Naturalla Beauty

I've been testing out Godai Elemental Clean's dual soap and shampoo bars, generously sent to me a couple months ago, and I'm excited to share them today!  Godai soaps, which are made with 85-92% organic ingredients, are USDA certified organic through the Montana Department of Agriculture, and are also 100% natural, vegan, GMO and cruelty free, and made in the USA.  

The name Godai comes from the Japanese terms for Five (go) and Great (dai), and refers to the five elements which serve as the inspiration for Godai's soap line.  There is a Japanese belief that each of the five elements represents a certain tendency in the world and that, while we are all born with energy from each of the five elements, negative experiences and general life stresses can cause us to lose these energies, creating an imbalance.  Godai soaps are intended to nourish the skin through the five elements in order to regain these lost energies and restore balance.

BR Naturals is an Ontario company that was created to make products that are "100% natural and safe to use but at the same time smell good, feel good, and are good for the body."  Sounds pretty great, right?  The company is passionate about sourcing top quality ingredients and even aims to grow as many of them as possible on their own organic farms in Yobaín, Yucatán México.  

I was sent a generous box of goodies to try and I'm excited to share my thoughts on everything!



Lavender Body Wash
BR Naturals' body washes are castile-based, detergent-free soaps made from coconut, olive, avocado, apricot kernel, sunflower, and sustainable palm oils.  They also contain added vegetable glycerin, a natural humectant that helps drive moisture into the skin.  The consistency is a little thin but it's very workable and lathers nicely on a loofah or sponge.  The Lavender Body Wash has a genuine lavender scent to my nose -- slightly herbal and not overly flowery.  It's gentle and leaves skin feeling very soft.  I like it as a hand wash too! 

Exfoliating Bar Soaps -- Lavender Flowers // Peppermint Leaf
Similar to the body washes, the bar soaps are natural soaps made from just plant oils and essential oils. I've only used the Peppermint Leaf so far -- BR Naturals' most popular cleansing bar -- and I really like. As opposed to something more abrasive, the exfoliating bits in the soap are ground up peppermint leaves -- lavender flowers in the lavender bar -- which provide texture and delicate exfoliation without being harsh or scratchy. The bar smells fresh and minty and with 25% avocado oil, it creates a rich lather that cleanses without stripping the skin.



Lip Balms -- Cucumber // Strawberry
I use lip balm multiple times a day without fail and BR Naturals' vegan balms are lovely. They're creamy and buttery and have been doing a good job keeping my lips moisturized and protected. The Cucumber flavor didn't end up being my cup of tea, but the Strawberry, which reminds me of the old school Lip Smackers I used as a kid, has a nice fruity scent. There are tons of other flavors to choose from too!

Lotion Bars -- Vanilla // Mint Vanilla
Solid lotions have become one of my favorite ways to moisturize recently.  They're ultra nourishing and with minimal ingredients and no added water, there's no need for emulsifiers or preservatives.  However, not all solid lotions are made the same and I find a lot of brands lean too waxy, whereas my preference is for something that's solid in the container, yes, but also very emollient on the skin.  BR Naturals hits that sweet spot dead on.  The Lotion Bars are solid, but they melt with the heat of your skin and turn into almost a creamy oil on contact.  Coconut oil, beeswax, shea butter, and sweet almond oil provide a generous dose of moisture and nourishment, and mango seed butter, one of favorite body butter ingredients, helps keep the bar from feeling greasy or sitting too heavy on the skin.  

Again, I've only dug into the Mint Vanilla so far.  It has a sweet, creamy, bakery-type vanilla scent offset with a hint of fresh peppermint to liven things up.  The plain vanilla smells quite similar, just, obviously, minus the mint.  The bars are quite hefty in size, so I've actually been cutting it into smaller chunks, which keeps the unused portion clean, and makes application easier and a little less messy.  



Papaya Seed Oil
Papaya seed oil is unique in that it contains the enzyme papain, a gentle exfoliant that dissolves dead skin cells and excess sebum. It's an ingredient I've used in other products, but never on its own and, as such, I was a little thrown by the oil's strong scent. The aroma is very pungent -- almost fishy smelling -- but completely normal according to BR Naturals. I haven't worked out how to best use the oil yet, but I'll definitely post an update if/when I do.

The Bottom Line
The exfoliating bar soap and lotion bar were my two favorites, but I'm happy to have had the opportunity to try everything out.   I love BR Naturals' emphasis on sourcing top quality ingredients and that they're a Canadian brand too!

Mid-February isn't too late to write about holiday gift sets, is it?  I actually got this set on my birthday, at the end of January, without any plans to blog about it, but it ended up being too lovely not to.  Rocky Mountain Soap Co. is a Canadian bath and body company founded on the principle that nature provides everything we need for beautiful and healthy skin.  The company believes that body care should be beneficial to our health and psychological well-being and has even launched an entire Toxin-Free Movement to help spread information about ingredients and how to shop clean.

