It’s Like Christmas at my House!

About a week ago, I ordered some new products from Vitamin Shoppe after my first failed attempt with Aubrey Organics. I figured, if I couldn’t get the Aubrey Organics products to work, I could have these other products as a back-up to try. Well, the Aubrey Organics products are not working well for me (well the body/face wash is, but I want to try this new one as a comparison). I came home today to a Vitamin Shoppe box on my doorstep and I was beyond excited! For inside, I had these little lovely items waiting for me:

Never been so excited over beauty products in my LIFE!

From left to right: Dr. Bronner’s lavender hair conditioner and style cream, Dr. Bronner’s citrus conditioning hair rinse, and Dr. Bronner’s organic shikakai tea tree body soap. Oh don’t they look delicious?! Let’s explore each product!

Dr. Bronner’s Lavender Hair Conditioner and Style Cream
Ingredients: Water, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Ethanol, Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Lavender Oil, Organic Quillaja Saponaria Extract, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol
Description:  Certified by the same National Organic program that certifies organic food, our conditioning & styling crème provides light styling hold while making hair silky soft without any synthetic ingredients. Organic virgin coconut oil makes hair shiny & luxurious, organic jojoba oil imparts excellent manageability and feel, while the organic hemp oil moisturizes and softens hair.
My Ingredient Research: Coconut oil can be used as a skin moisturizer, helping with dry skin and reducing protein loss when used in hair. Organic ethanol is a traditional solvent for herbal extraction and is the safest solvent available for extraction purposes. Jojoba oil is often used in cosmetics as a moisturizer and as a carrier oil for specialty fragrances. Hemp oil is of high nutritional value because its 3–1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 essential fatty acids, which matches the balance required by the human body. The scent of lavender oil has a calming effect which may aid in relaxation and the reduction of anxiety and stress. Quillaja Saponaria extract is a natural foaming agent. Xanthan gum is a natural thickening agent. Tocopherol is basically Vitamin E which is good for the skin and promotes growth.

Dr. Bronner’s Citrus Conditioning Hair Rinse
Ingredients: Organic Lemon Juice, Organic Shikakai Powder, Organic Coconut Oil, Potassium Hydroxide (none left after converting oils to fatty acids and glycerin), Organic Olive Oil, Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Lemon Oil, Organic Orange Oil
Description: 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.
My Ingredient Research: Other than those already listed above: lemon juice is an acid and cuts through grease.  Shikakai powder is a good cleanser and is mild, having a naturally low pH, and doesn’t strip hair of natural oils, and is also a detangler. Olive oil is a great moisturizer. Lemon oil is an antibacterial and helps shine the hair. Orange oil also helps your hair return to its natural shine.

Dr. Bronner’s Organic Shikakai Tea Tree Body Soap
Ingredients: Organic White Grape Juice, Organic Sucrose, Organic Coconut Oil, Potassium Hydroxide (none left after converting oils to fatty acids and glycerin), Organic Olive Oil, Organic Tea Tree Oil, Organic Shikakai Powder, Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Citric Acid, Tocopherol
Description: Certified by the same National Organic Program that certifies food, our pump soaps are smooth and luxurious with no synthetic detergents or preservatives. Organic Shikakai comes from the seed pods of the small South Asian tree Acadia Concinna and has been used for millennia in India as a gentle conditioning cleanser for both skin and hair. We extract the Shikakai in organic sugar and grape juice and combine with Dr. Bronner’s unsurpassed castile soap base for rich emollient lather and moisturizing afterfeel. Sold in 24 oz. pump bottle.
My Ingredient Research: Other than those already listed above: white grape juice is rich in antioxidants and  helps to clear and maintain your skin. Sucrose aids in the production of the white grape juice and the shikakai powder. Tea tree oil  is known for its antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiseptic qualities. Citric acid is a pH adjusting agent.

Phew! Lots of stuff going on! I will be coupling all of this with Dr. Bronner’s peppermint liquid soap which Erik has been using for about a week with excellent results.

Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Liquid Soap
Ingredients: Water, Organic Coconut Oil, Potassium Hydroxide  (none left after converting oils to fatty acids and glycerin), Organic Olive Oil, Mentha Arvensis, Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Peppermint Oil, Citric Acid, Tocopherol
Description: Our most popular fragrance. The peppermint essential oil tingles the body and clears the mind. Because therapeutically peppermint oil is a mild stimulant it increases vitality and clarity. All oils and essential oils are certified organic to the National Organic Standards Program. Packaged in 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles.
My Ingredient Research:  Other than those already listed above: Mentha arvensis is mint, and is included for aromatherapy purposes. Peppermint oil helps sooth itching and gives a cooling sensation.

 

Needless to say, I am insanely excited to try this tomorrow morning! I will first used the peppermint soap as my shampoo, followed by the citric rinse as my conditioner. I will use the shikakai soap for my face and body. Once I towel dry my hair, I will add some of the lavender leave-in conditioner and see how the day goes! I will give you all a report tomorrow evening!

Aubrey Organics Shampoo, Conditioner and Body Soap – Day 3

I figured I would combine the three products now since the reviews will be shorter, as I have already explained the products and their promises.

