**REVIEW** Organic & Vegan Ultra Hydrating Facial Moisturizer

Of all the beauty moisturizers I have tried - and there have been a lot - this is the first time I tried something vegan. This is what the product touts:

Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Non-Toxic, All-Natural Face Moisturizer for Dry, Sensitive, Eczema, Combination, Mature Skin

How could I resist?

This is Nouveau/Organica Ultra Hydrating Facial Moisturizer.

Though my review of this got off to a bumpy start, I'm glad that I gave the product a try.

I'll address the one issue I had with this before I get to the rest of the review.

When the package arrived, we were having one of our famously warm days here in Anchorage. And I mean it was warm. For a week, we had temps that ranged from 80 to close to 90 degrees. Yeah. Warm.

melted

1 hour in fridge

The jar is slightly smaller than I expected (because I am bad a visualizing sizes by volume amounts) and I tilted it to get a better grip when I opened it. Lucky that I turned it right side up before the lid came off. Because of the warmth, the contents were completely liquefied. (There is a mention on the label that "softening" can occur.) I ended up spilling only a tiny bit o the product, but I am warning other users ahead of time.

Now.

This is more of an oil than a cream. I don't mind that at all because I love using oils on my skin. For people that tend to avoid oil products, I will tell you that the results are not what you might think.

The moisturizer is very non-clogging. My skin is not only a combo that runs from dry-to-oily, those zones fluctuate, but my nose is the spot that suffers when I use anything that irritates my skin or clogs the pores. The Organica passed that immediate test. When I used the moisturizer as an overnight treatment, I was even more pleased.

There is a faint smell to this that reminds me of used cooking oil. It's not unpleasant and I don't notice it when the moisturizer is in a solid state. When it's all liquefied, the scent is more pronounced. The important thing is that it doesn't linger on the skin.

I am surprised that I like this so much. I don't know what I expected. For some odd reason, I've never had the same positive view of 'vegan' products that I do of those labeled as 'natural'. It's a mindset of mine.

This product has me anxious to try others like it. Of the benefits I noticed in a few days' use, the main one is that this absorbs well. I didn't have to use a lot. I just scraped my fingernail over the surface to get slivers to apply. The oil melts on contact with my skin. I ended up being able to control how much I was applying to the different areas of my face. I like that.

Organica (which is just what I call it!) softens and nourishes. I noticed that it seems to work with my skin. It moisturizes deeply where my skin is driest, yet it didn't "grease" up my skin where it was already hydrated. Very weird but, again, I love the results.

I read reviews by other users and saw that people with various skin issues and they seem to have had positive results. I don't suffer from serious facial skin issues, but I do have 'mature' skin (hah!) and this has turned out to be a nice treatment.

When I went on a water challenge recently, my skin felt better, but I noticed that it tended to dry out a lot whenever I drank less water. It's as if, having gotten so much natural  hydration, my skin rebelled whenever I dropped back to my usual water intake. Since then, my regular moisturizer hasn't been working as well. This brought some balance back to my skin.

I've been using this on my elbows as well as the area at the back of my ankles to soften the skin. The most surprising way I've found this to be helpful is to oil my scalp. Because of the melting factor, the oil really soaks in without getting all over my hair. I just make little parts in my hair, apply the oil, then massage my whole scalp with my fingertips.

I like this a lot. I do wish that I didn't have to keep returning it to the fridge. Actually, I don't have to. I could just use it in the liquid state, but I like being able to better measure out applications by slivers.

For users who prefer truly vegan properties, this product hits high marks:

• Raw food grade
• 100% USDA Certified organic
• vegan
• gluten-free
• soy-free
• dairy-free
• cruelty-free
• No animal testing
• made with ingredients sourced from USDA certified organic farms

The ingredients:

Organic Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Organic Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Organic Argania Spinosa Kernel (Argan) Oil, Organic Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Organic Rosa Mosqueta (Rosehip) Fruit Oil, Organic Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Organic Salvia Sclarea (Clary Sage) Oil, Organic Cananga odorata (Ylang Ylang) Oil, Organic Boswellia carteri (Frankincense) Oil, Organic Pelargonium roseum asperum (Geranium) Oil

Kind of nice that I didn't have to provide links to explain any of the ingredients, right?

