**REVIEW** Greens Plus Superfood Raw

When I mentioned that I was finally getting some energy back and would try catching up on reviews, this is something that I believe helped a little bit:

I got it because I want to get rid of some of this "sad weight" I've put on. I actually should calling it "saddage weight" since it is from mood and age! Ha!

Greens Plus Superfood Raw was a bit of an impulse buy. I was strolling through the local Carrs/Safeway store's health food section, trying to find something that would help with the whole "I seriously need energy" thing. When I saw the GPSR, I recalled reading something in a forum about such "superfood" blends helping with the immune system. Another benefit I could use. With a $25 dollar price tag, the GPSR should probably come with a blender and some utensils...

I googled to see where else the product might be available locally for cheaper, and... No such luck. Since I haven't really done anything frivolous with the recent PFD money I got, I went ahead and splurged. Because I will return for refund if something I buy doesn't work for me.

What almost made me return it was what it looks like.

Yuck, right?

What made me give the first taste a try was remembering how yucky my wheat grass powder also looks. It's not as yucky as it looks, so...

Let's check the label one more time to see if I might be able to use this stuff:

That's a lot of stuff - green and otherwise. Of course, I had to Google most of the ingredients.

• Barley grass
• Wheat grass
• Alfafa grass
• Oat grass
• Dandelion leaf
• Stevia leaf
• Red beet juice (potential benefits & second mention)
• Spirulina (warning: annoying pop up!)
• Chlorella (first link and second)
• Dunaliella salina algae (what it is vs possible benefits)
• Nova Scotia dulse (love that the blog is just unfinished!)
• AppleBoost (dehydrated apple peel powder)
• Sambuzon acai berry ('Sambuzon' is the brand, Acai info.)
• Acerola berry juice powder (thoughtful info & health info)
• 2 probiotic cultures (link 1, link 2, and link 3)

Whenever I read an ingredient list like this, I realize how little I have lived, travelled or hung out with people who read nature magazines. 

You can check out the links to the various ingredients - or at least the links I found interesting - but I can tell you about the taste of this blend. It is not bad. Not bad at all. 

I'm pretty relieved about the taste because I read some of the Amazon reviews and, boy, some people went in!

While the taste is not bad, I hate the slight grit. Maybe if I blended the powder into a smoothie, it would be better, but I don't really have my own kitchen so that's kind of a hassle. I simply add the powder to about 8 ounces of any juice with a strong flavor of its own. Apple cider works best, but I also use regular apple juice. Yesterday, I added some to one of those sugar-laden aloe drinks and that didn't work out so well. For one thing, the powder clumped up with the aloe pulp. For another thing, too much sweetness. Ick. I will stick with the apple ciders and juices.

I think that blending this would help with the grittiness. For now, I just add a touch more juice to thin out the dregs. The taste would be pleasant if not for the grit. 

The suggestion on the label is to do 1 scoop,3 times a day. The first couple of days I stuck to that, but I forgot the third scoop until late last night. There does seem to be a bit of an energy boost - or maybe that's psychosomatic? - so I didn't want to use the powder so close to bedtime. However real the energy boost is, I will say that I don't feel so hungry all the time. 

My feeling is that this adds a lot of nutrients that I'm not getting (when I let my eating habits go downhill) so my body is not craving as much. Basically what I have been doing the past week is fixing a pot of pinto beans with seasoned ground beef and, throughout the day, eating four or five small servings with corn bread. Beans are fiber (filling), meat is good protein (and flavorful), and cornbread is, well... cornbread is just delicious.

I have just about 10 days before I travel. I'd like to not look like a half opened can of biscuits. My bloating is down (in spite of the beans) and I stay full longer.

So, if you are wondering about this product, I can tell you that it's really doesn't taste bad. It's probably yummy in simple smooties. Matter of fact, this might be great for when you only have some liquid and one fruit but want a smoothie as a meal replacement. ~shrug~

Finally, there is one HUGE negative I  see with this (other than the grit) is that it's sold by weight. I was  very disappointed at the cost when I opened the container and saw that almost  a third of it was just air. I mean, why the deception with the too-big container? That's something that will make me look around for a different brand next time.

