April 13, 2014

Ipsy Glambag April 2014

Ipsy Glambag April 2014

Cailyn Tinted Lip Balm

ewg skindeep cosmetics database score 2Cones rule this one out for me personally. Otherwise though it ranks a 2 with the cosmetics database so it’s not unhealthy for you.

Urban Decay 24/7 Velvet Glide-On Eye Pencil Travel Size

ewg skindeep cosmetics database score 1dimethicone is the first ingredient. Again this is natural but cones have without a doubt caused major acne breakouts for me. Again another one that ranks well with the cosmetics database that I just can’t use. This one ranks a 1.

Demeter Jasmine Perfume Oil Roll On

ewg skindeep cosmetics database score 3From the Demeter website: “…some Demeter Classic fragrances are all natural, we do use some synthetic ingredients in most Classic fragrances. Generally speaking, the ingredients in our fragrances are at least 95% derived from natural and sustainable sources, and we use no artificial color or Phthalates or parabens.” Since synthetic fragrances rank poorly when it comes to your health, 5% is still not natural enough for me for a fragrance. They do have a small natural fragrance line that they say “Demeter Naturals fragrances are completely natural.” But I also know that they are allowed to put things into products in very small quantity without adding it to the label so I think I would rather go with some essential oils than trust a brand that primarily makes a synthetic fragrance line. The Jasmine Perfume Roll on is NOT part of the naturals line. It does only rank a 3 though which is below my usual threshold for trying something … torn on this. The only purpose is scent and it’s synthetic…

dr. brandt® microdermabrasion

ewg skindeep cosmetics database score 6no cones, no parabens, no phthalates, etc etc. It does have synthetic fragrance added though. The current skin deep cosmetics database report ranks it a 6 HOWEVER the ingredients on that report are wrong and don’t match the current product ingredients. So I did a custom report and it ranks a … 6 still. Oh well. This is higher than I want to go on a product that scrubs skin off my face. Particularly with the synthetic fragrance added.

Elizabeth Mott pop! goes the shadow in champagne

ewg skindeep cosmetics database score 1Cones again rule this one out for me but it ranks well and is only a 1 with the skin deep cosmetics database.

 

So this month was a bit of a bust in my opinion on the Ipsy bag for me. Nothing I can use but there are some good products in here nonetheless.

Ipsy Glambag April 2014

 

I looked at the other products that people were sent and there wasn’t anything I was too excited about.

Ipsy Glambag April 2014 did not receive

I would have loved another Coastal Scents eyeshadow brush simply because I love the one I have. I haven’t bought another because of the shipping is more than the brush. The Classic Shadow Medium Natural brush is only $2.49… heck I’m just going to go ahead and buy a couple more since my other eyeshadow brushes have seen better days and it’s currently 25% off. Oh and my other problem is that I look at their other brushes and want to try them and before I know it I have 20 other brushes in my cart when I just thought I was going to go buy one… 🙂

 


Sign up for Ipsy: 
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http://www.ipsy.com/?refer=u-h051sec1kqq5g8p
{affiliate link – I get 250 points which points equal products but it’s still a little unclear how many points to the dollar}

 

April 12, 2014

Why I want more companies to post their ingredients online:

ewg-skindeep-cosmetics-database-score-unknownIngredients need to be online as well as on the product for a couple of reasons.

  1. Transparency – it’s not enough to say “oh look at this active ingredient you’ve been asking for” I want to also know that the product doesn’t contain harmful ingredients
  2. ewg skindeep cosmetics database score legendThe micro-print that some companies use can be impossible to read even with a magnifying glass.
  3. It’s easier to search a website page for your allergy than to try and sort through dense text (worse when it’s both dense and tiny.)

April 10, 2014

Natural deodorants roundup and review

Anyone want to guess which natural deodorant is my favorite? 

Natural deodorants roundup and review: EO Organic Deodorant Spray (Vetiver), Tom’s of Maine Long Lasting Deodorant Roll-On (unscented), Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal Roll On Deodorant (fragrance free), Hugo Naturals Dual Action Deodorant (Mexican Lime & Bergamot), Nourish Organic Deodorant (unscented),

The least effective is the Nourish Organic Deodorant (unscented) for me – unless I just want moisturized underarms. Unscented sure but ineffective for me.

My favorite is the EO Organic Deodorant Spray in Vetiver but a spray bottle is idiotic for a deodorant so I bought an empty roll on bottle to fill. They have a lavendar scent and a citrus scent as well but no unscented.

The Hugo Naturals Dual Action Deodorant – Mexican Lime & Bergamot is a last resort because it’s a bit sticky feeling. The scent is wonderful however. They have an unscented but it wasn’t available locally at the time.

