I’m on a quest to find the perfect toothpaste, and it isn’t going very well. Today I’ll be reviewing a product that I just finished: Kiss My Face Triple Action Aloe Vera Gel Toothpaste.

Ingredients (provided at kissmyface.com)- “Sorbitol, Glycerin, Hydrated Silica, Water, Xylitol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract*, Aesculus Hippocastanum (Horse Chestnut) Seed Extract, Melaleuca Alternafolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Extract, Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract, Ubiquinone (Co-Q10), Stevia Rebaudiana Extract, Flavor, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil, Ammonium Glycyrrhizate (Licorice), Xanthan Gum, Menthol, Cellulose Gum, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Chlorophyllin- Copper Complex, Potassium Sorbate.”

The preliminary report I created for this product in the Cosmetics Database gives it a hazard score of 4. Obviously, this isn’t ideal. The ingredients with hazard scores above a 3 are flavor and sodium lauroyl sarcosinate,

Some great things about this product:

1. It’s fluoride-free.

2. It’s sulfate-free.

3. It contains organic ingredients.

Product Description(provided at kissmyface.com)- “Brushing with great tasting natural aloe gel helps prevent plaque and tartar build-up that can cause gum disease, bad breath, discoloration, and cavities. Natural formula features cool Mint freshness, natural whitening, Co-Q10, Tea Tree, Herbal Extract, Olive Leaf Extract, Organic Aloe Vera and is free from Fluoride and SLS.”

Price- Around $5.95 for a 3.40 oz. tube.

Performance- The taste and and performance of this product are nothing short of ideal. The  sweet, minty flavor makes for long-lasting fresh breath, and the consistency of the gel isn’t too thick or too thin. Unfortunately, the problems I have with this toothpaste are with the ingredients and not the performance.

Scent-Sweet and minty, like the taste.

Rating- 7/10. I’m subtracting 3 whole points for the high hazard score, which might seem like a lot…but I brush my teeth 2-3 times a day and inevitably end up swallowing a significant amount (not to mention what is absorbed by my gums). Above all else, I need for my toothpaste to be safe.

I mentioned that I had a some samples of Kiss My Face Oat Protein Complex Sunscreen in June’s sunscreen post, and I finally used them on my most recent trip to the beach!

Ingredients (provided at iherb.com)- “Active Ingredients: Octinoxate 7.5%, Octisalate 3.0%, Zinc Oxide 4.5 %. Inactive Ingredients: Aqua, cetearyl olivate, sorbitan olivate, polysorbate-20, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, glycerin acrylates copolymer, cetearyl alcohol, stearic acid, xanthan gum, avena sativa (oat) protein, camellia sinensis (green tea) leaf extract, carota sativa (carrot) extract, avena sativa (oat) betaglucan, glycrrhiza glabra (licorice) extract, cucumis sativus (cucumber) extract, caprylic/capric triglyceride, phenoxyethanol, ethylhexylglyerin.”

This product earns a overall score of 3 in the Environmental Working Group’s 2011 Sunscreen Report. The two ingredients with hazard scores above a 3 are Octinoxate (6) and Phenoxyethanol (3/4, depending on usage).  There are two ingredients with no data, and they are Cetearyl Olivate and Sorbitan Olivate.  This sunscreen provides good UVB protection, moderate UVA protection, and it has respectively moderate and excellent UVA/UVB balance and sunscreen stability.

Some great things about this product:

1.  It’s free of parabens.

2. It was made with no animal ingredients or testing.

Product Description(provided at iherb.com)- “Practice safe sun with this effective formula made with natural oat protein and betaglucans that moisturize, help reduce irritation and fight the signs of aging.”

Price- From around $9 for a 4 oz. bottle.

Performance- As stated in yesterday’s post, I used this product only on my face to avoid the white residue left by the Loving Naturals Sunscreen. Since this sunscreen isn’t formulated specifically for the face, I kind of expected it to cause me to break out. However, I was pleasantly surprised to still see clear skin after three days of using this product (which is how long I used it before trying out another sunscreen that was made for facial application…I’ll be reviewing that one tomorrow). It did cause my skin to look a little greasy, but this is something I’ve come to expect with any and all sunscreens. It did a fine job of protecting my face from the sun too, which is obviously very important.

Scent- It has a pretty typical sunscreen scent, and it also smells slightly tropical.

Rating- 8/10. I deducted a point for the greasiness and another for the two questionable ingredients.

