Giving Soaps - Body Care That Gives Back #giveaway

Giving Soaps bath & body products are not just amazingly good-smelling (they are), but they help keep the environment going strong and give back to charities working worldwide. 

1. Their ingredients are 100% plant-derived

2. Their packaging is all reusable and/or compostable

3. They ship orders in reused boxes stuffed with shredded junk mail (=zero cost passed on to their customers)

4. 20% of sales are donated back to their charity partners (i.e. 'Giving' Soaps ;) )

Connect with Giving Soaps

Website - Facebook

My Thoughts

I LOVED the products sent to me to review. The wonder, Kristie, sent me some amazing things to try and I want to take the time to review each item she sent. I first one to say, the time that was put into packaging the product was noticeable. A little note came on the box, letting me know the box might look a little banged up, but it was being reused. When I opened the box, it was full of shredded paper and the products I was trying were through out all the shredded paper. It is a tad messy when digging through the box to try and find everything inside, but as I dug around, all the smells made me smile.

Item 1: Jasmine Lotion:

I LOVED this lotion. I got the medium size jar and I've used it every day. Even my daughter who has been complaining of dry skin and didn't want to use her usual lotion because she said it didn't really help. She tried this and she's always asking where the jar of lotion is. The scent is strong but not over powering. It was a lotion that I felt really absorbed into my skin and I didn't need to reapply repeatedly through out the day. I also just felt good using it because I knew the ingredients in it were clean. I have getting the Almond and Cherry Bark lotion on my wish list.

Item 2: Diabetic Foot Balm:

I looked over this item at first, to be honest. I'm not diabetic, so I sorta set this aside. But one evening, I was getting ready to grab the Jasmine Lotion from Giving Soaps to apply to my dry feet and then decided to have a loot at the foot balm. Kristie writes a note with each order, so I read over what the foot balm was for and saw that even though it has ingredients in to geared for diabetics to make it safe for them, anyone could use it. So I popped it open and used a little on my feet. It massaged in really well and absorbed quickly. I wasn't a fan of the scent but I really liked how much it helped with my dry skin that I'd use it again.

Item 3: Headache Eraser:

Love this stuff. I suffer from headaches and I'm not new to using essential oils for headaches. I have a tension blend of I usually roll on to my temple and neck when I have a headache. I was excited to try the one Kristie sent. What I really liked about this one over the one I have is the smell is not as strong and it doesn't burn. Sometimes when I apply my other one, it burns my skin a bit. But this went on smooth, a very light scent coming from it, which I needed during a migraine, and in about 15 minutes, it really did start to ease my headache. I've sense put aside the blend I was using before and I keep the Headache Eraser from Giving Soaps close by.

Item 4: Bar Soap:

She sent me a variety of bar soaps to try and so far I've only tried one. The Cherry Bark and Almond (another reason I need the matching lotion). I have to be honest, I've never used homemade soap before. I've always been a body wash person because soap leaves my skin feeling different than body wash. But I gave this a try. I keep the bar of soap in the Soap Sweater she provided. It lathers up really good and glides over my skin. I LOVE the way it smells and always hope I leave the shower still smelling like the soap. I've been using it over a week now and the soap bar is holding up. The only thing I noticed is I keep the soap in the soap sweater and hang it to dry. the bottom of the soap is getting a little smushy, so I'm not sure if that's normal, as I've never used this kind of soap before. The smushy factor doesn't effect use as it's in the soap sweater. 

Item 5: Soap Sweater:

The soap sweater. This thing is awesome. You pop the bar of soap in it, close the bag, get it wet, lather, and go over your skin. Then rinse it off and hang dry. No holding the soap and it slipping from your hands. It's made using bar soap an easy transition for me, coming from the fact that I only used body wash before.

Item 6: Bath Bomb (bonus gift)

Kristie left me a note that in each order, she includes a gift and she wanted to do that for me as well. So she included a "One of those day" bath bombs. I used it on "One of those days", my back was aching and I was just feeling tired. So that evening, I turned on the tub, got it hot the way I like it and before climbing in, dropped the bath bomb in. It fizzled and let out a great smell of peppermint and eucalyptus. Perfect for a cold. But it really helped my back feel better. It's also filled with herbs and that filled the water. My bathroom smelled heavenly for days. Thank you for the bonus gift.

Giveaway

One lucky winner is going to receive a $25 store credit to Giving Soaps! To enter, just fill out the Giveaway Tools form below. This giveaway will end 10/27/16 and is open to the US only. The winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to reply. Thanks again to the sponsor for offering this great prize!

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Greenchild Creations Natural Skin Care

 

natural skin care - cloth diapers - crafty things

Greenchild Creations is run by a WAHM, Anne, who loves to create!  Besides a some fantastic cloth diapers, including her unique fitted diaper design, Anne makes natural handmade lotions and cold process soaps. 

