Me Time Botanicals NEW Glow-Getter!

Results Driven & Affordable!

It isn’t every day you come across a product in the indie green-beauty space that is a powerhouse of ingredients with fast, visible results and affordable!

I was very very fortunate to be one of the testers that Kara, founder of Me Time Botanicals, chose to try out her newest creation; the Glow-Getter. AND ITS OFFICIALLY HERE!

Why am I so excited? Not only is it a beautiful ritual; it delivers results! Without adding to the suspense, take a look at my before & after photos below. This is after only ONE WEEK of use:

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I recently posted these results on Instagram & @pale_face23 was kind enough to ask me a few questions that she was seeking the answers to. I would love to take the opportunity to address them below:

Is there a strong scent?

The Glow-Getter has a vibrant yet gentle scent that is reminiscent of a citrus-y pine-y forest. It then fades and leaves a very subtle, lingering scent of geranium behind. It is gorgeous.

Did you have any sort of sensitivity to this product?

I did not experience any sensitivity to this serum. I applied liberally to my face, neck and chest twice a day and my skin simply glowed. If you are particularly sensitive to any ingredients listed below, it is important to patch test first.

Ingredients: *Grapeseed Oil, *Rosehip Seed Oil, Moth Bean Extract, Licorice Root Extract, *Bearberry Extract, Kakadu Plum Extract, *Black Cumin Seed Oil, *Shiitake Mushroom Extract, Horsetail Extract, Cucumber Extract, Black Willow Bark Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment & Lactobacillus & Coconut Fruit Extract, Turmeric Extract, Rosemary Extract, Sea Salt, *Tea Tree Essential Oil, *Geranium Essential Oil

*Organic ingredients

https://www.metimebotanicals.com/product-page/glow-getter-radiant-blemish-free-serum

What were your goals?

At $42 per bottle, everyone can experience great skin!

Reducing hyper-pigmentation is always my goal over reducing acne spots. If my skin clears up in the process of using my skincare, I’m thrilled!

The results that I achieved with the Glow-Getter was a more even and radiant complexion! When I wore my typical makeup and looked in the mirror, I felt as though I was wearing a filter. My skin was bright and revitalized!

Can you refrigerate it for freshness?

Although it isn’t necessary to refrigerate this serum, I imagine it would be super refreshing to keep it in the refrigerator and apply directly to the skin!

How is absorption?

Look at these glittering drops of oil suspended in the serum ❤

This is probably my favorite aspect of the Glow-Getter serum! The dual phase serum goes on thin and leaves the slightest veil of hydration behind. You can feel the oil hydrating your complexion while the serum component continues to absorb. It is bliss!

Do you use it twice a day or at night only?

My results (pictured above) were from using this serum liberally twice a day. Tip: After using an essence, I like to apply about 1-3 droppers to my face, neck & decollete and take an extra few seconds to massage the serum in.

These gorgeous layers though!

Final Thoughts

I have used a lot of brightening serums, some that have cost me as much as $235; but none have made my skin feel as bright and plump as the Glow-Getter. The unique dual-phase texture is such a beautiful experience, it absorbs quickly yet leaves the skin feeling silky. The scent is vibrant and fresh, and the results speak for themselves!  After just one week I noticed my skin tone was more even and my hyper-pigmentation faded substantially! The best part? It’s affordable!

XOXO,

Erika

Please comment below! Have you tried any brightening serums lately? Have they been effective?

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Lady Suite

Intimate Skin Care for the “Glow Below”

Intimate skin care is definitely a taboo topic that most women do not like to discuss or share on social media. I often see women holding a bottle of intimate oil with the caption, “Oh, I use this on my body” or the intimate skin care companies with their photos that are a little too, not vulgar, but….not very appealing?

This post will really only cover 2 products that I have recently added to my intimate self care routine and that I am not embarrassed to say, I LOVE!

Probiotic Refreshing Cleanser $16

Before finding this intimate cleanser, I was using Johnson’s baby wash for over 10 years! I have an extremely sensitive pH and it was the only product that I could use to cleanse without causing any disruption.

I was thrilled when Therese, founder of Lady Suite, finally came out with this pH-balanced probiotic cleanser. The price is PHENOMENAL and the color, scent and texture is much more grown up than my old Johnson’s baby wash! This light gel-cleanser smells similar to the OSEA Ocean Cleanser, but like a grapefruit skittle instead of lime. The color is a beautiful light pink and the texture is a low-lather gel cream. TIP: This cleanser also makes for the perfect intimate shave!

The ingredients are naturally derived, and include probiotics to strengthen the skin, botanical extracts like rose hip, cucumber, green tea & grapefruit to nourish and rose quartz to balance!

Lady Suite offers an auto-renew option at a 15% discount that I currently subscribe to; I chose the 4-week auto renew, but wish Therese would offer a 3-week option as I am typically running low by the time my new bottle arrives.

I NEVER want to run out of this product, so you better believe I have a back-up for my back-up LOL. Just in case.

