My Love Affair with Shea Moisture ( aka my coming out as a full-blown hippie)

I'm going to be frank with you, this post contains frankincense and myrrh and lots of hippie references. I like to keep it as natural a possible. I mean, not too natural, I do wear deodorant and shave my legs - but my deodorant is that aluminum free hippie stuff with tree liken and I use alba natural skin cream instead of shaving cream - it's all about compromise right? Anywho. When it comes to skin care I prefer to keep it simple. I make my own body scrubs from kosher salt and olive oil, face scrubs from raw sugar and grapeseed oil and moisturize my skin with olive, grapeseed or coconut oil infused with herbs and dried flowers or raw shea butter. See...I told you I was a hippie.

I've seen the Shea Moisture line of products on the shelves of Target for the longest time (hippies can shop at Target, right?) but felt no desire to try it since I have my own concoction of herbs and oils to fall back on. But on the urging of a good and long-time friend I tried it out. After all, it's a certified cruelty free brand and the list of things NOT in the product was longer than the list of ingredients that actually are in it.

This first thing I tried was the Shea Moisture Raw She Chamomile & Argon Oil Baby Head to Toe Ointment with Frankincense and Myrrh. Ok, let's all take a moment to acknowledge that the folks at Shea Moisture need to come up with some shorter names for their products! Long names aside, this stuff is crazy amazing. I've never actually used it on my little one, it's a little too thick for me to imagine putting it on an actual baby, but I use it on myself daily. It's great on freshly shaven legs and, just like the long name says, it literally works from your head to your toes. I see why baby Jesus was given Frankincense and Myrrh on the day of his birth - it smells like heaven!

Next I moved on to the bath salts. Wait, no...not those kind of bath salts (eating faces isn't very vegan friendly). Since I fancy myself to be a ballerina now (long story, if you follow me on facebook it makes more sense) the Lavender & Wild Orchid Joint and Muscle Relief Soak seemed like a good place to start. I'm used to the pure scent of lavender so the wild orchid element kind of threw me off a bit. But the way that my sore, tired muscles felt after 15 minutes of soaking in bath infused with these salts said it all. My whole body just felt calm and at rest. I actually got out of the bathtub, did 30 minutes of restorative yoga and then went laid down to one of the best nights of rest I've had in a long time. I should add that I used the Lavender & Wild Orchid Body Oil after the bath to moisturize with and it is, of course, fantastic as well. I've used regular epsom salt for years and never had such instant relief of my joint and muscle pain. I had the exact same experience when I tried the Lemongrass and Ginger Dead Sea Salt Soak except that this stuff smells so damn delicious that I got out the tub, went downstairs, and made myself a quick red coconut curry with lots of lemongrass and ginger for dinner instead of doing yoga and drifting off to bed.

Literally every product I tried from the Shea Moisture line has been phenomenal. I still love making my own beauty products and will continue to do so but these are a sweet indulgence and a special treat. Plus, they are priced reasonably and easy to find at most major retailers. I highly recommend you give them a try as well.

Tom’s of Maine Long-Lasting Wicked Fresh Toothpaste

A few months ago the fine folks over at Tom’s of Maine sent me their New Long-Lasting Wicked Fresh Toothpaste to try out. I’m a big Tom’s of Maine fan but not always open to trying new products once I’ve found something I like. Tom of Maine Whole Care toothpaste and gel have been my personal favorites for some time now so I finished up my tube of Whole Care and finally switched to the New Long-Lasting Wicked Fresh Toothpaste last month. This stuff truly lives up to its name and keeps your breath fresh, without being overly minty all day and without giving you that awful toothpaste aftertaste that prevents you from taking a swig of juice after you brush your teeth. But enough about how great I think this stuff is, here’s an opportunity to try it for yourself!

GIVEAWAY!!!! Tom's of Maine New 24 Hour Odor Protection Natural Deoderant

In great sadness I must announce that summer is almost over, just in case you didn’t know. Temperatures here in the great state of Georgia have quickly dropped from the high 80s and 90s in August to the low 60s and 70s as soon as the calendar changed to September. But before summer officially ends I have to slip in one more natural deodorant review and a GIVEAWAY!

