Remember last week’s sunscreen post? Well, I ended up buying the Loving Naturals Sunscreen mentioned in that post. Unfortunately, and even though I opted for two day shipping with my Amazon Prime account, I didn’t receive the sunscreen in time for vacation. Since my first choice was no longer an immediate option and I needed something to prevent sunburn, my mom had a bottle of Alba Botanica Green Tea Sunblock waiting for me when we arrived at the condo Saturday night. She’s kind of the best.

Ingredients (provided at albabotanica.com)- “Homosalate 10.0%, Octocrylene 10.0%, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 7.5%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5.0%, Titanium Dioxide 2.0%, Aqua (Water), Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, VP/Hexadecene Copolymer, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice(1), Calendula Of cinalis Flower Extract(1), Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract(1), Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract(1), Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract(1), Cetearyl Olivate, Polysorbate 60, Silica, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sorbitan Olivate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum, Alcohol(1), Benzyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium BenzoateCitronellol, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Limonene, Linalool, Fragrance (Parfum).

(1)Certified Organic Ingredient

The old formulation of this product receives a hazard score of  5 in the Cosmetics Database, and I couldn’t locate the current formulation in the database.

In the formulation change, the following ingredients were removed from the product: Oxybenzone 6.0%, Avobenzone 3.0%. ingredients: isopropyl palmitate, VP/eicosene copolymer,  cetyl phosphate, steareth-21,  steareth-2, carbomer,  tocopherol (vitamin E).

The following ingredients were added to the product: Octocrylene 10.0%, Titanium Dioxide 2.0%, Cetyl Alcohol, VP/Hexadecene Copolymer, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil, Cetearyl Olivate, Polysorbate 60, Silica, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sorbitan Olivate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum, Alcohol(1), Ethylhexylglycerin,  Sodium Benzoate, Citronellol, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Limonene, Linalool.

In the current formulation of this product, the ingredients with hazard scores above a 3 are Fragrance (8), Benzyl Alcohol (6), Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate (6), Polysorbate 60 (3-6), Tocopheryl Acetate (4), Citronellol (4), Geraniol (5), Hexyl Cinnamal (4), Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde (5), Limonene (6), and Linalool (4).

Some great things about this product:

1.  It’s free of parabens.

2. It contains organic ingredients.

3.  It’s water resistant.

4. It’s cruelty-free.

5. It provides both UVA & UVB protection.

Product Description(also provided at albabotanica.com)- “Perfect for daily wear, our non-greasy Green Tea Sunscreen, with antioxidants and certified organic aloe vera, absorbs quickly and effectively with a light, fresh scent.”

Price- $9.95 for 4 fl. oz.

Performance- I applied this sunblock to my body and face the first few mornings of vacation before heading to the beach. Unfortunately, after a couple of days of applying this product to my face, I noticed a small rash made up of tiny, unsightly bumps on my chin, nose, and cheeks. For the rest of the week, I applied the sunscreen to only my body and wore a straw hat to protect my face. The rash quickly disappeared, and my body never got a bit of sunburn. After using only the hat to protect my face, though, my nose did get a little pink toward the end of vacation.  Still, if you ask me, a pink nose is always preferable to a face rash. It’s probably important to note that I only applied this sunscreen once a day (in the morning), and after spending a few hours in the sun reading or playing in the ocean I’d retreat to the shade of the nearest large umbrella, where I’d remain until heading back up to the condo. I did this daily and intentionally to avoid having to apply sunblock twice a day. One application is time-consuming enough!

Scent- This product has a very pleasant scent that’s pretty fleeting and isn’t easy to describe. It doesn’t smell like green tea at all, but it does smell a lot like Burt’s Bees Green Tea & Fennel Seed Shampoo. After the initial pleasant scent fades, which takes no more than 30 minutes, it begins to smell like regular ol’ sunscreen. I find this neither pleasant nor unpleasant, and it’s subdued enough to be easily ignored.

Rating- 6/10. I’m subtracting 2 points for the questionable ingredients and another 2 for the rash that occurred on my face.

Would I purchase this item again? This product smells nice and it definitely kept me from getting sunburned, but I will probably never buy it again. I’m much more likely to go with a safer option, like my late to arrive Loving Naturals.

