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Friday, March 25, 2016

**REVIEW** Majestic Pure Pale Pressed Castor Oil

Yes, I know. I just did a castor oil review a couple days ago. That was for what's called a "cold pressed" castor oil. This is for a "pale pressed" castor oil. Specifically, this one:



                    Majestic Pure's 100% Pure Castor Oil (cold pressed & hexane-free)

I have to admit that, before now, I never paid attention to the different oil "pressings". What I did notice immediately when I got this pale pressed oil is that it's so much thinner in texture.

When I saw just how thin this was, I worried that it wouldn't be a "good" castor oil. Except for Jamaican Black Castor Oil (BJCO), all the castor oils I've used have been either thick or super thick. This one was as thin as table syrup. I love me some Majestic Pure, as you guys know, but I was trying to give this item the side eye at first!

Because I was curious about this (and the color, which is a yellow-ish hue), I went looking for info. All I could come up with was that different "pressings" produce differences in oils.

Okay.

To be honest, I really only care the most about whether this would be moisturizing. It is, and the good thing about it's thinner texture is that it makes a great skin moisturizer.

Thick castor oil (like the one I just recently fell in love with) is great for dealing with hair and skin at it's driest. Because a thick oil is heavier, it takes more time for it to absorb. What I learned using this thinner oil is that it's easier to apply on my skin in place of lotion because it absorbs much faster. It still does a the job of moisturizing my skin (and holding in more hydration from, say a shower or bath).

When I applied this to my hands, it only took a couple of minutes before it was absorbed and I could touch paper without staining it. Cool.

I decided that there's a place for both types of oils in my routine. Still, I wanted to understand more about this whole "cold vs pale" pressing thing. I'm no expert, so take what I learned with a few grains of salt:

  • Cold pressing leaves the oil more "virgin" because there's no heat used in the process.
  • Pale pressed oil has a lower acidity. Pale pressed oil is from the first pressing of the castor bean.
  • (source for info includes this specific page)
Um, that's about all I learned! Sorry. Hahaha...

If any of you know more about the subject, be sure to fill me in. 
For now, I am loving this oil. I like the fact that I can apply this to my hands and the rest of my body just before I get dressed. I like that it absorbs almost like a lotion (I just need to fill a small bottle to fit in my purse and gym bag), and most of all, I like that it really does work.

One warning: Don't over-apply. Just because this is thinner, I went a little overboard when I put some on my hair. My body heat begin to warm the oil and I had it dripping down my neck! A little bit goes a looong way, trust me.

Again, I have to say that I've used quite a few products from Majestic Pure by now. They seem to be a real stand-up brand and they do stand behind their products. By the way, this castor oil, other than being "pale pressed" is also hexane free.  There is a 100% refund guarantee.

Peace
--Free


Disclosure: 
In exchange for providing my fair and honest review, I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using AMZ Review Trader. Regardless, I only review products that I have personally used and can give an opinion of.

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

**REVIEW** Coconut Oil Hair Mask

I'm going to do some raving about this. Seriously. Before I even tell you what it is, let's look at the ingredients:


  • Coconut oil
  • Shea butter
  • Water
  • Rosehip seed oil
  • Vitamin E
  • Vitamin B5
  • Glycerin
  • Argan oil
  • Glycine (amino acid)
  • Betaine (amino acid)
  • Climbazole (topical antifugal agent)
  • Ginger Oil


Now, when is the last time you used a non-homemade product with such simple ingredients?  Except for the ones I had to Google and link to, I know what every one of the ingredients are.



This is the product:


It's Pure Body Naturals Coconut Oil Hair Mask - Deep Conditioner.

First thing I checked out when this was delivered was that list of ingredients. I was glad that it was so plain and simple, but I did wonder if it would actually work. That makes me kind of a hypocrite, I think. I mean, I am the one always talking up all things "natural" when it comes to health and beauty.

Anyway, I did a sniff test next. The coconut scent is not as strong as I thought. It's there, but it's pretty mild. The other thing that I noticed was that the conditioner is not as thick as I expected. Since it's called a hair "mask" and since it has all the shea and coconut, I thought it would be much more dense.


