Winter Green Beauty Discoveries
I think winter is a great time for healing, nourishing beauty products because the harsh weather can wreak some serious havoc on your skin, hair, nails and more. For me, I get super flaky, dry skin with occasional redness, random breakouts, itchy scalp, eczema breakouts, and more so I really try to keep on top of all that with gentle, effective products. I’ve discovered some incredible things lately from natural oral care products to skincare, hair care, and more so I thought I’d share some favorites with you all. Please let me know if you want more in-depth posts on these and I’ll be happy to share ♥
I just recently discovered Dr. Alkaitis and these are my first experience with the brand so I’m quite impressed by how gentle, yet effect the products are. I tried out the Organic Soothing Gel and found it to be wonderful for use after shaving and on inflamed skin. It feels so cooling and it lightly hydrates so I can see it being brilliant during the summer on oily and acne prone skin types. The Organic Herbal Shampoo is super gentle on sensitive scalps and gently cleanses without over-drying. It works great as a daily shampoo or just every once in awhile for those with drier hair types. Both of these smell lovely and have scents that are subtle and not overpowering.
Organic Soothing Gel Ingredients: aloe barbadensis (aloe vera) leaf extract*, hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) leaf waterº, ethanol (grape alcohol)*, urtica dioica (greater nettle) extract*,
ormenis multicaulis (wild chamomile)º,
commiphora myrrha (myrrh)º, european elder*, sweet weed*, lavandula stoechas (french lavender)*, curacao orange*,
benzoinº, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaves*, olibanum (frankincense)º, foeniculum vulgare (wild fennel)º,
balm mint*, sea oakº, ascophyllum nodosum (atlantic kelp)º, rhodophyta (red seaweed)º, natural vitamin b complexes, vitamin c complexes, 100% pure essential oils. *Certified Organic ºEthically wild-crafted.
This product is gluten-free and vegan.
Organic Herbal Shampoo Ingredients: Aloe vera Gel*, distilled water, coconut oil, amino acid cleansing base (sodium cocoyl sarcosinate and cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine),vegetable glycerin, Dr. Alkaitis’ Hair Roots & Scalp Herbal Complex (horsetail*, oat buds*, coltsfoot*, wild chamomileº, lacris*, boxwood, greater nettle*, comfrey*, white man’s foot*, garden sage*, panama barkº, dulseº, rosemary*, jojoba*, mexican sarsaparilla, aztec marigold*, and wild andean roseº), vitamin B-5, hydrolyzed natural rice protein, grapefruit seed extract, natural vitamin E complex (D- alpha, beta, gamma, delta tocopherols), natural vitamins C, F, and A complexes, and 100% pure essential oils.
* certified organic º ethically wild crafted
Next up is David’s Natural Toothpaste. One thing I really love about this toothpaste is that it’s grown, created, and made locally in the USA, right in nearby Temecula which is only about 30 minutes from where I live. I also really love that it’s packaged in a recyclable metal tube and they include one of those little metal key things that helps you get all the product out of a tube which was AMAZING. It’s also great that it’s a cruelty-free product and wind energy is used to create the paperboard boxes. The toothpaste includes natural mint oil flavoring and stevia extract to sweeten i while the formula is fluoride and sulfate free which is awesome and I think it’s one of the very few natural toothpastes I’ve tried that really compares to mainstream brands. That said, the formula does include baking soda ( Sodium Bicarbonate ) which I know not everyone likes and can be too abrasive on teeth to use every single day, in my opinion, because it can wear down your tooth enamel. That said, I really love this toothpaste for weekly tooth whitening and deep cleansing and I think it’s a great product to transition out of using fluoride and drugstore toothpastes because this is very similar without all the nasties.
