I've been doing research and trying to integrate "natural beauty" into my regimen for the past 20 months or so, and over those months, I have read a lot about essential oils. Essential oils are concentrated oils drawn from plants, so they are probably one of the purest forms of fragrance you can find. Some essential oils, because they are so rare or costly, are often diluted into carrier oils such as jojoba oil. Essential oils are commonly used for aromatherapy, but they can also be added to oils and homemade skincare ingredients for health benefits.

Below is a brief description of some of the more common essential oils and ailments they are generally known to help with. Important to note: do not take essential oils internally, and do a skin test before adding any essential oil to your skincare products by adding a drop to a carrier oil (jojoba, coconut, sweet almond) and applying to a patch of skin.

*Essential oils marked wit an asterisk are ones which I think would be a good multipurpose or useful oil, if you're just starting out with essential oils.

Basil (sweet)
There are several types of basil essential oil, but sweet basil is one of the most commonly used. It is used to uplift and refresh in aromatherapy. It has antibacterial and stimulating properties, along with other more specific health benefits. Avoid using during pregnancy.

Bergamot
Bergamot is a citrus, and citruses are generally used in aromatherapy to uplift and create a more positive mood. As such, it has anti-depressant qualities, along with antibacterial, astringent, stimulating and others.

*Chamomile
There are several different types of chamomile essential oil, some more expensive than others. Generally speaking, though, chamomile is known to help calm and relax, and is good for sensitive and dry or mature skin.

Cinnamon Leaf
As you may have guessed, cinnamon leaf essential oil is used to invigorate and refresh. It has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and alleged insecticide properties. Avoid applying this directly on the skin, as it may be too harsh and burn the skin. Avoid using while pregnant.

Citronella
Citronella is known to ward off insects, but it's also said to help purify and revitalize. It has antibacterial, anti-fungal, antiseptic properties and should be avoided while pregnant.

Clary Sage
Clary sage is used in a lot of skincare for aging or dry skin, but for aromatherapy, it is used to center. Clary sage has antibacterial and antiseptic properties, along with sedative qualities. Avoid when pregnant.

Clove
Clove has antibacterial, anti-aging, antioxidant, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties. Like cinnamon, clove can be quite abrasive when applied directly to the skin, so dilute if using in this manner. Otherwise, it is used to warm and comfort. Avoid while pregnant and if you suffer from liver or kidney conditions.

*Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is widely used for a number of ailments, especially for headaches and colds. Add a few drops to an oil warmer or to a bowl of warm water to allow to infuse your room with its scent. When not ill, eucalyptus serves to purify and invigorate. It has antibacterial, anti-fungal, decongesting and stimulating properties. Avoid when pregnant.

Frankincense
Frankincense is very much a love it or hate it scent. Its aromatherapy benefits include calming, and it has anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, astringent and sedative properties.

Geranium
Geranium is often used in perfumery for its rose-like fragrance, and in aromatherapy, it is used to help lift moods and soothe. Due to its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and regenerative qualities, it has been used in healing. It also balances oil, so is suited especially to oily skin. It also has anti-depressant and sedative properties. Avoid when pregnant.

Ginger
As you can imagine, in aromatherapy, ginger oil is used to warm and anchor. Its properties include being antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, an antioxidant, an astringent and a stimulant.

Grapefruit
Grapefruit uplifts and boosts, like all citruses. Citrus essential oils can be used in skincare to help brighten and lighten the complexion, though care should be taken to apply SPF following application, as some essential oils have not been stripped of bergapten, which may cause photosensitivity. It also has antibacterial, anti-depressant, astringent and stimulating properties. Pink grapefruit essential oil is also said to help with cellulite.

*Lavender
Lavender is fairly well-known as a calming, soothing essential oil. It is also used in skincare to heal and repair skin, and is particularly good for sensitive skin and mature skin, and it is said to even help heal acne. Other properties include: antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial.

Lemon
Again, like the other citrus essential oils, lemon can help boost the mood and energize. Take care in applying it on the skin, however, because it can cause photosensitivity to the sun and UV rays. Its properties include: antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and an astringent.

Lemongrass
Lemongrass is oftentimes used as an insect repellent, but also in home fragrance. Its scent helps revitalize and purify. It is anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, an antioxidant and an astringent.

Lime
Lime essential oil has a slightly more bitter edge to it than other citruses, but it has the same mood-boosting and happy-making benefits. Again, beware of photosensitivity when applying this on the skin. It is antibacterial, an astringent and restorative.

Sweet Marjoram
Sweet marjoram, in cooking, often replaces rosemary. In aromatherapy, sweet marjoram helps to warm and balance. It is an antioxidant and anti-viral. Avoid when pregnant.

Myrrh
Myrrh is commonly used in incense and has a warm, spicy aroma. Its fragrance is used to help center. Its properties include being anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, an astringent and a sedative. Avoid use when pregnant.

Neroli
Neroli oil is the oil of orange blossoms. It is primarily used in fragrance to calm and soothe, but its properties include being antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal. It is said to be good for all skin types.

*Orange (sweet)
Orange is an extremely bright and cheery essential oil which works to uplift. Be careful of applying this directly to the skin, as it may cause photosensitivity. Always follow up with an SPF. Orange essential oil is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-fungal and stimulating.

Oregano
Oregano in the essential oil form is medicinal and herbaceous, and is used in aromatherapy to invigorate and purify. It is antibacterial, anti-fungal and antimicrobial. Avoid use when pregnant.

*Palmarosa
Palmarosa, like geranium, is used in perfumery to imitate or enhance the rose scent. In skincare, it is especially good for mature skin as it helps skin regenerate. However, it also helps the skin regulate oil, so it may also be useful for oily or acne-prone skin. It is antibacterial and anti-fungal, and is sometimes used as an insect repellant.

Patchouli
Patchouli, like frankincense, is a fairly controversial scent. It is thought to be romantic and soothing, though not to insects! It is sometimes used as an insect repellent and is otherwise thought to be antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and decongesting.