As thick as any other conditioner, right?



It took about 2 1/2 of those spoonfuls to coat my short hair from edge to edge to nape. This is not a super thin formula, but you can see that it's just about as thick as a bottled conditioner. No matter. The thing is, it works. And I mean, it works really well. 

When I first used it, I did everything wrong. For one thing, I know that any hair conditioning product works best when applied on washed (or at least damp) hair. I had already washed my hair and it was dried. Plus, I'm lazy. 

I just applied the mask to my hair and sort of rubbed it through, same as I do for a leave-in product. Then I put on a plastic cap and waited about 10 minutes. (You're instructed to wait 5 to 15 minutes,so I was mostly in line.

While I was rinsing the mask out I could tell (like you usually can with a conditioner) that it had softened my hair quite a bit. The thing is, it was the same kind of softness I get from any other decent conditioner (like my Aussie Moist). It wasn't until my hair was fully dry again that I noticed where this mask beats my beloved Aussie Moist (yes, I said it!). 

Because I was specifically testing this for the review, I didn't apply any other products (my oils and sprays, etc.). Plus, it was late and I was, once again, too lazy. I pretty much wrapped my hair in my silk scarf and went to sleep.

Here is where I am very impressed: Next morning, my hair was still soft. Don't get me wrong, I did have to moisturize my Sahara Desert scalp... But what I mean is that, no matter how well I condition, once my hair is dry - completely and totally dry - I tend to lose a lot of moisture. This time, my hair was still very soft and just felt so good.

Remember I told you about the moisturizing shampoo bar I use? That helps my hair retain moisture when I regularly use it. That's because it doesn't strip all of the moisture I have in my hair. This time, I was so impressed because my hair seemed to retain all the softness caused by the conditioning mask.

This is great news. For one thing, I co-wash my hair more than I wash with shampoo. What do you want to bet I'll be using this more than I use my Aussie Moist? That's how good this is.

That first treatment was on Saturday night. It's now Wednesday. My hair is still nice and soft. I have used my scalp butter and, yesterday, I used my spray moisturizer when I was styling my hair. Still, I know that this is going to be my new go-to conditioner

The mask costs $13 with Amazon Prime (when I have to pay for it), but I'm guess-timating that the jar will last me through a good 30+ washings. Maybe more. When I use it next time, I will follow the directions and apply to damp hair. I know that will let me use less of it. 

So, I'm pretty impressed. I especially like that there aren't a lot of crazy-sounding ingredients in this. 

By the way, I happened to apply to review another product from the same brand, Pure Body Naturals. Now I really can't wait to try that.  (I already looked it. The ingredients are just as natural as in this hair mask. Yay!)

I've used Pure Body Naturals products before and have never been disappointed, but they really scored one with this hair mask. I don't think anyone will ever use the offered money-back guarantee, but it's there on the product page, just in case.

If you don't get yet just how much I love this stuff, I can tell you this: All I had to do to fulfill my part of receiving this was to do an Amazon review. This was my pleasure to do a blog post on!

Peace
--Free


DISCLOSURE:
In exchange for providing my fair and honest review, I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using AMZ Review Trader. Regardless, I only review products that I have personally used and can give an opinion of.

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

**REVIEW** Organic Castor Oil from Cammile Q

Sometimes, I have a brand reach out for me to try something because they read the blog and know what sorts of products I like reviewing. This was the case with this:





That's a 100% Organic Castor Oil from Cammile Q.

You guys know that I have tried a couple of different castor oils. I've mainly been using Jamaican Black Castor Oil (JBCO)  - which I sometimes call BJCO or Black Jamaican Castor Oil!

"Regular" or JBCO, when it comes to whatever kind, there is a big difference in castor oils.

What I like so much about this one is that I can use it in a lot of different ways. There is no odor or fragrance so I feel more confident about using it to extend the scent on perfumes and the fragrance oils I wear as perfumes. (I'll get into the specifics of that in a moment.)