Today I woke up and found that yet again, the oil on my face was very minimal. Pleased, I headed to the shower. This time, I took my normal amount of shampoo and conditioner and times it by 1 1/2 instead of 2. I did the usual: shampoo, rinse, conditioner, finger it through, let it sit 1-2 minutes…and promptly began to get out of the shower after using the body soap. Wait, aren’t I missing a step…yes, I realized this as I grabbed the towel and began to dry my face: I forgot to rinse out the conditioner! Mortified, I turned back around and took my time rinsing it out. Thankfully I remembered, or else my complaints about greasy hair would have been tenfold today!

One thing I noticed today about my skin was on my chest, which is the most sensitive area of my body: I’m beginning to break out slightly. Just two small bumps, but it is a breakout in my book. I’m not really sure how to read into it yet, as my chest breaks out for ANYTHING (sea water, insect repellent, dog slobber, etc.). So, I’m thinking maybe it’s just my skin’s response to the new soap and it’s just getting used to it? I’ll keep an eye on it and see if it gets any better or worse.

My face seems to be doing very well with it! The oil on my forehead is a bit more today, but I think it is because it was insanely warm in my office at work today and I was sweating profusely. We will see how it holds up to being outdoors for the majority of the weekend.

Hair today was better. The look of grease had diminished and was only really apparent towards the bottom of my hair. The hair feels silky around my scalp area and a few inches down, but turns dry and grease-like towards the bottom. Maybe I need to concentrate more product down there. The curl increased slightly today, though nowhere near as close to what it was on Wednesday.

Aubrey Organics Herbal Liquid Body Soap – Day Two

I woke up this morning without washing my face before bed last night and noticed just a slight increase in the oil on my forehead. Normally, going to sleep without washing my face would result in quite the puddle on my forehead when the alarm would sound. Also, my face used to itch really bad in the morning, and I have concluded it was probably because of the oil because this morning was the first time in a long time that my face did not itch when I woke up.

Again, I checked my forehead around noon and again, the oil was minimal and the small bumps were even less visible than yesterday. After spending several hours outside this evening in 80+ degree weather, I expected my face to be oily by bedtime (which was about 45 minutes ago but oh well!). Again, just checked it and the oil is even more minimal than it was last night. It actually feels nice to be able to touch my forehead without feeling liquid and “slime” as I like to call it.

I’m going to attempt to not wash my face again tonight before bed. Tonight is supposed to be hotter than last night, so the chances of me sweating in my sleep are even greater. We will see what the morning brings…

Aubrey Organics Herbal Liquid Body Soap – Day One (May 23, 2012)

As I decided to go natural with my shampoo and conditioner, I figured why not make my entire showering experience natural and get a natural face/body wash while I was at it. While at Vitamin Shoppe, I purchased Aubrey Organics Herbal Liquid Body Soap:

Just like the shampoo and conditioner, I was sold by its all-natural ingredients: almond protein, coconut oil and castile soap, vegetable glycerine, seaweed extracts (laminaria, fucus, bladderwrack), organic aloe vera, shea butter, fennel extract, hops extract, balm mint extract, mistletoe extract, camomile extract, yarrow extract, allantoin, peppermint oil, apple oil, citrus seed extract with vitamins A, C and E. It was toted as “refreshing sea herbals and emollients come together in this mild, concentrated soap that cleanses gently, without disrupting your skin’s delicate balance. Enriched with organic shea butter, almond protein and coconut oil to leave skin feeling fresh and smooth – never tight or dry. A great all-natural soap for the entire family.” With my oily skin, I could only hope that this stuff would finally give me the confidence I so desperately wanted. I always felt like an oil pit after lunch, and felt embarrassed by my shiny face with its tiny under-the-skin bumps that never went away no matter what I tried. Maybe a natural cleaner wouldn’t be so harsh!

Following the instructions, I placed some of the soap in my hands, made a slight lather, and placed it on my face. Immediately it felt soft and soothing on my face. I continued to work the soap down my body. And just as quickly as it went on, it was rinsed off. I felt a crazy type of clean that I had never felt before, and my face felt cool and refreshed.

Erik actually commented in the car on our way to work that my skin felt very soft and smooth, which was a change from the slightly dry/rough skin I was used to after a shower. Normally after a shower, my hands and face would be so dry that they would “peel” (basically get small, white scaly lines). But not today! My hands were smooth and my face did not feel tight.

Then came the big challenge: the 12:00 mirror check! I first wiped my fingers across my forehead and felt a MINIMAL amount of oil! Oh could it be! No shiny forehead at lunch time?! I quickly made my way to the restroom and looked in the mirror – NO SHINE! It was a miracle! And amazingly enough, the tiny under-the-skin bumps across my forehead were not as visible as before. I hadn’t felt that good about my skin in God knows how long!

Later that evening, around 8:00 p.m., as I sat in front of my computer playing Diablo III, I just so happened to run my fingers across my forehead and noticed, yet again, a very minimal amount of oil. Normally by this time of the night, if I ran my fingers across my forehead, they would be coated in oil. Extremely pleased, I decided to go to bed without washing my face, just to see what the result would be in the morning…