Rejuvenating Botanical Oil $46

Now, I know what you’re thinking, “$46 for an intimate oil!? I don’t even know what an intimate oil is!”

I completely felt the same way! I had never used an intimate oil before, didn’t know if I needed one, and didn’t want to spend $46 to find out! Luckily, Citrine Beauty offered this full-size beauty in one of their “Glam Bags” and I was hooked!

Not only does this bottle look stunning on my vanity, the ingredients are equally as lovely! Nourishing pH-balanced oils like jojoba seed, meadowfoam seed, evening primrose, tamanu oil and carrot seed oil nourish the skin & soothe any irritation you might experience after shaving.

I use this oil everyday without fail the moment I step out of the shower. I use 3-4 (…or 8…) drops and apply it “Erika Jayne”** style below (nothing internal) & instantly I have a glow below that is sexy and “video worthy”! The light scent of grapefruit does not change or ‘turn’ and there is no greasy feeling. *Giddy Delight*

Final Thoughts

It was really easy to incorporate the probiotic cleanser into my routine, and it was a product I had been waiting for for a very long time! The rejuvenating oil definitely required a change to my routine, but now I never want to be without it!

I take a great deal of care when it comes to my complexion and my body. I use luxurious skincare products and the rest of my body is always glowing, why shouldn’t my ‘lola’ glow too?

XOXO,

Erika

**If you are unsure of what I mean when I reference “Erika Jayne” style, we need to have a talk LOL**

Please comment below! Have you ever used an intimate skincare product or oil? What did you think!?

Edible Beauty’s Skin Food Beauty Boosters

Feed your skin! (20% Promo Code Below)

Edible Beauty, a botanical and wild-crafted brand out of Australia is very near and dear to my heart. They were one of the first brands I discovered when I made the conscious decision to clean my beauty routine and I have been a loyal fan ever since. I was fortunate to come across Edible Beauty when they launched some of their products on Sephora.com and I was thrilled to find that these botanical skincare products were just as effective and enjoyable as the chemical-filled alternatives. Since first discovering this luxurious brand, I have tried virtually every ritual and have many favorites, including:

• No. 2 Citrus Rhapsody Toner Mist
• & Sleeping Beauty Purifying Mousse
• Express: Bloom of Youth Infusion Mask (Sheet Mask)

Edible Beauty was the first brand to follow me on Instagram, and now the first brand to kindly send me their rituals to review; a responsibility I do not take lightly. I am beyond grateful to Anna, the founder, for sending me three of their four skincare boosters offered and equally excited about the results!

These lovely boosters are Edible Beauty’s newest launch and are intended to be the perfect addition to any routine to boost a range of skincare results! They can be used alone, or even layered with another booster which is really fun for skincare lovers like myself.

Turmeric Beauty Latte – Clear & Brighten

This booster is the thinnest of the three and has a very slight turmeric scent that quickly dissapears upon application. A potent mixture of Turmeric, Snow Mushroom and Licorice Root helps to reduce pigmentation and inflammation.

Note: I am always looking to brighten my complexion from years in the sun & pregnancy that have left my skin with a lot of discoloration and now, melasma. I always have realistic expectations, and have always figured that laser (like IPL) is my only real option for lightening up any discoloration. So when Anna sent me this booster, I was happy to try it, but kept my expectations to a minimum.

In my true indulgent fashion, I use about 1/2 a dropper of this booster religiously morning & night as a first booster in my routine and after only two weeks have seen amazing results! See before & after pictures above!

Botanical Actives

Turmeric Extract is rich in curcumin, a potent antioxidant which has been used as an ancient beauty ritual for lightening and brightening the skin. Curcumin also inhibits acne causing bacteria on the skin and has been shown to be 36 times stronger than azelaic acid, an irritating chemical used in acne treatments. Its anti-inflammatory properties also mean that turmeric can soothe painful cystic breakouts and calm redness.
Licorice Root contains the active ingredient, glabridin that interrupts the enzymes that activate melanin production, making it a natural skin whitening agent. It prevents future hyperpigmentation while improving existing dark spots on your skin. Licorice Root is also a powerful anti-inflammatory, reducing swelling and redness for a clear and calm complexion.
Snow Mushroom known as the “beauty mushroom” the Tremella mushroom has been used for centuries as a youth-preserving mushroom due to its unique polysaccharide and antioxidant profile.  Polysaccharides found in the mushroom have remarkable water retaining properties, with the ability to hold nearly five times more water than hyaluronic acid. Tremella’s polysaccharides also stimulate the production of superoxide dismutase (SOD), one of the most important “super antioxidant” enzymes in the body. SOD helps to protect and regenerate the skin as well as effectively prevent wrinkling and sagging of the skin. It has shown to be effective in preventing oxidative damage to skin cells as well as increasing the body’s production of its own powerful free-radical defence mechanisms.

https://ediblebeautyaustralia.com/collections/boosters/products/turmeric-beauty-latte-clear-restore

Probiotic Radiance Tonic – Calm & Restore

This booster is slightly thicker, and feels much like a hyaluronic acid serum. It has a clean, almost fresh-water scent and is intended to restore the skin’s microbiome. This serum is full of probiotics and nourishing ingredients like Jojoba Milk & Birch Leaf and the results are protected skin that is plump and hydrated. This is especially important for someone like myself who enjoys exfoliating often and uses a lot of active skincare products.