This one is very, very thick. Love that. I had tried another castor oil that was super thick, but it did have a sticky or "tacky" feel to it. I didn't mind that when using it on my hair or on my feet, but it wasn't as nice when trying to moisturize all over after a shower.

My original intended use for the Cammile Q castor oil was as an eyelash/eyebrow moisturizer. It's only been a few days, but I can't wait to see how this works down the road. What I did was take one of the wands from an empty mascara, cleaned it really well and stored it in a plastic baggie. Now I use it to apply the castor oil to my lashes and brows at night after I clean off my makeup.




I like using the oil on my lashes and brows, but we all know I'm a maniac about my the hair on my head! I found ways to incorporate this castor oil into that care regimen. Because this is thicker than my JBCO, I especially like to use it as a hot oil treatment. Once again, there's no odor. Also, if I rinse out the treatment with conditioner instead of shampoo, I find that more of it remains to moisturize my scalp. If I want lighter oil on my scalp during the day, I can use the JBCO.

One other way that this works is as a protectant (not exactly a carrier) oil for when I want to apply EOs  to my skin as a fragrance. The reason this works well is because, while it does protect my skin from the strength of the EO's, it also helps to make my fragrance last longer. (I find that wetting the skin with warm water, blotting, and then applying the castor oil before a perfume or fragrance EO is the best way.)

Other ways I've tested this out is by adding it to the hand lotion I keep in my purse, adding a little (about a full dropper full) to a 16-oz tube of shampoo. The shampoo was a clarifying one that has been sitting in the bathroom cabinet for months. I figure it will be less stripping with the oil added to it. Also, I am using the oil on my little nephew after his baths. He's inherited his daddy's tendency to "ash up". Most lotions just roll of that child so I've been using oil on him ever since he was about 2 years old! He'll even ask me if it's time to out on some "oy-yul")

Of course, this is just a really nice sealant after washing and/or conditioning the hair. Apply to the ends with a the fingertips is you don't want much oil on your hair.

Finally, this is going to last. It's thick and doesn't take a lot. The trick when doing hot oil treatments is to use just what you need. I don't like warming my hair oils over and over. What I do is put just enough in a baggie (about a half - or little more - of a dropper) and warming the baggie in hot water. Then I can drizzle my scalp with the oil. I hate wasting stuff so this works best for me. Also, I've noticed that, just like my hair, my skin works better at absorbing moisturizing products when it's damp and a bit warm.

When you look at this on the Amazon product page, it looks small. The bottle is actually bigger than I thought.
USDA certified Organic




















Like I said, I love my JBCO, but I love this unrefined castor oil too. It's unscented and thick - without the tacky feeling. There is a 30-money back guarantee, just in case you aren't as impressed as I am.

If I get the chance to check out some of the other Cammile Q products, I will let you know. In the meantime, you can go over and take a look.

Peace
--Free

Monday, March 21, 2016

**REVIEW** Baby Bib Set by NinoStar

Since she and her cousin are the ones using these items, let's start by showing off my beautiful new grand-niece...

Sometimes, I call her "Meanie Beanie" 


... And my handsome new grand-nephew...

LOL Go ahead. Caption that expression!

(I was using the term "great" until I realized I like "grand" better!)

Both new additions to the fam are adorable. Baby LJ looks a little stubborn (he is), and Baby Sissy looks mean. We've decided that they both just have a lot of deep thoughts...

Anyway, this is the Baby Bib Set by NinoStar:



You get 5 bibs, the 12 stickers, and that cute giraffe.

When I got the baby bib set for the nieces to try on the kids, I didn't realize that all the colors are more masculine than fem. That aside, the bibs are really cute and, thank goodness, the snaps are way more secure than on most bibs. Also, the fabric is thick and absorbent enough that we aren't missing that plastic backing most bibs have. If you notice, after some washing, that plastic starts to wear and tear and feel icky.

The moms like that the snaps hold so well and that the bibs look a bit different than the usual store finds. Their favorite part of the package has to be the stickers. Every mom (especially first-time mommies like LJ's) want to mark and note everything in albums. The stickers make nice reminders of just how fast the time does fly.