There is a "no questions asked" guarantee in place. Can't beat that on top of all the other benefits.

Peace
--Free

DISCLOSURE: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

**REVIEW** Oleavine Konjac Facial Sponge (for skin)

I'm going to go ahead and say right now that this Konjac Sponge from Oleavine is about to be a trend in face-care products. Even though the word "Konjac" makes me think of computer hacking, I am pretty hyped about this sponge.

Looks like a pumice stone, right?
Feels that way -  until wet.

Very thick and, well, sponge-y
(The string is for hanging & drying)

Why do I like this so much? Well,for one thing, like most folks I like the way my skin feels after a good exfoliating scrub but hate the idea of abrading it with razors or other harsh tools. (Maybe that's just me, but didn't your skin crawl a little at the word "abrading"?)

Before I got the chance to review this sponge, I'd never heard of anything like it. I wanted to try it out because I like the idea of cleaning my face without too many soaps and additives. I definitely like the idea of using something as gently as a sponge.

After my first use, here is what I like most about the Konjac sponge & why I think it will be the next beauty trend:

• Easy to use. Just rinse & wring, then massage your skin with it.
• Clean. No need to add soaps, oils or other cleansers.
• Sensitive. Does not scrape at the skin the way most exfoliating/scrubbing products can do.
• Affordable. In the $10 price range on Amazon. It's supposed to be replaced every 2-3 months.
• Can use on your face or all over your body if you want.

If you just want to try this out, know that Oleavine offers a 100% money-back guarantee and they encourage customer feedback, which is always a good thing.

Since I tell you guys way too much about myself, I might as well let you in one the one super-annoying beauty problem I have: blackheads. Right on the tip of my nose. I am always tweezing and scrubbing at those pesty little things. The blackheads were the first thing I checked for after using the sponge. They are mostly gone, no tweezers or scrubs required.

Oleavine has other sponges (with different properties), but this particular sponge is infused with Bamboo Charcoal which contains activated carbon and minerals. According to the product box, this will purify the skin and draw out anti-oxidants.

I can verify that when I didn't have to use as much of my facial moisturizer after I treated my skin with the sponge. I guess because I had cleared away some of the dead skin that was blocking my face cream. Not sure, but I like the overall results.

Add to that the fact that these sponges are natural, eco-friendly and bio-degradable and I think even more people will want to give them a try. For the super-concerned folks, these sponges are not tested on animals and are vegan-approved.

I had a question about whether or not I needed to remove my makeup before using the sponge. Someone else asked and received their answer on the Amazon page. The answer is that, basically, you don't have to remove makeup beforehand. Some folks use the sponge as the remover. Nice.

One thing I will point out: in my case, I have sensitive skin and I can tell that I will only be able to use this on my face maybe once a week. I plan to use on my lips and other less sensitive areas of  my body more often. My knees and elbows? Oh, they are going to get a daily treatment!

You know your skin better than anyone so I will only recommend that you use the sponge just as often as you would use any other exfoliating product. At least, until you can tell how your skin will react. I noticed that it doesn't take a lot of massaging of the facial area to get good results. I went over my face twice when once would have been fine. I could tell when I noticed a slight sensitivity in one spot. I'm guessing that the natural state of your skin (oily, dry, or combo) will be a factor in how often you can use this. That makes sense because, according to the labeling, this product is supposed to be especially effective for "oily and acne-prone skin".

Like I said, I think this is going to be the new beauty trend, but it's one I can say I like.

Peace
--Free

P.S.: By the way, "Konjac" is the name of the fiber used in the sponge. Once I did a quick search, I found quite a bit of information online about this fiber and the various ways in which it's used (and some hazards of eating the fiber...)


