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 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.

On my last visit to the aquarium in San Francisco, I saw kelp forest waving back and forth amongst the swimming fishes. It was a great reminder for me to take note of this underwater sea plants many benefit to skincare.

If you’ve ever touched kelp (seaweed) you’ll noticed the slippery texture. According to skincare experts, this gel like quality of kelp helps to protect and restore hair and skin. When sea kelp is added to skincare, it aids the skin by hydrating and healing it.

Kelp is also loaded with vitamins A, B12, D and iodine, folic acid, and minerals, including iron, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. And these same minerals also help draw out toxins from your skin.

Not only is it beneficial to skincare, it’s also good for you. Kelp is a sea vegetable and consumed daily by many Asian countries. Dried kelp is commonly found in soups and the Japanese love their kelp sushi wrappers.

Instead of reaching for salty chips, try snacking on roasted seaweed. As it makes for a healthy snack too.

Kelp is also a good source of iodine. And those suffering from thyroid problems should consider making kelp a natural part of their diet.

“Algae are some of the most nutrient-rich life forms in nature, which is why they’re present in so many cosmetics,” says Ben Fuchs, cosmetic formulator for Rocky Mountain Natural Labs in Boulder, Colorado. “They’re full of minerals that can help draw toxins from the skin.” - Yoga Journal.

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I wanted to start off the new year with a new skincare regiment. As my handmade soaps can only do so much.

After I finished using SIBU lotion, I am switching to Korres. It’s an all natural skincare line from Athens, Greece and is known world wide. They’ve been around for a while and thought I would give it a try.

This is the kit I got from Sephora.  Korres Brightening & Anti-Aging Rose Collection which includes:

- 1.35 oz Wild Rose Moisturizer
- 1.01 oz Wild Rose Serum
- 1.35 oz Wild Rose Mask
- 1.69 oz Rose Showergel
- 1.69 oz Rose Body Butter
- 0.21 oz Wild Rose Lip Butter

This kit is formulated with wild rose oil, which is a really luxurious and expensive skincare oil. I’ve only used this kit for about one week and so far my skin really likes it.

The best thing about Korres that it’s gentle and good for those with sensitive skin. And it’s also formulated without Parabens, Petrochemicals, Phthalates, GMOs, and Triclosan.

My product review:

Wild rose moisturizer has a nice rose scent. It’s a very heavy cream great for winter. It has spf 6, which is not enough for me. But I also use bronze mineral powder for additional sun protection.

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Another new addition to my handmade soap is this skin nourishing facial soap. It’s made with skin detoxing French Green clay and healing carrot seed essential oil. Both ingredients are beneficial to skincare.

According to Mountain Rose Herbs, french green clay is super absorbent due to the constitution of its micro molecules.

It’s used to remove impurities from your skin. The toning action from the clay is also stimulating to the skin. Thus helping to revitalize the complexion and tighten the pores.

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Ever since I found out about the health and beauty benefits of Sea Buckthorn, I’ve been trying to add it to my skin care regiment. Including the sea buckthorn handmade soap from my soap collection.

The latest sea buckthorn product I’m using is from Sibu Beauty.

Here are some of the benefits of using this facial cream:

- Promotes tissue recovery and healing
- Rejuvenates sun-damaged skin
- Protects against environmental stress
- Preserves healthy skin tone and texture
- Boosts collagen production
- Helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines
- Helps address rosacea and eczema symptoms

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These are my new “Seabuckthorn & Green Tea Handmade Soaps”. Since I was having so much fun with hot process soaping, I decided to make these the same way.

You can usually tell if it’s hp soap by the little bubbles around the surface. This is noticeable even when I made sure to fill the mold all the way with soap. Hot process soap is tricky in that sense.

Ingredients: Olive oil, soybean oil, coconut oil, palm oil, distilled water, seabuckthorn oil, rice bran oil, green tea powder, and green tea melon fragrance. Because they are half circle bars, they fit well in the palm of my hands.

The last Seabuckthorn soap I made was was nice and I added lots of good ingredients. Including red palm oil, which gave it the deep golden color.

For this version, I just kept it simple. Except I also added green tea powder. Green tea is making it’s mark in many cosmetic products due to it’s benefits to skincare.

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My beauty product review today is St. Ives “Warming Scrub”.

I’ve been away from St. Ives for a while now. Mainly it was due to the strong scents.

But this new facial scrub actually has a very light scent. It is also made of good ingredients including sunflower and jojoba oils (the same vegetable oils I used for my soaps!).

I also like how the scrubs heats up just a little once you start applying to your face. It could be scary to those that have never tried such a product before. But don’t worry, it’s safe.

The extra heat is suppose to help relax and mildly cleanse the pores of clogging dirt and oil. I think it just feels like a nice facial, especially with summer skin.

The best part of this particular product:

100% natural exfoliants (sugar & silica or sand)
Formulated without parabens and phthalates
Vegan and not tested on animals

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Destination spa vacation had been very popular in the past years.  But not everyone can afford to go on such vacations these days.  A staycation is probably a better idea.

In Asia, such places known for relaxing spas include Thailand and Indonesia. They provide services including massage, facial, body wraps and much more. Thaiways.com noted, “the meaning of spas changed to cover a relaxation in natural surroundings, using water as the main constituent, combining other natural therapeutic methods like massages and aromatherapy together with chemical-free ingredients.”

I like the idea of applying aromatherapy and natural surroundings. It’s easy to make spa day everyday with this Asian Spa handmade soap.

Made with all natural ingredients and essential oils. It’s has a fresh and aromatic scent of lemongrass. I also added a touch of tea tree essential oil, which is beneficial for troubled skin.

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My latest soap off the curing rack is Sea Buckthorn.

It is made with real Sea Buckthorn oil which is commonly used in skincare and soap. This oil is full of vitamins A (derived from -carotene), vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and vitamin E (-tocopherol).

This is probably one of the best soap for trouble skin. When the weather got warmer in the past few days, I noticed the skin on my back started to break out a little.

Acne is caused by the inflammation of the surrounding skin tissue. The combination of pores being obstructed by sebum and dead skin cells clogs hair follicles and leads to bacterial attack.

But since using the Sea Buckthorn soap, my back acne started to clear up and healed within a few days. I think it may do the same for people with sensitive or problem skin.

Sea Buckthorn oil is known to promote the healing of skin such as burns and eczema. It also helps improve skin condition, especially with dryness and wrinkles. It also leaves your skin feeling very pampered and moisturized too.

It’s a common plant used in both skincare and food source from Europe to parts of Asia. I may try growing them from seeds and see how well they grow in Northern California. But you will need both male and female trees to produce this much berries.

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