Image Source

After realizing that all three of my bottles of sunscreen were expired, I began looking for a safe and affordable replacement to bring with me to the beach. I researched my past purchases (the first three below) and several other sunscreens I’ve yet to try. Below are my findings, made (for the most part) incredibly easy by the Environmental Working Group’s 2011 Sunscreen Report.

Burt’s Bees Chemical-Free Sunscree (SPF 30)- This sunscreen has excellent stability and good UVB protection, but the merely moderate UVA protection and the presence of fragrance and sodium borate in the ingredient list might be future deal breakers.

Price- around $15.00 for 3.5 fl oz.

Nature’s Gate Aqua Block (SPF 50)- Excellent and good UVB/UVA protection (respectively) seems promising, but the high hazard score of Oxybenzone, one of the active ingredients, is quite alarming.

Price- around $8.99 for 4 fl oz.

Alba Botanica Facial Sunblock (SPF 20)- This sunscreen has been reformulated at least once since I bought it, and it might even have a new bottle.  The current formulation provides only moderate UVA and UVB protection, so I probably won’t be repurchasing it.

Price- around $9.95 for 4 fl oz.

Kiss My Face Cell Mate Facial Creme & Sunscreen (SPF 15)- While the link and the picture are specific to the SPF 10 version, I actually have two small free samples of SPF 15. Still, I cannot imagine their performance and ingredients being terribly different from one another.  And while I do still plan to use my free samples, the poor UVA protection and presence of Oxybenzone are not at all ideal.

Price- around $21.oo for 1 fl oz.

Kiss My Face Oat Protein Complex (SPF 30)- I have two free samples of this sunscreen as well. Perhaps its decent ingredients and excellent stability will overshadow its moderate UVA protection.

Price- around $12.95 for 4 fl oz.

And now for those that appear to be the safest (unfortunately, affordable products with entirely exceptional ingredients aren’t as easy to come by):

Badger Unscented Sunscreen (SPF 30+)- With low health concerns, good UVB protection, and excellent UVA protection, this sunscreen seems like it might be a winner. For something a little fancier and for the same reasons, I’d also like to try the Badger Lightly Scented Lavender Sunscreen.

Price- around $16.00 for a 2.9 oz tube.

Aubrey Organics Natural Sun Unscented Sunscreen (SPF 30+)- Good UVA/UVB protection? Check! Excellent stability? Double check! Low health concerns? Triple check!

Price- around $13.67 for 4 fl oz.

Loving Naturals Sunscreen (SPF 30+)- This sunblock has excellent UVA protection and stability. Additionally, its UVB protection is good and its health concerns are low.

Price- around $18.99 for 5 oz or $9.99 for 2.7 oz.

True Natural Cosmetics All Natural Sunscreen (SPF 40)- This sunscreen has fantastic ingredients, excellent UVB protection and stability, and good UVA protection.

Price- around $17.99 for 3 oz or or $7.49 for 1 oz.

Tropical Sands All Natural Sunscreen (SPF 50)- The UVA/UVB protection and stability of this sunscreen are all excellent, and the health concerns are low. It seems pretty great all around.

Price- around $19.95 for 5.4 oz.

I hope you guys find this information as useful as I did! I’ll let everyone know which choice I made with a product review in the near future.

If for some reason you feel like none of the above sunscreens would work for you, then you might wanna check out the full list of Top Sunscreens.

Image Sources: Burt’s Bees, Nature’s Gate, Alba Botanica, Kiss My Face Cell Mate, Kiss My Face Oat Protein Complex, Badger, Aubrey Organics, Loving Naturals, True Natural Cosmetics, Tropical Sands.

In visiting my bag of samples recently, I found three samples Kiss My Face Eye Repair Creme. Instead of using each packet before opening the next, I put them all in a small container with a top. It seemed to be the sanitary and practical thing to do, and it was basically like getting a .5 oz container of eye creme for free!

Ingredients (provided at kissmyfacewebstore.com)- Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Leaf Extract),* Glycine Soja (Soybean Oil),* Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower Oil),* Cetearyl Glucoside, Glyceryl Stearate, Olea Europaea (Olive Oil),* Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Xanthan Gum, Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile Flower),* Euphrasia Officinalis (Eyebright Extract),* Crataegus Laevigata (Hawthorne Berry Extract),* Equisetem Arvense (Horsetail Leaf Extract),* Echinacea Angustifolia (Echinacea Leaf Extract),* Rosa Canina (Rose Hips Fruit Extract),* Cymbopogon Schoenanthus (Lemongrass Leaf Extract),* Tocopherol, Caprylic Acid, Retinyl Palmitate, Bisabolol, Ascorbyl Phosphate, Hyaluronic Acid, Glycine, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender Oil), Potassium Sorbate.
*Certified by Quality Assurance International

While Skin Deep does have an Eyewitness Eye Repair Creme in it’s database, it appears to be the old formulation. For this reason, I’ve linked to each ingredient individually above. I couldn’t find Hawthorne Berry Extract in the database (which is why it’s linkless), and those with hazard scores higher than 2 are Retinyl Palmitate (8) and Potassium Sorbate (3).

