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• Review: Aloe Cadabra Lubricant (& Giveaway)
• Badger Balm: Vanilla Coconut Every Day Moisturizer
• Review: Yes to Carrots (and other vegetables too)!
• Whole Foods 365 Everyday Value Body Care
• Kiss My Face Sudz C-Weed Organic Shower Gel

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If there ’s one thing that there isn’t enough of in this world, is safer lubricant alternatives.  When we did our sex extravaganza last year for Valentines day, I had a hell of a time finding safe alternatives to your conventional chemical alternatives.   I did find a few brands, and now there’s one more you can add to your list: Aloe Cadabra.  What a cute name.  Like magic lube!  Aloe Cadabra is a little different from the few others that I’ve found.  The ingredients are food grade, so if you would happen to ingest it (and I won’t ask how you would, because what you do behind closed doors is your business), it’s perfectly safe.

I have to admit, that when I saw that it was mainly aloe vera gel, I was concerned that it might dry out or get sticky during use, unlike oil based lubricants, but it held up pretty well.  On top of that, aloe, as most people know, has magical healing properties.   And as a girl, you know that your girly parts can get aggravated easily.  So this is a nice change.  Maybe this is where the magic comes in.

Aloe Cadabra is not only all natural, but also extremely affordable.  a 2.5 ounce bottle is only about $8 bucks.  That’s a great price for the size.   And it’s safe to use with condoms and other sex toys.   Of course, it’s not a spermicide and does not prevent STD’s, so unless you’re in a monogamous relationship or not trying to avoid pregnancy, play it safe, OK?

Win it:

We have one 2.5 ounce bottle of Aloe Cadabra, along with a travel size bottle of Aloe Cadabra in French Lavender scent (in its own cute little purple satin pouch), perfect for your carry on bag).

To Enter: simply leave a comment with your favorite natural lubes and what you like about them.

For extra entries (comment for each):

• Follow @safemama or @momlikes on Twitter
• Tweet this giveaway: RT @safemama #WIN ALOE CADABRA natural lubricant from LovelySafeMama.com #giveaway http://tinyurl.com/ykdlgca

Winner will be chosen using random.org.  Open to US residents.  Contest is open until March 14th at 11:59pm.

Get it: You can order Aloe Cadabra directly from their website.

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• Review: Sophyto Skin Care
• Review: Yes to Carrots (and other vegetables too)!

Since a huge majority of you are snowed in, I thought I’d share with you one of my favorite every day products.  It’s no secret that I love the Badger Balm company and I love supporting them.  They are such a conscious company and all their products are natural and many, certified organic.  I love knowing that when I use a balm or soap, I am using the safest ingredients and that they don’t bother with making products that require emulsifiers or chemical involvement.

My latest love affair is with their new Vanilla Coconut Every Day Moisturizer.  They sent me a sample a little while ago and it;s almost empty.  It earned a spot on my night stand and I use it nightly on my hands, cuticles and feet.  The scent is perfect.  I usually really love coconut scented anything since it makes me feel like I’m indulging on a tropical island or reminds me of summer time and beaches. That’s a good feeling to have when its chilly out and you need some extra moisturizing.

It comes in a large tin and the scent is a warm but subtle coconut … but toned down with the vanilla to make a really wonderful scent.  As always, Badger Balm uses a natural formula and only the best ingredients… like coconut oil, vanilla and rosemary.  This balm is also Certified Organic and Fair Trade.

Get It: Seriously, you need this.  And you need their lip balms which are hands down one of my absolute favorites.  My particular fave is the Lavender Orange.  It’s the one I brought with me to the hospital when I had my son.  Only the best!  Pick up a Vanilla Coconut Every Day Moisturizer on their website BadgerBalm.com

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• Badger Organic Lip Balms
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• Jurlique Rose Hand Cream

We’ve gotten quite a few inquiries from people asking us whether or not we had tried Yes To Carrots products.   I get the interest.  It’s readily available at most Target stores, and the price isn’t bad either.   But I was skeptical.  I know that in the grand scheme of things, this shampoo isn’t the best for you, but overall, it’s a much safer option.   I’m a die hard John Master’s fan, but, it’s expensive and I have to go out of my way to get it, usually leaving me running out of shampoo and conditioner.  Plus, I have two small children, who I swear have secret debit cards to my checking account, because it’s frequently running on E.  I’ve tried countless other kinds of shampoo and conditioner on my ornery hair, most with crappy results.   So truthfully, I didn’t hold out much hope for Yes To Carrots, either.

