Photo Courtesy of Muffet

I’m just gonna go ahead and warn everyone: this post is about to be a link fest.

The pretty glass bottle that my Burt’s Bees Vitamin E Body & Bath Oil came in has inspired me to buy more glass bottles for storing homemade health and beauty products. My friend Chuck told me about two really neat websites where I can find glass bottles for next to nothing (SKS Bottle & Packaging, Inc. & Sunburst Bottle Company), and I’m pretty pumped about it. The first two projects that I plan to fill some bottles with are this homemade toner and some homemade perfume that I’ll throw together from several recipes that I’ve found. I am going to make the sweetest little labels for the bottles too. So many good posts are on the way. I hope you’re as excited as I am!!

I mentioned linalool in my recent post about perfume, but I didn’t really expound upon why it should be avoided because I hadn’t done much research at that point (aside from the articles that I linked to in the post).  My curiosity was stirred once again while reading the ingredients to Danielle’s seemingly harmless body oil.  Upon seeing the ingredient “linalool” listed, I immediately did some research.

Linalool earns a hazard score of 5 from the Cosmetic Safety Database and is even linked to cancer according to that source. A few articles that I read pointed out that many people are allergic to linalool and also linked it to eczema. Some sites insisted that whether or not linalool is harmful depends on whether or not it is manufactured synthetically, which makes sense since linalool occurs naturally in lavender essential oil (which has a very low hazard score of one). Some articles stated that  naturally-occurring linalool may have anti-cancer effects. After reading all of these contradictory things about linalool, I honestly don’t know what to think anymore. The most reasonable conclusion to draw, I guess, is that I should always make sure that the linalool in my products is naturally-occurring rather than synthetic.  Synthetic is never really the way to go in my book anyway.

My lips were feeling kinda crusty (probably from me being in the sun and putting tea tree oil on them when I had that spot of poison ivy), so I used the same local honey that I’ve been using to sweeten my Perfectly Pear Tea to scrub my lips.  The honey was/is beginning to crystallize, so I figured that it would exfoliate well..and it did! I coated my lips in the honey and scrubbed it off with a warm, wet bath cloth.  Afterwards, I dabbed a little coconut oil on my lips. They feel almost unbelievably soft, and I’m into it.

Also, pay close attention to all the sweet ingredients you’re about to encounter.

The Answer’s PMS Clear Facial Mask- I’ve yet to find anything that completely gets rid of pre-period breakouts. I guess this stuff could be the ticket.

Ingredients- French green clay, Fullers Earth clay, green tea, and papaya extract.

Dr. Bronner’s Lavender Coconut Hair Creme- I actually just ordered this hair creme, and I can’t wait to try it. Needless to say, a review is on the way.

Ingredients-Water, Organic Coconut Oil*, Organic Ethanol, Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Lavender Oil, Organic Quillaja Saponaria Extract, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol.

Ennecence Clean Escape Shower Gel- This stuff looks fancier than bar soap. I’m intrigued.

Ingredients- Saponified oils of virgin coconut*, olive*, and jojoba*, glycerin, vegetable gum extract, aloe vera*, argan oil*, sweet orange*, grapefruit*, and patchouli* essential oils, and rosemary extract*. *Certified Organic

John Masters Organics Herbal Cider Hair Rinse and Clarifier- I’ve had thoroughly positive experiences with John Masters Organics shampoo and conditioner, so I’m eager to try something else of  from these guys.

Ingredients- Vinegar (apple cider),* aqua (water), chamomilla recutica (chamomile) flower extract,* calendula officinalis (calendula) flower extract,* camellia sinensis (green tea) leaf extract,* rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf/stem extract,* urtica dioica (nettle) root extract,* potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, citrus medica limonium (lemon) peel oil,* citrus aurantifolia (lime) peel oil*. *Certified Organic

Skin’s Cranberry Orange Salt Scrub- I use Skin’s Apricot Mango Eye Cream at night, and I like it.

Ingredients- Sea salt, cranberry powder*, jojoba oil*, olive oil*, mandarin essential oil*. *Certified Organic

I just read an article about foods that may slow the aging process, and I found it to be both interesting and helpful.  I tend to become so focused on health and beauty products that I forget how big a role the food we eat actually plays in our overall quality of life. I plan to buy kiwis, dark chocolate, and white tea tomorrow  when I go grocery shopping since those three have been completely absent from my diet  for a while now. At the risk of sounding braggy, however, I felt pretty satisfied with myself after seeing berries, spinach, and avocados on the list. It just so happens that I’ve been eating spinach salads topped with strawberries, raspberries, dried cranberries, and avocados for the past few days. I was pretty excited to see tomatoes on the list as well.  I regularly crave tomato and mustard sandwiches, and I’ve been known to drink salsa on more than one occasion.