I really enjoy using this booster at night after the Turmeric Beauty Latte. I had a brief eczema flair-up after over-exfoliating one evening, and this serum was extremely repairing to my skin. My skin felt instantly soothed, and the next morning was significantly calmed.

Botanical Actives

Lactobacillus Bulgaricus Ferment Filtrate, restore skin PH and acid mantle reducing skin sensitivity and strengthening the skin barrier. This probiotic strain also attacks bacteria which sit on the skin’s surface causing blemishes.
Wildcrafted Emu Bush, native to the Australian Northern Territory, it contains potent antioxidants including chloregenic acid which protects the skin from break down and ageing along with phenolic acids which have an antioxidant action stronger than that of vitamin E. This makes this wildcrafted extract effective at skin restoration and repair.
Birch Leaf, is a powerhouse ingredient for calming and treating sensitive and irritated skin. It is prized for its ability to reduce inflammation, purify and hydrate skin. It contains 17 amino acids, minerals, enzymes, proteins, antioxidants and vitamins, all of which are beneficial for your skin.

https://ediblebeautyaustralia.com/collections/boosters/products/probiotic-radiance-tonic-clear-restore

Glowing Skin Smoothie – Protect & Smooth

Full of antioxidants, vitamins and omegas, this booster is truly like a smoothie for your skin, intended to offer protection from UV’s and free-radical damage as well as offer retinol-like benefits to even skin tone and texture.

This serum feels like the most active of the three that I tried. It has a slight fruity fragrance and tingles slightly upon application (which I enjoy). I like layering this booster in the morning after the Turmeric Beauty Latte to offer protection to my skin during the day, and since the texture of my skin is already pretty smooth, using this serum helps to keep my complexion from becoming rough by encouraging cellular turnover.

Botanical Actives

Broccoli Extract, a natural alternative to retinol, encouraging youthful and even skin texture and tone. Sulforaphane found in broccoli extract, helps to shield the skin from environmental pollution in addition to strengthening the skin barrier.
St Mary’s Thistle, or Milk Thistle is rich in silymarin, an antioxidant that can helps to slow the ageing process by fighting free radicals that attack skin cells, resulting in fine lines, wrinkles and dark spots. Silymarin also helps support skin’s ability to manage photo-ageing, which results in a loss of skin firmness and elasticity along with age spots – the result of too much exposure to UV rays. It slows oxidative stress, supporting delicate skin cells. Milk Thistle is also made up almost exclusively of fatty acids, which offer lightweight but effective hydration, so parched skin cells become plumper and skin appears more luminous.
Kale Extract, provides an abundance of skin-loving vitamins including pro-vitamin A, vitamin B, C, and K, as well as antioxidants and phytonutrients. This leafy green not only detoxifies and protects the skin, it tightens pores, promotes collagen production, increases cell turnover and prevents free radical damage. Vitamin K found in Kale has a wonderful ability to tighten the skin, thereby reducing fine lines and wrinkles. 

https://ediblebeautyaustralia.com/collections/boosters/products/glowing-skin-smoothie-smooth-protect

Final Thoughts

All of these serums feel silky, absorb quickly and provide results! I was never expecting to see the amazing reduction in pigmentation after just two weeks of using the Turmeric Beauty Latte and I am so happy with the outcome.

If you are wondering which one to purchase, I recommend going with the one that addresses your personal skincare goals. Whether you are looking to reduce pigmentation, repair your skin’s barrier or rejuvenate the texture of your complexion, you can’t go wrong trying one (or all!) of these effectively beautiful boosters from Edible Beauty.

Promotional Code: Receive a 20% discount off your purchase with code Erika20

Remember, you are appreciated and worthy of self-care and love.

XOXO,

Erika

Please comment below! Have you tried any rituals from Edible Beauty? Which products are on your wish list? Please share your thoughts!

Me Time Botanicals

As Charming as an Afternoon in Charleston!

Imagine taking a stroll through Charleston, South Carolina, on a beautiful spring day; the air is fresh and the sun is shining as it dances and flirts on the sidewalk amongst full, leafy green trees shimmering in the breeze. The scent of neroli and sweet roses fills the air as you make your way to the local farmers market to sample raw unfiltered honey and drink a refreshing glass of tart berry-lemonade. After enjoying a nice full lunch, you end your afternoon by stopping at a local cafe to enjoy a richly aromatic coffee and fresh blueberry scone.

This is what it feels like to indulge in the rituals from Me Time Botanicals, and for me, is the essence of founder, Kara’s line.