David’s Natural Toothpaste Ingredients: Calcium Carbonate, Purified Water, Sorbitol, Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda), Vegetable Glycerin, Hydrated Silica, Xylitol (birch derived), Sodium Cocyl Glutamate, Carrageenan, Mint Oil, Stevia (Leaf Extract)
One of the most impressive skincare brand discoveries I’ve experienced lately is Apoterra Skincare. The indie green beauty brand is unique in that it has a very homegrown apothecary feel to it, but the products are pretty superior in terms of effectiveness. The Rose Hydrating Toner with Hyaluronic Acid + Rooibos is unique in that it’s one of the few toners out there where you actually feel and see results. When used after cleansing with serums and oils, I find that my skin is more efficiently hydrated, glowing, and clear. When I use this toner with night treatments, I find that I wake up with a lovely, hydrated glow and a clarity to my skin that’s not there otherwise. It also smells really nice – like rose and tea ♥
Rose Hydrating Toner with Hyaluronic Acid + Rooibos Ingredients: distillates of Rosa damascena (rose)*, Pelargonium spp. (geranium)*, Cistus Ladaniferus (rock rose)* and Boswellia carterii (Frankincense)∆. Aspalathus linearis (rooibos) leaf* and Water (Aqua)*, Aloe barbadensis leaf*, Sodium hyaluronic acid, niacinamide (vitamin B3), Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate *certified organic ∆wildcrafted
The other product I tried out was this Herbal Detoxifying Facial Steam. It almost looks like loose Leaf tea in the jar and you even steep it in boiling water just like you would tea, but instead of drinking it, you place it in a large bowl and lean your face down over the water with a towel covering your head and the bowl so that the steam from this herbal tea steams your face and infuses antioxidants into your skin. It’s a brilliant way to treat your skin without added products, prepare your skin for a face mask or treatment, or simply relax after a hard day. You can also take the steamed water when you’re finished and add it to face mask powder to use in a face treatment or to your bath water for added antioxidant power I really loved using this as a facial steam, but I definitely think it works well added to face masks also. I haven’t tried it in bath water yet so I will let you know!
Herbal Detoxifying Steam with Flowers + Cleansing Herbs Ingredients: Centaurea cyanus (cornflowers)*, Calendula officinalis (calendula) flowers*,Matricaria chamomilla (chamomile) flowers*, Rosa damascena (rose) petals*, Lavandula angustifolia (lavender) buds*, Ocimum sp. (tulsi) leaf*, Mentha piperita (peppermint) leaf*,Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf*, Aloysia citriodora (lemon verbena) leaf*, Plantago major (plantain) leaf*, Azadirachta indica (neem) leaf*, Urtica dioica (nettle) leaf* *certified organic
Vapour Organic Beauty is one of my favorite green beauty brands and with good reason (See my review for Vapour Beauty Here!). Their products are not only natural and organically formulated, but all of their products are consciously manufactured and packaged using wind and solar energy and sustainable materials. My latest love from Vapour is their Plumping Lip Gloss in Bitten which I got in my GoodBeing Box for February (see what else I got HERE). This gorgeous tinted lip gloss is silky (not sticky) and makes my lips feel more hydrated, soft, and plump while lending a gorgeous muted red color to lips. I’ve been wearing it alone over lip balm and layered over red lipsticks and berry lip colors to great effect.
Plumping Lip Gloss Ingredients:Organic Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Mica, Castor Isostearate Beeswax Succinate*, Organic Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Organic Lecithin, Organic Euterpe Oleracea (Acai) Fruit Extract, Organic Lycium Barbarum (Goji) Fruit Extract, Organic Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Essential Oils & Natural Fruit Essences, Organic Cera Alba (Beeswax), Stevia Rebaudiana (Stevia) Extract, Organic Melissa Officinalis (Lemon Balm) Leaf Extract, Wildcrafted Commiphora Myrrha (Myrrh) Gum, Organic Cetraria Islandica (Iceland Moss) Extract, Organic Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract [+/-: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, 77492, 77499), Carmine (CI 75470), Manganese Violet (CI 77742)]. *Eco-Cert. Elixir Plumping Lip Gloss contains 70% organic ingredients and 30% minerals.
