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.