Mmmm... Lemonsugar!

I was finally able to take my shower tonight.  We got the water working... And I had my Lemonsugar Scrub already made and in the shower from earlier.  I was astonished at just how amazing it made my skin feel and I just need to tell you about it right now!  Lol... Here's the recipe:

Lemonsugar Scrub Recipe
I need to give credit where it is deserved.  I got this recipe off GroupRecipes.com.  I did alter it a little bit though.  You need 

• Lemon Juice (Can be fresh or store bought.  I used store bought.)
• White or Brown Sugar (I used brown sugar, which, after thinking about it, I feel like that is a bit more moisturizing than white... but white might be more exfoliating.  I won't know this for sure until I try it though!)
• Olive Oil (Or any other oil.  Some others to consider are Almond Oil or Jojoba Oil)

Okay, so the original recipe said about 2 tablespoons each lemon juice and sugar.  In my batch, I really didn't like those proportions.  I started with 2 teaspoons and 2 teaspoons sugar, but this was just too watery.  It might have been different with white sugar though.  I like my scrubs dry, but you might like them liquidy.  So just play with it until you find a consistency that you like.  Once you have that settled, just add a small amount of Olive Oil.  I used about a dime-sized amount.  But then you just mix it up and it's ready to use!

Once you get in the shower, you can use this scrub anywhere on your body... even your face (which was my main purpose for making it!).  I had enough to do most of my body, but I concentrated on my face since I needed to exfoliate hardcore.  But then I just let it sit in for a minute.  What you'll notice is that your body will start absorbing nutrients, the sugar will start to dissolve (and the sugar has more benefits than just exfoliation).  Once you rinse it off, your skin is so amazingly smooth and soft.  This is probably something I'm going to do once a week, because I liked it that much.

So What is this doing for your skin exactly?  Besides exfoliation, obviously...
Olive Oil - I found out that Olive Oil has at least 4 antioxidants.  These are great for your skin and your body, because they fight off free radicals.  Quick Chemistry Lesson:  Free Radicals are just unstable atoms, and all atoms strive to become stable.  In order for the atom to do so, it steals an electron from one of YOUR atoms, making that atom unstable.  It's an ongoing process.  Antioxidants can stop this process because they can give up one of their electrons to the previous free radical.  What you need to know is that free radicals cause tissue damage (on a very small scale) and antioxidants can stop and reverse this tissue damage.  They believe Vitamin E is the most efficient of the antioxidants.  If you don't remember, Olive Oil is very abundant in Vitamin E.  I also just found out that Olive Oil contains Linoleic Acid, which helps in moisture retention.  On a larger scale, Olive Oil moisturizes the skin and soothes it from irritation.  Neat stuff!

Lemon Juice- Lemon Juice is a citrus fruit... and citric acid is a great gentle exfoliator.  While the sugar is buffing away dead skins cells, the citric acid is eating through what's left.  This will help halt the production of acne (because your pores are clean!).  Also, lemon juice will soothe any redness and break up hyper-pigmentation, or scarring.  Finally, Lemons are high in Vitamin C, which has anti-aging properties.  Because of this, it will do a really good job at repairing your skin, making it tighter and smoother.  Right as I was getting in the shower, it hit me.... Lemon Juice is an acid and I tend to pop my zits, this is going to burn.  But the citric acid is gentle enough that I felt no burning what-so-ever.  Just don't get it in your eyes...

Sugar- The difference between brown sugar and white sugar is that brown sugar has molasses added to it.  Brown sugar for your skin is also more gentle for your skin.  So, if your skin is sensitive, this is probably what you'll want to use.  Brown Sugar is also high in Vitamin B6, and a deficiency in Vitamin B6 can result in skin problems, such as acne.  You'll probably get most of this vitamin from ingesting it, but you can also get it by absorbing it through your skin.  And then you have the exfoliation properties of brown sugar, which is the entire reason you're making this scrub!

