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Archive for the ‘Bath & Body’ Category

The Body Deli: Coconut Cream Body Souffle

One of my absolute favorite scents is coconut. Real, authentic coconut… not the weird candy like scent or the kind that smells more like a Christmas cookie. The kind that reminds me of the beach, old school suntan lotion or tropical drinks and relaxation. Which is why I tend to gravitate to it when it comes to my body care. It makes me feel warmer and somehow happier… like you feel when you’re laying on a deck chair in a tropical place and no one is talking to you but the ocean waves. (Can you tell I need a vacation?) Anyway, it’s the scent I more often choose when trying a new product line since it’s a common scent among natural brands.

I was introduced to The Body Deli maybe a year ago when they sent me samples of their Mai Tai Lip Gloss, so when they offered to do another review with us I was all for it. They have a great selection of products chock full of organic and fresh ingredients. I really dig their mission and the idea behind their products. Since they don’t use icky preservatives in their products, most items have a shelf life. Just like food. But that’s not a problem because I plow through it in no time.

This time I picked their Coconut Cream Body Souffle and it is just as wonderful as it sounds. You open the generous sized tub and it’s filled to the brim with a whipped white cream that looks good enough to spread on top of a chocolate pie. It has a smooth consistency so it spreads on like icing (I sound hungry, don’t I?). It smells HEAVENLY.. like real genuine coconut. It’s a treat to use which isn’t always the case. I hadn’t been moved to order more products until now… I plan on getting myself some of the Coconut Cream Body Scrub to go with the Body Souffle. It’s just divine. The Tahitian Vanilla sounds intriguing too.

The Body Deli uses organic ingredients and no icky preservatives, parabens, phthalates, PEG’s, propylene glycol, dimethicone, or other common chemical ingredients so I feel they have some really great products. For those of you who are ingredient mavens, there is vegetable emulsifying wax and Grapefruit Seed Extract present in some products so if you avoid those be sure to read the labels first.

GET IT: Seriously, if you like coconut like I do, you’ll thank me. Pick it up on their website TheBodyDeli.com

Posted by Kathy • add a comment •
Categories: Body Cream, The Body Deli

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New Favorite: Soapwalla Organic Face & Body Care

soapwalla-deod There’s been many times where I’ve tried different products here and there and although they are natural and organic, they just don’t measure up to my girlie need for something indulgent. I’m a reformed bath product junkie so the stuff I choose now has to be safe and also work well. But to really impress me it needs to make me feel like I’ve invested in something special. I know that I found a line of products that meet all my standards when I look forward to getting out of the shower to use them. That is definitely the case with the products I have tried from Soapwalla.

Rachel, the “chef” behind the Soapwalla kitchen, created a line of truly natural products that not only work, they smell and feel unbelievably awesome. Rachel, kind soul that she is, sent me 4 samples and while I loved all of them – I immediately went to her store and ordered 2 things: Her Deodorant Cream and the Luxurious Body Oil. I’ll tell you why.

After using her Deodorant Cream I was totally hooked. At first I thought “I have to slap this on like spackle into my pits?” But in soapwalla body oil reality, you simply smooth a little bit on after a shower and that’s it. You never feel sticky or wet. After a week or so using it in warm (read: hot sweaty) Florida it has been effective enough to keep me odor free. With some other natural deodorants I have had to reapply during the day and on one occasion I reeked after a few hours. (I don’t use that one anymore…. do you see what I do for you ladies? I SUFFER WITH B.O. just to find out what works best. You can thank me later. With products. Or love and admiration. Whichever.) There are some I’m still trying and some I still use depending on the day but Soapwalla’s Deodorant Cream is definitely an awesome and effective product. It gets the LovelyMama seal of approval.

I also want to talk about her Luxurious Moisturizing Body Oil. To start, I really love body oils over lotions. Lotions usually need some kind of emulsifying ingredient which is typically a chemical or chemically processed wax or stearate. So I use a lot of lotion bars and oils to compensate. I’ll admit that I love the idea of lotion more due to the ease of use and tend to choose them over oils when I’m in a hurry since oils can leave you feeling greasy for a bit while they soak in. However there are certain cases when body oils don’t feel like you’re bathing in olive oil. This is one of them. Soapwalla’s Luxurious Moisturizing Body Oil goes on really light and absorbs in a reasonable time, so I don’t ever wish I chose lotion. And the scent? Ooooohhhh my. If I was a scent, I would be this one. It’s light and citrusy, but with a delicate floral component so it has a certain feminine appeal to it. After using it I feel girlie and pretty. No need for phthalate ridden perfumes. I just sniffed my arm and I still smell it – clean and girlie – even after running around all day. In a word: LOVE.

Soapwalla only uses organic ingredients and oils and never uses icky preservatives or chemicals. I will definitely be shopping there again. My next splurge? Organic Citrus Grove Soap Bar and some Almond Joy Body Polish.

GET IT: You can pick up all of Soapwalla’s great products on her Etsy Shop.