Stemming from the need for “Me Time”, Kara attended ‘Formula Botanica’s Organic Cosmetic Science School’ and began crafting her rituals by hand, beginning with her Morning Perk Eye & Facial Serum. Inspired by local and sustainable ingredients in Charleston, South Carolina, Kara explains her sourcing beautifully:

I tour a local coffee roaster, visit a sustainable and cruelty-free apiary to speak to local beekeepers, reach out to berry farmers to get inspiration. My favorite part is to hear their passion shine through as they teach me about their product. This propels me to create something truly special for Me Time Botanicals and your rituals. 

Kara, Me Time Botanicals Founder

I had the pleasure of trying a few of Kara’s rituals and in the process I felt like I was getting to know Kara and her delightful hometown.

Phyto Tonic Facial Mist $18

Meaning “plant derived” this facial mist smells so good and is super uplifting to my spirit! The scent is like candied roses and neroli and instantly refreshes me skin and mood. The star ingredients, white rose, neroli and frankincense distillates help restore the skin by encouraging cell turnover and coconut fruit extract and jasmine help to nourish the complexion.

Tip: This mist is perfect to dampen my face before applying the Berry Bright Exfoliating Mask, as an essence before using the Morning Perk Facial Serum and as a mood booster throughout the day. In my true style of indulgence, once I start spraying this facial mist, it is really difficult to stop.

Berry Bright Exfoliating Mask $30

This lovely mask is as delicious (yes, I said delicious) as it sounds! The scent of berry lemonade is intoxicating and if a little drips down onto my lips, the taste is equally as yummy! The visible pieces of horsetail and nettle, infusing the honey, further add to the sensory experience.

The star ingredient in Berry Bright Exfoliating Mask is our locally sourced raw honey that I pick up directly from an educational center called Bee City just a few short miles from Charleston where local schools and families can spend the day learning about sustainable beekeeping, honey, and gardening. Their honey comes from the local wildflowers, blueberry bushes, & palmetto trees.  The hives are never treated with chemicals or pesticides, the honey is unadulterated and the bees are truly loved. 

Kara, on the sourcing of the raw honey used in her Berry Bright Exfoliating Mask

Tip: I really enjoy wearing this mask for over 30 minutes to an hour when I have the time! I mix the jar well before application and the exfoliating action is definitely noticeable. Before washing it off I practice facial tapping with dry fingers which feels especially awakening around the eye orbital area and mouth! Washing it off further activates the scent, making my mouth water all over again!

Morning Perk – Caffeine & Blueberry Seed Eye + Facial Serum $25

Like a soft, berry-scented coffee, this oil-serum is extremely moisturizing and comforting on the skin. The locally roasted, fair-trade, organic coffee infused in this serum is hand-picked by Kara from Charleston Coffee Roasters right in Charleston and is made using antique roasters to get the most out of the beans, and into the serum! Using this at night, I wake up in the morning with my skin feeling perfectly hydrated and it is absolutely suited for use during the day as well (not too oily)!

Tip: I prefer removing the roller-ball so that I can pour a generous amount into my palm to spread all over my face, neck and chest in the evening. I enjoy taking a moment to massage this oil-serum deep into my skin, paying special attention to my under-eye area to awaken and refresh my appearance during the day.

100% Organic Beeswax & Coconut Oil Bath Candle $5 – seasonal only!

Final Thoughts

The passion behind Kara’s formulations are evident during the experience of her rituals. From locally sourcing her ingredients to hand pouring, labeling and batching each jar, Kara really wants every woman to enjoy a special moment of “Me Time”.

After getting acquainted and indulging in Me Time Botanicals, I realize the brand is perfectly named, lovely and affordably priced. Great for a little indulgence or as gift for a girlfriend or loved one, there is really no reason to hesitate in giving this delightful, natural, indie-brand a try!

Remember, you are appreciated and worthy of self-care and love.

XOXO,

Erika

Please comment below! What is your favorite way to indulge in “Me Time”?

How Important is Cleansing, Really?

My A.M. Cleansing Routine

Lately, I’ve been witnessing the rising trend of ditching facial cleansers in the morning in lieu of splashing one’s face with water. Does anyone else find this ritual bizarre? To me, this is about as normal as brushing one’s teeth without toothpaste, or taking a shower without soap.

I happen to think that cleansing my face, especially in the morning, is the most important step that sets the tone for the rest of my (skincare) day!

Our skin does a lot while we sleep including increased cellular turnover; it is also the bodies largest organ and the requirements of our skin can change daily based on hormones, diet, etc. For these reasons, I like to listen to my skin when I wake up to understand what it needs.

Is my face feeling tight? Is it rough? Does my skin need a double cleanse? Extra exfoliation? Or can I just use a gentle cleanser? When I tailor my cleansing routine to my skin’s daily needs, the results I achieve are a more healthy and vibrant glow.

My Morning Routine Options:

My skin feels tight: Exfoliation followed by a gentle cleanse or mask.

My skin feels normal: Gentle cleanse or active cleanse.