A Couple Sidenotes
I don't know the exact shelf life of this scrub, although because of the acid... I would think that you could at least keep it for a couple days in the fridge.  I don't think I would recommend keeping it past a week though, without a preservative.  Also, the sugar is going to sink to the bottom as it sits, so you'll just want to mix it up again before you use it.  I just used my finger to do this.  If you are going to use this for more than one application, I would recommend that you sanitize whatever you're keeping it in.  You can do this by placing it in boiling water for about 5 minutes.  Like I've mentioned before... you don't want to mess with bacteria... especially when that is what you're fighting off!

Sources
The Daily Green: Olive Oil Benefits
Health Check Systems: Understand Free Radicals and Antioxidants
Lemon-Info.com: Is Lemon Juice Good for Skin?

ACV Toner Update!!
I've used my toner twice now.  Once earlier before I could shower, and then I used it again after showering.  My biggest worry was that it was going to stain my skin because it turned out such a bright pink/red color.  This isn't an issue at all.  It actually ended up brightening my skin!  I mentioned earlier that I have a bad habit of popping my zits, which means that the vinegar stings a little when it goes over these areas.  It doesn't hurt though.  It's like using one of those astringent pads, like the oxy pads.  This doesn't bother me.  But if it would for you, just use less vinegar.  I was actually surprised by the amount of dirt, for lack of a better term, that it removed from my skin.  I think it removed more than even my store bought toner!  Another option is to use a spray bottle to spritz on your face.  In case you haven't noticed yet, this toner is made with Apple Cider Vinegar and if you've ever smelled ACV, it doesn't smell pretty.  I was hoping that because I was using a fruity green tea, the scent would be neutralized... but this wasn't the case.  The smell doesn't last long though.  If it bothers you, just use less ACV.  I don't recommend using an essential oil for this.  From what I've been able to find on preservatives, every time you mix water and oil, you're creating a breeding ground for bacteria.  But otherwise, you should be able to keep this in a cool place for quite awhile.  Use your best judgement.

There's More...
I went ahead and posted this ending with my review of the toner and then I remembered what last thing I wanted to add to this.  But then I got distracted by researching natural preservatives.  This is something that I've been really curious about because I would love to make my own cleansers, but am too afraid to do so, because I don't want to use something that has to stay in the fridge all the time.  (I'll forget to take it to the shower with me.)  Well, I discovered that while there is no "natural" preservatives, antioxidants can slow down bacterial/fungal growth!  How awesome is that?!  So, not only do antioxidants repair your skin, but they're also keeping shelf life on your homemade products!   The more antioxidants, the merrier... But the best, is Vitamin E (Another point for Olive Oil!!).  

Source:  Suite101.com: Natural Preservatives

Check Out This Hair Removal Method
Okay... So we've got tweezing, shaving, waxing, sugaring, depilatories, electrolysis, laser hair removal....Wow, we must really hate body hair to have this many ways of removing it!  Well, I've got one more for you, that's less known:  Threading.  I first learned about threading in the mall.  Yes, it sounds kind of weird.  But in the mall that I usually shop at, there is a business that specializes in threading and waxing.  Essentially, you can using it all over the body, but the most common area is your eyebrows.  This is also a pretty simple area to do on your own.  I've only ever had my eyebrows waxed once.  I wish I could do it more because I have such bushy eyebrows.  It's really such a pain to tweeze them.  Well first, I learned the glory of trimming my eyebrow hair.  But then I just thread the rest and use tweezers to get the stray hairs that I have trouble picking up by the thread.  This is also pretty eco-friendly compared to waxing, because all you use is a piece of sewing thread.  Awesome.  Now, I'm not going to try to explain to you through a blog entry on how to thread your eyebrows.  I don't think you would ever understand.  I learned how to do it by watching youtube videos.  So, I'm just going to post one on here.  I recommend you do your own research, because it took me quite a few videos before I really understood how to do it... but I think this one is a good start.  Please remember, this is not me nor is it my video.

