Author Archive
Always Bet on Black
Posted by: | CommentsA few months ago I posted about all the benefits of shea butter. It’s one of my favorite natural moisturizers. At that same music festival where I bought the shea butter, I also found another miracle product that I have been using religiously for months now. Just what is this substance? Well it comes in a big block, it foams very well, and it’s black!
It’s African Black Soap! Maybe you’ve heard of it but never really knew what it can do. When I am in the shower, I simply scrape off a little piece and rub between my hands. The result is a fabulous foam. I use it on my face and it cleanses so well. It also great to use in areas where you sweat as it kills odor causing bacteria. African black soap originates from West Africa, where palm and palm kernel oil are combined. The black color comes from the extraction process of blending them together.
Always bet on black!
What can African Black Soap do for you? So much! It:
-relieves acne and removes blemishes
-prevents rashes, itching, or dry skin from developing
-rejuvenates skin, leaving your body fresh and clean
-clears up pimples, rashes, eczema, fungus, ringworm, and body odor
Ever since I started using this soap, I have found my skin to be cleaner and clearer…because even at the age of 34, I still develop the occasional blemish. This soap is good for all ages. If you decide to purchase African Black Soap, just make sure it is 100% natural. Target sells a variety of African Black soap mixed with other ingredients, which I have not tried yet. I also use soaps made by Sundial a.k.a.Nubian Heritage. They come in other varieties as well black soap and are available at Imedmart.com. They are very affordable at around $2.26 a bar. I’ve also found a body wash and body scrub in addition to the bar soap at Amazon.com.
If you have any of the skin problems above, African Black soap may be the solution you have been looking for. So where did the title for this post come from? If you’re a Wesley Snipes fan, you know it’s from the movie, “Passenger 57.” Seems like Wesley really knew what he was talking about, because black soap is a sure bet for clear beautiful skin. Just for fun, take a look at the clip from the movie below. If you’d like more information, feel free to send me an e-mail on the contact page. Are you familiar with African Black Soap? Your comments are welcome.
Stay natural…stay beautiful…go green!
Enter the World Of Aubrey Organics
Posted by: | CommentsNot many people know about Aubrey Organics . I’ve loved Aubrey Organics products for a while now, in fact if you go into my bathroom you will see many green and white bottles (green and white are Aubrey’s trademark colors.) No matter how many different organic skin care lines I try (and being a blogger, I get to try a lot!) I always go back to Aubrey.
I was talking to an older friend of mine recently who was just frustrated with her commercial skin care products. She complained of irritation, and dull, dry skin. I suggested Aubrey Organics and being the Aubrey expert that I am, knew exactly which formulation would suit her best. She purchased it and within a few weeks, saw an amazing improvement in her skin. She even began getting complements on how her skin looked. I work with her and passing her in the hall at school, I even noticed her glowing skin! Listen to what she had to say about Aubrey Organics:
“Thank you Robin for recommending the wonderful moisturizing cream, Aubrey Organics Rosa Mosqueta, for my dry skin. I’ve had such a problem with other products, but this organic cream is the best! My skin showed signs of replenished moisture right away and when I started receiving compliments on how beautiful my skin looked, I knew I owed it all to you and your Aubrey Organics.I look forward to ordering other products from this line soon as they are so affordable compared to other organic products. Thanks again and I’ll be telling my friends.”
Blessings,
Suzanne
Thank you, Suzanne, for those very kind words. If Aubrey Organics can give Suzanne the results she was always looking for, imagine what it can do for you. In case you couldn’t tell, I am very passionate about Aubrey Organics! I would never promote a product I do not use and adore myself. You can trust the safety and effectiveness of Aubrey Organics. They have formulations suited to fit any skin type. Give them a try and let me know what you think…you never know, your comments may appear in a future blog post or even in my upcoming ebook (of course I’ll ask your permission first!)
***Don’t forget to enter to win a full sized jar of Organic Shea Butter Balm. Shea butter is so healing for the skin! Learn more here: Blended Naturals Giveaway
***For more natural beauty recipes and secrets, download your free ebook, Beautify Naturally: 10 Nontoxic Ways to a More Beautiful You.
Stay natural…stay beautiful…go green!
Disclaimer: I was not paid for this post, however, I will earn an affiliate commission if you purchase any products through my affiliate link.
Sleep Well With Sleep Scentsations
Posted by: | CommentsEver since I threw myself whole heartedly into eco-life, I was attracted to the idea of essential oils. Not only can you use them for medicine and skin care, but to me, their best use is for aromatherapy. We’ve been hearing that buzzword “aromatherapy” for a while now, but what does it really mean?
