Shampoo Review!

My first blog post was about an amazing sea-salt based shampoo called "Big" by Lush soaps. It's only downfall is the price; $24.95 a tub, and the fact that it totals over $30 with shipping costs included.

So, I went in search of a product that could match the power of Lush's sea-salt mixture. Though I haven't found anything comparable, and I'm seriously considering making shampoo by hand, "Nude - Volumizing Shampoo" by Down Under Naturals is a decent replacement for now!

"Fragrance Free Daily Shampoo" - J/A/S/O/N

The first Lush replacement that I tried was "Fragrance Free Daily Shampoo"  (~$8 for 473ml) by the brand J/A/S/O/N. A few months ago, I reviewed their hairspray, which worked well for an all-natural product. Their shampoo is, "free of parabens, harsh chemicals, dyes...perfect for all hair types." But, not perfect for my hair. Imagine putting laundry detergent on your hair. It didn't lather well, and left a greasy residue. Yet, this product may be beneficial to those with dry hair (if any of you dry-haired people want the rest of my bottle, let me know).

On the plus side, this is the ingredient list:

Water, Aloe Vera Leaf Juice, Cocamidopropyl Bentaine, Sodium Laurel Sulfoacetate, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Leaf Extract, Sage Leaf Extract, Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract, Guar Hydropropyltrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Provitamin B5, Lauryl Glucoside, Stearyl Citrate, Sodium Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate

"Nude Volumizing Shampoo" - Down Under Naturals

The "Nude" line of hair care products by Down Under Naturals is impressive, cheap ($4 for 325ml), and 98% plant-derived. The volumizing shampoo is, "Free from parabens, sulfates, phosphates, DEA, Phthalates." The website describes WHY it is important to be free of these potentially harmful ingredients in the "Get the Facts" section.

"Nude" uses, "certified organic botanicals..and biodegradeable ingredients." As a consumer, it is necessary to read this carefully - these terms don't necessarily mean that EVERY botanical/ingredient fits these descriptions, only that some do. Yet, compared with J/A/S/O/N's alternative, "Nude" successfully cleans my hair without coating it in grease.

Ingredients

Water, Certified Organic Botanicals/Extracts: Soybean Protein, Black Tea Extract, Nettle Extract

Bamboo Extract, Sodium Methyl 2 Sulfolaurate, Disodium 2 Sulfolaurate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycol Distearate, Coco Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Glyceryl Stearate, Kaolin, Glycerin, Provitamin B5, Parfum, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Polyquaternium 10, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid

Many other ingredients are similar to those in J/A/S/O/N's product, and though they appear slightly-less-natural, it does work better!

Chemists, provide feedback, why does "Nude" work better than "Fragrance Free Daily Shampoo"?

Arbonne Goes Green

Many of the leading catalogue/consultant based beauty product lines have not taken steps to use healthier ingredients, and do not demonstrate care for the environment - Arbonne is becoming an exception. Arbonne consultant, June Hart, heard about my blog, and provided me samples and information about the company. I was surprised to learn that Arbonne was going green! Here is what I discovered:

- All Arbonne products are vegan, and therefore contain no animal byproducts, and are not tested on animals.
- Though not all products are gluten free, the company is willing to provide ingredient sources and allergy information when asked.
- They steer clear of formaldehyde and many petroleum-based products.
- Their packaging contains "only renewable resources," and they are working to decrease packaging size - Other efforts include recycling at distribution facilities and using soy-based ink.


The products featured below are NOT all gluten-free, but are some of June's top-selling products:


Arbonne has a selection of skincare products that promote tighter, youthful, and healthy skin.

The RE Advanced sample-set includes: Facial Cleanser, Regenerating Toner, Renewal Serum, Corrective Eye Creme, Restorative Day Creme and Night Repair Creme.

Revelage serves to brighten skin, this sample-set includes: On-Target Brightening, Nighttime Brightening, Brightening Hand Creme, and Brightening Face Creme.

I sampled the FC5 Swiss Cleanser/Creme set. The Hydrating Cleanser + Freshner contains wheat straw (gluten), and the Day Lotion caused a slight break-out. But the Moisturizing Night Creme was fantastic(!) and does not appear to contain gluten. It made my face quite smooth, and uses many natural ingredients including: olive, orange, clover, sandalwood, mango, lemon, lime, grapefruit, cucumber, safflower, sunflower, and ginger (among other not-as-natural ingredients).