Yay for Remedies!!

I had a few minutes to spare, so I wanted to update everyone on a few things that I'm working on!  The reason that I have a time right now, is that I just made an ACV Facial Toner, and I'm waiting for it to cool.  Here's why:

ACV Facial Toner Recipe
This is going to have any exact measurements, so go ahead and find a container.  Because I've been using so much olive oil lately, I cleaned out an empty olive oil bottle and used that.  But really, even an empty water bottle would work!  I'd recommend using a clear container though, just so you can see how much you're putting into it.
1/3 Container Apple Cider Vinegar
2/3 Container Green Tea (I'm using Lipton's Cranberry Pomegranate Green Tea because I already had it.  But if you're going to go buy some, go with the most natural you can find, so you're not getting the preservatives and what not.)

• Heat some water and make the tea like normal (I used two tea bags, so the tea would be more concentrated).
• While the tea is steeping, pour your apple cider vinegar into your container.
• After your tea is done, pour it into the container.
• Put the lid on & shake.

 I went ahead and stuck mine in the freezer to cool it off quicker, because I'm trying to get around, but you could always make this the night before.  Once your toner is cool, just apply to your face with a cotton ball/round.  If this mixture is too strong for your skin, either use less frequently or dilute it with more green tea.

I totally just realized, the tea is red... I'm hoping it doesn't tint my face red either!!  Anyways... what this is good for is acne and hyperpigmentation, which I need help with!  I looked up the ingredients for the green tea (because I wasn't going to put some random tea on my face!) and oddly enough there are no cranberries or pomegranates!  BUT there are hibiscus leaves and chamomile.  Both of those ingredients are good for soothing your skin and hyperpigmentation.  Seems like a good mix.  I'll let you know how it works out!  (and if my face turns pink!!)

Garlic for Your Acne?!?!
I don't know what the deal is, but I woke up this morning, and my skin looked just horrible.  I had prepared a Lemonsugar Facial Scrub to exfoliate my skin, but I went to take a shower and apparently our water pump quit working.  I have my favorite facial cleanser wipes that I use to remove makeup at night, so I went ahead and used one of those as a cleanser.  They are Josie Maran's Bear Naked Wipes and you can buy them at Sephora.  Then, I got online at looked up acne/spot treatment remedies.  Since I had no water, I really needed something I didn't have to wash off, and I found garlic.  Here's what I did:

You'll need one FRESH garlic clove.  Then all you're going to do is peel it and cut it in half.  Then go to a mirror and rub the cut portion over and around your breakout.  The juices from the garlic is what is going to work against your zit.  If it dries out before you're done, then just slice that piece off and keep going until you're done!  

Now, its obviously too soon to tell if it did any good.. but there was one spot that looked as if the pussy stuff was being drawn out because I didn't notice it before.  As gross as it may sounds, I'm really trying my hardest not to pop it!!

Source:  Ayurvediccure.com: Home Remedies for Acne

And More with the Olive Oil...
I'm still on my olive oil kick.  Yesterday I decided to go ahead and try it on my skin.  I put some on my feet before I went to bed, and then put some socks on.  Then, I went ahead and rubbed it into my hands.  And then took a little and rubbed it on my lips.  My feet, I honestly felt like they were too callused for the olive oil to do any good.  :(  I have horribly yucky feet.  I think maybe one of my next ventures will be figuring out a way to soften those up.  My hands weren't feeling very dry, so while the olive oil didn't hurt them at all, I just feel like it didn't soak in very well either and just didn't notice much of a difference.  But, I did like it on my lips.  The taste may not have been as delicious as Cherry Chapstik, but my lips were pretty soft.  ... I feel like I'm forgetting something though...

GASP!!!

I was planning on doing this whole post on Mineral Oil as my next post.  I felt like my article on Olive Oil was so good, that I didn't want to leave my next one as something bland.  But, I found something just so important that I really just wanted to go ahead and get it up here. 

