Naturalla Beauty

Ann Bee's Naturals is a small, family owned business making natural, non-GMO, eco-friendly products in Fair Hill, Maryland.  Ann Barczewski was inspired to start the company when she was unable to find daycare for her special needs daughter and transitioned to staying home with her.  The company, which began as a natural soap line in 2011, now includes over 100 products, including soaps, skincare, and bath and body items.  One of my favorite things about blogging is being able to feature smaller, independent companies making great, natural products, so when Ann reached out to me back in September, I was very happy to accept her offer to review some products.  After some deliberation, I settled on the Seabuckthorn Rosehip Salve and Moroccan Silk Neroli Sandalwood Oil.  


Seabuckthorn Rosehip Salve 
Multi-purpose salves always come in handy and I've found a multitude of uses for this one since getting my hands on it.  Along with organic seabuckthorn and rosehip oils, this 100% organic salve also contains organic extra virgin olive oil - infused with organic chamomile, lavender and calendula - and organic unrefined beeswax.  In the tin, it has a pretty solid balm consistency, but it's not at all waxy and the warmth of your fingers easily melts it into an emollient butter that's easy to apply.  It takes a couple minutes to fully sink in to the skin, but it's pretty light and not overly greasy.  The salve has an orange hue from the seabuckthorn and rosehip oils, but it rubs in clear and doesn't stain or color the skin at all.  It's great on dry skin and I love using it as a cuticle butter.  I've also used it in place of an eye cream, and while I didn't notice it having much of an effect on my dark circles, it did a good job hydrating and depuffing the area.    It also contains no essential oils so its scent comes only from the other ingredients.  To me, it just smells like a good, high quality, olivey olive oil.  


Moroccan Silk Neroli Sandalwood Oil
I've used straight argan oil in my hair for years, so Ann Bee's Moroccan Silk Oil, a blend of argan and macadamia oils scented with neroli and sandalwood essential oils, was one of the first products to catch my eye.  In addition to the oils, it also contains cruelty-free Tussah silk, which is rich in proteins and amino acids that condition and protect hair from moisture loss, while simultaneously strengthening and repairing the hair cortex.  I've never used a hair product with silk before, so I wasn't sure what to expect, and while I cant say I've noticed any results that I can attribute specifically to the silk, the oil leaves my hair feeling soft and touchable and works well to tame frizz.  Depending on the day, I sometimes find the scent a little overpowering, but if you're a fan of neroli, you'll love how this smells.  The sandalwood gives it a smidge of earthiness, but the predominant scent is definitely neroli.  

The oil can also be used as either a face serum or body oil, though I've yet to try it on anything more than my hair.  

The Bottom Line
I'm a fan!  Ann Bee's Naturals' products have great ingredients and are very affordable too.  Both of these ring in at under $15, and a little goes a long way, so I've barely made a dent in either one.  Whether you're looking to support a smaller business or just looking for some great products to try, this is a line worth checking out! 

Photo by David Zimand

Like a lot of natural formulators, Ora Assayag started making natural products for her family.  When her youngest daughter developed severe eczema and was prescribed steroids and antibiotics, Ora was confident there had to be a more natural, holistic route they could take and began researching alternatives.  In addition to diet, she looked to herbal medicine and developed a healing herbal blend to use in a salve.  After the first batch, she quickly learned that the salve worked not only on her daughter's eczema, but also on dry skin, cuts and scratches, and small kitchen burns.  One thing led to another and developed into Ora's Amazing Herbal, a family business that now sells salves, lip balms, and body powders.  Everything is 100% natural, made with only organic and fair trade herbs, and the business is committed to being run ethically and with social responsibility.  

I was happy to be sent a few products from the line to try out.  Keep reading for what I thought of everything...


All Purpose Salve
Since salves are what started it all for this company, I was most excited to see what this little  glass jar could offer.  It contains a powerful blend of herbs - organic calendula, comfrey, plaintain, chickweed, St. John's wort, burdock and thyme - infused in non-GMO grapeseed oil and blended with organic coconut oil, beeswax, vitamin E, and essential oils of rosemary, thuja, and tea tree.  

The very top layer was a little more firm, but once you break through that, it's the creamiest, butteriest salve I've had the pleasure of using.  It's also suprisingly non-greasy - unless you use a ton - and sinks in really easily.  And, it works super well too!  Dry, chapped hands were no match for the salve and itchy skin quickly fled as well.  It smells great too - fresh and herbal, but also a little sweet - and in a pinch, it even works as a lip balm.

Basically, just a good, all-around functional product to keep on hand!  The smaller, one ounce jar is the perfect purse size to carry with you too.



Ingredients: Grapeseed Oil (non-GMO) Infused With Organic Calendula, Organic Comfrey, Organic Plantain, Organic Chickweed, Organic St. John’s Wort, Organic Burdock And Organic Thyme, Organic Coconut Oil, Beeswax, Vitamin E And Essential Oils Of Rosemary, Thuja, And Tea Tree.

Chai Spice Lip Balm
I can't imagine a better fall/winter lip balm flavor than this Chai Spice, which is a yummy blend of cinnamon, cardamom, clove, and ginger.  The lip balm formula is ideal for winter too, as it's a thicker balm that does a great job protecting your lips against the elements.   And, if your lips are already chapped, it's a good choice too.  It contains the same herbal infusion as the salve and I've noticed it really speeds up the healing process, leaving my lips feeling soft and supple.  I will say that, personal preference, I wish the balm had a little more slip to it.  On the flip side, the thicker, waxier consistency is what helps it last so well on your lips, and it also means it's completely matte and shine-free, which will certainly appeal to some.  

Ora's Amazing Herbal's body powders leave out talc (which can be contaminated with asbestos), grains and corn starch (which have been shown to exacerbate some skin problems) and any synthetics.  Instead, they contain a gentle blend of kaolin clay, baking soda, arrowroot, and plaintain leaf powder.   The Vanilla one that I received also contains vanilla bean powder.  

One of the last "dirty" products I held on to was a vanilla body powder from The Body Shop, so I was extra excited to receive the vanilla-scented option here.  Perhaps because I had TBS one in the back of my mind, I was a little gutted to discover how lightly scented Ora's version is.  The vanilla really is barely detectable here. 

Scent aside, it's a great silky soft, finely milled powder with a multitude of uses.  I've enjoyed dusting it on top of other deodorants and I've used it as a dry shampoo too.  I imagine it would also work well for diapering, chafing, and anything else you'd use conventional baby and dusting powders for.

Ingredients: Kaolin Clay Powder, Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda), Maranta arundinacea (Arrowroot) Powder, Plantago major (Plantain) leaf Powder, Organic Raw Vanilla planifolia (Vanilla) Bean Powder. 

The Bottom Line
Ora's Amazing Herbal uses high quality, natural ingredients and sustainable, ethical business practices and is a company I'd feel confident recommending.  The salve was the star of the show for me, but I've enjoyed using the lip balm and body powder as well.   I do wish the powder had a bit more scent to it, but it isn't anything that will stop me from enjoying the product as is.  

The price point, across the entire line, is also very reasonable, with lip balms ringing in at $3.99, powders at $10.99, and salves at $8.99 (1 oz.) and $18.99 (4 oz.)



Disclosure: Product provided for my honest review.  I was under no obligation to write a positive review in return for free product, nor was I compensated for this post.  All opinions are my own.