Naturalla Beauty

Isabella's Clearly Wave*
Wave blends together Himalayan sea salt crystals and a base of jojoba and olive oils, creating a unique texturizing oil that's a hybrid between a sea salt spray and a regular hair oil.  I don't recommend dousing your hair in the oil - like you might with a watery texturizing spray - but a conservative amount run through the lengths of the hair helps define curls and minimizes frizz without weighing down hair.  The scent - a mix of jasmine and basil essential oils - is sweet and floral, with just a hint of earthiness from the basil.

Silk Naturals Brightening Concealer
A recent release, the Brightening Concealers are loose powder concealers with a soft focus, subtly radiant finish.  I've used Silk Naturals Sleep in a Jar for years and these seem similar, only amped up a little.  They're still sheer, but offer a little more coverage than Sleep in a Jar and do a great job softening and blurring fine lines and small blemishes.  Made with silica and ceramic microspheres, they also feel buttery and blend into the skin very easily.  

I've been testing out a sample of #2 - advertised as a dupe for Anastasia's Banana Powder - which is a little too dark for me, though it still works okay.  Priced at $6.50, the concealers are crazy affordable and I'm already planning to order full sizes of both #1 and #2, as I suspect the two mixed together will make my perfect shade.  

Young Living Carrot Seed Oil
Carrot seed oil is extracted from the dried seeds of the wild carrot plant, also known as Queen Anne's lace.  It's most often recommended for mature skin and anti-aging, but with a high antioxidant content, natural SPF, antiseptic properties, and radiance boosting effects, carrot seed oil should appeal to virtually everyone.  I've only mixed it into face masks so far, but I'm curious to try it other ways too and I'll report back once I've done a little more experimenting.

Andalou Naturals Lime Blossom and Clementine Hand Creams
After seeing Andalou's hand creams recommended by both Mary (Makeup by Mary B) and Nicole (Live It, Love It, Green It), I ordered the Lime Blossom and Clementine varieties from iherb, where they're currently on super sale for $3.99.  The two have slightly different ingredients, but both feel nourishing and absorb quickly without any greasy or oily residue.  The scents are pretty light, though I'm still surprised how much I love the sweet, tropical scent of the coconut water-infused Lime Blossom.  It's not at all a sunscreeny coconut, but it does smell like summer in a bottle with a mix of coconut, lime, and mint.   The Clementine is a bright citrus scent and a little more subtle than the Lime Blossom.  

Yosh Konjac Cherry Blossom Konjac Sponge*
As soon as I return to cleansing with a konjac sponge, I always wonder what took me so long!  The biggest change I notice is just how clean these vegetable fiber sponges keep my pores.  Yosh Konjac is a new company to me, but I like that they're Canadian and that the sponges are completely natural, cruelty-free, and free of artificial coloring and preservatives.  The Cherry Blossom Sponge is handmade in Japan with 100% pure konjac fibers infused with cherry blossom leaf essence and pink clay and is suitable for all skin types and said to encourage skin revitalization and luminosity.  

What new products have you tried recently?

These little sponges really took the green beauty world by storm last year!  Using my hands or a washcloth has always done me well enough, but when Dr. Sponge kindly offered me the chance to try their konjac sponges, I was eager to see if they'd live up to all the hype.  (Spoiler: they did.)



What are konjac sponges?
Eco-friendly, biodegradable cleansing sponges made out of food-grade konjac plant fiber.  Konjac is a plant native to Eastern Asia that's naturally rich in vitamins and minerals.  Dr. Sponge incorporates natural additives like green tea, charcoal, lycopene, lavender, aloe, and pearl powder in their seven different sponge varieties, each suited to different skin types and/or concerns.

How do they work?
The sponges are excellent for cleansing your skin and providing gentle exfoliation.  Each sponge comes dry and quite hard, but after soaking in water, softens up and transforms into a lovely, squishy sponge that can be used either by itself or with a cleanser. 




My Experience
I tried the original, pure konjac sponge first.  It's incredibly soft and gentle, but still provides the slightest exfoliation.  After about a week of using the original, I switched to the charcoal.  This one, which contains activated bamboo charcoal is recommended for combination, oily, and acne-prone skin, but also for normal and even dry skin as a weekly treatment.  It leaves my skin feeling a little more dry than the original, presumably because of how good charcoal is at pulling oil, toxins, and other junk out of your pores.  I also experienced a mild detox period when I first started using the charcoal sponge, with patches of tiny breakouts on my forehead.  By about the third or fourth use, my skin was completely back to normal and I haven't had any issues since.

I especially enjoy using the sponges for a morning cleanse, although you can also use them to remove light makeup.  Both varieties leave my skin feeling clean, soft, and smooth, and my overall skin texture seems more even.  My nose area, which is prone to blackheads/clogged pores, also looks much better since incorporating Dr. Sponge into my skincare routine.  

Face vs. Body
Dr. Sponge makes both face and body sponges, but as far as I can tell, the only difference is size/shape.  I've used the Original Body Sponge on both my face and body and it works great for both!  For the face, the sponges are a gentler alternative to regular washcloths, and for the body, they're a much more eco-friendly alternative to plastic loofahs and poufs.

The Bottom Line
I'm sold!  The results speak for themselves, and the overall appearance of my skin seems healthier and more even since using Dr. Sponge.  For my skin, the charcoal is a little much for everyday use, but I enjoy using it one or two times a week.  The original, on the other hand, has been completely fine for daily (or twice daily) use.  I kind of want to work my way through all the kinds now, just to see how they compare to each other.  It might take a while though, since, with proper care, each sponge can last up to seven months!

Where to Buy: $8.50 (Face) / $11.50 (Body) from Dr. Sponge


Disclosure: Product provided for 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.