Body Care Ingredients to Avoid!  The Good Guide's List.

Okay... I'm sitting at work.  I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but I work at a Staybridge Suites, which is owned by the same company that owns Holiday Inn.  Anyways, the brand of mini shampoos and lotions that we use is Simply Be Well.  Since they're just sample bottles, I was online looking for the ingredients and came across this website, Good Guide.  I think I'm going to love this website.

They have a chart on the side of the page that I'm on with Ingredients to Avoid and Ingredients that Raise Concern.  Its not a very lengthy list... in fact, SLS's aren't on there at all.  But I wanted to share these ingredients with you.. that way if you're looking at the ingredients on your products, and you see one of these, you know to stay away. 

Here's the list!
Ingredients of Concern

• Acetone

I think that the most obvious  product that you would see Acetone in, is Nail Polish Removers.  I remember one time, one of my friends was cleaning her nails off with some acetone nail polish remover and laid her dirty cotton balls down on my wood dining room table... and it ate through the table.  ...And that's the stuff we're putting on our nails.  Check out what else the good guide has to say about acetone.

• Airedale Blue D
• Benzyl Alcohol
• Carbon Black
• Diethyl Phthalate
• Diethylene Glycol
• FD&C Violet 1
• Oxybenzone
• Triclosan
• Triphenyl Phospate

Okay, so I'm not going to list the the ingredients that they're still not sure about.  But on this list are the aluminums, fragrance, and the parabens.  I will proved the link for you here.  I'm sure they have this list officially posted somewhere on their website, but I'm not positive as to where, so this will take you to the page with that lotion on it.  This seems to be a very informative website though, and I'm looking forward to checking it out some more!

Review After Yesterday

So, I'm proud to announce, that my hair is still beautifully soft.  And it was a little easier to style today.  Too bad I didn't have more time to perfectly straighten my hair!  But while I was getting around, my sunburn was bothering me a little, and I had an extra couple of minutes, so I decided to go ahead and try the sunburn remedy that I posted yesterday!  If you wanted to check that out, use this link to be connected directly to the article, and then the remedy is under the Hair/Skin section.  

What I did was I went ahead and mixed a teaspoon of white vinegar with a teaspoon olive oil.  I went ahead and put it in a garden spray bottle that I had empty (being green is about being resourceful!!), so the bottle was obviously way bigger than I needed.  I shook it up and then just sprayed it on my shoulders after my shower.  Boy, did it feel cold!  Especially considering that neither ingredient was in the refrigerator.  The mixture beaded up on my skin.  It looked pretty cool.  I ended up rubbing it in a little because it just wasn't absorbing with those big beads.  My shoulder's haven't been stinging.  And I can tell that the olive oil is still slowly soaking in.  Like, I can still feel it on my shoulders, but they're not super oily anymore.  But not really sure which method I would prefer compared to aloe vera. 

Who Knew? Not Only Is Olive Oil Delicious in Cooking, But Its Great For You Skin! Part 2

Okay, I'm all settled in at work.  Its been a slow night so far, so I've been watching an episode of Desperate Housewives online.  But, I've decided to go ahead and finish the article on Olive Oil.


Just a short recap on the last article:
I used Pure Olive Oil as a hair mask before showering earlier.  Olive Oil is supposed to moisturize and repair hair, as well as give it shine.  I only used about 3-4 tablespoons (my hair is pretty short, its sitting just about my shoulders) and let it soak into my hair for about a half hour before showering like normal.

My Results:
I like the results of this soooo much better than the Mayo hair mask, although its still not perfect.  My hair is super shiny and my color looks vibrant and it really soft.  On the downside though, it feels a bit heavy, I have no volume, and its not holding style very well.  Also, one thing that the Olive Oil is supposed to do, that I didn't see a change in, is repair split ends.  This may just mostly be from continued use, so I don't really consider this a downside.  However, this is definitely not something I would do too often, but if I ever have a day where I might consider putting my hair up (I just straightened it tonight) or its feeling exceptionally dry, then I think I would do this again.  Also, I think next time I try this, I'm going to see if it works better to just apply the olive oil to the ends of my hair, instead of all over.  It might keep it from feeling to heavy.

