All posts filed under: Product Directory

8 Toxic-Free Dry Shampoos Honoring National Dry Shampoo Day

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Yes, National Dry Shampoo Day is real. Our obsession with dry shampoo began about ten years ago, but little did we know of all the harm it can do to our hair, scalp, and the environment. No, we have not given up on dry shampoo entirely. In fact, giving our hair a break during the pandemic has made us want to use it even more. If you are in need of a cleaner dry shampoo, look no further. We compiled a list of our top eight brands to try, and fall in love with right now. Vegamour GRO Dry Shampoo Vegamour has become synonymous with hair wellness. This modern brand focuses on hair growth and their GRO Dry Shampoo is no different. The plant-based dry shampoo is fortified with the same proprietary blend of phyto-active ingredients found in their best-selling GRO Hair Serum. Using it will ensure a healthy hair ecosystem, plus the volume and texture you desire. It is 100% vegan, clean and cruelty-free. Lulu Organics Hair Powder Lulu Organics packaging will stop you …

The Most Nourishing and Luscious Body Butters You’ll Ever Experience

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SOOTHING SELF-MASSAGE TO THE RESCUE We said it before and we will say it again – skin is your largest organ, one that protects you, feed it luxurious skin food and it will thank you back with health and radiance. Testing body care products is one of our favorite perks of the job, and these brands know how to quench the thirst with hydration and flurry textures. ENGLISH LUXURY If your budget allows for one luxurious collection this winter, make it this English brand. Lola’s Apothecary has artisans whip up each and every product, and their body soufflés are beautifully designed glass tubs of goddess containing a fragrant cloud of tranquil aromatherapy. The one-of-a-kind scents will have you keep coming back. As soon as the product touches your skin it melts in like butter. Among other rich ingredients, this soufflé is made up of shea butter, coconut oil, and rosehip CO2. Use it as a skin treat after a bath or shower, and let it all seep in with a proper self-massage. WHIPPED INTO PERFECTION …

Sleeping Beauty: Overnight Masks, Serums & Potions For Restored Morning Skin

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The sweetness of slumber is even sweeter when you wake up with soft and radiant looking skin. A healthy sleep hygiene is a beauty secret we often hear about from doctors and skincare experts alike. We all want to look refreshed and restored, but in reality naps and eight hour sleep schedules compete with life and stress. So, let effective products pull their weight in lending a hand in your quest for the best skin of your life. The goal is not perfect skin, but healthy and happy skin. All you have to do is take good care of your skin before bed, and the rest is taken care of by nature and science. We’d call it magic, but a lot of hard work has gone into these creations. Here is our list of tried-and-true products that are so effective, you see instant morning results. SLEEP & RESTORE Commit to better skincare, then reap the results in the morning. “Some things are best done under the moon and stars.” This is exfoliation season and we’re …

Product Highlight: Kansa Organics Kansa Wands

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Kansa Organics Takes Face Massage To a Whole New Level PRODUCT HIGHTLIGHT | Kansa Organics Massage Wand Massage plays an essential role in the Ayurvedic healing system. In fact, the healing power of touch can be traced back to India as far back as 3000 BCE (or earlier). The Kansa Wand was born out of that belief, practice and love for massage. When it comes to facial, and body massage, we find this tool to be far more sophisticated than facial rollers and even Gua Sha tools. The reason for this is its history rooted in healing the mind and body and easy to use design. We find ourselves using it a lot more often than other tools, and adding it to our skincare arsenal has greatly improved our love for facial and body massage. WHAT IS THE KANSA WAND? The Kansa wand is a small domed tool (shaped like a bell or a cup) that can be used to massage the face + body. Kansa wands are made with India’s sacred and healing metal (Kansa). …

Summer Essentials: How To Take a Cold Plunge In Style And Beat The Heat This Summer

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When travel and events are no longer on the table, creating fun summer memories can be a challenge. No matter how you chose to celebrate the longer hours of summer, do it with the right tools in hand. Cold Plunge Don’t have access to a pool? On a particular hot day, cool down with a cold bath. Yes, a cold bath is a real way to bring the temperature down, improve circulation, relieve depression, and improve deep breathing. If you are afraid to take the plunge, cold showers are a great way to help you ease into a cold bath. When it’s truly hot and humid, you likely won’t mind getting in. Limit your time until you cool down, physically and mentally. The trick to tolerating a cold shower or bath is to take deep breaths, with slow exhales. Special Product Tip: As bath soak aficionados (with our own shop, The Soak Club, to open soon) we are forever on the look out for bath accessories. We recently tried the Bath Bean, and honestly, where …

Skincare Spotlight: Skincare That Will Change Your Mind About Facial Oils

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While many understand the benefits of using facial oils, cleansers and serums, some stay away from them. One of the biggest misconceptions is that a facial oil will clog up pores, result in break outs, and sit on your skin while feeling greasy. This could not be far from the truth. In fact, a lot of facial oils are excellent at reducing pore size and clearing up acne. The trick is to know what type of facial oil is right for you. Dermatologists agree, acne is likely to be caused by dry skin due to overwashing or using drying face washes. If you are prone to breakouts, look for ingredients like tea tree oil, almond oil or jojoba oil. In addition, look for labels that say: clarifying, healing, dry oil, lightweight, and balancing. For those with dry skin, using a facial oil is a no-brainer. Any kind will do, but for ultimate effectiveness, look for ingredients like rose, calendula and squalene. Our editor picks for oils that we know work, use unique ingredients, and won’t …