Breathe deeeeeeeply
Aromatherapy is simply using the scent of plant oils a.k.a. essential oils to enhance psychological and physical well being. Different oils perform different functions. Many times when I find myself with a headache, instead of reaching for the ibuprofen, I grab the peppermint essential oil, rub a few drops in my hand, then rub it into my forehead, neck, ears, and feet (the oil penetrates and enters into the body quicker through the ears and feet.) and breathe in the scent deeply. At times of stress, I use lavender oil. When I had a cold and a terrible sore throat, I researched and found that rubbing bergamot oil directly on the throat can help. Lemon oil is great for pimples! It’s an astringent and potent detoxifier. Other essential oils are good for acne too….in fact, that is one of the tips I give in my free ebook, Beauty Naturally: 10 Nontoxic Ways to a More Beautiful You. You can pick up your free copy right here.
An Essential Blend
Inhale the sultry scent of "your boyfriend's shirt."
They can also be blended together for different purposes as well. I love mixing peppermint and lavender to invigorate and relax at the same time. Many people like to use essential oil spray, especially at night before going to sleep. You might spray the room, your face, or your pillow. Now, another option exists. Sleep Scentsations makes scented pillow liners in six categories. The tantalizing scents are: aromatherapy, botanical, fresh, sensual, exotic, and wellness. They are scented with 100% natural oils with absolutely nothing synthetic. They come in a 12 x 6 inch pad that has a sticky back. (It sort of reminds me of a maxi pad, at least how it peels off!) Anyway, you stick it directly to your pillow then put the pillowcase over it. You wouldn’t want to stick it directly to your pillowcase because the scent may be too strong or irritate your face. I tried the scent “my boyfriend’s shirt,” which is of the “sensual” variety. When I first laid down, I smelled the scent very strongly. It was quite pleasant. It’s a musky scent, remniscent of your man’s cologne. I detected tones of musk, jasmine, and sandalwood. And let me tell you, I slept soooo good that night! If you are a back sleeper though, you may not smell the scent as well as you will if you’re a side sleeper. When I woke in the morning, I still smelled it on my hair as I worked and moved about the house!
Does it last?
On the second night, the scent was not as strong….yet still subtly there. By night number three, the scent was even more faded but I could still smell it. On the fourth night, the scent was faint but still detectable. The number of days the liners are supposed to last ranges with the different scent types. The “sensual” liners are supposed to last between 4-7 days, however, the aromatherapy liners will best work from between 1-2 days. I really wish I had gotten to try the aromatherapy liners…the relaxing scents of lavender, bergamot, chamomile, and cedarwood. It sounds wonderful! Many people use essential oils at night to help them unwind after a long day or aid with sleeping problems. Sleep Scentsations gives you another choice and it’s affordable! A pack of 8 is $17.99. Would I buy this product? I sure would!
Stay natural…stay beautiful…go green!
Disclaimer: I received a free sample of this product for review purposes. I was not compensated in any way for this review. This review consists of my honest opinions and experiences when using this product.
The Foundations of Beauty
Posted by: | CommentsThe other day my friend and I were sitting on the beach and we started talking about our images of beauty. It all stemmed from her wearing a bikini and asking me if she should wear one. I asked, “What do you mean, should you wear one?” And she replied, “Well I have a belly and I see women who are much larger then me wearing them.” We basically got down to this: it doesn’t matter what size you are, wear what you want if YOU feel comfortable in it. And if you don’t feel comfortable, it will show and you won’t look good! But this led me to think: where have we gotten our images of beauty and what we “should” look like?
The Foundations of Beauty
Our image of beauty begins at an early age. We learn from the person who is closest to us….our mother. We see our mothers pruning and primping in front of the mirror, applying makeup, fixing their hair, putting on face creams and perfumes (by the way, this is also when we learn to use the same “toxic” products our moms use.) We learn from a very early age that we need to add all these things to make ourselves look “better” or seem more attractive. Since I was young, I have loved perfumes, lotions, lipstick, and makeup. And this ideal progresses with you to adulthood. Whatever happened to true natural beauty? Do you really need all that cream, powder, and eye shadow to feel beautiful? When we see a woman sans makeup, do we say, “Oh man, she looks plain!” What’s wrong with a bare face? I say, at least once a week (or once a month, for those who struggle) take a bare face day! I do…..it also gives your pores a chance to breathe and rest. Don’t get me wrong, I still LOVE makeup and how it can enhance your natural beauty, but you shouldn’t become completely dependent on it. It isn’t the makeup that makes you beautiful, it’s who you are as a person that projects that beauty outward.
Striving for an ideal
Can she make herself look like the model in the ad? Is this a realistic ideal for most women?