I think that I like the stuffed animal most of all. I mean, if I get a say!

The animal is not very big, which makes it perfect for very little ones. Not that Sissy stays wake long enough to see hers much, I did lay it in her swing with her to see if it would catch her eye. She gave it the side eye! I think LJ is old enough to play with it more and it's small enough for his little uncoordinated hands. The feet are made of bumpy plastic and I know the kids will love gumming on them when they start teething.

 This would make a nice baby-shower gift and it's nice that there is more than just one thing included. With all the positive stuff noted, I have to say that some mothers and fathers might want something more feminine for their baby girls. The first thing Sissy's mom wanted to know was if she hadn't gotten the "Boy" set by mistake. Of course, once she put on one of the bibs, she liked everything else about it. Still, I myself would have liked something in pinks and yellows for Sissy.

The only other thing that threw us off when we got the delivery is that the product description also calls the bibs "snap on drooling cloths", so you might be looking for a separate item. No. The bibs can be used as drooling cloths. So, just know that.

The Prime price will seal the deal for a lot of gift-givers. Because the bibs are well made and so soft, you'd expect to pay a little bit more.

If you buy this and find that you aren't happy, no worries. The products are backed by a "100% money back guarantee. Return it within 90 days for a full refund with no questions asked." That's straight from the Seller.

Here are some more photos I took to show some of the detail of both the front and the soft backing.





Peace
--Free



DISCLOSURE:
In exchange for providing my fair and honest review, I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only review products that I have personally used and can give an opinion of.

Taking Control of Your (money) Hair & Skincare Products

Everybody is probably tight on money sometimes, but we still want to look and feel as good as we can. I'm a big believer in part of the holistic theory of health: it really is all connected. If you look good, you feel better and if you feel better, you look better. Or maybe that's just me.

Since I know that money is tight for me, and I still do like looking and feeling as good as I can, I really like finding ways to balance all that. One way I've found to save money is to stop buying pricier hair and skincare stuff. I also have been happy for the last few years in getting back to a more natural way of taking care of myself. 

With all that in mind, I want to talk about ways to take better care of ourselves and save money at the same time. I'm too lazy tonight to do anything but a bullet list type of post. Here goes with my rambling list of ways to save money and do right by ourselves in our pursuit of beauty:


Stop buying expensive shampoos and conditioner and lotions just because they promise something good. If, for example, you use a pricey shampoo because it does something great for your hair, why not find out which ingredient causes that? Some of us black women like what proteins to for our hair. We'll pay more for Shampoo X when we could be buying the cheaper Shampoo Y and just adding protein to it.

Making Cosmetics is my go-to for finding base ingredients that brand name items use. I think you guys remember how I went from paying so much for a store-bought "blurring" product because I found the much cheaper base ingredient. That was this product from Making Cosmetics.



Just for kicks, go over and browse this page at their site.

If I wanted, I could probably whip up a liquid version of Garnier's  Second Blur. Once again, I'm lazy. I prefer to just use the M.C. Blur powder under or over my foundation.

Another example of using base products to amp up a cheaper store brand item is to buy Collagen Protein or *** or *** and add it that less expensive product. You could get the same results (at a cheaper cost) of some salon version product. So, why the heck not?

By the way, I hype Making Cosmetics because they are one of the companies out there offering base products that I know who have excellent customer service to go with their quality products.

Perfumes are another feel-good item that can rip a budget right to shreds. I know because I am a fragrance freak. Love, love, love to smell good. In the past few years though I've been substituting oils for brand name scents. Also, I love taking advantage of the Travalo refill from Perfumania. But, better yet, there are places like The Fragrance Shop, where you can get really good imitations of popular perfumes. You can also pick up some nice E.O. blends there, but they tend to be pricey. (And, I notice that, as I've gotten out of my 30s, I need oil-based scents if I want lasting effects of a fragrance. Hormonal changes are a sonofagun!)

Another way to smell wonderful without smelling broke is to do a little research on mixing oils to create nice scents.

