Acure's Radical Resurfacing cream: a surprisingly effective skin evener!

A toxin-free cream that evens skin tone and heals red blotches by Acure:

 Acure Radical Resurfacing Cream - full size tube

Acure Radical Resurfacing Cream - sample size

If you've spent a little too much time in the sun, chances are you have already seen traces of photodamage on your skin, whether it be on your face or body. Sun damage and red acne scars can really tempt people to wear cover-up makeup or full coverage foundation every day to put on that “perfectly even skin tone” disguise. But what if there existed a skin cream that helped reduce those signs of damage, so that we might actually want to show off our natural skin’s glow without pounding it with heavy foundation each day?

I have always been a proponent of “letting the skin breath” and not applying makeup each day, but I do understand the desire to have an even skin complexion. Some natural oils, like argan oil and coconut oil have proven to bring out a youthful, gorgeous glow on the skin, but I have never previously found an ideal product for treating uneven skin tone, blotchiness or hyper-pigmentation. I have just recently discovered a wonderful new product by Acure that is a must-try for those, like me, with very sensitive skin, prone to redness left after blemishes or irritations, which seemingly take eternity to fade away! Acure’s new Radical Skin Resurfacing is so effective, that I noticed a significant fading of darker skin discolorations within a week of use (used in the morning and at night). This resurfacing cream has a smooth cream texture that is directed to be applied underneath your regular moisturizer after cleansing. The formula is filled with skin-evening and balancing ingredients like lemon probiotic, chlorella growth factor and butterfly bush stem cells. Check out the full list of skin-nourishing, natural, and non-toxic ingredients below:

Organic Curoxidant™ Blend [(Organic Euterpe Oleracea (Acai) Berry, Organic Rubus Fruticosus (Blackberry), Organic Rosa Canina (Rosehips), Organic Punica Granatum (Pomegranate), Organic Calendula Officinalis (Calendula), Organic Matricaria Recutita (Chamomile), Fair Trade Aspalanthus Linearis (Rooibos)], Organic Aloe Barbensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Cetearyl Alcohol, Fair Trade Organic Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Organic Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate SE (Vegetable Derived), Vegetable Glycerin, Buddleja Davidii (Butterfly Bush) Meristem Cell Culture, Organic Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Oil, Infusion of Organic Calendula Officinalis Flower in Organic Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil, Glucono Delta Lactone (Fermented Sugar), D-Alpha Tocoperyl Acetate (Natural Vitamin E), Organic Chlorella Pyrenoidosa (Chlorella Growth Factor), Organic Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Oil, Potassium Sorbate (Food Grade Preservative), Marrubium Vulgare (White Horehound) Stem Cell Culture, Echinacea Stem Cell Culture, Fermented Resveratrol Extract, Organic Argan Oil, CoQ10, Olive Leaf Extract, Lemon Peel Fermented Extract (Probiotic), Centella Asiatica (Gotu Kola) Stem Cells, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus (Lemongrass), Lavendula Dentata (French Lavender), Evernia Prunastri (Oakmoss), & Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Essential Oils, Poet's Daffodil.

Follow this blog to keep up to date with various natural beauty and healthy lifestyle tips and reviews. This blog is meant to be a helpful tool for people who are looking to switch to natural cosmetics, but who don't know where to start. I post reviews and articles about products that have worked well for me personally. Hopefully these articles are helpful to my readers, in helping them choose makeup and skincare that are toxin-free and all-natural!

Schmidt's Bergamot & Lime Deodorant - all-natural odor protection!

Schmidt's strikes again with an all-natural, non-toxic and effective deodorant!

Schmidt's Bergamot + Lime Deodorant

If you're looking for a non-toxic, aluminum free natural deodorant that actually works, Schmidt's is a must try! I previously ogled over Schmidt's Lavender + Sage Deodorant (click this link to read that review), and now I want to give a shout out to another of Schmidt's wonderful deodorants - this time in the "Bergamot and Lime" version. Since my previous Schmidt's review was about a product that contains lavender essential oil, an essential oil that many people have a sensitivity or allergy to, I wanted to make sure that people were aware of the various options Schmidt's has. Schmidt's deodorants come in five different scents (scented with all-natural essential oils, so no synthetic fragrances in these babies!), one of which is also a fragrance free version. All of the scents are really interesting and there's definitely something for everyone's picky scent preferences! Check out Schmidt's website for more information on all the deodorants offered.

