Citrusy Soft

For the past couple of weeks, I've been using Brittanie's Thyme Organic Citrus Facial Cleanser. This product is made with all of four non toxic ingredients you would find in your local health food store (aloe gel, jojoba oil, vegetable glycerine and essential oils) and is "free of chemical additives such as parabens and other harmful agents."
Thanks to the organic aloe gel and jojoba oil, this liquid cleanser really softens my skin without making it super oily or causing blemishes. My skin has been really soft, yet clear.
I always use a toner on my skin after washing my face to see if the cleanser I'm using really gets out the dirt, grime and makeup and I've noticed on the days where I am wearing light makeup, my skin feels super clean after using this product, but on the days when I have that "full face" of makeup on, (yesterday for example) I had to use extra toner because this mild cleanser just doesn't seem to get every last ounce of foundation and powder off of my skin.
Basically what I'm saying is...this is a great gentle product, non toxic to me and the environment. It's great for dry or oily skin and really does it's job for the most part. If you are a Vegas showgirl or on TV and always wear tons of makeup, just be sure to use a little extra toner just in case....3 out fo 4 stars for performance and value.
**Brittanie's Thyme LLC products are currently being considered for USDA organic certification and all products are 95% organic or higher.
*Brittanie's Thyme is a Campaign for Safe Cosmetics signer— of which EWG is a founding member — is a coalition of public health, educational, religious, labor, womens, environmental, and consumer groups working on the ground in communities, in the halls of lawmakers, and directly with cosmetic manufacturers to encourage reformulations and safer ingredients. Over 500 companies have voluntarily signed a pledge called the campaign's "Compact for Safe Cosmetics," a pledge to formulate products that do not use ingredients that are known or suspected to cause certain health harms within three years of signing.
*This product scores a 1 on the EWG scale. (all 20 Brittanie's Thyme products score a 0 or a 1 on the EWG scale).
*The Brittanie's Thyme website is: http://www.brittaniesthyme.com/.
*This product is $12.00 for a 4 oz pump bottle.

Just in time for the cold and flu season, get $1.50 off Cold Comfort Crystals now through October 31, 2008.

Encoura is Encouraging

It may be hot & humid outside, but you would never know it by the look of my skin. I've been using Encoura Facial Cleanser for about three weeks now and I love it. My skin isn't dry or flaky, nor is it oily or blemished....it's just right. This liquid cleanser comes in a large 8 oz. bottle and seems to last forever! It has a nice citrusy scent too. It gives a nice lather without nasty chemicals and it just makes my skin glow. According to the Encoura website: " Our herbs come from certified organic sources. Our oils are food grade, extracted by pressing the seed or nut without the use of chemical solvents. Our whole leaf Aloe Vera juice is used in place of water or alcohol. By using aloe we avoid the drying effects of alcohol and aloe is much better for your skin. Our scents are pure essential oils extracted without alcohol or solvents. Our colors are either herbs and spices or cosmetic grade natural mineral pigments. Our other ingredients such as Salts, Milk, Oatmeal, Soda, Starch and Butters are all food grade. No animals were used in the testing of our personal care products".
You guessed it, there is nothing negative I can say about this product, I guess I have to give it 4 out of 4 stars for performance and at $8.00 for an 8oz. bottle, I have to give it 4 out of 4 stars for value.
*Encoura is a is a Campaign for Safe Cosmetics signer— of which EWG is a founding member — is a coalition of public health, educational, religious, labor, womens, environmental, and consumer groups working on the ground in communities, in the halls of lawmakers, and directly with cosmetic manufacturers to encourage reformulations and safer ingredients. Over 500 companies have voluntarily signed a pledge called the campaign's "Compact for Safe Cosmetics," a pledge to formulate products that do not use ingredients that are known or suspected to cause certain health harms within three years of signing.
*This product scores a 1 on the EWG site.
*The Encoura website is: http://www.encoura.com/
*I paid $8.00 for an 8 oz. bottle.

I Like it, But..........