I've checked out Rocky Mountain Soap's website numerous times in the past and even tweeted with them on Twitter, but with stores only in the Western provinces, my birthday was the first time I came across their products in person.  I wasn't sure where to start until I spotted a lone Vanilla Candy Cane Mini Tray in the store's sale section.  Vanilla and mint scents are some of my favorites, so finding this - and on sale to boot - made it an easy decision.  The Mini Tray came with mini sizes of the Vanilla Candy Cane Body Butter and Bar Soap and a full size Vanilla Candy Cane Lip Butter.  It also included a card redeemable for a free bar of soap in one of their stores, which I will certainly be hanging onto until I - or someone I know - can make it to one of the ten Rocky Mountain Soap stores in person.




Vanilla Candy Cane Bar Soap
I'm always excited to discover new palm-oil free soap options, so this was probably the item I was most eager to try in the kit.  It didn't disappoint.  The Vanilla Candy Cane scent is the mildest in the soap, and while I wouldn't object to it being a little stronger, it's still there and quite delicious.  The soap creates a good, rich lather that feels soft and non-drying on the skin and it's also lasted a good bit longer in my soap dish than expected, considering its compact size.  

Vanilla Candy Cane Body Butter
Solid body butters can be tricky, but Rocky Mountain Soap has really nailed the perfect lotion bar consistency here.  It's solid without being waxy, so it smoothes onto the skin easily without dragging or feeling sticky.  It's also not overly oily and sinks in beautifully.  My favorite thing to do with this has been to use it as a hand butter, since the tube packaging makes it so easy to smear on the backs of your hands and quickly rub in.  The product absorbs nicely, so you don't end up with greasy hands or needing to wait more than a minute before you can touch anything.  The Vanilla Candy Cane scent is a gorgeous mix of cool peppermint and sweet vanilla that I can smell on my skin for a few hours after application, and the body butter leaves anything it touches super soft and hydrated.  The smaller, mini size is also perfect for carrying around with you and using on the go.  

Vanilla Candy Cane Lip Butter
The lip butter feels very similar in consistency to the body butter and is beautifully rich and buttery.  I notice a slight peppermint tingle on my lips, but nothing over the top.  We've had -25° temperatures here the last several days and while admittedly I haven't been spending a lot of time outside, the lip butter has done a great job protecting my lips when I have ventured outdoors.  

The Bottom Line
I've been impressed with all three products, so I'm pretty confident this won't be my last experience with Rocky Mountain Soap.  The Vanilla Candy Cane scent - which is phenomenal - was a limited release for the holidays and isn't currently available, but all three of these products - and the Mini Trays - are sold year-round in other scents. With a large assortment of products and many varied scent choices, I sort of envision Rocky Mountain Soap Co. as a healthy alternative falling somewhere between Bath & Body Works and Lush.  I'd love to visit one of their stores one day, but in the meantime, I will content myself with their website, plus the products stocked at The Big Carrot here in Toronto.  

Palm oil is natural and non-toxic, but it's an ingredient that brings up a lot of environmental and ethical concerns.  Due to its popular use in the food industry, cosmetics, detergents, and even biofuel, global production of palm oil has doubled in the last ten years, and according to the World Wildlife Fund, palm oil demand is expected to double again by 2020. (source)  To meet this demand, large areas of tropical forests are being cleared to make space for palm plantations.  This deforestation destroys critical habitats for endangered animal species and has even lead to the eviction of forest-dwelling people.  The palm oil industry is also linked to human rights violations, climate change, soil erosion, and air, soil and water pollution.  

You can find "sustainable" palm oil, certified through the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), but there's some controversy around this as well.  According to Greenpeace, there's very little to stop companies from having part of their operations certified by the RSPO while they continue to use unsustainable means in other palm plantations elsewhere (source), giving the illusion of much greater sustainability than is real.  There have also been instances of both child labour and forced labour discovered on RSPO certified plantations. (source)

Personally, I don't think it's feasible for me to completely eliminate palm oil at this point, but I do make an effort to minimize my consumption.  I'm a diligent label reader - of both food and personal care products - which allows me to always make informed choices.  Generally I allow palm oil in makeup items and some palm oil derivatives in skin and body care, but I don't use products that contain large quantities of this ingredient.  

Bar soap is one of the largest body care culprits for palm oil - both because it's less costly than a lot of other oils and because it creates a firm, long lasting bar of soap - but it's one product that I refuse to compromise on.  And there's no need: there are plenty of lovely natural soaps made without a trace of palm oil.  (See below for some great examples!)  Currently many of these offerings are from smaller, artisan companies, but I'm hopeful that we'll see more large companies taking notice of this issue in the future too.  


1.  Meow Meow Tweet Fennel Orange Soap
2.  Tierra Mia Organics Gentleman's Soap
3.  SoapGirl Wine + Roses Soap
4.  Green Beaver Lavender Sunflower Soap
5.  Vice and Velvet Jewel Soap Sampler
6.  Ella's Botanicals Skin Soother Bar
7.  Aquarian Bath Neem Olive Oil Soap
8.  Organic Fiji Tea Tree Spearmint Soap
9.  By Valenti Organics Almond Coconut Soap
10. Hugo Naturals Vanilla & Sweet Orange Soap
11. Acure Mint Cookie + Omega 7 Soap
12. Etta + Billie Earl Grey Soap

Is palm oil an ingredient you're concerned about?  Are there other palm oil free soaps you'd recommend?

