Perfect Cleanser for your Summer Beauty Basics

Summer will be here before you know it! Are you ready to be comfortable in your own skin?!? Palmetto Derma is here to help through their skincare line that aims to empower women of all ages, backgrounds and skin types, to unite in beauty and strength.

Getting that summer glow without the effects of clogged pores or toxic chemicals for brightening your skin will be easy with Palmetto Derma! An organic, toxin ­free, skincare line aimed at preventing problems for years to come. The Palmetto Derma collection believes that all beauty starts with gorgeous skin. Their formulations are geared to the new generation of beauty goers--LIGHT and EASY!

A great product for THIS SUMMER, start with your cleanser to keep you clean from sweat, makeup and SPF at the end of each day. Check out:

Stay Clear! Nourishing Daily Cleanser

Watch out pesky pore­-cloggers! This nourishing daily cleanser is coming for each and every one of those pore-cloggers. Bursting with vitamins and minerals, this cleanser delivers super clean, healthy, and youthful looking skin. The combination of enriching botanicals and polysaccharides create a balanced complexion and will keep skin clear! Pore-­cloggers will be banished, leaving healthy & super clean skin!

Features & Benefits:
● Balances Complexion
● Minimizes Age Spots & Wrinkles
● Cleans & Nourishes Skin
● Paraben, sulfate and alcohol­free. Vegan product.
● Includes: Lavender Water, Tea Tree Oil, Orange Peel Tincture and many other lovely ingredients!

Instead of dealing with a host of skin issues down the road, invest in products that will maintain your young, healthy skin from the beginning. Customers can feel confident about using Palmetto Derma as all products are also based on feedback from their users and featured in Oxygen, VeganCuts, BoxyCharm, Byrdie, FabFitFun, Conscious Box, and more.

Palmetto Derma is that safe and effective way to clean, brighten and add glow to your summer! Convenient to shop wherever you are, Palmetto Derma products can be purchased online at Palmettoderma.com.

My Thoughts

I am very particular about the products I use for my beauty regimen. I love to find things that are made with natural ingredients and are chemical free. Whether I'm washing my hair or looking to prevent wrinkles, I know there are products out there that meet these requirements. Recently I discovered Palmetto and they had everything I was looking for and more. Their beauty products are organic and cruelty free.

For a truly deep down clean, Palmetto offers a wonderful Nourishing Daily Face Cleanser that will not only make your skin tingle when you wash, but will also unclog your pores, giving your skin a whole new life.  The natural and organic formula will exfoliate and remove dead cells so  your skin is soft, smooth and fresh while also removing dirt and deep cleaning pores.  Every time I use it, my skin gets a deep down clean I can feel, but I also find the scent intoxicating. The light aroma is a great way to start off the day. If you're looking for a great cleanser to keep your skin looking it's best all summer long, give Palmetto a try.

Book Review: The Organically Clean Home by Becky Rapinchuk

The Organically Clean Home

by Becky Rapinchuk

Cleaning products that save money--and the planet!

Forget about chemical cleaners and pricey "green" products - all you need are a few simple kitchen staples to make your whole house sparkle! The Organically Clean Home features 150 easy-to-make recipes for cleaning products filled with all-natural ingredients you can trust (and actually pronounce!). From dishwasher detergent to antibacterial wipes, America's favorite cleaning blogger Becky Rapinchuk guides you through the steps needed to make these everyday necessities - without spending a fortune.

Complete with simple instructions for packaging and storing your homemade cleaners, you'll enjoy turning each room into a beautiful and toxic-free space with fresh-scented products like:

• Lemon and clove hardwood floor cleaner
• No-bleach laundry whitener and brightener
• Peppermint glass and mirror wipes
• Lavender and lemon bathroom disinfecting spray
• Citrus foaming hand soap

With The Organically Clean Home, you'll save hundreds of dollars every month--and have a clean, healthy home that you and your family can feel good about.

About the author:

Becky Rapinchuk of CleanMama.net has been featured on Oprah.com and HGTV and has also provided content and cleaning consulting for Scotch-Brite (3M), Peapod/Reckitt, Cafemom.com, and Bissell. Circle of Moms named Clean Mama one of the Top 25 Home Management Blogs, iVillage named her as one of the 10 Organizers You Should Be Following on Pinterest, and Skinny Scoop named Clean Mama one of the Top 25 Organization Blogs. Rapinchuk is also Answer.com's housekeeping expert.

Visit Becky's website, CleanMama.net and on Facebook for lots of great cleaning tips & tricks, printables, and her other books, Cleaning Around The Seasons and Pulling Yourself Together.

The Organically Clean Home can also be purchased on Amazon.

Our Thoughts 

It took me a few years, but I finally have gotten rid of store-bought, chemical-filled cleaners in our home in favor of home-made cleaners.  When you're used to buying what you need rather than trying to save money and make your own, it can be hard to know what to do to get started.  Becky's The Organically Clean Home is great for beginners and those who've dabbled in homemade cleaning concoctions.  Most of the ingredients used can be found in big box stores as well as grocery stores. 