I know I've been a little hard on the Gourmet Body Treat products, but I really was hoping that would change with the Kukui Mint Facial Cleanser. I like this product because it's gentle, it gives a bit of a lather, it's minty fresh, and it seems to get all of my make up off. According to the Gourmet Body Treats website "This gentle facial cleanser is ideal for daily use to thoroughly purify and balance oily, combination, or blemished skin. Free of harsh abrasives and ingredients that strip skin of moisture, it leaves the skin soft and freshly cleansed. Kukui nut and Perilla oil both contain very high levels of essential fatty acids including Omega 3 fatty acid that exhibit antiseptic activity against the bacteria responsible for acne while simultaneously providing skin tissues the essential elements that it needs to heal and repair itself". Unfortunately I have not had luck with the anti blemish properties of this cleanser. I've been using it for over two weeks now, and the other day I noticed several small pimples all over the sides of my face, neck and even a few on my forehead. The blemishes are tiny and flesh colored and not too noticeable, but I am pretty sure they are zits. I rarely get pimples and even when I do get them, it's usually one at a time, so I would have to guess this product is just not working for me and my oily skin. The first two ingredients are Olive Oil and Kukui Oil, so although it doesn't seem to make my skin oily or shiny and the website claims it's ok for blemish prone and oily skin, I'm just not feeling it. I don't know if those oils are clogging my pores or what, but for whatever reason it's given me my first thru tenth pimple in a really long time. I think this is a good product, so I am giving it 3 out of 4 stars, but I would probably be cautious using this cleanser if you have oily or blemish prone skin.
* Gourmet Body Treats is a Campaign for Safe Cosmetics signer— of which EWG is a founding member — is a coalition of public health, educational, religious, labor, womens, environmental, and consumer groups working on the ground in communities, in the halls of lawmakers, and directly with cosmetic manufacturers to encourage reformulations and safer ingredients. Over 500 companies have voluntarily signed a pledge called the campaign's "Compact for Safe Cosmetics," a pledge to formulate products that do not use ingredients that are known or suspected to cause certain health harms within three years of signing.
*Because this is a new product, it was not in the EWG database as of yet. When I added it myself, it came up as a 0. **This information has not been verified by the EWG. The 47 Gourmet Body Treats products which are in the database all score a 0 or a 1.
*The Gourmet Body Treats website is:http://www.gourmetbodytreats.com/.
*I paid $16.25 for a little bottle (it doesn't have the size anywhere on the bottle or the website so I really don't know how much is in the bottle, but using it twice a day for 2 1/2 weeks, I have a little over a half bottle left.

Clean, Soft and Lavender

I hate to admit it, because I am a tad disgruntled with the company, but I happen to like the See The Dawn Facial Cleanser I started using 10 days ago. The ingredients are: "Aloe Vera to clean and soften the skin; vegetable glycerin to promote water retention; lavender floral water for fragrance; and distilled water (contains no bacteria).". That's it, Aloe Vera, Glycerin and water. This product comes in a spray bottle so you can either spray directly on your face or just put some on a cotton pad and dab it on your face. I think you are supposed to rinse it off, at least I have been rinsing it off, there really aren't any directions on the bottle or the website and I would normally contact the company to ask them but I have a feeling they would just tell me to get lost. Anyway, this product smells like refreshing lavender, it's not the least bit drying or greasy, but it really softens my skin. It's gentle on my sensitive skin so I haven't had to worry about my skin being flaky or red, but it's cleaning power is strong enough to tackle every last ounce of my makeup. I do have one beef with the spray bottle though, this product comes in a 4 oz bottle, however the tube attached to the spray is too long for a bottle that size, so after using not even half the bottle, the sprayer stopped working (click on the photo to enlarge so you can see the tube around the inside of the bottle and how it's collecting air, not product), so at this point, I have to pour the product on a cotton ball because the sprayer doesn't work, but that's more about the bottle not the product, so unfortunately, I have to give this product my thumbs up.
*See The Dawn is a Compact for Safe Cosmetics Signer which means- a coalition of public health, educational, religious, labor, womens, environmental, and consumer groups working on the ground in communities, in the halls of lawmakers, and directly with cosmetic manufacturers to encourage reformulations and safer ingredients. Over 500 companies have voluntarily signed a pledge called the campaign's "Compact for Safe Cosmetics," a pledge to formulate products that do not use ingredients that are known or suspected to cause certain health harms within three years of signing.
*This product scores a 0 on the EWG scale.
*The See The Dawn website is: http://www.seethedawn.com/.
*This product is $15 for a 4 oz bottle.