*Peppermint
Peppermint is an essential oil I highly recommend having in your collection if you like mint scents at all. It is excellent for headaches and nasal congestions -- apply a few drops to your oil warmer or a bowl of warm water. It is also great for neutralizing odors and in aromatherapy, it is used to invigorate and refresh. It is rarely used in skincare because it can cause skin sensitivity, but used in moderation, it adds a tingly feeling to foot masks and body scrubs. It is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, antimicrobial, an astringent and a stimulant. Avoid if you suffer from epilepsy or are pregnant.

*Rosemary
Rosemary is one of the do-all essential oils. It is often used in skincare as an astringent and is particularly good for oily and acne-prone skin. It is also often used in hair loss and scalp treatments as it has anti-bacterial qualities to it and helps with dandruff. In aromatherapy, it is used to help invigorate and clarify. It is antibacterial, an antioxidant, an astringent, anti-fungal and stimulating. Avoid if you suffer from epilepsy, hypertension or are pregnant.

Sandalwood
Sandalwood is used in aromatherapy to relax and center, and it is an astringent, an emollient, a sedative and anti-fungal. Some claim that it can serve as an insecticide as well.

Spearmint
Spearmint is a slightly sweeter and more mellow mint than peppermint essential oil, and is also used to help revitalize and clarify. It is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, an astringent, a decongestant and a stimulant.

*Tea Tree
Tea tree is quite a well-known antibacterial and anti-fungal. In beauty, it can be added to carrier oils and shampoos or conditioners to combat dandruff, and any other dermatological conditions. It is thought to be antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, a decongestant and an insecticide.

Thyme
Thyme is rarely used in skincare products because it can irritate the skin, but is commonly found in household cleaning products due to its antibacterial properties. In aromatherapy, it offers an energizing and purifying fragrance. Other properties include being anti-fungal, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, a stimulant and an insecticide. Avoid if pregnant or breastfeeding.

Ylang Ylang
Ylang ylang is said to be sensual in scent, but is also known for its sedative properties. It is also antibacterial, an anti-depressant, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory and a disinfectant. Avoid when pregnant.

Back in late 2012, I decided I needed the Lush Volcano Foot Mask in my life. I've previously been let down by Lush ... actually, more often than not, I'm let down by Lush. But the Volcano Foot Mask is not one of them. If it weren't for the hefty price tag ($22.95 for 11.4 ounces/325 grams), I'd buy it over and over again. While the Volcano Foot Mask doesn't exactly work wonders on my feet, it gives my feet a warm, tingly sensation and makes them feel fresh and new.

Me being me, I thought, "Let me look at the ingredients. I bet I can make this at home for a quarter of the price." Bingo. While my recipe isn't exact, it's a dupe that serves the purpose of making my feet feel tingly and fresh.

The Lush ingredients: Kaolin, Pumice, Limeflower and Cleaver Decoction, Fresh Tomatoes, Fresh Papaya, Potatoes, Glycerine, Bentonite Gel, Lemon Oil, Cinnamon Leaf Oil, Perfume, Methylparaben, Propylparaben

One of my biggest problems with Lush is that in spite of its "natural" reputation, it uses parabens in a lot of its products, and other unsavory ingredients.

My ingredients: Bentonite clay (any powdered clay would work), fresh tomatoes, lemon juice, ground cinnamon, peppermint essential oil, aloe vera juice

Homemade Lush Volcano Foot Mask Dupe

1 medium tomato, chopped
5 drops of peppermint essential oil

Instructions
Mix all of the ingredients together, and refrigerate for up to a week. You'll notice that the mask will become quite dry when refrigerated -- add some more aloe vera juice (or water) to it and mix before applying. To use, apply a thick coat to your feet, wrap your feet up in saran wrap or plastic bags and allow to rest for 30 minutes or more. Lush suggest elevating your feet for maximum effectiveness. Rinse off in the shower.

The original Lush recipe calls for cinnamon essential oil, which I didn't have on hand, so I used peppermint oil instead, which gave it a similar tingly feeling. Cinnamon in general is said to help deodorize feet, though peppermint has a similar effect. If you would like to use cinnamon essential oil, please use a few drops at first and do a skin test before adding more. My recipe uses proportions appropriate for peppermint essential oil.

If you happen to have papaya and potatoes lying around, feel free to add small portions of that in as well. I didn't have any potatoes, and papayas are somewhat expensive (and rare in my household!). The enzymes from the papaya and tomato help break down dead skin. So will the citric acid in lemon juice.

You can buy powdered clay really inexpensively at your local health food store, or on sites like Drugstore.com or Vitacost.com. If you try this recipe out, let me know how you like it!

I recently signed up for yet another free-to-sample program, PINCHme. With PINCHme, you sign up for samples according to what you're interested in sampling, and you have to write a review in exchange for the freebie. The first sample I signed up for was the new Dove Advanced Hair Series Oxygen Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner set for fine, flat hair.

Now full disclosure (if you didn't already know) -- I don't have fine, flat hair. Well, flat is subjective and yes, somedays my roots are quite flat because I have that triangle hair thing going on. But I haven't had fine hair since before I hit puberty. No, I have dry, thick and usually frizzy hair.

But in my dabbling with shampoos, I have found that whatever claims a shampoo may have, my hair will react as it pleases. Which means my hair often likes shampoos suited to fine or flat hair and not ones suited to thick, dry hair (which can leave even my hair greasy, waxy and altogether lackluster). And I just so happen to be on the lookout for a new shampoo to try.

The Dove Oxygen Moisture line promises "Moisture with 95% more volume (Shampoo and Conditioner vs. flat limp hair)":

Oxygen Moisture Shampoo is made with Oxyfusion Technology, a new generation of moisture. With lightweight, oxygen-fused conditioning ingredients, the formula rapidly disperses on your hair. It gently cleanses & moisturizes, breathing life into fine, flat hair.