I base my liking of hair products based on the comb test.   Does it get the knots out easily?  Is my head sore from getting said knots out?   I think we have a winner here.   Both the shampoo and conditioner smell good, it washes and conditions well, and my hair doesn’t look like it was stuck in a light socket.   For about $7.99 per bottle, I can’t really ask more of a shampoo at that price.   Better yet, there’s more in the bottle than other shampoos that I’ve tried for the same price.  The bottles last me FOREVER, which I love.   I have to cut corners somewhere.   I refuse to buy processed crap foods with loads of preservatives, so I suppose that this is my cutting corners.  But you know?  I don’t really feel cheated.

I’ve also tried Yes to Tomatoes!, as well as Yes to Cucumbers! Both work just as well and I have to say, I love the scent of each of them, and they both work equally as well.

Older versions of the shampoo have propylene glycol as well as dimethicone, however, from what I can tell, they’ve eliminated those ingredients from the product.   The conditioner however, still contains dimethicone.  Overall, not the worst ingredient ever, but one that isn’t a favorite on our list, and one we try to avoid if we can.

Get it:  You can pick up Yes to Carrots at most Target stores, as well as some other bigger chain drug stores.

Related articles:

• Review: Honeybee Gardens Nail Polish
• Review: Aloe Cadabra Lubricant (& Giveaway)
• Review: Sophyto Skin Care

By popular demand you requested our input on the Whole Foods store brand of body care 365 Everyday Value.  On a recent pilgrimage to Whole Foods I decided to check it out because hey, I am all for cheaper, yet safe, skin care.  That natural stuff can really add up! I checked out the 365 body lotion and the body wash to evaluate the ingredients.

I WANT to tell you that this is the answer to our organic prayers but alas.  It is not. I will not say it’s totally awful because it has some very redeemable qualities.  These products are free of parabens, phthalates, SLS, and petrochemicals… and the price point is unmatched.  A huge bottle of lotion for less than $3 bucks? Yes please! The products also carry the Whole Foods Premium Body Care seal of approval.

The bad news is these products contain a bevy of ingredients that aren’t “natural” by our standards.  For example cetyl alcohol which is the emulsifier that makes lotion more watery and smooth.  This ingredient (and others like it) is not by any means natural and is commonly contaminated with 1,4 dioxane. (See this great article about body lotion on Bubble& Bee) … so if you are wanting something truly safe, stick with the really natural stuff.  If you’re more concerned with price while avoiding the big risk ingredients like parabens and phthalates than this brand will cover that for you.

For the sake of reporting I tried both of these products on myself.  The lotion (I opted for a citrus scent) smooths on well and does have an effective moisturizing effect.  Even my husband liked it.  Similarly, the body wash foams up miraculously and the lavender scent I tried is subtle (but not as lavendery as other products).

Bottom Line: These are free of the big “avoid” ingredients but aren’t chemical free.  For the price you definitely get what you pay for.  Effective products that are safer than most mainstream brands.  If you want truly natural skin care, opt for something else but expect to pay more than $3.

Where to Buy: You can find these at your local Whole Foods market or online.

Related articles:

• Jurlique Balancing Day Care Cream
• Weleda Birch Body Scrub
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I haven’t really found too many shower gels that I like lately.  They’re either full of chemicals, or they’re organic and watery, or they just suck overall.  I reluctantly picked up a tube of Kiss My Face’s Sudz Organic Shower Gel at Target this month since it was the first time something new was in the natural beauty aisle.  Typically, I want to like Kiss My Face’s products because I grew up using them.  But some of their products contain parabens and they aren’t totally natural all the time so I opt for other stuff.  But I saw it and on an impulse (after reading the label) decided to give it a whirl.

