DIY Organic Jojoba Oil And Sugar Body Scrub *updated with video demo*

Add a tablespoon of jojoba oil to 1/3 cup of raw sugar to make an awesome exfoliating scrub! Super easy but faboo results. It will leave your skin exfoliated and soft as a baby's butt for pennies without all of the chemicals, preservatives and heavy perfumes of commercial body scrubs. Because you're using sugar, you don't have to worry about your tub or pipes getting rusted like with salt scrubs. I used Deluxe Botanicals Jojoba Oil - 100% Pure & Organic.

The best thing about Jojoba Oil is that it is packed with almost all of the vitamins and minerals essentially needed for healthy hair and skin, namely, vitamin E, B-complex, copper, zinc, selenium, iodine, and chromium. It normally does not have any harmful impact and can be used by even those who are having sensitive skin without worrying for any allergic reaction.

WHAT IS JOJOBA OIL?

Jojoba oil is actually not an oil, but a liquid wax. It’s a melted type of vegetable wax and is found in the seeds/nuts of jojoba plant, which is an evergreen woody shrub plant that grows in hot areas, such as desert areas of California, Arizona and Mexico. It’s colourless, odorless and has a number of beauty benefits. It has a very long shelf life, so it can sit on your shower shelf for years!

IS JOJOBA OIL GOOD FOR SKIN, HAIR AND FACE?

The jojoba oil is the only oil that closely resembles human sebum – an oily substance naturally produced by the oil glands below the skin surface, so its uses and benefits to the skin and hair are high. It is a perfect choice for those who want to use natural products for their skin, hair and face care.

USES FOR JOJOBA OIL

Jojoba oil has immense uses for skin, hair and face. It can be used alone or can be combined with other essential oils to make it more effective. This oil is beneficial due to its moisturizing and emollient properties. Its awesome beneficial qualities to manage skin and hair have made it a useful ingredient for hair, beauty and skin care products. Moreover it is anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and non-toxic that again make it useful for hair, face and the whole body.

I always love argan oil, but DANG! This stuff from Visible Science is GIZORGEOUS!

No #conditioner or #foundation just #visiblesciencearganoil #arganoil

A photo posted by Julie Ann Keene-Roppolo (@thebeautypirate) on Jun 16, 2015 at 6:30pm

Product Description

Visible Science's Organic Argan Oil with Resveratrol is a luxurious beauty oil that can be used to enhance the beauty of both hair and skin. The combination of Argan Oil and Resveratrol creates an effect that maximizes the antioxidant, protective and restorative properties of Argan Oil. Infuse your hair with shine and eliminate split ends with Visible Science's Argan Oil with Resveratrol! Our certified organic argan oil strengthens hair follicles with essential vitamins, and repairs brittle and damaged hair back to its natural, full texture, while resveratrol protects your hair from free radicals to keep it vibrant. Give your hair a glossy shine that lasts from one styling to the next with Visible Science's Argan Oil with Resveratrol. Did you know you can also keep your skin hydrated and radiant all day with Visible Science's Argan Oil with Resveratrol? Argan oil nourishes your skin protecting it against wrinkles by encouraging water retention and eliminating dryness. Used for generations to combat damaging dry heat, our certified organic argan oil will keep your skin smooth and glowing.

Learn all the deets on this fantastic serum at http://www.visiblesciencearganoil.com/

Soap.Club Handcrafted Cold Processed Soap

Coconut Oil Soap with Shea Butter, Olive Oil & Plumeria Essential Oils - Natural & Organic Ingredients By Soap.Club Handmade Bath & Body Skin Care Products With Moisturizing Lotion - Reduces Wrinkles & Blemishes - Stop Dry Skin Now!

  If you are a reader of my blog then you know that for years I have extolled the virtues of handcrafted soap. I was lucky to recently be introduced to Soap.Club soaps and color me impressed! I got the Plumeria Island Escape and what an escape it is! It smells absolutely divine but doesn't have a strong, cloying, overperfumed scent that most scented soaps have (ahem, Bath and Body Works, I'm looking at you....) It has a real scents that is engaging and adult, not the teenybop overpowering scent of so many fragranced soaps. The soap itself is incredible, rich and decadent and silky. It leaves your skin incredibly soft and moisturized and feeling downright nourished. I mainly use handmade soaps and haven't bought a bar of commercial soap in years, I have gotten spoiled by this level of quality. You will not be disappointed- I can't wait to try out their other scents!