Making essential oil perfumes | Natural health Blog | WellBeing Blog:
Source
Another good DIY Perfume site.  Offers different profiles/formulas for % of base, middle/heart, and top notes.:
Source
One thing that I still haven't ventured into yet is actually mixing and making my own cosmetics. Well, that's not really true. Anyone who has trouble finding shades in lipsticks and foundations has probably done a little blending and mixing to get what they need. What I'm talking about here though is actually making a product from scratch.

I love the idea of this blush that you can deepen in color...

DIY: blush:
Check source for more
Avoid nasty chemicals with homemade deodorant. This Primal Pit Paste inspired natural deodorant is aluminum free, paraben free and even cheaper than the commercial stuff!:
Making your own B.O. fighter?
More recipes at the Pin page

As far as taking care of your skin and hair, I've adopted the policy of "If I can't safely eat it, why would I want it on my hair or skin?" (Did I do that right?) Seriously, I think it's fine to use some chemically enhanced things to care for our hair and skin, but I just don't want to be lathering myself with layers of chemicals and toxins. I'm starting to wonder if all the years of processing my hair and spraying myself with deodorants and other things didn't help lead to this chronic disease I now have. At any rate, I figure I can stop and do better now. So I'm trying to. I've pretty much stopped using anything but dye on my hair (and that might be over with), and I try to use natural rocks and other forms of deodorant. I'm even brushing my teeth with natural oils and butters.

I'm really curious about ways that other people find to "hack" their health and beauty routines. I spoke with one lady in a store recently and she told me that she replaces fancy foot files for sanding blocks from Lowe's and Home Depot. What are some ways that you all find to save money and deal with your beauty needs?

Yesterday, a woman told me that she refreshes her eye-shadows and other such cosmetics by spraying them with rubbing alcohol. I'd never heard of that before now, but, yep, it's a thing. A serious thing.

Another tip I picked up somewhere online was to add a little Lavender EO to your mascaras. I guess it helps lash health and growth. Who knew? I didn't.

I did know about adding a little bit of oil to the tips of pencil type eyeliners to make them easier to use. Back when I was using them as a teenager, we'd either warm the ends with a cigarette lighter or tap the end in a bit of Crisco or olive oil from the kitchen.

What I need is for you guys to share your little beauty tips and secrets with the rest of us!

Peace
--Free

Saturday, March 19, 2016

Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24h Wear and My Insane Makeup Drama

I was temporarily insane and in desperate need of foundation when I bought this. Never fear. It's going back to the store, ASAP.

Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24h Wear & Comfort Retouch-free Divine Perfection Foundation - Oil-free. Fragrance-free SPF 15 (555 Suede C)

That's Lancome's foundation in the shade of 555 Suede C.

PROS:

  • Excellent texture out of the bottle
  • Matches my dark skin shade to perfection
  • Lasts through the day (and even through the night, if it has to)
  • Would probably last a while because a little bit covers well
CONS:
  • Price is ridiculous. Outrageous. ($47 at Ulta)
  • The finish is too drying when it has set
  • The price would cover a weeks' worth of my groceries, including coffee and toiletries
  • I had to add some oil to give my face a more natural look.
  • The price, the price, the price.
For someone that can afford this (and who wants a very matte finish), this is probably a perfect foundation. I had buyer's remorse even as I got my cardholder discount (paid around $30 instead of the nearly $50 tag). 

So why did I get this in the first place? Typical dilemma. I was feeling blah on my way to a meeting about job prospects. The sun was out in full force (which, as you know, will highlight both the best and worse of your facial features), and I was almost out of my favorite foundation. Oh, and, I have to add this: my favorite and most perfect (and most affordable ever) foundation is no longer available anywhere except for on Ebay. Ugh.

This right here is what I have been wearing for around 5 or more years:



It matches my skin tone (and even has the slight read under shading I love). And it's only ever cost me $10 at the most. Sometimes, I've gotten it for $8.99 online. One tube would last me 6 months, even if I was using it every day (which I don't usually do). ~sigh~

I tried using a similar product from the same Black Radiance brand. 