And the other two I love BUT I have become temporarily allergic to them several times (underarm rash is no fun) so I can’t use the Tom’s of Maine Long Lasting Deodorant Roll-On (unscented) or the Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal Roll On Deodorant (fragrance free) daily. Quick note on scent for these two: the Tom’s of Maine “unscented” actually smells like Fruit Loops cereal for some reason and the Naturally Fresh “fragrance free” actually smells like a light masculine musk. While neither of these has any added fragrance, not even of the natural variety, if you were expecting something in a deodorant with no smell at all you aren’t likely to find that.

I’ve been using the EO deoderant daily for months now no problem though and I haven’t reacted to it like I have some of the others. Only down side is that it smells a bit like gin and I had to buy a separate roller bottle. Why don’t I like a spray? Because FAR too often I’m dressed before I remember deodorant. I can apply a stick or a roll-on under a shirt but a spray doesn’t work well when this happens. EO I would LOVE it if you offered these in a roll-on. ALSO you have forgotten about the 3 oz rule for travel liquids and the spray bottle would be thrown out by the TSA.

None are as effective as chemical laden deodorants at fighting scent on an intense day but I can say that four of these come pretty close for me. (I threw in the Nourish Deodorant because it’s popular right now, unscented, and if it works with your body chemistry, it’s the healthiest.) None are antiperspirants – not sweating is not natural … but I don’t want to smell bad doing it.

Please keep in mind when dealing with natural deodorants that your own personal body chemistry may have an impact on the results you get. I know I’ve tried a couple (not shown) that were so useless for me that I trashed them without thinking twice but had decent reviews from other people (some people say that the Nourish deodorant works for them!)

TMI? 🙂

So here’s the breakdown of each of these natural / organic deodorants from the Cosmetics Database (in order of which ones work the best for me):

  • ewg skindeep cosmetics database score 3EO Organic Deodorant Spray (Vetiver) Cosmetic Database 3 Ingredients: Organic Ethanol, Purified Water, EO® Essential Oil Blend [Organic Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Organic Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Organic Geranium Maculatum Oil, Organic Vetiveria Zizanoides Root Oil, Organic Cedrus Deodara Wood Oil, Organic Cananga Odorata (Ylang Ylang) Flower Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil]
  • ewg skindeep cosmetics database score 3Tom’s of Maine Long Lasting Deodorant Roll-On (unscented) Cosmetics Database 3 Ingredients: Propylene glycol, Water, Aloe barbadensis leaf juice (Organic), Witch hazel water, Zinc ricinoleate, Glyceryl laurate, Zinc citrate, Hectorite clay, Chamomile aqueous extract, Coriander fruit oil, Cymbopogon schoenanthus (Organic Lemongrass oil)
  • ewg skindeep cosmetics database score 1Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal Roll On Deodorant (fragrance free) Cosmetics Database 1 Ingredients: Aqua (Purified Water), Natural Mineral Salts (Potassium Alum), Zinc Ricinoleate, Xanthan Gum, Chamomile Extract (Anthemis Nobilis Flower), Phenoxyethanol
  • ewg skindeep cosmetics database score 2Hugo Naturals Dual Action Deodorant (Mexican Lime & Bergamot) Cosmetics Database 2 Ingredients: elaeis guineensis (palm) oil, cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, prunus armeniaca (apricot) kernel oil, saccharomyces ferment, aloe barbadensis leaf juice*, sorbitan olivate, oryza sativa (rice) hull powder, bisabolol, tocopherol, allantoin, olea europaea (olive) leaf extract, melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) leaf oil, hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) leaf extract, glycerin, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf oil, citrus aurantifolia (lime) oil, citrus aurantium bergamia (bergamot) fruit oil, lonicera caprifolium (honeysuckle) flower extract, lonicera japonica (honeysuckle) flower extract
  • ewg skindeep cosmetics database score 0Nourish Organic Deodorant (unscented) Cosmetics Database ZERO (zero is the healthiest possible) Ingredients: Organic Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Organic Beeswax, Organic Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Organic Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Organic Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Organic Saccharomyces Ferment

April 8, 2014

Birchbox Limited Edition box: “Free for all”

Birchbox has come out with a Limited Edition box: “Free for all” that I snapped up in a heartbeat. All of the products in this limited edition box are free of parabens, phthalates, sulfates, petrochemicals, and GMOs. (And for me, I checked, none of the products have cones either … though I couldn’t find the ingredients for the shave foam but I’m crossing my fingers.) Anyway, go grab one before they run out!

[affiliate link http://www.birchbox.com/?raf=3l3e7 ]

limited edition free for all birchbox

Update April 12: It’s here! I’ll be doing a review soon.