DISCLOSURE:
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

**REVIEW** Body Merry (a skincare trio)

I have been slacking just a little. I've fallen behind on my product reviews & they are starting to build up. One issue is that I have been doing way too much in the way of skincare items. To do a fair use and review process, I have to give myself time to see how a product is working on my skin and I don't like to overwhelm my skin with product after product after product. What I've been doing is trying each item and taking notes for blogging the review. (After this latest round of products, I'm going to be reviewing items in other categories: electronics, apps and hair products.)

My latest product review is for a great company with excellent service and quality products - Body Merry. I've used their products before and this time I got to try out a trio:

Body Merry serums & eye cream

Left to right:

• Professional grade 2.5% Retinol Serum with Hyaluronic Acid & Green Tea for wrinkles & fine lines. It also evens your skin tone and addresses dark spots and acne as well. (I don't have acne, but the rest of those problems are sneaking up on me!)
• Eye Cream for dark circles, wrinkles, puffiness, crow's feet, fine lines & bags. It's an under eye treatment with natural & organic anti-aging formula of peptides, retinol, hyaluronic acid, cucumber, rosehip oil, MSM, aloe & More). This one is also for men. (There's that rosehip oil again!)
• Hyaluronic Acid Serum is professional grade and vegan with Vitamic C and  Green Tea. Like the retinol serum, it's for wrinkles and fine lines but additionally offers organic hydration.

Because I am careful about overusing certain products on my skin, I used the serums every other day, alternating between each one, and I only used them in the morning. Both are fairly mild, though I could feel more of a tingling with the Retinol Serum that I didn't get with the Hyaluronic Serum. Odd. I haven't noticed much difference after using them, but I think I need more time than a week.

Speaking of worries about skin reactions, I noted this from the Retinol Serum's product page: "The addition of Plant Derived Hyaluronic Acid provides the much needed hydration so you can reap the benefits of Retinol, without having to suffer any dryness or irritation. Organic Green Tea works its charm as a powerful antioxidant." 

The eye cream is very mild. It was super-hydrating, so I didn't even bother to use my regular moisturizer in that area. Another thing: the cream is so moisturizing, you need to be careful not to pump out too much of it because it literally only takes a tiny dab to hydrate the entire area around the eye. I used this morning and night. I was a little concerned the first time I used this one. The skin around my eye is really sensitive, so I was worried about a reaction. Again, I think this is why it's important to use the tiniest little bit.

The eye cream has over 70 ingredients, so I won't even try to list them all here, but they include:  Vitamins C + E + B5, Peptide Complex, Amino Acid Emulsification, Hyaluronic Acid, Retinol, Antioxidants, and MSM. The product page on Amazon lists these natural and organic ingredients: Aloe, Rose Hip Oil, Jojoba Oil, Coconut Oil, Beeswax, Cranberry, Licorice, Sunflower Oil, Borage Oil, Flaxseed Oil, Evening Primrose Oil, Lavender, Calendula, Chamomile, Witch Hazel, Cocoa Butter, Cucumber, Green Tea - to name just a few! No harsh chemicals such as Parabens, Sulfates and Phthalates.

Of course, I have to add a final mention that none of these 3 products has an unpleasant odor. I smelled nothing with the serums, and the eye cream had a faint (pleasant) green-ish/tea-ish scent. Not bad at all.

If you try any of these items and find that you aren't happy with them, Body Merry offers a 100% money-back guarantee. You get your money back without having to return the bottles. That's as nice as the fact that the products are made in the U.S.A. in an FDA registered facility and are not tested on animals. 

Finally, a note about the way I use any new product: Even those I had no reaction or sensitivity to any of these, I always am careful to only use a little bit on one part of my face to test for problems. Also, with any of these retinol-based products, I am super careful to wear sunscreen. Heck - I wear sunscreen all the time, no matter what (or at least a moisturizer with sunscreen), but this is definitely not the time to skimp on sun-protection. Also, I know that I can't use this type of product too often. I will use it every other day, or even every other day.)

Peace

--Free

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.