My skin feels rough: Exfoliation followed by an active cleanse or mask.

My Favorite A.M. Cleansers:

Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser $42-$82

This gritty cleanser is a holy grail ritual for me. It has an aloe-base so it rinses really clean and leaves my skin feeling fresh! The scent is also bright and awakening! With 11 active ingredients, it polishes, refines, decongests & plumps the skin. Using this first thing in the morning on dry skin really helps to soften my complexion if I wake up and my face feels tight.

Osea Ocean Cleanser $48

I have written about this cleanser in-depth in a previous post and absolutely love how potent it is with algae extract and lactic acid. My skin LOVES lactic acid! It does a fabulous job of keeping my skin smooth which sets the perfect canvas for the rest of my skincare regimen and make up. Tip: This would be what I consider an “active cleanser” with its powerful ingredients that work deep to exfoliate the skin.

Nuori Vital Foaming Cleanser $35

I discovered Nuori when I traveled to Denmark with my sister last fall, and I love how this unique brand boasts freshness (Nuori recommends using their products within a few months of batching to get the most effectiveness from their ingredients). This foaming cleanser is uber gentle and has a beautiful floral-citrus scent. Full of humectants and pomegranate enzymes, it leaves my face feeling undisturbed yet cleansed and soft.

Earthwise Beauty Marshmallow Cleanser $60

Earthwise Beauty has captivated my heart and this cleanser had me instantly smitten! This small-batch, organic, unrefined cleanser leaves my skin silky-soft and clean. A little goes a long way and the formula is full of calming and soothing ingredients like calendula & chamomile flowers, marshmallow roots, cold-pressed pumpkin seed oil and jojoba seed oil to nourish my skin and keep it clear.

Final Thoughts

Gone are the days of using Cetaphil to cleanse, and I don’t think I will ever forgo cleansing to simply rinse my face with water in the morning. I enjoy a variety of cleansers depending on my skin truth each and every day. Giving myself options allows me to truly listen to my skin and give it what it needs to achieve a more smooth and glowy complexion.

Remember, you are appreciated and worthy of self-care and love.

XOXO,

Erika

Please comment below! What is your favorite morning cleanser? Have you ever tried just splashing with water? What are your thoughts?

Phenoxyethanol

Much Like The Spelling, It’s Complicated!

During pregnancy, there are a lot of things we are told not to do. Whenever I have a friend that is expecting for the first time, I always give them the same advice, “If it bothers you, don’t do it. The peace of mind is reason enough”. Questioning your decision, after you’ve done something you were weary of, and the worry that inevitably follows, can be the worst part in making that choice to begin with.

For personal reasons (mostly pregnancy and breastfeeding-related), phenoxyethanol is an ingredient that I have chosen to try and avoid in my skincare routine. If for none of the evidence below, than for my own peace of mind.

What Is Phenoxyethanol?

According to the “Think Dirty” app, “Phenoxyethanol is a common, synthetic, antimicrobial preservative used in cosmetics. There are no reports of this compound being found in natural extracts”.

Phenoxyethanol is a very controversial ingredient that I was unaware of when I started detoxifying my beauty routine. It is controversial because there are many advocates for the use of phenoxyethanol and many advocates against it. According to a video by Tata Harper, a lot of companies market their products as “paraben-free” in an attempt to make us assume they are safe, but as she explains here, these same companies use other questionable preservatives instead, like phenoxyethanol. After watching this video for the first time, I remember being very disappointed when I checked my “clean” beauty products only to see this ingredient listed in a majority of them.

Watch the Video: Exposing The Natural Beauty Industry: Tata Harper on Greenwashing

In moderation and in low concentrations, I’m sure phenoxyethanol is not extremely harmful (that’s a big assumption), but when you use as many products as myself, or are unaware of the concentration of phenoxyethanol in a particular product, it can be reason for concern. While the FDA recommends cosmetic companies use concentrations of 1% or less, at this time, the United States does not regulate phenoxyethanol.

Side Note: Currently, Japan and the EU limit the use of phenoxyethanol in cosmetics to 1%.

My decision to avoid phenoxyethanol was greatly justified when I read an article by Follain.com, in which they chose to eliminate any products that included phenoxyethanol from their shelves. Follain.com cited a study from http://www.ehp.niehs.nih.gov in which they discuss phenoxyethanol being associated with “increased time to pregnancy” in women.

Read the Follain Article: We Officially Banned Phenoxyethanol from our Shelves

Read the Study: Urinary Glycol Ether Metabolites in Women and Time to Pregnancy: The PELAGIE Cohort

The great news is that there are a plethora of amazing, natural skincare brands who do not use synthetic preservatives, and at the same time are exponentially effective. Also, a lot of mainstream brands are beginning to re-formulate their products without phenoxyethanol. Hooray!

Just to clarify, I am not condemning phenoxyethanol and I believe preservatives are extremely important when it comes to the safety of our skincare products. If you have no reason to avoid this ingredient, or aren’t convicted either way, then you shouldn’t be overly worried. This blog post is meant to inform, not create fear.