Detox With Flowers - Very Therapeutic

As you know, the skin on my face can get as shiny as the sun on a warm summer's day, so naturally, I try to avoid facial products which contain oil. I don't know what possessed me to try Terressentials Organic Flower Therapy Detoxifying Facial Cleanser, because it happens to contain olive oil (along with organic flower extracts, aloe vera juice, essentials oils, and some other wonderful ingredients), but I've had pretty good luck with Terressentials in the past so I decided to go for it, and I'm glad I did. This product isn't oily in the least, in fact, it's super mild and makes my skin soft, smooth and glowing. According to the label, this "cleansing gel aids in skin renewal, helps to improve skin clarity and texture, and removes most toxic pollutants". I have got to tell you, I'm a believer. My skin is so clear and smooth- it really does help the texture and I have not broken out once since I've been using this product. I've had this product for a few weeks and I still have 3/4 of the bottle left (I use it twice a day). This product comes in a glass bottle with a hole at the top. You tip the bottle over to get a few drops of the cleanser on your washcloth or in your hand and wash away. Although it's called Flower Therapy, I don't notice a flower fragrance, the only scent that really stands out to me is a delicious citrus scent, which is great first thing in the morning to really wake me up. As always, Terressentials products are hand crafted and USDA certified organic.
*Terressentials is a Compact for Safe Cosmetics signer, which means "The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics — of which EWG is a founding member — is a coalition of public health, educational, religious, labor, womens, environmental, and consumer groups working on the ground in communities, in the halls of lawmakers, and directly with cosmetic manufacturers to encourage reformulations and safer ingredients. Over 500 companies have voluntarily signed a pledge called the campaign's "Compact for Safe Cosmetics," a pledge to formulate products that do not use ingredients that are known or suspected to cause certain health harms within three years of signing. Read the Compact document or see a complete list of the signers. If you're a cosmetics company, find out how to get involved."
*Terressentials Organic Flower Therapy Detoxifying Facial Cleanser was not in the EWG/ Skin Deep database but when I entered it myself, it came up as a 0. This information has not been verified by the EWG, however, all Terressentials products score a 0- a 3 in the database.
*The Terressentials website is: http://www.terressentials.com/. All Terressential products are °USDA Certified Organic.
*I paid $17.85 for 4 oz bottle.

Pricey, but Worth it

The skin on my face is super sensitive AND as oily as the inside of a can of WD-40. If I don't wear foundation, my face gets red and splotchy, it doesn't hurt or itch, it just looks funny. I wash my face and not even two hours later, my face is shinier than a brand new penny, hot off the press. With that being said, I have to be careful about what facial cleanser I use. I like something for oily skin, yet it has to be mild for sensitive skin. I saw that all of the Nurture My Body Products are either a 0 or a 1 on the Skin Deep/ EWG scale, so I decided to order a few products online, including their Cleansing Milk with seaweed extract & aloe vera gel. The label claims it's a gentle cleanser for normal to oily skin.
It comes in a pump bottle and it's like a cream or a lotion. It isn't soapy, it doesn't lather, but I can really feel it coat my skin. The makeup and oils just dissolve, leaving my skin soft and really clean feeling, not dried out, not greasy. This isn't like most cleansers for oily skin which tend to leave my skin tight, dry, cracked or peeling.
The scent is very earthy/planty (making up my own words again) smelling. You know how you can smell an Aveda product a mile away, well, this is similar to that smell, not good, not bad, just earthy/ planty.
A 3.75 oz. bottle is $20.50, which is pretty steep, but a little goes a long way. One small pump's worth is all you need and after a few weeks of using this twice a day, I still have half of the bottle left. I totally think it's worth the price....if you can afford it, but if you make minimum wage and you have trouble paying your mortgage on time, then you may want to skip it. I'm sure in my quest for less toxic facial cleansers, I'll come across another great facial cleanser that will take a smaller chunk out of your wallet.
*Per the Nurture My Body website, "Our products are 100% biodegradable, cruelty-free, and do not contain harmful synthetic fragrance oils, preservatives, petroleum products, FD&C colorants and dyes, parabens, phthalates, or other toxic chemicals."
*Nurture My Body is a Compact for Safe Cosmetics Signer which means "The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics — of which EWG is a founding member — is a coalition of public health, educational, religious, labor, womens, environmental, and consumer groups working on the ground in communities, in the halls of lawmakers, and directly with cosmetic manufacturers to encourage reformulations and safer ingredients. Over 500 companies have voluntarily signed a pledge called the campaign's "Compact for Safe Cosmetics," a pledge to formulate products that do not use ingredients that are known or suspected to cause certain health harms within three years of signing."
*This product is a 0 on the Skin Deep/ EWG scale.
*The Nurture My Body website is http://stores.nurturemybody.com/StoreFront.bok
*As stated above, a 3.75 oz pump bottle is $20.50.