Peace
--Free

P.S.: I didn't link to this brand because I am put off by the packaging. When I see a can that big, I expect more product for the money and the brands know that!

**REVIEW** Dr Sleepwell SnoreStoppers

This is probably the most fun I have had reviewing a product that I didn't actually use for myself.

First of all, I am trying not to call out the family member who snores so loud that the rest of us feel like we are sleeping around a giant boombox set to extreme BASS!!! Seriously, we love him to death, but I'm sure that his snores rattle the windows.

When I told Mister Snore's wife that I could apply to try these...

Those simple-looking little things in that photo are Dr Sleepwell Snore Stoppers.

She almost logged into my account to order them on the spot. Of course, I was really hoping that "Dr Sleepwell" and his 'Snore Stoppers' would work. I don't mind when I try something that I don't like, but the last time Mister Snore's wife tried a product with me, we both lost some hair. True story.

Anyway, there's not much process to figuring out if these little silicone (medical grade silicone) wonders would work. You insert them as instructed and go to sleep.

Mister Snore had to try the different ones in the pack to find the ones that felt most comfortable, but he had choices. This is what comes in the kit:

• 1 pair of LARGE SIZE SnoreStoppers with rings for extra stability 
• 1 pair of SMALL SIZE SnoreStoppers with rings for extra stability 
• 1 regular pair of LARGE SIZE SnoreStoppers for extra comfort 
• 1 regular pair of SMALL SIZE SnoreStoppers for extra comfort 
• a TRAVEL & STORAGE box 
• an INSTRUCTION MANUAL about HOW to use and clean the SnoreStoppers properly

To be honest, I didn't inspect the different sizes, but Mister Snore did and all I care is that they work. His wife is happy, I'm happy, the neighbors up to three houses down are happy... (Kidding. He's not that bad. Not quite.)

One of the things I didn't notice until after I'd given these to Mister Snore is that, wearing these Snore Stoppers, the user gets more airflow and oxygen with each breath. That sounds healthier to my layperson mind. More oxygen should mean better for the user all around, right? The product info does discuss this, along with the relief from sleep apnea.

The biggest thing about this giving everyone in the house some nighttime relief (especially Mister Snore's wifey) is that there are no medicines or supplements involved. Such a simple idea for amazing results.

These are a great bargain (especially at the Prime price, which is less than lunch for two) but, if you aren't happy with them, you will be happy with the guarantee:

"100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEE: Since Satisfaction of our customers is our main priority we offer you a Hassle Free Money Back Guarantee."

That is straight from the horse's, um product page.

Peace
--Free

I received this product via Giveaway Service in exchange for providing a fair and honest review.

**REVIEW** Feeling Fluffy Handmade 100% Premium Organic Wool XL Dryer Balls

I've heard about people using dryer balls as an alternative to dryer sheets, but this was my first chance to dry such a product.

This is what the Premium Organic Wool Dyer Balls from Feeling Fluffy look like:

These are the 100% Organic Wool XL Dryer Balls and are 3 inches in diameter - but not heavy.

Nice touch!

Let me get something out of the way right off the bat (or ball, heh heh): While I do like using natural food and beauty products, I'm not always as picky about my laundry products. All I really care about with that is whether or not the product works and is affordable. However, I know that some people do care about things being natural and organic - maybe for health reasons. So, for those with those concerns, here are some benefits of this product:

• Chemical-free
• Hypoallergenic
• PVC-free
• No synthetic fibers
• Eco-friendly

These dryer balls are made of 100% New Zealand wool.

The first thing that struck me about these is the size. Even though the dryer balls are not heavy, I was curious as to how much noise they would make in the dryer. And that's when I was still assuming I'd be using only one ball at a time. When I read the instructions to use all 6 dryer balls, I was sure that, no matter how light weight, they would bang around the dryer like a pair of tennis shoes.

The second thing I wondered about was whether or not I'd really need to use all 6 balls for a load of clothes.

So, how'd my product tryout go?

