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Archive for the ‘Skin Care’ Category
I know I need to shut up about 100 Percent Pure products, but they’re quickly becoming favorites of mine. And when I find something I love, my loved ones want to stage an intervention. But this is for a good cause. For research, and for living a healthier life. Yes, that’s it.
I’ve been wanting to try some sort of mask that I can use weekly to help keep the dry flaky skin to a dull (or maybe more like a healthy glow) roar. So I picked up some of the 100% Pure Pineapple mask. I was surprised that it was a powder. One extra step of mixing it with water will make me lazy, but I mixed some up per the directions and slathered it on my face and waited. It doesn’t smell that great, and when it tries, it’s hard to crack, so your face looks like a 90 year old’s. It washes off really easily with some soap and water.
But I will say, it made my skin soft as anything and I had no dry skin afterwards. I haven’t felt skin that smooth since I was in grade school. I was pretty impressed. I used it a second time a week later, and the results weren’t as good, but they were still far better than nothing at all. The jar will last awhile and if it keeps the flaky skin to a minimum, I give it a thumbs up.
Get It: You can order the pineapple mask via our Amazon Affiliate store, or buy their products directly online. OR you can find some of their products in Bath and Body Works flagship stores.
Posted by Statia • add a comment •
Categories: 100% Pure, Exfoliation
It’s no secret that I pretty much hate my hair. I could link to countless reviews of conditioners and the like, and you’ll see that I have impossible hair. Only made more impossible by the lack of chemicals that keep it looking like a brillo pad and of course, pregnancy.
I also generally don’t take too much time doing my hair as having a toddler doesn’t allow for countless hours of primping. And I’m ok with that. I get the time to shave my legs, and for that, I’m thankful. It’s the little things, you know?
So when I actually do get some free time to blow out my hair and make it look hot and sexy, I try to stretch it out a day. One problem I have though, and that’s oily roots. I generally must wash my hair every day, but when blowing it out, it’s not only time consuming, it’s taxing on my hair.
There are countless powders and sprays out there to help with oily roots, because they say next day hair is sexy. Most of it though, has all the chemicals we like to avoid. And there’s always always corn starch or baby powder. I’ve had limited success with those, and there’s also the problem of looking instantly like your white haired gramma. No thank you.
I took my Weleda deodorant spray and sprayed it at the roots and in some other oily areas of my head and viola! Worked like a charm. Not only did my head smell good, but I didn’t have that heavy dirty hair feeling all day. It’s a miracle!
I wouldn’t recommend this for use every day, since Weleda’s deodorant is alcohol based, but once in awhile, it’s a great alternative use for deodorant. I’m keeping a bottle on hand as my new secret weapon.
Posted by Statia • add a comment •
Categories: Deodorant, Styling Products, Weleda
I think it’s safe to say, that when I find a particular brand that I like, I first drool over every product they have available, and then I go out and buy them. I know that’s the case for me with conventional products, however safer beauty products are a bigger deal. For one, they’re more expensive. Two, sometimes you might finally find something in a line that works for you, but the rest of the products fall short of the mark.
I can honestly say so far, that the 100% Pure line is all fantastic. At least the many products that I’ve tried.
I was on the hunt for an actual face wash. Previously, I had been using Dr. Bronner’s, which works fine, but I noticed that it was making my skin too dry for the winter. I figured that I would give the 100% Pure facial cleanser a try.
The face wash is very similar to the body wash, save for a few ingredients, which I’m guessing is to make the face wash a little more gentle on the skin. I’ve used the body wash on my face before and it stung a little, and unless I leave the face wash on for a long time, I don’t have that problem with this. Consistency wise, it’s the same.
Like the body wash, it foams nicely, and doesn’t dry my skin out, which is exactly what I was looking for. I’m not too keen on the one that’s packaged in glass. I like the glass factor, it’s the dispensing that I don’t like. Think tabasco sauce bottle. They recently came out with a pump version as well, which I may purchase, once I use what I have.
I’m definitely digging the 100% Pure line. I can actually pronounce the ingredients and if there was ever a testament to its “purity”, it would be that nearly everything that I’ve ordered has arrived almost frozen (my lotion represented a thick milkshake!). I can’t really say that about any chemically laden beauty product that I’ve gotten. You’ll definitely see more reviews in the future.
Get it: 100% Pure foaming face wash comes in four “flavors”, organic lavender honey, organic cranberry, cucumber juice and lemon juice. You can order any of them off of their website.
Posted by Statia • add a comment •
Categories: 100% Pure, Face Wash
I joined Saffron Rouge’s sample club a little while back, figuring that it would be nice to try different products without having to buy them. Given the economy and the price of natural/organic skin care, this is a great option for people who are looking for some new favorites without worrying about wasting money on something that ended up never being used again (something Kathy and I have both done a lot since starting this journey).
