Paraben Free

St. Ives Daily Hydrating Body Lotion Review

July 21, 2012 By Cortney 1 Comment

I purchase lotion like most girls purchase nail polish. This might be surprising considering how sensitive my skin is, but I love to use lotion and i’ve been shopping for natural brands for years now.

I was at my local CVS store a few weeks ago and decided to take a gander in the skincare isle. It’s always nice when you can find drugstore brands you like for a fraction of the high-end brand cost. With the large selection there I sifted through many brands. Everything from Aveeno to Dove.

[Related: How-To Stay Hydrated this Summer]

I came across this St. Ives lotion and decided to give it a try. It has Vitamin E and had a fairly natural ingredients list compared to the other brands. As a bonus the bottle was 21oz and less money than many other, more expensive brands. Here’s what I thought about this:

Pros:

This lotion is formulated without Parabens or Phthalates
Does not contain Animal Ingredients
The bottle contains 20% Post-Consumer Recycled Material
I had no rash or break-outs when using this lotion
Has a nice, light floral scent

Cons:

None so far

Filed Under: No Slider, Reviews, Sheer, Skincare Tagged With: Beauty, Best Body Lotion, Body, Body Butter, Cosmetics By Cortney, Daily Hydrating, Follow me on Pinterest! :D, Hydration, Lotion, Lotion for Summer, Lotion for Winter, Lotion Reviews, Lotion without Paraben, Natural, No parabens, Not Tested on Animals, Organic, Paraben Free, Phthalate Free, Recycled Bottle, Reviews, Skincare, St Ives, St Ives Daily Hydrating Lotion Review, Vitamin E

10 Eco-Minded Labels Explained

April 19, 2012 By Cortney 4 Comments

It’s already tough to shop responsibly, given how widely words like “organic” and “natural” are thrown around. To make things even more complicated, though, there are also tons of ecological certifications products can get. They’re designed to tell consumers that a product is more ecologically friendly, but not all certifications are the same, and some are much more strict than others.

here are 10 common logos broken down to show what each of them means:

Natural Products Association Certification: The Natural Products Association certificationmeans:
- Any product labeled “natural” must be made with at least 95 percent natural ingredients – that is, from renewable resources found in nature. No petrochemicals are allowed.
- No parabens, SLS, chemical sunscreens, or phthalates.
- No animal testing.
- The packaging must be environmentally conscious and sustainable.
The NaTrue Label: The NaTrue label means that a product has been certified to contain only water, natural ingredients, and nature-derived ingredients.The label has three grades: Natural Cosmetics, Natural Cosmetics with Organic Ingredients, and Organic Cosmetics.
Whole Foods Premium Body Care: OK, so why is a store’s seal on the list? Because a lot of people shop at Whole Foods, and this seal promises that a product:
- Is free of parabens, SLS, and more than 250 other ingredients deemed unacceptable.
- Has no synthetic fragrances.
- Has minimal environmental impact in production, sourcing, and disposal.
Vegan Certification: This label means just what you’d think it does: no animal testing, no animal products. It doesn’t take a stance on parabens and other controversial ingredients.
The Leaping Bunny: Created by the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics, theleaping bunny symbol shows that a product is made without animal testing at any stage of its development. It stands out from other “no animal testing” seals because all companies are independently audited to ensure adherence to the strict guidelines. If the audit fails, the company is no longer able to use the symbol.

Check it out: Personal Skincare Routines for $5!

And: Origins Frothy Face Wash Review

Source: 10 Eco-Minded Labels to Know

Filed Under: Beauty, Men's Skincare, Nutrition, Sheer, Skincare Tagged With: Animal Tested, Beauty Product Labels Explained, Boscia, Caudalie, Certification, Chemical Sunscreens, Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics, Cosmetics Labels Explained, Earth Friendly, Eco Friendly, Green, How to Know, Ingredients, Labels on Makeup, Leaping Bunny, Nature-derived ingredients, no, No animal products, No animal testing, Not Animal Tested, Only Water, Organic, Paraben Free, Peta, Plants, Pthalate Free, Recyle, Reuseable, Seal, Skincare products, SLS, Symbol, synthetic, The NaTrue Label, Vegan, What Do the Labels on Beauty Products Mean, What Do The Labels on Cosmetics mean?, Whole Foods

DIY Fruit Facial Friday: On The Go

March 20, 2012 By Cortney 3 Comments

I’m happy to announce: Fruit Facial Fridays are back by popular demand! Unfortunately YouTube has been having some (very inconvenient) technical difficulties so this Fruit Facial Friday is being posted on Tuesday instead of last Friday

Why do an at home Fruit Facial?:

When you do your own Fruit Facials, you can be sure that you are only using the best ingredients on your skin. NO additives, Nothing Artificial, Just Sheer ingredients. I’ve sworn by my Fruit Facials for years. I have different ones for all skin types and you can check back every Friday to see new ones. I honestly think these do more for my skin than any store-bought product i’ve ever tried. And the best part is that most of my ingredients are VERY affordable. Once you try these, you will fall in love. Your friends will all be asking why you have such amazing skin

The great thing about this Fruit Facial is that it is designed with the busy girl (or guy!) in mind. You don’t need a blender , you don’t have to heat anything up, and you only need 3 ingredients! Suitable for all skin types. Just follow a few simple steps and you’re good to go!

To see the video click here. Or here to see past Fruit Facial Fridays.

Be sure to watch my video on how to prep your skin before one of my Fruit Facials.

What You Will Need:

A bowl to mix ingredients
Measuring spoons
A fork or any mashing/ mixing tool

Ingredients:

1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
1/2 Teaspoon honey
About 2 inches of a ripe banana.

Instructions:

Mash up banana in your bowl of choice until you have a chunky paste. It doesn’t have to be perfectly smooth.
Add 1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
Next add 1/2 Teaspoon honey
Mix until well blended.
Immediately apply your Fruit Facial to a small patch of your (clean, makeup free) face. Wait for about 5 minutes to make sure that you don’t have any bad reactions to the facial (Occasionally people will have reactions to even the most natural ingredients, so it’s important to follow this step).
Next, gently apply the fruit facial to the rest of your face and neck area.
Leave on for about 10-15 minutes (or even 5 if you’re in a big hurry)
Gently rinse your face with luke warm water until the Fruit Facial mixture is completely gone. Pat dry.

It’s really amazing to see how well these work to repair and improve skin.

Please comment and let me know how you liked your Fruit Facial!