Oxygen Moisture Conditioner is made with Oxyfusion Technology, a new generation of moisture. With lightweight, oxygen-fused conditioning ingredients, the formula rapidly disperses on your hair. It delicately smoothes hair without weighing it down.

I've used the sample (one ounce of each) a couple times now, and I can report that I really enjoy the shampoo. It is indeed gentler than a lot of the other shampoos I've used, and doesn't leave my scalp too dry. The downside is that I can often go two days without shampooing with my other shampoos, but I can feel a slight oil buildup within 24 hours of shampooing my hair with the Oxygen shampoo.

The smell of the shampoo and conditioner is phenomenal -- a really fresh, floral scent that makes me feel really clean. However, it may overwhelm some, as it is quite strong. The conditioner is certainly for finer hair types -- I found it runnier than I'm used to, though a decent enough conditioner. It fared better than some conditioners made for dry hair, but not as great as others. It surpassed my expectations for a conditioner made for fine, flat hair, though.

So from my perspective, the Dove Oxygen Moisture shampoo and conditioners do as they claim -- they offer moisture without leaving any residue or weighted feeling. I can't say whether it prevents flat hair, but my hair did look smoother overall without looking, again, weighed down. I would recommend this set to just about anyone with fine to thick hair who is looking for a shampoo and conditioner that will cleanse gently and moisturize sufficiently.

From an ingredients standpoint, the shampoo contains an odd ingredient for shampoo -- mineral oil. Lactic acid is present in the conditioner. And as expected, the conditioner (like most) contains a couple forms of dimethicone. Both the shampoo and conditioner contain glycerin.

Dove Advanced Hair Series Oxygen Moisture Shampoo for fine, flat hair ...
Ingredients: Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Acrylates Copolymer, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Fragrance, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Mineral Oil, Citric Acid, Tetradoium EDTA, DMDM Hydantoin, PEG-45M, Gelatin, Acacia Senegal Gum, Propylene Glycol, PPG-9, Xanthan Gum, Methylchlorosothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Blue 1, Red 33.

Dove Advanced Hair Series Oxygen Moisture Conditioner for fine, flat hair ...
Ingredients: Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Behentrimonium Chloride, Dimethicone, Fragrance, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Potassium Chloride, Lactic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Amodimethicone, DMDM Hydantoin, PEG-150 Distearate, PEG-180M, PEG-7 Propylheptyl Ether, Cetrimonium Chloride, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone.

I'm back this week with yet more discouraging "news" for Trader Joe's line of bath and beauty products, which I have been a fan of. Last week I mentioned that I found the formula of Trader Joe's Nourish Shea Butter Hand Cream to degrade over time, eventually taking on a tacky texture. This week, I'm going to be talking about Trader Joe's Enrich Moisturizing Face Lotion with Broad Spectrum SPF 15 and one of the ingredients that goes into it.

I originally purchased the Enrich moisturizer because it was PABA free and paraben-free, and I grew to love it because it did not make my face greasy like all other SPF moisturizers I'd tried had, and because it was thick and moisturizing to boot. Unfortunately, it does contain the ingredient retinyl palmitate which studies suggest that, when exposed to sunlight, produces a higher rate of skin tumors.

Retinyl palmitate is a form of Vitamin A that was found to exist in 12% of daily sunscreen moisturizers in EWG's database. Officially, the FDA has not made a statement about the presence of retinyl palmitate in sunscreen, but Truth in Aging says, "According to FDA scientists, retinyl palmitate breaks down in sunlight to photomutagenic compounds, forming free radicals in the presence of UVA and UVB radiation. However, the FDA's final assessment has not yet been made public." Retin-A and retinoids are derived from Vitamin A, which is often used in skincare to help with acne or wrinkles (by boosting collagen, peeling off the top layer of skin and thickening those below it).

According to Truth in Aging, there is some controversy surrounding the anti-aging effects of retinyl palmitate, too:

Retinyl palmitate is considered an exfoliator (albeit more gentle than pure retinol), and its effect of repeatedly shedding the upper dermal layer forces the skin to produce new cells. There is some concern that at the Hayflick Limit (the number of times skin can regenerate itself before reaching its limit), the aging process will actually accelerate because cells are unable to multiply indefinitely.

Paula's Choice counters the preceding conclusions:

... retinyl palmitate is one of the primary antioxidants found naturally in skin (Source: Toxicology and Industrial Health, May 2006, pages 181-191). Moreover, when retinyl palmitate is properly formulated in sunscreens (meaning stabilizing ingredients are included, which is typical) it does not pose a problem or health risk (Source: Photochemistry and Photobiology, November-December 2010, pages 1,390-1,396). 

Retinyl palmitate has been shown in UVB exposure studies to offer sun protection all by itself, and it is a potent antioxidant (Sources: International Journal of Pharmaceutics, October 2007, pages 181–189; and Journal of Investigative Dermatology, November 2003, pages 1,163–1,167).

Still, it's all really enough science for me to want to back slowly away from retinyl palmitate, especially since I'm not yet at the point of using anti-aging products. Unfortunately for me, just before I discovered the controversy surrounding retinyl palmitate, I purchased my second bottle of Trader Joe's Enrich moisturizer. How's Trader Joe's return policy?

Helpful links:
+ EWG's Skin Deep: The problem with Vitamin A
+ Huffington Post: Vitamin A: Skin Friend or Foe?
+ Truth in Aging: Retinyl Palmitate
+ Paula's Choice: Retinyl Palmitate

One of the things I've really enjoyed about Project Pan is forming new opinions about products I've really hated or loved in the past. For instance, I discovered that I absolutely hated Garnier Fructis' Sleek & Shine Smoothing Milk after having previously adored it. Or that Burt's Bees' Beeswax lip balm isn't as drying or terrible as I remembered it being. Trader Joe's Nourish Shea Butter Hand Cream has been a surprise, though sadly not the good kind.

