Favorite New Body Wash - ShiKai Moisturizing Shower Gel

Whole Foods was having a BOGO sale on these body washes the other day so I picked these two up - Coconut and Cucumber Melon - after test-smelling the entire line, of course. When I tried them out on my big giant white bath poof I was not expecting to be so impressed with these, but they are great! They foam up fantastically unlike some other brands I've tried and they smell delish. They are also free of all yucky ingredients. Very eco-chic

Price $8.99 each (unless you get a BOGO deal like I did)

From the Website:

These shower gels moisturize as they clean so your skin feels soft and smooth all day. (mmmm.ok) The exclusive formulas combine natural colloidal oatmeal, rich emollients and gentle cleansers. (sure) The oatmeal binds moisture to the skin soothing it and leaving it itch-free. (I did not experience any itching, so ok) Use as a body wash in a shower or even a shaving gel. (yes I will, thank you)

Rich in aloe vera & colloidal oatmeal.
Gentle, soap-free formulas.
Safe for baby's and children's tender skin.
Leaves skin noticeably softer & healthier .

Available in 8 luscious natural fragrances...Coconut, Cucumber Melon, Pomegranate, Honeysuckle, Vanilla, Sandalwood, Gardenia, and Yuzu ( I dunno)

Pick them up at Whole Foods or on ShiKai's website.

Skincare Review: Paula's Choice CLEAR Acne System

I've struggled with acne since I was about 21 (now 33) and have used practically everything out there. I was recently  prescribed spironolactone for hormonal acne, and had good results, but I don't like taking prescription meds and they made me feel lethargic, so I am back to using topical products to control my breakouts. I recently purchased this CLEAR Regular Strength acne system from Paula Begoun's skincare line titled, Paula's Choice. I use several of her other products and I love them (from the Resist Anti-Aging line) so I decided it wouldn't hurt to try this. So far I have had great results and my monthly pimples are clearing up. The best part is that my skin is not overdry, which is what happens when I use ProActive (even with moisturizer) and almost every other acne regimen I have tried. I have been using some moisturizer samples that I recieved with my purchase and will probably be purchasing a moisturizer from Paula in the near future. I have acne prone sensitive dry skin. My skin type is so hard to deal with because I am dry, yet moisturizers tend to break me out. I also have to deal with some melasma and I am in my early 30's so i am concerned with aging as well. i feel like i combine every product out there!

We'll see how it goes!

I think this system is probably the best that I have used so far. I am comparing this to some other regimens I have tried that include:

Topix Solvere Acne Clearing Kit- too drying

MD Forte now known as Vivite - too expensive, confusing if you pick the products yourself- u need a doc or esthetician

Exposed Skincare Acne Kit - pretty good actually.. but expensive, and too many steps

ProActive -too drying

Differin - hated

Tazorac HATED

Retin-A Micro good results but instead of acne i had peely/crusty face all the time

Atralin (tretinoin) -HATED!

Accutane cleared up ONLY cystic acne. I did 2 rounds of this drug hoping it would completely clear my skin and I would never get another breakout again... nope!

Ortho-Tricyclen- HATED made me fat and broke me out more!

Yasmin- this BC pill worked for my acne but it gave me MELASMA! Will it ever end??!??

Spironolactone - worked great but made me feel very lethargic. It is supposed to lower your blood pressure, but mine is already low. Not worth it.

I've also used countless other products I am too lazy to write about!

For now I have my acne under control with Paula's CLEAR, plus Tri-Luma cream 2-3x/week for my melasma. Plus lots of Ceravé moisturizer and sunscreen (of course)!

PROS:

*Decent price $46.85 for all 3 products. the cleanser is bigger than ProActive, the toner is the same size. You get much more Benzoyl Peroxide lotion than with Proactive. This kit will pbly last 2-3 months.

* No yucky smell whatsoever!

CONS:

* None so far!

Be Smart. Don't waste your $ CASH $ on yet another crappy product!