• Gently Moisturizes While Nourishing Damaged, Dry & Irritated Skin - Perfect For All Skin Types
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil Penetrates Deep Into Skin To Help Prevent Wrinkles & Reduces Brown Spots
• Each Bar Of Soap Contains Anti-Oxidants & Vitamins For Healthy, Hydrated & Firmer Looking Skin
• No Harsh Chemicals - No Detergents - No Preservatives - No Artificial Color - Just Natural Soap
• Pure Essential Oils & Fragrances Are Infused Into Each Bar For A Long Lasting Clean Fresh Scent

And I love the ingredients:

Ingredients
Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Soybean Oil, Hemp Oil, Organic Shea Butter, Water, Essential Oils/Fragrances

And that's IT. Like soap should be. 

Soap is our passion. In fact, it’s our only product. We focus on premium quality soap aged up to 6 weeks and made fresh with pure ingredients that will stimulate your senses. The secret is our old-fashioned cold process soap making. Every product is made by hand, starting from stirring the recipe, cutting the bars and even packaging each individual item. Right away, you will notice the soft gentle lather that feels like lotion instead of rough sharp edges that feel scratchy or rough on your skin.

The cold process method of making soap helps enhance the fragrance. Many of the essential oils and fragrances provide the same properties used in aromatherapy and wellness programs. Feel the guilt free, sensual indulgence of our soap.

What else makes our soap unique? 

• 1. Our gentle moisturizing plumeria island escape soaps help provide nutrients to aged skin and is suitable for all skin types.
  2. Every bar of soap contains natural organic ingredients, a custom blend of essential oils/fragrances, plant oils, butter and natural color
  3. We handcraft every bar of soap in small batches which is aged for 4 to 6 weeks and then hand cut and wrapped one bar at a time.
  4. Olive oil is used in every bar of soap which helps reduce brown spots & scars, minimize wrinkles and penetrates deep into your skin leaving it healthier and firmer.
  5. Our soap does not contain harsh chemicals, preservatives, artificial color or detergent.

3 Things That Give Good Bath! Shower Bouquet, Adamia and Sweetsation Therapy

Oh so FLOOFY!

Adamia Therapeutic Repair Lotion has been utilized effectively for years in healthcare facilities in Australia.   For those who suffer the daily, unrelenting pain of dry, red, cracked, distressed skin proven relief is finally here.  This proven product, tested in healthcare facilities, has harnessed the natural healing powers only found in the oil of the macadamia nut.  This natural ingredient mimics the oils found in human skin and naturally replenishes essential oils to distressed skin, penetrating hurting skin to repair, restore, and renew it. 

Shown in two separate trials in healthcare facilities to improve the quality of distressed skin, this therapeutic lotion even showed a significant incident rate reduction in skin tears among long-term care residents. 

Adamia Therapeutic Repair Lotion is dermatologist tested, fragrance and dye free, tested non-allergenic and safe for sensitive skin, absorbs quickly and will not stain clothing or linens. 



Adamia Therapeutic Repair Lotion with Macadamia Nut Oil and Promega-7, 16.9 Ounce

So in love........
 like their Facebook Page for discounts, promotions and giveaways

Our fabulous bubble bath, shampoo and body wash, 3 in 1, contains a host of soothing nourishments like, Calendula, Chamomile, and Oat which is perfect for cleansing delicate baby skin and hair, as well as adults.  Mild and non-irritating it creates a lot of stable long lasting bubbles for the best fun time in the tub.  Oatmilk helps relieve Eczema, while Calendula moisturizes and soothes dry skin.  This plant-based formula is gentle for pregnant women, and can be used by the entire family.



Bubble Therapy Pure and Natural Bubble Bath, Shampoo & Body wash, 3 in 1, for all family, 7.5oz.

Exfolimate Face And Body Exfoliating Duo Video Review

• Provides deeper cleansing and enhanced exfoliation
• Cleanses, refreshes and revives skin - Leaves skin feeling softer and looking brighter.
• Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles - Improves skin tone and texture
• Reduces dry spots and oily patches - Increases the absorption of skin care products - Chemical free and hypoallergenic
• Each Kit includes (1) Face Exfolimate and (1) Body Exfolimate 

Ahhhhhhh blisssssss...... Keomi Handmade Organic Soaps aka: yoga in a bar

When I was sent these, I thought I wouldn't be able to keep from inhaling the scent with my face in the bag, breathing in, breathing in. Um, still kinda doin' it. Wow. These smell absolutely amazing, and there's no artificial fragrances; this is the real deal. Pure oils, pure ingredients, pure everything.