I bought a tube of the stuff last year at a friend's recommendation. He knew that I'd been getting into paraben-free lotions and happened to have some on hand, so I tried it and liked how quickly it absorbed and, of course, that it was paraben-free. At the time, I'd recently gotten into Kiehl's Ultimate Strength Hand Salve with its incredible hydration without greasiness, and I was looking for a cream that could perform similarly without parabens. At $1.99 for a 2 ounce tube (59 mL), it's affordable, and I raved about the product in 2013.

The product's description:

Abundant in natural moisturizers like shea butter, cocoa butter and almond oil, Trader Joe's Nourish Shea Butter Hand Cream is rich without being greasy. It also contains moisturizing vitamin E and sunflower oil, to help guard against the elements.

Initially, I found the texture pleasant -- thick, but not difficult to work into the skin. I wrote in March 2013 that the "... moisturization doesn't last as long as Kiehl's, but it definitely lasts more than one or two hand washes for me, which is better than almost every other lotion or hand cream I've tried. It also doesn't leave any sort of film on the hands and absorbs very quickly..." It's not an all-natural product by any means, so the formula shouldn't be terribly mercurial -- but I found that once summertime came, the formula became really tacky and gave my hands an unpleasant and sticky feeling that never really went away. The cream contains dimethicone, which may account for the stickiness. The scent of the product didn't really change -- it's fragrance-free, which basically means it's plasticky smelling (to me, at least).

Also slightly annoying was its packaging. Packaging is usually an afterthought for me, but when I am doing Project Pan, it comes to the forefront as I try to use up every last drop. In concert with the cream's sticky nature, the tube made squeezing out any last drops next to impossible. I don't typically cut open toothpaste tubes or containers because I'm quite good at getting product out the traditional way, but I could tell that there was a fair amount of product stuck to the sides of the tube that I couldn't squeeze out. When I cut the tube open, I saw that I wasn't wrong.

I definitely wouldn't repurchase the product, but I would still recommend checking it out if you use up travel-sized lotions at a fairly quick rate and are looking for a paraben-free and fragrance-free formula.

More information about Trader Joe's Nourish Shea Butter Hand Cream, $1.99 for 2 ounces/59 mL ...

Ingredients: Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Stearyl Alcohol, Shea Butter, Steareth-21, Stearic Acide, Steareth-2, Dimethicone, Cocoa Seed Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, Sunflower Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cellulose Gum, Disodium EDTA, Polysorbate 20, Polyocrylate-13, Polyisobutene, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Metylisothiazolinone, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid.

Vegan, No Animal Testing

Happy June! Now that it's practically summertime, sunscreen has become a necessity. I've previously rarely worn sunscreen on my body because I had a job that kept me out of daylight pretty much year-round. This is the first summer since I became more ingredient-conscious that I've actually looked into purchasing an all-over sunscreen, and in doing some research, I've discovered that a common sunscreen ingredient, oxybenzone, is quite toxic. Oxybenzone is a chemical sunscreen also found in lotions, lipstick and nail polish to preserve their deterioration under the sun, according to Truth in Aging.

EWG's Skin Deep gives oxybenzone a hazard score of 8 (out of 10), and a health concern hazard of moderate-to-high. The primary health concerns include allergic or photoallergic reactions (when UV rays cause a molecule to transform and the immune system to recognize it as foreign), but most of all, it seems to be known as a UV absorber. If you think about that for a while, you might come to the point of wondering whether oxybenzone is then absorbed by the skin. The answer, according to many sources, is "yes."

EWG states: "This chemical absorbs through the skin in significant amounts. It contaminates the bodies of 97% of Americans according to research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."

Truth in Aging says: "As a photocarcinogen, it has demonstrated an increase in the production of harmful free radicals and an ability to attack DNA cells; for this reason, it is believed to be a contributing factor in the recent rise of Melanoma cases with sunscreen users. Some studies have shown it to behave similarly to the hormone estrogen, suggesting that it may cause breast cancer. It has also been linked to contact eczema and allergies ... The FDA has approved the use of Oxybenzone as a safe and effective OTC sunscreen ingredient, but only in concentrations up to 6%."

Dermatologists seem to believe that oxybenzone is still one of the most effective sunscreens available right now and that use of sunscreen with a lower concentration of oxybenzone is safe. There are a number of physical sunscreens on the market, and you can read about recommended sunscreens and their ingredients at the sites below:

+ Paula's Choice: Best Sunscreens, Water-Resistant
+ EWG's Skin Deep: Sunscreen SPF 15-30

Other helpful links:
+ Truth In Aging: Oxybenzone
+ Paula's Choice: Oxybenzone
+ SkinCancer.Org: Sunscreen Safety
+ PubChem, NIH: Oxybenzone
+ CNN: Sunscreen
+ WebMD: Sun Safety Tips

I'm back with yet another Bath and Body Works Insider sample to review, and this time around, it's the Getaway Tote. The BBW Insiders program gives out free samples for Insiders to review, in concert with new releases at its stores. If you're interested in applying to become an Insider or finding out how the program works, I wrote about it in my previous entry, which you can read here.

The latest Insider sample I received is the Getaway Tote, once dubbed the "Mother's Day VIP Tote Bag" during the holiday, and I received it around two weeks after I signed up for it, on the same day I received the Endless Weekend sample. The Getaway Tote was an incredibly generous sample, consisting of nine items in total, with a total retail price of $113.50.


The tote bag itself is a medium-to-large sized natural-colored canvas bag, with slightly metallic gold-colored stripes. The handles are lightly padded with faux leather straps, and the inner lining is a colorful ditzy floral print, with a pocket. The entire tote bag zips up at the top, and Bath and Body Works has it tagged at $45.

The bath and beauty products came packaged in cellophane, and features the World Gardens signature scent Morocco Orchid and Pink Amber, along with lavender-scented goodies from the Provence Garden spring line. A full-sized trio (fine fragrance mist, body lotion, shower gel) of the Morocco Orchid and Pink Amber scent was included, along with a French Lavender mini candle, a gentle foaming hand soap in Lavender Blossom, a mini Forever Midnight eau de parfum, a Wild Passion Flower hand cream, and a big hot pink shower pouf.