Schmidt's Bergamot + Lime Deodorant has a wonderful, refreshing scent reminding me of a Mexican guacamole-making session, with squirts of lime perfuming the air! The additional bergamot scent is just enough to balance out that tartness of lime scent, also giving the deodorant a bit of a spicy edge to its overall scent profile! Bergamot essential oil and lime essential oil are both known for natural deodorizing properties, so it's a beautiful marriage of scents that actively work with the other odor-neutralizing ingredients to make this a super effective and long-lasting deodorant. Check out the full list of ingredients below:

Butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), Maranta arundinacea (arrowroot) powder, Theobroma cacao (cocoa) seed butter, Citrus bergamia (bergamot) essential oil, Citrus aurantifolia (lime) essential oil, Tocopherol (vitamin E), Humulus lupulus (hop) extract.

For those not familiar with Schmidt's deodorant - this is not a roll-on deodorant. This deodorant is applied by scooping up the thick, paste-like formula from the 2 oz. glass jar that it comes in, using an enclosed plastic mini spatula. The user then takes about a 1 to 2 pea size amount and rubs it into the armpit. I have read some reviews in which the reviewer complains about having to apply the deodorant this way, but personally I don't mind it. The paste is a dry paste that smells lovely, and it absorbs quickly and easily. And, honestly, wouldn't you rather use this natural deodorant over aluminum-ridden, carcinogenic, pore blocking, popular brand name deodorants?

Follow this blog to keep up to date with various natural beauty and healthy lifestyle tips and reviews. This blog is meant to be a helpful tool for people who are looking to switch to natural cosmetics, but who don't know where to start. I post reviews and articles about products that have worked well for me personally. Hopefully these articles are helpful to my readers, in helping them choose makeup and skincare that are toxin-free and all-natural!

Gabriel Nail Polish: super shiny, thick and long lasting - and it's 5-free!

Gabriel’s 5-free nail polish is free of formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, camphor, and phthalates! 

Check out the review and images below:

Gabriel Cosmetics 5-free Nail Polish in "Raspberry"

Gabriel Cosmetics 5-free Nail Polish in "Golden Yellow"

Gabriel Cosmetics' nail polishes are super shiny, thick and long lasting! They remind me of the expensive, old fashioned, thick nail lacquers produced by Guerlain, Estee Lauder and Lancome. I used to revel in using those brands before I was aware of the toxic chemicals present in them, charmed by their formulas’ thickness and easy application. Since switching to toxin-free cosmetics options, I’m always on the lookout for 5-free nail polish that applies so thickly and evenly like those “old fashioned” brands – and I believe that I’ve found one such natural brand in Gabriel Cosmetics!

Gabriel’s 5-free nail polish is free of formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, camphor, and phthalates. It’s a relatively thick formula that spreads easily, and for many of the more opaque colors, I found I could make do with only one coat – especially if I only needed the nail polish to last for a day or two. Obviously, for a longer lasting finish, and a more vibrant color payoff, one would want to apply 2 or 3 coats. My favorite thing about this polish is the shine! This nail polish is about as shiny as a freshly Zamboni-ed skating rink!

Check out the images above and below to see Gabriel Cosmetics 5-free Nail Polish pictured in the following colors, in order: Raspberry, Golden Yellow, Holiday Red, and Cashmere. “Raspberry” is probably the shiniest of all these colors – a gorgeous, deep fuchsia color. “Golden Yellow” is a vibrant, juicy yellow, very appropriately pictured here with a matching yellow apple! “Holiday Red”, true to its name, is especially suitable for the holidays, with its lively red color and subtle golden shimmer. “Cashmere” is my least favorite of the bunch, mostly because I don’t like beige (I find it dull! Why paint your nails that color?). However, I did find that this beige color can be used for a more natural look with a simple blast of shine to the nails! If you haven't already done so, visit Gabriel Cosmetics' website for more information on this awesome all-natural brand!

