# Products That Really Work **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 1, 2003, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-really-work/165619 "2003-04-01T02:54:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-really-work/165619/101 "2003-04-04T19:30:45Z")
If you do a lot of writing like me and you want something you can write with on the go, the AlphaSmart notebook is gthe way to go. It does not play games, do spreadsheets or program. It allows you to write plain text into it by the ton. It is cheap. It is very durable. Most of all, it runs for several hundred hours --the manual says 300, but I’ve gone for months with it – on two AA batteries. To get your text into a desktop where you can tart it up, you just plug the keyboard plug into the Alphasmart and press the “send” key and it’ll send the text to your word processor. The more recent models have infrared remote sending. I got mine used via ebay for $75 – an excellent buy. ---
**Author:** ![elf6c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-really-work/165619/102 "2003-04-04T20:41:58Z")
A Dremel rotary tool. There is an attachment nearly anything you want to do. Its like crack for the tool junkie. ---
**Author:** ![Gravity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gravity/32/14322_2.png) [@Gravity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gravity)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-really-work/165619/103 "2003-04-04T20:46:50Z")
Neutrogena body lotion. [This one.](http://www.neutrogena.com/ProductsDetails.asp?ID=77) My skin is really dry and sensitive. My hands, my face…especially my back and legs. This stuff is a godsend. It’s a lotion with sesame oil in it, but it’s not oily at all, long lasting, and it’s really light and not sticky. I use it on my face, hands and body with no problems at all. It’s kind of pricey at $6 a bottle or so, but it’s the first lotion that I’ve ever had that I think is worth the purchase price. ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-really-work/165619/104 "2003-04-05T02:06:58Z")
My favorite deep conditioner is Aussie 3-Minute Miracle. You can get it at Walmart or other drug/discount stores for about $3.00-$4.00. I use it 2 to 3 times a week and it really softens my color-treated hair without making the color fade. The only objection I have is I don’t like the smell. ---
**Author:** ![Booker57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Booker57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Booker57)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-really-work/165619/105 "2003-04-05T03:04:13Z")
\*\* Castle \*\* “Liquid Torch” This is the best penetrating/breakfree oil I have ever used. It made me pack away my Kroil. ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-really-work/165619/106 "2003-04-05T03:09:38Z")
Thought of another one. _Distinctly_ unglamorous, but hey… **Bag balm**. It’s stuff Vermont dairy farmers have used for ages to soothe chapped cow udders. It comes in small, square tins and resembles Vaseline in consistency. I suspect it’s mostly Vaseline cut with copious quantities of lanolin. Whatever. I don’t know how it do the voodoo it do so well, but it works. I have very dry skin, especially on my hands, and harsh midwestern winters just compound the fracture. (My feet, legs and arms aren’t anything to write home about either.) Between scraping snow, overheated buildings, gloves wicking away moisture, etc. my hands soon look like the Crypt Keeper’, only with cracked and bleeding cuticles. These hands drink lotions and spit them back out, laughing. Bag Balm doesn’t exactly smell great–not _bad_, but not great–and it can feel a little funky going on at first. It definitely takes a little while to absorb. But spread on a thin film of this stuff before bed and/or after bathing and watch your skin heal up. Yeah, yeah, things you’ll never read in Beauty Tips Of The Stars. Hey, I wouldn’t have been caught dead buying Miracle Whip, much less smearing it on my face, if it hadn’t been for the SDMB. Stuff that works, _works_. A veritable slave to fashion, Veb ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-really-work/165619/107 "2003-04-05T03:42:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TVeblen \* > … Stuff that works, _works_ … > > \*\*Veb \*\* And that’s all that really counts. To me, **Bag Balm** sounds more like a treatment for severe jock itch but we shan’t go there, no? [Did I actually type that out loud?] ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-really-work/165619/108 "2003-04-05T04:31:44Z")
