After I used up all my skin cream I’m ready to try another brand. And lately I’ve been using Life Flo Health’s “Radiant Skin - Revitalizing Skin Cream with Hyaluronic Acid (HA).”

It was the Hyaluronic Acid (HA) that got me interested and the fact that it was third on the list of ingredients is a good sign. Since many other skin cream has HA listed on the very end. Meaning it doesn’t contain much of HA, just marketing hype.

HA is a key component of collagen that is normally produce in the skin and joints of the body. Collagen is what gives skin it’s volume and fullness. But as we age, collagen production decreases.

Here are the first four ingredients are: Purified water, aloe, hyaluronic acid, sunflower seed oil.

The texture of the cream is a bit clumpy, almost like it wasn’t mixed well. Despite how it looks it does absorb fine into the skin.

After applying the cream, my skin immediately felt a little warm. Maybe it’s the HA doing it’s thing? But after using it for a while my skin must have adapted to it and I it feels fine. Not sure if it’s “radiant” looking, but does look healthy and not as dry anymore.

The smell is very fruity, reminds me of ripe pineapple. I actually prefer this scent over any floral scent. But fragrance free would be best.

The cream comes in a light plastic jar, but a glass container would be better. Preferably a pump so it’s easy to apply. Plus the life of the cream is extended with it’s pumped out rather than dipped out. Less contamination and less exposure to air.

Description
Organic Living
Powerful Skin Nutrient Complex in a High Quality Face Cream Base
Not Tested on Animals

“Radiant Skin cream helps replenish the hyaluronic acid (HA) which is naturally lost with age, and leaves skin feeling renewed, smoother, and younger-looking.” - iHerb.com at $12.24 for 1.7 oz.

It’s finally starting to feel colder out here in California. And the cold weather means indoor heat. Indoor heat also means dry skin and dry scalp for me.

Then I came upon this “Ginger Scalp Care” shampoo by The Body Shop. It seems to be working well so far.

Natural and botanical ingredients include ginger root extract, birch bark, white willow, and oak moss. The astringent properties of these ingredients help promote a healthy and clean scalp.

Description from The Body Shop:

“Organic honey moisturizes and helps condition the skin. Helps protect and preserve the forest as well as providing necessary income for beekeepers, an increasing number of which are now women.

The honey that we use comes from communities living in and around the Ba’le Forest in Ethiopia, in the south Oromia state. This area forms part of the East African Montaine Eco-Region, which has been identified by the UN as a global hotspot for biodiversity and has several endemic species within the region that are classified as endangered.” - The Body Shop.

It’s a great shampoo for soothing that irritated scalp. I also like the spicy, sharp and warm scent of ginger oil. This scent is also more pleasant than most other dry scalp shampoo.

On the downside it does contain a number of ingredients they could leave out, such as SLS and parabens. Then again, maybe it’s time I start making my own shampoo bar with honey and ginger oil extract.

The shampoo retails for $10 for 8.4 fl oz. Smaller bottle than most other shampoo. But you can use this once a week and switch between a regular shampoo.

Note: Taking fish oil (supplement) is another great way to increase moisture and prevent dry skin or scalp. You’ll notice the difference in your skin and have healthy heart and joint too.

Prices of vegetable oils have been going up and prices of organic oils are a bit higher too. Luckily I was able to save on shipping by getting my organic oils from a local source. Not a huge savings since I still have to drive to the next city over to get them.

I am proud to be making my soaps with these new organic oils. Especially love that the palm oil is from a sustainable farm and no orangutans or humans were harm while gathering them.

This is Organic Neem & Kelp soap. The kelp is the top portion with swirls. According to skincare experts, this slipperiness is from the gel like quality of kelp which helps to protect and restore hair and skin. It’s very hydrating and healing ingredient in skincare.

Made with all organic oils (coconut, olive, and palm), organic neem and kelp. Neem oil has a strong smell so I had to add sweet orange essential oil to make it more usable. Once you realize how good is it for your skin, you’ll just think of it as the smell of healing and good health.

Handmade soaps are gentle on your skin. They contain no parabens, sulfates, or artificial color. All my soaps are Eco-friendly and bio-degradable. All the suds going down the drain are harmless, so even the fishes are happy too.

More soaps available at Cambree Naturals Etsy Shop. Enjoy!

I love drinking cold peppermint tea in the summer. Especially after being in the hot sun. I also love using peppermint handmade soap made with peppermint essential oil.  It’s a very cooling and refreshing scent!

These poppy peppermint guest soaps are ready to use. Actually I made it with the hot process method so it’s perfectly fine to us within a couple of days. But it didn’t turn out so nice early on - the bar was too soft.

But after a few more weeks they have harden up and make great guest or travel soap. Perfect as face soap too. The poppy seeds is good for exfoliation.

After I removed it from the heart shaped mold, it was still rough around the edges. Definitely not as smooth looking as cold process soap. Yet it’s still good soap made with all good stuff.