I'm not going to go into the nitty gritty of the ingredients and performance of the Morocco Orchid and Pink Amber daily trio because it was basically exactly the same as the Endless Weekend daily trio, which you can read about here. I will, however, delve into the scent. The packaging describes Morocco Orchid and Pink Amber as "lush Morocco orchid, sensual amber & succulent apricot capture the rich warmth of a lively marketplace and glittering desert." Nice.

The scent's top, middle and dry notes are listed as such:

• Top Notes: Lemon Verbena, Succulent Apricot, Desert Sand Accord, Spiced Fig 
• Mid Notes: Jasmine, Marrakesh Orchid, Turmeric 
• Dry Notes: Creamy Vanilla, Kashmir Wood, Pink Amber

• Top Notes: Plum Nectar, Apple Blossom, Caramelized Pear 
• Mid Notes: Night Blooming Vanilla Orchid, Midnight Jasmine, Gardenia 
• Dry Notes: Caramel Liqueur, Whipped Meringue, Sandalwood

I'm a huge fragrance fan and have been, in some way or another, since I was a kid. Trips to Sephora as a teenager were at least an hour long, because I had to sniff the majority of the perfume selection. And on a recent trip to a Bath and Body Works, I was asked whether I worked in the fragrance industry. Don't I wish! No, I just like sniffing things.

So when I heard that Bath and Body Works had started a new program called BBW Insiders that allows you to sample and review its products for free, I knew I had to find a way to join. Samples have ranged from liquid hand soaps to candles and new fragrances, in harmony with new releases to the stores. You are either invited or join a waiting list to become part of the program, and once you're in, you receive an e-mail every time a sample becomes available. Each sample is in limited supply. If you're interested in signing up for the program, you can either apply here or ask about it on your next trip to Bath and Body Works.


Now that that's out of the way, let's get to the sample itself: a generous full-sized daily trio (fine fragrance mist, shower gel, body lotion) in the new signature scent, Endless Weekend, which is in stores now. Bath and Body Works markets the fragrance as: "An exhilarating blend of raspberry lychee sorbet, sun-kissed magnolia and vanilla sandalwood." It lists all its top, mid and dry notes as:

• Top Notes: Raspberry Lychee Sorbet, Sparkling Mandarin, Juicy Nectarine, Apple, Mirabelle Plum
• Mid Notes: Sun-Kissed Magnolia, Gardenia, Plum Blossom, Fresh Picked Jasmine Sambac
• Dry Notes: Vanilla Sandalwood, Vanilla Orchid, Blue Coconut Water, Sugared Musk

Urea isn't the most exciting or ... enticing topic. But it's a fairly common beauty ingredient, and I've long wondered what its benefits (and not-so-beneficial properties) were, and what it's doing in our skincare products.

If you've taken any chemistry class, you'll know that urea is the main component of urine in mammals. The Naked Chemist says that urea is naturally occurring in our skin's tissue and makes up 7% of our natural moisturization, and in cosmetics serves to maintain a balance in our skin's moisture by drawing skin from the atmosphere (a humectant) and creating a barrier that prevents our skin from losing moisture. And because of its chemical make-up, urea serves as an exfoliant. Supposedly, urea also acts as a preservative.

According to Good Guide, urea has been banned in cosmetics in Canada. It's widely agreed that the most common side effect of using products that contain urea is skin inflammation or irritation, though it is also said to be able to release formaldehyde, which is a carcinogen. According to Truth In Aging, the specific types of urea that are said to release formaldehyde are diazolidinyl urea and imidazolidinyl urea (Germall 115), so it's best to avoid those.

Urea on the whole is pretty difficult to avoid in skincare, be it natural/organic products or not. But at the moment, unless you have extremely sensitive skin, urea seems mostly safe -- barring diazolidinyl and imidazolidinyl ureas. EWG.org has a wonderfully simple guide to ingredients you should avoid in your beauty products, including imidazolidinyl urea, if you're concerned.

Photo: Allure.com

Rosehip seed oil has been a trendy skincare oil for some time now, but it wasn't until I noticed that I had some sunspots collecting on my cheeks that I decided to give it a shot. Rosehip seed oil, which is derived from the seeds of a wild rose bush, is known for its reparative and restorative qualities. The oil is high in essential fatty acids and Vitamin C, and has a surprisingly fast-absorbing and not greasy, making it a great "dry oil."

Rosehip seed oil is most often used to hydrate dry or mature skin, correct sun damage, hyperpigmentation, scars and dark spots, and minimize wrinkles, fine lines and stretch marks. Like most other carrier oils, it can also be used for other purposes -- most commonly on the nails and in the hair and scalp, and as a massage oil. It's a medium orange color, and has a slight scent -- to me, a hybrid of fish oil and carrots -- that dissipates.

To get the most out of rosehip seed oil, experts say you should look for the organic, cold-pressed oil, and it should be kept in dark glass bottles in the refrigerator between uses, as it goes rancid after about 6 months without preservatives. I searched the internet for the least expensive yet well-rated rosehip seed oil, and I settled on the Life-Flo brand, which contains Vitamin E as an antioxidant and helps the oil last longer.

I've been using the oil for about four months now, and I can tell you that this is an incredible oil for fading any hyperpigmentation. I applied this to the remnants of a few inactive pimples, and the discoloration faded much faster than it had in the past. Similarly, it helped fade potential scarring on my legs after a particularly itchy and scratchy winter. But what I bought it for, really, was sunspot fading and unfortunately I haven't yet seen any results. I have read that it takes anywhere from six to 12 months to see a difference.

Which brings me to another observation of rosehip seed oil: it is for extremely dry or mature skin. I consider myself to have normal-to-dry skin, especially dry in the wintertime, but still rosehip seed oil was too much for my skin to take, though it's not particularly thick. Since I was applying this primarily on the tops of my cheeks and the bridge of my nose, the oil did spread a little to my undereye area, and it was not good. After just a few days, I noticed that little bumps were developing in my eye area, and I discontinued use of the oil. And within a few days, the bumps disappeared. Now I use it only a couple times a week, and at this rate, I don't think I'll be seeing much change to my sunspots.