If you are gluten free (or have other allergies), I suggest calling the company before using any of these products, as the sheer number of ingredients could contain hidden allergens. As Arbonne continues down the road of "going green," it would be great to see either a line of specifically gluten free products, or allergy labelling on products. Though Arbonne's skin care products retail for roughly $50 each, some of their other products (the Clear Advantage Line, Shampoo, Conditioner & Cosmetics) may be more affordable for students. It is important to support the companies that are taking steps to remove harmful ingredients - over the companies that are not!

For more information, or to purchase a product you can contact June Hart (or any other Arbonne Consultant)

J/A/S/O/N Pure Natural & Organic Hair Spray

Having thin hair, I've usually relied on aerosol sprays because they typically work better than non-aerosals. I know, not good for the environment, right? Not to mention they are comprised of synthetic chemicals and are highly flammable. Probably not a good thing to accidentally breathe in, or get on my skin... So, I went in search of healthier options.

First, I tried Herbal Essences' non-aerosal spray in the "Lily Bliss" fragrance. Though it is cheap, contains fewer chemical ingredients, and includes"cactus flower extract," it did not work very well and actually flattened my hair.

Next, I purchased "Thin to Thick," an all natural and organic hair spray produced by J/A/S/O/N Natural Products. Surprisingly, it does give my hair a bit more volume and succeeds in holding it in place. Though it does not quite work as well as an aerosol spray, it is a less toxic option, as all ingredients are naturally occurring.

Ingredients: Purified water, SD Alcohol 40-B, Methacryloyl ethyl betaine/acrylates copolymer, Polysorbate 20, Acetamide MEA, Glycoproteins, Biotin (vitamin H), Retinyl palmitate (vitamin A), Panthenol (vitamin B5), Green Tea leaf extract, Aloe vera leaf juice, Matricaria flower extract, Glycerin, Silicone quaternium-8, Sodium benzonate, Potassium sorbate, Fragrance oil blend (product appears to be gluten free)

As stated on their website, J/A/S/O/N avoids using, "animal by-products, synthetic colors or fragrance, and harmful chemicals." Thin to Thick hair spray retails for roughly $8.99 CDN and can be found in various supermarkets and health stores.

Thrift Store Style

Shopping secondhand is something that I consider "healthy". I love the challenge of finding unique items that fit my personal style - for extremely low prices. For instance, I've found a red Le Chateau jacket for $9.99, a pair of orange suede boots (worth over $100) for $6.99, and two super bright 1970s dresses.   Here are some of my favorite purchases from garage sales, clothes swaps, and thrift stores:

The last photo here is of a blanket given to me by a stranger on a plane. I was cold on a flight from Rome to Toronto, and a very nice Lebanese/Iraqi man insisted that I take this blanket. All secondhand items have a story - I encourage you to donate what you no longer wear and find some used treasures!

Cereal Review: Nature's Path "Crunchy Vanilla Sunrise" and EnjoyLife "Granola Very Berry Crunch"

Most breakfast cereals contain either wheat, barley, oats or rye - which are also the four sources of gluten. Even seemingly safe cereals, such as Corn Pops, use barley malt.  Here is a review of two gluten-free cereals that I eat often, and they're healthy too!

Nature's Path Organic's Crunchy Vanilla Sunrise is made without any preservatives, and is certified organic. The ingredients used are said to create, "Less soil erosion, less groundwater pollution, and improved farm biodiversity."  Nature's Path recently reduced the size of their packaging to save cardboard - yet the box still contains 300g of cereal! Crunchy Vanilla Sunrise is delicious. The vanilla flavour is not overpowering, and the mixture of gluten free grains create a unique taste.

INGREDIENTS: Whole corn meal*, evaporated cane juice*, brown rice flour*, yellow corn flour*, inulin*, quinoa puffs*, flax seeds*, natural vanilla flavor, buckwheat flour*, quinoa*, sea salt, amaranth*, molasses*, tocopherols (natural vitamin E). *Organic. Produced in a facility that uses peanuts, tree nuts or soy.

EnjoyLife's Very Berry Crunch mimics oat granola, but it is made primarily from brown rice flakes.  Though it is sold in a small bag, the cereal is very dense (365g) - which is 65 g more than Crunchy Vanilla Sunrise. Along with gluten, it is free of dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy, fish, shellfish, sulphites, sesame and mustard (I didn't know that mustard could be an allergy until I read this). 