I washed a mixed load of 4 pairs of jeans, 3 light poly-knit shirts, a pullover, a pair of knit track pants, 6 panties, a pair of tights and a light hoodie. That's a heavier load of clothes than I usually do, but I wanted to see how the dryer balls would work on that many items.

(Oh - and are they noisy in the dryer? Nope, not at all. I tested that by running the dryer for a just a moment with only the jeans to see if the dryer balls would be noisy with a small load of clothes.)

By the way, since I dried the clothes on a timer, I can't tell you whether my drying time was improved or not. My bad. However, I can tell you that I set the timer for 30 minutes on a medium-low temp and didn't get back to the dryer for at least an hour after it went off. I'll get back to that in a minute.

My results? The clothes were super, super soft. Even my jeans came out softer and feeling great. 

There was no static and - this kind of surprised me - the dryer balls didn't pick up the lint and coloring that dryer sheets sometimes do. But the softness was the biggest benefit that I liked.

Okay, remember I had left the clothes untended for a while after the dryer went off? When I've done that with a dryer sheet, I've had to re-tumble the clothes (or, sometimes, even toss in an ice-cube or wet towel) to remove wrinkling. I didn't have that problem with the dryer balls. I think it must be because they left my clothes so much softer.

Can't say enough how I love the way my clothes felt (especially my jeans). I can't wait to do a load of bed clothes now.

I almost didn't think to do a comparison but, because my niece does so much laundry that we tease her about it, I had some of her just-washed clothing to check mine against. There was a huge difference in the feel of the clothes. 

My niece uses a well-known brand of dryer sheet. Of course, she has to buy them from a club store because she goes through them at a phenomenal rate... (This woman's washer and dryer are almost never at rest. I'm not kidding, I think we are going to need to do an intervention one day!)

Now, like I said, I don't really care about how organic my dryer sheets are, but I do care about saving money. 

For myself, I do the bulk of my laundry around once every other week. I will hand-launder underwear about twice a week if I need to. It's not easy catching the machines empty! Still, that's using up a dryer sheet for every load of laundry. With my niece, you can see how the cost of dryer sheets adds up. Even with the amount of laundry I do, I will save quite a bit by not having to buy dryer sheets.

My personal preferences aside, I'm glad that there is something available for people who do have to worry about allergies and other health issues. I'm also glad that when a product is re-usable. And that leads me to probably the only questions I have:

• How often will I need to replace these (if ever)?
• Can I use fewer dryer balls with smaller loads of laundry?
• Do I need to wash the dryer balls every now and then?

I'd like to see basic information like this just printed on the product label. The label that came with my item didn't have the 24-hour phone number for questions.

To get some of the information I wanted, I checked answers to questions submitted by other users via the Amazon product page (answers are from Brijati Products Co.)

• For the best results we recommend using all 6 dryer balls at the same time. This allows less fabric to fabric rubbing while drying (which ensures no static buildup), a quicker drying process, and softer feeling clothes.
•  You will need to replace them once you see their size begin to diminish. After several thousand loads they will get smaller and this will not allow them to be as efficient. (my underline)

This product is excellent and new so I'm sure that the company will probably work on improving the labeling that comes with their item. That's just my picky 2-cents' worth. 

Speaking of money...  A large box of dryer sheets from Walmart up here can run 5 bucks - or more. For someone like my niece - with an active little boy (who goes through clothes like we own Old Navy) and her husband (who has to be kept in clean business shirts and pants) - getting even 6 months' use out of the dryer balls would save her a fortune.

A one-time purchase of the dryer balls matches the cost of 3 boxes of those dryer sheets - dryer sheets that you will throw away after using once. And the dryer balls come minus the chemicals and synthetic fibers - but with a 100% money-back guarantee. You can get a refund with no questions asked. Period.

I mentioned in my review on Amazon that, as much as I like some of the products I get to try out, I don't always end up purchasing or using them regularly. This is going to be one of those items that my family and I will continue to use. I like the dryer balls that much.

