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Softlips Now Certified Organic!

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

softlips Hello, your friendly neighborhood lip balm addict is back in action. Lip balm is a staple for me. I have about 8 in my purse at all times, not because I need all 8 but because I can’t stop trying new ones. One of my favorites before I learned more about cosmetics and beauty products, was Softlips Lip Balms from the local drugstore. I had several and loved the slim tube and girlie scents. I appreciated the SPF 20 in them as well. But after learning about sunscreen chemicals, petroleum and other icky ingredients I chucked all my conventional lip balms for more organic and natural ones.

Well imagine my sheer joy when I discovered that Softlips now has their lip balms available Certified Organic including a honeydew (my favorite) and Pomegranite… right at your local CVS store. They work just as well as the old synthetic versions (or better in my opinion) and smell great. Still in the same sleek skinny white tube only emblazoned with the USDA Certified Organic seal. They don’t have any SPF but I’ll take these any day. Plus it’s cheap… can’t beat that.

Get some: Available everywhere.. CVS, Amazon (6 pack woo!), and probably anywhere you’ve seen Softlips sold before.

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Posted by Kathy • Permalink •
Categories: Lip Balm, Softlips

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Bubble and Bee Lotion Stick

Friday, December 19, 2008

Now that winter is full upon us (though technically, the first day of winter is next week), my skin has decided to revolt. There is nothing really that seems to be helping my skin. It’s itchy, dry, flaky and scaly. I’d blame it on pregnancy hormones, but my poor toddler’s skin is much the same way. We try to keep as hydrated and sealed as possible, but we’re fighting a losing battle.

So instead of trying to win, we’re just hoping to keep the playing field even. I have a heavy artillery of lotions, bars, lip balms and other things to help with our winter skin.

One of my musts this winter, is our Bubble and Bee lotion stick. I love it because it’s a stick, not a tube, so you get more for less and a little goes a long way. It’s also very portable and inexpensive. So I can stock up and keep them in my handbag, a diaper bag, and just about every other corner of my home. It’s great for all over the skin, but especially great for sealing your hands while you’re out and about.

If you’ve read here or over at SafeMama for any length of time, you’ll know that we LOVE Bubble and Bee’s products. They’re always up front about their ingredients, because they have nothing to hide. They’re safe for both kids and adults alike. And another thing I love is that you have other options aside of lavender, such as orange, lime coconut (I’m addicted to this scent, I can’t even begin to tell you how good it smells), and chai, to name a few.

Is your skin suffering like ours? Head over to Stephanie’s blog and read her tips for helping your skin through winter.

Get It: You can get all of Bubble and Bee’s awesome products directly online and enjoy 15% off your entire order using code wintermom3

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Posted by Statia • Permalink •
Categories: Body Lotion, Bubble and Bee

Revolution Organics All-Over Body Balm

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

As a working mom on the go, I am always interested in finding safe products that are multi-purpose. So when I found Revolution Organics I went crazy over their All-Over Body Balm. This hefty tube of balm has over 22 possible uses. How can it get better than that? I’d rather replace the tubes of hand lotions, lip balms, cuticle balms and baby cream in my diaper bag with this ONE handy compact tube. It has a light citrus scent and really is a wonderful moisturizer. I use this as a lip balm, rub it on my hands and cuticles, relieve wind chapped kid cheeks and it can help with frizz when you’re in a pinch.

Revolution Organics uses no synthetic ingredients, parabens, synthetic fragrances, petrochemicals and they don’t test on animals. They are also certified USDA Organic which is only reserved for products with 95% organic ingredients. Now that’s something I can live with! After trying and failing with many Certified Organic products either due to their lack of performance or the overpowering smell (Aveda Organics I’m talking about you) I have really fallen in love with Revolution Organics.

They also offer a few other gret products including an All-Over Skin Creme (I keep in on my desk for hands and elbows during my workday) and a yummy All Over Lip Balm that I’m dying to try.

Get It: Pick up any Revolution Organics products at Saffron Rouge, Lilou Organics or on Beauty.com

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Posted by Kathy • Permalink •
Categories: Body Balm, Body Lotion, Lip Balm, Revolution Organics

Dr. Hauschka Regenerating cream

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

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.

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Posted by Statia • Permalink •
Categories: Dr. Hauschka, Moisturizer, Night Cream, Skin Care

Burts Bees Garden Tomato Toner

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

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

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Posted by Statia • Permalink •
Categories: Burts Bees, Toner

100% Pure Review and Giveaway.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

I’ve gotten used to the subtle scents of natural beauty products. In a way, this is a good thing, as I feel as if phthalates have made us hard wired to think that we need our body wash to smell heavily like fake floral or fruit scents. I like smelling clean, not like my great aunt’s perfume cabinet. That said, because you’re hard wired to want to smell like a fruit salad, sometimes, that’s not such a bad thing. Good smells are appealing, and are great memory triggers. Sometimes, you just want to smell like a girl.