Some great things about this product:

1.  It’s free of parabens, phthalates, SLS, animal ingredients, artificial colors or fragrances.

2. It’s cruelty-free.

Product Description(also provided at kissmyfacewebstore.com)-”Reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and puffiness with organic ingredients. Smooth the appearance of wrinkles and moisturize the delicate skin around your eyes. Natural and organic oils and butters leave skin looking hydrated and rejuvenated.”

Price- It’s $19.00 for a .5 fl oz. tube.

Performance- This eye cream is pretty lightweight, and it wears really well under eye makeup without looking shiny or dull. I doesn’t seem quite rich enough to use at night, but it’s perfect for daytime use. A little dab on your ring finger and a few gentle pats are all it takes!

Scent- It has a pretty faint that reminds me of this body lotion.

Rating- 8/10. I subtracted 2 points for the two questionable ingredients.

Would I purchase this item again? I might. It’s more reasonably priced than some other natural eye creams I’ve tried, but its ingredients aren’t quite as impressive as my other (also current) favorite daytime eye cream.

*Samples were provided by Kiss My Face. Opinions were provided by me.

Image Source

Image Courtesy of Kissmyfacewebstore.com

Dr. Bronner sets the bar pretty high when it comes to castile soaps, but I was surprisingly impressed with free sample of Kiss My Face’s Castile Peace Soap in Grassy Mint.

Ingredients (provided at peacesoap.kissmyface.com)- “Water, Coconut Oil, Organic Olive Oil, Organic Hemp Oil,Xanthan Gum, Spearmint Oil, Natural Fragrance Blend.”

I couldn’t locate this product on the Cosmetic Safety Database. The ingredients look pretty legit, though, other than the “fragrance blend”. I’m assuming that means the same thing as fragrance. All of the other ingredients are either a zero or a one.

Product Description (also provided at peacesoap.kissmyface.com)- “Enjoy the mild, clean scent …like early morning in a mountain meadow. Refreshing and stimulating, you’ll wish the cleaning never ended……”

Price-It’s $15.99 for 34 ounces, which is pretty comparably priced to Dr. Bronner’s (which sells 32 ounce bottles for $14.99).

Performance- I didn’t really expect this product to compare to Dr. Bronner’s and, for the most part, it didn’t. It didn’t foam as well, and it seemed to be a lot thinner. I did feel like it did a sufficient job of cleaning my skin without drying it out, though, and I probably would’ve loved it if I hadn’t been comparing it with Dr. Bronner’s the whole time. I washed a few dishes with it too, and they almost sparkled.

Scent- Everyone knows what a stick of spearmint gum smells like, right? It smells exactly like that. And when I say exactly, I mean it. I enjoyed the scent; it was probably my favorite thing about this product.

Rating-  I’m gonna say 7. I subtracted two points because, well, they can’t all be as dreamy as Dr. Bronner’s. I subtracted one more for the one questionable ingredient. Don’t get me wrong, though. This is still a solid soap, and I’ll probably purchase it in the future; the scent is too lovely to not have a big ol’ bottle of it handy.

Kiss My Face Whenever Shampoo-  This product has a hazard score of three on the Cosmetic Safety Database. The good news: it’s not linked to cancer (phew!) and it’s intended for frequent use, which leads me to believe that it’s intended for people with oily hair. I certainly felt like it got the job done when it came to cleaning my hair.

Aveda Rosemary Mint Conditioner- Like the Kiss My Face Shampoo, this conditioner also has a hazard score of three. It isn’t linked to cancer either. Rosemary Mint Conditioner never weighed my hair down like some other conditioners tend to do. It might be perfect for oily hair.

John Masters Organics Lavender Rosemary Shampoo and Lavender and Avocado Intensive Conditioner are two of my faves. They literally gave me salon hair. The problem: I can’t find them on the Cosmetic Safety database, and when I search the ingredients individually there are a few that are linked to cancer. I still feel like the hazard score of the shampoo would be lower than a five, though, and I’d also recommend it. The conditioner might be too heavy.