I'm just so happy with how soft my clothes are. This is one case of the whole "natural" and "organic" thing is just a plus. I'm all about my soft jeans right now! When I do another load of clothes, I will test out using just a few of the dryer balls. Then I will update this review to let you know what my results were...

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** Kuuk Professional 48 Blade Meat Tenderizer

You have to love the name of this product:

That's a 48 blade meat tenderizer by Kuuk

This is a great kitchen tool to have around. My niece had been wanting a tenderizer for a while and I was going to just get her something from Kohl's or Target's, but I never did! I would always forget that it was something she wanted until we were getting ready to prep some food... Yeah. Anyway, when I saw this, I jumped at the chance to get it. (Thought my niece would be just thrilled, but I actually ended up using it before she got around to it. Cos she's always like that.)

As I have said in another review of this item, it's not my mama's kitchen gadget. Of course, my mama used what her mama used...

 Talking 'bout "old school"! 

I took after my mama too, but I eventually got a little more modern. For a long time I had something like this:

Or, I went totally off the grid and just used one of these:

All of those tools will get the job done, but there are some problems. Safety is a big issue (especially for someone with my iffy motor skills) and, even if you don't end up stabbing or hammering a finger, there quality of the finished product. Who wants meat that has been ripped up with a fork or beaten into a ragged mess with one of the old-fashioned tenderizers? 

I'm depressing the handle to expose the blades here

The Kuuk tenderizer takes care of the safety issue and it does more than just tenderize whatever cut of meat you're prepping. Notice the "teeth" on the Kuuk. 

In the above photo, I have the handle depressed so you can see the blades (that I call "teeth"!). But those teeth are kept completely - and safely - stored away when they aren't in use. 

Now the blades are safely stored

I actually like "thinning out" those thicker cuts of meat (which I usually only buy when they are priced better than other cuts), but I could never keep control of the old-fashioned type tenderizer. I'd mostly end up with, say a pork chop, that was either beat all to hell or not well tenderized. 

With the Kuuk's tenderizer, you are basically depressing those blades into the meat evenly and consistently. Because the blades all depress at once when you push on the handle, you can't mess up and mangle a cut of meat the way you can with a standard tool.

Before I forget, here's a little tip that I learned after using the Kuuk a few times: if you want to get tenderize near the bone in a cut of meat,  just place the tool close to the bone and, while you are depressing the blades, kind of move the tool around. It helps "stretch" the meat out and then you can get the blades nearer the area.

In addition to this being such a useful kitchen tool, I'm happy that it cleans up easily. Though it's dishwasher-safe, I literally just swish it around in a shallow dish of hot and soapy bleach water, then rinse - cos, um, meat, germs, bacteria... Once it's clean and dry, the tenderizer tucks back into the clear plastic cover. The whole thing is small enough to fit into a kitchen drawer, but I leave ours on the counter next to the knife rack because it barely takes up any space. 

In summary: Simple to use, simple to clean, simple to store. Also, right now, the cost is under $12 with Amazon Prime or via this site that is also selling the item.

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** Afrofy Afro Twister

I. Cannot. Stop. Raving. About. This....

This.... - over there to the right →→→

It's a sponge. For your hair. Well, for naturally kinky/curly hair anyway. If you want twists, coils, dreads, curls, locks, This is so the thing.

Who ever would have thought that you could style your natural hair with a sponge? (I'm too lazy to look up the info but, to whoever did invent this: THANK YOU!)

As you can see, the sponge I am now loving for twisting/coiling my hair is the AFROFY Afro Twister.


First of all, what a simple concept. But one that I never would have thought of. I wasn't even convinced that it was going to work.


The trick to using the sponge to achieve twists and coils is in the design.



There are holes in the sponge. And that's the genius of this product.

To use the product, you dampen your hair very lightly, then rotate the sponge over your hair in a circular motion. It doesn't take a lot of pressure - in fact, I've noticed that the less pressure the better. The way that I have been using it (with great results) is to use a light but constant touch.

By the way, this works on hair as short as 1/8 inch and as long as 7 inches.

I have heard that some users will use the sponge to achieve the start of twist/coiling, then apply a little styling gel as they continue. I have not used styling gel yet because I get really good results without it.