Posted by Kathy • add a comment •
Categories: Bath Goodies, Deodorant, SoapWalla

LovelyMama Skin Care Cheat Sheet

Ok, you know how much we SafeMama girls love our cheat sheets. And I know you’re thinking, sure, our kids are covered, but what about us? We get a lot of questions asking about particular products, and while we would LOVE to try every single one of them, there is just not enough time or money possible for us to do so. But with that in mind, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t compile a list of products for you to have at the ready when you’re looking for information on whether or not we think your favorite product is safe enough to use.

Notice: Please do not redistribute this list anywhere without our prior written consent. If you would like to share this information with your readers, please use the handy little button we created for doing just that and link back here. We spent time away from our kids, pouring over ingredients lists, digging in the Skin Deep Database and learning about chemicals and processes. Please help us make that worth our time and energy by not copy/pasting our work on other websites. Thank you!

Please keep in mind that this is not a full list of products. This is what we’ve found so far, and this will be a constantly updated list as we find things, or as you submit your findings to us. But we think this is a great starting off point. [Last updated April 5, 2010]

Best Choices – Our top picks

These are the products that are free of all of the chemicals we avoid along with labels that have ingredients you can actually pronounce.

Better Choices

These are the products that are free of all the big chemicals we like to avoid, such as parabens, phthalates, phenoxyethanol, SLS’s, PEGs, propylene glycol, dimethicone, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Benzoate as well as some others, but they just weren’t squeaky clean enough for us to warrant putting them on our “best” list. Maybe they have a couple of stearates or a few more synthetics than we’d like to see. However, they’re still pretty great and we even use some of ‘em.

Good Choices

These are brands that may have a few products with questionable ingredients on our list of ingredients we like to avoid or maybe they have more synthetic ingredients than we’d like to see, however, they are FAR better than your conventional, chemical counterparts. While they’re not going to make you sprout a second head, this is something where you’re going to have to be the one to make the judgment call whether or not you want to use these products.

* The ever wonderful Stephanie Greenwood of Bubble and Bee and publisher of the Chemical of the Day Blog, brought to our attention, sadly, that there are “hidden parabens” in some of our favorite products (as noted by the asterisk). We were bummed to find out that great brands like John Masters and 100% Pure are included in this list of products. Go over and read the article and then make the call for yourself on whether or not you would still want to use these products. It may not be every single product in the brand, just a select few, but she’ll tell you what to look for and breaks the slight chemical difference down into layman’s terms. This is where she helps you become empowered to read labels and learn how to decipher bad ingredients vs. the good ones. Stephanie is one of the true good people in this business.

Posted by Statia • add a comment •
Categories: Bath & Body

LovelyMama is Loving Shea Moisture

sheamoisture I make so secret of the fact that I stalk the “natural products” aisle at Target like a love-sick teenager trying to catch a glimpse of her current crush. So when a line of products showed up there a week or so ago I was all over it. A brand called Shea Moisture creates luxurious body treatments with really simple and rich ingredients. I picked up the 100% Organic Shea Butter which is more or less a tub full of thick ingredients that smell heavenly. I chose the Coconut & Hibiscus scent and I don’t regret it. It’s warm and floral = but a little strong so beware if you are scent sensitive. This balm has many great uses like fr dry skin, chapped lips, dry hair, psoriasis, insect bites… but it smells so feminine and tropical I like to use it as a hand and foot treatment before bed. While I watch TV I scoop out a bunch and start working it into my dry flip flop ragged feet and slip on a pair of cotton booties. By morning my piddies are soft and back to a human condition. I also picked up the Organic Coconut & Hibiscus Shea Butter Wash too. It foams like, whoa. And I am so buttery soft from using it, it’s quite unbelievable. sheamoisture2

This line is totally free of parabens, phthalates, PEG’s, propylene glycols, harsh chemicals, and dyes. It’s also made with certified organic ingredients, is not tested on animals and uses ethically traded ingredients too. They have several scent profiles including the one I am in love with: Coconut Hibiscus. They also have Lavender & Wildflower, Lemongrass & Tea Tree, and Olive & Green Tea… though they only have a limited few at Target stores like their African Black Soap and Raw Shea Butter. I went back to Target to pick up the coordinating lotion and bar soap and they wee sold out. Looks like I’m not the only one privy to this new find!

Get It: Online at SheaMoisture.com or at your local Target (not all Targets carry it).

Posted by Kathy • add a comment •
Categories: Body Balm, Body Wash, Shea Moisture

Badger Balm: Vanilla Coconut Every Day Moisturizer

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

Posted by Kathy • add a comment •
Categories: Badger Balm, Body Balm

Whole Foods 365 Everyday Value Body 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.

Posted by Kathy • add a comment •
Categories: 365 Everyday Value, Body Lotion, Body Wash

Kiss My Face Sudz C-Weed Organic Shower Gel

kmf 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.

Posted by Kathy • add a comment •
Categories: Body Wash, Kiss My Face

Jurlique Rose Hand Cream

jurlique 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.

Posted by Kathy • add a comment •
Categories: Hand Cream, Jurlique

New Scent from Bubble & Bee: Coconut Lime!

clsoap 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.

COCONUT-&-LIME--SMALL-PIC 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.

Posted by Kathy • add a comment •
Categories: Bar Soap, Bubble and Bee, Lip Balm

Weleda Birch Body Scrub

birch 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

Posted by Kathy • add a comment •
Categories: Body Scrub, Weleda