Another option would be to cut back on shampooing and see if your scalp begins to produce less oil, but I feel like my friend (like me) has probably already tried this countless times.

My last suggestion would be to occasionally use baking soda instead of shampoo. Danielle swears by it. Even though she has dry hair, I’ve tried it before and it really does cut down on the oil.

I hope this at least helped a little! If anyone else has any suggestions or recommendations, then please feel free to say so.

Image Courtesy or Planetgreen.discovery.com

The Erbaviva Lemon and Sage Organic Deodorant looks particularly dreamy. I love the idea of spraying on my deodorant! It sounds less messy than applying it with my fingers.

Image Courtesy of Vitacost.com

1. Kiss My Face Fragrance-Free Pure Olive Oil Soap:

Ingredients-Saponified Olive Oil, Water, Sodium Chloride (This product has a zero hazard score on the Environmental Working Group’s Cosmetic Safety Database.)

Reasons to like it- This product is vegan, was not tested on animals,  and is free of artificial colors.

Why I like it- It works like a charm for removing that pesky bit of eye makeup that coconut oil leaves behind.

Image Courtesy of Drbronner.com

2. Dr. Bronner’s Citrus Orange Pure-Castile Soap:

Ingredients-Saponified Organic Coconut, Organic Palm & Organic Olive Oils (w/Retained Glycerin), Water, Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Orange Oil, Organic Lemon Oil, Organic Lime Oil, Salt, Citric Acid, Vitamin E (This Product has a hazard score of one on the Environmental Working Group’s Cosmetic Safety Database.)

Reasons to like it- All of the ingredients are fair trade, the oils and essential oils used are certified organic, and this product was not tested on animals.

Why I like it- I use this soap to wash my body occasionally. The clean, fresh scent is perfect for an invigorating morning shower.

Image Courtesy of Burtsbees.com

3. Burt’s Bees Garden Carrot Complexion Soap:

Ingredients-Vegetable soap, vegetable glycerin, carrot powder, carrot seed oil, aloe barbadensis, nutmeg powder, cinnamon powder, beta carotene (This product earns a hazard score of two from the Environmental Working Group’s Cosmetic Safety Database.)

Reasons to like it- None of Burt’s Bees products are tested on animals, and all of their product packaging is designed to be recyclable.

Why I like it- I used to use this soap to wash my face everyday, but I noticed that it worked particularly well when I had a sunburn. After using this soap, my skin peeled faster and the length of my sunburns tended to be much shorter. I no longer wash my face with bar soap daily, but I’ll still probably snag a bar of this the next time I spend too much time in the sun.

I was eying some flowers similar to these in a store a few days before my birthday. They were waiting for me in the kitchen with my birthday donuts when I woke up.

This Kiss My Face Sample Pack, also a gift from Kirby, is full of gems. I was pleasantly surprised.

Another present from Kirby was a straightener exactly like the one pictured above. It's a Solia Tourmaline Ceramic Ion Flat Iron.

Damaging my hair never felt so classy. Honestly, this straightener has been kinder to my hair than any other styling tool I’ve owned. I once had a straightener that fried my hair so much that it actually smelled burnt when I was finished. I wish that I were joking.

Here's proof that my straightener works and I'm not pulling your leg.

He might be incapable of smiling on command. My birthday dress reminded me a little too much of an optical illusion.

Oh, did I mention that he also bought me the computer from which I’m posting? It feels so good to have a computer of my own again. Excuse me while I waste my life away with Google Reader.

For the past two years or so, I had been passionately searching for a shampoo and condioner that satisfied, met, and maybe even exceeded all my expectations.  I was actually not asking for much. I just needed something free of parabens(a type of preservative) and sodium lauryl/laureth sulfates(a cleaning agent) that would also make my hair look fabulous. I learned very quickly that regardless of what the bottles tell you, most “natural” hair products will absolutely make your hair look like turds. The shampoos made my hair feel too clean, and the conditioners did far less than condition. I threw away an embarrassing amount of half-used Nature’s Gate, Burt’s Bees, Jason, and Kiss My Face shampoo/conditioner bottles until I read some great reviews and ordered John Masters Organics Lavender Rosemary Shampoo and Lavender & Avocado Conditioner about a month ago. Feast your eyes upon these simple and lovely bottles:

Hello, soft hair.

Basically, I am thrilled with the results. I am almost excited to finish off these bottles, because that means I can try the Honey & Hibiscus Hair Reconstructing Shampoo and the Citrus & Neroli Detangling Conditioner.