Difference between EVOO and Pure
From what I have gathered, Extra Virgin Olive Oil is like, the best-of-the-best.  The oil is made from mashing olives... so essentially, Extra Virgin is from this first "mashing" or the first "cold-press".  Pure Olive oil is also cold pressed, but this oil is usually made from the second pressing.  After finding out this information, I would most definitely recommend using Extra Virgin if you can.  The level of nutrients are going to be so much higher, because its not the remnants, like pure olive oil is.  I had always thought the opposite, because if its "pure" then it has to be the best, right? 

Other Beauty Uses for Olive Oil
Okay... I searched the web, far and wide, and I've compiled a list of other uses for Olive Oil, because this stuff is truly versatile and amazing.  How many other things in nature can have this many uses?  How many commercial products have this many uses?  I would recommend that instead of going out and buying hair masks, eye make-up remover, lotions/serums, and cuticle cream (and if you're me, then you're probably willing to spend quite a bit on these to get quality), go out buy a bottle of olive oil and see how far it gets you.  I know the first time I set out to buy olive oil (for cooking, by the way), when I saw the price, I was surprised by how expensive it was compared to food in general, let alone other oils.  But think about how much you're spending on all these individual products and how much you're spending for that one bottle and compare.  I'm almost positive you would be saving money.... so, why not give it a try? 

Hair

• Use as a hair mask, just as I did.  Or, if you're in need of some intensive moisturization, put some throughout your hair before going to bed.  I would recommend sleeping in a shower cap or something, because some of the oil might transfer to your pillowcase.  But then when you wake up, shower and get ready for the day, as you normally would.
• Use a small amount on dry hair when you're feeling a little frizzy.  The oil will tame your crazy mane!  Just be careful not to apply too much.  While your hair will absorb it, it might take awhile.  So start with very little, you can always add more, but you can never take away (unless you feel like showering again!)
• I've also read that Olive Oil is great for Dandruff...and after thinking about this, it makes sense.  Olive Oil contains Vitamin E, and Vitamin E is known for its healing affects.  Now, I've read a couple different ways to prepare the Olive Oil if you're going to use it for this purpose.  The most common seems to be to combine it with Almond Oil.  But I've also read that you can use Lemon Juice as well.  Whatever you decide to do, you would take some of the oil mixture with your fingertips and massage your scalp with it, then let it sit.  I'd say that you're the best judge of how long it should sit, because I truly think it depends on how bad your dandruff is, but until it dries is a good rule of thumb.  Then you would just rinse out as normal.  Then I would recommend using Giovanni's Tea Tree Triple Threat Shampoo & Conditioner!

Okay, so before I continue about our little journey through the many uses of Olive Oil, I would like to introduce you to a product!  I am on google, looking at the shopping results for Olive Oil based Hair Care products, which were inspired by the one I'm going to tell you about, but I just wanted to do a little summarizing.  The first three products that are showing up on my page are for root stimulators.  The next few are for conditioners and deep treatments, and the prices range from $2 to $55.  So you could try these products, which probably contain some level of harmful chemicals, or use some plain EVOO and achieve the same results.

Anyways the product that I wanted to quickly discuss was CHI Organics Olive Nutrient Therapy Silk.  (Once again, I am in no way affiliated with CHI).  The only reason I decided to highlight this product is because I have CHI's "unnatural" version at home, Silk Infusion.  I didn't realize they had an organic line when I bought it.  If you're interested in using a product meant for your hair, then I might recommend this one.  I went ahead and put it into Cosmetic Database, and it received a rating of 4.  Keep in mind, this isn't just Olive Oil... it also contains some chemicals.  Propylene Glycol is in this product.  Propylene Glycol is a petroleum-based chemical ... and with most petroleums, the molecules are usually too big to be absorbed into your skin, so they just sit there.  Think Baby Oil, which is usually made of Mineral Oil.. think of how slick and oily it makes your skin.  So, this product might not be absorbed into your hair all that well, but I haven't tried it.  Okay... enough rambling...