The crafty folks over at Tom’s of Maine have come out with yet another new natural deodorant. The new 24 Hour Odor Protection Long Lasting Deodorant Line in Beautiful Earth and Mountain Spring scent. If you’re an experienced purveyor of the natural deodorant section of your local store then you’ve probably seen Tom’s of Maine’s older version of this product called Long Lasting Deodorant. The older model was good but not great. Your experience wearing it all hinged on what you defined as long-lasting as opposed to what Tom (yep, we’re on a first name basis) believed was long-lasting. But now Tom is boldly throwing out a defined time frame 24 whole hours. Well, I put Tom to the test. After all, 24 hours of odor protection in Maine during August is a little different than 24 hours of odor protection in Georgia in August.

If you follow me on twitter then you know that I spent a solid 16 hours (a girl does have to sleep) sniffing my armpits every hour on the hour through a day of class, work, errand running and a light outdoor workout in the middle of August. To my surprise this stuff really does work! I was a little unsure of the scents at first (nothing compares to my Bay-Lime love) but as the day wore on it worked out perfectly. My only complaint is that after a few uses this solid stick begins to turn into a semi-solid. Kinda ½ gel ½ solid and begins to feel a bit slimy when you first apply it. The slimy feeling goes away as the deodorant begins to work but it does take a bit of getting used to.

So now it’s time for you to try Tom’s of Maine’s new 24 Hour Odor Protection Long-Lasting Deodorant for yourself. But wait…I did say something about a giveaway didn’t I? The good folks over in Tom’s magic deodorant factory were nice enough to send me over a sample of each scent and I’d love to pass one on to you! I tested using the Beautiful Earth scent so the Mountain Spring is up for grabs!

The rules of the giveaway are very simple - leave a comment below telling me why you love (or hate) summer and on September 10th I’ll pick one lucky person using a random number generator to win. Please remember to leave your email address in the comment so I can contact you if you win. You can enter as many times as you like over the next week. Good Luck!

Kiss My Big Beautiful Vegan Lips! (A Review on Beeswax Free Lip Balm)

Honey is one of those things that is a tiresome topic of debate in the vegan world. If you’re a new vegan then you’ve probably seen conflicting information on different blogs, websites, etc. For me, the answer was very simple. Donald Watson, the “father of veganism”, included honey as one of the foods that vegans should avoid. As the founder of the Vegan Society he defined a vegan as “…someone who tries to live without exploiting animals, for the benefit of animals, people and the planet. Vegans eat a plant-based diet, with nothing coming from animals - no meat, milk, eggs or honey, for example. A vegan lifestyle also avoids leather, wool, silk and other animal products for clothing or any other purpose.” I don't see why I should go around ruining a good thing so I'll stick with Donald’s definition of veganism - he did create the word after all. As far as I'm concerned if you're not a bee, or Winnie the Pooh, you have no real need for honey in your diet.

Well, the same principal is extended to beeswax. Just as vegans don't use byproducts like leather or wool we also don't use products containing beeswax. Now usually I would say that it’s super easy to eliminate non-vegan things from your life but beeswax is an interesting one because we think so little about it from day to day but it’s in so many beauty products. I’m not really a lip balm kinda girl. I like my lips to have a little tint (or a lot depending on my mood). I usually buy 3 sticks of lip balm every 2-3 years and use it only at night before I go to bed. Right before going vegan I bought 3 sticks of Burt Bee’s lip balm. My unopened sticks of Burt Bee's were triumphantly given away to a friend as soon as I went vegan ,and I headed to Target to get myself a nice new stick of lip balm – beeswax free. I had been using Alba products for a while and they all proclaimed themselves to be “vegetarian products”, not tested on animals and all that other good stuff. So, without hesitation, I made a bee-line (pun intended) to the Alba section. I did a quick ingredient check, everything looked vegan, and off I went with 3 new sticks of Alba lip balm in all sorts of tropical flavors. I put one by my bedside, one in my purse and one in my travel bag - I was all set and ready. Then one day, out of sheer boredom, I did another ingredient scan only to realize that there was in fact beeswax in not one but all three of my Alba lip balms! Argh! I was so upset. But by now all three were opened and used. No one wanted a tube of half used lip balm so I kept them and decided to use them until they were gone. 2 1/2 years later I've finally managed to use all 3 (obviously I don't use this stuff often) and I marched (well drove) on down to Cosmos's Vegan Shoppe to pick up 3 new tubes of lip balm.