Let me share some photos that I got the first time I used this.

The pic right below is the un-styled state of my hair. The photo is taken about 4 days after a shampoo and condition. I just moisturized my scalp, then combed out the hair so that you could see what it looks like without styling.

The next photo is of my hair coiled lightly with the Afrofy sponge. I only had about 5 minutes to get ready to go somewhere, so I spent very little time with the sponge. 

The results were so good after such minimal efforts, I had to do another set of "After" photos when I had more time to spend using the sponge. I took 15 minutes to work on my hair for the following photos. I took photos at different stages. Sorry that they are out of order, but you can see progress in the tightness of the twists and coils.

near crown of head. I loosened some coils for styling

along my side edges. I could have continued, added gel and gotten
a really nice pattern of elongated twists

was still working
on my hair that was drying out

not sure at what stage I was at here
but I really like those coils!

a collage for Instagram and such

Now that I have used this a few times, I can tell you that I'm learning some tricks for styling. While I like that I can get such nice twists in a little time, I really like the idea of putting more time into this. After all, when I do my twists manually, I'm putting in a lot of effort without promised results. I hate when I spend all that time the night before twisting my hair and tying it into place only to wake up with a bad style. Sometimes that's because the twists loosened (or, more embarrasing, I slept the scarf right off my head!) - or just that I did a rushed or bad job and the twists are impossible to style... The struggle, as they say, is real. Here are my personal suggestions:

• Work in sections. I separated my hair into sections of 4, then worked on halves of those.
• Use light pressure and go in the same direction for each section of hair
• Make sure not to over-dampen your hair with water or other products. 
• Well-maintained hair gets better results. Trim your split ends and make sure your hair is well-moisturized/conditioned. This will result in a nice shine. (Notice that the hair closer to my roots look better than my raggedy ends? Yeh. I'ma work on that!)
• I got away with wearing my sponge twists for at least a couple days the last time. That's without tying on a scarf at night (though I should). I just re-styled my hair with my fingers.

Another issue I have with manually twisting my hair is the damage to my already fragile tresses. My medications have damaged and thinned my hair. I really don't like making matters worse. I thought that might be a concern in using the Afro Sponge, but after using it a few times already, I can see that I'm still not loosing hair to the process.

You can see from this photo of the sponge that there's not a lot of hair collected. And I don't notice any tugging at all when I am actually using the sponge. Thank goodness. I don't need to lose any of this hair!

I mentioned to my niece today that, if I wanted, I could sponge for a longer period of time on smaller sections of hair and get a super-styled look. If you notice, in one of the photos, I had some really cute, small lines of twists going. I could have gone on for that look all over.

This sponge is BIG. I was worried at first that it was going to be tough to grip. No problem there. It's actually designed the way it is for a good grip. The sponge itself is pretty flexible while the lavender and orange bottom piece allows you to hold and control it easily.

I didn't have anything else handy to show size comparison, so I used a standard toothpaste tube to give you an idea of size and width.

Finally, I just want to say that I love this product SO much. I don't never, ever, ever want to be without one. At the time I ordered this (using Prime), it was priced at just under $15. Un.beat,able.  Also, there is a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee of a replacement or refund.

Now. Go get your coil on!

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** Spike Seasoning Gourmet Natural Seasoning

This review took a while to prep because there was so much to sample. The Spike Gourmet Natural Seasoning I received was like a deluxe package of goods!

Those of you who know me personally, know that I don't eat spicy "hot" foods. But you also know that I love spice and flavor to my food. Those who know and really love me earn extra credit for loving me after I use my two favorite seasonings: garlic and onion.

Spike Gourmet Natural Seasoning had some goodies for my taste buds and for those of my family. Those guys have mouths lined with asbestos. I am pretty much the only one in my family who can't eat flamingly spicy foods.

Since garlic, onion and tenderizer are powders that are standard in our house, I was able to compare our usual brand to Spike's. The biggest difference I noticed (in Spike's favor) is freshness. The smell of the garlic and onion was much more rich and pleasing. The tenderizer I normally use has a deeper color than Spike's but the ingredients in mine were not as varied.

