Natural, organic and eco empties - June 2017

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Oganic and natural product empties

Well, we all know what it is all about, so let's dive in!

DrOrganic Rose Facial Scrub - decluttering

I said this time and time again, and now it is official - this brand is one of the greenwashing ones, pretending greener than they are actually are, and I am glad it is out in the open now. Check Soil Association website if you don’t want to take my word for it, that is all I am saying. I am done with this brand maybe just bar one products, because of these greenwashing claims and because none but one product worked for me. This scrub I used only once and it was way too harsh on my skin, plus it broke me out. My teen also said the same thing, plus she described it as rubbing sandpaper all over your face. I have to say I second her. Oh, this was bought by my hubby in post Christmas sale last year. Seeing at it was used only one centimetre down, I should have binned this long time ago. As you can guess, not a repurchase.

Mahalo Vitality Elixir

Oh, what a sad day was in Green Life In Dublin Casa when this ran out! Maryna, could I get more please? Pretty please? See my review here, but if you follow me for any length of time, you know I love this facial oil - it has great ingredients and my uber sensitive and dermatitis prone skin loved it. It has something to do with turmeric :) In fact I loved all the Mahalo products I have had a chance to try, and even though I am living La Vida Broka right now, I have to find ways to repurchase some of her products. Santa? Are you listening?

Miaroma Chamomile essential oil

Bought it from Holland & Barrett a while ago, and now it's sadly gone off on me, without getting proper use out of it. Not repurchasing any essential oils from this brand, I don't find them good quality. For example, this smells like old sunflower oil (you know, cooking oil). I’ve never had it with any essential oils from other brands I used to date.

Jane Iredale lash conditioner mini

I am so impressed with it, I am definitely getting a full size of it soon. Makes any mascara ten times better by adding volume and length, and that is exactly what I am looking for. I knew of this product's existence for a long time but never thought of getting it until I tried it for myself. Yes, it is 20plus euros expense on top of your mascara expense, but seeing how much it helps my lashes to look amazing, I can finally justify that extra spending on it.

Flower and Spice facial cream and scrub

I met up with a Flower and Spice founder and formulator Karmen a little while ago for a cup of green tea and green beauty chat, and she gave me samples of her upcoming collection, launching fall 2017. Lovely products. I am still using their facial oil, as oils last for quite a long time, it will end up in next month's empties.

Dublin Herbalists samples

This is a natural company local to me, they sent me samples of all their products a few months ago, and I am yet to put a review out. Will have to work on it harder.

Mii Minerals mineral foundation - decluttering

I have this for more than five years, so obviously it is time to let it go! I don’t even know if they are still around, but at that time they had two sides to their products and website too - organic products and non organic. This is too dark for me, shade !!!!!!! and thankfully my friend who is happy to take things off my hands has darker skin tone than me. I do not worry about passing this onto her - loose minerals have a long shelf life and I have done nothing to contaminate it. Otherwise I give her strict instructions of how many months she has left in one or the other product. Not a repurchase. I am loving Pure Anada mineral foundation.

Egyptian Magic Balm

This I’d bought myself, and the bugger expired on me despite the jar saying it is still good until 02/2018. But as I know I’d gotten it many months ago, I am OK with letting it go, even though it is barely used. 35€ down the drain, well done Renata! The thing is I bought this just before I won or was sent some other more luxurious balms, so needless to say I pushed this aside in order to try and use those other products. This is good basic balm, and if you are not looking for frills or bells and whistles in your balm, this is a good one to try. Especially if you have allergies or sensitivities to some ingredients. I think I will still review this eventually, but it will be a while before I will repurchase it, I now aim to have only one balm open at any given time.

Mahalo Rare Indigo balm (mini)

I actually finished two mini jars of it, and I enjoyed them tremendously! This product is amazing for troubled and inflamed skin, I can attest to that. I would go on as far as to say it is one of the very few products I would spend 100plus euros on it. I will review it or update my Mahalo review soon. I am fortunate enough to own a full size of it acquired in a green beauty swap. The jar is half full, but nonetheless, it will last me for months. Thanks beautiful soul that you are Boriana or 1988 Bori from Instagram!

Natural products trash or empties :)

Ren Evercalm Ultra Rescue mask (sample)

This is another great product at calming red and angry skin, I was amazed at how well it worked! Ren is a line I used here and there, but stopped for a while when I found out all products have phenoxyethanol in them, it is synthetic preservative that everyone's in green beauty bashing, but no one has a good alternative or solution to it. I do have some products containing it, but I try to keep those to a minimum, as researchers say it is “slightly toxic” in higher concentrations. Umm, slightly toxic??! I’ll keep it to a minimum then, thanks! But I am interested in that calming mask, goddammit! Oh, what to do? I have a sample of the calming serum from the same line.