                                         Gabriel Cosmetics 5-free Nail Polish in "Raspberry"

Gabriel Cosmetics 5-free Nail Polish in "Golden Yellow"

Gabriel Cosmetics 5-free Nail Polish in "Holiday Red"

Gabriel Cosmetics 5-free Nail Polish in "Cashmere"

Follow this blog to keep up to date with various natural beauty and healthy lifestyle tips and reviews. This blog is meant to be a helpful tool for people who are looking to switch to natural cosmetics, but who don't know where to start. I post reviews and articles about products that have worked well for me personally. Hopefully these articles are helpful to my readers, in helping them choose makeup and skincare that are toxin-free and all-natural!

An all-natural soap company with a humanitarian mission: Soapbox!

Soapbox Orange Bar Soap, scented with all-natural orange essential oil, is moisturizing, exfoliating (with added sea salt in the ingredients), nourishing, and - most importantly - has a humanitarian mission! 

Pictured is the refreshing Soapbox Orange Bar Soap. With the purchase of each bar soap from Soapbox, a whole other bar of soap is donated by the company to someone in need. Find out more about the Soapbox here: https://www.soapboxsoaps.com/

There is nothing I love more about a natural beauty product than when the natural beauty product in question has a vital humanitarian mission! 

Pictured above is the refreshing Soapbox Orange Bar Soap, scented with all-natural orange essential oil! This soap is moisturizing, exfoliating (with added sea salt in the ingredients), nourishing, and - most importantly - has a humanitarian mission! With the purchase of each bar soap from Soapbox, a whole other bar of soap is donated by the company to someone in need. Soapbox donates soaps and vitamins to people in need in poverty-stricken countries around the globe, and also to homeless shelters, nursing homes and women’s shelters right here in the US and Canada. Find out more about the Soapbox mission by visiting this awesome American company's website.

Strictly from a natural beauty examiner’s perspective, this 4 oz. bar of soap is just lovely! It’s a simple, no-nonsense, chemical free soap with just a few 100% natural, skin-loving ingredients! 

Check out the ingredient list as follows: olive oil, coconut oil, soybean oil, corn oil, organic shea butter, sea salt, and all-natural orange essential oil.

Also of note is that this soap is free of palm oil. With all of the recent news about the destruction of animal and ecological habitats because of the palm oil trade, even if a company claims to be RSPO compliant, the safest and most responsible choice that most of us can make, is to avoid products with palm oil in them – at least until we know that RSPO regulation and compliance is being taken seriously by major corporations. Avoiding palm oil is pretty difficult, since most cosmetics and processed food contain palm oil, so it is also up to the various makeup and cosmetics brands to either offer customers palm-oil-free options, or to stand up in the struggle to make palm oil sourcing more strictly regulated. Thanks, Soapbox, for making your soap palm oil free!

Be sure to follow this blog to keep up to date with various natural beauty and healthy lifestyle tips and reviews. This blog is meant to be a helpful tool for people who are looking to switch to natural cosmetics, but who don't know where to start. I post positive reviews and articles about products that have worked well for me personally. Hopefully these articles are helpful to my readers in helping them choose makeup and skincare that are non-toxic and all-natural!

 

Pictured is the refreshing Soapbox Orange Bar Soap. With the purchase of each bar soap from Soapbox, a whole other bar of soap is donated by the company to someone in need. Find out more about the Soapbox here: https://www.soapboxsoaps.com/

Silk Naturals Kisser Slicker in "Mirabelle"

Envelope your lips in peachy goodness with Silk Naturals' "Mirabelle":

Above: Silk Naturals Kisser Slicker in "Mirabelle"

Silk Naturals is an indie makeup and cosmetics brand that is all the rage with natural beauty enthusiasts. The company produces amazing, all-natural, non-toxic beauty products at a fraction of the price that other natural brands charge. They have an abundance of wonderful lip products to choose from with a full spectrum of colors to dabble with. I personally have a good-sized collection of Silk Naturals’ lip products because they are effective, long lasting, smell great and, most importantly, nourish the lips. Check out the Silk Naturals website to discover the many products this company offers!

