Archive for October, 2012

Company Review – Lily Organics: 100% Pure Organic Cruelty-Free Skincare Part II

October 23, 2012 · Filed under Company Reviews · Tagged , , , , , ,

Lily Organics Skincare in business since 1986

I want to again thank Christy for providing me with some other sample products to test out and review. If you want to read the first review, you can do so by going to September 2, 2012 post. Of course, I am already thrilled with the products from Lily Organics that I’ve been using as they are pure, natural and smell like a fresh bouquet of organic flowers. If you have not as yet tried their skincare, I highly recommend you get some of their trial size products. I don’t get any ‘kickbacks’ for promoting them nor do I expect any. I approached Lily Organics because they ‘fit’ my extremely high standards for products that I would use on my skin (which ultimately gets absorbed right into you bloodstream through your pores). The integrity and commitment of the owner has made a great impression on me and is commendable. Please read more about Lily on the company website – link on the right-hand side of this page under the column Blogroll.

I tried the Kukui Sensitive Facial Oil Treatment – it is unscented and certified organic. I used it as a facial moisterizer instead of the Seven Facial Rejuvenating Oil Treatment. It is very concentrated, so a little goes a long way. I used it on my face and neck both during the day and at night before bed. I always apply it while my face is still wet after using the Organic Rose Facial Toner as the oil absorbs better into the skin (again, please check back to the first post I did on this company to see my skin care regimen when using their products). If you have sensitive skin or simply prefer a product without a scent this would work well for you.

I wanted to know more about Kukui nut oil, so I did some ‘googling’ and found out as follows from Wikipedia: Candlenut oil or kukui nut oil is extracted from the nut of the Aleurites moluccana, the candlenut or kuku’i. The candlenut originates in Hawai’i. The word kukui means “enlightened” in Hawai’ian. The oil contains 19% oleic acid, 41% linoleic acid, and less than 27% linolenic acid. Candlenut oil is light yellow, with an amber tint, and has a shelf life of 6-8 months. Historically, it has been valued as an emollient, and is currently used primarily in skin care products. Kukui Nut oil absorbs into your skin quickly and easily without blocking skin pores. The company, Mountain Rose Herbs (I highly recommend their products as they are of the highest quality) also mentions that this oil is good for the following: Burns – including: sunburn, windburn, radiation burns, and heat induced burns, eczema, chapped skin, mature and prematurely aged skin, dry skin conditions, psoriasis, acne, scars, lesions, dry hair and scalp. There are many other sites that have more info on this oil, so please do some of your own research if you are interested. My personal feelings is that the oil worked well to nourish and moisturize my skin without feeling greasy. It was ok not having a scent either, although their other scented products are only made with pure essential oils, flowers and herbs.

The other product I tried was the Organic Moisture Mist. I spray it on after I apply the oil treatment and moisturizer to my face and neck. I love the refreshing feeling it leaves on my skin. The ylang ylang scent stands out for me the most. I also spray it on during the day to hydrate my skin and as a pick-me-up. When you breathe in the scents in a product that you spray on your face/body or smell on someone else, your lungs uptake it and if it is ‘chemically’ enhanced, I would start coughing because I can’t handle anything that isn’t pure. If someone walks by and has perfume/cologne on that is unnatural, I cover my mouth and nose and may also spit to get it out of my system. My body has gotten so clean that it has a sensitivity to most things that are toxic, especially when it comes to smell/scent – such as cigarette smoke, detergents, leaf blowers, etc. That is why I am so thrilled to have found Lily Organics and will continue using their products and recommending them to others.

Check out their website – Lily Organics – for information and to purchase their products – scroll down to the column on the right-hand side of this page titled Blogroll. The skincare products are handmade in small batches and may take longer to receive, so be patient, it is worth the wait!

Disclaimer: I was not sponsored to write this, but I did receive a sample of the product(s). These are strictly my opinions. I only review products that I, myself would use and purchase.

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Company Review – Rainbow Research: Henna Natural Hair Color

October 11, 2012 · Filed under Company Reviews · Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Rainbow Research Henna Natural Hair Color – in business since 1976

I have been using the henna hair color from Rainbow Research for many years and decided it was time to write a review. I want my readers and those who may ‘stumble’ upon my blog, to read about this amazing product that truly works and is 100% pure, or I wouldn’t use it! It has gotten my stamp of approval so you know it is the best.

Some years ago, I wanted to start using a hair coloring product. Of course, the market is “saturated” with numerous commercial products that claim to be ‘natural’ (the word is used so loosely these days that it really doesn’t hold to the standards of people like me who is very well educated with ingredients and can read a label and discern instantly if the product is natural/pure), but they are using so many chemicals and dyes to make the product. If you think about it, you are using this on your scalp, not just on the ends of your hair to either cover the gray or add highlights to your existing hair color. This is a significant factor to using only a pure product.

I always go back to this point, if you wouldn’t put it in your mouth because it is not organic/whole/pure, why would you be ok with putting it on you skin/body? Do you think it doesn’t absorb through your pores and go directly into your body/bloodstream? Well, if you don’t know this already, then it is time to be enlightened! YES! it absolutely does and much quicker because you don’t have to break it down through your digestive tract like when you consume food (I have written quite a few company reviews on skin and body products that I recommend. You can click on the link on the right-hand side of this page under the title Categories and look for Company Reviews). There is a danger of commercial chemical hair dyes. The National Cancer Institute estimates that 20% of the non-Hodgkins lymphoma (the cancer that killed Jackie Kennedy-Onassis) is linked to the use of such dyes. Other cancers include bladder, breast cancer and leukemia have been linked to those products. Rainbow Research hair colors are pure botanical products and do not contain any of the chemicals linked to the cancer risk.