Along with the lip goodies I wrote about yesterday, I've also been trying out a bunch of body products from Scentuals Bodycare.  I've got a good number of things to talk about, so let's jump right in!





Grapefruit Moisturizing Body Wash
I featured this body wash in my recent What's in My Shower post and said that it felt like a cross between aloe vera gel and a creamy body wash.  I still think that's the best description I can come up with and it makes sense too, since, instead of water, Scentuals body washes are made of 76% aloe vera.  The resulting wash is incredibly gentle and cleanses without leaving the skin feeling dry or stripped.  

Goat Milk Mint Soap
This soap is another favorite.  It's moisturizing and easily produces a rich lather that's not drying in the least.  The scent is fresh and minty and the bar has lasted me a good long while too.  

ScentFree Hand and Body Lotion
I specifically requested a couple unscented products, since that's often my preference for lotions and moisturizers.  Made with aloe, avocado oil, and shea butter, the ScentFree lotion has a bit of weight to it and moisturizes really thoroughly.  It takes a bit to fully work it in, but it's worth the effort.   I notice my skin is extra soft on days when I've used this lotion.  

ScentFree Daily Skin Repair
The Daily Skin Repair is a moisturizing balm, packaged in a convenient stick format.  It's made with coconut oil and lots of rich butters - cocoa, shea, and mango - but no waxes, so it absorbs well and doesn't just sit on top of the skin.  It's a solid product, but it softens on contact with the warmth of your skin.  It's also sensitive to ambient temperature.  In fact, mine melted and leaked a little when it was shipped to me during a hot spell.  It hardens again without issue, but is something to keep in mind if you're looking for a product to carry around with you.


Tangerine Dream Hand and Body Lotion
The Tangerine Dream lotion has a slightly different formula from the ScentFree one and feels a little lighter going on.  I love how it smells in the bottle - very similar to the Vanilla Citrus lip conditioner - but on my skin, the sweet scent changes and becomes almost sour.  It's not heavily scented, so I doubt anyone but me even notices I'm wearing it, but it does somewhat diminish my enjoyment of this product.  

Vanilla Velvet Hand & Foot Repair Cream
The Hand & Foot Repair Cream has the most gorgeous consistency.  It's a rich, whipped lotion that I've used both on my hands and feet, and also as an all over moisturizer.   The Vanilla Velvet scent is nice, but quite strong.  The scent combines Tahitian vanilla, French vanilla, Indian sandalwood and citrus, and is sweet, but with a richer depth from the sandalwood.  

The ingredients for this product just list fragrance, but when I asked for more information, I was informed that it is natural fragrance and phthalate free.  The fragrance also makes up only 0.6% of the formula of the Hand & Foot cream.    

Vanilla Velvet Hydrating Body Spray
The Hydrating Body Sprays are water based, but they also include vegetable glycerin for a touch of moisture.  As many of you will already know, I'm not a big perfume/body spray user and I found the Vanilla Velvet scent a little overpowering in this form.  If you're someone who likes stronger fragrances or who enjoys layering your scents, however, you might get on really well with these body sprays.


Bug Off! Insect Repellant Spray
Bug Off! is an essential oil based bug spray.  I mostly smell citronella and basil, but it also includes eucalyptus, lemon eucalyptus, lavender, orange, lemongrass, rosemary, tea tree, cedarwood, and catnip.  Being confined to the city this summer, I wouldn't say I've tested this under the most buggy conditions, but it's worked well for the backyard and nighttime dog walking.  

The Bottom Line
After trying a good selection of products these last couple months, I'm pretty confident in saying that Scentuals is a line worth checking out.  They have a huge selection of body products, as well as smaller baby and face lines.  There are plenty of 100% natural options - those scented with only essential oils - as well as ones that include natural fragrance.  Everything is also clearly labelled, so there's no confusion about which you are receiving.  With the selection and affordable price point, Scentuals kind of reminds me of the natural version of something like Bath & Body Works!  

Don't forget, you can save an extra 20% off Scentuals products with the code caitie_20.  If you're in Canada, the company also offers free shipping on orders of $75+.

You can also follow Scentuals on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.  Watch for sales + giveaways - they're very generous on social media!

Reading more about the palm oil industry has left me wanting to switch away from products containing this ingredient, or at a minimum, to use only ones that contain palm oil that is sustainably sourced.  First on the list to change: bar soap.

I like to use bar soap both as hand soap and to wash my face.  I know a lot of people are concerned about using bar soap on their face, but it's what I've used for the last several years without issue.  Sure, it's not super luxe, but it gets the job done and it's incredibly affordable to boot!  I was excited to stumble across Badger's bar soaps, since before that, I didn't realize the company even made soap.  The line is made up of six kinds: three body, one baby, and two face and body.  The soaps are made with mainly organic ingredients, and although they do contain palm oil, it is sustainably sourced.