Our Product Review - Skin Care
Body Moisturizer
Hand Cream
Facial Moisturizer
Facial
Cleanser and Toners
Eye Cream
Body Moisturizer
Brand Name: Rocky Mountain Soap Company
Product Name: Body Butter - Unscented for Eczema 
Cost: $11.49 for 2 oz
Where did we get it? Where have we seen it?: On-line at Rocky
Mountain Soap Company
Tester: Rory (Tamey's 2 year old)
Rating (out of 5): 5.0
Comments: This is a wonderful product. My 2 year old has
eczema in the winter; his poor little legs have large dry patches that are
generally scabbed. This product when applied twice a day gets rid of those
terrible patches. I had tried several natural products and his legs where
so bad that all of them caused pain when applied, no such problem with this
lotion. An added bonus is the wonderful applicator no mess no fuss! How
this happens with just three natural ingredients is beyond me, but it does!
| Ingredients: vegetable oil, Alberta beeswax and cocoa butter (theobroma cacao) |
Brand Name: Earth to Body
Product Name: 100% Emu Healing Oil
Cost: $17.00 for 40ml
Where did we get it? Where have we seen it?: Earth
to Body, natural health food stores
Tester: Patti / Sam
Rating (out of 5): 3.5
Comments: Emu oil comes from Australia, where the Department
of Health has recently classified Emu oil as a pharmaceutical product due
to is therapeutic properties. This oil is known as an anti-inflammatory
to reduce the irritation and itchiness commonly caused by eczema and acne.
The oil is non-comedogenic, so it won't block pores. My son used on his
eczema rashes on his arms and chest area and found it soothing. It is "oily"
when applied, so best put on before bed or not with clothes that the oil
could come through. Those who are vegan and also looking for cruelty-free
products may think twice about Emu oil – they don’t have oil to
spare – it is retrieved when they are killed for meat or oil production.
| Ingredients: 100% Emu Oil, Lemonseed extract |
Brand Name: Biovera
Product Name: Lotion Naturelle
Cost: $14.99 for 150 ml
Where did we get it? Where have we seen it?: Direct from Biovera, Natural
Health food store
Tester: Tamey
Rating (out of 5): 4.5
Comments: I performed a little experiment with this product.
I puposely didn't apply lotion to my arms and shoulders (very dry areas
in winter) for two weeks. I wanted to see how this lotion would perform
when my skin was at its worst. Two applications and two days later and my
skin has no dry patches.
| Ingredients: Aqua, aloe vera barbadensis gel, vegetable glycerine, sunflower oil, vegetable wax, calundula officinalis extract, ginseng extract, rose petal extract |
Brand Name: Shea Butter Market
Product Name: Shea Lav - Authentic African Shea Butter
Cost: $25.00 for 60ml/2 oz
Where did we get it? Where have we seen it?: Natural Health food store
Tester: Patti / Jeff
Rating (out of 5): 4
Comments: This product is interesting on 2 fronts. First,
it is an effective moisturizer - particularly soothing to dry skin during
our "drying" winters. Shea Butter itself is filled with fatty
acids that stimulate skin renewal, tocopherols that have natural antioxidant
properties and cinnamic acid, which provides UV protection. I leave on my
bedside and apply to hands and elbows at night. Also good post-razor shave
on legs. It is a bit waxy - so you need to rub it to melt which makes it
easier to spread.
| Ingredients: Pure African Shea butter, jojoba oil, grapeseed oil, essential oil of lavender, beeswax. |
Brand Name: Shea Butter Market
Product Name: Pure Shea Man - Authentic African Shea Butter
Cost: $25.00 for 60ml/2 oz
Where did we get it? Where have we seen it?: Natural Health food store
Tester: Jeff
Rating (out of 5): 4
Comments: This is another product line in from Shea Butter
Market. It's has more "manly" scent - which I think is why they
call it Shea Man. My man uses this product on his hands and face, particularly
after a day of outdoor activity. Wind, cold and sun really dry out this
"manly man's" face and he likes the Shea Man. It could be it's
the only cream around but he still uses it time and again. It can be a bit
greasy on his face until it soaks in - so he tends to apply in evening.
