Product Review: 100% Pure Coconut Hydrating Body Wash

By: Megan
Cost: $15

So in honor of using soap again, I thought a review of my body wash was in order.  Let me start by saying this was not my first body wash that I tried, like Meg I started with Dr. Bronners.  I loved the smell of it and the ingredients, BUT I didn't have the same great results that she did.  My skin became extremely dry after using Dr. Bronners, even after slathering on lotion my skin still felt like it was going to flake off.  I really didn't want to give up on one of my first clean products and was sticking with it, lucky for me, Meg knew how much I hated it and picked up 100% pure's body wash for me.  Just before Meg bought me this product we had fallen in love with 100% Pure, they have an amazing line and the name does not lie, it is completely pure.  The first thing i noticed about this product was how big the bottle is, you get 17 oz for $15 and the bottle is good for about 6 months.  I'm not sure if i'll even be able to use all of the body wash in 6 months! The body wash smells wonderful, and they have it in a ton of different scents.  The coconut scent reminds me of summer time on a beach with a drink in my hand, who doesn't love that!  It also solved my dry skin problems that had been created with Dr. Bronners, and quickly too.  Once I started using this my skin was much softer and I didn't have to instantly put lotion on after getting out of the shower.  I am fully in love with this body wash and am excited to start using it again, I missed it while on my no soap trek.  If you have dry sensitive skin, I recommend picking up this product ASAP.  If you are lucky enough to have a beauty 360 (at cvs) near you, thats where we are able to pick up this brand.  If you can't find this line locally check out there website (or facebook page, or twitter)  they seem extremely eager to help!

NO Soap Challenge

Its official, I survived facing the world with no soap for not 1 not 2 not 3 but 6 days.  Yes folks no soap 6 days, and it wasn't as bad as I expected.  So if you have no idea what I am talking about with this no soap challenge nonsense, let me fill you in.  Our clean product gurus and authors of the book 'No More Dirty Looks' issued a challenge to not use soap for at least 5 days, for the sake of research of course.  In return they will take submissions of how you held up with no soap, and they want details good or bad... they will pick winners to give $100 to NuboNau to shop away with.  I have to admit the pull of $100 to spend on clean products was my main motivation for this, second do that was pure curiosity.  There have been more and more stories about how people can go without soap and not smell and have better skin as a result of it (example Sean Bonner).   Meg was not convinced of the benefits and not wiling to try, but was recruited to me my smell checker, I'm sure it was just the job she wanted! My first day of no soap was encouraging, my shower was really really fast leaving me with extra time to get ready and I felt clean.  Day two wasn't too much different, quick shower felt clean, didn't stink, I was thinking people were on to this no soap thing.  Day three, was harder I felt dirty I wanted to pick up that body wash I love so much and that smelled so good and scrub away, I left the shower feeling unsatisfied.  Meg assured me I didn't stink and I couldn't smell any stench but I still felt gross.  That being said, I was not looking forward to day four.  The only positive thing about day four was that day five was next and I only had to last five days for this challenge.  Funny thing happened on day four, I showered looked longingly at my body wash got out of the shower and felt clean.  Definitely was not expecting to have a positive experience after day three and I had fought so much.  Day 5 rolled around and I looked at my body wash and said I'll see you tomorrow, double checked with Meg for a stench level, confirmed it was still at zero and went on with my day.  The next morning I got in the shower and thought to myself, why not push it to day six, what the hell!  When I woke up on day 7 and got in the shower, my first thought was not OHMYGOSH I NEED MY BODY WASH NOW! Instead I said, I made it 6 days, I deserve a reward! In all honestly I probably could have lasted a few more days before I reached for the body wash.  So the results, I think its pretty clear that I passed the smell test, which was my biggest fear with no soap.   I think its also clear that while I felt clean on most days I still missed the process of washing, the clean smell, the bubbles, the knowing I wouldn't stink.  But you maybe wondering how my skins appearance held up during the challenge.  Well it was pretty much the same as before, no big changes good or bad.  I didn't break out from not using soap and my skin was actually pretty darn clear.  I have eczema on my arms and was very interested on if avoiding soap would help or hurt me, well it did neither.  My skin reacted pretty much the same to no soap as it did to soap.  I did notice my skin was a little bit more moisturized, nothing drastic, but I did not have the urge to slather on lotion as often.  So my conclusion from this challenge is that I'm going to cut back on my soap usage, because it doesn't seem to be doing great things for me, not hurting me, but why keep using a product everyday if it does nothing?  By no means am I saying good by to my body wash, and in most cases I will probably use it almost everyday on at least my pits, because of the clean feeling it gives me.  What I do not see myself doing is lathering up from head to toe anymore, just seems like a waste of product at this point!  So thats it my results are in, did anybody out there try the challenge out?  If so I am super interested to see what other peoples experiences have been.  If you want to try it out for the prize No More Dirty Looks is offering its not too late Click here to read about it.  Entires have to be in by January 26th, and I encourage you all to give it a try!