I HIGHLY recommend researching skincare, makeup & beauty products before you buy!
Get informed about skincare, especially your skin type, and problems that you may be experiencing. This will save you lots of cash in the long run.
Here are some Resources:
WEBSITES
DERMAdoctor.com search 'articles'. Dr. Audrey Kunin is a dermatologist and has a great, informative website that addresses every skincare problem you can imagine. She also sells her own line of great skincare products.
Paula Begoun cosmeticscop.com Subscribe to her 'Beauty Bulletins'. She also has a radio talkshow - I post her sessions on this blog! I love Paula Begoun and I use many of her skincare products. She is very no-nonsense and does thorough research.
MakeUpAlley.com "Street Smart Beauty" is a database of real chicks reviewing makeup & skincare products giving honest opinions
Beautypedia.com Paula Begoun's list of thousands of makeup and skincare reviews compiled into an easily searchable database. Requires a yearly membership fee. I have a promo code so you can get 50% a year subscription. use the code BP50 as your Promo Code. After the discount it would cost $12.50 for a year. SO WORTH IT!
Sephora.com Reviews. Sephora stocks a ton of products. reading their reviews will get you some great real-life feedback.
Skin Deep Cosmetic Ingredients Database - for Ingredient Safety info. (This is NOT a substitute for the FDA) I have issues with this site because I think they abuse the fear factor. Fear is always the best marketing tool. Take this site with a grain of salt b/c it seems a little fanatical. No one can possibly avoid using all of their listed potentially harmful ingredients. It would be freaking impossible. Also, they mention "harmful" ingredients to avoid but don't state exactly why or site (link) tests, exactly where they gathered their specific information, or any other tangible evidence most smart people like to know! Nevertheless, it is still a good site to keep mindful of these ingredients, and I do think they genuinely want to inform people of potential dangers. Afterall, cosmetics are not strictly regulated by the FDA. Form your own opinion.
CaringConsumer.com search guide for cruelty-free companies and products. (Get a free pocket-size list from PeTA here)

BOOKS
Paula Begoun, The Original Beauty Bible (3rd edition) covers everything you would ever want to know about skincare, cosmetics, plastic surgery & cosmetic dermatology.
Ruth Winter, A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients A more down to earth/scientific guide about cosmetics ingredients including potentially harmful ones


You could/should also read my blog and tell all your friends to read it too!!

My Favorite Beauty Products from Whole Foods

i frequent whole foods for many of my skincare products and spend a shameless amount of time in their beauty aisles reading product ingredients (and otherwise looking like a weirdo) because I like to buy products that aren't tested on animals and that are free of controversial ingredients like parabens and sodium lauryl/laureth sulfates. i don't necessarily believe parabens cause cancer, i have read much scientific literature from both sides that is ultimately inconclusive. i just try to avoid parabens (it's hard to do by the way!) as a precautionary principle and sodium lauryl/laureth sulfates (also known as SLS/SLES) are extremely irritating ingredients - i try to avoid sls/sles because i have sensitive skin and color-treated hair. sulfates strip your hair incessantly causing your color to fade quicker. 

i find a good bit of the beauty products at whole foods to be crap for anyone without genetically blessed skin. take Dr. Hauschka for example, almost all the products are loaded with oils, butters, fragrances and plant extracts which are horrible for anyone with acne-prone or sensitive skin. i think all skin should be treated as "sensitive" as repeatedly irritating your skin is a leading cause of aging. furthermore, "natural" and "organic" products are not any better for the skin than synthetic ones. many of the lines at whole foods are similar (and just as crappy) to Dr. Hauschka - just take a minute to read ingredients.

cosmetics ingredients database if you are interested here

anyhoo, there are some very good products (some i couldn't live without) at this organic shopper's paradise that are great for sensitive skin and as an added bonus are also good for the environment. some are cheap, and some others not so much!

 here goes...