I really like the "all purpose" salt-free seasoning for my snacks. I used it on some seaweed that I toasted, and on some popcorn. That was tasty. For some reason, I have to season my seaweed in order to enjoy it - no matter how good it is for me! I'm loving trying out the Spike for that reason.

There are some "Vegit" seasonings in the package, but I actually liked the all-purpose so much that it took a couple of days before I got around to using the Vegit Magic. Once I did use it (on some steamed frozen veggies), I was glad I did try it. Not only does it add so much flavor to even bland frozen vegetables, but the ingredients list was a pleaser:

Nutritional yeast, kelp, hydrolyzed soy protein (NO ADDED MSG), toasted onion, powdered dill seed, white pepper, celery, parsley flakes, beet root powder, mushroom powder, orange & lemon peel, papain enzyme, plus a delightful herbal bouquet of the best oregano, sweet basil, marjoram, rosemary and thyme.

Yep. There is nutritional yeast - first on the label - which is something I had blogged about before and still use.

Because my package from Spike contained so many seasonings, I think it's best to let you check out info on them individually. There really is something for each one of your taste buds!

Here is what all was included in my Spike package:

• Original
• Hot 'n Spicy
• Vege-Sal (more for seasoning stuff, - see the Vegit below)
• Onion
• Lemon-Pepper
• Salt-Free (herbs and spices - think "amped up" Mrs. Dash)
• Vegit (this has vegetable in the seasonings, including beet root...)
• Garlic
• 5 Herb
• Tenderizer  (love that this has spinach powder in it!)

When you look at the names of these seasonings you might, like me, think that they are same as what you find on any shelf at the grocery store. However, when you look at the different herbs and spices that Spike blends, you can see a big difference. Like I said before, the first thing I noticed was freshness and smell. Plus, I love how they use some things that just aren't found in a run of the mill jar of seasoning. I'm talking about things like spinach, beet root, mushroom powder, tomato powder... Lots of yummy stuff in blends that I never thought about before.

Spike's is great for any kitchen or cook, but I kept thinking that they are especially good for some particular types of people:

• "Non cooks" or someone who isn't familiar with a variety of spices and seasonings. You can jazz up even simple dishes (baked meats, steamed vegetables and salads, etc.) without being a gourmet cook.
• Someone who has to be careful of sodium in their diet will appreciate the salt-free products offered. 
• Anyone who is interested in trying different blends and twists on common (and uncommon) herbs and seasonings...
• This mention from the Spike page speaks to the origins of the seasonings:

 "SPIKE® MAGIC! Seasonings were created by world-renowned pioneer nutritionist, author and speaker GAYELORD HAUSER in his beautiful test kitchen in Taormina, Sicily."

• Modern Products, the company that produces Spike, has some more information and FAQ's for some specific health and nutrition concerns on their site.

So, there you go. If you are interested in spiking things up with your food, give Spike a try.

Peace

--Free

DISCLOSURE: I received one of more of the above-mentioned products via Giveaway Service in exchange for a fair and honest review. When reviewing products, whether sponsored or not, my main goal is to inform my blog readers of my honest and personal opinions.

**REVIEW** Neem Oil by Oleavine

This is Oleavine's Organic Neem Oil...

This oil is pure and organic and not extracted with chemicals, which is really important to a lot of folks. I've used products from Oleavine before and I've never had problems with quality or service. (By the way, you can sign up for discounts, samples, and more at their site.)

As someone who loves using oils (you guys all know this by now), I had heard lots about the benefits of Neem oil for natural hair care - and other uses...

• 14 different daily uses here
• For hair loss
• For scalp psoriasis (video)
• To help your pets skin/hair issues, or their
• Flea and tick problems (who knew?)

What I did not know for myself was:

1. It is great for hair and skin, and
2. That it has a distinct smell all its own

I'm probably being a bit dramatic, but the smell is something I had to get used to. I can't even really think how to describe the smell. Close your eyes and imagine the scent of really fresh dirt mixed with old, wet, wood mixed with ground seed nuts of some kind. Or used cooking oil, like old fried-meat grease... I dunno.