Silk Naturals Kisser Slicker in "Mirabelle" is a gorgeous, slightly shimmery peach color with enough pigment not to wash me out. Personally, I cannot usually wear peaches or nudes because they wash me out. So, this particular peachy-pink color that I found in “Mirabelle” is my go-to, and one-and-only peach lippie! The Kisser Slicker formula can really be defined as something between a natural lipstick and a tinted lip balm. It has great, buildable pigmentation, but feels so smooth and nourishing on the lips that I cannot stop rubbing my lips together (that slickness is addictive!). As can be seen in the photos, the shimmer in this lippie is subtle – and it does not feel gritty.

Have you tried Silk Naturals' lip products? What are your favorite colors and formulas? Share the love in the comments section below!

Be sure to follow this blog to keep up to date with various natural beauty and healthy lifestyle tips and reviews. This blog is meant to be a helpful tool for people who are looking to switch to natural cosmetics, but who don't know where to start. I post positive reviews and articles about products that have worked well for me personally. Hopefully these articles are helpful to my readers in helping them choose makeup and skincare that are non-toxic and all-natural!

Above: Silk Naturals Kisser Slicker in "Mirabelle"

Teadora "Rainforest at Dawn" nourishing body butter

A luscious body butter by Teadora without parabens or artificial fragrances:

Teadora "Rainforest at Dawn" Nourishing Body Butter - a great alternative to popular brand name body butters that may contain parabens, artificial fragrances and other toxic ingredients.

Teadora "Rainforest at Dawn" Nourishing Body Butter is a luscious, nourishing and super moisturizing body butter! I was once a big fan of The Body Shop body butters because of their thickness and moisturizing power, so I’ve been on the lookout for a natural alternative body butter that does not contain parabens or artificial fragrances (like The Body Shop butters do). Teadora products are free of toxic and synthetic ingredients, and the fragrance, which is wonderful, is entirely natural.

Teadora’s body butter is super thick, so it’s perfect for very dry skin, after shaving, and whenever we are on the lookout for a special extra-moisturizing treatment for our bodies. The scent, like all of Teadora’s products, is rainforest inspired, with notes of musk, earthiness and grassiness. The scent is really wonderful and invigorating, and it truly reminds me of the rainforest, which seems to be Teadora’s goal – so good for them for creating such a beautiful sensory experience! Teadora is definitely a company worth checking out (click to get to Teadora’s website). If you love rainforest-inspired scents like chocolate, açai berries, rainforest wood, musk, and jungle flowers and plants, Teadora's products are especially for you. Most importantly, the products are effective and nourishing!

Be sure to follow this blog to keep up to date with various natural beauty and healthy lifestyle tips and reviews. This blog is meant to be a helpful tool for people who are looking to switch to natural cosmetics, but who don't know where to start. I post positive reviews and articles about products that have worked well for me personally. Hopefully these articles are helpful to my readers in helping them choose makeup and skincare that are non-toxic and all-natural!

Back to soap basics! Kiss My Face Pure Olive Oil Soap

Kiss My Face Pure Olive Oil Soap - a great fragrance free, simple bar soap:

Kiss My Face Pure Olive Oil Soap (fragrance free) 

There is a plethora of all-natural bar soaps available on the market nowadays with the demand for more natural skincare options. Bar soaps are actually relatively easy to make at home, so naturally, many of these “soap cooks” have started small soap businesses. I love to try out soaps from all-natural brands, finding the most effective ones to place on my soap dishes. Kiss My Face Pure Olive Oil Soap is a wonderful option for those looking for a fragrance free, non-irritating bar soap. Some people are sensitive even to natural essential oils that are often used to scent soap, so the best option for those people is to get a bar soap with no added essential oils. Kiss My Face Olive Oil Soap is actually made from 86% olive oil, which is a moisturizing, soothing and anti-oxidant-rich oil for the skin. The olive oil used in this soap is sourced straight from one of the earth’s most fertile soils for the olive tree – Greece!