Greenchild Creations' Natural Skin Care

Orange Petals Hand & Body Lotion 2 oz. $5.00



 

Citrus Scrub Cold Process Soap, $5.50

"Growing up, we used whatever commercial lotion smelled nice. I remember having terribly raw, red, chapped hands as a child. In my later teens, I switched to more natural lotions. They smelled great, but I needed to apply them all the time to keep my skin moisturized, which, since they smelled so good I really didn't mind. But I still had really dry, itchy skin in the cold winter months.

In my twenties I worked in the natural skin care industry for a few years and learned quite a bit. Those "more natural" lotions I thought were better still had petrochemicals and other artificial ingredients. At the time, my father had recently passed away from cancer so I really wanted to make healthy changes in my life. I had always been interested in nature and natural remedies, and it was time to get it in high gear.

I bought books on soap and lotion making, took classes, and began creating cold process soap and made-from-scratch lotions & salves in my own kitchen. My first attempts were . . . less than pretty, LOL!! My first attempt at soap I discovered I don't like olive oil as a main ingredient - one of the ingredients, yes, but not the main ingredient. That yields a greenish-yellow, slimy, low-lather bar. It cleaned, but it wasn't anything like the luxurious cold process soaps I'd previously used. My first attempt at lotion I used beeswax and borax together as the emulsifier - tricky getting the amounts right, but it did the job! However, it made for a gritty-feeling lotion.

With my mini-successes, I began to purchase better ingredients for the job and have been experimenting ever since. I love to try out different ingredients! There are so many oils, butters, essential oils, and extracts to choose from! And the never-ending list of botanicals . . . I've been successfully making lotions, soaps, and salves for over a decade now.

The best part though, is knowing I'm giving my skin what it needs most - healing, moisturizing goodness right from nature. I only apply twice per day now, and that's more out of habit than need (and because it smells fantastic!). Even with washing my hands what seems like a zillion times per day with diaper duty, I don't need to apply lotion very often - and, a tiny little bit goes a very long way!  The worst part is having to wash my hands in public restrooms when on the go. Oh, I forget how harsh and drying those handsoaps are! Ouch!! I need to remember to keep a small bar of my soap in the diaper bag!!"

If you're looking for a gift for the hunter in your life, try out a bar of Greenchild Creations' Unscented Hunter's Camo Soap!  The size makes it a great stocking stuffer!

Unscented Hunter's Camo Soap, $5.50

For more information on all of the wonderful things Greenchild Creations has to offer, visit greenchildcreations.etsy.com, Facebook, and their blog!

All Natural Beauty from Jenny Lynn Soaps - Review & #Giveaway

One of my favorite indulgences is artisan soap. There's something special about a fresh cut piece of handmade natural soap. They smell so nice, and leave your skin feeling so much cleaner than store bought soaps. I found a huge selection of to-die-for soaps in a variety of scents ranging from flowery to fruity, all in one shop at Jenny Lynn Soaps. These all natural, GMO free soaps come in original varieties, are available for affordable prices, and can be shipped right to your door.

For my review, I received an assortment of scents to try out and I was in love as soon as I opened the package.  They smelled so amazing, and I love that they're made with only all natural ingredients like essential oils.  All of the soaps at Jenny Lynn's come in generous portions that will last for at least a few weeks.  They leave your skin feeling soft and deep down clean. Each different fragrance offers it's own unique advantages. Here are the four I tried:

Eucalyptus/Spearamint   -  This is a real eye opener in the morning and makes your skin tingle with freshness.  It was a nice treat for my skin and a delight for my other senses.

Cherry Almond - This aroma is to-die for. I seriously had to control myself and stop myself from taking a bite out of it.

Oatmeal/Honey Goat Milk - This soap was gentle enough to use on my children. (Just remember honey is not safe for infants under a year old). Perfect for anyone with sensitive skin or if you can't tolerate heavy fragrance

Grapefruit Margarita-Another scent that is a good choice for the morning. The zingy citrus helps wake you up so you can get started in the morning.

These are only a few examples of the amazing soaps available at Jenny Lynn Soaps. They have dozens of scents to choose from. To see all they have to offer, be sure to visit their website.

The Giveaway

Five lucky winners are each going to receive one full size bar of soap (company's choice of scents). To enter, just fill in the Giveaway Tools form below. This giveaway will end 6/22/14 and is open to the US only.  The winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to reply. Thanks again to Jenny Lynn Soaps for offering this fantastic prize.

