbone. i noticed the rough patch a couple days ago when i was putting on blush and thought why is my cheek already so pink pre-blush? i touched it and went oh no not again! i had one of these same small rough patches on the front of my shoulder all of last winter and no matter what i did, i couldn't get rid of it. no amount of exfoliating or cream seemed to do the trick.

so last night while i was sitting around watching tv and applying 8 hour cream as lip balm and rubbing it into my elbows and hands and especially my cuticles (as i often do - multitask!), i dabbed some of the excess on the rough patch on my face. it felt soothing so i applied some more. then after washing my face before bed, i again applied a little more.

this morning when i was washing my face, the dry skin just sort of came off. it's totally un-elegant, but it just kind of rolled up and peeled off like it was a little bit of dried elmer's glue on your palm (you know what i mean). and TA DA, normal, happy skin underneath.

so yes, once again, this stuff rules. i love it so much i've given tubes of it as gifts to friends and always keep some in my bag and on my nightstand by my bed and i LOVE the smell of it (i think it smells like some sort of herbal tea). with the winter coming up, i'm thinking it might be time to stock up.