| Ingredients: Pure African Shea butter, jojoba oil, grapeseed oil, essential oils of lavender, juniper, vetivert, beeswax. |
Brand Name: Green Beaver
Product Name: Winter Body Lotion
Cost: $9.99 for
Where did we get it? Where have we seen it?: Natural Health food store
Tester: Jeff
Rating (out of 5): 4.5
Comments: Jeff has been using this lotion for over a year
- and not just during the winter!. It has a medicinal scent that is pleasing
and although a thick lotion, it spread well. You can't beat the natural
ingredients that are often sourced within Canada. We also love that is made
just outside our hometown of Ottawa.
| Ingredients: Purified water, vegetable glycerine and emulsifiers, shea butter, sunflower oil, grapefruit seed extract, oat kernel extract, cocoa butter, rosemary oil, vegetable allantoin, mineral salt, extracts of oregano, thyme, cinnamon, rosemary, lavender and goldenseal root. |
Eye Creme
Brand Name: Dr. Hauschka
Product Name: Eye Contour Day Balm
Cost: $45.95 (10 ml)
Where did we get it? Where have we seen it?: Natural health food store,
Lilou
Organics
Tester: Patti
Rating (out of 5): 4
Comments: I started using eye cream about 10 years ago. Not sure if it was because I began to notice tiny wrinkles and was calling in the troops to make them stop or ongoing dryness in my eyelid area. I liked the Dr. Hauschka products so much that I decided to try their eye balm. It is a bit greasy and does not soak in right away, so if you are in a hurry to apply other eye area cosmetics like concealer or eye pencil/eye shadow, it is tricky. It is a good cream in the cold dry northern winters – where sometimes your eyelids feel dry and flaky. It is not a good product for me in the summer, as I do not need to add any more grease to shine to any part of my face.
| Ingredients: ricinus communis, arachis hypogaea, cera flava, daucus carota, anthyllis vulneraria, oryza sativa, calendula officinalis, theobroma cacao, hypericum perforatum, serica, buxus chinensis, melia azadirachta, parfum, lecithin, glycerin |
Facial Moisturizer
Brand Name: Biovera
Product Name: Aloe Vera Moisturizing Cream
Cost: $25.00 for 60ml
Where did we get it? Where have we seen it?: direct from Biovera,
natural health food stores
Tester: Patti
Rating (out of 5): 3.5
Comments: Biovera is a company that uses a unique process
to potenised their product ingredients which stabilizes the energized particles
of the active ingredients through discrete temperature variations. The bottom
line ... they report that the active ingredients are more effective. Can
I tell this when I apply this face cream - not really but it is a cream
that goes on very smoothly and is rich in consistency. It is a "bit
white" on application - in that it takes a bit of time and rubbing
to get it soaked into my skin, but once there it feels good. The ingredients
are very clean and the aloe vera is a known natural skin healer and the
cocoa butter is suitable for mature, dry or damaged skin.
The product container is not my favourite type - it is a jar with screw lid - which leaves it open to the elements of my bathroom. I prefer a pump or other less exposed opening. I use with the cleansing toner.
| Ingredients: Aqua, natural wheat germ oil, vegetable glycerin, vegetable wax, cocoa butter, aloe vera barbadensis gel, rose petal extract |
Brand Name: Balm Balm
Product Name: Face Balm (and more)
Cost: $13.00 for 30 ml/1oz
Where did we get it? Where have we seen it?: Natural Health food store
Tester: Patti
Rating (out of 5): 4.5
Comments: Another shea butter-based product that also adds
a few other oils - for a total of only 5 ingredients. Compare that to a
more mainstream hand lotion! I have a tube of this at my desk and use it
daily on my hands. It can be a bit greasy and has an uneven consistency
but as it is worked into skin it evens out. These are not complaints, just
a heads up, as it leaves my hands super soft and hydrated. The company has
other lotions and purports that Balm Balm products are multi functional
and one can use Face Balms on legs and Lips balms on face, etc. If you only
want to carry around one items for quick moisturizing, this could be it.
Balm Balm lotions won the UK 'Best Organic Beauty Product' Award in 2007.
| Ingredients: butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), helianthus annuus (sunflower oil), cera alba (beeswax), calendula officinalis (calendula oil), simmondsia chinensis (jojoba oil) |
Brand Name: PURE
daily essentials
Product Name: Chamomile Super Moisturizer
Cost: $24.95 for 1 oz
Where did we get it? Where have we seen it?: Pure Daily Essentials
Tester: Tamey
Rating (out of 5): 4.5
Comments: This is an absolutely wonderful cream. I have
very dry skin in the winter and this cream really works to keep my skin
very soft, and it really has a freasher more youthful look. When I first
tried it this fall I was actually worried that it would be too greasy, as
the consistency is very different from anything I have tried before. Even
my husband who generally has oilier skin likes this cream. The one thing
I did not like when I first began to use the product was the chamomile scent,
however after using it for about a week I did not even notice the scent.
