Softball season is all but finished, just one weekend tournament in Edinburgh on the bank holiday left to go. I’ve got my kitbag all ready to go though! The end of the season will please my friends, not to mention Mr BB, immensely.
Our team’s (Comers Homers) fate (i.e. whether we are relegated to division 2 or remain up in division 1) lays in the gloves of the Mighty Muppets and Spam. The former need to lose two matches to the latter in order for us to stay up.
My Kitbag Essentials
We’ve had an up and down summer weather wise, but we have had some good days of sunshine! Balance Me’s Natural Protection Moisturiser SPF25 has become a staple in my kitbag. Now, regular readers will know that I mostly use coconut oil as SPF on holiday, however getting oily hands at a softball match is a big no-no, you won’t get a grip on the bat plus you’ll ruin the grip for everyone else! For years I went without SPF but I’ve noticed some pigmentation on my cheekbones, so I am trying to remedy and against this! No doubt I’ll be reaching for either Kimberly Sayer’s Whitening and Brightening Serum or Antipodes Apostle Skin Brightening Serum in my kitbag very soon! This formula is great, both easily absorbed and efficacious, and this tube has lasted me quite some time now! Again, perhaps not the cheapest product on the market at £26, but this has seen me through all of the summer and there still seems to be some left in the tube! The formula contains hydrating hyaluronic acid, antioxidant-rich blackberry leaf extract, rosehip full of EFAs, regenerating camellia, nourishing kukui nut oil and moisturising jojoba oils work gently yet effectively to soothe, firm and shield skin. This protective moisturiser is perfect for those who suffer from sensitive or prickly-heat prone skin.
Bug Balm- Our home games are played at Finsbury Park, with a canal running past, which brings more than its fair share of mosquitoes to our field. I’ve tried to find a natural mosquito repellent, some of which aren’t as natural as you’d think (read more here), and even upping my garlic consumption doesn’t always seem to work… This summer I came across Mrs White’s Unstung Hero – a natural spray anti-mosquito eau de cologne. Me and a few of my teammates have put this to the test, and we were impressed. In fact, I didn’t get bitten once this season on our turf, however on our last game we were away in Battersea and post-match I could feel something biting me through my trousers! Should have kept it in my kitbag!
The cologne has a lemon tea fragrance, and smells just like a cologne! One of my team actually commented on how fresh I smelt. The formula is supposed to be effective against mosquitoes, ticks, black fly, wasps and bees, and is also safe to use on pets. I wish I’d used this on Mimi earlier in the year, as I had to remove a tick from her derrière which was, quite simply, gross! This cologne is alcohol based, so I spray on my clothes rather than my skin, but that proves to be just as effective, in fact, Roullier White say that you can use on your linen too. This is because it’s not like a normal repellent, which masks the delicious smell of your skin (and blood) to the mosquitoes, this contains certain citrus notes that they simply can’t stand! The bottle is huge and I’ve barely gotten through it this summer, highly recommended! Available from carterandbond.com Mrs White’s Unstung Hero £20 – and yes, this may be slightly on the pricey side for a mosquito repellent, but I am only about 25% of the way through the bottle, which means that I will be able to utilise it on the autumn and winter sun holidays we have lined up!
Next up, Essence of Vali Analgesic Balm. Essence of Vali is an aromatherapy brand from the US. The blends that founder Valerie Bennis creates are exquisite. This product is meant for use on areas of chronic pain, but I also use on bruises, scraps and scuffs as it contains pain-numbing essential oils lavender, peppermint and birch, as well as skin-loving almond, jojoba and coconut oil, vitamin E and beeswax.
I’ll be honest with you here, I’ve not used my Hyabak Preservative-Free Eye Drops this season, as I’ve not felt the need for them. Probably something to do with the fact I’m not over-wearing my contact lenses as I have done in previous years. But, nevertheless, you never know when these might come in handy, for me as a contact lens wearer or for a teammate who has had a fly (or a bit of grit) in their eye.
Finally, and I only got to try this out on me last match of the season (actually the next day when my bug bites had come up!), and my teammate the previous weekend, Bug Balm from Skin Shop. I’ve always been an itch-er, and the morning after the night before was no exception – I had no less than 9 bites on my calves and shins! This balm contains nature’s own hydro-cortisone, a highly concentrated extract of liquorice root, glycyrrhizic acid. Glycyrrhizic acid is a huge anti-inflammatory and is proven to be particularly effective in the treatment of allergy-induced inflammation.