I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised.  I’m not going to pass out from euphoria over it but it meets most of my criteria for shower gel.  It must be almost all natural, it must be in a nice scent and it must lather.  The problem with most organic shower stuff is the lack of foam.  Not so much the case here.  I absolutely love citrus scents so the Sweet Orange & Lime scent was right up my alley.  Its bubbles up nice, smells great and I feel quite refreshed after using it.  I also used it in conjunction with some Kiss My Face Sudz bar soap and I step out of the steam feeling fresh and clean.  I’ll probably pick this up again in other scents since it has a great price point.  The Grapefruit & Lemongrass sounds divine.  Overall, thumbs up!

Get It: Found mine at Target but I just saw it on Amazon and on VitaCost.com for less than $5.

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• Kiss My Face Potent & Pure Skincare
• New Scent from Bubble & Bee: Coconut Lime!
• Etsy Spotlight: Luxurious Handmade Soaps

It’s been quiet here… I’ve been on a maternity leave.  But in my absence I had time to fall in love with a new product.  With all the talk of flu season and H1N1 this fall I’ve opted to start washing my hands neurotically.  I have a kid in preschool and a 3 month old at home so needless to say, I’m trying to avoid it.  All that hand washing is drying my hands out something fierce.  I had a sample of Jurlique’s Rose Hand Cream and gave it a go on my chapped mitts.  Oh. Em. Gee.

I immediately ordered a full size tube because this is one of the most luxurious hand creams I have ever experienced.  Even in comparison to some of the chemical versions I used to be loyal to.  If it were a dessert, it would be a creme brulee at the Four Seasons.  Some feel that rose scents are old lady-ish and I can see how that can happen.  But for me, this light floral rose scent is sexy and feminine without overpowering you.  Most importantly, the softness.  This hand cream makes your hands feel so incredibly soft and smooth.  I keep it next to me on my nightstand where my most elite products live.  There is no stickiness and it absorbs well without leaving a greasy feeling.  I just applied it and am happily typing away on my laptop without slipping off the keys.  DId I mention soft?  My hands are soooooo soft.

Jurlique grows 95% of their pure plant-based ingredients on their certified organic and biodynamic farms in Southern Australia.  Not every single product is 100% natural but the Rose Hand Cream passes our test.  A handful of their products that pass our test are available on SaffronRouge.com who’s goal is to provide the purest most natural products possible.  We trust their screening process more than we trust our own.

Get It: Jurlique’s products aren’t cheap.  The Rose Hand Cream runs about $25 for a 1.4 oz tube.  But its an indulgence worth the splurge.  FInd the Jurlique Rose Hand Cream and other Jurlique products on SaffronRouge.com.

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As you all know we just loooooooooooove Bubble & Bee products.  We’re their #1 fan. Stephanie of Bubble & Bee is so increditbly knowledgeable about chemicals and ingredients that we go right to her first if we ever need an ingredient scrutinized.  Her products, as a result of her knowledge, are so pure and safe I hate using anything else. 

Years ago before I learned about skin care and the hazards of all the chemicals I was dumping into my body every day I was a Bath & Body Works Junkie.  I admit it.  You walk in there and everything looks so tempting and relaxing.  I owned almost the entire True Blue line and always stocked up on my favorite scent: Coconut Lime Verbena.  When I learned more about the ingredients, I sadly tossed all my BBW products and searched for safer ones.  I never did find a good replacement to my beloved Coconut Lime Verbena… until NOW.

Thanks to Stephanie’s constant product development, she has added a lovely Organic Coconut Lime Soap to her collection as well as a Coconut Lime LIP BALM.  Its as if she read my mind.  I loved her Coconut Lime lotion stick already and wished there were more.  And now there is.  Her soap smells devine and lathers wonderfully.  I feel so tropical after a shower.  And I can keep the feeling all day with her delictable Coconut Lime lip balm… which if you have ever tried her lip balms, they rock.  This one is no exception.  It’s my new favorite lip balm flavor (and you know how much I adore my lip balms) and I want to hug it and squeeze it call it George.  Ok no but I do carry it everywhere.  It even tastes sweet!

Get Some! Thanks Stephanie for all your great products and new scents!  Shop for Bubble & Bee products on her website BubbleandBee.com!  Don’t forget to visit her Chemical of the Day Blog where she answers reader questions about ingredients.