The shade is also "Ebony", but I don't know why the two shades are so completely different. This is about a shade and a half darker than the other "Ebony". The texture is also much thicker (and heavier). I guess it's supposed to be for heavier coverage. Whatever the reason, it doesn't work for me. 

I'm not knocking Lancome. Matter of fact, I'm happy that a major brand bothered to have a shade in a darker color. Real happy. I just wish I didn't have to see that price tag! LOL

If  you compare all three, subtle differences are enough
Before I even headed into Ulta, I tracked down every other possibility of shades and brands online. Imagine my shock when I realized SheaMoisture offers a foundation in shades a lot of women could love...

sheamoisture sheer liquid foundation swatches
I see you down there, Madidi Mocha

I've badmouthed SheaMoisture before for their over-hyped/over-priced hair products. Never thought I'd even consider buying anything again from that brand. That makeup is the bombtastic diggity though. Unfortunately, the Anchorage Ulta doesn't carry it. I could order it online and return it to my local Ulta (which is what I am considering when I return the Lancome, pronto), but buying a foundation online is tricky when you've never used it before. 


My niece turned me on to another online brand that looks promising. It's called BH Cosmetics. Looks very interesting (especially those prices!).

Liquid Foundation

Right now, the BH foundation is $4.50 (reg $9.00).

Once again, there's that problem of trying to get the right shade... This brings me to another issue with makeup companies:

Why on earth don't these brands offer realistic shade charts? I'm sure that women of every shade and hue gets frustrated by trying to match one brand to another. I did find this one site called Foundation Matrix that helps with that. 

Isn't that a beautiful thing?
I need that shade 4th from the left

The only thing is, because there are so many brands and shades, you might not find yours in the mix. I give them big props for even attempting to keep their database current.


Bottom line, it is just getting too hard to obtain decent basic makeup at affordable prices. My next step is going to be learning how to make my own. Pinterest has some interesting information on that.
                        Homemade Makeup Recipes: Home Made Cosmetics. Learn how to make foundation, blush, mascara and eyeliner from natural, organic ingredients.: 7 Natural   Homemade Makeup Switches | http://hellonatural.co/7-natural-homemade-makeup-switches/:
(You can get almost everything you need from Making Cosmetics.)

In the meantime, the hunt is still on for a foundation that I don't have to trek back to the store with for my refund :-(

Peace
--Free

UPDATE: Just a couple hours after writing this post, I made up my mind to get back to Ulta for my refund (as soon as this snow lets up). With the $30-something that I will be getting credited back to my bank, I found all this on BH Cosmetics for about the same price. That's FIVE products (2 foundations) for less than the price of a single high brand - including the shipping to Alaska. Take that, you other brands...

Notice that I got TWO of the foundations (to be sure of shades). Even if I have to return this stuff, it's going to be worth it to find what works for me. I will surely be back to do reviews on the products once they get here.

Friday, March 18, 2016

**REVIEW** Clove Essential Oil (from First Botany)

Before now, whenever I thought of cloves, only two things came to mind: 1) Toothache relief, and 2) Teen cigarettes.

I applied to get this at a deep discount so that I could add Clove Oil to my arsenal of health, wellness, and beauty products.

This Clove oil is from First Botany. This is my first time trying one of their products and, so far, I am happy with this oil. (I did do the "paper test" to check if it was diluted with carrier oils and it passed.)


What I have learned about Clove Oil in the past couple of weeks is:

