September Empties! Tom's of Maine Soap and Neutrogena Face Wash Reviews

Hi Sweeties!

Can you believe we're nearing the end of September? Me either! As a way to to say goodbye to September and hello to October (whoo hoo, Halloween!), I wanted to post on my "empties," the products that I have used up and am ready to throw in the recycle bin. This month, I used up Tom's of Maine's Natural Beauty Bar in the "Relaxing" fragrance and Neutrogena Natural’s Fresh Cleansing + Makeup Remover.

Now, I've already reviewed Neutrogena's face wash and its ingredients, which you can read about here, but I haven't done a review on Tom's of Maine's soap, which, let's face it, is an essential part of our basic hygiene and is therefore super important! So let's get to it!

My first impression of the soap is that it definitely does the job. It has an extremely pleasant scent, is cleansing, and makes a really nice lather. If I could make one tiny change to it, I would make it even more moisturizing because I definitely miss the moisturizing elements of some of the more common but toxic-laden soaps.

Now let's get down and dirty (and yes, the pun is intended)! The Environmental Working Group Skin Deep Database didn't have their own review on this particular bar of soap, so I researched each ingredient individually (as I always do) and posted them below. I'm really happy with the ratings. The use of "natural fragrance" is a little ambiguous, but they provide a link for more information which tells you at length how they use 100% natural sources. Personally, I would like to know exactly what fragrance they are using, but they offer a phone number to speak to their customer service if you have concerns about a certain ingredient. Tom's of Maine also offers a fragrance free version of their soap, but I have yet to try it out. I will definitely buy this product again. I found it at my local Target, it was relatively inexpensive, and in addition to it doing its job, it just spells good! Anyone have any other recommendations? Drop me a line and have a sweet rest of the month!

Ingredient	EWG’s Rating
Sodium Palmate	0 (no data available)
Sodium Cocoate	0 (no data available)
Sodium Palm Kernelate	0 (no data available)
Purified Water	0
Glycerin	0
Sodium Chloride (salt)	0
Natural Fragrance	See the link Tom’s of Maine has provided about its sources of fragrance
Sodium Ggluconate	0
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil	0
Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) Seed Oil	0
Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E Acetate)	3

Finally! The best concealer yet!

Hi sweeties!

Happy Monday! This blog post is dedicated to all you ladies who had way too much fun this weekend and need just a little bit of extra makeup magic to perfect that ideal “Monday” face. So, to make your Monday even brighter, I have great news! I finally found the Holy Grail of makeup – a concealer that actually WORKS and isn’t chockfull of nasty toxins! How exciting, right?!  I’ve posted before on my quest to find the perfect toxin-free concealer that will hide under eye-circles and blemishes and have come up with so-so results in the past. But finally, after many trips to the store and lots of online orders that simply got sent back because of their lackluster results, I finally found a great product in Tarte’s Maracuja Creaseless Concealer. It’s truly amazing! I’ve tried it out in all types of settings: office, late nights in the humidity, beach, working out, etc. You name it, it’s been there and guess what, it remained on my face, didn’t slide off, crease, or fade away. Plus, it’s waterproof and for someone who lives in Florida, having a concealer that is waterproof is essential so I was thrilled to put its waterproof feature to the test and have it pass with flying colors! I know, I did a happy dance too! 

I actually found it at my local Ulta store and tried out the different colors they had on display. I ended up with the second to lightest shade in “Light.” I usually go with the lightest shades as a rule, but the “Fair” shade was actually too light for me. The consistency is very thick. You really have to squeeze the tube hard for it to come out, but don’t let that scare you. I squeeze a tiny bit, and I do mean tiny, on my finger, lightly pat my fingers together and dab on under my eyes. It has a thick, creamy texture which makes it stay when you put it on. It does have a shine to it once it’s applied so make sure you set it with some pressed powder when you’re done. The concealer was $24, which is a bit on the high side, but given that you use such a small amount, I’m happy with the bang for your buck.

Now, let’s get down and dirty. What’s in this concealer that I can’t stop raving about? You know I won’t put something on my face, much less recommend that you do so, without putting this baby under the proverbial microscope. So here she is in all her glory:

Ingredient	EWG Skin Deep Rating
Phenoxyethanol	4
Tocopheryl Acetate	3
Titanium Dioxide	1
Iron Oxides	2
CI 77491	1
CI 77499	2
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride	1
Cetyl Alcohol	1
Microcrystalline Wax	1
Ascorbyl Palmitate (Vitamin C Palmitate)	1
BIS-Diglycerlyl Polyacyladipate-2	0 (no data available)
VP/H0065adecene Copolymer	0
Silica Dimethyl Silylate	0 (no data available)
Passiflora Edulis (Passion Fruit) Seed Oil	0
Caprylyl Glycol	0

EWG gave it an overall rating of “2.” 

