Naturalla Beauty

I'm happy to say I'm back from my unplanned blog hiatus!  June (and the first half of July) were crazy busy for me and unfortunately blogging just fell off the map.  I really did miss it and I'm glad to be back.  On another note, I've also managed to accumulate a bunch of new stuff, so I'm excited to work my way through that over the never little while.  

As for today's post, you might have noticed that I've been trying out several new shower gels over the last couple months, and I'm back today with another fantastic one to recommend! 

I've been following Face Naturals on Facebook for probably over a year now, but for whatever reason, it took me this long to actually place an order.  Face Naturals has an extensive line of skincare, body care, and even hair care, all made with all natural, mainly organic ingredients and without any chemicals.  I wanted to dip my toes into their products slowly to start, just in case I reacted to their fragrances (all natural, but I never know), so I placed a small order for two trial size body cleansers.  

First off, can I interrupt the actual review to mention how much I love that Face Naturals offers trial sizes of many of their products!  Don't get me wrong, I'm ecstatic that there are so many natural companies out there, but with the market being so saturated right now, it can seem like I'm constantly finding new brands that sound promising.  I can't try them all, so affordable sample sizes are often my tipping point.

Getting back to the body cleansers, these are coconut-based castile soaps, without any SLS or harsh detergents.  They lather VERY well and leave your skin feeling clean, but not at all stripped.  In fact, these are some of the most moisturizing shower gels I've used.

In terms of scents, I tried Liquid Sunshine and Acai Berry & Lime.  I'll admit I chose Liquid Sunshine, which contains vanilla extract and lavender and lemon essential oils, mainly for the name.  Really, who doesn't want to shower in liquid sunshine?  To me, lavender is definitely the strongest scent in this, which is great at night or when you want something more relaxing.  The Acai Berry & Lime contains acai berry extract and lime essential oil and has a fresh, zesty lime scent that I adore.

The Bottom Line

I don't actually have a whole lot to say about these, other than that they are awesome!  Going by these, which sell for $13.95, Face Naturals' products are affordable and perform very well.  I still have a couple other shower gels hanging around that I want to get used up, but I will definitely be back for more Face Naturals body cleansers once I work my way through those.  They also have several other products I'd love to try, like their Organic Acai Berry Antioxidant Face Scrub and Organic Raspberry Sherbert Body Butter.

  

In my mind, shower gels can be split into two categories: those made up of surfactants like sodium lauryl sulfate and decyl glucoside, and those made of saponified oils.  While there are better and worse surfactants out there, my preference is still to use the second type, made with a base of saponified oils.  Without spending a lot of time going into the science, these types just seem like a healthier, more natural option to me.  

Recently, when I started to get a slight rash after showering, which I eventually traced back to the shower gel I was using, I figured it was time to try something new.  I decided on Bubble & Bee's Squeezed Lime Organic Shower Gel.  I've heard lots of positive things about Bubble and Bee over the last couple years and have been following them on facebook for quite some time.  Stephanie, Bubble & Bee's founder, also writes the Chemical of the Day blog, which is a fantastic resource for anyone looking to learn more about what's lurking in your products.

Back to the shower gel!  The first thing I noticed was the smell.  It smells tart, slightly sweet, and pretty much exactly like cutting into a fresh lime.  This is a gentle, castille soap, much like the renowned Dr. Bronner's, but unlike Dr. Bronner's, Bubble & Bee's shower gel is concentrated and contains no water.  As a result, it's thicker than Dr. Bronner's, and a little goes a longer way.  Used straight on my hands, I didn't get a lot of lather, but on a shower pouf, it lathers nicely.  Bubble & Bee also recommends diluting it in a foamer bottle, which would stretch it even further, but I've yet to try it this way.  It leaves my skin feeling clean and soft, and the delicious smell lingers on the skin for a couple hours too.  

All in all, this is definitely a product (and a company) I'd recommend.  The shower gel retails for $11.99 (8 oz.)/$21.99 (16 oz.)   It works well, smells divine, and is made by people who really seem to know what they're doing.  Bubble and Bee products are also USDA certified organic.

If you order right away, Bubble & Bee is having a sale!  Now through Monday, save 20% off body butters, salt scrubs, and lip balm sampler packs, and 15% off shower gels.