EverStride Review: Products to Keep my Skin and Joints Happy

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So, I just needed to put this out there, I knew Blogger now allowed replies to to comments within the comment section, but I didn't realize that I had to click the reply link, I thought I could just reply to the email and have it show up as the comment reply (BTW Blogger, that would be a cool feature to add!).  Sorry to everyone I continue to inundate with emails, I will try to reply to comments now within the post (unless you like the emails and then I will continue to reply via email :) ).
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On to the purpose of this post...EverStride

We are all uber familiar with BodyGlide, icy hot, biofreeze, and the like...but now there is a new player in the field of protecting athlete's feet from blisters, hands and feet from cracking out of dryness, and cooling down painful joints and muscles.

EverStride is a company, made up of marathoners and other athletes, specializing in foot and skin care to keep your body in tip top condition, so you can perform at your best.  They were created after a group of marathoners had trouble finding foot care products that actually protected their bodies while training and competing - after one too many blisters and chafing incidents, they set out to design a foot-care line that really worked.

When the company's rep contacted me, and I had a chance to check out their mission and product selection, I was more than excited to try out their goods, the only hard part was picking which ones I wanted to try!! I chose to try out the Pro Therapy Foot Cream, Anti-Chafing Sport Stick, and Everstride Cooling Muscle Balm.
 In addition to those three, EverStride also offers a product for athlete's foot, sunscreen, and facial defense (to slather on when heading out in strong headwinds or foul weather).
The first thing I tried, as soon as ripping open the package, was the EverStride Pro Therapy Foot Cream - which although sounds like an odd product to choose first and be excited about, was one of my first choices to review! I have very dry skin, and my feet especially - the heels crack and I get a lot of wear and tear under the ball of my foot from friction while running, walking, jumping - being me :)  I was also excited about this because, although it is titled "foot cream", this is also a great cream to cure up the dry, scaly winter hands we all get...ok, ok, maybe just me?

Benefits from the Everstride site:

• Helps Restore Dry, Cracked Skin
• Helps Prevent Blisters and Chaffing
• Helps Reduce Calluses and Callus Build-Up
• Helps Relieve Aching, Itchy and Tired Feet

Pros:

• Provided smooth hands and feet almost immediately after rubbing into skin.  At first I was worried, because the consistancy was a lot wetter and looser than I expected (TWSS) a moisture rich cream to be - I expected it to be thick and dense.
• Absorbs into skin without much oil residue - which is a huge plus for me, I hate creams that leave an oily sheen and fingermarks all over the place!

Cons:

• Smell: the smell resembled the smell of paper mache (flour and water, gluey paste)
• Price: $18.99 per 1 - 6 oz. tube.  Granted, a little goes a long way with this product, but that price is hard to bite off the first time you see it.  

Overall, I personally think that if you are in need of the benefits of this product, and you are going to be consistent with its usage, this is worth purchasing.  I have been looking for a foot cream that is as efficient as it is effective, and this definitely fits the bill. The second thing I tried out was the Cooling Muscle Balm.  As you may or may not know, I have been battling some pretty not-awesome muscle and knee pain.  A lot of times I will get really achy right before bed, which makes sense after being on my feet all day and finally taking a moment to rest.  Well I rolled this muscle cooling balm on my ITB and around my knee and woo-ehh was it an instant chill! It really penetrated the achy throbbiness I had been experiencing and gave me some relief to fall asleep.

Pros:

• Works immediately
• Let my muscles feel like I was actually icing them for a little while

Cons:

• Not a horrible con, but it was a very strong minty smell, that was a little overpowering when trying to fall asleep.  If this were applied prior to a field hockey game or running, I am sure it wouldn't have bothered me at all.
• Price: $16.50 for a 2 oz. roll on gel - this is a con, because in an online comparison, both Biofreeze and Icy Hot (my personal top of line competitors) were cheaper and for bigger amounts.

This is a great product for some quick, chilling relief from throbbing aches and pains, but for the price and availability, I would probably pick up some icy hot in my local drugstore. The final product I used was the EverStride Anti-Chafe SportStick, a must-have for all athletes, regardless of sport or experience.  As the site puts it best:

This sport stick helps to prevent chafing on body parts you didnt know could chafe, not just your feet, but inner thighs, underarms and more. It also has been developed to prevent blisters, saddle sores, rashes and other irritants that are caused by high motion sporting activities.

We have all finished a run or a bike ride and thought, how the heck did my armpit get burned? Or how the heck did I make that spot below my chest start to scab (TMI?) I even used this for non-athletic activities...like wearing heels all day and avoiding a back of heel and pinky toe blister (ok, maybe it is an athletic fete).

Pros:

• Kept my feet and ankles chafe free in my gym shoes, high heels, and flip flops.
• Kept my thighs, arm pits, and chest from turning red and irritated while working out
• Doesn't leave a gross residue on my skin, and I didn't have an oily or sticky feeling by the end of the day

Cons:

• Price, again, at $15.99 per 1.7 oz. stick it is the most expensive anti-chafing product online that I found.  The same amount for BodyGlide was almost $6.00 less on amazon.

My overall thoughts on EverStride products are positive.  I believe they make a solid, well-produced, and helpful product line for the active person.  They do appear to be on the higher end price-wise, but if your body, skin and face are worth it, for you, I definitely recommend their products.
And....since I enjoyed them so much, I really wanted all of you to be able to try them out for yourself (proof is in the pudding, right?).  So I am giving you all a chance to win an EverStride Anti-Chafe SportStick of your own!
How to Enter (please leave a separate comment per entry)

1. Follow  @Ever_Stride on Twitter
2. Follow  @Nello33 on Twitter (me:) )
3. Tweet this giveaway (something like.... "I want to prevent the chafe with @ever_stride so I entered @nello33 giveaway for antichafe sportstick  http://happyhealthystrong.blogspot.com/2012/01/everstride-review-products-to-keep-my.html " )
4. Like EverStride on FB - and let them know I sent you!
5. Like Happy, Healthy, and Strong on FB and let me know how you protect your skin from chafing and dryness today!

That's 5 different ways to enter for your own anti-chafe SportStick and getting another step closer to priming yourself for your top performance!
You will have until Wednesday, January 25th, to enter! 
**I was give these products free of charge from the EverStride company, but the reviews and opinions on this blog are 100% my own------------------------------------------------------------