What's a girl to do when she can't justify splurging on henna but her hair is looking especially mousy? Well, this girl buys the cheapest box of ammonia free dye she can find and puts it to good use. I know, I know. The ingredients are pretty gross, and dying at home is risky. I don't plan to make a habit of it, though, and I did manage to skip the included conditioner (which was full of parabens) and follow up with argan oil instead. Also, I'm pretty happy with the...
Before moving to Lake Charles, I'd always hoped to live near a Target. Now that my wish has come true, frequent trips are inevitable. I still spend hours checking out their shoes, tights, pretty dress, and sale items, but their natural health and beauty section consistently leaves something to be desired. Below are a just a few of their worst offenders. I could easily name more than three, but I've already shared my disappointment in Nature's Gate and I'm sure I'll address the others eventually.
Organix...
An ingredient that I've noticed in a number of my personal care products in the past is phenoxyethanol. Its relatively low hazard score (3-4, depending on usage) eased any initial concerns I might've had. I've only recently begun to research it extensively, and it's quickly becoming yet another ingredient I'll steer clear of in the future. Apparently, phenoxyethanol is a chemical preservative has become a common replacement for parabens in a lot of natural brands. It has been linked to skin irritation, hormone disruptions, and...
So here's the thing... I like Sephora. I've shopped at Sephora countless times, online and in store. However, during my many trips to their store and website, I've noticed something about the standards of Sephora's natural seal: they aren't very high. Today I'll be discussing a few questionable brands that Sephora sells and has deemed "natural." Now, in ignorance, I'm sure I've used my fair share of hazardous products in the past. I've probably even reviewed several of them (possibly positively), but I'm trying my best to remain informed and turn over a new leaf. As I'm sure many of...
Danielle gave me a sample of Arbonne FC5 Hydrating Eye Crème a month or two ago, and I just got around to using it. Here are my thoughts/findings: Ingredients (provided at arbonnefc5.ca)-Water/Aqua/Eau, Lippia Citriodora Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Glycerin, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Steareth-21, Polyacrylate-13, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Steareth-2, Stearic Acid, Stearyl Alcohol, Actinidia Chinensis (Kiwi) Fruit Extract, Saccharomyces Lysate Extract, Betula Alba Leaf Extract, Hypericum Perforatum Extract, Nasturtium Officinale Extract, Trifolium Pratense (Clover) Flower Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Cellulose Gum,...
I recently read an article that put 5 Homemade Toothpaste Recipes to the test, and the author seemed to hate each and every concoction for one reason or another. I'm not sure I even gained any valuable information from the article, but it did leave me with the following questions: Does anyone like homemade toothpaste? Are there any recipes that aren't too salty, harsh, and/or nasty? Should we, as adults, sacrifice taste for performance? All the homemade toothpastes I've tried in the past don't freshen my breath as...
The following products were found at Ross, a store whose personal care section is becoming more and more of a disappointment with each trip.
This product might be sulfate free, but it's also full of petrochemical derivatives like propylene glycol and PEG-40 almond glycerides, as well as the ever-elusive fragrance.
Don't be fooled by fancy words like "green tea" and "dead sea." Sulfates and parabens...
While browsing the health and beauty section in Ross recently, I came up with what I think is a pretty fun idea for a new feature on the blog called Not Quite Natural. So here's the deal- once a month or so I'll post a few pictures of products I've either seen while out or read about online whose ingredients aren't quite as safe as the product's brands/labels/packaging make them seem. I'm the worst about quickly skimming ingredient lists of products that boast the words "natural" and "organic" and doing little research before making a purchase. Hopefully these posts will...
The second and last facial sunscreen I used while at the beach was Arbonne's SPF20 Restorative Day Creme, a product with many positives and one big negative. Ingredients (provided at arbonne.com)- "Active Ingredients: Octisalate 5.0%, Octocrylene 8.0%, Zinc Oxide 7.35 %. Inactive Ingredients: Water, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, PEG-40 Stearate, Dimethicone, Orange Peel Oil, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil,
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...