Vixenation: > [@](#): > > I swear by Feria conditioner (yes, the wonderful conditioner they package in the Feria haircolor kits, sold in a big bottle at most Sally Beauty Supplies) It IS?? That is WONDERFUL news! Despite the fact that the tube says the conditioner is good for two uses, I generally get four or five treatments out of it, but I always want more. I will hie me to Sally’s tomorrow to get a bottle. Thank you!! Zenster: > [@](#): > > Piratos (extra strong): > For those dedicated to salty Danish black licorice, this Haribo product is the cat’s pyjamas. They are large enough to satisfy your craving with a single piece of candy. Yet, the flavor is so intensely addicting, you’ll want many more than just one. Where can a poor licorice addict get these? I detest the taste of sweetened mint (I use fennel toothpaste, I hate sweetened mint THAT much) and I have never seen this candy. Also, if anyone knows of a good anise-flavored candy (not as “salty” as licorice) please recommend! ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-really-work/165619/109 "2003-04-05T05:32:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zenster \* > \*\* To me, **Bag Balm** sounds more like a treatment for severe jock itch but we shan’t go there, no? > \*\* No. No, no, no, no, oh definitely no, no, no, NO. Whatever bag one may find in need of soothing–and I emphatically do NOT want to know, so don’t tell me–could possibly be eased by this product but I really don’t want to speculate further. [sub] Certain restrictions apply, see your dealer for details. Tariffs vary by state. Not certified to cure excema, prolapsed wombs, tennis elbow, the heartbreak of psoriasis, impotence, crotch rot, scurvy, ringworm, flea infestation, elephantiasis, dropsy, slobbers, colic, penile flop, vapors or migraines. So there.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-really-work/165619/110 "2003-04-05T07:05:33Z")
Ah! **Tiger Balm** is my cure all for aches and pains. Works amazingly well, and I really like the smell. I don’t know why, but it seems to be much more effective than Vicks or anythign of that sort. Just wonderful stuff, and a little goes a long way. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-really-work/165619/111 "2003-04-05T07:47:31Z")
A&W Diet Root Beer - the most authentic-tasting diet soda I’ve run across… hrh ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-really-work/165619/112 "2003-04-05T19:11:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by LifeOnWry \* > … Zenster: > > Where can a poor licorice addict get these? … I have never seen this candy. > > Also, if anyone knows of a good anise-flavored candy (not as “salty” as licorice) please recommend! Please refer to my previous [licorice](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=54329&highlight=licorice) thread for useful information. You may also wish to visit [**licorice.org**](http://www.liquorice.org/About_Us/Contacts/Feedback/Thank_you_Feedback/www_Licorice_org/www_licorice_org.html)’s website. It is a compendium of all things licorice. Here are links to some stores that ship licorice worldwide: [**Nordic House**](http://www.nordichouse.com/storefront.asp?pgID=2) (This is where I get my fix.) [**Scandia Food and Gifts, Inc.**](http://www.scandiafood.com/candy.htm) [**Marina Market**](http://www.marinamarket.com/licorice.htm) [**Licorice International**](http://www.licoriceinternational.com/index.html) Be warned that **Haribo Super Piratos** are saltier than Lot’s wife. The **Haribo Pirates** salt pastilles are smaller in size and much more mild. I would recommend them as a starting place. If you have a Cost Plus near you, please look for the Swedish brand, **Läkerol**. Their red tin (or box) of **Special Throat Pastilles** are a superb example of the Scandihoovian candy maker’s art. Cost Plus also carries the Dutch **Klene Droop** green label licorice roll and **Dubble Zout** coins. [**Amarelli**](http://www.licorice.org/LicoriceFinder/Amarelli_Licorice/amarelli_licorice.htm) Italian licorice is one of the most authentic products made today. Its strong resemblance to ancient apothecary type licorice is intentional. If you like licorice taste without the common Northern European addition of salmiak flavoring, these products are where to start. An excerpt from the [licorice.org](http://licorice.org) website: **Amarelli Licorice** Amarelli brand Italian licorice: **Bianconeri** - A natural mint-flavored licorice with a chewy center and a white mint coating. **Morette Arancia** - Small, mulberry-shaped and slightly chewy licorice flavored with orange. **Rombetti** - A small, diamond-shaped bits with the aroma of anise. Pure licorice. **Spezzatina** - A small, slightly rounded, crunchy bits. Pure licorice. I have had all of these and they are sterling examples of candy making. Their list of ingredients usually has licorice in first place and typically totals maybe three or five items at most. One is pure licorice, period. Plus they come in these really cool enameled tins. I hope this helps. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-really-work/165619/113 "2003-04-05T20:37:47Z")