When you read magazines, the women in the beauty and fashion ads look near perfect. Is this normal? No! Do you realize that many women (even men) compare themselves to what they see in magazines, TV, and movies? Do you realize how unrealistic this is? Those ads are so airbrushed the model’s own mother probably couldn’t recognize her. In addition, celebrities and starlets have so many resources available to them that the average woman simply does not. Personal trainers, personal chefs, personal assistants, nannies, gurus….you name it! Stop comparing yourself to what you see projected out at you. Why do we all want to be skinny? Because that is what society tells us is the ideal. You will never have Jessica Biehl’s body because you have different genetics and a different body type. It’s simply unrealistic. Let’s start being happy with the face and body we were given and make it the best body we can. So what if you have big legs….they’re beautiful in their own way!
LOVE YOU for YOU
I’m sorry if this post seems a bit preachy…but can you tell I feel very passionately about this subject? Let’s stop striving for what society views as perfect beauty or the perfect body and accept ourselves for who we are, while still knowing we can better ourselves. Let’s come to the realization that we should have our own and not anyone else’s standards of beauty. When we do this, we will feel joy inside and that joy will radiate outward with true beauty.
*** Don’t forget to enter to win a jar of Blended Naturals Organic Shea Butter Balm for smooth sexy skin! Read my review and find out the details here.
Stay natural…stay beautiful…go green!
A Gift From the Bees
Posted by: | Comments
A very busy bee!
Most of the time when I am outdoors and I see a bee, I run! Many people are allergic to the sting of bees (I think I am, so therefore I run!) but have you ever thought about just how useful bees are to us? Not only do we get honey from bees, but we can also use the other magical substances bees produce to have healthier bodies and skin.
A Miracle for Skin
Have you ever heard of Sweet Blessed Bee Magic? Probably not….I hadn’t either. The name alone makes you think of a beautiful flowered meadow full of fuzzy black and yellow bees pollinating flowers. It’s a fantastic organic skin cream with immense therapeutic properties. It’s a golden colored, creamy substance that is just heaven to rub into skin. Not only does it moisturize even the dryest skin, it heals as well. It can be used for burns, cuts, rashes and skin irritations. The ingredients are like nature’s medicine for your skin. From their website: “Bee Magic is packed with naturally occurring bactericides, germicides and anti-inflammatory properties that actively begin cleaning, healing, protecting and soothing the affected area.” I couldn’t have said it any better myself. Sometimes I find I get a little redness or bumps on my skin…not sure from what, be it a heat rash or irritation from the elements. I rubbed some of the Bee Magic cream directly on my leg where I had the bumps. Within a few days, they were gone! I even used a few times when I had overindulged in the sun and had a bit of a sunburn. It soothed my skin so well! I can attest to the healing powers of this amazing product.
Bees give us many gifts.
Use it on everything!
Not only is it a healing balm, but it’s also a wonderful daily moisturizer for all skin types, even babies! I used it on my face as well as my body and the feel is just so luxurious. Your skin is reaping the benefits of so many beneficial compounds! What’s in Bee Magic? Not that much but what it does contain packs a healing punch: organic extra virgin olive oil, organic beeswax, organic honey, propolis, organic bee pollen and royal jelly. These are live, active, ingredients. They are not processed but are their purest form so you can get all the health benefits. Just what does each ingredient provide? Here’s just a sampling of what each ingredient can do:
Simple, pure ingredients make Bee Magic so effective.
Organic extra virgin olive oil- contains the antioxidant Vitamin E, promotes soft and supple skin
Organic beeswax- full of nutrients, locks in moisture, fosters cells and protects skin from damaging environmental factors
Organic honey- I’ve posted about the many rich benefits of honey. See the post here.
Propolis – cures burns, skin infections, and lesions effectively because of it’s anti-bacterial properties (scientific studies backs this up)
Organic bee pollen- reduces inflammation, soothes itching and moisturize dry skin
Royal jelly- contains B-complex vitamins, minerals, vitamins A, D, E, enzymes, 18 amino acids, and antibacterial and antibiotic compounds. Promotes youthful skin.
Are you convinced?
If you weren’t thinking Bee Magic was a miracle product before, are you now? The ingredients are so extremely therapeutic and in the making of this product, bees are not harmed at all. I believe they were put on the earth to do what they are doing and why shouldn’t we benefit from their gifts? However, if you’re vegan and only use vegan products, I wouldn’t recommend this one for you. But just to reassure you, the great folks behind Bee Magic lovingly handcraft their product giving thanks to the blessed bees for their “heavenly golden healing nectar.” Check out the The Medicine Mama for great insight into how Bee Magic is made.
So bottom line, how much is it?? Well, a 2 ounce jar is $16.99 (sold in stores) and a 4 ounce jar is offered online for $29.95 with free shipping. I took to keeping a small container near my bed and whenever I felt a little dry skin or irritation, I’d spread some on. I literally loved this cream and I really think you would too. Give it a try. By the way, I am not even an affiliate of Bee Magic and will not receive any commission by promoting it. This is just a product I truly believe in, adore and feel as though anyone who used it will benefit in tremendous ways. See my video below!
Stay natural…stay beautiful…go green!