One of the samples I received was for a few different Primavera products, which I had been wanting to try out for awhile now. Included were two different facial moisturizers, one was a nourishing face cream and the second was a hydrating face cream. Primavera is a German based company, using the highest quality ingredients. I don’t generally see their products in stores that often, and only in a few places online. Their products are really expensive, given their ingredients and the fact that they’re from Europe
Both of them were nice. They worked well, and didn’t smell offensive, but to be honest I didn’t really notice a difference between the two. If I had to pick a difference, I’d say the hydrating cream was slightly more oily, which is to be expected, but they both soothed my dry flaky face without causing redness or irritation (great for those of us with sensitive skin). Would I buy it for myself? Probably not at $70-80 a jar, but it’s definitely something that I will put on a wish list for birthdays and Christmas. In the meantime, there are other less expensive alternatives out there that work just about as good as Primavera.
Get it: If you’re in the mood to pamper yourself, or you have some extra cash lying around, you can get the full Primavera line at Saffron Rouge.
Posted by admin • add a comment •
Categories: Moisturizer, Primavera
Along with fussy hair, I have fussy skin. I have slight rosacea, with combination skin. Lotion tends to make my skin break out and still manage to not take care of the dry flakes. And on top of that, it feels like I’m wearing a greasy lead apron on my face, which I don’t deal well with. I got a couple of samples of Dr. Hauschka’s Regenerating Day Cream and Regenerating Night Serum.
The day cream is very light. I’m not overly in love with the smell of it. It’s citrusy, but not in a light sort of way. It’s not overly heavy and absorbs nicely. And, it takes care of my dry skin, which has been exacerbated by the sudden onset of winter in the northeast over the last few days. It did seem to make my face break out a little, so if you’re prone to lotion making you break out, this might not be for you.
The night time serum is a little bit better as it’s a serum, so the texture is much much lighter. After exfoliating my skin, and using tea tree oil pads, I applied the serum, which soothed my skin. It absorbed immediately and didn’t feel oily. The next morning, I noticed a difference in the even color of my skin. Not too red, or blotchy, which normally tends to happen to me the next day after I exfoliate my skin. I also noticed that the dark patches on my face (age spots. Getting old sucks!) seem a little lighter.
Overall, I would probably use the night serum over the day cream, just due to the nature of my skin. But both of them work really well. This is my first run with Dr. Hauschka products and I definitely wasn’t disappointed. But it does have a few more chemically sounding ingredients for my liking. This brand for me, at least, will require a little bit more research.
Get It: You can find a wide array of Dr. Hauschka’s products at most Whole Foods stores, or you can order online at Saffron Rouge.
Posted by Statia • add a comment •
Categories: Dr. Hauschka, Moisturizer, Night Cream, Skin Care
This is one of those products that has been on and off in my rotation for years. Even though Burts Bees has sold out to the big evil conglomerate, I still like a lot of their products as they work well and most are very affordable. I haven’t used this particular product in a while, but if you’ve read my other post regarding the host of attractive red bumps I have, thanks to pregnancy, you’ll understand why I’m now feverishly looking to find something safer for use. I shudder to think at the products I used while I was pregnant with my son, and this time, I start get anxiety ridden if a paraben so much as glances my way.
I love this stuff because I can use it between face washings and it doesn’t dry my skin out. I feel refreshed and less oily. The smell leaves a little bit to be desired, as in STRONG, but right now, I don’t care if it smells like a corpse flower, (ok, maybe not that) so long as it works. For the size of the bottle, you get a lot for the cost. Even if you used this every day, a bottle of this size should last you awhile. This particular toner is great if you have oily skin. It really does take that lovely over shine off of your face.
Get It: Order Burts Bees Garden Tomato Toner directly from Amazon.com
Posted by Statia • add a comment •
Categories: Toner, burts bees
In the never ending quest to get rid of my pregnancy blemishes, I’ve become a walking apothecary of natural remedies to keep the scary at bay. I’ve been using the Burts Bees Blemish stick, which works well for the most part, but there were some heavy duty pimples on my neck that seemed to be like kryptonite to the blemish stick. Exfoliation helps a little, but I don’t want to walk around in turtlenecks until May. While we were grocery shopping the other day, I was perusing the beauty section of Whole Foods and came across Desert Essence’s Facial Cleansing Pads with tea tree oil. Why I didn’t think of tea tree oil before, is beyond me, but I will milk my “pregnancy brain” for all it’s worth, thank you very much!
The one good thing about these is that they’re pretty inexpensive. Some of the skin care regimens can get really pricey, and not that I mind spending money on something that works, but with being in a recession, I’ll gladly take something effective and cheap. There are no chemical ingredients or preservatives in these pads, which I love. I exfoliated first and swabbed my face with a pad and then had to scrape myself off the ceiling, because they burned (organic grain alcohol). They also smell HORRIBLE. Like a cross between alcohol and motor oil, but because I woke up with clear skin the next morning, I’m willing to overlook that minor fact. They got dirt off that even a conventional acne pad never seemed to remove. Overall, I really like the way they work. Not perfect, but I don’t have to hide my face and neck anymore.
