Taking care of your skin and hair is always a challenge in the winter, so I'm pleased to bring you reviews of some interesting products crossing our radar screen. Remember to keep those suggestions coming! We have a ton of things to review, but we always want to know what you want to read about.

BodySense NeckEase Aromatherapy Herbal Pack ($34.95 small, $39.95 large)
With two kids, it seems like I'm always suffering from aches and pains of some kind - my back hurts from lifting my preschooler, my shoulders hurt from carrying the baby everywhere. Since it's not practical for me to visit a massage therapist every time I'm in pain, I was so glad to come across Body Sense aromatherapy packs. The packs come in a variety of shapes and sizes, including back, sinus, feet, hands, the neck one I tried, and a multi-purpose herbal pack. Each one is filled with herbs like allspice, cinnamon and cloves, plus rice to provide moist heat. All you do is pop it in the microwave for a few minutes and you've got warm, toasty, and fragrant heat for about 30 minutes. For my neck and shoulder muscle pain, I love my NeckEase and now have my husband hooked on it for his post-snowboarding achiness.

The BodySense packs can also be used cold (by storing it in the freezer) but I have not tried it that way. To learn more, visit Body Sense for details and ordering.

Not Soap, Radio Liquid Freud Emotional Well-Being Bubbles ($15 for 12.17oz)
Few indulgences are as easy to enjoy as a nice shower gel. Instead of plain old soap, I like to have a variety of scented cleansers in the shower (like Lush Canada's Back to Breakfast wake-me-up citrus, SKINMARKET's spicy grapefruit ginger and ShiKai cucumber/melon) and I was intrigued by this one for my "collection". Not Soap, Radio scented bubbles address issues like anxiety, love, and confidence with fun, positive messages and to-the-point advice. Liquid Freud hopes to tackle my troubles with humor, wit, and a dash of St. John's Wort and magnolia. I'm not sure how much it's done for my outlook on life, but I love the fragrance and the generous helping of suds at every shower. It cleans without drying the skin, rinses off easily and smells great. I would definitely buy this again.

For all the scent choices (The Phoenix, Awash, and Bathing With Sharks, to name a few) and online ordering, check out Not Soap, Radio on Beautycafe.com or at NotSoapRadio.com.

The Body Shop Banana Nourishing Conditioner ($8 for 8.4oz)
As I mentioned in a previous issue, it's been my mission lately to find a hair conditioner that will actually improve my long, tangly hair and make it soft and more manageable. The Body Shop has some wonderfully rich body treatments, so I decided to see what they could offer in hair care.

Banana Nourishing Conditioner is recommended for normal to dry hair and contains actual banana pulp. It smells great and does a good job conditioning, but it isn't quite enough for my industrial strength tangles. For daily conditioning of problem-free hair, I think it's a fine choice. I, however, am continuing my search. To find a Body Shop near you, check out The Body Shop online.

BeneFit Bathina Sweet Satin Shave ($24 for 12oz)
Most of you have been reading my reviews for long enough, I feel like I can share this secret with you: I hate shaving. Shaving my legs has to be my least favorite personal care activity, ranking even lower than flossing my teeth or tweezing my eyebrows. I just don't like doing it, but I can't stand the pain of waxing. If I have to shave, I at least want a shave cream that smells good and makes my legs feel super soft. This whipped shave cream just about hits the mark, but not quite. While it feels rich and emollient, the effect doesn't last. I also was not crazy about the rather plastic-y scent. I think I'll stick with my tried-and-true Alba Botanica Shave. If you haven't tried it, I recommend the coconut lime :)

For more BeneFit goodies, visit BeneFit at Sephora.com or BeneFitCosmetics.com.

I hope you enjoyed this issue of The Cosmetic Report!