Naturalla Beauty

I like tracking empties for a number of reasons, not the least of which that I find it really interesting to notice how much of various kinds of products we actually get through.  It's not always what you think.  Case in point: today I learned that I use a lot of soap.  Keep reading for the details + the lowdown on all the body products I've used up in the last 5+ months.  

Bar Soaps
I'm a fan of gentle bar soaps, especially through the winter months when my skin is more prone to drying out.  The Mamma Oceania Antioxidant Soap, SBT Seabuckthorn Berry Bar, and Rocky Mountain Soap Pumpkin Soap were my favorites of the bunch -- all three are very gentle, palm oil free, great for sensitive skin, and made by fantastic Canadian companies.  On a Branch's Apple Cider Soap -- also Canadian and palm oil free -- had the most amazing spicey cinnamon scent, but the bar got a little gloopy and melted away quicker than I would have liked, even left to dry in a draining soap dish.  I did have this particular bar hanging around for a good while before I used it, which could maybe have impacted it.  The Graham Gardens Lemongrass Milk Soap, sent to me by the lovely people at The Choosy Chick, smelled wonderful too and produced a great luxurious, rich lather, but it's one that I likely would not repurchase since it does contain palm oil.




Body Wash
I'm not sure why I've never used Acure's body washes before, but they're really lovely!  They have the feel and lather of a traditional shower gel, but leave skin feeling a lot softer and more hydrated than most gels.  I didn't notice any significant formula difference between the two, just the scents -- the Clarifying Body Wash is minty and fresh, while the Cell Stimulating Body Wash (now the Energizing Body Wash) smells like almonds.  If you're familiar with Acure's hair care, the body washes smell exactly the same as the Volume and Ultra-Hydrating hair products.  

Nourish Organics' Moisturizing Cream Body Washes are a longtime favorite of mine.  They have a creamy/milky consistency and are extra gentle on the skin.  Wild Berries was discontinued last year, but I still have a couple bottles stashed away.  I also like The Honest Co.'s Honest Shampoo + Body Wash, mostly for its yummy orange-vanilla scent.  This mini came in one of the company's trial kits, but I've also bought the full size before.  



Moisturizers
The Savannah Bee Company's Unscented Honey Body Lotion is a fantastic unscented lotion.  It's rich and nourishing but doesn't leave you feeling greasy or slippery, or take forever to sink into the skin.  No odd 'unscented scent' either, if you know what I mean.  I also really loved the Duckish Lavender Lotion Stick.  It's solid in the tube, but melts into the skin immediately on contact.  Rocky Mountain Soap's Dry Skin Butter is a similar concept, but the actual product is much more solid and slightly waxy.  It does a good job treating dry skin, but doesn't feel nearly as luxurious as the Duckish.  

I held onto this bottle of Rachel's Plan Bee Body Oil for far longer than I probably should have, but I really did love it.  It's pretty much the perfect body oil in terms of feel and consistency, but I couldn't always tolerate the scent, which is why it lasted me so long.  It's an undeniably beautiful orange-vanilla fragrance and completely essential oil-based, but it was a little too strong for me a lot of days.  As I've told Rachel before, if she ever creates an unscented version, I'd be all over it!  The Honest Co. Organic Healing Balm, from the same trial kit as the body wash, didn't make a strong impression.  It's a fine product, but I think there are better balms out there, so it's probably not something I'd purchase again. 



Teeth
I'm pretty set on keeping my mouth care completely free of glycerin and the Miessence Mint Toothpaste is a new favorite.  It tastes a little salty, but is very minty and leaves your mouth feeling super fresh.  I wish Miessence was a little more accessible -- the only reason I haven't replaced this already -- but I'm sure I'll place an order eventually.  Tierra Mia Organics Healthy Dent Tooth Regime, on the other hand, didn't work for me at all, at least not as toothpaste.  Teeth felt clean after using it, but the mint was so subtle as to be undetectable, so all I got was a strong soap taste that would not go away, even after multiple rinses.  No exaggeration, it lingered in my mouth for hours!  Since they're basically just shreds of bar soap, I ended up adding the tooth chips into loads of laundry, just for the sake of using them up.  They actually worked great in that capacity and I'm totally sold me on DIY/bar soap laundry detergents now!