The Lipstick Effect: 10 Best Clean Makeup Products To Try Right Now and While Wearing a Mask

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The pandemic has changed the way we spend money. Is lipstick still in demand? We know so. With today’s economic ups and downs, the lipstick effect theory is relevant once again. What is the lipstick effect theory? The theory states that consumers are less likely to spend money on large items or big luxuries during an uncertain economy, while opting to spend more on smaller luxury items instead. Skincare, wellness products and luxury cosmetics fall under that much sought-after category. In short, consumers will still invest and indulge in makeup. It makes them happy, and it certainly does not break the bank. Our clean beauty edit is always comprised of tried-and-true products, but we feel that it is more important than ever to personally try, and approve of what we recommend. Our seal of approval guarantees that we tried it, loved it, and will continue using it. Wearing a face mask makes makeup application a bit more complicated, but not entirely impossible. If you love makeup, as much as we do, try these non-toxic, colorful, …

Important & Useful Ways To Educate Yourself, Listen & Support the Black Community

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Our world view is shaped by our environment, but we don’t have to remain within its bubble. Education is key. Let’s put some work into becoming better, more empathetic, and open minded people. If you feel like you have no idea how to feel, or what to think, then stop, and listen. This feels like what is hopefully a revolutionary time, one that will allow the black community be heard. It is time for change, the time has been long time coming. The beauty of life is that we can change and evolve. If you feel as if you have been living in ignorance of what the black community has endured, not just now, but for decades – this is what you can do. Amplify black voices and listen to their experiences, support black businesses, read educational books with different view points, get the facts and statistics of what goes on in your community, and provide a helping hand to the disenfranchised. The work will not be done in a day, but taking that first …

Skin Therapy: 10 Best Hydrating Lotions, Creams, Balms & Salves For Soft Hands

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There is no argument that proper hand washing has been on everyone’s minds and lips, however all that washing may effect the health of our skin in the process. Skin is our largest organ and provides vital protection, but only when it is well taken care of. In addition to protection, the skin on your hands is thinnest, and it is one of the first places to show signs of aging. Did you know that Grace Kelly was adamant about consistent hand cream application? She believed that keeping her hands young and healthy was important, and she was right. We made it our mission to find non-drying hand sanitizers and hydrating hand creams. For further help with skin health, especially for the hands, we sought advice from Dr. Alpa Patel. How can we protect the skin on our hands from the constant washing and cleaning (especially if you have dry skin)?  Use lukewarm water versus hot water. Hot water will dry the skin out faster. Use a moisturizing hand washing soap that incorporates ingredients such …

Cultivated Beauty: Best Face Cleansers For All Skin Types

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Cleansers are very personal and very essential. When we try a new one, we either love them or hate them. Our featured list of four tried-and-true face cleansers ensures that we have all your skincare concerns covered. They are gentle, foamy and some go the extra mile to exfoliate. Our beauty editors swear by these, and a new face cleanser is just what your spring face needs. Normal, Combination & Sensitive Skin Kat Burki Skincare has been making our top skincare list since 2011. From packaging, to ingredient potency, this brand continues to strive for excellence. The trick to picking a good face cleanser is finding one that won’t dehydrate your skin. The KB5™ Calming Gel Cleanser protects your skin by retaining much-needed moisture, while removing makeup and other impurities. This is the most invigorating cleanser for a morning wake up call. It smells fresh, almost like cucumbers, and brightens the skin. Normal, Combination & Oily Youthful looking skin requires exfoliation and Dr. Sturm’s Enzyme Cleanser is the gentlest exfoliator we’ve ever used. Dr. Barbara …

Earth Day 2020: Winners of The Best Sustainable Beauty & Wellness Brands On the Market

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While 2020 has been in disarray, the slow down among humans has been a gift to Mother Nature. Earth is experiencing less pollution and movement due to lack of travel. This is the time appreciate our health, our bodies and escapes into the natural world. When it comes to making smart purchases that are good for us and the planet, beauty and wellness aficionados have lot more options to chose from. These are the brands we noticed doing the extra work to be sustainable, and added them to our favorites for a life well lived. MAKEUP Antonym Cosmetics has succeeded in making high quality makeup that is both cruelty-free and natural. Their unique eco-friendly packaging ketches the eye, but the product inside is the real winner. While the highly pigmented colors are certainly there, this makeup is for natural beauties who dislike cakey makeup. Instead of covering your face, Antonym helps you enhance what you already have. We tested the Baked Highlighting Blush in Cheek Crush and we are impressed. It is our belief that …

Product Highlight: Gleamin Vitamin C Clay Mask

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PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT | Gleamin Vitamin C Clay Mask As far as Clay Masks go, Gleamin’s Vitamin C Clay Mask is in a league of its own. While this mask might be Gleamin’s only product (for now), it continues to receive rave reviews. The bright colored product contains natural and organic ingredients, the most alluring of them being Kaolin Australian clay. The ingredient is native to Australia and it is what gives this mask that enticing pop of yellow color. This mask works overtime, and we will tell you why. Let’s break this product down. When we use a clay mask, the results are almost always clean and brightening, but not necessarily glowing. With Gleamin, are other ingredients in play and that is why this mask does more than just purge your pores. The yellow Australian clay ingredient detoxifies the skin, stimulates the blood flow, brightens and unclogs those pores. As a skincare ingredient, Turmeric is an old favorite, with abilities to calm the skin and reduce any redness. Combined with Aloe Vera’s moisture, the glow …