Hair
Some of you may remember that I tried going "no 'poo" at one point last year. I kept up with it for a few months, but eventually quit, mainly because we have hard water, and I just couldn't get the right balance. The only time my hair was really nice was when we were away from home, otherwise it was either dry or greasy.
But, I didn't want to go back to using shampoo and conditioner with sulfates or parabens, so I've been using the following:
Shikai Shampoos and Conditioners
I've used both the henna highlighting and the volumizing and I like them both. I buy them at Wegmans, but there are several different places you can get them. The price is higher than normal shampoo and the bottles are a little smaller, but I find it still lasts me a while. These claim to be sulfate, paraben, and detergent free.
Burt's Bees Shampoos and Conditioners
I've used the Very Volumizing and the Super Shiny. I do not like the Very Volumizing. It leaves my hair feeling and looking greasy. I do, however, like the Super Shiny. My mom bought it for me for my birthday. It cleans and moisturizes my hair well, and the mango smell is great. Burt's Bee's makes a claim about how natural each product is, and these are all supposed to be more than 98% natural. I just like that they are sulfate and paraben free and use natural fragrances. I have been informed, however, that they have been bought out by Clorox; I'm not sure if we'll see any changes because of that.
Soap
Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap
I have used both the Lavender and the Eucalyptus and I love them both. They are non GMO, fair trade, castile soaps. I love the way they lather, and I love the way they smell. I use them as everday soap in the shower, to scent the bathtub, and I use the eucalyptus one to bathe Finn (eucalyptus oil can help keep bugs away). The only time I didn't use this soap was the day of the egg retrieval because the doctor told me that fragrances can affect egg quality. Dr. Bronner's does make unscented castile soap, but I didn't have any on hand at the time. These can be pricey, but I find a little goes a long way.
Lotion
As much as I love Bath and Body Works scents, I've stopped trying to use them and have made the following substitutions:
Burt's Bees Richly Replenishing Lotion
This one claims to be 99% natural and is also paraben free and uses natural fragrances. I find that it moisturizes well and doesn't leave me feeling greasy. I even use it on my face sometimes.
Skylar Farms Goat's Milk Body Butter
I like to put this on before bed. I bought it at Klein's Dairy where I buy raw milk, but there's and Etsy store too. It is also paraben free. I have the pumpkin spice scent which smells AMAZING! I like to use it before bed as it is rich and creamy. It's pricey for every day use though.
Episcencial Soothing Lotion
I love this stuff! I first tried it in a bag of samples my sister-in-law Bridget sent me when I first became pregnant. It's an all natural lotion with probiotics. I love it because it's super light and super moisturizing. It really helps with the itchiness I get from my growing breasts and belly. Again, it's not cheap, but it's totally worth it. I bought a tube at the store where Bridget works in Rochester, Luvaboos. They have an online store too, and I recommend checking it out. They have a lot of great, natural products for mother and baby.
Deodorant
Tom's of Maine Deodorant, Wild Lavender
Okay, my goal is to use an aluminum free deodorant, and this is what I'm using right now, but I'm not in love with it. It's a little wet and greasy feeling. It does the job well enough though. I've also heard that Tom's was bought out by Monsanto and that they are making changes to their products which makes me uncomfortable. Right now I'm waiting for this one to run out, then I plan to try something new.
Kiss My Face Aluminum Free Deodorant
I bought this one at Wegmans, and liked it quite a bit; it works well. However, I'm looking for something a little more natural, so I probably won't use this one again.
Pregnancy
Episcencial Silky Powder
This summer, as my boobs have gotten bigger and the weather has gotten hotter, I've been dealing with sweaty (and sometimes even smelly) cleavage. This stuff helps with that SO MUCH. It has a soft smell and is not talcum based. It feels silky like the bottle claims. I bought this one at Luvaboos too.
Motherlove Pregnant Belly Salve
I bought this one from Luvaboos too. It smells like chamomile tea and helps with itchiness and stretch marks. It is a little greasy, so I usually put it on before bed, not in the morning, because I don't want to get it on my clothes. It really does help with the itchiness, and it smells good.
Earth Mama Angel Baby Natural Stretch Oil
I bought this one at Wegmans, but Luavboos sells it too. It's an all natural oil that is supposed to help with stretch marks. It feels nice going on, but it is an OIL, so it definitely leaves me feeling greasy. I switch back and forth between this one and the the Motherlove.
Earth Mama Angel Baby Morning Wellness Tea
Okay, so this one isn't really a beauty product, but it's amazing. Bridget had sent me several of these tea bags in my little pregnancy sample bag, and they were the only things that really helped with my nausea when I had it throughout the day. It's a mint and ginger tea which I drank "black" or with a little sugar. It tasted really good, and it seriously helped with the nausea immediately. I would have drunk it all day except I was hesitant to overdue it on either of the main ingredients. I've read in several places to be careful with peppermint because of preterm labor and my friend Brad, an herbalist, said to be careful not to overdue it with ginger because it can affect your blood volume during pregnancy. I used a max of two tea bags a day, and sometimes I brewed the same tea bag twice. Luvaboos and Wegmans both sell it.
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