White Tea Hand Soap (A La Maison de Provence)

Photo: Vitacost.com

Rating: 8/10
Cost: $7.99 for 16.9 oz. at Whole Foods (got it on sale for $5)
Notes: Great lather, but runny consistency
Repurchase?  Yes.

I wash my hands a lot, and usually find soap very drying on my hands.  However, this soap was different!  The bottle states it is "ultra moisturizing with olive and argan oils," and it can be used on hands or on your body.  I never felt like this soap dried out my hands, and I'm almost finished with the entire bottle!  (It contains 16.9 oz--much larger than most hand soap bottles!)  It has a delicate floral smell--you can clearly smell it while you're using it, but it only stays on your hands for a few minutes afterwards.  (My husband appreciates this, but I love the smell!)  I also love the simple ingredient list.

The only thing I don't like about it is the consistency is quite runny.  (My husband thought I added water to it. I didn't, but it's the first ingredient listed.)  That being said, it still lathers very well (especially with no sulfates), and doesn't dry out my skin.  It is not an antibacterial soap--I won't get into the debate on whether you need an antibacterial soap or not, as everyone has their own opinions about the short and long-term use of antibacterial soaps.  I'm just stating that this one is not antibacterial.

I think this would make an excellent body wash, but haven't tried it yet.  The pump almost dispenses too much for your hands (probably because the consistency is so thin), so it might be better in the shower.  However, as the only hand soap that hasn't made me run for hand cream, so far it's a keeper.

Ingredients: filtered water, coconut and olive oil, natural vegetable glycerin, argan oil, tocopherol (vitamin e), natural fragrance with plant extracts and essential oils

Balancing Oil (Pangea Organics)

Photo: PangeaOrganics.com

Rating: 9/10
Cost: $50 for 1 fl. oz.
Notes: LOVE this oil, just wish it wasn't so expensive!
Repurchase: If I can get it for cheaper.

Pangea Organics is one of my favorite brands, and this balancing oil is one of the main reasons why. It's in a dark-colored glass bottle (nutrients remain in-tact longer in tinted glass bottles due to less light exposure), and has a pump dispenser.  I mix a few drops with my facial moisturizer in the morning, and sometimes at night I'll just use a few drops of this after washing my face.  It makes my skin super soft, smells amazing, and absorbs very nicely.

It took me a while to realize putting oil on my skin doesn't make my skin oily. Now that I understand that, I actually prefer it to cream moisturizers. The painful part for me is the price of this oil.  $50 is way too much money for me to spend on 1 oz of oil.  I can get facial oils from many other companies for less than half the price, so I'm not sure if it's this specific oil, or the fact that it's the first oil I've used that makes me love it so.

My verdict?  I am going to savor every drop of this oil as long as I have it.  (So far, it's already lasted me about six months, so I'm quite happy.)  Once it finishes, I'll probably try the facial oil from either 100% Pure or Acure Organics, as I also love their products.  If I find this oil is really that much better, and worth the hefty price tag, I might cave and purchase it as one of my staples.  The reason I knocked a point off is that the pump stops dispensing the oil when there is still about 1/4 of an inch left in the bottle. (When you only use a drop or two, this is enough for almost a month!)  I purchased a separate dropper bottle from Ebay for about $3 and poured in the remainder.  I would have preferred a dropper dispenser instead of a pump, but other than that and the price, I really can't find anything wrong with it!

Ingredients: rosa canina (organic rose hip) fruit oil, argania spinosa (organic argan) oil, simmondsia chinesis (organic jojoba) oil, butyrospermum parkii (liquid shea) butter, calophyllum tacamahaca (organic tamanu) oil, punica granatum (organic pomegranate) seed oil, oenothera biennis (organic evening primrose) oil, borago officinalis (organic borage) oil, squalane, mixed tocopherol (vitamin e), punica granatum (organic pomegranate) extract, camellia sinesis (organic green tea) leaf extract, pelargonium graveolens (wildcrafted himalayan geranium) oil,  pelargonium graveolens (organic geranium) oil, helichrysum italicum (organic helichrysum) oil, rosa damascena (rose otto) oil, essential oil

Cover Your Mouth Lip Protector (Origins)

Photo: Origins.com

Rating: 5/10
Cost: $9 for .15 oz tube (I think they have now raised it to $11)
Notes: Ok, but leaves a white residue
Repurchase? Probably not. 

I wanted to like this lip balm, as it has SPF8 as well.  It comes in a light green tube that conveniently twists from the top instead of the bottom.  It has a minty smell and taste--pleasant, but not overbearing.  However, it feels like it just sits on my lips--not really a waxy feel, but like something is coating my lips.  Not terrible to deal with, as it does make my lips soft, but the deal breaker for me is the white residue it leaves behind.  (Must be the titanium dioxide--the active ingredient that provides the sun protection.)

So, the white residue leaves me to finish my tube by wearing it before I go to bed every night. (Sun protection becomes kind of a waste.)  Don't think I'd be repurchasing this--perhaps if I was going to a beach somewhere and couldn't find a good lip balm with SPF, but I'm certain there are better ones out there. I'll pass on this one.

Active ingredient: titanium dioxide- 1.8%
Ingredients: canola oil, beeswax (cera alba), lecithin, mentha piperita (peppermint) essential oil (olea), cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, vanilla planifolia, aloe barbadensis (aloe) leaf juice, lauroyl lysine, tocopherol (vitamin e), aluminum stearate, stearic acid

Acai Berry Antioxidant Eye Cream (100% Pure)

Photo: 100percentpure.com

Rating: 10/10
Cost: $25 for 1 fl. oz
Notes: Leaves my eye area super soft!
Repurchase?  Yes!