 *  Organic & Vegan 
*  No Animal Testing 
*  No Colorants 
*  No Preservatives 
*  Sulphate Free
*  No Petroleum Byproducts
*  Nut Free
*  No GMO
*  Made in USA   

Everything comes from nature! All of the natural oils infused in each bar leave your skin so soft, I honestly don't even need lotion afterwards. I have very sensitive skin and this is so soothing and calming. Where were these when i was covered in mosquito bites all summer? 

I love handmade stuff, but I also love how professionally these are packaged. I would expect to find these in Whole Foods or Central Market, quite honestly. I've got Sea Breeze, which is scented with lavender, oak moss and fir. Golden Crown infused with calendula flowers and oils of orange, fir and frankincense. Green Tea Goddess with organic green tea, nettle, shavegrass, comfrey root and oils of clary sage, orange and clove. And the oh so Luscious Lavender with a blend of three lavenders. 

The scent clings oh so subtly to your skin, allowing you to reap the aromatherapy benefits but it doesn't hit you over the head. The abundance of oils, the obvious care, the natural healing properties..... I can't recommend these enough. 

I think the sampler is a great place to start so you can try a number of blends to find your favorite (or in my case, that would be all of them). The sampler makes a great gift too, all pretty in it's lil bag! 

Freebies From L'Occitane en Provence

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Bath Salts - make your own for pennies!

Bath Salts are super easy to make, and doing them on your own allows you to customize them to your specific needs. Using real essential oils gives you fantastic aromatherapeutic benefits as well. A favorite of mine for perking myself up after a long day when I still have far to go (you know those Fridays when you have plans that night but worked your keister off all week?) is to do a blend of tangerine and mint essential oils. Tangerine Essential Oil is rich in the powerful antioxidant d-limonene. It also helps to release stress and occasional nervous irritability while peppermint oil can be both energizing and soothing. 

An Epsom salt bath soak is detoxifying, can alleviate stress and tension, and does wonders for the skin. Try using scents like lavender, jasmine, and cedar for a calming bath, or citrus scents like grapefruit, orange, tangerine, or lemon for clarity and joy.

• 3 cups Epsom salt
• 2 cups sea salt
• 2 tbsp essential oil
• 1/2 cup baking soda

Mix the salts together in a large bowl, then sprinkle in the essential oil. Mix with a whisk or a fork to break up any clumps that may form, then add baking soda and mix well. 

Et Voila! Your "me time" awaits! 

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Homemade Body wash for only $4.50 compared to $39.95 for comparable

Thanks to Little Seed Farms for this awesome recipe! 

Our Homemade Lavender-Lemongrass Body WashWhat do you put on your body every day? By the time I’ve finished my morning routine I’ve used shampoo, conditioner, body wash, face wash, toner, moisturizer and sunscreen for my face, and lotion for my body. Somehow, it took me close to a year before I started wondering what the heck was actually in those bottles in my shower. Isn't it odd that we’ve become so conscious of what we put inside our bodies, and somehow managed not to give any thought about what we were putting on them? 

All of that changed a few weeks ago when a friend recommended The Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Database which rates products according to the chemicals they contain and how harmful they are. I searched the items in my bathroom and found that all of them except for what I put on my face (Alba Botanica and Kiss My Face) had a moderate to high hazard score. Scary!

I decided to replace some of the items in our routine with safer, natural products - preferably something homemade (well, yeah!). The first to run out was body wash. We had been using Dove's Go Fresh Bodywash which is a 5 on the 0-10 hazard rating system. I am a huge fan of a nice creamy bodywash and an exfoliating pouf and felt a tinge of dismay thinking about the future of my suds, sure that I would have to give up this little luxury for a bar of something filmy and a washcloth. Little did I know that I was about to make the best bodywash EVER. I’m serious.  

I searched out different recipes and ingredients that would be good for my skin -not so easy when you have been fighting a lifelong battle against hypersensitive skin. I went with an infusion of oats and rosemary to soothe and tone, coconut oil to moisturize because we had it in the house and it’s one of the few oils that doesn’t make me break out, and the essential oils of chamomile, lavender, and lemongrass for their properties and scent.