Image Source

Image Courtesy of albabotanica.com

Ingredients (provided at cosmeticsdatabase.com)- “Organic ricinus communis (castor) seed oil, brassica campestris/aleurites fordi oil copolymer, oleic/linoleic/linolenic polyglycerides, silica silylate, coconut flavor, soybean glycerides, organic beeswax, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), silica, organic cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, ammonium glycyrrhizate and tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E).”

This product receives a hazard score of 2 on the Cosmetic Safety Database, with tocopheryl acetate being the only ingredient with a hazard score above a 3.

Some great things about this product:

1. It contains organic ingredients.

2. It’s free of preservatives.

3. Alba Botanica cares about the environment.

Product Description (provided at albabotanica.com)- “Tropical fruit extracts and certified organic emollients are blended together to create exotic lip glosses that best reflect the beauty, vitality and spirit of the Hawaiian Islands for soft, shimmering lips.”

Price- $4.95 for .42 oz.

Performance- I’m more of a chap stick wearer than a lip gloss wearer (which is why this tube has lasted over a year), but I usually grab this stuff when I’m in the mood for lip gloss. It’s glossy without being sticky, and it doesn’t make my lips look ridiculously shiny. It stays put for a pretty long time as well, assuming I’m not licking my lips constantly. It smells like it would taste delicious (see below), but it doesn’t really have much of a taste.  When I’m feeling fancy, I like to add a little red lipstick underneath. Plus, my lips are way soft after using it.

Scent- This lip gloss smells almost exactly like a sample that I have of Coastal Classic Creations Sand Waves Perfume, which is kind of a great thing.

Rating- 8/10. I subtracted 2 points for the ingredient with a hazard score of 4. Shouldn’t a product that I put on my lips, and accidentally end up eating a lot of, have the best and safest ingredients possible?

Would I purchase this item again?- I might try to find something with a lower hazard score next time, but I definitely don’t regret purchasing this product.

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- 6 out of 10. I subtracted 1 point for the product’s tendency to clog my razor and 3 for the questionable ingredients.

• current facial cleanser- Burt’s Bees Soap Bark and Chamomile Deep Cleansing cream (rating-3)future facial cleanser- Karen’s Botanicals Rehydrating Olive Oil Cleanser (rating-0)
• current deodorant- Tom’s of Maine Sensitive Deodorant, Fragrance Free (rating-2)future dedorant-  disfordelicate’s easy homemade deodorant
• current lotion- Alba Botanica Hawaiian Cocoa Butter Hand and Body Lotion (rating-5)future lotion- Karen’s Botanicals Summer Sunflower Lotion (rating-0)
• current facial moisturizers-Alba Botanica Hawaiian Aloe and Green Tea Oil-Free Moisturizer(rating-5)Burt’s Bees Radiance Day Creme with Royal Jelly (rating-6)

  Burt’s Bees Radiance Night Creme with Royal Jelly (product not found on site, but it would be reasonable to assume that it is somewhere close to the day creme)

  Burt’s Bees Radiance Eye Creme (rating-7)

  future facial moisturizers-

  Karen’s Botanicals Calendula Rose Facial Cream (rating-0)

  Skin’s Apricot Mango Eye Cream (rating-0)

• current toothpaste- Tom’s of Maine Natural Whole Care Fluoride Peppermint Toothpaste (rating-3, and I’ve been meaning to stop using this for a while now since it has both SLS and fluoride in it)future toothpaste-  disfordelicate’s slightly modified toothpaste recipe
• current shampoo- John Masters Lavender Rosemary Shampoo for normal hair (product not found on site, but other John Masters shampoos are rated 3)future shampoo- Dr. Bronner’s Magic 18-in-one Hemp Peppermint Pure-Castile Liquid Soap (rating-2: it’s not perfect, but it’s an improvement…and the health concerns are minimal)
• current conditioner-John Masters Lavender and Avocado Intenstive Condtioner (product not found on site)Yes to Cucumbers Calm Cucumber Daily Makeover Conditioner (product not found on site)

  future conditioner- Opas Soap Palmarosa Conditioner (rating-0)

• current hand soap- Method Gel Sweet Water Handwash (rating-4) future hand soap- Dr. Bronners Magic Peppermint Shikakai Pump Soap (rating- 2)