Greenfrog Botanic hand soap

Review here if you want to check it out. This is good natural non sudsing soap made from soap berries and organic aloe vera. The texture will take a bit of time to get used it, but because of it, my family asked me not to get this hand soap and shower gels, and I have to respect their wishes. We are trying Organii brand now, also found in Love Lula.

Leahlani Champagne serum

I absolutely adore their Mermaid mask (and finally have a full size of it coming my way) but I am sad to say Champagne serum didn't work out for me, too much essential oils for my sensitive skin to handle. I still want to try everything else in the line though, everything sounds absolutely ahhmaaaaazing!

Lotus Wei Infinite Love anointing oil

I adore this line of Lotus Wei products, and at the same time am sad to say these roll ons are too strong for me, too much essential oils for me to handle - if I use it anywhere near my head or torso, I get instant headaches. And it is sad, because if I use it on my arms or wrists somewhere, I can't feel the gorgeous aroma, and that is specifically why I bought it. I went on to purchase a mist in the same line, it is more diluted and I have no problem with it.

Lotus Wei Joy Juice Elixir

Again, a product from a gorgeous brand, and I would gladly repurchase it, but they raised the prices since my last purchase in December, and I don't think I have the funds for them right now. They were not cheap to begin with, but now the aura mist costs 40£, which is way out of my price range. Wish I could have a constant supply of these, and will be sad if I couldn't get them anymore. Find my review here. But the reality is, someone close to me is seriously ill now, and I face medical expenses.

A repurchase? Not quite sure yet. I do know I want them, I surely do, I just need to find funds for them. Which is tricky, not going to lie.

Frankincense toothpaste from Living Libations

I bought this, happy tooth serum and happy tooth ozonated gum gel from Dutch Health Store - check them out for the largest Living Libations selection in Europe. There are some more online stores that carry Living Libations, but they seem to have a few selected Best Skin Ever and that's it. My initial draw to the brand was different, I wanted to try their dental products first and foremost, which is why I dropped more than a hundred bucks for three items. I will reserve my thoughs for the review post, so stay tuned! Ps. now that my dental products post is live, I can link it here.

Naobay Soft Tollerance and Eye Contour Cream

I used to use this in winter, together with Mahalo Vitality Elixir serum, and the two together worked great, but when I ran out of the said serum and started using cream on it's own, my skin got irritated. Not a downfall of the product, as it happened with the face cream I used after this as well. I don't know, my skin is really weird in that sense, I can never be guaranteed if it will be able to tolerate something at the same level two months on. That's why I never rush with skincare reviews. Naobay argan oil on the other hand is lovely, and I can use it without a bother. This might be your perfect cream, if it didn't suit me, it doesn't mean it won't suit you too.

Soley eyGLO face cream

This is the cream I am talking about, I used half of the jar without a care in the world, and was ready to write a glowing review on it, as I really liked it, but something happened halfway through the jar and my skin started showing signs of irritation in a form of redness, so I discontinued it. Try it for yourself, as it might be just the thing for you? If you have dry skin you will love it, if you are on more of the oilier side, I am afraid this isn't the product for you.

Human & Kind body oil

Unfortunately this contains wheatgerm oil, hence gluten, so I can't use it, and as no one else in my family are using body oils or creams, I am passing it on to someone else who will enjoy it. Great smell though. I used it once on my hair to try it out, and it did sink in really fast, which I loved.

100%Pure SPF30 Everywhere Stick

This is another full size product that expired on me before I could use it up or form my final opinion on it. My first impression was that is leaves a very white white cast that's hard to rub in. Not sure if repurchasing or not.

Flying Wild lip balm (and body and hand balms)

I think this is my favourite Irish company that does wonderful balms with pure honey and very few ingredients. Nothing that does not benefit the skin, isn't in their products. Reviews here and here if you want to see it? Adore. Insert every heart eyed emoji here!

Definitely a repurchase.

Kimberly Sayer Antioxidant SPF30 face cream (sample)

I am using Ultra Light SPF30 face cream as my “city” SPF product for a second year running, it is aimed at oily skin people, so naturally I wanted to try the other version aimed for dry skin. Not impressed enough to switch, I am sticking to the oily skin version - it is twice the amount for the same price, and it comes in a pump bottle whereas the dry skin version is in a pot, where you scoop it out with your fingers. Not moisturising enough to make me switch, I find little difference in them, plus it has too much lavender scent, something I don't like. Sticking with the one I have.

DrBronners Almond soap (1 litre)

Not pictured, because my daughter threw it away without thinking, but we all know what DrBronners bottle looks like :) I don't use it for washing my face, body or hair, because the ph is too high and I find it too drying. But I constantly have it in the house, because I wash clothes with it and use it for cleaning, it is excellent for that. Now I am trying soap nuts to see of they compare and if I can bring the cost down, because as you can imagine, washing clothes with DrBronners is an expensive business! For some (maddening) reason it costs twice as much in EU than in the US.