**FOOD** **Sausage** : **Jimmy Dean silver label Sage recipe** :[ul]This is an outstanding product whose taste and ingredients are top notch. Their other flavors are rather tepid but the sage recipe is a knockout. I use it in my triple sausage, red wine and sourdough stuffing every Thanksgiving.[/ul] **Swift’s Premium Brown and Serve Beef link sausage** :[ul]I rarely endorse a frozen product but this one has a substantially better flavor than the Farmer John or Jones brands. I also use this in my stuffing recipe with great results.[/ul] **Beverages** : **Vernor’s** :[ul]This American classic is one of the best ginger ales made. A healthy dose of vanilla gives it special character and flavor that few sodas can match.[/ul] **Bundaberg’s Lemon Lime Bitters** :[ul]This Australian soda is what 7[sup]UP[/sup] dreams of being on a good night. Proper use of citrus oils give this drink an edge over the competition. Hard to find, it is always worth the search.[/ul] **Limca** :[ul]An obscure Coca Cola product targeted for the subcontinent, this lime flavored soda is one of the few to have some real character. Most others pale by comparison[/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-really-work/165619/114 "2003-04-05T21:06:09Z")
This is a great thread, and I’ve been wondering what I can contribute. Finally, it hit me: **Zippo lighters**. You don’t have to be a smoker to appreciate these–they’re also handy for campers and hunters, and anybody else who needs a good, reliable flame from time to time. Their simple windproof design hasn’t changed for years. I’ve been using the same Zippo for over ten years, and it hasn’t failed me or broken yet–but if it ever does, the Zippo people will fix it free, because all Zippos are guaranteed for life. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2003, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-really-work/165619/115 "2003-04-06T00:14:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Spoons \* > … **Zippo lighters** … Ever lit a cigar or cigarette with a Zippo? Ever taste the acrid residue of lighter fluid? I would never use a Zippo except to light a campfire. Even then, because of the unpressurized flame, it would not work nearly so well as a butane lighter. I’ll agree that they’re a rugged and classic design, but modern technology has consigned the Zippo to the scrapheap. You demonstrated quite a competent knowledge of tobacco and wrapper leaf nomenclature over in the cigar thread. I’m actually sort of surprised you would advocate using a Zippo to light a fine smoke. I’m quite sure your tobacconist would be aghast. I _will_ say that I’m glad you’re enjoying this thread so much. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2003, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-really-work/165619/116 "2003-04-06T01:43:39Z")
Actually, **Zenster** , my Zippo doesn’t light my cigars. For that, I use a Colibri Quantum Xtreme–a butane lighter. My Zippo is used when I’m building a fire, lighting a propane torch, or doing something else where a flame is needed. I’m with you; I wouldn’t recommend a Zippo for a fine cigar, and I don’t I use my Zippo for that purpose. Interestingly, I wouldn’t put my Colibri in this thread. It’s a fine lighter, but a little too finicky to deserve mention here. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2003, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-really-work/165619/117 "2003-04-06T19:16:59Z")
[Unique Pretzels](http://www.uniquesplits.com/). If you like hard pretzels, these are the pretzels to eat. Especially the chocolate-covered ones. Mmmm…crunchy. And of course, you can’t have pretzels without [beer](http://www.yuengling.com/). Yuengling Traditional Lager is one of the finest bottled beers in the US, no question. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2003, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-really-work/165619/118 "2003-04-06T19:31:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jr8 \* > **[Unique Pretzels](http://www.uniquesplits.com/). If you like hard pretzels, these are the pretzels to eat. Especially the chocolate-covered ones. Mmmm…crunchy.** Ooh! Ooh! Where can one get these on the wrong side of the Atlantic? ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2003, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-really-work/165619/119 "2003-04-06T19:40:40Z")
**APPAREL** **Pants** : **Levi Strauss** :[ul]I cannot believe that neither myself nor anyone else had posted this yet. Not much to say except that the quality and durability of this product makes it my only choice for casual trousers.[/ul] **Woolens** : **Pendleton** :[ul]If I wear a plaid shirt it can only be made by **Pendleton**. Their subtle colors and classic tartans are in a league of their own. [/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2003, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-really-work/165619/120 "2003-04-06T19:49:17Z")
**jjimm** : Both Unique Pretzels and Yuengling beer are limited distribution products in terms of stores that sell them, but at least Unique will ship elsewhere. The regular pretzels are the “Splits”. I’ve never bought them online, as my family is in Reading (Pennsylvania) and usually sends me a bag or two in my Xmas box, but you might try the online store to see if they’ll ship them over the pond. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-really-work/165619.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-really-work/165619.md?page=7)