Naturalla Beauty

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!

Sea buckthorn has gotten a lot of press lately, but if you aren't familiar with it, it's a hearty plant native to Asia and parts of Europe.  The bushes produce an orange berry that's rich in antioxidants, carotenoids, flavonoids, minerals and vitamins and is an excellent source of Omegas 3, 6, and 9, as well as the much rarer Omega 7.  Among other benefits, these four essential fatty acids aid in collagen production and help provide cellular support for healthy skin, hair, and nails.  The unique composition of this berry makes it very effective at soothing and improving a whole host of skin issues including acne, eczema, rosacea, and scarring.  


I had the opportunity to try out Sibu Beauty's Sea Buckthorn Moisturizing Body Cream* and quickly jumped on it.  While many of us look for super, nutrition-packed ingredients when it comes to skincare for our faces, we're less likely to insist on them in body care products.  For me, it's one thing to splurge on something like a face oil, but I'm much more likely to buy a $15 bottle of lotion than a $50 one, regardless of what magical ingredients might be in the more expensive one.  Luckily, Sibu's Body Cream has you covered on both counts.  It's affordably priced and packed with plenty of healing and anti-aging sea buckthorn goodness: the seed oil, fruit oil, and even whole pureed berries.  

Along with all that sea buckthorn, the body cream also contains meadowfoam oil, shea butter, and aloe to moisturize and rejuvenate the skin.  It has a thick, lotion consistency that's rich and hydrating, but still rubs in easily and isn't overly heavy.  I like it a lot as a hand cream too, since it feels substantial and nourishing going on, but sinks in quickly and doesn't leave your hands feeling greasy.  If you've used them before, you'll know that sea buckthorn seed oil is orange and the fruit oil is a vibrant red.  The two oils, plus the pureed berries give a cheery, buttery yellow color to the cream, and essential oils give it a subtle citrus scent that's light and not especially noticeable beyond the initial application.

The Bottom Line
I've been really happy with Sibu's body cream!  It's kind of the best of both worlds: rich and very hydrating, but also absorbs quickly into the skin without any stickiness or oily residue.  It feels great going on and I like knowing that I'm getting additional benefits, beyond those of an ordinary lotion, from all the sea buckthorn.  I also love that Sibu makes use of the entire berry here and includes not only the fruit and seed oils, but also whole, pureed berries.  

All Sibu Beauty products are also non-GMO, cruelty free, and vegan, and the company sources their sea buckthorn through fair trade agreements with local harvesters in Tibet.