I'm not a huge eye cream person.  However, I love 100% Pure's products, and figured I'd give this one a try.  (If you haven't tried any of their items, just read the ingredients on any random product on their website.  Amazing!  They take "natural" to a whole new level.) After a few weeks, I noticed that the skin around my eyes felt smooth as silk!  I can't comment on how it affects lines, etc., as I don't have too many yet.  However, I do think it makes me look more awake on those days where I could have used another few hours of sleep. :-)

On the downside, it does take some time to soak in.  I feel like my eyes look a bit greasy for a few minutes, but ten or fifteen minutes later, I'm good to go!   I've also tried the Caffeine Eye Cream by 100% Pure, but find myself going back to this one.  Something about the fruity smell and the softness of my skin after I use it.  The container is glass, and comes with a little pump.  (Half a pump is usually enough for me.)  Love this!

Ingredients:  Organic Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice 1, Organic Rosa Centifolia Flower Water (Rose Hydrosol) 2, Euterpe Oleracea (Acai Berry) Fruit Oil, Extracts of: Calendula Officinalis (Calendula) Flower, Euterpe Oleracea (Acai Berry) Fruit, Euphorbia Cerifera Cera (Candelilla), Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf, Thymus Vulgaris Hydrastis Canadensis (Goldendeal) and Lonicera Caprifolium (Japanese Honeysuckle), Sodium Ascorbate (Vitamin C), Tocopherol (Vitamin E)

Purifying Seaweed Facial Mask (100% Pure)

Photo: 100percentpure.com

Rating: 5/10
Cost: $17 for 2 fl. oz of powder
Notes: Works well, but smells awful
Repurchase?  No

If you don't mind the smell of seaweed, you'll love this mask.  I, on the other hand, can't stand the smell of seaweed.  This face mask comes in a glass jar as a powder--you mix the powder in equal parts with either water, tea or yogurt.  (I've chosen water the last few times--note that you'll need a spoon or a tool to take out the powder from the jar.)  The powder is relatively odorless, but as soon as it is mixed, the smell is pungent.

To be fair, the mask seems to work well.  I try and use it when I have to wash my hair--it takes a very long time to dry (I probably put too much on), and tends to get in my hair, so I need to take a shower immediately after.  My skin always feels smooth and looks fresh once I wash it off, but standing the smell while it's on my face is the hardest part.  On one hand, I can tell it is pure (one of the reasons I adore this brand), but I just can't deal with it.  (It also gets everywhere when you wash it off--green bits in the sink, on the counter...just not my thing.)

So, long story short, I love the effects of this mask but just cannot take the smell.  I have considered mixing in some essential oils to mask the smell, but with so many other face masks out there, I think I can find one I like better.

Ingredients: Organic Seaweeds (Kelp, Agar Agar, Bladderwrack), French Green Clay, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Vitamin C (calcium ascorbate), Organic Peppermint Leaves

Totally Pure Deodorant (Origins)

Photo: Origins.com

Rating:  9/10
Cost: $15 (3.4 oz bottle)
Notes:  Great deodorant, unisex, but a bit pricey
Repurchase?  Yes.  (And did, numerous times!)

I'm not going to go into all the pros and cons of using a natural deodorant.  Everyone has different opinions, and the data seems to vary based on what source you cite.  However, I knew I wanted to switch to an aluminum-free deodorant, and was on the hunt for one that worked.

I bought this deodorant directly from Origins, and it became my go-to deodorant for over two years.  It has an herbal smell, so it doesn't smell feminine at all.  (My husband could use this without a problem.)  It sometimes smelled a little too woodsy for me, but the fact that it was 100% natural and organic made it worth it.  The spray took me a while to get used to (I was used to my stick anti-perspirant), but once I did, I absolutely adored it.  I did need to re-apply in the afternoon on more hot and humid days, but I didn't mind, seeing as though it's completely natural and organic.  (I also had to wait an hour or so if I had just shaved--spraying it on freshly shaven skin isn't so pleasant.)  It's pricey at $15, but one bottle lasted me about 4-6 months, depending on the season. 

One note if you are thinking about switching to a natural deodorant--apparently it takes a few weeks for your body to clear itself out of the chemicals from antiperspirants.  So, um, expect to smell for the first week or so no matter which deodorant you switch to.  After that, it's much better, and you can judge whether or not it works for you. :-)

The only reason I stopped using this deodorant and switched to Bubble & Bee's deodorant (review to come!), is because after a few years I felt more self-conscious, like it wasn't working as well as it used to.  I've heard that your body can get used to natural deodorants, so it's best to switch it up, and perhaps that is what happened.  (My husband told me it was all in my head, and that I didn't smell, but I didn't want to take the chance.)  I'm now adoring Bubble & Bee's deodorants, and plan to switch to them for a while. 

Ingredients:  alcohol denat, water, eugenia caryophyllus (clove) leaf oil, citrus medica limonum (lemon) peel oil, cananga odorata (ylang ylang) flower oil, pogostemon cablin (patchouli) oil, citrus nobilis (mandarin orange) peel oil, cymbopogon martini (indian palmarosa) oil, lavandula angustifolia (lavender) oil, zingiber officinate (ginger) root extract, citral, geraniol, linalool, farnesol, benzyl benzoate, benzyl salicylate, eugenol, isoeugenol, limonene, salix alba (willow) bark extract, glycerin, vinegar