Essential Oils
Clearly essential oils don't sit unused around here!  Thieves is great for boosting the immune system and overall health through cold and flu season.  I like it as a preventative and also used it to help kick a flu bug I caught early in the fall.  Peace & Calming is one of my favorite blends to use before bed, particularly if I have trouble winding down or falling asleep.  Lastly, Orange and Cinnamon Bark (along with Clove) were frequently enjoyed in my oil diffuser through the fall months.  

Stay tuned for makeup empties over the weekend -- the last of this ginormous batch of empties!

Winter weather may have come late to Toronto, but now that it's here, it's not kidding around.  Monday saw temperatures as low as -15°C - and that's before factoring in the windchill!  Brr.  Inevitably as soon as the negative temperatures hit, my skin needs a little extra love, and that's where these products come in...



Wildcraft Cell Regeneration Face Serum
I had the pleasure of meeting Jessica and Laura from Wildcraft at a green beauty event a couple months ago and got to learn a little about this local Toronto company.  Everything is handcrafted in small batches and made with predominantly raw, organic, and local ingredients.  The Cell Regeneration Serum features a blend of rice bran, meadowfoam, rosehip, hemp, seabuckthorn, and sunflower oils, and hydrates the skin beautifully without any heaviness or greasy residue.  Carrot seed extract and frankincense and palmarosa essential oils provide additional anti-aging benefits and give the oil a unique spicy/earthy scent that I really enjoy as well.  You could certainly use the oil by itself, but since I've been on more of a cream moisturizer kick of late, I've opted to use it a little differently.  I like to mix a couple drops into my moisturizer for an extra punch on days when my skin feels more dry or in need of a boost.   

Rachel's Plan Bee Bee Cream
I've written about Rachel's Plan Bee several times before, but the Bee Cream is a new discovery for me this winter.  It's a concentrated product that hits that perfect intermediate between a balm and a body butter.  You get the richness and nourishment that you would from a balm, but with a softer whipped consistency.  Like a balm, a little goes a long way and you don't need to use a lot to get great results.  The Bee Cream has the lovely RPB signature citrus vanilla scent, though I find it milder than in some of the other products like the Body Oil and Polish, which, for my sensitive sniffer, is another plus.  I've been using the cream mainly on my feet and cuticles - both of which are super soft now - but it's one of those great products that you could probably find a million and one uses for.  

SBT Seabuckthorn Lip Balm*
In the winter, lip balms always get split into two categories in my head: indoor and outdoor.  Its slippery, thinner consistency puts SBT Seabuckthorn's Lip Balm firmly in the indoor category, but where this Canadian balm really excels is in its ability to heal and nourish sore chapped lips.  I'd go for something heavier and more protective before braving a snowstorm, but this is what I'd reach for right after.  Made with both seabuckthorn seed and fruit oils, as well as shea butter, beeswax, and a host of other nourishing oils, it feels like a product that really feeds your lips, helping to repair any cold-weather inflicted damage.  The balm is unscented and unflavored, so the earthiness of the seabuckthorn does come through, but it's in no way overpowering or offensive.

Ilike Carotene Essentials Gel Mask*
The Carotene Essentials Gel Mask was specifically formulated for summer skin, but I've been finding the same hydrating soothing blend of carrots, fruit, and honey fantastic for winter skin needs too!  Our first tendency is often to reach for rich oils and butters to combat dryness, but skin really needs a combination of oil AND water for optimum health.  The Gel Mask provides that water component and only needs to be left on for about 15 minutes.  It's soothing and provides light hydration - which you can then seal in with those richer creams and oils if you want.  I did a more detailed review of this mask over the summer.

Dry Brushing
Don't get me wrong, I love a good body scrub or polish, but some days they just feel like that extra step I can't bring myself to do.  What I can get behind any day of the week is dry brushing!  It takes less than two minutes to brush your entire body, leaves no slipperiness or oily coating on the tub, and in addition to exfoliating away dead skin, it also offers lymphatic and circulatory benefits.  There's tons of information about dry brushing out there, but it's hard to get wrong: just start gentle and make sure to brush in a direction towards your heart.

Has the cold weather hit where you are?  What are your winter skin essentials?