 It smells amazing, produces a great lather, gets you clean, and actually leaves you moisturized. It’s an amazing shave gel for legs. I should also mention that this batch that made 24oz using all organic (and local where available) ingredients cost only $4.50 to make - half the price of the scary stuff! Here's the breakdown:

Give it a try! Swap out oils and infusion ingredients to make a recipe that’s perfect for your skin. This would be a fun project to try with kids too.  

• 1 Tbs steel cut oats (optional - to infuse)
• 1 sprig of rosemary (optional - to infuse)
• 1 c. distilled water
• 1 Tsp citric acid (to prevent bacterial growth in your bodywash)
• 2 Tbs coconut oil (can swap out with olive, grapeseed, almond, jojoba, apricot kernel or any other oil)
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1-1/2 c. liquid castile soap (I used Dr Bronner’s)
• 1 tsp guar gum (you can find it in most markets that carry natural foods with the Bob’s Red Mill grains)
• 30 drops essential oils (your preference - I used a blend of lavender, chamomile, and lemongrass)

1. Boil water in a kettle and once boiling pour over the oats and rosemary (or whatever you decide to infuse). Cover and let sit for an hour, then strain to remove oats and rosemary bits from your infusion.

2. In a bowl whisk your oil, honey, infusion, and citric acid together.

3. Sprinkle in the guar gum, whisking to combine, and then immediately afterward whisk in the castile soap (if you wait too long the guar gum will thicken and you’ll have clumps) until blended and smooth.

4. Drop in your essential oils and fold in with a spoon or spatula. Store the mixture in a bottle that you have sterilized (opaque is best) out of direct sunlight and shake before each use.

PLEASE NOTE: As this recipe only contains mild natural preservatives (citric acid) and has not been created by a chemist, you may want to store the finished body wash in your refrigerator or make a batch small enough to use within 3-4 days. It is very important that you sterilize (boiling water or the dishwasher will do) all implements that will be used to avoid introducing any bacteria into your bodywash. We personally have not had any issues with bacterial contamination and are still using a bottle from a large batch that was made over 6 months ago that has never been refrigerated.  

Whoohoo! Avon and mark have an online outlet! + free shipping w/$30 purchase

Did you know that Avon has an outlet with discounts up to SEVENTY percent off? And it's not just makeup- here's some examples for ya, and what I'm prolly getting-

makeup  this set of 4 self sharpening Glimmersticks? $3.99

skincare Anew Platinum Serum is $1.99!

bath & bodyI've been using this stuff for over a decade, it goes on like a liquid and turns into a powder, keeping your feet nice and dry during a long day (and keeps you from stinking up your shoes!) Also is awesome on your thighs to keep them from rubbing together on a long walk or under the boobs to save yourself from bra chafing. Don't judge me, I'm a multitasker. Only $2.99!

fragrance The Fergie Collection Gift Set is only $9.99 and I am for sure getting this since I read that these are a guilty pleasure for a number of beauty editors and smell totally fab.

fashionOriginally $60, now only $24.99!

home  Call me crazy, but I'm thinking this necklace organizer might work better for me than my current method of utilizing doorknobs. The cats will be sad though.

children  True, I do not have children, but do you know what happens when you love kids but don't have any? You wind up being a godmother 90 times over and with the 5,000 lil girls in my life, I can buy them these $12.99 rainboots and live vicariously through them, only crying on the inside a tiny bit because these don't come in my size. That hurt just to type that. I really want these for myself.


jewelry  Ooooooooh! Pretty....... Only $5.99!!!

holiday faves  And this thing? BRILLIANT. 

And it's not just Avon, but mark. products as well? Oh lordamighty. I'm in trouble now....... It IS the perfect thing to stumble across with the holidays looming though- I can see my mom totally oohing and aahing over this bejeweled mark. brush, not realizing I only paid $8 for it! (Mom, if you're reading this, it was actually $27, okay?)

Fall for Outlet Savings Up to 70% off + Free Shipping on $30!

Now that's a spicy meatball! Yummy food inspired body products

I absolutely LOVE handmade items, and especially bath and body care. I love knowing that I'm using something on my body that was made with love, thought, care and personal attention to detail. So lucky me, there's some great ones out there. Take the time and buy things like soap handmade and you'll be amazed at the difference.