Product Review: John Masters Organics Rosemary and Peppermint Detangler

By: Meg
Cost: 16.00

   When I transitioned to all natural shampoo and conditioner, my hair did not have the immediate positive reaction I was hoping for unfortunately. The first time I used the natural stuff, my hair felt really heavy and greasy at first, then after a day of not washing it felt really dry. I didn't give up though, I messed around with a couple different brands until I found hair magic!
  One product I found that makes every day a good hair day, is John Masters Organics Rosemary and Peppermint Detangler. I noticed that with my new products, my hair got tangles a little more often than with my old products. I'm not sure why that happened, but I bought the detangler as a solution for that problem. My hair is very smooth now and feels really well moisturized.
  First things first, this stuff smells absolutely wonderful! I love the fresh smell of peppermint, it makes may hair smell really clean. There is another detangler from the same brand that is citrus scented that smells equally great. The detangler is applied as a last step, after shampoo and conditioner have been rinsed out. I leave it in my hair for about three minutes and then rinse it out. Even before I dry my hair I can easily run my fingers through it, which was not the case even with my dirty products. After blow-drying may hair feels pretty amazing! I have a tough time not touching it and constantly running my finger through it. I think my hair even holds style a little better when I use this.
 The 8OZ's that you get may not seem like much, but I don't really need to use very much to get the desired effect, and as I've mentioned before, it's not necessary to wash your hair EVERYDAY, so I anticipate the bottle lasting me at least a month or longer (and I have a lot of hair).
 You can buy this item at many Whole Foods stores, or check out the website www.JohnMasters.com. The website is great because it lists the ingredients in each product and tells you why that ingredient was put into your product. The whole line is really wonderful but the detangler is definitely a fav of mine.

Product Review: Pangea Organics Moroccan Argan with Willow & Rosemary Facial Cream

By: Megan
Cost: $32

So I guess just by the title you are expecting me to be obsessed with this moisturizer based on the fact that its Pangea Organics, well you would be wrong.  I know I'm not happy about that little fact either.  When I first bought this (about a month ago) I had just learned how great argan oil is, and was ready to buy anything that it as an ingredient.  So I was thrilled when I saw Pangea Organics made a moisturizer that had argan listed in the name!  When I picked up the bottle I saw that it said for oily or blemish prone skin, which I do not have, but said screw it!  It had Argan in it, it was by Pangea, and I can have a one tracked mind sometimes, I figured blemish prone or not it would be great, it had everything I wanted!  Well, if you can remember from my review on Pangea Organics toner, my face and I fought for a while after making the switch.  Once we were on speaking terms again, I noticed that while my skin looked amazing it still didn't feel like it was getting all of the moisturizer it needed.  After I applied this lotion my skin still felt tight, I thought maybe I just was being stingy and not using enough and upped the amount of pumps, still same results.  I didn't want to face the fact that what I thought was going to be a perfect moisturizer had failed me, but it had.  I have a hunch that because this  is for oily skin there is something in it that is just not good for my face, plus the argan was probably added in to help control oil production not keep me super moisturized like I had hoped.  I'm still using this lotion because I spent $35 and there is still a ton left, but I do not think I would repurchase it.  Until I give in and buy a new moisturizer, I have been mixing pure argan in with it and my face has felt a little better...but still I know I can do better! That being said if you do have oily or blemish prone skin, I bet this would work miracles!  It smells nice but not overpowering and absorbs quickly into my skin.  Plus I know its silly but i love the packaging on these products, it looks so nice lined up in my bathroom!