Bottom line? I couldn’t be happier with this concealer and am thrilled to finally throw out my toxin-filled department store brand that used to be my lifeline. Into the trash you go! Anyone else want to join me in trashing our nasty ingredient-filled products and saying hello to natural, healthy beauty? 

As always, feel free to leave a comment about your experience or tell me about the products you love! Stay sweet!

The best organic lollipops I've ever had!

Hi Sweeties! Oh. My. Goodness. I had the BEST lollipop I've ever eaten. I'm serious. I was so blown away by how yummy it was I HAD to write a post about it! How did I stumble upon such a tasty treat? By spending a lovely lunch hour shopping at TJ Maxx! I spotted this bag of lollipops near the checkout and totally impulse-purchased these not expecting a whole lot. I mean, ORGANIC lollipops? Surely they must taste terrible, right? WRONG. I was so so wrong! I know I'm waxing poetically about candy, but you guys, they are amazing! The flavors are incredible! I know you may be rolling yours eyes and thinking that it's just a lollipop, but I promise you these are so much more! They are made by YumEarth Organics and are USDA Organic, gluten-free, and contain no artificial dyes or flavors. What??? How is that possible, right? Well, here it is, in all of its glory:

Look at that! They use non-GMO products, real fruit extracts and 100% natural flavors. And you get 100% of your Vitamin C intake as well. But here's the best part- they are free from those awful red dyes. Happy Dance!

So after it had passed my ingredient inspection with flying colors I ripped the bag open and grabbed one at random. With eight different flavors you can't go wrong. "Strawberry Smash" and "Wet-face Watermelon" are my absolute favorites, but you can't go wrong with "Very Very Cherry," "Too Berry Blueberry," "Sour Apple Tart," "Pomegranate Pucker," "Razzmatazz Berry," or "Mango Tango." They're almost as much fun to read as they are to eat!

I'm so thrilled that this company recognizes the need for pure foods. The fact that they make pure, FUN, and TASTY candy is just a huge bonus for me. I can only imagine how excited my readers with children are going to be when they try these out for themselves. Artificial colors, especially those nasty reds, can really cause a lot of unpleasantness in children and I know the struggle in can be to find pure foods, especially sweets. If you can't find them in your local store, you can always order online. So get to shopping, sweeties and stash a few in your purse for a sweet treat. Just make sure you save some for the kiddos!

Neutrogena Natural’s Fresh Cleansing + Makeup Remover: Is it really a natural cleanser or are they just playing dirty?

Hi sweeties! I’ve been pretty busy getting back to the full-time job routine now that I’ve been okay’d to go back to work from my surgeon. Getting things ready for my fall semester of teaching has been a whirlwind, so I’m super excited that I was finally able to find some time to sit down and do some fun research! The first product I’m blogging about today is Neutrogena Natural’s Fresh Cleansing + Makeup Remover. I bought mine from Target and was thrilled to read on the front that it was free of parabens and harsh chemicals. I’ve been using it for about two months now and can say that my sensitive skin loves it! It leaves it feeling soft and smooth and has a really nice scent. Usually soap makes my face tight and dry and can even irritate my eyes, but this cleanser doesn’t affect me at all. So, it gets my thumbs up for the overall purpose of the product, but what about what’s on the inside? That’s what counts, right? I cross referenced each ingredient with the EWG Skin Deep database and have pasted the ratings below, because that’s what I promise you guys. My unbiased review AND its rating on EWG. Saves you from having to do the time consuming legwork that energizes a research nerd like me! :)

Now, you may remember from my past posts that I don’t use products (knowingly) that have an overall rating of 4 or higher.  When I looked this facial cleanser up I was surprised! It’s ranked at a 5! That’s a LOT higher than I had expected given that Neutrogena touts on the bottle that its free of harsh chemicals and parabens. So what gives? Well, it has a fragrance which always gets a high rating due to its allergen potential. But it also has some funky ingredients that give me pause.