Related articles:

• Badger Balm: Vanilla Coconut Every Day Moisturizer
• Guest Post! Stephanie of Bubble & Bee talks about Vegetable Emulsifying Wax
• Etsy Spotlight: Luxurious Handmade Soaps

I was gifted a very generous gift certificate to SaffronRouge.com for my birthday this year.  So I went on a spree and got a bunch of products I havent tried before.  One of those was Weleda’s Birch Body Scrub.  With descriptive words like “exfoliation” and “regeneration” I decided to give it a go on my dry legs.  Let me just say that I am big on scrubs, which is weird for someone with such sensitive skin.  I love a good scrub, and usually prefer sugar scrubs to salt.  That said, I don’t mind them being a bit coarse so I feel like I’m doing something productive.

Weleda’s Birch Body Scrub falls a little short in that area.  It’s super gentle and very moisturizing, while having a really nice fresh scent.  I like the product as a body wash, not a scrub.  There isn’t enough “scrub” in there to make me feel like I’m getting anywhere so I was a little disappointed in that.  But, as a moisturizing wash this product does great.  I love the smell and I LOVE that it’s in a squeeze tube rather than a tub that you have to scoop out of.  In general I am a big Weleda fan since they use natural ingredients and are free of all the nasty junk we typically avoid.  If you have really sensitive skin this might be a great scrub for you.

Get It: You can pick it up anywhere Weleda products are sold or grab it online at SaffronRouge.com

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Hello, your friendly neighborhood lip balm addict here.  I’ve come to a very important conclusion lately about lip balms and I need to share it with you.  Lately, I’ve been lamenting about how many of my natural lip balms start out great, and then turn into lumpy bumpy sticks that aren’t that pleasing to apply.  (And I type lip BLAM every single time…why can’t I get it right?).  I always thought that maybe it got too hot in my bag and the ingredients were revolting against each other or something but I think I figured out the real reason.  Shea Butter?  Every lip balm I have that contains shea butter seems to eventually turn into a bumpy lip balm.  I don’t know if it ’s the formulation or the ingredient itself or a lack of beeswax or if it’s even that at all, but it seem to be a common theme.  If anyone can enlighten me, please do.

Anyway, I came to this conclusion because I have a couple lip balms that seem to stay intact… smooth and lip balmy just like I like them.  One of those lip balms are Badger’s Certified Organic Lip Balm.  The main ingredients are Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Beeswax and Castor Oil (all organic) which seem to keep these in their smooth state so applying them is like a lip balm should be.

They have a zillion yummy flavors, my favorites seem to be the citrus-y ones like Pink Grapefruit and Tangerine but they all perform.  They use all Certified Organic ingredients when possible as well as fair trade cocoa butter.  I just love the conscientiousness of this company and can’t stop singing their praises (as evident by my love for their sunscreen and anti-bug balm too).

Get Your Balm On: You can purchase Badger Lip Balms in many places, but if you want to grab one (or 10) online you can find them on their website BadgerBalm.com and on Amazon.com!

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Q: Have you tried Jane Iredale products?  Any thoughts on the products?

So far neither of us have tried any of these products but in the interest of hopefully finding something new I went investigating.   I went hunting around on SkinBotanica.com to see what kind of ingredients we were dealing with.  So far, from what we can tell Jane Iredales products are free of some of the top nasties we usually avoid like parabens, phthalates, free of chemical dyes and preservatives, and are never tested on animals.  So her products are a better choice when it comes to make up.  Comparing a label off a Jane Iredale foundation to one of the “big ones” is a joke… you can actually pronounce the ingredients and they have less than 87 letters in each word.

Her products have won awards like Natural Health Beauty Awards Best Foundation Award so performance sounds like it’s not an issue.  I can’t say with 100% confidence that all her products are 100% chemical free if that’s what you’re looking for.  For example almost every product contains Dimethicone, and I have found one or two products that contain Phenoxyethanol, but in the grand scheme these are a much better choice. Compare hers to any L’Oreal product and you’ll see the difference.

Find Them: You can pick up Jane Iredale’s Cosmetics on SkinBotanica.com

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