Winter Travel Essentials: Vaseline Intensive Care Cocoa Radiant Review

Buongiorno from Italia!

Like many of you, I was introduced to the Vaseline brand as a child and have used their products during different stages of my life. While growing up, it soothed my inflamed eczema during a flare up and the petroleum jelly, that we all knew and loved, coated the abrasions as they healed. I trust this brand because it has a range of products for the most sensitive of skins and delicate baby skin. I have never had an adverse reaction to one of their products that I can remember.

Visiting Venice, Italy in early March is  C O L D! On the very first day of my trip, it snowed at below freezing temperatures. Knowing that I was traveling in the winter, to a place that will be having unseasonably cold and wet weather while I am there, required me to find skincare that would keep my severely dry skin healthy.

Before my trip, Vaseline sent over their Cocoa Radiant line and I was excited to see if it would work for my skin while in Italy. I was confident in the moisture the line promised but I was a little skeptical of the scent.

I was not monetarily compensated for this review and all these thoughts are my own after trying this line. The items were gifted.

The products that were sent over were the Intensive Care Cocoa Radiant Smoothing Body Butter, Cocoa Radiant cocoa butter Lotion, cocoa butter petroleum jelly and Lip therapy. I was especially excited to try out the Body Butter and Cocoa Butter Lotion.

What I admire about the cocoa radiant line is the amazing ingredients that are ideal for men and women of color. 100% pure cocoa and shea butter has been a staple in black skincare for generations, and the Cocoa Radiant line took that into consideration. The Intensive Care Cocoa Radiant Smoothing Body Butter, specifically, is loaded with these key ingredients and has up to 4x more emollients than any of Vaseline’s other lotions. The extremely rich texture of this body butter glides onto the skin so smoothly, and absorbs well to deliver maximum moisture for dry skin. This is perfect to combat the harsh cold of winter and  the moisture-sucking tendencies of winter clothing.

I can go on and on about why this body butter, and line as a whole, is ideal for dry, sensitive skin like mine, but you would understand best if you give it a try yourself! It’s available at drug stores and online so it is extremely easy and affordable to get you hands on it.

What the Cocoa Radiant line promises:
• Helps heal dry skin to reveal its natural glow
• Provides intense moisture to help heal dull-looking skin
• Made for dry skin types
• Absorbs quickly for a non-greasy feel

My first impression of the Cocoa Radiant products after day 1

The Cocoa Radiant line has a distinct cocoa butter smell that fades with time. I am usually nervous about using lotions with a scent, even if it is from a natural ingredient like cocoa butter, because they have caused my eczema to flair up in the past, but in this case it did not! I actually enjoy the smell of cocoa butter so I am happy with the scent. I used the cocoa butter lotion all over my skin and layered with the body butter on my driest parts. I use the lotion on my hands throughout the day, as well as the lip treatment.

During the first day of use, I noticed that my skin stayed more moisturized than it did with other lotions. By the end of the day, the skin that was covered with clothing was dry but not extra dry and ashy, as they normally would be. This I expected since I was wearing clothing that would likely absorb moisture from my skin as the hours went on. The moisture on my hands did last a long time, and my hands only got dry after continuous washing with soap and being exposed to the cold weather without gloves. Overall, I was extremely pleased with how it protected my hands given that it is not specifically made as a hand lotion. The lip treatment did have to be reapplied many times, and did not work as well as other lip treatments that I use. I may continue to use it as a first layer underneath my lipsticks going forward.

After 6 days of use

After using the product for 6 consecutive days, I can say I am impressed with how the cocoa radiant line works with my skin. I continued to use the lotion all over, and layer with the body butter and petroleum jelly on my driest areas. My skin was not cracked or overly ashy at the end of the day and did not itch from dryness. The scent also did not irritate my skin, which I was surprised about. Win!

 

Will I continue to use this line?

I can honestly say I would continue to use all the products in the line. I am pleased with their results and it feels good to be able to use products with a scent. It may not be a floral or fruity scent like many popular lotions but I think cocoa butter is a great scent and I am glad to smell good from my products for a change. It’s not overwhelming and fades eventually so it will not clash with perfumes I may use throughout the day.

What I also love about this line is that it can easily be found in stores and online! You can afford to invest in the entire line to keep your dry skin moisturized and combat the dull appearance.

Have any of you tried this line or any of the other Vaseline products? What are your experiences with them? If you do try to Cocoa Radiant line, let me know how it works for you!

Until next time, Chao!

With love,
CoCo

** We were so thankful for the moisture for our hands on our daily excursions. They were a hot, dry mess! **