The other ingredients in this super pure and simple soap are just water and salt! So this is truly a very basic soap that anyone with skin sensitivities should give a try, both on their face and body. This soap lathers easily, comes in a big 8 oz. bar, and lasts a really long time. Another great aspect of this soap is that it dries hard and does not fall apart easily like many natural soap brands tend to do because they lack toxic chemicals that keep soap from melting on the soap dish. Personally, I prefer melting soap over chemical-ridden soap – but hey, it is nice to find these soap brands that produce all-natural soap that dries to a hard solid after use. Kiss My Face is a cruelty-free brand that produces a huge amount of effective, awesome all-natural products that are definitely worth a try! Check out the Kiss My Face website to see what else this company produces!

Follow this blog to keep up to date with various natural beauty and healthy lifestyle tips and reviews. This blog is meant to be a helpful tool for people who are looking to switch to natural cosmetics, but who don't know where to start. I post positive reviews and articles about products that have worked well for me personally. Hopefully these articles are helpful to my readers in helping them choose makeup and skincare that are non-toxic and all-natural!

Claybrite White Natural Toothpaste by Zion Health

Clean your teeth naturally with Claybrite Natural Toothpaste:

Natural toothpaste is not a cosmetic that I have written about before, but I have been trying different toothpaste brands that claim to be less toxic than most popular brand name toothpastes. I can honestly say that Claybrite Natural Toothpaste is one of my favorites so far, and would be a great option to try for those who are concerned about toxic chemicals being present in their toothpaste. We do, after all, end up ingesting small amounts of toothpaste, since so much toothpaste goes into our mouths while brushing. As vigorously as we might rinse, we will inevitably swallow some of it, so why not opt for a toothpaste with less or no synthetic chemicals in the ingredients?

Claybrite Natural Toothpaste is produced by Zion Health, an American, San Francisco-based company that also produces facial, body and hair care products, as well as health supplements. The company’s toothpaste is one of the highest rated natural toothpastes currently on the market. The toothpaste is non-fluoride, for those who are concerned about fluoride ingestion. The formula has an off-white color, with a smooth and soft texture that looks very much like clay (Kaolin clay is one of the ingredients). The formula spreads easily on the teeth and leaves teeth feeling very clean, perhaps because of the natural minerals present in the ingredients, which add an additional scrubbing action on the surface of the teeth while brushing. With natural mint oils present in the formula, this toothpaste also leaves a revitalizing and long-lasting minty feel in the mouth. Check out the Zion Health website for more information on this wonderful toothpaste and on the company’s other products.

Be sure to follow this blog to keep up to date with various natural beauty and healthy lifestyle tips and reviews. This blog is meant to be a helpful tool for people who are looking to switch to natural cosmetics, but who don't know where to start. I post positive reviews and articles about products that have worked well for me personally. Hopefully these articles are helpful to my readers in helping them choose makeup and skincare that are non-toxic and all-natural!

Beessential's Honey Lip Balm is a natural, honey-flavored treat for the lips!

Beessential's Honey Lip Balm - a perfect representation for Beessential's cosmetics line:

A lip balm made with pure bee ingredients - perfect representation for Beessential's cosmetic line!

Beessential's Honey Lip Balm is a perfect representation for Beessential's skincare line! Beessential is a family business that started as a simple bee-keeping experiment on the part of the owner, who then decided to start using honey and beeswax, made naturally by bees, to produce amazing skincare products!

The honey lip balm is a matte balm (not shiny) that tastes and smells exactly like you would expect honey to taste and smell! And that has to do with the amazingly natural list of ingredients:

Beeswax, Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, Cupuacu Butter, Olive Oil, Tocopherol (Natural Vitamin E), Propolis Extract, Honey, Natural Honey Flavor, and Monk Fruit Extract.