Enter the 100% Pure beauty line. I came across this line of products and saw a pink grapefruit body wash and I had to try it. I don’t know what it is about me and pink grapefruit, but I love it. I had been looking for one about a year before all of the chemically laden bath companies released them. What can I say, I’m ahead of my time.

When I first poured some of the body wash on my washcloth, I was surprised. It’s kind of…watery. I was a little disappointed because I figured that watery = no lather. I worried over nothing. It held a nice mild lather with one single application and left my skin feeling soft and smooth. In fact, when I shaved afterwards, my skin felt great. Not tight and dry like it normally does.

I topped my shower off with one of their awesome body creams, in honey pear, which was just like the old days. It was so fragrant and nice. And you know what? My skin is STILL smooth after being in jeans all day. And no lotion has ever done that. Especially when winter has appeared on our front door overnight and the dry heat has been running.

The 100% Pure products contain no synthetic chemicals or fillers of any kind. Everything is scented with fruit extracts and smells great. They have a wide variety of products, including fruit pigmented cosmetics, a full line of facial care and body care. This is a product line that I will always keep on hand.

Get it: Order 100% Pure products directly online.

Bonus! We’ve got a jar of Strawberry Lemonade Juicy body scrub AND a bottle of coconut body lotion up for grabs. Here’s how you can win:

1. Send an email to safemama.contestsATgmail.com with the subject “100% Pure Giveaway” in the subject line. Please include both your name AND address in the email.

2. Log onto the 100% Pure website and find your favorite product and tell us what it is.

You must follow steps 1&2 in order to qualify for this giveaway. All information given, is not sold or used other than to notify the winner. Winner will be drawn at midnight December 4th. Contest open to US & Canadian residents only. Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery of prizes.

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Posted by Statia • Permalink •
Categories: 100% Pure, Bath & Body, Body Lotion, Body Wash

Desert Essence Cleansing Pads

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

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.

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Posted by Statia • Permalink •
Categories: Blemish Control, Desert Essence, Skin Care

Firefly Personal Lubricant (Giveaway!)

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

One of the last things I ever really thought to replace in my “beauty” cabinet was personal lubricant. I’ll venture to guess that it may not have crossed your mind either. But let’s face it, we all have sex and we’ve all used lubricant. I’m actually somewhat surprised that I didn’t find this stuff sooner as my, err, girly parts tend to be extra sensitive, so I sought out long ago to find something that was less harsh on my skin. When I look at the ingredients on something conventional, I’m aghast. “They expect people to put that WHERE?”

Propylene Glycol, parabens, ALCOHOL. No wonder this stuff was giving me an adverse reaction, because there’s just nothing natural about that stuff. Gross. So as a joke, Kathy and I like to find the most ludicrous thing we can think of and see if they make it in an organic version. And that’s how I stumbled upon Firefly Organics. I wish I would have found this stuff years ago. While the name says organics, the product itself is technically not organic, BUT, all the ingredients are completely all natural and preservative free. There is nary a paraben nor polymer to be found in this bottle. In fact, Firefly is so safe, that you don’t even have to wash it off if you don’t want to (and really, have you ever tried to wash off conventional lube? Forget it).

What can I say about this stuff? I love it. When I first opened the bottle it reminded me a lot of olive oil. The feel of it isn’t at all sticky or overly greasy. A little goes a long way and unlike conventional lubricants, it doesn’t get tacky over time, so you never need more. The aloe vera soothes so there’s no burning afterward. This is just an all around great product. I’ll never use anything else. And dare I say that it makes me want to get randy more often. And being pregnant while chasing around a toddler, that’s saying something.

Get it: You can order Firefly Organics directly from their website. A bottle retails for $18.95, but it’s a big bottle and it should last you a long time. Unless of course, you party like a rock star. In which case, better get a few bottles.

Bonus! LovelyMama has one bottle of Firefly Organics to giveaway. Here’s how to enter:

Send an email to safemama.contestsATgmail.com with the subject “Firefly Giveaway” and include the following:

1. Include in your email, your full name AND address.

2. Tell us what you’re currently using and what you like or don’t like about it.

You must complete BOTH steps in order to qualify. Don’t worry, we don’t sell or give your information to anyone. Only to contact you if you are the winner. One winner will be chosen at random. We’ll accept drawings until Midnight, December 1st. Contest is open to U.S. and Canadian residents only. Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery of goods as we’re getting close to holiday crunch time.

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Posted by Statia • Permalink •
Categories: Firefly Organics, Giveaways & Contests, Personal Lubricant

Organicare USDA Certified Organic Skincare

Monday, November 17, 2008

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

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Posted by Kathy • Permalink •
Categories: Blemish Control, Organicare

Fig+Sage Alima Pure Giveaway

Friday, November 14, 2008

Alima Our friends at Fig+Sage are doing a great giveaway of two gorgeous sets of the new Alima Pure Gift Sets they just released for the holidays. There are 3 sets in total and they all have really beautiful color palettes. We reviewed Alima Pure not too long ago and we were both really pleased with the products and the natural feel of this line. Alima released 3 Holiday Gift Sets that are beautifully complimentary without being overly bright. Very subtle rich colors.