Now getting back to my search for a quality hair color product. I was already living a healthy vegan lifestyle (it has evolved and improved over the 22 years I have been doing it) and would not compromise in any way shape or form and buy a product that using ingredients I disapprove of. Before I found Rainbow Research at a health food store in NY, I used some other natural hair color products, but they did not work for me. Then I found this product from Rainbow Research. Of course, I don’t just take what the company says on their label as absolute truth, I do my own research and read up on their ingredients to make sure it is of the highest purity and quality. People that spend exhorbitantly on products they use on their skin/bodies usually are paying for the name brand and packaging, but don’t know that the price may seem ‘rich,’ but the quality is actually ‘poor.’ The more costly something is, doesn’t have an absolute correlation that what your are getting is ‘good for you.’ Do your do diligence and don’t take this lightly! You are ‘eating’ through you skin, as it is the largest organ of the body.

I was very happy to know that this product has only a few pure ingredients and was excited to try it. Most commercial and some quasi-natural skin/bodycare companies have a list a mile long of ingredients you can’t pronounce and don’t know what they mean/are. There would be so much ‘work’ involved in discerning them, that you may use it anyway because you already bought it and don’t want to throw it out or have time to go back to the store and look for something else. You would plan to look for something else the next time. What you don’t realize it that chemicals are cumulative in the body, meaning they accumulate and the factor of time and continual use is what causes health problems in the body.

I was very happy with the results of this product and let others I know about it. I liked that there are many color choices and the brochure gives you tips and hints to help the color adhere better to the hair. It is not complicated to use, either. You mix with water (and can additionally use brewed tea, apples cider vinegar, etc – see website for details and instructions) and then apply to the hair. You keep it on for a specified amount of time, depending on the color used. It does take some extra time in the shower when you are washing it out, so be aware of that. Also, you may still have some small pieces from the henna that you will see on you bedding (use a towel on your pillow so it doesn’t get all over your sheets) until the next time you wash your hair. It is a small price to pay for getting the results you want and the purity you desire/deserve!

I use the henna on my hair once every 2 months and am very happy and satisfied with the results. It gives texture & body to my hair and feel silky & smooth, as well. I like the fact that the color fades gradually so you don’t need to use it that often. I do not need to use the whole container, as I mostly put it on the roots. I will continue to use this product for many years and recommend you read more about it and the instructions how to use it at home (if you do get your hair colored at a salon, you can always being the product there to be used instead of their ‘toxic’ ones). You can read more about the company, Rainbow Research, their henna and other products they sell by clicking on the link I have provided for you by scrolling down on the right-hand side of this page under the heading Blogroll.

Disclaimer: I was not sponsored to write this, but I did receive a sample of the product(s). These are strictly my opinions. I only review products that I, myself would use and purchase.

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Company Review: Moso Natural – air purifying bag

October 3, 2012 · Filed under Company Reviews · Tagged , , , , , ,

Moso Natural air purifying bag – in business since August 2009

I found out about this company at the Expo West in Anaheim. I took home some literature about the product and after reading the information, I contacted the company to send me one for review. It, of course, would have to meet my high standards of purity and integrity before I would even consider testing it. I am happy to say that it did! The Moso Bag helps to purify the air and comes in two sizes depending on the space you are using it for. I received the smaller one that is for 90 sq.ft., which is good for the car, closet, bathroom and pet areas.

I have never seen any other product like this on the market. It is very pure, non-toxic, fragrance-free and eco-friendly. The bag is made of bamboo charcoal which has purification properties. The carbon in the Moso Bag is self-activated to absorb and filter out harmful pollutants and odors. This product does not have a scent, which is great for those who have allergies. It is also safe to use around children and pets, as there are no chemicals or toxins inside the Moso Bag. Once a month the Moso Bag needs at least one hour in the direct sun to release the pollutants and rejuvenate it for future use. You can certainly leave it outside for longer if you choose.

The product, at first, sounded too good to be true, but this company has gotten it right! It is beneficial for use in eliminating odors, pollutants, bacteria, mold, mildew and more. Since I received the smaller Moso Bag, I use it in my bathroom. I have had it now for over 3 months and here is what I experienced. When I take a shower, it definitely helps with the moisture that accumulates afterwards. I already have mold in my bathroom from a previous tenant who lived here years ago (I never knew what mold looked like, as I never had the problem before, until someone who saw it told me that it was). The mold is stillthere, as I don’t know that this product can remove what has already been there, but it has not gotten any worse, thankfully. I am using some natural methods to get rid of it, but it takes time and “elbow grease” especially since it is in the cracks where the caulking is around the top of the bath tub.

I used to keep my window open at night to get some air circulation because during the day there is lots of traffic on the street and I get dirt in and around my tub coming in through my window. I also keep it closed because of smoke that comes in from the cigarettes used by the neighbor next door, as his window is next to mine. The Moso Bag does not work to absorb the smoke from the cigarettes and I have to quickly close the window (if it is supposed to then I don’t know why it doesn’t!). Usually when I keep my window closed the room smells stale, but I don’t have that in the bathroom since I use the Moso Bag.

All in all, it is a great pure and natural product and I highly recommend it! To read more about the Moso Bag click on the link by scrolling down on the right-hand side of this page until the column titled Blogroll.

Disclaimer: I was not sponsored to write this, but I did receive a sample of the product(s). These are strictly my opinions. I only review products that I, myself would use and purchase.

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