I also wanted to mention that one of the ingredients caused me some worry
- benzion. So I contacted PURE daily essentials to inquire, they got back
to me within a few days here is what they had to say "This is not synthetic
benzoin. It is Benzoin Essential Oil. This is a essential oil and it is
blended in a cream" So I will continue to enjoy this moisturizer!
| Ingredients: purified water, organic aloe vera gel, organic mallow, wildcrafted chamomile & organic calendula infused in sunflower oil, coconut oil, beeswax, vitamin C, vitamin C-ester, desert salt, evening primrose, vegetable glycerine, xanthan gum, pure vitamin E, benzoin, grapefruit seed extract, essential oils of frankincense, sandalwood, carrot seed, ylang ylang & sweet orange. |
Brand Name: Nadarra
Product Name: Pure Intensive Moisturizer
Cost: $32.00 for 118ml ml/40oz
Where did we get it? Where have we seen it?: on-line from Nadarra
Tester: Patti
Rating (out of 5): 4
Comments: This has been the best product for the best value
that I have tried to date. It is a reasonable price and the product lasted
longer than most. This is likely as the cream is thick and rich and not
a consistency I typically use for my normal to oily skin. But I liked it.
I used it in combination with the cleanser and the spray splash. The products
come in glass bottle with a pump dispenser for a non-messy application.
Nadarra is a Canadian company and built on a passion for " clean"
products.
| Ingredients: Spring water, oils of jojoba, rosehip, aloe, comfrey, wheatgerm, apricot kernel, Shea butter, Oat protein, oil, Vitamins E, C, A, grapefruit seed extract, sodium stearoyl lactylate, glucose stearate, vegetal (vegetable-based, food grade emulsifiers), peppermint leaf essential oil. |
Brand Name: Green Beaver
Product Name: Green Tea with Aloe Vera Facial Moisturizer
Cost: $16.99
Where did we get it? Where have we seen it?: Health Food Stores
Tester: Tamey
Rating (out of 5): 4.0
Comments: I love this cream! A little goes a long way; it isn't greasy and are you ready for this... its fragrance free. And yes, it gets rid of those dry patches that I get on my face every winter. (Ottawa winters are not pretty.)
| Ingredients: purified water, emulsifying wax and glycerin (vegetable source), jojoba seed oil, avocado oil, beeswax, shea butter, grapefriut extract, grape seed extract, green tea leaf extract, tocopherylacetate (vitamin E), aloe vera leaf extract, sodium borate (natural mineral), latic acid (vegetable source). |
Brand Name: Dr. Hauschka
Product Name: Moisturizing Day Cream
Cost: $64.95 (100ml)
Where did we get it? Where have we seen it?: Natural health food store,
Lilou
Organics
Tester: Patti
Rating (out of 5): 4.5
Comments: I love this product. When I decided to use moisturizer that did not contain the class of preservatives called "parabens", I had to try a few face creams to find one that I liked. Dr. Hauschka is lighter than I was used too and was a bit skeptical that it would address my early-40 skin dryness. But, it applies very smoothly (it's a bit runny) and soaks in easily.
Check out this video clip, which has Susan West Kurtz speaking on the Martha Stewart television program about the principles behind Dr. Hauschka products.
| Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Anthyllis Vulneraria Extract, Apricot (Prunus Armeniaca) Kernel Oil, Alcohol, Witch Hazel (Hamamelis Virginiana) Extract, Sweet Almond (Prunus Dulcis) Oil, Olive (Olea Europaea) Oil, Carrot (Daucus Carota) Extract, Peanut (Arachis Hypogaea) Oil, Wheat (Triticum Vulgare) Germ Oil, St. John's Wort (Hypericum Perforatum) Extract, Glycerin, Calendula Officinalis Extract, Lecithin, Jojoba (Buxus Chinensis) Oil, Fragrance/Parfum (essential oil), Limonene, Linalool, Farnesol, Benzyl Benzoate, Geraniol, Citronellol, Benzyl Salicylate, Citral, Algin, Xanthan Gum |
Facial Cleanser and Toners
Brand Name: Nadarra
Product Name: Pure Exfoliating Cleanser for Face
Cost: $23.00 for 237ml/8oz
Where did we get it? Where have we seen it?: on-line from Nadarra
Tester: Patti
Rating (out of 5): 3.5
Comments: I used this cleanser in combination with the
moisturizer and spritzer. It has some grit to it and over time only used
it every few days, as I felt it was too abrasive to use on my face everyday.
