Is Your Deodorant Safe?

Have you ever looked at the ingredients on the back of your deodorant?  Many of us read the ingredients on products that we eat, but rarely consider the products being absorbed into our largest organ – our skin!  Today, we want to talk about safer deodorant options. We decided to get rid of those toxic ingredients in our hygiene regiment and try a safer way to deodorize our body odor.

Antiperspirant 

Let’s chat about antiperspirant. Antiperspirant is a substance that is applied to the skin to prevent or reduce perspiration. In layman’s terms it means to stop your body or underarm area from sweating. Leading deodorant brands use aluminum to stop your body from doing something it should do naturally - sweat!   Aluminum is used in most deodorants we use every day. Some research states that aluminum might be one of the leading causes of breast cancer or Alzheimer’s. Since we aren't doctors or researchers we don’t know this to be facts, but we want to be mindful of what we and you put in/on our bodies and try to rid ourselves of those everyday toxins we can control.

Benefits

All products should be applied to clean skin. This will ensure its effectiveness.  These products aren't antiperspirants; you may still sweat but you will not have an odor. These options don’t leave a sticky, hard to clean residue behind; therefore, there’s no product build up.  They also don’t discolor the underarm area.

Deodorant Alternatives - Application

Lime

Cut the lime in half, gently squeeze and apply to your underarm area.  Then slice a thin layer off the used lime half and throw it away. This will help with the lime’s longevity. Place it in a sandwich bag or container and store it in your refrigerator. Be sure to label it to ensure no one uses the lime for cooking purposes.  We both find the lime to be very effective in controlling odor.

Jason Pure Natural Deodorant

This can be applied like your normal deodorant. It will leave a clear/white film, but it will be clear once it absorbs into the skin. We recommend this deodorant for non-active days only.

Crystal Body Deodorant Stick

Before applying, you want to wet the stone then apply to your underarms. This deodorant has no scent or color and it feels like nothing is going on your skin. This product will give you all day odor protection.

Homemade Deodorants

You only need to take a small dab with your finger and rub into your underarms.  It’s an organic homemade product compromised of coconut oils, essential oils and more.  This product lasts the entire day and leaves no residue.

If you interested in purchasing an  excellent organic homemade deodorant check out Yoga WildFlower.

YouTube Video

Watch our video to get the 411 on our natural deodorant experience and get exclusive tips and tricks you can only see on the video!

If you have any tips or tricks, please be sure to share in the comments section below.

Be Bold!

Skin Care Regimen

How are you cleaning your face?  There are so many products out there that you can use to help reduce fine lines, acne and more. Today we want to share with you a simple, affordable and most importantly, effective skin care regimen that works for our skin and most skin types.

Before the Skin Care Regimen

After the Skin Care Regimen

Here is what you will need:
• Black Soap
• Aloe Vera Gel
• Moisturizer
• Eye cream – Optional
• H20

We both prefer using organic/natural products on our skin.  We believe it often provides the best results with minimal to no damage to the skin unlike many cosmetic lines on the market.

Cleanse:

Step 1:  We first wash our face with back soap.  Once we finish washing our face, we gently pat our face dry.

Benefits:  “Black soap has a long history of helping to treat eczema, freckles, dark spots, and fine lines. Among it's list of uses black soap is one of the best acne products on the market. Being a gentle soap, it won't irritate sensitive skin, also making it a good option for babies or the elderly. Black soap's deep cleansing properties are great for clearing up oily skin stopping acne from forming. Shea butter and other botanicals will help dry out and heal current blemishes leaving your skin radiant in no time.” (Source: http://africaimports.com/black_soap_article.asp)

Heal:

Step 2:  Then we take a dab of aloe vera gel and gently rub the gel into our skin. When applied to the skin, aloe has a cooling effect and helps to heal blemishes, cuts and scars.

Benefit:  “Aloe vera is a cactus plant that belongs to the Liliaceae family. It grows in dry climates such as those found in parts of Africa and India and has been used medicinally for centuries. Various studies have been conducted to examine the benefits of the aloe vera plant and it was found out that aloe vera does in fact have several properties that are effective in treating a variety of skin conditions, from flaky or dry skin, cosmetic ailments, hair and scalp problems to many more. Tt is also said to be useful in treating wounds and burns, minor skin infections, eczema and more.”
(Source: http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-7654/the-benefits-of-using-aloe-vera-for-skin-care-and-more.html)

Moisturize:

Step 3:  Once you've applied your aloe you will apply your moisturizer.  Moisturizer selections will vary from person to person based on your skin type.   You may want to apply eye cream at this point if you suffer from puffy eyes or feel that the skin underneath your eye is dry.

