Happy Hands – A Lotion Review

On my path to switching to all organics, one of my biggest challenges has been finding a decent hand lotion.  I am one of those people who can actually feel soap and water drying my hands out.  I HAVE to put lotion on after I wash my hands, and well, that is only several times a day.  I have tried lots of lotions, and I have already mentioned a couple that I am happy with, but I have found the Desert Essence – Coconut Hand & Body Lotion, 8 oz cream a near perfect replacement to my former favorites.

I used to spend a ton of money on fruity smelling lotions and soaps at my favorite bath store, however since going organic I spend about half of what I used to on products like this one.  I have heard good things about other products from Desert Essence, but have not tried them yet to review them.

Shampoo and Conditioner Review

I am picky when it comes to my shampoo and conditioner. I like my shampoo to leave my hair feeling clean and clear, while I need my conditioner to leave my hair feeling soft and tangle-free. I have thik, curly, over-treated hair that tends to be a bit brittle and dry so while I will sometimes accept a less than perfect shampoo, I will not settle on my conditioners. I have always stuck to one or two brands that were recommended by my hair dresser until I decided to go all natural this past summer.

I have been through a ton of products, and have been mostly disappointed. Yes TO Carrots does stand out though, and has easily been my favorite product so far. I have pretty much stopped trying others, as the price is decent and I really like what it does for my hair. It does meet the minimum requirements from above and is also paraben-free and free of phthalates. I did try the Yes TO Tomatoes shampoo and conditioner first, and was not quite as happy with it.  I believe that Drugstore.com is running a sale right now on the entire line, but you should be able to find this product at most national drugstore chains and even at Target and Walmart.

Great Natural Lip Products

I have been trying to go all natural for a while now, and am finding that some natural and organic products really are a terrible waste of money.  But I am also finding that with persistance, and a bit of online checking, I can find some really great products.

I have been pretty disappointed overall at the lack of natural lipsticks that actually stay on and are worth wearing.  I tried the name brands natural offerings and they don’t seem worth the cost at all.  I did find two lip products within the last week though that I really do like.

First, if you are looking for something with some color to it, I recommend the  TerraGloss from Alba.  As with most products I have found with any color to them, it does contain Mica, iron oxides, titanium dioxide and manganese violet. . .but for special occasions I am willing to risk it with their blaze color.

The other product that I just love for my lips is also from Alba.  I was at my favorite health food store last night and my lips were really chapped so I stopped in the lip isle and saw the Coconut Cream Lip Balm and decided to give it a try.  This coconut cream stuff is really a balm for sore lips.  I couldn’t believe how silky it made my lips feel and how it immediately relieved the pain.  I will be heading back this weekend to pick up more of this so I can put one in the car and in the bathroom at home and have one in my purse all the time.

Finally Friday Fun – A Great Blush

I have been trying some fun new makeup from a couple of different places over the past few weeks and one of my favorite new products is a blush I actually got for free at Coastal Classic Creations.

This site is just great.  They claim to be “working towards the advancement of clean cosmetics,” and I have to say that they seem to be doing a great job.  I ordered some concealer, powder, and lipstick originally and I will be reviewing those cosmetics in another post.  The neat thing about my order was that since I spent a certain amount I was offered not only a couple of free products, but MY CHOICE of free products.  I have only gotten free samples before from one other cosmetic company, and they did the picking, so this was a fantastic first impression for me.

I ordered a sample of the “Driftwood” (Rosewood) Creme Blush.  I have not used creme blush before, but I wanted to try it out and I figured a free sample was the perfect way to do so.  Boy am I glad I ordered this stuff.  It goes on so nice and creamy, and I find it much easier to get the look I want with the creme.  The color is actually very close to the way it appears on the website, and I am fairly certain that it will last me a few months.  The price is higher than I would normally pay for blush, but as I said, I believe this will last quite a while so it seems worth the price to me.  And while I do love this product, I think I will have to try the “Stargazer” Burgundy Blush next time.