  • It has the highest Oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) number I've seen yet.
  • It's a remedy for dry skin
  • Can be used to shine metals (yeah, really)
  • It's both analgesic and antiseptic, which is why, I guess,..
  • ...it's so good for toothaches. (I'll tell you in a moment of my experience)
  • That its main ingredient is Eugenol, which is high in anti-bacterial properties (thank God for Wikipedia!)
  • It's rich in calcium, iron, sodium, phosphorous, potassium and vitamins A and C
  • Because of its fragrance, it's used in lots of toiletries (soap, lotion, perfume, etc.)
  • Clove bud oil is used in the popular Tiger Balm (my niece swears by Tiger Balm)
  • Can be used as an insect repellent (and is included in many store bought brands of the stuff)
  • Is said to increase sexual energy.(Y'all will have to let me know about that one! LOL)

cloveoil
source
                                              
Like I mentioned, I have a story about clove oil. When I was living in Arizona (and working two jobs but still had nothing but prayer as health insurance), I got an abscess around a tooth. The thing developed in between breakfast and lunch time. It started to hurt so bad that the side of my face turned red (and you all know how dark I am, right?). I had to leave work to go home and lie in the dark and cry. A friend of ours heard that I'd left work with a toothache. She came right over to my house with the tiniest bottle of essential oil that I've ever seen. It was clove oil. She put some on a cotton ball and had my place it over that abscess. The pain started to ease up within minutes. I had to rinse and replace the cotton with fresh oil every couple of hours. By that night, the pain was completely gone and, by afternoon or so of the next day, the abscess was gone.


I kept that bottle of oil around for the next several months and then gave it to someone else with a toothache. They were as happy as I had been with the results. The only thing is, I never used clove oil after that. (And I do remember my mother having talked about her mother chewing on cloves to keep her teeth healthy and her breath fresh.)

At any rate, I don't particularly like the smell of cloves. I knew I wouldn't be using this one as a fragrance (like I do with, say, Frankincense), but I do like that it can be used for so many other things. I love using it in my concoction of natural tooth cleanser which, up to now, has been of this recipe:
  • Coconut oil
  • Rice powder
  • Peppermint, Spearmint, Lemon or Tea Tree oil
Now, of course, I am using the Clove oil as the EO in the recipe. (Note: it keeps the breath and mouth feeling fresher much longer than Peppermint, Spearmint or Lemon. It tastes better than the Tea Tree oil.)

I haven't yet been able to bring myself to use it in water to drink any, but I am seriously going to be trying that soon. I have checked on some other ways to use this (because I want to have some hair uses), and here's what I came up with:
  • Mix Clove Oil with Cinnamon Oil as a snake repellent
  • Apply some to temples to soothe tension headaches (use a carrier oil!)
  • Use (with a carrier oil) for a massage to heighten, uh, circulation...
  • Mix with olive oil to massage cold legs and feet (has warming properties)
  • Do a scalp massage with a carrier oil and 1 or 2 drops of clove oil (it's very strong) to stimulate hair growth.
The biggest Pro to clove oil is that it is stimulating. The warning to this is clove oil is also very strong and has to be used with much caution.

My favorite find to all the hair uses is this recipe that a lady in the grocery store told me about:

Take two drops of clove oil and mix into a half cup of honey.
Rinse your hair and towel dry it, then apply enough olive oil to coat your scalp and hair well.
Apply the clove/honey mix to any thinning areas and cover with a cap for about 5 minutes.
Finally, either shampoo your hair and apply some leave in conditioner.
(If you have extremely dry hair, you can lightly shampoo the hair so you don't lose all the oil from your treatment.)

I haven't tried this yet, but I did add a single drop of clove oil to a glob of coconut oil and used it to oil my scalp. I want to add a little more clove oil, but don't want to burn myself! Maybe I will experiment the next time I do a scalp treatment.

A couple of last things about the First Botany brand of Clove Oil:

  1. It is a Clove Leaf Oil (not Clove Bud Oil). I guess for people more familiar with Clove, there is a huge difference (?). I won't know until I try bud oil. For me, this was pleasant smelling (strong, IMO), and I could feel the warming properties that I heard about.
  2. The bottle is a good 4 oz size and I think that, because its recommended to use so little, it will last me a good while. I am storing it as suggested (cool and dark place).
  3. I have now applied to try other products by the brand and will update you on how the quality stacks up to this oil. Right now, I'm pleased.
If anyone has a good knowledge of uses for Clove E.O. (or about the differences), do let me know.

Peace
--Free

DISCLOSURE:
In exchange for providing my fair and honest review, I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only review products that I have personally used and can give an opinion of.