The Organically Clean Home isn't just recipes; there's plenty of practical advice and checklists to keep you on track.  The recipes are broken down by room: kitchen, bathroom, laundry, bedroom/living spaces, nursery/playroom, all the way to garage/basement/garden. 

All the recipes are simple and easy to make.  The only recipe I feel the need to caution about is the Cloth Diaper Soak, because it calls for borax.  Some babies (and some adults!) are sensitive to borax and cannot use any products containing it, including laundry products.  But don't let that deter you; there are plenty of other natural ways to soak/destink/clean your cloth diapers without using borax!  There are so many recipes in this book I can't wait to try!

All in all, The Organically Clean Home is a great guide to get your home clean - naturally!

St. Ives Scrubs Exfoliation Meter

Times are changing and so are St. Ives scrubs! With two additions to its scrub line, St. Ives added a new indicator that shows the level of exfoliation to help people find their best scrub match.

Kick off spring by scrubbing off dull and dry winter skin with one of the St. Ives Scrubs and help your readers find their perfect scrub, thanks to the new Exfoliation Meter:

Strength Level: Gentle

·         NEW: Nourished & Smooth Oatmeal Scrub + Mask exfoliates skin with its gentle strength and also hydrates dry skin. For an extra softening benefit, use as a mask by leaving on face for 5-7 minutes (SRP: $3.99 - $4.79).

·         Blackhead Clearing Green Tea Scrub helps to clear breakouts while calming redness in your skin (SRP: $3.99 - $4.79).

Strength Level: Moderate

·         NEW: Even & Bright Pink Lemon & Mandarin Orange Scrub polishes away unwanted imperfections to help even out skin tone (SRP: $3.99 - $4.79).

Strength Level: Deep

·         Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub is an award-winning scrub that leaves skin smooth and brightens dull skin (SRP: $3.99 - $4.79).

·         Blemish Control Apricot Scrub exfoliates to deeply clean pores and helps stop breakouts before they occur (SRP: $3.99 - $4.79)

Don’t forget that St. Ives uses environmentally friendly natural exfoliants, like ground walnut shells instead of microbeads.

To learn more, visit the world of St. Ives at www.StIves.Tumblr.com or www.Facebook.com/StIves.

My Thoughts

My daughter and I both decided to find out our exfoliation factor with St Ives. My daughter is a teenager and acne is her primary concern. She needs a deep clean to fight off those pesky pimples. For her, the best choice is the Blemish Control Apricot Scrub. It prevents blackheads and minimizes pores without drying out her skin. For teens with more sensitive skin, the Green Tea scrub is also an excellent choice. Both have a light fresh scent and leave skin feeling soft and smooth.

For me, a  moderate scrub was the perfect choice. The Pink Lemon Mandarin Orange Scrub still gives you that deep down clean, but it also works to even out skin tone, leaving skin looking bright, healthy and even younger. The crisp scent is the perfect way to get started in the morning and it also works great for removing make up at night.

 Which St. Ives Scrub is right for you? Check out the exfoliation meter and find out today!

From the Lab Micellar Water Review

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

From the Lab works with the best cosmetic labs in the world to create the most advanced and high-end skin care, hair care and color cosmetic products. Up to 18-months before these products hit retail, members receive full-sized samples of one, two or three products the first week of every month, and can continue buying the products they love through the online store.

Many of us don’t drink tap water, so why should we use it to wash our face? It’s hard to believe, but the tap water most of us use to cleanse our skin actually does more harm than good by stripping skin of moisture and leaving it dry and dull. European women have found a way to avoid this by using micellar waters. This method of cleansing the face is gentle, protects skin’s moisture and leaves you feeling fresh and clean.

From the Lab is taking this European trend stateside! They've put a twist on the classic water-free cleanser with a ground-breaking formula never before available in the United States. From the Lab’s AM/PM Cleanser No. 586, unlike other micellar waters, has cutting-edge anti-aging ingredients and is non-comedogenic and oil-free. These distinctive cleansing molecules remove makeup, dirt and pollution in just one sweep of a cotton pad. It's that simple!  Containing unique ingredients such as Winged Kelp to help promote elasticity and revitalize your skin tone, From the Lab’s AM/PM Cleanser No. 586 is the first micellar water formula to cleanse and treat skin. Now that’s revolutionary.

Our Thoughts

I am incredibly lazy when it comes to washing my face, I admit it. This is quite possibly the easiest "wash your face" routine anyone could come up with. Fast and easy, this is my go-to facial cleanser now. I wake up in the morning, squirt a little in my hand and apply to face! The consistency is kind of like hair gel, but "watery-er". A slight residue on the hands is necessary to rinse with water but that is a piece of cake.

Another attribute about the Micellar Water is that is smells FANTASTIC! I feel like I'm putting perfume on my face, which is amazing because scents do not stick to my body, which is weird, but the scent of the water does stay with me so I feel like I finally smell nice, lol!

As for the effectiveness of the water, it does do well with getting the makeup off my skin. I did have a slight breakout after using it for a few days, but I think that is due to my skin releasing some toxins from having it become really cleansed. All around great product.

Check out their website here and their Facebook page!

Reviewed by Jackie

***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.***