This season seems to be really good for natural wellness and oral care products for me! I discovered CocoFloss, a sustainable floss company which also helps donate their super gentle and soft eco-friendly floss to developing countries with every purchase. Most eco-friendly flosses are too rough for my sensitive gums, but this soft floss is both durable and gentle. It’s very soft on my gums and works really well. Plus, they’re scented/flavored with fruit accents such as coconut and strawberries (both are amazing, but coconut is my fave!). I also just really love their mission to bring better dental health to people around the world. The second discovery is this Pearlbar bamboo toothbrush from Aurora Beauty which is incredibly SOFT. Like, so freaking soft! It’s not only made with sustainable materials and 100% biodegradable, it’s also gentle on teeth and gums and infused with detoxifying charcoal.
I was so lucky to be sent this limited edition body care duo from Rachel’s Plan Bee X KimberlyLoc. It’s a collaboration with the incredible green beauty blogger, KimberlyLoc, and both of these definitely make my top body care products for winter! They both share a delicious jasmine, rose and vanilla scent that’s, straight up, intoxicating. It’s relaxing, soothing , feminine and sexy all at once. Moreover, the scrub is really unique because it includes hydrating shea butter in the formula so it’s much more hydrating and gentle than other sugar scrubs on the market. The body oil is thick, hydrating, and super softening to your skin. Both lend the beautiful scent as well which is perfect for right before bed.
kimberlyloc x Rachel’s Plan Bee Limited Edition Body Oil Ingredients: prunus armeniaca (apricot) kernel oil*, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil*, limnanthes alba (meadowfoam) seed oil, vitis vinifera (grape) seed oil, tocopherol (mixed)**, jasminum grandiflorum (jasmine grande) flower oil, jasminum sambac (jasmine sambac) flower oil, rosa damascena (rose) absolute, vanilla planifolia, citrus sinensis (sweet orange) oil*, caprylic capric triglycerides. *certified organic **non-gmo
kimberlyloc x Rachel’s Plan Bee Limited Edition Body Polish Ingredients: sucrose*, apricot kernel oil*, shea butter*, grape seed oil, Moroccan lava clay, white kaolin, beeswax, tocopherol (mixed)**, jasminum grandiflorum (jasmine grande) flower oil, jasminum sambac (jasmine sambac) flower oil, rosa damascena (rose) absolute, vanilla planifolia, citrus sinensis (sweet orange) oil*, caprylic capric triglycerides, glyceryl monocaprylate, glyceryl monoundecylenate. *certified organic **non-gmo
Last, but certainly not least are these seriously soothing dry shampoos from Green and Gorgeous Organics that I’ve been using as nighttime treatments. You can use them during the day and they smell lovely – herbal and fresh – but I prefer them as night treatments for soothing my itchy scalp and absorbing excess oil since the texture of the powder is grittier than other dry shampoos so it takes more work to distribute these throughout my hair. They’re not good for tossing onto your hair and running – try THIS ONE instead for that. Instead, I prefer to use these dry shampoos for calming any inflammation, irritation or itchiness and absorbing oils as I sleep because they do so brilliantly. It’s also important to mention that you might not need dry shampoo in the morning after using these because they absorb oil well. It’s just a matter of preference.
Have You Tried Any of These?
What Are Your Top Green Beauty Discoveries for Winter?
Come Chat With Me!
Facebook ♥ Twitter ♥ Instagram ♥ Pinterest ♥ Google+ ♥ Tumblr
Want More? Sign Up for My Email Newsletter and Get Exclusive Content & Coupon Codes!
Visit Tianna @ Storybook Apothecary’s profile on Pinterest.
*PR Samples; All opinions and thoughts are 100% honest and based entirely on my own personal experience. Affiliate links in post. Not all links are affiliate.
MORE TO LOVE ♥
- DIY Projects for Spring
- Beautiful Eco Chic MAHALO Skincare Review
- How to Get A Cruelty-Free Face
- The Best Luxury Beauty Products
- The Magical Miracle that Is Josh Rosebrook Skincare
The post Winter Green Beauty Discoveries appeared first on Storybook Apothecary.