Get it: You can order Desert Essence Cleansing Pads directly from Amazon or find them in most Whole Foods stores.
Posted by Statia • add a comment •
Categories: Blemish Control, Desert Essence, Skin Care
I stumbled on Organicare skin care a while ago and I can’t recall where. But I was able to test out a sample of their Clarity Control Blemish Fighting AHA Serum the last few weeks and I had to share my find with you. Organicare is a USDA Certified skin care line that focuses on the skin problems we all face. Whether its aging, acne or prevention – Organicare has developed skin care lines to address them with organic ingredients.
I know many of you are looking for something to control acne and I really believe this skin care line can solve that problem really well. As a reformed Proactiv user (I don’t have bad acne issues but it helped me address random breakouts) I was desperate to find something to replace it. Organicare’s Clarity Control Blemish Fighting AHA Serum has really helped with those random blemishes I used to get.
It works the same way a toner might work… I put a squirt or two on a cotton ball and swipe over blemish prone areas to keep the oily areas clear. I am really interested in trying the rest of this line to see if the other products perform as well.
Get It: Buy it online on iCareOrganics.com
Posted by admin • add a comment •
Categories: Blemish Control, Organicare
Now that I’m settling into my second pregnancy, I’m fortunate enough to have been blessed with blemishes just about all over my body. Last time around, I might have ran to the closest Sephora and found the most chemically laden product for blemishes. Last time around, I had fabulously gorgeous skin, with nary a pimple in sight. This time around? I’m making up for the last time around three fold. I never even had this many blemishes in high school. Thank you pregnancy hormones for putting me in my place.
So I’ve been sort of at a loss for products, as I don’t seem to have typical pimples, but more like a rash of hard red bumps on my chest, neck and face. Then I remembered I had gotten the Burt’s Bee’s Herbal Blemish Stick, somewhere in my travels.
I have to admit, I’m skeptical of natural products going up against something as heavy duty as my acne seems to be. But this stuff works like a charm. It smells horrible, but it works. My face is bump free and my neck and chest seem to be on the mend. I think if applied regularly (just not if you’re going out in public, lest people wonder where the hell that “smell” is coming from) it’ll keep my pesky red bumps at bay.
Get it: You can order Burts Bees Blemish stick directly from our Amazon Affiliate shop!
Posted by Statia • add a comment •
Categories: Blemish Control, burts bees
One of the things that seems to plague all of us is skin problems in one form or another. Teen acne, adult acne, occasional breakouts, dry skin, aging skin, rosacea, etc. Our skin seems to have a mind of its own no matter what type you have. Once I decided to green up my skin care I went on a hunt for products that wouldn’t irritate my mild rosacea but would hopefully help me control my hormonal breakouts.
I had the opportunity to try out a skin care line called Miessence Certified Organics. I’d seen his around for years but never tried it, but I’m glad I did. The Miessence soothing skin care line held up to my standards for safer skin care. It didn’t aggravate my rosacea and the products really do what they say they’ll do. There is a system for every skin type and the system works well with the 3 base products. The Miessence cleanser, skin conditioner, which is like a gentle toner and a moisturizer.
The Soothing line has a nicer vanilla style scent and is free of nasty petrochemicals, synthetic fragrances, parabens and features certified organics ingredients like organic aloe and bergamont. Miessence Organics has a skin care line for every skin type including Balancing for normal/combo skin, Rejuvenating for mature/dry skin, Soothing for sensitive skin (like mine), and Purifying for oily/problem skin types who are prone to breaking out. These are a great alternative to mainstream skin care lines full of icky petrochemicals.
Get Some: You can order Miessence Organic Skin Care online at Miorganic.ca
Win Some!
We’re giving away a travel set of the Miessence Balancing Skin Care Line which includes a generous travel size of the Balancing Cleanser, the Balancing Skin Conditioner, and the Balancing Moisturizer – good for normal or combination skin types.
To enter: Send an email to lovelysafemama (at) gmail.com with the subject “Miessence Giveaway” along with your name and mailing address (we will never share this information, only use it to notify you if you win and to send you your gift), and answer this question: “What skin care are you currently using?“
We’ll accept entries until Midnight on November 13, 2008. One winner will be chosen at random. Contest closed. Congratulations to Tara D from Rochester NY for picking up a travel set of Miessence Organic Skin Care! Thank you to everyone who entered and keep coming back for more fabulous giveaways.
Posted by admin • add a comment •
Categories: Face Wash, Miessence Certified Organics, Moisturizer, Toner