There is however a bit of concern for me with the addition of Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate and Cocamidopropyl Betaine because of the possibility of a contamination concern with “nitrosamines”. This nasty little addition has been found to be highly carcinogenic which is a huge no-no for me. Benzyl Alcohol was another no-no as it has been classified as toxic or harmful especially for use around the mouth (European Union - Classification & Labeling). Yikes! This definitely gets used around my mouth! So unfortunately, even though I LOVE the way the product works, I’m just not thrilled with its makeup (pun intended!). Once this bottle is finished, I plan on looking for another face wash that can assure me that these particular ingredients (if they even use it) are organic in nature and therefore would not be linked with a possibility of contamination.

What do you like to use? Comment below and be entered to win some great freebies! Stay sweet!

Ingredient	EWG Skin Deep Rating
Water (Purified)	0
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine	0
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate	3 (contamination concerns)
Cocamidopropyl Betaine	4 (allergen & contamination concerns)
Glycerin	0
Hydrolyzed Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum	0 (but there no data is listed in EWG)
Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum	0
Coco-Glucoside	0 (but there no data is listed in EWG)
Glyceryl Oleate	1 (skin irritant)
Glycol Distearate	1
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride	1
Caprylyl Glycol	1
Acrylates Copolymer	2 (contamination concerns)
Potassium Sorbate	3 (allergen)
Benzyl Alcohol	5 (especially for use around the mouth)
Fragrance	8 (allergen)

All Natural Concealer Review - My Holy Grail

Hi Sweeties!

I feel like giving myself a good old "welcome back" as I am 19 days post surgery and am able to sit upright again. To give you just a brief update, I made the decision to have major surgery for two reasons: 1) this particular surgery could help prevent my particular brand of cancer from coming back and 2) to ensure that my cancer hadn't spread to my lymph nodes. I did it for my husband, my family, my pup, and for me. It's crazy to think about really, but I'm glad I did it. I'm sure I'll be even more glad I did it once I get my energy back and my body goes back to normal. For now, I'm content with my Frankenstein scars and penchant for soft foods. :)

Anyway! I haven't forgotten about my quest for the perfect concealer! I've been a diehard Lancome Concealer fan for years, but after researching the ingredient list and almost passing out, I have been on the hunt, literally, for the perfect concealer. I've been to department stores, Ulta, Sephora, you name it, I've gone and checked them out and have come up with zilch. My standards for the ingredients are just too high, I suppose. So I took my search to the internet. Since this is my must-have for my makeup routine, I literally can't go without it thanks to my awesome under-eye circles. So, prior to me going in for surgery I ordered two different types of concealer from two different companies.

The first one I ordered was the RMS Beauty "Un" Cover-up in shade 11. I read a ton of reviews about this concealer and had some pretty high hopes. The ingredient list alone is amazing compared to the toxic waste that's out there. It arrived pretty quickly and came in an adorable package with some free samples!

Unfortunately, even though the ingredient list is superb, after using it for a week in several different environments (outside in the Florida summer heat, inside at work, night out, etc.) I was slightly disappointed. First, the shade I ordered, "11," is the lightest shade they offer and it turns a bit orange on my skin. Second, the pot of concealer is TINY! I mean it's really small. Granted, you wouldn't be using this all over your face, but for $36 you would hope for a little more product. Third, it creases. It definitely migrated into my lines on my eyes which is a huge no no for a concealer, right.

So off I went in search of another concealer. I decided to try 100% Pure because they use great ingredients and are 100% vegan. I ordered the Fruit Pigmented Brightening Concealer for $16 (along with some other products which I will post about later) and selected the White Peach tint. The other products I ordered were great and I can't wait to post about them, but the concealer did not hold up to my standards. First, it's oily and slides all over the place when you're applying it. I tried to set it with my powder but then it just makes it look splotchy and grainy. Second, it does not have any staying power. After an hour or two it just kind of melts away and leaves some light spots. My under eye area looks pixilated. Bummer. But, I did like the fact that it was more of a liquid than RMS. It was easier to spread but still too oily.

So, if I had to choose between the two? I would go with 100% Pure. The color is better than RMS for my skin tone and it's a lot cheaper. I'm going to continue to use 100% Pure's concealer for now but I'm not going to stop looking for that perfect concealer. It's like my Holy Grail. I did order the foundation from 100% Pure and really liked it (which I will post about later) so I'm hoping they will make a concealer that is a little more like their foundation, i.e., less greasy.

That's all for now, sweeties! Let me know if you've found that elusive toxin free concealer and you'll be entered to win some awesome freebies!

Review of Dove Deodorant and Tom's of Maine Deodorant...The Good, The Bad, The Stinky

Hi Sweeties!