Cosmo’s has more choices of lip balm than any store I’ve ever been to. The brand that I kept going to time and time again was Crazy Rumors. They had several little “themes” for their flavors like Brew for tea flavors, Fresh Squeezed for Citrus Flavors, Hibiskiss brining flower power to your lips with a hint of color, Perk for yummy coffee flavors, A La Mode ice cream inspired flavors and Gumball to make your lips as sweet as candy. The choice was impossible to make but I picked out my 3 flavors that I will be spending the next 3 years of my life with: Spiced Chai (wearing it right now), Limeade, and Peppermint Lemongrass. Not only is Crazy Rumors an incredible vegan brand but the ingredient list is filled with all natural simple products like organic jojoba oil, organic extra virgin olive oil and organic shea butter there’s even a little stevia for sweetness. The flavor and texture is so amazing that I find myself putting on a little lip balm under my lip-gloss so I can smell the sweet scent all day.

My Favorite Deodorant To Smell, Lick And Swoon Over.

Not long ago Tom’s of Maine came out with a new line of Sensitive Skin Natural Deodorants. When I stumbled upon them at my local Whole Foods I was a bit wary. I had just dedicated 3 years of my life to trying every natural deodorant I could get my hands on and finally had my favorite. I just didn’t know if I had it in me to try one more!

But that pale green packaging lured me in and next thing you know I had a stick of deodorant stuck so close to my nose I swear some particles of it are still permanently embedded in my sinuses. There are two new scents, Bay Lime and Cucumber-Grapefruit. The budget wouldn’t allow me to get both so I had to go with the one that made me salivate the most (drum roll please!) Bay Lime. I know…I know…A deodorant making you salivate seems like a bit much, but just smell it once and you’ll understand! It’s one of those scents that smells so good that you kinda want to lick it when no one’s looking just to see if it taste as good as it smells. I will not confirm or deny if I did this myself. Let’s just say, don’t try this one at home kiddies.

It’s always a gamble to try a new natural deodorant in the midst of a sweltering hot, humid summer in Georgia. But I took the brave leap and tried it one day when the temperature was well into the 90s with an unmentionable heat index. Let me tell you, you will not be disappointed by the performance of this deodorant! Traditional Tom’s of Maine natural deodorants are good and all but this new sensitive skin line is incredible. It far surpasses the power of their original line and it’s the only deodorant I’ve ever worn that has garnered me compliments. I’ve had nearly a dozen people comment that I smelled like a beautiful tropical island or that standing next to me made them feel like they were on vacation in Hawaii. But the all time best, and most awkward, moment came when I was sharing an elevator with a stranger. The stranger was a nice older woman. Probably in her late 60s-early 70s and she asked me what kind of perfume I was wearing. Before I could answer she went on and on about how she was more of an Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds kinda girl but that her daughter would absolutely love the scent I was wearing. When she finally stopped telling me her life story I told her it was just my deodorant and I kid you not, that woman tried to sniff my armpits to see if I was telling the truth! Thank God just as the moment got unbearably uncomfortable the elevator doors opened and I bolted out – unfortunately in my hast I ended up getting off on the wrong floor but my armpits escaped the nose of a stranger and that’s what’s important.

Awkward elevator moments aside, you must try this deodorant. And ladies, it is the perfect deodorant to use right after you’ve shaved under your arms. Both scents contain soothing aloe, witch hazel and chamomile to make you underarms feel like the happiest place on Earth!

Beat it! Natural & Herbal Insect Repellent (DEET Free)

Ever since I was a child there was just something about me that mosquito's loved. On my first trip to the south I remember being covered from head to toe in mosquito bites by day 2 and soaking in a bathtub of Avon's Skin So Soft to try to relieve some of the pain and swelling (needless to say that didn't work). As a child and even as a young adult it never occurred to me to even use any type of insect repellent. But, after I woke up one morning looking like Quasimodo with a big swollen mosquito bite over my right eye I decided it was time to take some action.

I started using all the popular brands you find in convenience stores. I used sprays, lotions, wipes, the whole gamete. They worked fine but I soon realized why my mom had kept these things from me my entire childhood. They were full of DEET, a known carcinogen. The EPA says that if you use products with DEET as the label says then you should be fine. Well, that wouldn't solve my mosquito bite on the eye issue. For years I had been slathering this stuff all over my face, behind my ears, and on every nook and cranny of my body to make sure that I stayed bite free. According to the EPA you shouldn't even put it on your hands! So after I completely freaked out and threw out everything in my house containing DEET I started searching for alternatives.

A lot of natural insect repellents tend to leave you smelling like a huge citronella candle. And that just isn't very sexy to me. Plus, somewhere in my mind, I wasn't 100% convinced that a natural/herbal product could do the same work as the heavy chemicals. When I saw Beat it! I figured I would give it a try. After all, the label claimed that it was "Jungle Strength" so that had to be some good stuff right?