I love the fact that this balm contains propolis extract. Propolis, collected and processed by bees, is the “bee glue” that holds a bee hive together and protects it from the elements. It’s a thick, resinous material that has been used by people as a healing agent for thousands of years. Every experience I have had with using pure propolis to heal or soothe dermatological irritation has been incredibly positive. So it’s no wonder that this lip balm is so soothing for the lips! The other ingredients in this lip balm are known to protect (create a barrier against cold) and moisturize the skin.

Beessential products are free of synthetic preservatives, fragrances, parabens, and any other toxic chemicals that are commonly found in most popular brand name cosmetics. Beessential is an Ohio-based natural skincare company, which produces lip balms, body lotions, body washes, soap, foaming liquid hand wash, hair shampoo and hair conditioner.

Be sure to follow this blog to keep up to date with various natural beauty and healthy lifestyle tips and reviews. This blog is meant to be a helpful tool for people who are looking to switch to natural cosmetics, but who don't know where to start. I post positive reviews and articles about products that have worked well for me personally. Hopefully these articles are helpful to my readers in helping them choose makeup and skincare that are toxin-free and all-natural!

The perfect pink lip gloss - and it's all-natural too!

Perfect pink pout with ZuZu Luxe's Pitaya Lip Gloss:

Perfect Pink Lips with ZuZu Luxe Pitaya Lip Gloss

One of my favorite all-natural makeup and cosmetics brands is Gabriel Cosmetics, and I especially love the company's offerings through their "Zuzu Luxe" makeup line. I have thoroughly enjoyed Zuzu Luxe lipstick and mascara - check out the links below for other reviews of these products!

Click here to see a review of Zuzu Luxe lipstick

Click here to see an article featuring both a Zuzu Luxe mascara and a Gabriel Cosmetics mascara

Now, I am totally ecstatic about having finally found the perfect pink lip color. ZuZu Luxe's Pitaya Lip Gloss is absolutely fabulous – it’s moisturizing, super light-feeling, and has just enough of a neon pink punch to brighten anyone’s day! The formula is very long-lasting and pigmented. My favorite thing about this lip gloss is the unusual texture of the formula, which is always a fun characteristic to include in my library of natural cosmetics! The feel of this lip gloss is extremely light and velvety, but the formula offers loads of pigment – which is surprising considering the light-weight quality of the formula. This gloss is not too shiny; it definitely has a matter look than most lip glosses. In fact, I would even go as far as to call this lip gloss a “velvet” finish. Despite having a velvet finish, it’s a very moisturizing and nourishing lip gloss that will not dry out the lips. I adore this lip product and would highly recommend it to anyone who likes deep and bright pink lip shades. I think it’s the perfect pink lip color, especially for those who have darker skin tones, or for tanned Caucasians like myself, who will look washed out with lighter pink lip shades or nudes.

Check out the ingredients in this toxin-free, natural lip gloss:

Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax*, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil*, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Oil*, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lecithin, Crithmum Maritimum (Sea Fennel) Extract*, Bisabolol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract*, Iron Oxides, Mica, Hypericum Perforatum (St. John’s Wort) Extract, Titanium Dioxide; * = organic.

Based in Seattle, Washington, Gabriel Cosmetics was founded by Gabriel De Santino in 1992 – a true venture of passion for natural alternatives and nature’s remedies. Influenced by his grandmother, who was a firm believer in natural alternatives, and by the sea, where he spent a lot of his childhood (on the coast of Mexico), Gabriel first began his company as a natural skincare line, producing products pumped full of natural ingredients derived from the sea (such as kelp and seaweed).

Check out the Gabriel Cosmetics Website for more information on this company's truly awesome products. 

Be sure to follow this blog to keep up to date with various natural beauty and healthy lifestyle tips and reviews. This blog is meant to be a helpful tool for people who are looking to switch to natural cosmetics, but who don't know where to start. I post reviews and articles about products that have worked well for me personally. Hopefully these articles are helpful to my readers, in helping them choose makeup and skincare that are toxin-free and all-natural!