The thing is, while the smell is not nicely fragrant, it's not particularly "stinky" in the way we think of stink. It's just an unusual odor. And it's strong.

After I smelled it for the first time (and by "smell" I mean opened the bottle top and was hit by a waft of "whew boy!"), I was hesitant to even use it. But to not use it at least once would be unfair to the business who sent out the product for review. I figured the least I could do was try the oil in private so that I could give some feedback.

So.

Around bedtime, I ran a bath with some lavender oil so that I could dive in and wash away the Neem oil smell after experimenting with it. Then I applied some of the oil directly and undiluted to my hands up to my wrists. 

Wow!

The feel of this oil was so nice that I started massaging in more on my arms. As much as I disliked the smell, I was fascinated with the feel of the oil on my skin. It feels very lotion-ey and is highly absorbent. Once it is massaged in, my skin is soft and feels like I have applied a really good lotion. 

My skin felt so amazing that I had to grab the bottle and do a double take. I wanted to make sure that I was using an actual oil, and I wanted to read the product info from Amazon again. There are the indications of being beneficial for skin, hair and scalp, and - when I reached the last sentence, I almost broke a rib laughing:

KEEP BUGS AWAY - Commonly Used as a Natural Bug and Mosquito Repellent or to add to Pet Care Shampoo...

I checked the bottle label and, yep, I was warned:

click & enlarge to read

The smell might not be what provides pest relief, but I'm thinking that it's key!

All kidding aside, though, I will put up with the smell for the wonderful benefits. That might tell you just how good this oil is.

So far, I have been using the Neem oil every day (or, rather, every night). The smell dies down after a few hours. As long as you don't get it on your clothing, you can mask the scent with perfume or scented water. Someone suggests using Tea Tree Oil to mask it. I've been rubbing in some vanilla-grapefruit oil or spritzing on some rosewater (which I will be reviewing here on the blog at a later date) and it works nicely. Ways that I have used this and the results I've gotten -

• On my hair and scalp - I love it on my scalp because it penetrates and soothes after I've washed my hair. On my dry hair, it was highly absorbing and felt good, but I haven't used it long enough to notice a lof of benefits. However...
• As an additive to my conditioner - this is amazing! I washed my hair with a moisturizing shampoo bar, then conditioned with about 1/2 Tbls of Neem oil mixed into about 3 Tbls Aussie Moist 7-in-1 Conditioner. I rinsed with cool to lukewarm water. I cannot tell you how soft and de-tangled my hair was afterwards. It was pretty awesome.
• Added to other oils for overnight skin conditioning - after long baths, I like to soak my skin with oils (added to an inexpensive lotion) to keep it from dying out. I tested the Neem oil by adding it to some regular no-name brand lotion with a little bit of Camelina oil and Avocado butter. (NOTE: You will want to protect your sheets and pillow cases from the Neem oil with towels.) The Neem oil  is just really good on the skin. Really good.
• As a lip moisturizer - it worked great when I had chapped lips after a little bit of fever the other day but, again, the smell might not be something you want helping to repel any kisses. Also, the taste is extremely bitter and icky. I probably won't use it on my lips again except in the worst kind of emergency.

So, what I can tell you is that Neem oil is unique from a lot of other oils I've tried. I especially love that the skin softening effects lasts so long. The oil itself appears to have a grainy texture, but those "grains" melt on skin contact. Maybe I get that granular looking result because I keep the oil in the fridge (?). 

By the way, while I've noticed that a lot of other reviewers hate the smell, I have one friend who said that she sort of like it after it faded somewhat. Maybe you will be okay with the smell (like my friend), or hate it (like me). Either way, I will continue to use it. It works too good not to.