I did use rosehip seed oil in a body butter recipe, and I found that it helped give the butter a more velvety texture. Overall, I would highly recommend this as a treatment to prevent scarring and as an additive to your natural skincare recipes, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it as an all-over facial moisturizer unless you have mature skin or really dry, damaged skin. Many people recommend adding a couple drops to your nighttime moisturizer, but I too found that to be too rich for my skin. I would definitely not recommend this to those with oily or acne-prone skin -- in fact, I found that in the oiler areas of my face, the rosehip seed oil seemed to cause pimples.

For now, I am using up my supply of rosehip seed oil and looking into camellia oil, which is said to have very similar properties to rosehip seed oil and also fast-absorbing and non-greasy.

Have you used rosehip seed oil? What was your experience with it like? I haven't heard too many people complain about how rich the oil is, so I'm wondering whether it's just me.

This is a video I made on rosehip seed oil, if you'd like to see it up close:

I'd been having skin problems on-and-off all winter long, and I figured I could use a detox. Dr. Oz's 48-Hour Weekend Cleanse having failed me last year, I decided to do a broader internet search for a kidney detox -- and that was when I found out that kidney detoxes are supposed to help with skin rashes and problems. Other reasons you might want to pay extra attention to your kidneys are: if you're more fatigued than usual, you've gained weight or are bloated, you've had kidney stones, or you have bladder problems or frequent UTIs. I would say that most doctors don't recommend detoxes as your body is supposed to detox itself regularly, so read on at your own risk (not that I did anything particularly risky).

As with my last full-on detox, I wanted something reasonable. Meaning: I wanted something that didn't leave me starving in the middle of the night, or not eating any solid foods, or anything that was way out of the ordinary. To be honest, I couldn't find much of a "recipe" or guidelines for a kidney detox on the internet, but I did find a list of recommended foods at a website called The Holy Kale.

Foods that are said to be especially great for detoxing the kidneys are: parsley, lemon, cabbage, celery, watermelon, cucumber, and carrots. Foods you should absolutely avoid if you want to be serious about the detox: sodium, processed foods, red meat, table salt (supposedly natural sea salt is not only okay, but beneficial). Also important, of course, is the amount of water you drink. Supposedly you are to drink half of your weight of water each day, in ounces. So that means if you're 100 pounds, you should be drinking 50 ounces of water each day of your detox.

Over the course of the three days, I ate: lemon water, red quinoa with blackberries and raw honey, apples, cabbage salad with black beans and homemade lemon-honey dressing, black tea, grilled salmon with honey and dill, broccoli and cauliflower, a frozen berry banana smoothie, almonds, dates, whole wheat spaghetti with organic diced tomatoes and mushrooms, baked salmon with grapefruit relish, parsley water. I have the recipe for the baked salmon with grapefruit relish here, if you want to try it out for yourself.

So using The Holy Kale's recommendation, I spent three days eating "cleanly," and by the end of the three days, I did feel better. Not significantly so (some recommend kidney detoxes of up to 30 days for maximum effect), but I was going without coffee and felt energized. Never did I feel in want of anything "bad," except for caffeine, so I would say this was quite a good detox ... that is, if it really did anything. It's always kind of hard to tell with these things, as I think they work gradually rather than having the overnight results we've come to expect of everything. But like I said, I was happy with my energy levels and I would absolutely do it again, or incorporate more of these recipes and foods (and superfoods) into my everyday diet.

Have you tried to do a kidney detox in the past? Do you know of any good recipes or methods, or do you think the best way is to adapt the detox recommendations to each individual?

Below is my vlog-style video following me through my 3-day detox:


Helpful links:
+ The Holy Kale: The Kidney Cleanse
+ MindBodyGreen: How To Support and Detox Your Kidneys
+ Young and Raw: 3 Amazing Kidney Detox Recipes

This isn't so much a product review as an ingredient review, as I'm sure 88% or more of you know about Kiehl's Creme de Corps. In brief, it's an incredibly thick body lotion that claims to be "non-greasy" and to leave "skin soft, smooth and beautifully moisturized." Kiehl's also says that its Creme de Corps is "enriched with the finest skin-nurturing ingredients known to Kiehl's for a rich, elegant skin texture."

Let's talk about Kiehl's reputation. I've been curious about Kiehl's since my early teenage years, when I read Seventeen and all of the teen mags that I later discovered basically make money by pushing products. But hey, all I knew was that a slew of celebrities praised Kiehl's Lip Balm #1! When I finally sampled it in-store at about age 16, I realized it was little more than glorified Vaseline.

Kiehl's, at least to me, has always had a really apothecary-like image. One that seems rooted in both history and science. Its prices are ... pricey, and its packaging is basic -- old-fashioned, even. Its products are generally fragrance-free, or without fragrance additives, and sometimes it can smell downright plasticky or medicinal.

I got my hands on the famous Creme de Corps (one of Kiehl's best-selling products, as far as I know) in a Black Friday 2012 "Helping Hands" gift box I ordered for myself for $25. Typically, the 2.5 fl ounce Creme de Corps retails for $11, but I received it along with a 2.5 fl ounce Ultimate Strength Hand Salve (retail price: $15), a 1 ounce Creme de Corps Soy Milk and Honey Body Polish (2.5 ounces goes for $11), and a teeny tiny vial of the Midnight Recovery Concentrate (1 fl ounce goes for $46). Along with the box, I received a number of deluxe-sized samples with the Black Friday deal: a 1 ounce tube each of the Ultimate Strength Hand Salve and the Creme de Corps, and another tiny vial of the Dark Spot Corrective Serum. On top of that, I received typical packet-sized samples of the Ultra Facial Cream and the Ultra Facial Cream with SPF. All this for $25 and shipping and handling.