| Ingredients: Aloe vera, Oat protein, Capric/caprylic triglycerides, Olive oil, Vitamins E, C, A, Micro-jojoba spheres, Vegetable glycerin, Lanolin, Pink grapefruit, almond and sweet orange essential oils. |
Brand Name: Biovera
Product Name: Facial Cleanser and Toner
Cost: approx. $20.00 for 60 ml
Where did we get it? Where have we seen it?: direct from Biovera,
natural health food stores
Tester: Patti
Rating (out of 5): 3.5
Comments: I have been using this combination cleanser and
toner product for a month. The natural ingredients are used with purpose
- the company's website details what each ingredient is used for in each
product. For example, the distilled witch hazel helps remove dirt and make-up
and the wheat germ oil and calendula are to calm and sooth stressed skin.
That's a lot of action for a 20 second scrub down at the end of the day!
When using the product, I feel the "toning" aspects - slight tingly
and refreshing feel - but I don't like that it's mixed in with my cleanser.
Since I have discovered toners, I like them "on the side" to use
after the cleansing is completed. I also am not crazy about the container,
which is a jar that opens with a screw on cap. I "double dip"
my fingers in to get a second helping of cleanser and I find I bring the
dirt from my first go-round back and it contaminates the clean cleanser.
| Ingredients: Aqua, natural wheat germ oil, vegetable glycerin, vegetable wax, calendula officinalis extract, distilled witch hazel, rose petal extract. |
Brand Name: Dr. Hauschka
Product Name: Facial Toner
Cost: $37.95 (100ml)
Where did we get it? Where have we seen it?: Natural health food store,
Lilou
Organics
Tester: Patti
Rating (out of 5): 4.5
Comments: I use the toner with the Moisturizing Day Cream. I have never used a toner before and wondered why people needed them. It was explained to me that toners "open the pores to prepare them for the moisturizer". I'm not sure if it does or not but this toner feels so good on my skin that next to that "just brushed my teeth in the morning" feeling – this is my favourite response to any product I use. I spray 4 pumps of toner onto a cotton pad and wipe over face and neck – it's very refreshing. I even wipe around my eyes - not sure if that a good idea but it feels good.
| Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Anthyllis Vulneraria Extract, Alcohol, Witch Hazel (Hamamelis Virginiana) Extract, Fragrance/Parfum (essential oil), Linalool, Citronellol, Geraniol, Limonene |
Brand Name: Nadarra
Product Name: Pure Rose Splash / Pure Lavender Splash
Cost: $7.00 for 59ml/2oz
Where did we get it? Where have we seen it?: on-line from Nadarra
Tester: Patti
Rating (out of 5): 4.5
Comments: I have become enamored with facial toners/spritzers/splashes
or whatever they are called. I like the "freshness" that I feel
when I use them after I cleanse my face. What they actually do, I am not
sure - but they feel good. So, when I came across this splash product to
compliment the above noted moisturizer, for such a good value I bought two.
A product like this in the mainstream world comes with a hefty price and
numerous ingredients. Again good performance great value.
| Ingredients: Distilled flora waters |
Hand Cream
Brand Name: Dr. Hauschka
Product Name: Hand Cream
Cost: $24.95
Where did we get it? Where have we seen it?: Lilou
Organics
Tester: Tamey
Rating (out of 5): 3
Comments: This product works well for me however; I don't have overly dry hands. It soaks in well and is very light. It does have an odd sent that I can't put my finger on!
| Ingredients: Water (aqua), alcohol, glycerin, althaea officinalis, prunus dulcis, anthyllis vulneraria, daucus carota, cetearyl alcohol, cera flava, prunus spinosa, arachis hypogaea, buxus chinensis, triticum vulgare, bentonite, lactose, kalanchoe daigremontiana, parfum, lecithin, xanthan gum |
Brand Name: Shea Butter Market
Product Name: Shea Hands
Cost: $15.99 for 1oz/30 ml
Where did we get it? Where have we seen it?: Natural Health food store
Tester: Tamey
Rating (out of 5): 4.0
Comments:
| Ingredients: Shea Butter, and organic essential oils of lemon, vanilla, jojoba, plus beeswax and vitamin E |