Check it out:

9 Foods for Youthful Skin

I typically shave with Dr. Bronners Classic Liquid Soap (My favorite scents are almond and citrus), but I’m not opposed to using a natural shaving cream if I’m feeling especially adventurous.

Ingredients- (provided at albabotanica.com)- Purified water, isopropyl palmitate, certified organic aloe barbadensis leaf juice(1), tocopherol (vitamin E), simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, certified organic cocos nucifera (coconut)(1), calendula officinalis(1), chamomilla recutita (chamomile)(2) and camellia sinensis (green tea)(2) extracts, citrus aurantifolia (lime) oil, carbomer, peg-7 glyceryl cocoate, sodium hydroxide, vegetable glycerin, phenoxyethanol, benzyl alcohol, potassium sorbate, and botanical fragrance.

The Cosmetic Safety Database gives this product a hazard score of 4, which is neither great nor appalling. I’m not particularly crazy about benzyl  alcohol or potassium sorbate (both are commonly used as preservatives), and I very rarely use this cream shave for that reason. I’ve done some research on  the ingredients “peg-7 glyceryl cocoate” and “phenoxyethanol” and they’re not entirely safe either. Obviously, however, I’d use Alba every day of the week before using something like Skintimate.

Product Description (also provided at albabotanica.com)-”Enriched with jojoba, vitamin E, and organic botanicals, this highly concentrated, soap-free formula delivers a smooth and soothing shave with lasting comfort. A cool splash of invigorating island coconut and lime will enliven the senses like a tropical sunrise.”

Price- $6.45 for 8 oz. I’ve had mine for over a year, and I’ve only used about half of it. So I guess the price isn’t bad at all. ( Interestingly, the preservatives that make me wary of this product are also the reasons that I can safely use it for over a year.)

Performance- I love how smooth my legs are after shaving with this stuff, but I have to be very careful with the amount that I use. If I use too much, the product clogs my razor and the blades stop working.  A dime-sized portion is usually enough for each leg. It’s probably important to keep in mind that I usually don’t go a day without shaving my legs. Someone with furrier legs might need to use more, which would make it harder to keep their razor unclogged.

Scent- It smells like a fancy, tropical sno cone, and you’ll hear no complaints about that from me.

Rating- Six out of ten. I subtracted one point for the product’s tendency to clog my razor and three for the questionable ingredients.

I plan to stick with this exact kind of coconut oil. It smells great, and it makes my under eye area soft, soft, soft.

Until a few days ago, I was taking off my eye makeup (which is usually the only makeup I wear) with olive oil.  While on our family beach vacation, Danielle suggested that I use coconut oil.  She had done the same and had an entirely positive experience.  She is always steering me in the right direction.  My eye makeup literally melted away. I will never go back to olive oil (unless I run out of coconut oil and am in a pinch).

Crazy eyebrows are in full force.

^That’s me five minutes ago.  I have a pretty nasty sunburn right now (I may have forgotten to put sunscreen on my face yesterday), but Coastal Classic Creations’ Light to Medium Concealer has been making me look more like a human and less like a lobster.  The concealer has a hazard score of zero on the Cosmetic Safety Database.  Actually, all of Coastal Classic Creations’ products are either a zero or a one.

I can't say no to many things that boast being chemical-free.

Burt’s Bees Chemical-Free Sunscreen SPF 30-

This stuff is fairly easy to rub in.  It’s what I used to use on my body if I didn’t plan on getting in the water.  I lost the bottle after using it only a few times, and I just discovered that my sister has been using the bottle that I lost.

Cosmetic Safety Database Hazard Score- 4

Ingredients: Active ingredient: titanium dioxide (8.58%)
Inactive Ingredients: water, cannabis sativa (hemp) seed oil, glycerin, stearic acid, fragrance, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, hydrated silica, sucrose distearate, calendula officinalis (calendula) flower extract, crataegus oxyacanthus (hawthorn) stem extract, hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) extract, hydrastis canadensis (golden seal) extract, symphtum officinale (comfrey) extract, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract, alginic acid, acacia senegal gum, xanthan gum, beta carotene, sucrose stearate, lecithin, aluminium hydroxide, sodium borate, glucose, sodium chloride, canola oil, glucose oxidase, lactoperoxidase

This is the bottle and SPF that I have. Apparently the newly designed bottle has a higher SPF.