Brieabella's Penguin Love makes some absolutely mind blowing soaps. I've been meaning to do a full individual review on this store alone, but the Hubband promised to do a video with me and I'm holding him to that! See, Hubband was complaining one day that I have all these fabulous handmade soaps and that he loved the way they made his skin feel when he was out of his store bought stuff and had to borrow mine, but mine tend to be scented in not the most masculine of ways. Well Brieabella's to the rescue! I told Stephani (the adorable soap mistress part of the team) about this and voila! TONS of manly soaps for The Hubband! Well, before he even got to use one, a friend of ours who's a mechanic came over to work on Hubband's car. After 2 days of laboring on the beast, he was ready to clean up and be presentable again. He saw the soaps sitting by the sofa and started tearing through them like a kid in a candy store, sniffing each bar and proclaiming over how great they smelled. I figured after many hundreds of dollars worth of free car repair, least I could do was give him a fabulous bar of soap to use, and he was BLOWN AWAY. How often do you hear a guy who just worked on your car gushing about how soft a soap made his skin while stroking his arm like a kitten?

So I went ahead and let Matt pick out his first one to use, despite wanting to save them for a video. Good choice, Babe! He decided to start with the Creole style- Red Beans and Rice. WOW. I could not stop sniffing him! And ya know what? I couldn't help myself, I had to use it too. I'm a sucker for spicy, woody and earthy smells and this fit the bill. I restrained myself so he could feel like it was special all his, but I snuck in a few uses ;-) Whod'a thunk it? The beans and rice made a wonderful exfoliator and after a weekend on the river left me covered in mosquito bites, this stuff was SOOOOOOOO amazingly soothing. Purrrrrrr. Turned me into a kitten too!



Formerly Om Shanti Handcrafts, they are now The Vagabond Tabby, but the awesome products remain the same.

From The Etsy Page:
I’m a wicked girl saving myself, an outlaw flying alone in the Black, a pirate and a good man. An herbalist, a shewolf, a catmommy and a friend to dogs. At the root of it all I’m Kate.

I started Om Shanti Handcrafts for small, personal reasons — dry skin from the dry air of Colorado, trying to get out of a hellish Walmart job — but I stick with it out of sheer love for what I’m doing.

I love making my products. I love experimenting with new scents, new blends, new ingredients. I love taking baths and calling it market research (though alas, I can’t claim my hot water bills with the IRS).

I even love the business end of things (though marketing still annoys the crap out of me). And speaking of crap…

Crap Free. Guaranteed.

I use only natural ingredients. Most fragrance oils make me sneeze, and most of the ones that don’t make me sneeze just don’t smell good to me. So it’s essential oils, herbs, a few natural flavourings, and some extracts. Nothing artificial.

Nothing I can’t pronounce, either, and nothing I know can be harmful, even if it’s technically ‘natural’. And I test everything on myself before it even gets put into a jar.

Not Just the Ingredients…

My containers are mostly glass, and all of them are recyclable. I use recycled packing material to ship, and I reuse boxes to ship when I have the right size available. I’m doing what I can for the Earth; it’s still the only place we have to live.

Well I've used a number of the products, but today I've got a theme, so those will just have to come at another time!

 

Kate's spicy scents make my eyes roll back in my head. Pure essential oils make for a heady, heavenly bath or shower. With cocoa butter, mango butter and jojoba oil, these feel as luxurious as they smell. She'll even do custom orders! Hubband wound up appropriating one of these for himself that I had in the shower, but luckily I had a second bar hidden away ;-) I like to keep the sampler sized ones in my bathroom for guests as well- they always get a compliment.

Crows Nest Primitive Shoppe makes a DIVINE Brown Sugar Scrub. 
You can even get a trial size for $1.75 if you just want to check it out, but trust me, it's fabulous. Made with fractionated coconut oil (which has a much longer shelf life than other oils, on top of being a miracle product for the skin) brown sugar and essential oils of amber and vanilla. It leaves your skin feeling like silk, and you don't need a lotion afterwards- your skin is in Valhalla. PLUS- you smell like, I dunno, Heaven or something.

And while these aren't body products, they are food inspired, so I want to recommend Crow's Nest tarts. I love the Black Cherry and the Cran Orange melting tarts. Smells just like the real thing. YUM!!!!

So be nice to your skin and happy bathing!