I tested Beat it! in every scenario possible. Hiking trails, backyard BBQ's, the Costa Rican rainforest. Wherever I went, Beat it! went with me. And I have to say that, in my opinion, it worked even better the conventional brands of insect repellent. Plus, since it is a herbal formula, you can spray it on your clothes too, creating a nice barrier between you and the bugs that love to bite you.

Another huge advantage of using Beat It! is that it works great on animals too! I spray it on my dogs, goats and even my rabbit when he's outside. It gives me one more layer of comfort in knowing that I'm protecting my dogs from mosquito's and heartworm while not using toxic chemicals on them.

Beat it! is carried in some natural food stores and Whole Foods but can always be purchased online at http://www.jadeandpearl.com/

Just In Time For The Spring/Summer: A Review of Natural Deodorants

Transitioning to a vegan lifestyle, for me, was about doing what was right for the animals, my own health and the environment all at the same time. I started investigating the ingredients in not only everything in my kitchen cupboards but also in my medicine cabinet and bathroom drawers. I discovered there were a lot of scary ingredients lurking in many of the skin care products I was using including my deodorant. Then one day I came across this startling statistic Over 60% of what you put on your body goes in your body. Meaning that the ingredients in your lotions, deodorants, perfumes, etc. actually are absorbed into your body tissues far beyond just your skin. Deodorants and lotions have even been found in biopsied breast tumors (although there is no link between the two it does illustrate that what you put on your body goes in your body).

The more research I did the more important it became to me that the products that I put on my body were natural, free of preservatives, dyes, aluminum and a most importantly their ingredient list doesn’t read like a chemistry textbook. Over 3 years of testing I have come up with a list of some of my favorite and least favorite natural deodorants. I tend to use different ones based on the season as some are better at masking the stench of a southern summer than others.

I also polled the good folks over at the PPK to see what their favorite and least favorite natural deodorants were and the reviews were definitely mixed. Check out their perspectives for the best and worst natural deodorants.

Favorites:
Earth Science – Liken Plant in Herbal Scent *** this is my all time favorite. It offers complete protection even when the heat index is hitting 100 and the humidity is 70%. The scent is close to a baby powder scent so it isn’t over powering. It is also long-lasting so you don’t have to reapply it all day. This was the PPK runner up.

Jason – Tea Tree, Aloe Vera, Herbs & Spice, Wild Yam. As a product line I love Jason’s natural deodorants. They have a great line of unisex scents that are long lasting and smell great.

Tom’s of Maine – Calendula, Honeysuckle Rose, Apricot (long lasting and regular) Calendula and Honeysuckle rose are my two favorite scents from the Tom’s of Maine line. I’m still not in love with the smell of apricot on me but I’ve actually received compliments about how great I smell when I wear it so I keep using it. My only problem is that in the summer you tend to have to reapply them several times a day, even if using the long-lasting variety. This was also the folks of the PPK’s favorite and least favorite natural deodorant. I think it largely depends on the scent you are looking for, or if you’re looking for a scent at all.

On the Fence:
I have trouble saying that these scents and brands weren’t good because I think it came down to body chemistry more than anything else when trying these deodorants. They smelled great in the package but after wearing them for about an hour I absolutely hated the smell. But I still think they are worth a try and will probably go well on you, it just depends on how your body chemistry reacts with the natural scent.

Earth Science – Tea Tree/Lavender

Thai Crystal – I have personally never tried this one but the folks on the PPK forum either raved about it or said it was the worst thing they ever tried. So I’m putting it in the on the fence category. Personally, since I’ve been through so much trial and error I can’t say that I’m going to try out the crystal but please let me know your experience if you do!

Duds:
Jason – Naturally Fresh. I didn’t understand the concept of a scentless deodorant but I decided to give it a try anyway, just in case there was something I was missing. Well I wasn’t missing anything. This is nothing more than a moisturizer for your armpits. Since I have it around and it takes years to expire I just use it after I shave under my arms as a moisturizer at night but never when I’m actually looking for odor control.

Tom’s of Main – Unscented. I had the same issue with this as I did with Jason’s naturally fresh. I just don’t see the point.

Alba – Tea Tree. The smell starts off good but once you start to work up a sweat this stuff turns from the scent of the gods to the hind part of Satan within minutes. This one was almost unanimously hated on the PPK by all who had previously tried it.

UPDATE!!! CHECK OUT MY LATEST REVIEWS ON NEW AMAZING NATURAL DEODERANTS HERE