We are in the thick of summer down here and when you live in the South that means that you no longer glisten like a lady, you just flat out sweat. As part of my mission to systematically trash the trash and use the good, I scoured the shelves of my local Target and picked up a stick of Tom’s of Maine Naturally Dry Antiperspirant Deodorant. I’ve been using Dove Invisible Solid 24 hour protection in Powder for years and after reading the ingredients and recognizing some big no-no’s, I knew I had to try something different. Tom’s of Maine proclaims that all of their products are natural. After some in-depth internet research I found that their standards for “natural” mean that their ingredients are sourced in nature (okkaaay, that sounds good but it’s a bit vague), free of artificial preservatives, colors, sweeteners, fragrances, and other additives (yay!), free of animal ingredients (awesome!), subject to limited processing (again, vague), and promote organically grown ingredients whenever possible and practical (cop out, for sure). So I think they’re trying, but in my high-standards opinion, they could try harder. Why not use all organic ingredients instead of when it’s just practical (i.e., cheap)? But I digress and will now step down off of my super green soap box. 

On to the important stuff! I tried out Dove’s Invisible Solid and Tom’s of Maine deodorants. During the summer. In the 100 degree humid heat. I’ve ran in it, kick boxed in it, trekked all over the beach in it. And the odor winner is? Dove. Yeah, their deodorant kept the odor at bay for most of the day. I didn’t have to reapply once. With Tom’s of Maine you definitely need to carry a stick with you or keep one in your office for extra applications. It works, just not for 8 hours at a time in the intense heat. 

Now let's move on to the good stuff, or not so good stuff in Dove's case. After I did a thorough review of its ingredients on the Environmental Working Group’s Skin DeepDatabase, I threw my Dove stick in the garbage. I’ve posted the two product’s ingredients below as always. So let’s hit the high points- Dove lists significantly more ingredients than Tom’s of Maine (a whopping 19 compared to 10). [Side note: I always look at the length of ingredients when comparing products. Generally, the smaller the list, the better it is for you.] Starting with Dove, the ingredient BHT registered a level 6 with the EWG. My biggest concern with BHT is its links to cancer. And it’s in a deodorant. It kind of gives new meaning to the “cancer stick,” right? It also has allergy concerns with its fragrance, so that’s a concern for me as well. Seven of its 19 ingredients are rated at a 3. Normally, I am okay with maybe one or two ingredients being a 3 as long as it’s not linked with cancer. But seven? Absolutely not. Buh bye, Dove. Maybe instead of your Campaign for Real Beauty you can Campaign for Safe Products. Catty enough? Perhaps.

Now let’s move on to Tom’s of Maine. They did a lot better in the ingredient list, but I’m still not satisfied. Similar to Dove, they list fragrance as an ingredient, which rates at an 8 with EWG because of the allergen aspect. Additionally, Dove and Tom’s of Maine have two ingredients listed at a level 3 with one of them being talc, which has been flagged as having contamination concerns with asbestos fibers. Insert my WTF here! Asbestos fibers? Really?? So Tom’s isn’t as pure and clean as I had hoped. And both brands still list some form of aluminum as their main ingredient, which I’m really wary about given some of the recent linkage of aluminum to breast cancer and Alzheimer’s. So bottom line, Dove is out and Tom’s is sort of teetering on my scale right now. I’m just not 100% sold. I’m still going to keep searching because going without deodorant just isn’t in my nature! In the next few weeks I’m going to be looking into some homemade deodorant recipes and will let you know how they go! Anyone have any luck with other brands of deodorant?

Stay sweet!

 

Dove	EWG Rating	Tom’s of Maine	EWG Rating
Aluminum zirconium tetrachlorohydrex GLY(18.5%)	2	Aluminum Chlorohydrate	3 (when airborne/aerosol)
Cyclopentasiloxane	3	Palm Kernel Oil	0
Stearyl Alcohol	1	Natural Fragrance	8 (Allergies/Immun-otoxicity)
PPG-14 Butyl Ether	1	Stearyl Alcohol	1
Dimethicone	3	Hydrogenated Castor Oil	0
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate	1	Hydrogenated Soybean Oil	0
Hydrogenated Castor Oil	0	Talc (Contamination concerns with asbestos fibers)	3 (when airborne)
Talc (Contamination concerns with asbestos fibers)	3	Dicaprylyl ether	0
Fragrance(Parfum)	8	Olive Leaf Extract	0
Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil	0	Maltodextrin	0
Steareth-100	3
Vegetable Oil	0
Glyceryl Oleate	1
Glycerin	0
Propylene	3
Glycol	3
TBHQ	3
BHT	6
Citric Acid	2