Nails/Hands/Feet

•  Slather some on your hands and go to sleep.. I would recommend sleeping in gloves if you're going to do this, pretty much for the same reason as why you'd sleep with a shower cap.  But the olive oil will be great for your hands, especially if you have an calluses!
• Soak your nails in a small amount of olive oil for a couple minutes.  This will help strengthen & repair your nails and soften your cuticles.  Great!
• Much like using olive oil on your hands, you can do the same for your feet and slip on some socks.  I have really rough heels, and I think I may try this.  But they even make those socks now that are just for the purpose of sleeping with foot creams on.  Definitely worth a try!

Face & Skin

• The most interesting one I've read is that you can use Olive Oil as a sunscreen!  While I've never heard of any SPF affiliated with Olive Oil, I'd say this is definitely worth a try...maybe start out with a little time in the sun and see how this works?  I'd love to hear your results!
• Apparently if you mix olive oil and vinegar, this is a great treatment for sunburns.  I was actually going to try this tonight while I was getting ready for work, but I just didn't have the time.  I know that vinegar is good for sunburns.  My mother had spent a day landscaping in front of her house and received a severe sunburn.  To take care of the "burn" feeling, she would just pour vinegar onto her back.  I can understand why you would combine it with olive oil though!  Remember the healing properties Vitamin E?
• Try using some on your lips to smooth & moisturize!
• I've seen on youtube videos and websites, that olive oil makes a great eye make-up remover.  Just pour some on a Q-tip or Cotton Swab and rub on your eye make-up.  My only suggestion is not to put a soiled  cotton back in contact with the oil... especially if this is the same oil you're using to cook with.  You don't want to spread germs!
• Rub some Olive Oil on part of your body that may be dry, especially the heels and elbows.  Just remember, that depending on how dry the area is, depends on how quickly the oil will absorb.  It may take awhile if the area is already moisturized, just like any lotion.  
• Mix some with your bath water!  This sounds like a real treat.  Just keep in mind not to use too much!  1/4 cup?

So There It Is!
I have just given you some great uses for such an everyday product that you should already have at home!  Pretty much everything I have listed, besides the dandruff, treatment uses just olive oil.... although there are many recipes online that you can throw together to make even more luxurious treatments.  That would be a kick-ass idea for a girls spa night!  Just remember that bacteria is a serious thing... so never reintroduce used olive oil to the bottle, like, when using a cotton ball.  And store your olive oil in a cool place, so it will keep longer.  We keep ours in a cupboard, away from the oven & stove.  Good luck and let me know your results!

Sources
Olive Oil   
The Beauty Bunny: 15 Uses for Olive Oil
Dry Skin Care Guide: Best Home Remedies to Cure Dandruff
Cosmetic Database
Amazon: CHI Organics Olive Nutrient Therapy Silk Oil
Natural Skincare Secrets: Olive Oil Skincare

Who Knew? Not Only Is Olive Oil Delicious in Cooking, But Its Great For You Skin! Part 1

So, I was typing this post, when my computer crashed.  :(  I was running a virus scan in the background and there's a certain part in the scan that always majorly slows my computer down.  And when I was trying to close out of the scan, it was just too much (because too much was happening all at once) and it crashed.  So... this first post will have to be shorter than I anticipated, because I do need to get in the shower in a couple minutes.  But don't worry, once I get settled into work, I will post the rest!

In my previous entry, about the Mayo Hair Mask, I mentioned that I really didn't like the results because it made my hair look dirty, even though it was freshly washed.  Now that I'm thinking about it, if you have darker hair, this probably wouldn't be so much of a problem, but I have pretty light hair.  So, I decided on the next try, I would use Olive Oil.  I felt like the Olive Oil would be better absorbed into my hair. 