Skincare is a very personal choice. Much like a diet, what works for one person may not work for another. There is no judgement if this is an ingredient that you decide not to avoid, and there may be other ingredients that I commit to discontinue using in the future. To be transparent, I use regular nail polish and currently have no strong conviction to change. Clean skincare is an ever-evolving journey of self-discovery and improvement.

Final thoughts: As with most things, I believe moderation and education are key. It’s impossible to avoid every hazard in life and I know there are many risks we are still unaware of. Until we have conclusive information from all sides, all we can do is make informed decisions, be confident in the personal choices we make, and ultimately have peace of mind.

Remember, you are appreciated and worthy of self-care and love.

XOXO,

Erika

Please comment below! Are there any other ingredients you’ve made the personal decision to avoid? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Clean Skincare Ruined My Life

And I Am Forever Grateful (Continue Reading)

I was never excited about “clean” skincare. Sure, I saw Kourtney Kardashian talk about it all the time on KUWTK and I figured it was inevitably better for me, but still it was something I didn’t gravitate towards. I thought that somehow, clean skincare offered only two choices. The choice to “DIY” a mask, and slather my face in honey, yogurt and camu-camu powder (which I have done, admittedly), or go to Sprouts Farmers Market and spend $7 on an organic face cream that offered little benefit.

Well, after attempting the DIY method and not ever wanting to resort to a $7 face cream, I decided one day that chemicals and science were just more effective.

Clean skincare ruined my life.

I could take you all the way back to the sixth-grade and talk about how I’ve struggled with acne for forever, or how I was prescribed Accutane in high school, but this blog would take too long to read.

I could talk about how, for 6 years, before having my first son, I only used Cetaphil & Olay Regenerist, but that’s irrelevant.

I could also mention how I went crazy with a 10-step skincare regimen after having my son, buying every discovery-set in sight, but that would only belabor what this blog post is ultimately about.

Clean skincare ruined my life.

When I decided to change my regimen, before becoming pregnant with my second son (editors note: I am currently 28 weeks pregnant; glory to God), I hated clean skincare. My face was no longer smooth and was full of blemishes. I distinctly remember my cousin asking me if I was enjoying my new, “clean” routine. “I hate it!” I remember answering, “My skin loves chemicals!” But pregnancy is a sacrifice. Much like not being able to drink alcohol, or eat cold lunch meat; we can’t have good skin during pregnancy.

I vowed to return to my beloved peel pads and facial masks the moment I was done breastfeeding. I mean, I don’t have to breastfeed for 15 months this time, right? 6 months is sufficient, right!?

Clean skincare ruined my life.

And then, one day, I struck gold! I found natural cleansers with lactic acid and fruit enzymes that began deep cleaning my pores, I found clean peel pads that resurfaced my skin back to a smooth, silky texture. I found healing moisturizers full of raw nutrients that fed my face as I slept, oils that hydrated, essences that brightened and serums that restored. Somewhere along my clean skincare journey, I found a tropical island, a rain forest, a treasure trove of vivid formulas that were void of fillers, chemicals, synthetic preservatives and instead contained the most precious of natural ingredients. These ingredients began to transform my skin like never before.

Something magical happens to our skin when we feed it pure nature. Our skin desires to be bathed in exotic fruits, rare flowers and golden rich oils extracted from raw seeds & nuts. The very idea that we ever slather industrial sludge on our faces and call it beauty is absolutely bizarre.

Clean skincare ruined my life, it forever set my beauty standards higher. It has become a passion, a fixation that I cannot quit. The uniqueness of each clean brand: how they source, batch and pour each lovingly sought-out ingredient has me captivated. God has given us rain forests that are encyclopedias of potent and effective elements; tropical islands that are an oasis of brightly colored nutrients to feed our skin back to a state of radiance. Science and nature have collided in a way, that today, is undeniable.

Clean Skincare ruined my life.

Clean skincare ruined my life because I don’t want to go back to the products and chemicals I was using before. My skin has never felt more nourished, more clear, more loved. Each gleaming bottle is an indulgent ritual of self-care. Every step in my regimen is a moment of bliss and pure delight. After reluctantly giving up the synthetic products I was used to, I have found there are boundless amounts of effective, clean, natural, non-toxic beauty rituals out there for me to feel, touch, smell, explore and discover!

Clean Skincare ruined my life and I am forever grateful.

Remember, you are appreciated and worthy of self-care and love.

XOXO,

Erika

Please comment below! I would love to know about your clean skincare journey or if you’ve recently decided to start!

Bar Soap: A Clean-Skincare Basic!

Osmia Coffee & Mint Bar Soap

Have you read the ingredients in your shower gel lately? If one of the ingredients is petrolatum (or petroleum), maybe it’s time to go clean! Our skin is the body’s largest organ, is porous and absorbs a lot of what we put on it – over 50%! Paying attention to the ingredients in shower gel and body lotion is especially important.