Before I forget, as far as how much use I will get from the 12-ounce bottle, I'm thinking it will last me 2 or 3 months. For one thing, I will definitely be mixing it with other products (lotions, oils, shampoo and conditioner) and, also, it's one of those a-little-goes-a-long-way kind of products. And not just because of the smell. Next time that I add it to my hair conditioner, I will probably use a half the amount to condition and just a few drops as a leave-in oil.

dry hand

By the way, to give you an idea of the way the oil absorbs, I took a photo of my "dry" hand and my other hand right after applying the oil:

 You can see that the oil is not slick/greasy-looking. The skin feels very supple and moisturized though.

with Neem Oil

Finally, I want to say that I found some warnings for using Neem oil excessively. Here is info I found via WebMD. You must always be responsible for yourself and do your research before using any kind of product. If any of you have used Neem oil, please let me know here or on Plus what your results have been.

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*** Tamanu Oil (Foraha Oil) by Puressant

This latest review is for an oil that treats conditions I don't normally have problems with:

• Acne
• Eczema
• Scaly skin
• Sunburn
• Psoriasis
• Rheumatism
• Diaper Rash
• Skin eruptions
• Abrasions
• Burns
• Insect bites
• Scrapes

Tamanu Oil (or Foraha Nut Seed Oil) is a "traditional healing oil". This one is from Puressant via Amazon. I've always received good products and great service from Puressant, by the way. However, as many oils as I have used, I had never heard of Tamanu oil before.

What caught my eye was that this is supposed to be "ideal for use in creams, ointments, lotions and other cosmetic products". That's because I have been making some products for myself from various natural oils and other ingredients.

aka: Foraha Nut Seed Oil

When I took a closer look at the product, I saw that it's also good for reducing foot and body odor.

Hmmm...

Since it takes a while to review products' results for certain things - like help with alleviating certain skin conditions - I took the direct route and tried this for a couple of uses:

• Insect bites 
• Foot odor
• Scaly skin

Though we are closing out on the worst of our insect season here, there are still a few pests around (like spiders and whatever it is that bit my on the foot the other day). Also, there is no shortage of stinky feet with a 3 year old in the house (and, okay, my feet aren't lovely after a day in sneakers). Then there is the issue I sometimes have on my left elbow. It gets scaly from leaning on it while reading or watching TV in bed. Usually, my other oils keep things smooth, but I did a 3 day period of avoiding them on just that one elbow for this review.

Okay. So for the insect bite I had on my foot, I can't say that it instantly took away the itch, but it worked as well as the stuff you can buy at the store. Maybe it depends on the bite. I think my was a spider bite.

For seeing how this worked with stinky feet, I added some of the Tamanu oil with the argan oil I usually put in my feet in the morning. As long as the weather is warm, I tend to wear my slip-on trainers without socks. That time of year is coming to a close, but I was able to test this product for a couple of day. Result? I like it! Usually, at the end of the day, I do have some foot odor. It's not so bad for a couple of days after I have washed my shoes. The odor is not as bad as, say, a teenage boy's shoes after a rough day, but even faint foot odor is not pleasant. The Tamanu oil did work really well for that. I ended up adding a couple of drops to my shoes for overnight and I will probably make a habit of that, as well as applying directly to my feet. With winter coming, I will be wearing my boots and socks a lot more, so....

The most interesting thing about this oil is how it worked on my elbows. Because of the way it did soothe and smooth that rough patch of skin that was there, I think there must be some sort of natural exfoliating properties to the oil. I will have to look into that. I got good results after one application, but I have been using it on my elbows (almost) every night for about a week and I really do like the results.

Now, that's all the Pros. There is something I have to mention: the smell. It's... unique. I can't really even describe it now, but I'm glad that it fades pretty quickly after application. (I have loaned the oil out to a friend for a couple of days and can't take a fresh sniff to describe it better.)

I have not tried it yet as an additive to my other creams and potions, except for using it with argan oil on my feet. I want to try it out on my scalp, just to see what happens.

The price is up there but, since this can be mixed in with other oils and lotions, I don't think that I will be using it up fast - even using for a couple different issues every day. It takes the smallest amount for my elbows and shoe/foot applications.

Check it out. If anyone has used it for the other skin issues that are mentioned, do let me know what results you got.

Peace
--Free



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