All that said, I was only beginning getting into natural beauty products at the time, and I poked around the Kiehl's website a bit looking for ingredients (which I couldn't really find) before I made the order. Turns out these "finest skin-nurturing ingredients known to Kiehl's" include a lot of parabens. Here is the complete ingredient list for the Creme de Corps:

Water, Squalane, Water, Squalene, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Myristyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, PPG-5 Pentaerythrityl Ether, PEG-5 Pentaerythrityl Ether, Sesame Seed Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Isopropyl Palmitate, Ozokerite, Benzophenone-3, Shea Butter, Methylparaben, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Xanthan Gum, Soybean Sterol, Sodium PCA, Propylparaben, Allantoin, Olive Fruit Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Apricot Kernel Oil, Cocoa Seed Butter, Avocado Oil, Soybean Oil, Tocopherol, BHT, Lecithin, Butylparaben, Corn Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Beta Carotene

Needless to say, I was disappointed. As for performance, this product (unfortunately) performs as it says it will. It is among the best moisturizers I've tried for itchy, dry skin. It has a plasticky scent and is quite difficult to spread (and to absorb), but once it absorbs, it "cures" itchy, dry skin for up to 24 hours (or the next shower). Worse, the bottle the lotion lives in is truly impractical, as you lose a ton of product. The plastic is so thick that you couldn't possibly squeeze the bottle, and it's pretty much not an option to cut the bottle up to dislodge any remaining precious dew. Kiehl's, you guys have been in the business for a while -- why not a small tub?

I almost wish this product didn't work so well, because a) it contains so many ingredients I'm trying to avoid, and b) it's not cheap. I'm not planning to repurchase in the future, but there may come a day when I can't find anything that works as well and I will have to reconsider.

I'm declaring the month of April my "spring cleaning" month, which just means that I'm going to be spending more time focusing on simplifying and getting in tune with myself.

Last month, I set up a weekly exercise regimen solely from exercise videos found on YouTube, and since the routine changes up each day of the week, I haven't had too much trouble sticking to the plan or staying interested. One of my favorite discoveries has been Adriene Mishler, a 20-something actress and yoga instructor based out of Austin, Texas.

As a long-time exercise video user, I can typically tell within 15 minutes whether or not I'll be able to watch (and rewatch) someone's videos without getting annoyed. Adriene is one of the best fitness instructors I've ever come across. She balances motivational tips ("find what feels good" is her main tenet), instructional tips, and a little bit of humor without talking too much and coming across as insincere. Most of her yoga videos are timed to resemble a real-time yoga class, and each video addresses a different concern (flatulence was a recently covered topic, I kid you not). Her videos range from beginner videos to more advanced videos, fat-burning videos, and videos that focus on particular poses. If you're looking for a soothing, inspirational instructor to get you into or back into yoga, I highly recommend checking out Adriene's channel.

Another YouTube video I've added to my playlist is a meditation video that I keep coming back to, in spite of the fact that I sometimes question how I've managed to take it seriously. It's a 10 minute guided "elevated focus meditation," guided by Dr. Michael Millett. The words "hypnosis" and "hypnotherapy" are associated with Dr. Millett's name, but I have found this video nothing but calming and easy-to-follow (if I start buying and liking things I haven't normally done, I will alert you and the authorities lol). The reason I struggle sometimes not to laugh while following this particular meditation is because Dr. Millett's mantra seems to be "Don't just have a good day, have a great day." Aside from that, his guided meditation is sparse and gives you room to breathe and let go. This video, along with Esther Teule's meditation videos, have helped me dive into meditation with ease.

Are you planning to give your life a little spring cleaning? And if you practice meditation, who are some of your favorite guides/teachers?

Photo: Yoga With Adriene's Facebook page

I recently did a kidney detox by cutting out pretty much all processed foods, sugars and salts. I ended up cooking salmon twice to satisfy my meat-eating needs, and one night, I wanted to incorporate a spare grapefruit I had into the salmon dish, so I Googled around for a citrus salmon dish. Turns out McCormick, of all places, had a pretty decent recipe using oranges.

I tweaked the recipe a little bit, as I usually do, and it turned out great! Here is my kidney detox-friendly version of McCormick's "Citrus Salmon with Orange Relish" recipe.

Baked Citrus Salmon

If you read any celebrity columns, you may have seen a lot of coverage on the "Divergent" film cast in the past two weeks, and -- in particular -- actress Shailene Woodley's somewhat controversial comments on her natural beauty regimen.

Some of her comments were kind of "out there," like how she thinks sunning her nether regions is an instant perk-me-up, how she only washes her hair once a month, and how she eats clay to cleanse her insides. Woodley says she's been studying indigenous lifestyles and herbalism as a teenager, and I'm sure these things have scientific bases and do work, but I'm definitely not about to pull out a chair and sunbathe naked in my backyard for my neighbors to see anytime soon.

One thing Woodley mentioned sounded interesting to me, and that's oil pulling. Oil pulling is an Ayuredic practice that dates back 3,000 to 5,000 years, and is thought to improve both oral and systemic health. On a basic level, plaque and some bacteria are oil soluble, so will dissolve in oil. But more broadly, oil pulling supposedly pulls toxins from the bloodstream and helps with a number of conditions, including headaches, arthritis, eczema, liver problems, etc. I'm not quite sure how that works, but the Medical Director of The Chopra Center for Well-Being, Dr. Sheila Patel, told The Daily Beast that “We know there’s definitely a link between poor dental health and heart disease." On a purely superficial level, it's supposed to make teeth whiter, and that was enough of a perk for me to try it out. Not having to resort to those $40 a box Crest Whitestrips that make my teeth feel extra sensitive and make my teeth more vulnerable to stains in the long run? Sign me up!

So what oil pulling actually involves is an amount of oil (typically one to two teaspoons) swished around in your mouth for 20 minutes. Shailene Woodley mentioned you can practice oil pulling with either sesame or coconut oil, but I'd imagine other oils would work as well. I happen to have a large amount of coconut oil lying around, so I decided to give it a go.

