**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** Pure Lavender Oil by aVo Essentials

While I love essentials oils, sometimes I forget what a the "true" scent of something is. I ordered a vanilla essential oil once and, while it was great in a blend of other oils, on it's on, it was not something I was crazy about. Probably that's because my general idea of "vanilla" was so influenced by all the fake scents used in products. The oil I got was exactly like what I remembered from my mother's cooking.

My idea of the lavender scent was influenced mostly by store-bought products. My one memory of "real" lavender was from flowers that a sweetheart used to give me. Good memories.

When I got the chance to try this, I was excited to see if it matched my memories of the lavender flowers I once loved so much.

Notice the dates of the product. Fresh!

This is a Pure Lavender Oil from  āVō Essentials. (I love when the oils come with a stopper.)

Lavender is one of the scents I like for certain moods. I don't want to smell lavender in my coffee or food, but I love having this one.

Of course, like I said, I wasn't sure what to expect of the scent. I wasn't disappointed at all. In fact, the best thing about this oil's fragrance is that, even though the scent is very distinct (just like the actual flowers), it's not overpowering at all. I had a fresh head cold when I first received the oil and I couldn't smell it at all. Once my sinuses cleared up, I could  tell that I had a "true" oil. Perfect. It really did match my memories.

Like I said, this is not something that I would use in food, but I understand that some people do use actual lavender in the kitchen (mostly for baked goods) and I find that interesting. Of course, keep in mind that this oil is for external use only!

What I have liked using it for is adding it to my shampoos and bathwater. Also, I like to blend it with some of my sweet orange oil to wear as a fragrance. I tried blending it with the vanilla oil I wasn't crazy about that as a wearable fragrance, but I did like it in the bath. Both scents are very soothing. I'm going to play around some more with the different blends. One way I did like using it is to add a drop to the hand sanitizer I carry in my purse. I did it to make the sanitizer smell better, but I later found out that lavender is a natural anti-bacterial.

Even though I loved the scent of my lavender bouquets, I didn't know at the time that lavender can be used for relaxation and stress relief. I realized it after using the oil in my bath water. Again, I think it's the whole "soothing" thing. I do know that it works well to help you sleep. If you apply a dab on your temples (with another carrier oil), it does ease a tension headache.

I've been using mostly coconut oil for as a carrier for this one. The regular coconut oils smells amazing when mixed with this, but if you want to keep the lavender scent undiluted, a fractionated coconut oil works nicely. The argan oils are heavier and, though they don't really disturb the lavender scent, it's more cost efficient to use an FCO for more body coverage.

 āVō Essentials offers a 100%  money-back guarantee, but the product is really good. The price seems a bit high, but the 4-ounce size makes it worth it. Lavender is a potent enough fragrance that it doesn't take much for most uses. Besides, you will need to use a carrier oil for applying to the skin because the lavender oil is concentrated.

There are a lot of other uses I want to investigate. Here are links to some information and usage suggestions:

• WebMD is my go-to for basic warnings and usage notes
• Use as a bug repellant, among other things...
• Anti-fungal, anti-bacterial agent
• Some lesser-known uses
• Interesting general to specific info
• Some recipes for that bottle of lavender oil
• My favorite: Chapped Lip Relief

If you haven't tried lavender oil before now, this is a good one to start with. Because of the product size/cost, multi-use, quality and the brand guarantee, you should be happy with this one.

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** Invivo Fractionated Coconut Oil

This is another fractionated coconut oil (FCO) that I got to try out. I love trying various brands of the same kind of product, just so I can compare them. I've lost count, but I think this is the fourth FCO I've used.

pretty plastic bottle

By now, you all know what I like about FCOs: that there's no fragrance, don't have to worry about staining clothing, and that it makes a great carrier for other essential oils. FCOs are so multi-use in skincare and beauty routines - not to mention that some people love what it does for their hair.

mfg/shelf dates

Basically, when picking an FCO, the only thing to worry about is quality and price. Of course, like with anything, you can expect to "get what you pay for", and there have been some poor quality oils out there. However, FCOs are not generally expensive anyway. This particular brand does have the qualities of a good oil: it's clear and pure of additives. By the way, InvivoEssential website offers a 100% money-back guarantee. (And, of course, via Amazon, customers get a standard warranty with anything unless otherwise noted.)

So then, the last thing I came down to with this one is the price. With my Amazon Prime membership, I would still be paying almost 3 times the price of a comparable oil (also with the Prime price).

Bottom line, this is a good quality oil, but there are other FCOs out there more in my personal price range.

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** goPURE Naturals Fractionated Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is one of my favorite natural ingredients. I like using it for my food and for my skin. The one drawback to coconut oil is that it will stain fabrics. Also, even though I love the smell, there are times when I'd rather not have it.

Fractionated coconut oil is starting to get popular for some good reasons. It doesn't stain clothing and there is no scent. This is one I just got to try out and it's nice:

100% Pure Fractionated Coconut Oil by goPURE Naturals.

Another reason I like fractionated oil is because it tends to absorb so much better than the oil I like using in my food and coffee. It's light enough to even use on my hair. I'm not big on using too much oil on my hair because I don't want the greasiness or the weight. I tried this one as a scalp oil and on my wet hair to calm down the natural frizz. It worked, as long as I didn't use too much. If I overdo it on my hair, I lose some of my curl definition.

My favorite way to use the oil? On my skin after a bath or shower - especially when I am in a hurry and don't have time for my 10-minute lotion routine. You can literally drench yourself in this oil and, before you finish brushing your teeth and toweling your hair, it will have absorbed enough for you to dress without worries.