Product Review: Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay Mask

By: Meg
Cost: ~ 7.00


 It's true, you should never judge a book by it's cover, but when it comes to make-up and skincare products, Megan and I are admittedly suckers for pretty packaging and smart marketing. We relate the effort a company puts toward presentation, to the effort they must put toward the quality of the contents. This theory of course, is pretty flawed and we have found a couple great products that prove that (not that we are ready to change our ways totally).
 Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay Mask is contained in a decidedly plain, even ugly, package but it does some great things! Megan and I were looking for a mask that was 100% clay, with no crazy additives. This was the only one we found that didn't add a single thing, just pure, dry clay.  Since it is essentially just mud, we decided to forgive them for not putting lipstick on the pig.
 To get this mask going, you mix a bit of clay with some apple cider vinegar until you get a paste. Apply the paste to your face and just wait for the mask to dry. Once on your face, the mask does feel like it is penetrating your pores. During the drying phase your face will feel a bit like it is pulsating and heating up a bit. Removing the mask takes a little time and some coaxing with hot water. Once it's off you might be shocked to see that your face is beet red (eek!). but don't worry, that will fade quickly. The first time we used the mask Megan and I were so amazed at how something so simple could make our skin feel so smooth and look so even and lovely.
 The price is pretty great too, at about 5.00 -7.00 for a pound. A pound should last a very long time too since you need very little to cover your whole face.
 Even though we still say that many natural products should take a second look at their packaging (we won't mention any names...ahem Alaffia), we are trying to be more focused on the ingredients list and we encourage you to keep turning your bottles around!

Weekend Special: San Francisco Adventure

  Today Megan and I decided to head into San Francisco for some Natural Beauty recon. We went to some very cute areas of the city and had a great time scoping out new stores and products to try.
   We first went to Clary Sage Organics http://www.clarysageorganics.com/, an adorable boutique that features organic clothing AND skincare. When we arrived at the store we realized that they are primarily a clothing boutique. The had some very cute eco-friendly styles, many of which were marked 40% off. We went to the rear of the store and found the skincare and cosmetics. They carry a few RMS cosmetics, and some W3ll People cosmetics. We found some beautiful eyeshadows and mineral makeup but there selection left a little to be desired. If you are ever in the area (Fillmore St. at Sacramento) we do recommend stopping in. That area is filled with adorable boutiques and small shops and we will for sure be going back.
   After Clary Sage, we stopped into a Jurlique spa. Jurlique markets itself as carrying products that contain hand selected, natural, organic ingredients. In going to the store and perusing their avalible products, we discovered that their products do contain some natural ingredients but also contain quite a few harsh chemicals as well. These products were also quite expensive so Megan and I decided to move on quickly.
   Next place we hit was a store called Lush http://www.lushusa.com/, which is in Union Square. This place was so fun! The small store was packed with customers which is a good sign to start with. We were greeted by the helpful (perhaps overly) sales girl who immedialty offered us a hand treatment. The store carrys all hand made , natural products. They have fragrances that have no suspicious ingredients (and ingredients are clearly listed on their webite for all products). The perfumes are pretty earthy and a bit too hippie for my taste. They have a huge selection of handmade soaps and bath bombs which smell devine! We found some shampoo bars and another crazy shampoo that had little crystals in it which I suppose would massage your scalp (?), called Big Shampoo.  Lush had these amazin massage bars too. They are not soap, but solid bars of different oils meant to soothe tire muscles. the bar melts at skin temp and absorbs into your skin as you massage. I bought two of those! This store had so many natural items that are so different from anything we have come across so far. If you live in the area we encourage you to pop by a store some time (they have two locations), or check out their website. They have all their products available online with  wonderful descriptions and comprehensive ingredient descriptions.
  We had such a fun lady-date today and we are so sad the weekend is at an end so soon :( .  We do have some great reviews coming up this week though so be sure to stay tuned!