Straight off the bat, I knew I'd used too much. I put a tablespoon of coconut oil into my mouth and almost immediately felt like I wanted to gag. The texture was really not pleasant, as you can imagine. The oil took quite a while to dissolve, and when it finally did, I realized that I should've used a smaller amount, because my mouth was so full I could not "swish" the oil around. I tried to swish for 20 minutes, but since you're not supposed to swallow, saliva collects with the oil over time and increases the volume of liquid in your mouth. I lasted about 12 minutes.

The second time I did it, I used one-and-a-half teaspoons of coconut oil, and I still had a bit of a inclination to gag, but it was a ton better than the previous time. I lasted about 13 minutes, and I noticed that my teeth were indeed whiter. On top of that, hard-to-reach plaque I'd been unable to remove through brushing and flossing had dislodged themselves!

I've been doing it for just over a week now, every other day, and I've gotten used to the feeling of waxy coconut oil dissolving in my mouth, and I've been able to swish for 20 minutes without much issue. My teeth do definitely look whiter, and I feel that my mouth is more hygienic.

If you intend to give oil pulling a try, there are a couple of things to remember:

1. If you're going to use coconut oil, do not spit the remnants of your swishing down a drain. Coconut oil solidifies at 77 degrees Fahrenheit and will likely clog your pipes. Instead, spit it into a trash can.

2. Try to use an oil with specific antibacterial properties, like coconut or sesame oil.

3. People who have been practicing oil pulling for a while recommend doing it first thing in the morning, before eating.

4. Some people seem to have had some initial adverse effects to oil pulling, such as congestion and headaches. For me, I may or may not have experienced a teeny bit of "unclogging" of mucous, but it wasn't so noticeable that I thought it had anything to do with allergies or the changing of seasons. Also, to me, this seems like a way of breaking through congestion -- a good thing, right?

5. If you don't like the idea of melting a waxy oil in your mouth, I would recommend using sesame oil. The flavor may be slightly more intense, but it shouldn't be as gag-inducing in the initial stages. One study showed that sesame oil decreased bacteria five-fold, while coconut oil managed a two-fold decrease.

Have you tried oil pulling? What oils do you use, and what sort of health benefits have you experienced?

More resources:
+ The Daily Beast: Oil Pulling: Miracle Cure or Oily Mess?
+ Wellness Mama: Oil Pulling for Oral Health
+ Huffington Post: Oil Pulling Might Be The Next Big Thing -- Or Not

Finding a shampoo -- natural or not -- without silicones and sulfates has proved to be quite a difficult task for me. The JASON Normalizing Tea Tree Treatment Shampoo was my second ever "natural" haircare product, after I tried the Yes to Carrots Pampering Hair Conditioner (which I couldn't recommend more to anyone who has dry, thick hair). And like the Yes to Carrots conditioner, I have had fantastic results with the JASON shampoo.

The JASON Normalizing Tea Tree Treatment Shampoo's claims:

This normalizing shampoo gently cleanses and nourishes to minimize dry, flakey skin build-up on the scalp. Australian Tea Tree oil, known for its anti-bacterial and anti-fungicidal properties, is combined with Grapefruit Extract and protein to purify and fortify hair follicles while soothing Calendula, Hops, Sage Extracts and Wheat Germ Oil helps relieve discomfort of itchiness. Gentle enough to use everyday, hair is soft with added volume, luster and manageability.

For those who do have dandruff or scalp irritation, the antibacterial and antifungal properties of tea tree oil are supposed to help put a stop to (or at least slow down) the bacteria that causes some of these issues, including itchiness. It seemed to be better at clarifying my scalp and roots (oil, product, flakes) than most other "clarifying" shampoos I've used, and all without drying my scalp and hair out!

I wouldn't say that this shampoo gave me any more volume, but I have the kind of hair that needs something to take away some volume, so it wasn't missed. My hair was indeed much more manageable and shiny after using this shampoo, though it didn't feel weighed down at all. There were times when I used this every day for a string of days or weeks, and never did I feel that my hair reacted negatively to it like my hair has with so many other types of shampoos.

As for those stereotypes with sulfate-free shampoos: hard to lather up, hair doesn't feel clean afterwards ... Yes, this was a very watery shampoo. It wasn't hard to get it into my hair, but there was considerably less lather, though that didn't make me feel as if I couldn't get my hair clean. And my hair did feel clean afterwards, but also not squeaky clean like it had been stripped of all of its oils and life. I suppose that's what the normalizing part of this shampoo is supposed to do.

The only somewhat negative things I have to say about this shampoo are that ... the scent is not for everyone. It's tea tree oil-scented, and the scent lingers. It took a little bit of getting used to for me, but it wasn't a deal breaker. The other thing is that those with fine hair may not find this shampoo to their liking. I might be wrong about this, because maybe natural products are better at "adapting" to different types of hair and skin, but typically if a hair product works really well in my thick, dry hair, it's too much for someone with thin, fine hair.

Lastly, though the JASON Normalizing Tea Tree Treatment Shampoo does not contain sulfates or silicones, it does contain sodium benzoate -- something I've found to be true of a lot of natural hair products. I suppose the addition of a potentially toxic chemical is a fair trade-off for getting rid of a bunch of others ... that's the way I'm beginning to see it, at least.

More information on the JASON Normalizing Tea Tree Treatment Shampoo, about $7.50 to $10.50 for 17.5 fl ounces/517 mL (the packaging and formula may have changed since I purchased mine in late 2011):

Ingredients: Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Tea Tree Leaf Oil, Wheat Germ Oil, Algae Extract, Anthemus Nobilis Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Hops Extract, Sage Leaf Extract, Nettle Extract, Citric Acid, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Lauryl Glucoside, Lecithin, Panthenol, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Sulfate, Stearyl Citrate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Alcohol, Benzyl Alcohol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxyleohexyl 3-Cyclhexane Carboxaldehyde, Hydroxycitronellal, Fragrance.