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Tuesday, March 13, 2012

tried and true

over the weekend i was washing what seemed like an unending pile of vintage dishes, kitchen tools, etc, that are destined for my Farm Chicks Show booth and at one point i had something glass that just wouldn't come clean. in hopes of getting the rusty crud off, i reached for a cleaning product that has been around for ages and it hit me- wouldn't it be fun to share the 'heritage brand' items i use and swear by with all of you! and just like that, a new series, 'tried and true' was born. as with everything here at gather and hunt, i love featuring things you love too- so if you have a product, brand, or even homemade remedy, that's been around for at least 50 years, that you highly recommend, let's talk- i would love for you to share it with us!

today i want to introduce you to...



that's right- Bag Balm! since moving to the city i've found far less people have heard of Bag Balm than when i lived in Wyoming. i also find most people at least giggle a little at the name! well if you are one that hasn't heard about Bag Balm before, here's a little history...

i just love their beautiful green tin! 


Bag Balm was developed by a druggist sometime before the turn of the century in a small Vermont town. a man named John L Norris purchased the formula in 1899 and began producing the product as we know it today. it was originally intended for use on cows udders to keep them soft and to soothe irritation after milking, but many farmer's wives noticed that their husbands hands became softer after using the product and the women began using it on chapped hands and dry skin. Bag Balm is officially a product for animals* but has been used since the turn of the century for a multitude of human needs as well, ranging from burns and zits to saddle sores and even squeaky bed springs!



we've used Bag Balm in my family since i was a child. my brother suffered from eczema as a boy and Bag Balm helped soothe his dry and irritated skin, while my mother and i used it for our parched skin in the dry climate of Wyoming. though i now live in soggy Seattle, i continue to use it for chapped lips and hands, as well as any rough patches of skin like elbows or feet. i've tried many different products for dry skin and lips and just have never found anything that works quite as well.



so, if winter has gotten the best of your skin and nothing seems to help, consider picking up that pretty green tin the next time you're at the drug store and see what you think. if you want to learn more about Bag Balm, this CBS news article has some great info about the company, and Livestrong has useful info about the ingredients and potential health implications.


don't forget- if you have a tried and true product or brand you love, i'd love to hear about it! send me a message at danae{at}gatherandhuntvintage{dot}com.

*any product endorsement made on this site is purely a personal and unpaid opinion. endorsements here should never be construed as medical advice. all products endorsed here should be used at your own risk.

4 comments:

  1. I love it! And the tin is so beautiful.

    My tried and true? Baking soda. I use it for everything. It's great for getting price tag stickers off of thrifted dishes/glassware, I also use it to scrub the tub. Just make a paste with water and scrub to your heart's content. I mean, if scrubbing makes your heart content. :)

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    1. What can't baking soda do? It's magic! And scrubbing, as long as it comes clean, does make my heart content at times. ;)

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  2. Great tip, I always forget about bag balm. My tried and true is bon ami for cleaning our vintage enamel dishware. Nothing works better, we've even tried the proprietary "Le Creuset" cleaner which was totally worthless. For $2 you can't beat bonami

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    1. Ha ha, the post I have planned for next week is Bon Ami! It really is great!

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