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Review: Oh-Lief Natural Baby Products at Elm Baby

ELM Baby (Elmbaby.com) is a one-stop shop for natural, safe and organic products for maternity, parenthood and baby. Founded in 2011 by a young mom, Bella Miranda, ELM Baby provides what expecting parents and new moms and dads want and need most. The online store features everything from high-quality maternity clothing, fashionable accessories, nursing necessities, infant wear, and much more. The vision for the company is to create the best environment for a new life and for the world

“I found it extremely difficult as an expecting mother to find everything I was looking for during the growth of my child,” said Bella, “I realized the need for one place to go to find virtually anything I wanted. I used my baby’s initials and called the company ELM baby.” 

ELM Baby is a convenient, stress-free way to purchase safe and natural products that are the best of the best. Everything on the site is well-researched and hand-chosen by Bella. , The site is organized to make it easy to shop with sections like Mom’s Corner and Dad’s Corner It also features a baby shower registry for friends and family to help to fill your nursery.

There are several products that are exclusive to ELM Baby, such as the Culla Belly. The site strives to offer products that combine form and function, catering to consumers who are looking for items that are unique and special.

Products that can be found at ELMBaby.com include:

·         Stylish maternity clothing that travels the journey of pre, during and post pregnancy

·         Organic laundry soap, nausea remedies, products for teething  as well as skin care products for mom and baby, and more

·         Organic clothing for baby

·         A wide variety of breast feeding needs

·         Co-sleeping solutions

Oh-Lief Product:
Oh-Lief Natural products were formulated specifically for people and babies with sensitive skin and dry skin conditions such as eczema. Our formulations are extremely gentle and made from 100 % natural and certified organic ingredients. Our products are free from sodium lauryl/laureth sulphate, artificial fragrances, parabens, ethanol, petroleum, parrafin, mineral oils, synthetic chemicals and colourants, all of which may irritate the skin, aggravate eczema and lead to many skin allergies. We created a range that is safe and gentle for everyone, and caring for our environment by not using harmful chemicals.

Great massage wax & general moisturizer. Soothes insect bites, sunburn, cradle cap. Brilliant for eczema sufferers.

with CERTIFIED organic* Ingredients: Cold pressed extra virgin Olive oil, Cold pressed Grapeseed Oil, Beeswax and Lavender Oil*

Our Thoughts:

Who doesn't love natural products? And when it comes to baby, you tend to be more aware of what goes on baby's skin, and in baby's body. Let Oh-Lief help ease your mind with some great all natural body products for baby.

I received both the baby body wash and the multi-purpose wax.

 I love firstly how smooth baby's skin is after a bath. The body wash is not so strong it over powers, but it's not so faint that there's nothing. It is a great balance of fragrances for a baby to smell just like a baby should! Once it's rinsed, it doesn't feel like there's a whole lot of residue left behind! 

A gentle, organic shampoo and wash with olive oil, natural clay and a light scent of Roman Chamomile, which has anti-allergenic and relaxant properties to calm your baby, naturally.

The baby wax is new to me. I'm used to lotions. But I must say, that I quite enjoy this! It has a wonderful fragrance. Once it's in your hand it warms up nicely to be applied to baby's skin. I am surprised to say that it doesn't leave a really oily film behind. It can easily be worked into baby's skin with no issues. 

Currently Elm Baby is the only US distributor of these fabulous products, so be sure to check them out.

Reviewed by Steph

Olivita Artisan Soaps

 **Product was received for free in exchange for an honest review.**

About the Company: 

OLIVITA Artisan (www.olivitasoaps.com)  which is a line of all natural handcrafted soaps, which uses a combination of ancient virgin olive oil and tropical antioxidants, to provide moisture and nutrients to the skin. Offering an array of bar, liquid and body soaps, all OLIVITA Artisan products are 100% natural, vegan, eco-friendly and cruelty-free. They have bath and shower gel and liquid soap as well.

                                                                                                                                                                                    

·         Promote a smooth, radiant complexion

·         Help maintain elasticity of skin

·         Heal dry, brittle nails and soften cuticles

·         Condition and add shine to hair

·         Contains squalene, which has the ability to regulate the secretion of sebum and prevent skin problems

Our Thoughts:

I received the Turkish Bath bar soap and the shower gel, and love them both! They don't leave a film on your skin, or are they harsh smelling or abrasive. They leave your skin smooth and clean. I even use the shower gel as a face wash and it works wonderfully!

I am thrilled to have worked with this company as they employ single women/mothers with a place to work so they can further their education. What a wonderful thing to do so these ladies can have a wonderful life for their children!

I give these soaps a 5 out of 5 stars, for their simple nature, and healthy feel when you use them!

Reviewed by: Steph

***Please note that I received no form of monetary compensation for this post. The opinions expressed in the review are my own and were not influenced in any way.***