Most bar soaps have minimal ingredients that are easy to understand (below you’ll find a great example of ingredients listed in an organic bar of soap versus an average shower gel!). They also don’t cost a lot; you can find them at your local natural grocer for an average of $5.00 each! Tip: I like using bar soap on my hands as well, especially while doing my makeup, when I tend to wash them multiple times. It is a lot less harsh!

Final thoughts

I could continue to talk about bar soap, but why complicate such a simple message. It is important to me that I begin my green-beauty routine everyday by cleansing my body without toxins and chemical preservatives. If you want an easy way to start detoxifying your body, start with buying a clean bar of soap!

Remember, you are appreciated and worthy of self-care and love.

XOXO,

Erika

Comment below! I would love to know if you’ve “greened” your shower routine.

Ingredients in an Organic Bar of Soap:

*= Certified Organic

saponified oils/butters of olea europea (olive)*, mangifera indica (mango)*, and ricinus communis (castor)*; hand-harvested French grey sea salt; buttermilk powder*; non-GMO mixed tocopherols; rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) antioxidant CO2 extract*

99.9% certified organic ingredients

Osmia Oh So Soap $18

Ingredients in a Typical Body Wash:

Water, Petrolatum, Sodium Trideceth Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Trideceth-3, Fragrance, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Oleate, Mineral Oil, Disodium Edta, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone.

Olay Ultra Moisture with Shea Butter Body Wash $5.49

Follain Bar Soap $9

Product Highlight: Go-To Exfoliating Swipeys

When I first turned to clean beauty and discovered I was pregnant, my prestige-brand exfoliating pads were among the first to go. The salicylic acid, retinol and chemical preservatives determined my decision to ditch them temporarily. I was devastated, and promised to return to them the moment I was done with pregnancy and breastfeeding. I slowly watched the texture of my skin become more rough, and breakouts ensued (I’m sure mostly due to the pregnancy, but that’s not the point!). As if there aren’t already enough sacrifices during pregnancy, I was wrecked to watch my skin become another one.

Wrecked, until the fabulous day I discovered Go-To’s Exfoliating Swipeys at sephora.com. The ingredients were simple, clean and I ran to pick them up.

Initial thoughts:

These are such a good deal! At $35 per jar for 50 pads, they will last me forever, or 3 months. And – the new brand out of Australia, Go-To Skincare, is fun, spunky and focused on making skincare easy to understand.

Ingredient Highlights:

• Lactic Acid – these pads are extremely potent due to the fact that lactic acid is the second ingredient listed after water. So strong, that the pads are only to be used every other day, and washed off after 60 seconds.
• Aloe Vera – obviously helping to soothe skin, enough said.

• 

  Smooth Side

• 

  Textured Side

Product Experience:

These exfoliating pads are thin, and perfectly saturated with a citrusy, acidic smelling formula. One side is smooth, and the other side is slightly rough to help with any dry-skin, patches, flakes, etc. I am able to swipe my entire face thoroughly, along with my neck and chest before the pad dries out. Without fail, the pad is always dirty when I am done with it, which for me, is a great sign of success in my quest for ultimate exfoliation (lol)! I use these every other night on a clean face, and after rinsing off, I follow with my normal routine. After just several uses, the texture of my skin went back to a place I could be proud of and I still continue to see improvement. Tip: Their site does not recommend this, but if your skin can handle it, you may be able to start off using these pads three nights in a row to jump start your exfoliation before switching to every-other night.

Final Thoughts:

These pads are another product that make me such a strong advocate of clean beauty. Their strength and effectiveness cause me to question ever returning to products that contain harsh ingredients and chemical preservatives. I have been using these pads for over two months now and give them to friends and family to try whenever I have the chance. If I ever have a day of dry, flaky skin, after just one use, I wake up to smoother skin. These pads have become a staple in my routine and I don’t see that changing.

If you are looking for a great, natural exfoliator that works quickly to help improve the texture of your skin, this product is for you!

Remember, you are appreciated and worthy of self-care and love.

XOXO,

Erika

Ingredients:
Water, lactic acid, aloe vera, ethanol, propanediol, polysorbate 20, fragrance (natural mandarin and lemon), dehydroacetic acid, benzyl alcohol, sodium citrate, potassium sorbate. 

https://www.gotoskincare.com/products/face/exfoliating-swipeys

Clean Lip Care

Love Your Lips!

Clean Lip Care

Neglecting any part of my body as I start my 30’s is not an option, knowing that everything I do now will make an impact in the future motivates me to care for my whole-self daily. Finding clean brands to care for my lips is vital, especially considering I ingest (even in small amounts) what I place on them; avoiding synthetic ingredients and chemical preservatives is critical to lip care and beyond (we will dive deeper into the rest of the body later).

(Side note: Yes, unfortunately I am guilty of using petroleum jelly on my lips when I was younger – yuck)

Fortunately, we live in a really fun time right now; clean, organic beauty brands are blossoming! And the idea of self-care is taking off! We take care of ourselves because we want to, not because we have to.