Ingredients: Oils of coconut, palm, soybean, rice bran, grape seed, and wheat germ. Distilled water, sodium hydroxide, French green clay, Peppermint essential oils, poppy seeds.

For my summer soap shop special, I’ll be adding 2 FREE poppy peppermint guest soap with each order. Something nice to stay extra COOL this summer!

Note: I got bite by the soapmaking bug this month… and have more new soaps on the curing rack. So stay tuned!

More than 15 years ago the dermatologist told me I have some form of psoriasis. Mainly effecting my fingers, where they crack and bleed. So it makes doing crafts (as well as typing) a bit painful.

The doctor gave me all kinds of lotions and creams but nothing worked. It’s some type of auto-immune condition, and thank goodness it’s not contagious. Since using handmade soap I’ve had less and less of a break out.

Once in a while, I’ll still get bother by dry spots on the scalps. The usual tar shampoo and other OTC prescription strength shampoo only did so much as the condition return.

Recently I found a new shampoo made with neem oil that’s really helping my scalp. It’s Thera Neem shampoo and conditioner made by Organix South, retails about $10. The conditioner also leaves your hair very soft too.  The only thing I don’t like about this shampoo or any neem product is the strong smell. But the fact that it has so many benefits to trouble skin has me being a big fan of all things neem.

Below are some highlights for why neem is so neat!

- Neem has been used for thousands of years in Ayurvedic treatments, applications which have been validated in more than 100 studies in universities and research centers around the world.

- Neem oil contains extraordinarily high levels of antioxidants, which help protect the skin from free radicals caused by over-exposure to sun, environmental toxins and other damaging elements.

- Neem oil also contains high levels of fatty acids that soak in quickly to soothe and nourish even chronically dry and itchy skin.

Photo & highlights from Organix South makers of Thera Neem.

I would recommend this shampoo to anyone that suffers from dry scalp. Not only does this company make great natural products, they are also a very eco-conscious company too.

Note: 100% neem oil handmade soap will be next on my to-do list!

Summer is almost here and that means I am ready to experiment with a  new facial moisturizer.

For the past few weeks I’ve been using Aveeno’s new Smart Essentials Daily Nourishing Moisturizer SPF 30 made with southernwood extract, vitamins A, C, and E.

I’ve always liked Aveeno products for their natural ingredients and affordable prices.  This one retails for about $14.99 for 2. 5 oz.   One thing I didn’t like about Aveeno products is the strong fragrance.  But with this new product the scent is actually okay.  It smells like a combination of fruity floral and fades quickly.  I think it would be better if it was unscented.

The best things about this product is that’s its lightweight and sinks into the skin easily.

SPF 30 is also great since it helps protect skin from sun’s harmful UVA/UVB ray.  I love that doesn’t leave a white finish unlike most other facial sunscreens with SPF 30.

A few more info from Aveeno:  ” Sun exposure, free-radicals environmental toxins and a hectic lifestyle can rob your skin of essential nourishment, resulting in noticeably stressed skin.

Formulated with antioxidant Southernwood extract,  SMART ESSENTIALS™ Daily Nourishing Moisturizer with SPF 30 helps keep what’s good in and what’s bad out, replenishing and helping to protect your skin wherever the day takes you.

In fact, in a clinical study, 100% of women showed an improvement in the look of stressed skin.”

Oil Free, hypoallergenic, and noncomedongenic (won’t clog pores).

Another soap just off the rack is this Gardener’s Honey soap. In addition to the honey, it also has organic oatmeal and organic yogurt. To keep it really natural, it’s not scented but still smells very pleasant.

Ingredients: olive oil, grapeseed oil, palm oil, soybean oil, coconut oil, illipe butter, wheat germ oil, distilled water, sodium hydroxide, organic oatmeal, honey, organic yogurt, calendula petals and geranium petals.

I chose all these ingredients because of their soothing and conditioning abilities. It’s the same ingredients found in a facial mask, but put into this great bar of soap. Not only is a great facial and body soap, but also ideal for gardeners or anyone with super dirty hands! As the bits of oatmeal is very exfoliating.

This is also the first time I’ve soaped with fresh yogurt and illipe butter. The yogurt did leave a soft bar while it was being cut. But after several weeks of curing, it’s perfectly hard and nice as my other soaps.

The soap is also topped with calendula petals and geranium petals harvested from last summer’s flower garden.

Benefits of Illipe butter from Mountain Rose Herbs:

• Moisturizing chronically dry skin
• Mature skin
• Sunburn
• Healing sores
• Damaged skin
• Rough skin (such as on feet)
• Mouth ulcers
• Dry or over processed hair

This is my latest soap just off the curing rack. It’s made with kelp powder and French green clay. Both really good ingredients to help remove toxins from your skin.

Ingredients: Rice bran oil, avocado oil, palm oil, soybean oil, hemp oil, wheat germ oil, distilled water, sodium hydroxide, organic kelp powder, French Green clay, peppermint essential oil, cedarwood essential oil.

