Recreational Shopping at Mesa Marketplace: Finding a Gem of a Merchant

the beautiful Judy Reber of Merino USA

Bill and I have been snowbirds in the Phoenix area since 2013, making it our base while traveling for 6- 8 months per year. There is a lot to do at the Viewpoint Golf and Tennis Resort where we stay. Some weekends we go to the Mesa Marketplace Swap Meet. The place bills itself as ideal for recreational shopping and treasure hunting. It is huge with six corridors of stalls to satisfy every fancy.

The food court sells traditional swap meet goodies. We schedule out trips to the Swap Meet around brunch time to get our fill of hot dogs, burgers, or tacos together with hot cocoa, coffee and or soda, depending on the day’s temperature. The central food court always has live country music for entertainment. The mood is always festive, but the shopping remains relaxed and hassle-free.

We have found some bargains there, from cowboy hats, homemade baked goodies, unique flavors of salsa and jams, slippers, kitchen gadgets, linens and dashboard covers for our little Saturn. But it is our hunt for stocking stuffers for Christmas that brings us there every year before Christmas. Last December 4, we made our first trip this year. That’s when we found a gem of a merchant.

Bill had been having severely cracked heels. The Arizona dry weather has been particularly hard on his skin. We have a humidifier, but it does not seem to do its job. Bill has tried every brand from the supermarkets, department stores, and pharmacies, dutifully slathering creams on his feet after his daily shower and before bedtime but alas, the cracks have persisted and sometimes even bleed.

Bill  at the Merino USA stall in Mesa Marketplace

We were simply browsing at a kiosk when we overheard another couple gush, “We’re back in town, and we’re here for our usual supply!” They were talking to this gorgeous lady, the owner of the store across from us. Curious, we asked about their products. The owner happily gave Bill a little sample jar of their Crack Blaster R&R, a combination of a thick healing salve along with fragrance-free rich lanolin cream.

The next weekend Bill could not wait to go back to get his regular supply! We were lucky the owner,  Judy Reber was there. The Crack Blaster is the flagship product of Merino Skin Care USA. Her skin care line also includes the Lanolin Skin Crème, Lanolin Lip Balm, Collagen Facial Crème, Placenta Eye Cream and Placenta Skin Crème. She also now has a line of cosmetics used by several celebrities.

One of her major testimonials is from Dr. Lewis Freed, a foot and ankle surgeon from Scottsdale, Arizona. He says, "For individuals living with diabetes, dry skin is a much more severe problem. Because certain skin conditions, such as inflammation, itching, and bacterial or fungal type infections often accompany diabetes, they can be an indicator that you are living with the disease before you are even aware or diagnosed. Due to these conditions, a simple condition such as dry skin can lead to sores, open wounds and difficult-to-heal infections, which can – in the most severe cases – put individuals at risk for a chronic disease and potentially, an amputation.”

Judy and the Crack Blaster

He learned about Merino products through one of his patients 12 years ago. Since then, Dr. Lewis Freed, D.P.M., FACFAS, with the East Valley Foot and Ankle Clinic in Mesa, Ariz., loves to recommend the products to his diabetic patients suffering from dry skin and/or scars to prevent the conditions from developing further complications, such as open wounds.

He adds, “Unlike many dry skin cream products that further dry out the skin, lanolin approaches the skin’s natural oils and protects and prevents further damage. I recommend the Merino moisturizer for several reasons. People tolerate it well, most people do not have an allergy to lanolin, it is protective as well as restorative and isn’t cost prohibitive.   So for people living with diabetes, Merino products are beyond just skin repair. They are good health care.”

Other doctors have provided their own testimonials at the website. But the owner Judy, with her engaging personality and radiant physical beauty, is the best testimonial of her products. I am so lucky to have met her. She gave me a full bottle of Lanolin Skin Crème to try. Bill and I have found another reason to be back at the Mesa Marketplace Swap Meet. This time it will be for our supplies, just like that couple we overheard.

So head on out to 10550 E. Baseline Rd., Mesa, AZ 85209, at stall B-83, Don't forget to tell the lady the secret code "rvcruising" or go to www.merinousa.com type "rvcruising" upon checkout and get a 20% discount up to April 30!