Ingredients- (provided at drbronner.com)- “Organic Lemon Juice, Organic Shikakai Powder, Organic Coconut Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Organic Olive Oil, Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Lemon Oil, Organic Orange Oil”

This product gets a satisfyingly low hazard score of 1 from the Environmental Working Group’s Cosmetic Safety Database.

Product Description (also provided at drbronner.com)- “Our organic conditioning rinse is nourishing and effective without synthetic ingredients, and is certified by the same National Organic Program that certifies organic food. The USDA logo is your guarantee of organic integrity.  Organic Shikakai [“Shee-kah-kye”] powder comes from the seed pods of the small South Asian tree Acacia Concinna, and is widely used in India for soft shiny hair. Organic lemon juice, used traditionally in the west, rinses and tightens hair shafts for excellent manageability. Organic coconut, olive and hemp fatty acids moisturize for luxuriant hair.”

Price- $9.99 for eight ounces, which seems to be pretty standard for an all-natural conditioner.

Performance- The directions on the bottle suggest pouring two caps full of the product into a cup of water, pouring it over your head, and then running your fingers through your hair. I’d suggest combing your hair with a comb before you do any of this, especially if you tend to have a nappy head like me.  As long as I comb beforehand, I have no problems with these instructions.  Otherwise, it’s a pretty painful process. This rinse makes my hair feel super soft, which I obviously love. It also makes it smell delightful, which I’ll talk more about in a second.

Scent- The scent of this product is my favorite part!! It smells exactly like a big bowl of fruity pebbles sitting beside a sliced orange.  I might continue using this product even if I didn’t like the way it made my hair look, and I’m aware how ridiculous that sounds. What can I say? I’m a big fan of fruity pebbles (but I don’t allow myself to eat them, since I’d basically be eating a bowl of sugar).

Rating- 7.5 out of 10. I subtracted two points because I miss the seventy hairs that I ripped out of my scalp while combing in the conditioner with my fingers the first time I used it. I subtracted a .5 because it makes me want a bowl of fruity pebbles, and that’s an unhealthy habit to develop (regardless of how much I love fruity pebbles and the scent of this conditioner).

As promised, here’s a sick picture of my hand that is covered in poison ivy:

The scabby area just below my fingers was covered in blisters yesterday. I think the steroids are doing their job.

I’ve been avoiding shampoo altogether this week and using baking soda in its place. I’ve been conditioning with Aveda Rosemary Mint Conditioner (and my hair has never looked better):

Aveda products tend to have preservatives in them, but they work sooo well.

My mom bought me some Time & Again Organics hand cream today at a cute little shop.  It was seven dollars, and it smells like a dream:

This hand cream is paraben-free. It also has organic coconut, jojoba, and wheat germ oils in it.

The two following items having nothing to do with health and beauty, but I need the former (TOKYObay Sacchetto in Blue) and purchased the latter (Mossimo Supply Co. Juniors Sleeveless Floral Dress):

This bag is almost too cute to handle. I love a tiny purse.

This dress makes me want to go on a picnic. I love Target.

Desert Essence tea tree oil mouthwash

1. Desert Essence tea tree oil mouthwash- Let’s get real, natural toothpastes don’t actually do much for bad breath.  Flossing and brushing are great for making my teeth look clean, but mouthwash is where it’s at if I want to talk close to someone’s face (and I do).  I love the way this stuff tastes, and it makes my breath downright pleasant.

Spring Valley tea tree oil

2. Spring Valley tea tree oil (that walmart jurnt)- Can you tell that I’m a big fan of tea tree oil? Tea tree oil, when applied a few times a day, makes my blemishes go away in half the time.  I stopped using it for a while because I wanted to see if something like Clean & Clear  Persa-Gel 10 would work just as well, but I quickly realized that tea tree oil was far superior.  Kirby hates the way it smells, but I do what I want. Also, I find the licorice/hippie scent comforting for some reason.  Sometimes I like to call it tree tree oil. That’s how I roll.

Burt's Bees vitamin E body and bath oil

3. Burt’s Bees vitamin E body & bath oil- I love pure vitamin E oil, but this is a lot less sticky and it smells like a yellow starburst. I put it on scars and stretch marks, and it really does make them go away faster. Imagine that!

Yes To Carrots c me smile citrus lip butter

4. Yes To Carrots c me smile citrus lip butter- I never thought I’d stop using vanilla Soft Lips until I tried this guy. I prefer it. I don’t feel the need to reapply as often, and it doesn’t leave that weird lip scum build-up that sometimes happens with Soft Lips. Know what I mean, or am I just gross? Also, I sometimes put this on underneath a few light strokes of the lipstick that I posted about. It looks fancy.

Ojai Lavender natural conditioner

5. Ojai Lavender natural conditioner- I tried using this as a regular conditioner, and it made my hair kinda flat and oily-looking. But then I tried using it before shampooing my hair, and I loved the results.  It makes my hair look really shiny, like Pantene Pro-V commercial shiny. btw, I condition my hair again with my usual conditioner after shampooing.