Hydrate:

Step 4:  Lastly, you want to make sure you are drinking eight glasses of water every day.  This will ensure your skin is always looking its best!

Watch the below video to see the exact products we use and more special tips and tricks!

Be Bold!

Feng Shui Naturals Hair & Skin Care Line Review

We had the pleasure of visiting Brownstone Natural Hair & Barber Studio’s LoctoberFest on Monday, October 27!  The event was filled with deeply-discounted hair services, complimentary breakfast and lunch, handmade jewelry and excellent customer service.  

Upon arrival, we were greeted by courteous Brownstone stylists who were ready and willing to cater to our needs.  Shortly after, we met with Brownstone owners Jamal and Abenee Timazee –husband and wife partners - to discuss the event and their Feng Shui Naturals  hair and skin care line.  The energy, enthusiasm and services provided at Brownstone are just a few reasons why we recommend you check out this salon, but today we want to primarily discuss the Philadelphia born product line – Feng Shui Naturals.

The Product

Feng Shui Naturals was created in April 2004 in response to a client complaining about his itchy, inflamed scalp.  Abenee, a driven and compassionate stylist, began thinking and formulating natural combinations that could potentially provide relief for her client. She came up with the product now known as “Feng Shui Hair & Scalp Serum.” When asked how the Feng Shui methodology translates to her hair and skin care line, Abenee responded, “Feng Shui represents balance.  Many reasons we suffer from ailments like hair loss, itchy scalp and other skin conditions is because our body is creating more or less of different hormones that may adversely affect us.  The Feng Shui Naturals line tries to balance out some of these things.  Every product in the line contains traditional Feng Shui elements like water, fire and more.”

Currently, the Feng Shui Naturals line consists of 11 products, including hand wash, body scrub, moisturizers and more.  Many of the products were developed based on the needs and request of Abenee’s clients.  All of the products are organic and handmade with a shelf life of 2 to 5 years, depending on the product. But Abenee is so confident of her product’s natural goodness, she adds, “If you ate my products you would not get sick!”

The job of an entrepreneur never end, as as Abenee spends her evenings making each product from scratch.  With every product she prides herself on providing quality and continuum. As a result of her hard work and attention to detail three out of the 11 Feng Shui products landed a spot on the shelves of seven Whole Foods Market stores in the region.

It was a two-year wait and vigorous application process but, “when you really focus on something, it will take off,” says Abenee.    The next time you’re at a Whole Foods Market, check out Feng Shui Naturals:  Feng Shui, Bambo and Ubiquity!   You may even have the opportunity to meet the jovial owner and founder of the line at your local store, as she regularly gives out samples and explains all of the amazing benefits of the products to customers.

The Review

We had the opportunity to try out two products, Energy body scrub and Harmony hand and body moisturizer from the Feng Shui Naturals line.  Here are our thoughts on the products.

Energy:  All-In-One Moisturizing, Exfoliating Body Scrub

Egypt:  As soon as I opened the bag I was in love!  The smell of the body scrub is delightful.  The scent lingers for most of the day without being overpowering.  My lips tend to get very dry and brittle due to my lipstick, so I decided to try the moisturizing and exfoliating scrub on my lips.  After gently scrubbing and rinsing, the dry skin was removed and my lips felt soft and supple again!

Toya:  I love the smell of both products. I used the scrub on dry areas of my skin right before my shower. It's a gentle yet effective body scrub. This scrub didn't irritate or leave my skin feeling dry. I also love that this product contains all natural ingredients.  The body scrub is the right texture, not too oily or  grainy – it’s just the right consistency!

Harmony:  Hand and Body Moisturizer

Egypt:  I used the moisturizer on my hands.  The smell of the product is light and gender neutral.  I didn't really love the texture of the moisturizer.  It’s a bit hard, but after melting it slightly, by simply sitting it under warm water, it applied perfectly.

Toya:  I use the hand and body cream for both my body and hair. I like to use this product right after the shower while my skin is still wet – it glides on with ease.  My skin is moisturized and soft all day. This product isn't sticky or greasy.  It absorbs into the skin well. I also used this product to do a twist out and got great results. I didn't have a problem using this in my hair, since it's a natural product. I wet my hair with a little water and applied a small amount of product (a little goes a long way). I love how this product made my hair feel soft and manageable. The next morning I took my hair out using no extra product. It wasn't heavy and weighted down by product and provided great definition.

Visit Brownstone:

Brownstone Natural Hair & Barber Studio
1729 South Street
Philadelphia PA 19146
215-545-2555

Brownstone Facebook
Brownstone Instagram

Feng Shui Naturals Website
Feng Shui Naturals Twitter
Feng Shui Naturals Instagram