Alba Botanica Facial Sunblock SPF 30-

Cosmetic Safety Database Hazard Score- 3

This is my favorite natural sunscreen that I’ve ever used.  It doesn’t clog my pore or cause breakouts, and it doesn’t make my face look ridiculously greasy.  The bottle clearly says that it’s for faces, but I tend to use it all over.

Active Ingredients: Zinc Oxide 8.0 %, Titanium Dioxide 1.0 % Other Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Dimethicone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (1), Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (1), Echinacea Purpurea Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract (1), Myrtus Communis Leaf Extract, Glyceryl Isostearate, Magnesium Sulfate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Tocopheryl Acetate, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate. (1) Certified Organic

Nature's Gate doesn't play when it comes to water-resistance.

Nature’s Gate Aquablock SPF 50-

Cosmetic Safety Database Hazard Score- 3

My skin was white after putting this on, and no amount of rubbing in made it any better.  It’s almost not worth it, but if I’m going to be getting in the water, then this is still my go-to sunscreen (since I have yet to find anything that has more staying power).

Active ingredients: Octinoxate 7.5, Octisalate 5%, Oxybenzone 2.5%Zinc Oxide10% Inactive ingredients: water, lavandula angustifolia (lavender) flower/leaf/stem extract, neopentyl glycol diethylhexanoate, polyglyceryl-4 isostearate, cetyl dimethicone, glycerin, propylheptyl caprylate, cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 dimethicone, hexyl laurate, aloe barbadensis (aloe vera) leaf juice, chamomilla recutita (matricaria) flower extract, echinacea angustifolia (coneflower) extract, equisetum arvense (horsetail) extract, rosa canina (rose hip) fruit extract, citrus aurantium dulcis (orange) peel extract, cucumis sativus (cucumber) fruit extract, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract, panthenol, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, tocopheryl acetate, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), hydrogenated castor oil, neopentyl glycol diisostearate, ceresin, magnesium sulfate, sodium chloride, triethoxycaprylylsilane, glyceryl undecylenate, ethylhexylglycerin, phenoxyethanol.

I recently purchased Fennel Sage Toner for oily skin from Karen’s Botanicals after using Dawn’s Melissa Rose Toner and absolutely loving it.  I didn’t even realize that I should be using toner, until Dawn explained to me that it might help my oily oily skin.  I feel like Karen’s Botanicals toner is kind of a miracle product and I tell everyone about it.  When I have break outs, they clear up faster and my skin looks way less greasy at the end of the day.  I also really like all of the information that comes with the products I ordered.  I never knew the difference between a lotion and a cream or why one is better for my skin.

Ingredients (as listed on karensbotanicals.com)- “Sage leaf*, Calendula blossom*, Marshmallow root*, Nettle leaf*, Rosemary leaf*, Comfrey*, Fennel seed*, and fresh Parsley leaf* all infused with gentle heat and light from the sun and moon in Distilled water and Witch Hazel; Aloe Vera gel*, wildcrafted Benzoin gum extract*, selected essential oils. *Denotes certified organic.”

Product Description (also listed on karensbotanicals.com- “A refreshing astringent lotion formulated to reduce oiliness, tighten pores, and deep clean the skin. The unusual blend of Fennel and Sage creates a rich  scent reminiscent of anise and an herb garden in the mid-day summer sun. After washing, apply toner to face with a cottonball. Let it dry so that your skin absorbs all of the nutritious compounds supplied by the extraordinary and common plants listed below. Follow with moisturizer for a complete skin care routine. This toner has approximately 8% alcohol from the Witch Hazel. Relative to many other toners, this is a very low alcohol content. Excess alcohol in a toner can be damaging, drying, or irritating, especially to sensitive skin.”

Price- I don’t mind paying $12.50 at all for this wonderful toner.

Performance- I love this toner, but  next time I order some I will get the Melissa Rose Toner for combination skin.  Although the Fennel Sage Toner does make my skin prettier and less broken out, I think the Melissa Rose Toner actually helped my skin to be less oily at the end of the day.

Scent- I think it smells really nice and not at all like chemicals or old women like most facial products do.

Rating- I would give the Fennel Sage Toner a 9 only because I like the Melissa Rose Toner slightly better.

Selena has a cool blog. Check it out by clicking the picture, if you haven't already.