I omitted coconut oil from this recipe and went with lots of rice bran and avocado oil. So lots of vitamin E! The downside is that it didn’t harden up very nice and made it difficult to cut. But it is still great soap. I have tested it out and can say it’s a fine bar of soap. It does get rather soft after several uses, but just keep it dry between uses and you’ll be fine.

The bar is also slippery because of the kelp (seaweed). According to skincare experts, this slipperiness if from the gel like quality of kelp which helps to protect and restore hair and skin. It’s very hydrating and healing ingredient in skincare.

Because it’s a very green bar of soap, it’s scented with peppermint essential oil. Which is a very uplifting and clean smelling essential oil.

This is one of my new batches of handmade soap and is now ready for use. They’ve been curing happily for the past few weeks.

I call this the “Moroccan Spice Argan” soap because of all the spicy and herbal essential oils. But the real magic is from the argan oil which is really great for the skin.

Benefits of argan oil:

- Nourishes your skin with super rich in vitamin E, antioxidants and amino acids like Omega 3, 6 and 9
- Pure and natural skincare
- Reduce signs of aging and improve skin conditions like acne, eczema and psoriasis

Ingredients: rice bran oil, coconut oil, palm oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, hemp oil, distilled water, sodium hydroxide, Moroccan red clay, rosehip powder, acerola powder, sweet orange essential oil, anise essential oil, clove essential oil.

I also added acerola powder. The acerola fruit is also called Barbados cherry and is loaded with vitamin C, great for it’s skin brightening abilities.

Another magical ingredient in this bar is organic hemp seed oil. I’ve never used it in soapmaking before until now. And it is really great stuff for both the soap and the skin. Not only is it great for soapmaking, it’s also very healthy stuff. The oil is very green and mixed with yogurt it taste very nutty and delicious.

This bar is scented with only essential oils. Including sweet orange essential oil, which leaves a nice light citrus scent. The clove and anise also gives in a bit of spice. A perfectly great bar of soap that is safe and beneficial to any skin type.

I recently was asked to do a product review for Amal 100% Organic Oils.  I received the bottle about a week ago and have been using it twice a day.

At first I was skeptical about applying oil to my face as I usually break out easily. Jojoba oil is one that my face doesn’t like too much and extra virgin coconut oil and rose hip oil is okay. But argan oil is the best!  It’s been treating my skin very well.

Argan oil comes from Argan Tree (Argania Spinosa) that only grows in Morocco. It’s a really light oil that’s golden in color. It has a pleasant nutty scent.  When apply to your skin it is non-greasy.

The oil is super moisturizing, especially great to use this time of year with all the indoor heating and cold winter weather that could leave your skin parched. I love that it soaks right into my skin.

I’ve been applying it both in the morning and at night. To apply, just take a few drops onto the palm of your hand and use your index finger to apply the oils to your face. The result was much smoother and soft skin. So I’m really thrilled to have found out about argan oil and will continue to use it.

You can also use additional drops to nourish your hair and nails. It’s also works great as a before or after shave lotion too. I also like to put on my neck as that part of the skin sometimes get neglected.

“A closeup of the argan nut on the tree. Moroccans will harvest the nut once it falls off the tree or throw rocks at the branches to free them.” - flickr.

The argan tree only grows in Morocco and obtaining the oils is very labor intensive. Amal Oils are harvested and pressed by Moroccan women as part of their cooperatives. The cooperatives are women owned and run businesses, which serve to provide education, healthcare and income to the women and their families.

The founder of Amal Oils is Jalila Bouchareb. She is a Moroccan woman who has lived her entire life in the U.S. and frequently travels to Morocco and is very close to her roots. The word “amal” means “hope” in her language. She has this to say about her oils, “Amal Oils is an expression of their hard work and effort, and with our support we can give them hope, Amal, for the future.”

Highlights of this great product:

- Nourishes your skin with super rich in vitamin E, antioxidants and amino acids like Omega 3, 6 and 9
- Pure and natural care for hair, nail and skincare
- Reduce signs of aging and improve skin conditions like acne, eczema and psoriasis
- Supports local Moroccan women
- Safe for people of all age, including children
- For pregnant women, it can be used to prevent stretchmarks

Amal Oils 100% Organic Argan Oil is pure, natural argan oil that is certified organic by ECOCERT - an independent organization that represents the highest international standards for nature-friendly products.

Sometimes you can spot goats up in Essaouira’s argan trees, feasting on the fruit. - Photo from NY Times. Read more “Liquid Gold in Morocco“.

Jalila’s DYI face mask:

2 drops of Amal oils
1 tsp organic honey
2 tsp of organic yogert
1/4 avocado mashed

Apply to skin for 15 minutes and rinse off with warm water.

Check out! Amal 100% Organic Moroccan Argan Oil And for a limited time receive 20 % off.