SKINCARE

Whole Foods brand 365 Shower Gel- Unscented $3 - This stuff is great and CHEAP! I use it to wash my face and body. it is fagrance-free, artificial color-free, no sls/sles or parabens. it foams well too. it does not irritate whatsoever. my body & face loves this stuff...but my nose doesn't. :( it smells, well, weird. a slightly chemically smell that is pretty faint. it does not make your body smell this way though, don't worry! i wish it smelled better, but for the greatness of the product i will deal with the smell. you could add a Wyndmere essential oil -see below- so it's not so weird smelling but be careful cuz fragrance can irritate. they also have versions with lavender, herbal and citrus scents

Jason Naturals Red Elements Gentle Gel Face Cleanser $8-10 for 8 oz.

not all whole foods carry the red elements line. find it here

Avalon Organics Aloe-Unscented Hand and Body Lotion $8 for 8 oz. my "eco-chic" alternative to Cetaphil lotion

Avalon Organics Baby Gentle Tear-Free Body Wash the body wash i use most of the time, it has some citrus oils in it but they don't irritate. this one smells great!!
Desert Essence Organics Shampoos & Conditioners around $6 for 8 oz. i love the green apple and ginger thickening and volume versions of the shampoo and conditioner. they leave my fine, color treated hair silky, shiny and smelling like fresh green apples!
Wyndmere Essential Oils around $6 for 1/3 oz. (instead of perfume) the scent lasts all day! a great and cheaper alternative to expensive fragrances. i like grapefruit & mandarin
Burt's Bees Naturally Nourishing Milk and Shea Butter Body Bar $4 smells creamy, lathers well and soothes


MAKEUP

Burt's Bees Super Shiny Lipgloss $6 tube. these glosses are super emoillent and aren't sticky. these glosses won a Natural Health Beauty Award. the colors are VERY sheer.
Mineral Fusion makeup - they have really great glosses, mineral foundations and blushes with great colors. a little pricey though.

STAY AWAY FROM
the whole foods 365 brand of shampoo, conditioner and body lotion...ew!
Bur't Bees shampoos..gross!

Cruelty-Free Cosmetics/Skincare List

so i like to be an informed consumer and buy products from companies who have ethics that meet my standards (which involved a certain amount of research...i do my best!) they are: 1. must not be crappy- they have to benefit me in some great way like remove my waterproof eyeliner, cleanse my skin without overdrying, make me have really long eyelashes or cover up my zits effectively 2. must not contain an overload of controversial ingredients that might cause cancer someday or irritate my insanely sensitive skin (parabens/sls, ect.) and last but not least 3. must not stick their products in fluffy bunnies/cats/gerbils/dogs eyes or whatever twisted ways of testing products evildoers come up with.
i have done a fair amount of research on products that test on animals and i try to avoid buying those products.. but i can't possibly know the history of all the skincare/cosmetics companies out there. like i said, i do my best.

it disturbs me that the FDA does not even require animal testing on non-perscription cosmetic/skincare products.

Quote from the FDA website:

"The FD&C Act does not specifically require the use of animals in testing cosmetics for safety, nor does the Act subject cosmetics to FDA premarket approval. However, the agency has consistently advised cosmetic manufacturers to employ whatever testing is appropriate and effective for substantiating the safety of their products. It remains the responsibility of the manufacturer to substantiate the safety of both ingredients and finished cosmetic products prior to marketing."

(Read more from the FDA's website here)

I am not a makeup saint...i have bought and currently use (neutrogena sensitive skin sunblock) some products that test on animals but they are few and far between. i don't get fanatical about anything in life.


my point is:


TRY TO BUY MOSTLY CRUELTY-FREE....PLEASE!!

I know it's annoying and takes some effort but

to help make it easier to navigate cruelty-free products here are some easy resources:

*Get a free pocket shopping guide from PETA here. i love this thing! i keep it in my purse

(I generally use this guideline but sometimes a product isn't listed so i have to do some xtra research)

*Search Companies that DO and DO NOT Test on Animals here

*I have made my own lists of common companies that DO and DO NOT test on animals BELOW
(You can download the PDF file or print it from Scribd - 8 pages)
THIS TOOK A LOT OF WORK! but i am happy to help :)
Common Companies That DO and DO NOT Test on Animals