Discovering lush lip care products would have been difficult a few years ago, but today they are in abundance. And with ingredients like rosehip, jojoba, sea buckthorn, prickly pear and raspberry seed oils and with macadamia nut, mango and coconut butters – these lip products sound more like dessert than beauty products. But that’s the point! That we are putting ingredients on our lips that our body can recognize and that taste delicious. Yum!!!

Here are a few of my favorite, most recent discoveries:

French Girl Rose Lip Polish $18

French Girl Rose Lip Polish $18

Lip care should start with a good exfoliator. Treating dry, dead skin is a waste of time. This lip polish smells of minty-fresh, almost chocolatey roses and has no strange after taste. Tip: I place a small amount on a rough cotton round before using it to scrub my lips, and the surrounding skin. I find I can apply more even-pressure and get more scrubbing power this way.

I will use this scrub before applying my Henne Lip Mask on the days I wash my hair, while the shower is heating up. This exfoliator is not meant for consumption but the sugar crystals do taste delicious if I “accidentally” taste some while wiping it off (Lol) with the other side of the cotton round.

Henne Lip Mask $37

Henne Lip Mask $37

I was so excited to be introduced to this brand in my January subscription from The Clean Beauty Box. This slightly-gritty orange mask is full of rich ingredients like rosehip seed oil and sea buckthorn oil and smells of zesty, slightly spicy citrus. It’s delicious ingredients plump and revive lips and the sensory experience of this mask is the ultimate in lip self-care!

Henne Luxury Lip Balm V2 $19

Henne Luxury Lip Balm V2 $19

As a follow-up to the Henne Lip Mask, their lip balm is also a delicious sensory experience. The stick-balm is easy to apply, has an earthy, chocolate-like scent and is extra silky on the lips. Alone, the ingredients seem simple; coconut and avocado oil, shea butter and cacao seed butter; but combined, they make for a fabulous lip balm.

Kari Gran Lip Whip $24

Kari Gran Lip Whip in ‘Radiant’ $24

Kari Gran is a name synonymous with small-batch lip care, and “Lip whip” explains this product perfectly. The texture is like peppermint-flavored whipped butter for your lips and the colors offer a beautiful flush (‘Radiant’ is pictured above). I now own several different colors, including ‘Jolene’ and ‘Suji’ and have one in my purse wherever I go!

Odacite Aventurine Kiss Lip Serum $44

Odacite Aventurine Kiss Lip Serum $44

Serums offer targeted results due to a higher concentrate of active ingredients and I was so excited to bring those same results to my pout! Every ingredient in this product offers something special to the delicate skin of your lips and I use this nightly. Tip: If you use a micro-needle for your lips, you can apply this after for even deeper penetration. The aventurine crystal roller-ball is cooling, and the light formula offers a tingling effect that says it’s working to plump and restore lips with rich hydration.

Ingredients:

Adansonia Digitata [Baobab*] Seed Oil, Moringa Oleifera [Moringa*] Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis [Jojoba*] Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii [Shea Nut Oil] Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Limnanthes Alba [Meadowfoam*] Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii [Shea] Butter, Cocos Nucifera [Coconut*] Oil, Theobroma Cacao [Cocoa*] Seed Butter, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate [Vitamin C], Punica Granatum [Pomegranate*] Seed Oil, Sclerocarya Birrea [Marula*] Kernel Oil, Vaccinium Corymbosum [Blueberry*] Seed Oil, Lactobacillus/Capsicum Frutescens Fruit Ferment Extract, Hordeum Distichon [Barley] Extract, Tocopherols [Vitamin E] Oil, Ubiquinone [Coenzyme Q10], Alcohol, Lecithin, Aqua [Water], Aroma, Phellodendron, Santalum Album [Sandalwood] Extract, Yeast Extract, Cucurbita Pepo [Pumpkin] Seed Oil & Papain, Rosmarinus Officinalis [Rosemary] Leaf Extract | *Organic Origin

https://odacite.com/products/aventurine-kiss-lip-serum

Edible Beauty & Goddess on the Go Beauty Balm $21

Edible Beauty & Goddess on the Go Beauty Balm $21

Offering ingredients that are truly edible (although it is not intended for consumption), this balm is sheer and smells of mango, raspberry seed oil and vanilla. It melts effortlessly on contact and is designed to be used anywhere that needs hydration (think cuticles, hair, elbows, etc.). The raspberry seed oil offers some natural sun protection, and as evidenced by the worn product label, I also have one of these on hand in my purse and bedside! This product is simple and appreciated.

Final Thoughts:

Don’t neglect your lips! Our lips are so delicate and need a lot of attention. In addition to sunscreen, it is important we offer them regular exfoliation and deep hydration. With an abundance of beautifully rich, beautifully natural ingredients it is easier and more enjoyable than ever to show our lips some love!

Remember, you are appreciated and worthy of self-care and love.

XOXO,

Erika

Comment below! I would love to know what green beauty products you enjoy using on your pout!