All I had was Pure Olive Oil.  I'm still doing some research on which is better for this purpose, Pure or Extra Virgin.  I took my bottle of pure olive oil into the bathroom, poured a little into my hands and massaged through my hair.  This definitely spread a lot better than the mayo.  I probably only used 3-4 tablespoons as opposed to the 3/4 - 1 1/4 cup of Mayo.  I can feel my hair absorbing it, especially in the ends where my hair is dryer.  The closer to my roots it gets, the oiler it is, as of right now.  One thing that I have learned in my research is that Olive Oil does take a little longer for the skin/hair to absorb than commercial products.

Well... on that note, I am going to go get in the shower now and wash this out.  Later on tonight I will let you know my results and some other great uses for Olive Oil!

Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Threat Shampoo & Conditioner

 The first product profile that I would like to provide for you is Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Threat Threat Shampoo and Conditioner.  I am getting the feeling that this particular shampoo and conditioner is the most popular of all the Giovanni Hair Care products, although it's safe to say that I am in no way related to the company or have any access to their financial records, so another product may be their big revenue maker.  Anyways, according to Giovanni's website, this set is "tri-functional"  and its purpose is to clarify and soothe the scalp.  So, if you have dandruff, this may be the product for you!  I think the most noticable is the peppermint smell... Its not too overpowering, nor is it too weak.  I did notice that when my allergies were acting up, and I was all sorts of stuffed up, these products, along with the steam from the shower, did a great job of clearing up my sinuses.  This is what it says under the profile for the conditioner:  "A natural blend of essential oils, minerals, vegetable proteins, tea tree, eucalyptus, rosemary, and peppermint oils. Nourishes and restores strength and shine. Tingly sensation invigorates the scalp."

A Little Background...
So, just a little background on the company... Giovanni has an entire line of hair and body care products, although it looks to me that their primary focus is on the hair care.  They do incorporate the essential oils and vitamins and herbs into their product, as opposed to synthetically engineering them.  On their website, they claim that they do not use any Sodium Lauryl Sulfates/Sodium Laureth Sulfates, Phalates, or synthetic fragrances.  It's also important to note that they say they do not test on animals.  The two products that I am profiling, are considered part of their Four Elements line.

One thing you'll notice immediately about their products is their packaging.  They don't use conventional packaging by any means.  The Tea Tree Shampoo & Conditioner are packaged in a rectangular bottle, that is wider at the bottom and narrows towards the top, if this makes any sense.  The  back of the shampoo bottle indicates that this is mostly a clarifying shampoo with some moisturizing properties, and the conditioner indicates that on a spectrum of conditioning, its more of a light conditioner.

What Cosmetic Database has to say:
If you haven't checked out cosmetic database, its a really great site that can give you more information about the ingredients used in a variety of products.  Pretty much anything you can think of is on there, and if its not, you can put it in yourself.  I usually do, because I don't know who entered information on products already on the site... But anyways, after everything is entered, it'll give you a rating of toxicity, from 0-10 with 10 being the worst.  When I entered the information for the Shampoo, I got a rating of 3... which is pretty good.  I did notice, that there really are a lot of extracts in this product, just like the website says, most of which are certified organic.  Then the conditioner is considered a 5... only because as soon as their database sees the word "Fragrance", it assumes its synthetic (but the bottle does say its from essential oils).  So I redid the average score, without including the fragrance and got a rating of 1.

Final Review!
So, I didn't do an intensive search, but I wasn't able to find any bad reviews besides some people thinking it was expensive.  When I purchased this set, they were bundled together in a "Buy the Shampoo, Get a Conditioner Free".. so it was like just over $10 before tax.  So, personally, I didn't think this was a bad value... but I wouldn't think buying each for $10 would be a bad value (but then again, this is coming from someone who has paid as much as $28 for just shampoo).  I do like this product, because its pretty readily available... I purchased mine from Meijer, but I know I've seen it at drugstores (Rite-Aid, specifically).  I will say that I know its not at Wal-mart.

