TOS Review: Beeyoutiful

Sometimes I am asked to review things that don't excite me very much. I shrug my shoulders and say, "Sure, " wondering all the while what value this product or book or whathaveyou can possibly have for the varied and eclectic readership that makes up my blog audience. I will admit up front that this was one of those reviews that I took on with very little enthusiasm. A line of health products aimed at the crunchy, DIY set? O.k. Whatever.

When it comes to holistic or naturopathic remedies, you see, I'm a dabbler. There are some that I swear by (Garlic drops for ear infection? You'd better believe it.) and others that I am far from convinced of (Silver nitrate for anything? No way.). I go to teas and elderberry syrups before cough meds, but am more than happy to nip strep infections in the bud with prescription antibiotics. In other words, my skepticism is high on both ends: the mainstream medical establishment and the alternative scene get equal scrutiny from me. After all ... both are trying to sell me something.

I live in western Washington, so I get more than my fair share of recommendations for home treatments. What sweet tea is to the South, alternative therapies are to Seattle. Hang around a group of mothers long enough, and you will run the gamut on recommendations for junior's tummy troubles. Chiropractic is a given. Then there's the ever-expanding allergy repertoire. Warm olive oil rubs. Gripe water. Nux vomica. And that's just to get you started.

So you can see why the idea of reviewing a line of home remedies felt like, well ... work. And not necessarily the good kind.

I breathed a huge sigh of relief when the company, Beeyoutiful, contacted me and asked me to choose what I'd like to review. My options were a berry-flavored immune booster, a probiotic designed to restore intestinal health, a progesterone cream, some essential oils, toners & lotions, and a bar of milk and honey facial soap.

I chose the soap ($10 for 4.25 oz. bar) with a huge sigh of relief. I like handmade soaps. I enjoy handmade soaps. And by golly, I could probably find good things to say about it. I waited for my bar to arrive. When it came, it was all I had hoped for. It smelled lightly of oranges. It had a pleasant, but not intense, lather. It rinsed clean and smooth. It enhanced my nightly bath ritual. I was elated.

But only so much. Because right at that same time, Logan started exhibiting a familiar symptom: intense, shooting stomach pain that comes and goes.

Last summer, the boy was all but plagued by this problem. He would be fine. Literally, fine. Walking, running, playing. Suddenly, he would come streaking towards me, doubled in pain. Within a few moments, he was nearly in tears, curled on the couch and crying. Eventually, he'd shoot into the bathroom and try to go. About 50% of the time, that seemed to solve the problem. The other 50%, the pain just suddenly left, with no rhyme or reason.

Knowing that he is sensitive to dairy products, I cut that from his diet. No improvement. I tinkered with a handful of other foods, to no avail. I pumped him full of acidophilus, hoping that would get things back in order. Nada. Finally, I carted him to the pediatrician. Her take? Probably constipated. Give him a laxative and see if that helps.

Just as suddenly as the symptom had come, however, it left. And by the end of the fall, we had all but forgotten Logan's tummy troubles.

When they reappeared, I was flummoxed. I was also bummed. After all ... I had just passed by an opportunity to try a free product that might have helped. Could that have been God offering me a little help? Hmmmmm ....

Having been pleased with the milk and honey soap that was currently gracing the side of my tub, I decided to give another Beeyoutiful product a whirl. I went online and bought Tummy Tune-Up. After some digging, I found a slightly cheaper price for the product, which retails on the Beeyoutiful site for $18. Then I sat back and waited, watching each cringe of Logan's belly with a guilty frown.

The day that the bottle arrived happened to be one where my boy was laid up on the couch refusing his lunch. This is a big deal for Logan, as he is generally quite the eater. I took the little box straight from the UPS man to the kitchen counter, where I opened it and inspected the contents. Inside, there were 60 coated capsules containing more "good" bacteria than you can shake a stick at. I checked the dosage for Logan and bribed him to choke it down. (They're good-sized capsules!)

And you know what? Within three days, he was fine. And I do mean, fine. All better. No more gripes. No more skipped meals. No more tummy trouble. Just like that.

Tummy Tune-Up works. I'm sold.

So yes, I started out not wanting to do this review. Then I thought I could at least glow about some lovely soap. But I ended up wanting to tell you about something I paid for that worked. Does that somehow make this a more authentic review? I don't know. But it's a first for me. :-)

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this product for review purposes. Refer to my general disclaimer for more information on my policies regarding reviews.