Also, like "regular" coconut oil, it makes a great makeup remover and, um, personal lubricant. Because it doesn't stain fabrics.

You know the makeup hack we ladies use of putting a little Vaseline on our teeth to keep lipstick stains off them? Well, this oil is also great for that. It doesn't leave that thick petroleum jelly film on the teeth, but it works to keep the lipstick were it belongs: on your lips and not on your teeth. (I have a problem with lipstick, so this is my new thing.)

I don't know if I talked about this before so I'll mention again the difference between fractionated coconut oil and the regular variety. Actually, I'll just let you get that info from WiseGEEK.

For those of you who, like me, are into using a lot of the more natural ingredients for your lotions, soaps and fragrance items, this oil is great as a "carrier oil". Just recently, I've been experimenting with tea tree oil. Initially, I was using an argan oil with the tea tree for a chapped lip remedy. I have now found that the coconut oil works just as well in place of the argan oil.

Since the fractionated coconut oil is fragrance-free (and so light), it works really good with my scented essential oils. I love Sweet Orange, Vanilla and Bergamot oils in place of store-bought perfumes. I had been using some of my heavier carrier oils with the scented oils. Guess what I just realized? Because the coconut oil is lighter and really absorbent, it is a better carrier for those scented oils. The coconut oil helps me get more body coverage with the fragrant oils. I can't really tell yet if it helps the scent last longer or not, but I'll keep an eye on that.

Now, some big Pros for this brand:

• Produced in small batches for control of quality and freshness
• Has excellent shelf life
• 100% Natural, Paraben Free, Phthalate Free, Free of Any Fragrance or Color

What it is & what it isn't

Because the fractionated oil is getting so popular, there are a lot of brands out there. Some oils are not the best quality. You will want to do a smell-test to check for any rancid odors. I like this brand because of the quality of the oil and goPURE is associated with a business I have worked with previously and I can tell you that their customer service is top notch. And, in my opinion, most important is that they offer a 1-year Money-back Guarantee. By the way, you can check out their Facebook page if you want to keep up with them.

If you have been wanting to add some natural oils to your own beauty routine, this a a great one to start with. Keep in mind that this is not meant to be ingested. 

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** 100% PureTea Tree Oil by Apothecary Extracts

This is the first time I have actually used a tea tree oil. Me. The person who has tried oils with names that I can't even pronounce correctly. This one was nothing like what I expected. It's a 100% pure therapeutic grade Tea Tree Oil by Apothecary Extracts.

Nice-looking bottle too.

 First, it doesn't stink. Matter of fact, I really like the smell of it. My regular blog readers know how I am about that.

 

 Also, I'm crazy about the packaging of this product. Not only is it pretty, but the label includes specific information about the oil itself and about the uses (and warnings). That's nice. I've seen lots of products that include a lot of hype and no real information. Check it out on Amazon.

Like I said, I've never tried tea tree oil before. I was a little nervous about trying it because most of what I've heard is how strong it is. When I gave this one the sniff test, I was really pleased with the scent. It's strong but not overwhelming.

Since I am cautious about what I use on my skin, I decided to start easy with this. After I checked out the package label and a few websites indicating all the ways it can be used, I tried it on my chapped lips. I combined a drop of it with a drop of some argan oil (which is heavier and richer than some of my other oils) and used the mixture as a balm. Results: very nice. There was a sensation much milder than when applying mentholated balms, but I got immediate softness. The best thing is that after my lips sucked up all that oil, they didn't dry out. The relief is lasting and I think I am going to have to make a mixture to keep in a tin for my purse.

I don't have problems with acne, so I don't want to test this on my already dry and moody skin. What I do have is a stubborn corn on my left foot. I read somewhere that I can use the tea tree oil to get rid of that problem. So... I tested it out tonight by wetting a Q-tip with some tea tree and some of the argan oil. I dabbed that on and, since my toe didn't fall off or burst into flames, I'm going to repeat the process every night and soak my foot in warm water every morning until I get rid of the corn. Where was this stuff when I needed to get rid of old boyfriends and ex-husbands?

To be honest, I'm still finding ways to use the oil, but here are some uses I've heard about:

• As an antiseptic and an alternative to chemical-based cleaners
• Treat Athlete's Foot, fungus, etc.
• Used in homemade toothpaste recipes (though not safe to ingest!)
• Various household uses as listed here
• To get rid of mold
• For making a natural household disinfectant
• Using in laundry care

A couple of warnings that stood out for me as I searched around were not to use on young children and not to ingest.

I think that there can be lots of ways to include this in your beauty routine. This is a list of a variety of ways to take care of your nails, hair and skin with it. This site is a bit more specific to beauty care using tea tree oil. The main thing I noticed when checking out ways to use tea tree oil is that diluting with a carrier oil is best until you know what your skin and hair can tolerate. 

This is one of the more expensive oils that I have tried, but I need to mention that the price works out to be cheaper than it looks. Because the oil is often meant to be diluted and used in combination with carrier oils and other ingredients (for instance, when making cleaning solutions), I think of the 4 ounces as being equal to 16 ounces of other oils. For instance, I use a lot of coconut oil but that's because I don't dilute it.

Since the brand offers a 100% "No questions asked, money-back" guarantee, you can feel secure in giving this tea tree oil a try.

For me, I have found a new staple to add to my oil collection for natural body and beauty care. By the way, I'd love to hear from anyone that knows of other uses for it.

Peace

--Free

DISCLOSURE: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free in exchange for a fair and honest review using BrandBacker Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.