Okay, so finally... my review of the product.  This set is exactly what it says it is.  So, if you're looking for hair care products, this is not the one for you.  But like I previously mentioned, the smell is great because its not too overpowering.  I've had this set for quite awhile... I think I purchased it way back in April.  So far, I'm just over half way through the Shampoo (total of 8.5 ounces) but the conditioner is almost gone.  That's my only complaint, that I used the conditioner that much faster than the shampoo, which isn't normal for me.  But I do think that if you need some clarifying products, this is definitely one that you should consider!

Sources:
Giovanni Haircare
Giovanni Cosmetics
Cosmetic Database

It just hit me!... while I was in the shower..

I was taking a shower just a little bit ago, while rubbing some lemon juice through my freshly washed hair, and it hit me:  "My Blog Should Be About Home Remedies!  In particular, Beauty Remedies."  This is something I'm learning quite a bit about... For the past year or so, I've done some research on what shouldn't be in products and lately, I've been learning more about home remedies.  So I think I'm going to focus on natural, organic, and botanical beauty products, homemade remedies and products, and throw in some other "green" tidbits, herbal remedies, and home remedies.  So what do you think?  I'm pretty excited about this!

Home Beauty Remedies!!!!

Lately I've been pretty obsessed with at home beauty and I just wanted to fill you on on two things that I've done differently in my routine....


Honey Facial Cleanser
The first thing that I've done differently is that I've been washing my face with pure honey.  This might sound kind of weird to you.  When I started looking up things to mix together for different facial stuff, I came across using pure honey, from a couple different sources.  From what I understand, honey is antibacterial and moisturizing, therefore making it a good cleanser!  I also like this idea as opposed to preparing something, because they you don't really need to worry about it spoiling without being refrigerated.  This is important to me because I know that if I need to keep something in the fridge, I will constantly forget to take it to the shower with me. 

So anyways... I keep the jar of honey (that I purchased from the Farmer's Market awhile ago) on a shelf in the fridge with a spoon.  And then when I'm ready to use, I just scoop out about half a spoonful to mix between my hands and apply to my face.  The first thing I noticed is that the honey is slightly gritty.. so this is giving me a great light exfoliation.  I don't know how I feel about the smell of it when it's that close to my nose though...  It does a pretty good job of getting my face clean.  The feeling of my skin, afterwards, is similar to that of a milky cleanser.  The condition of my skin hasn't really gotten any better or any worse... so since I've been having a problem finding a cleanser that will clear up my acne, this isn't really bothering me.  If I had bacterial acne, I think the honey would clear up my face... but I have hormonal acne.  (So if anyone knows of any cleansers that is good for this purpose, let me know!)

Mayonnaise Hair Mask
Today, before showering, I scooped about 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup of real mayo (not Miracle Whip) into my hair.  I had heard about this idea before, but this is the article that really put the idea in my head: Home Remedies for Shiny Hair.  This article has a couple different ideas as to how to really put shine in your hair, and she also references using mayo in other entries.  Anyways, I decided to go ahead with the mayo mask, mostly for simplicity.  I could have used Olive Oil or Eggs or Honey, but I just thought it would be easiest to slather some mayo onto my head.
I really should have brushed my hair before doing this.  I think that just made it a little harder to work with.  I started with the ends and worked up to the roots.  I was really surprised about how quickly the mayo would dry onto my hair.  But I just took the jar in the bathroom with a spoon and stood in front of the mirror.  I took mayo by the spoonfuls and worked it into my hair.  I just made sure to rinse my hands after each application.  Then I pulled my hair into a hair tie and waited about a half hour before showering. 

I really didn't love or hate this mask.  It did give my hair some shine, but it just kind of reminded me of a dirty shine, if you know what I mean... like, a greasy shine.  I think next time, I might try Olive Oil instead, or maybe the raw eggs....