Very Berry Crunch is FULL of vitamins and minerals (ie: 35% of your daily iron intake, 20% of your daily magnesium intake). The dried strawberries add flavour, yet this cereal is definitely better with real fruit added. I recommend using plain unsweetened yogurt and blueberries.

INGREDIENTS: Brown Rice Flakes, Brown Rice Syrup, Evaporated Cane Juice, Rice Bran, Rice Crisps (Rice Flour, Rice Bran, Raisin Juice Concentrate, Honey, Salt), Water, Freeze-Dried Raspberries* and Strawberries*, Expeller-Pressed Vegetable Oil (Safflower Oil and/or Sunflower Oil), Natural Strawberry Flavor, Citric Acid, Ground Flaxseed, Rosemary Extract

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Both cereals are sold for around $6.99 each. 

If you are looking for the best natural and delicious cereal, choose Crunchy Vanilla Sunrise. But, if you are looking for something that is natural, AND full of vitamins and minerals, try Very Berry Crunch.

* Avoid Glutino brand cereals, they taste like chemicals.

Deo-Dry No Aluminum Deodorant - The Body Shop

In my quest to find more natural products, I purchased Deo-Dry No Aluminum Deodorant from The Body Shop.

What is it made from?
Though products sold by The Body Shop are often not as natural or fresh as those produced by Lush, Deo-dry is free of parabens and aluminum salts.  The company advertises Deo-dry's volcanic mineral and essential oil ingredients - though most of these oils are at the end of the ingredients list:

Ingredients: Propylene glycol, Aqua, Glycerin, Staeric Acid, Hamanmelis Virginiana water, Ceteth-20, Perlite, PEG-40 Hydrogenated castor oil, Parfum, Sodium Hydroxide, Alcohol, Citral, Aloe barbadensis leaf juice, Limonene, Citronellol, Geraniol, Linalool, Cymbopogon fleexuosus oil, Perlaonium corlandrum sativum fruit oil, Anthemis nobilis flower oil, Eugenia caryophyllus bud oil, Nepeta cataria oil 


The Body Shop website states, "Community Trade alcohol is made from alcohol which comes from the organic sugar cane farmers of the CADO cooperative in Ecuador." Also, the aloe vera comes from a Community Trade group in Guatemala.

Does it work?
Deo-dry goes on clear, and does not leave a difficult-to-wash-off residue on skin. It is not an antiperspirant, and therefore should only be used on days where you don't plan to partake in strenuous activity that may cause sweat. Though it advertises 24 hour odour protection, the "Fresh & Floral" scent mixed with sweat smells a little odd.

The Body Shop carries Deo-dry in stores, and it can also be purchased online for $5 CDN. Deo-dry appears to be gluten-free, and I have not had a reaction to it (yet I'd advise you to stay away from The Body Shop's Vitamin E facial spray if you have celiac disease).

Verdict
Though this is likely safer than many popular deodorants, Deo-dry does not work incredibly well. I would assume that there are all-natural deodorants that do work - and when I find one, I'll blog about it!
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Burt's Bees Honey Lip Balm

Burt's Bees is an all natural cosmetics company with environmentally friendly skincare and haircare products. Many of their products are based around the use of beeswax, including their Honey Lip Balm.

This product keeps your lips from getting dry, and smells just like what it is made of - beeswax and honey (along with: sunflower seed oil, cocoanut oil, lanolin, flavour, honey, rosemary leaf extract, soybean oil, canola oil, benzyl benzoate, and coumarin).

The only ingredient on that worried me was "benzyl benzoate"...what on earth is that? I did a bit of online research, and I stumbled across a blog similar to mine (but with in-depth info on ingredients) called Dying to Look Good. The blogger, a doctor, explains that while the natural version of benzyl benzoate is generally safe, the synthetic version can be dangerous. Burt's Bees products are certified 100% natural, so I would deduce that this is the safe version.

Burt's Bees honey lip balm is listed at $4.49 CAD on their website - I recommend it, decent price and great product!

The Burt's Bees line is widely sold in grocery stores, and other locations across Canada.

*Product appears to be gluten-free.

Mi-Del Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten Free)

Didn't think it was possible, but Mi-Del Chocolate Chip gluten free cookies rival any wheat flour cookie that I've ever eaten.

