All posts by Dona

Why I love Damart but won’t order it again

Things, ,

UPDATE: Closing the comments for this post because it seems to be getting a lot of traffic and my hosts are getting antsy.

Note to anyone here because of an Internet search for Damart or Thermolactyl (which seems to be a lot of you):

Hi there random Internet Person! Between the time I wrote this post and now, Damart USA has been shipping products much more quickly and I have indeed ordered Damart items several times since writing this. In fact I’m about to order some things for my daughter — so disregard the negativity below and order away. It is really good stuff; just don’t toss it in the dryer.

Are you familiar with Damart? If you live where it gets cold in the winter, you should know about Damart. Damart makes the best thermal underwear I’ve ever used (and I’ve used a lot of thermal underwear).

I first heard about Damart from my husband. I was buying a pair of cotton thermals at REI and my husband said he’d heard about a brand of thermal underwear from England that the Minnesota Vikings wore. That it was a petroleum based material that had remarkable insulation qualities. We, somehow, obtained a catalog and I ordered a set to see if it was as promised.

It was better. I now could keep warm anywhere. I no longer had to decline winter walks and spending time in Wisconsin during the winter was no longer something I could not do. I was finally warm. Life was good.

For years this was the only thermal underwear I’d wear. I had several sets and was careful to not put them in the dryer after a couple of mistakes. See — Thermolactyl — the name Damart has given to its wonder-material shrinks in the dryer. A lot. So much that a woman’s top will fit a toddler if put in the dryer. I did this a couple times, but quickly learned to wash my Damart items separately so I would not mistakenly toss one in the dryer.

If taken care of, Damart thermal underwear lasts a long time but does wear out after a while. Luckily I had the catalog (then website) from which to order. At first they’d even send free gifts with each order — an incentive to order more!

Shortly after September 2001, Damart announced they would no longer ship to the United States. I was devastated. I’d just introduced my mother-in-law to the brand and she wanted more sets of thermals — but I couldn’t buy them anymore. They suggested another company, Wickers, but their product was no match for Damart.

In 2002 we visited England for a family vacation and I made my husband stop at the Damart factory so I could stock up on thermals in their factory store. How many other people make a long underwear factory a stop on a vacation? (The factory is 5 minutes drive from Cottingley where the young cousins saw fairies in the bottom of their garden, so we did at least two tourist stops in one day).

Damart Factory
Damart Factory

A few years ago Damart began shipping to the States again and I began ordering from them again. Last November I realized I’d pretty much run out of tops and turned to the website to order more. I ordered two items and was glad I’d have them for our trip to Illinois at Christmas. In mid-December, when I’d not received my order I wrote to the company and received an email saying they were sorry and the order was then processed. I still had not received my order in mid-January and wrote to the company again. This time they said there was no news about my order and if I wanted to they’d cancel the order. I said no, don’t cancel it.

My package finally arrived about a week ago. I immediately wore one of the tops. It was wonderful and warm and perfect. I remembered why I loved Damart so and forgave them for the slowness in getting me their product.

Yesterday I threw some clothes in the wash. Then tossed them in the dryer. This morning I had a bad feeling. Yep. I now have a very warm shirt that will fit a 4 year old.

So with the slowness of the order and the shrinking of the shirt, I think I’m finished with Damart. Sorry guys — I did love you so and you are only partly to blame. I do recommend you to others though — especially ones who are not in a hurry and who are more careful about their laundry.

Not a word from our sponsors

Musings,

I don’t normally talk about products here on Clutch Cargo Lips. There are few that are so wonderful that I want to tell the world and there not many I want to tell the world to avoid. Also companies don’t send me free stuff like they do for some people. So rest assured, the product I’m going to discuss today was bought with my own hard earned cash.

So — I have dry skin in the winter. Only the winter, but in the winter it gets so dry and itchy that, if I don’t watch myself, I scratch my skin raw. It’s mostly my legs from the knees down that get really dry, but on very dry days my whole body itches.

I’ve tried a number of lotions and some help — Eucerin is one. I like that it doesn’t have a scent (ones with scents often make me sneeze) but it has an odor that I don’t like — or maybe it can go rancid?)  Anyway, I was shopping at Costco at the end of last year and saw a bottle of a lotion I’d not seen before. I was intrigued when I stepped closer and read #1 Lotion recommended by dermatologists and podiatrists. Wow, I thought, it has to be good if so many doctors recommend it. Because I had a coupon for it, I put it in the cart. (Although I would have probably bought it anyway)

The next morning I applied the lotion to my legs after my shower, hoping it would help the dryness and stop the itching. First response: OUCH! F**K! THAT HURTS! OUCH!

On closer inspection, this product was more than a lotion. It was also an exfoliator. Whatever was in it stung like acid* and I nearly rinsed it off. The stinging stopped after a short while and the lotion seemed to work about as well as Eucerin. I used it a few more times — some were more painful than others — then kind of “forgot” to use it anymore.

When my daughter came home from college for winter break she used it after her shower. She later told me she hated it because it stung so bad and the makers should warn people about the stinging. Then we looked at the label and found this (bolding mine):

Caution: For external use only. Keep this product out of the reach of children. Avoid contact with eyes, lips and mucous membranes. A mild irritation or rash may occur on sensitive skin with initial use. May cause transient stinging when applied to skin with fissures or abrasions. Irritation may occur when used on the face. If irritation or rash continues, discontinue use and consult a physician. Avoid unnecessary sun exposure and use a sunscreen.

It makes me wonder what doctors recommended it. I’m thinking maybe:

So, if you do decide to try this product out (and it probably works just fine) realize that it is a pain to use — literally. We have a hardly used bottle if you’re interested…

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*It contains lactic acid which, according to Wikipedia, has a ph of 3.86 which is a little less acidic than orange juice.

An open apology to Dan Bern

Humor, Music, ,

Dear Dan Bern. or Bernstein if you prefer,

As you stand on the stage at Jammin’ Java on Thursday night you’ll notice something is not quite right. Something about the crowd is a little off-kilter, but you won’t be able to put your finger on it – won’t be able to figure out what, exactly, is different this time from all the other times you played at Jammin’ Java. Or Iota. Or Birchmere*.

Dan Bern Jammin' Java September 2006
You at Jammin’ Java September 2006
Dan Bern and Rupert at Iota 2002
You and Rupert at Iota 2002

I’ll tell you now, so you’re not distracted on Thursday night. What is different (or what will be different, rather) is the unfortunate fact that I’m not there.

It’s not that I didn’t want to be there – in fact I replied “yes” on your Facebook event. It’s that I can’t be there. See, a friend passed away last week and the memorial service is on Thursday at 7:00 pm. You understand, I know you do.

And before you suggest I go to Friday’s Night Cat show in Easton – not terribly far away from Bethesda, where I live — I cannot do that either. My son, a senior in high school, is a wrestler and has his county wrestling tournament this weekend beginning on Friday. Again, I’m sure you understand why I cannot go to the Friday night performance either.

Good luck on your performances in both Virginia and Maryland this week. May your audiences behave and be appropriately lively and not request “Tiger Woods” too often. May they listen attentively and appreciate your new material as much as they appreciate your older stuff.

Please make plans to return to the area soon. Barring deaths and wrestling tournaments, I’ll be there, I promise.

Love,

Dona aka cedarwaxwing

*That you headlined since 1997. I missed your most recent Birchmere performance when you opened for Todd Snyder. I did see you open for him there once, and while I like Todd Snyder, it is hard to hear you for a few songs and then have to hear someone else for the rest of the evening. I also missed your 930 Club performance even though a member of your band at the time got me VIP passes. My babysitter didn’t show up that time.