I don’t know many men who moisturize, and I think it’s a real shame.

I’m not gonna lie; the bright blue label is mostly to blame for this item’s presence on this list.

I bet this beard oil smells heavenly.

Kirby enjoys all things vanilla scented, and this vanilla almond shea butter would likely be no exception.

Getting clean never seemed so manly!

Moisture Cream, Shaving Gel, Beard Oil, Shea Butter, Body Wash.

Also, I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this to you guys yet, but I’ll be attending my first day of classes at McNeese tomorrow! Taking a year off made me realize how important finishing college is to me, and I’m pretty excited about going back and continuing with a history major. I’ll also be working at the school, so free time won’t come as easily as it has in the past several months. I’ll try to continue posting at least five times a week, but don’t worry if I miss a day or two. I’m not going anywhere. : )

1) A pouch made to hold soiled, reusable menstrual pads: both useful and adorable. Am I the only one who hates using public restrooms when I’m on my period? This little guy could only help matters.

2) This body wash has a pretty impressive list of ingredients, and I can get behind almost anything that smells like geranium.

3) I love the way my Lotus Garden Soy Candle makes my bedroom smell and feel. Being surrounded by such a lovely scent all day long would be mega dreamy.

4) I’m almost out of my Indian Healing Clay, and Skin has yet to disappoint me with their ingredients and performance.

5) This should come as no surprise, but I’m a sucker for natural sleep aids.  And look at that precious heart infuser spoon!

Sources: Wet Bag, Shower Gel , Solid Perfume, Clay, Sleepy Time Special.

What about you guys? Have any wish lists you’d like to share?

I had a lot of fun online window-shopping for this post. As a result, Five Finds is going to become a regular occurrence on Turby and John. Expect a health and beauty themed Five Finds post at least once every other week! I’m also toying with the idea of devoting Friday’s posts to healthy food-related articles and/or healthy recipes.  It would be appropriately named Foody Friday. We’ll see!

Image Courtesy of eoproducts.com

After finishing my bottle of Milk & Shea Butter Body Wash, I began searching for something with an ingredient list that wasn’t tainted by fragrance.  When I came across EO Essentials Orange Ginger Spice Shower Gel, I must’ve been so pleased by the price and the lack of synthetic fragrance that I forgot to analyze the rest of the ingredient list before purchasing it.

Ingredients (provided on product packaging)- “Purified Water, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Coco-Sulfate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Vegetable Glycerin, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, EO Essential Oil Blend, EO Organic Herbal Blend [Organic Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis),Organic Chamomile (Matricaria Recutita) Extract, Organic Calendula (Calendula Officinalis) Extract, and Organic White Tea (Camelia Sinensis) Leaf Extract], Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Organic Cranberry Flavor Concentrate, Organic Hibiscus Flavor Concentrate, Citric Acid, Sodium Phytate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Potassium Sorbate.”

I couldn’t find this specific product in the Cosmetic Safety Database, but a very similar EO Essentials Shower Gel receives a hazard score of 4. That isn’t a complete deal-breaker, but what’s more unnerving is the amount of suspicious-sounding ingredients with large data gaps.

Some great things about this product:

1. It contains organic ingredients.

2. It’s free of parabens, sodium laureth/lauryl sulfates, synthetic fragrances, and disodium EDTA.

3. It’s cruelty-free.

4. The bottle is made from 100% recycled content and is #1 plastic (which means that it can be recycled in Lake Charles).

5. According to the product packaging, EO is “a small family owned and operated business located in Marin County, California.”

Product Description (provided at eoproducts.com)- ” EO Orange & Ginger Spice Shower Gel gently cleanses with pure Essential Oil & organic herbal blends to soothe & nourish the skin. Pure Sweet Orange, Spicy Ginger Extracts and Organic Botanicals pamper the senses and reward the body. Bask in the decadent scent and ultra nurturing botanicals to treat your body to the ultimate skin experience. Our richly foaming Coconut Oil Cleansing Complex combines with rich and soothing Aloe Vera to gently cleanse skin without drying.”

Price- It sells for around $10 for a 32 oz. bottle.

Performance- I’d be lying if I said this product was lacking in the performance department. My skin still feels hydrated after using it, and it forms just enough lather that I feel clean… but not so much that I feel like I’m washing my body with dish detergent.

Scent- This shower gel has a really warm and pleasant scent that reminds me of fall. It smells like mulled cider mixed with gingerbread men.

Rating- I’m subtracting two points each for the ingredients that concern me most: Benzyl Alcohol & Phenoxyethanol.  6/10

Would I purchase this item again?- No. I love the scent and performance of this product, but I’m not comfortable enough with the ingredients to stick with it.

As much as I love Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap, it has done nothing at all for my winter dry skin. In an attempt to show my skin a little extra love (and since I had just run out of my Dr. Bronner’s Almond Liquid Soap) , I bought Burt’s Bees Naturally Nourishing Milk and Shea Butter Body Wash.

Ingredients (provided at burtsbees.com)- “Water, decyl glucoside, carthamus tinctorius (safflower) oleosomes, sodium cocoyl hydrolyzed soy protein, glycerin, fragrance, coco-glucoside, glyceryl oleate, non-fat dry milk, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), xanthan gum, glucose, citric acid, glucose oxidase, lactoperoxidase”

This body wash receives a hazard score of 4 on the Cosmetic Safety Database. The only ingredient above a three is fragrance, which I honestly failed to notice when briefly looking over the ingredient list before purchasing. I know; I’m the worst. I was in a hurry.

Some great things about this product:

1. It’s free of parabens, sulfates, petrochemicals, and phthalates.

2. The bottle is #1 plastic (which means that I can recycle it in Lake Charles), and it’s made from 80% Post Consumer Content.

3. This product is cruelty-free.

Product Description ( also provided at burtsbees.com)- “This luxurious natural body wash is made with safflower seed oleosomes that increase and lock in essential moisture, naturally. With just one use, you can increase your skin’s moisture by up to 42%.”

Price-Around $8.00 for 12 oz.

Performance- This body wash is great because I feel like it manages to clean my skin without also stripping it of all it’s natural moisture. For example, when I use it to shave my armpits, I feel like I’m significantly less likely to get razor burn than when I use Dr. Bronner’s. The same goes for any area that I’m shaving, really. I do sort of feel that this product leaves a temporary film on my skin, but I think that the film might have something to do with how soft my skin is after my shower. What feels like a film in the shower does not once my skin is dried with a towel. It just feels like my skin’s unusually soft. Does that make sense at all?

Scent-  The scent of this product reminds me of Banana Boat Tanning Oil, which is mildly and probably unjustifiably unnerving considering that product’s ingredients. Still, I do like the way it smells, and I like that it isn’t fleeting.

Rating- I’m subtracting three points because I’m honestly not content with the ingredient list.  Performance-wise, though, this product is just what I need. 7/10

Would I purchase this item again?- While I do really like this product, I’ll probably continue my search for a moisturizing body wash… minus the fragrance. I don’t need that hazard score of eight in my life.

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

Jack Black All-Over Wash for Face, Hair, & Body

The product pictured above was another Christmas present for Kirby. He says that it’s fairly moisturizing (which is pretty important since he has very dry skin in the winter months) and that he really enjoys the scent.  It does smell great; it’s a very masculine scent. I’m frequently tempted to use it, but I never follow through because I’m not sure if I would enjoy smelling like a man.

I probably would.

This product is paraben-free, sulfate-free, and has certified organic and vegan ingredients…if you’re into that sorta thing.