Goodie Goodie Gumdrop

I've been a blog slacker! So sorry, but I went to San Diego for work and enjoyed the sun too much to write about products :-( The only problem with San Diego is the long flight--I took the red eye home to MD and I think I'm still working my way out of it. Oh well, that's what spas are for.

My most recent test has been with nature girl's face wash. This brand is billed as super hip (out of LA) and ultra natural. I'm sorry to say, but I am not so impressed. I really like products that look, feel and smell wonderful--I like to feel like I'm giving myself a facial. This face wash is odd to me, it's kind of a gummy gel. This does not delight the senses, as you might imagine. So while it washes fine, I don't like how it feels on my hands and face. My skin is left a bit dry as well. Survey says---X.

Isn't She Lovely

The last few nights I have used the lovely anti-aging night treatment from Eden's Kiss. I noticed a difference right away--my skin looks great. The oil is lightweight and smells very mild and calming.I used the anti-aging night treatment for normal to dry skin. Can't wait to try the balm! Best of all--I have gotten complements on my skin. Enough said.

The Better to Toxify You With, My Pretty

This could also be titled "Things aren't always what they seem." I think my mom must have taught me this lesson by age 4, and yet I am still sometimes amazed. Specifically, I am shocked and annoyed by the number of products I'm seeing that claim to be all organic, natural and such but are actually full of chemicals! In the eco-field, there's now a term for this--greenwashing. Stop telling me your product is green when it isn't. I don't appreciate being taken advantage or knowing that less knowledgeable consumers are actually using these products and thinking they are dong great things for the environment.

What the world apparently hasn't caught yet is that something organic, or of natural origin, can include really harmful stuff! Uranium is a natural substance that I sure as heck don't want in my face wash. So is petroleum. You get my drift. Even more annoying are the "derived from natural source" chemicals popping up everywhere. My current non-favorite is cocamidopropyl betaine. This is listed as "derived from coconut." Well, yes, in the same way that Splenda is derived from sugar. It once was a part of a coconut, and now it's a syntheic chemical after all of the molecules got mixed around and changed to create an entirely new substance altogether. (In case you are missing my sarcasm, this is no longer anything remotely related to coconuts).

These types of substances are all in the safe cosmetics database, many with serious issues (cocamidopropyl betaine is a known irritant of grand proportions). So why put it in things that claim to be chemical free? At a bare minimum, don't lie to me.

Why am I ranting about this? Not only is it an obnoxious problem, but OrganicallyHappy.com is deciding not to carry these products (some of which are really nice, but chemical-laden). Vincent is really clear with suppliers about what he allows, they say "oh yes, we fit that perfectly" and then the samples arrive and low-and-behold....chemicals!! More annoying is that many suppliers are small producers and charge for samples. So now we're paying for samples of products I'll never try or use. Arg.

Ahhh...Kobo

So, I've just returned home from a week-long family vacation at the beach. Nice to get away, sure, but there's just something about coming home that gives me reason to take a deep breath and sigh a smile. Last nite, our first home in a week, I really wanted to relax and enjoy being back in my own home.

I am not a candle person, nor can I claim to have every been. So, when Vincent brought home a sample of Kobo's Pure Soy Candles for me to try, I set it out as something pretty. I never remember to light candles and when I do, I'm worried that my son will catch himself on fire or that I'll forget to blow it out before bed and catastrophe will ensue. Yes, I do realize that has never happened, but what can I say. For whatever reason, I went against this non-candle-lighting trend last night in an effort to prolong my vacation. I have to say that these candles are absolutely lovely. I've never been a fan of strong scents--I cannot walk into the yankee candle store without choking on the aroma. I also don't care for fruity smells (yes, picky picky, I know). These candles are really lovely--gently scented and they last forever. So far, I had it burning for hours last night and again tonite and it is still going strong. Plus, no smoke happening, which is a plus. It came with an extinguishing lid and matches (which I never can find, so that was fantastic). The packaging is absolutely beautiful--I enjoyed using this, but I know I'll end up giving these as gifts.