Many gluten free food producers try to simultaneously be free of all other allergens (ie: egg, soy, peanuts) to appeal to a wider market, and foods free of other allergens tend to be made gluten free. Though this allows for greater selection, breads tend to taste very "factory made" without wheat, dairy, eggs, soy etc. The fact that these cookies are ONLY free of wheat is likely the secret to their amazing taste!    

All of the ingredients are natural; 

gluten free flour (corn flour, soya flour, potato flour, corn starch, rice flour, potato starch, xanthan gum), organic dehydrated cane juice, organic chocolate chips (organic sugar, organic chocolate liquor, organic cocoa butter, organic soya lecithin), nonhydrogenated canola oil, butter (may contain annatto), egg whites, unsulphured molasses, corn starch, natural flavours, baking soda, sea salt, soybean lecithin (used as emulsifier). 

5 small cookies equal only 130 calories, and the fat content is low at only 4.5g per serving.   

Usually, a 227g bag of cookies is $3.99-$4.99 at the grocery store, but I found this one on sale for $2.99!

I encourage you to head to your nearest grocery store and look for this product (and request it if they don't carry it!)

Gandhara Designs

Though my blog posts deal mainly with food and cosmetics, I will also take the time to review other products that promote health, and positivity in the world.

International Education Development Expert, Dr. Sky McLaughlin, is helping women in Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Nepal get out of poverty by selling their handmade crafts, jewellery, and clothing abroad. The small company Gandhara Designs, uses a direct trade approach, which allows artisans to receive higher than fair trade prices for their work.

Though prices are high (ie: a black onyx/silver ring is $180 CDN), non-handmade rings retail for similar prices in North American jewellery stores. So if you are planning to make a purchase such as this, it may as well benefit craftspeople instead of a large company.

Above, a picture of the apron that I purchased from Gandhara Designs at a tradeshow last year. At the same event, Dr. McLaughlin spoke about her work with women in Afghanistan.

Though Dr. McLaughlin's business is based in Edmonton, Alberta, her website allows you to order online. Some of the more affordable items include; glasses cases, bookmarks, and hair clips - which could make great (and thoughtful) gifts.

Check out Gandhara Design's page on Facebook and follow Dr. McLaughlin's upcoming blog .

Julie's Organic Sorbet - Blackberry

A healthier alternative to ice cream? From the outside, this product looks amazing - only 60 calories per frozen fruit bar, which contains all natural/organic ingredients. Though I haven't called the company, all ingredients appear gluten free.

Two problems:

1) The taste - These remind me of Sun Rype fruit snacks. There's nothing wrong with Sun Rype fruit snacks, but basically, they are a quick way to have "fruit" during a busy day. If you purchase Julie's Organic Sorbet bars with the intention of replacing a delicious dessert, it doesn't really work.

2) The price - $5.99 CDN. Most frozen gluten free or specialty products (bagels, bread, desserts etc.) hover between $5-7 dollars per package. Though people with celiac disease can claim a certain portion of this on their taxes, each grocery trip is pretty expensive. Trying new products for the first time is always a gamble, and this is why I'm blogging about my own experiences.

Verdict, I will look for a real ice cream or frozen yogurt that doesn't contain gluten or mystery ingredients, and I'll eat some real fruit on the side.

BIG - Shampoo by Lush

The old shampoo that I was using had ingredients such as "PEG-150 Distearate" (whatever that means). It claimed to create "daring volume". My hair is very fine, and I've unsuccessfully tried multiple products to make it thicker.

"BIG," a unique shampoo made by Lush, actually works - and it is made of fresh, natural ingredients. If you've never heard of Lush, I suggest you visit their website . All Lush products are handmade and have a sticker with a picture of the ACTUAL PERSON who made it.

Though the main ingredient in BIG is sea salt, it (surprisingly) does not dry out hair, as other ingredients work simultaneously as a conditioner. It has a gooey consistency and you only need a tiny bit for each wash.

Two downfalls of this product:

1) Because Lush uses such natural ingredients, BIG has an expiry date two months after the day it was made. Yet, the 325g container is filled to last for roughly that time period.

2) Each pot of shampoo/conditioner is $22.95 CDN. It's tempting to keep trying cheap drugstore brands, hoping that they will display amazing results using their fancy chemicals - but I'm sticking with a safe product that works (even if I have to order online ).

Watch for future reviews on Lush henna hair dye and tea tree face cleanser.