A repurchase? constant!

Solgar Vit D 2500iu (not pictured)

This is what I use daily and I recommend everyone check their levels because majority of us are deficient. Most of us think of vitD as for babies, but guess what? VitD is not only a vitamin but also a hormone needed for 300+ body functions daily, so this is something to consider if you are not taking it already. I noticed huge improvements in my SAD and keeping my skin healthy and dermatitis at bay.

Udo’s Adult Blend 17Billion Probiotics

Again, this is something I take to keep dermatitis at bay. Probiotics are hugely popular right now, and I used not to pay attention to this push a few years back, thinking it is a latest fad/something I don't need, until I learned this is exactly the key to healing your gut. Aka healing skin issues. Heal your gut = heal your life. Choose as much billions as you can afford. Not millions.

Solgar Balance Rhodiola Complex

Another key part in managing my SAD (I touched on it here and there, and you can clearly see I’m suffering from it in my Winter Faves post) - definitely a repurchase come next winter, I take this and vitD, plus magnesium and it had made a huge difference in how I feel.

Bellapierre Antique Pink liquid lipstick

This came in the latest Love Lula beauty box, and I knew straight away I wouldn't be able to pull this off, so a swatch later I am passing it onto a friend, who has no job and major health issues and is down in the dumps because of it- I hope this and something else in the care package I am preparing for her will cheer her up!

Puressential Muscles & Joints Massage gel

Found and acquired by Mr Anti Social Media Green Life In Dublin himself, I am kind of proud of this! When we, or should I say I, transitioned into green beauty years and years ago, I was met with resistance for half a decade so strong, that we used to have “his and hers” products for a while, and now I see most of the conventional products vanishing from our house for good. He seems to be a convert, if he sought this product instead of conventional heat gel he used to get. And he said it's working! Used up before I could take a pic for a blog, but that's dudes for you, they open and use products, it's only me who feels the need to photograph Every Thing before using, haha!

Repurchase? Yes, already have.

Jason toothpaste

I am on forever lookout for a natural toothpaste without carrageenan and glycerine, and this has both. Therefore not a repurchase. I am sort of killing myself finding toothpastes that wouldn't have both, but for once, they are extremely hard to find, and those few that I managed to get my paws on, either taste like swamp or don't do anything! (see my previous post of empties if interested). So in a moment of weakness and frustration I purchased this Jason one, but no more. I used this in alterations with coconut oil toothpaste by Living Libations (shown above) and natural coconut shell charcoal toothpowder. I talk more of them in my dental care post. Now back to those two offenders (in my opinion) The thing is carrageenan is shown to cause inflammation in the body if ingested (not that you would eat your toothpaste or anything, but anything with the word “inflammation” is a red flag for me. Carrageenan is used in a lot of toothpastes for texture. And for some reason, in lots of vegan /health foods and nut milks. I’ll skip those, thanks very much.

Glycerine is shown to coat the teeth and prevent them from remineralising themselves, therefore I don't want that in my toothpaste either, even though it is in practically every natural toothpaste under the sun.

If you happen to know a good toothpaste that wouldn't have carageenan and glycerine, please do me a favour and let me know! You will have my gratitude forever!

Kathy Sue Ann's body butter

I'm testing this and two more products from this line for OBL Club, so not sure if I can talk about this in my blog also, but be sure to read my thoughts on it in OBL database later on. Don't know what OBL Club is? Girl, you need to know. And join! Created by two lovely fellow green beauty bloggers Andrea from Organic Beauty Lover and Rachel from Naturlily, this program lets you try full size organic and natural products for free, they only ask for your honest thoughts on it. And everyone can join, you don't have to be a blogger! I will link it here. And I just got idea to ask Rachel for interview for my Natural Beauties blog series. Stay tuned :)

Mahalo Petal mask (sample, not pictured)

Again, acquired via green beauty swap, the sample allowed me to have two applications of it. But man, I wish I didn't do that second application! Let me tell you why. The first time I used it, I made a little collage and posted it to Instagram, and someone commented that it looks unusually dark. It should have been a warning for me. I kind of forgot about it for a couple of weeks, and when I went on to use it for a second time, my skin BURNED! Not slightly red or irritated, BURNED. My husband compared me to a acid victim, that how bad it was. It all happened during the day, and by the time he was home my skin was back to normal - thanks to manuka honey! Mahalo, I love you dearly, but I will never purchase this mask. Sensitive skin gals, be careful with this, don't leave it on for five minutes, and never use it if you have a slight suspicion it might be old. I don't want to put you off your dinner, but this is how I looked: SCARY! In real life the skin was even more red, my new camera frustratingly adds cool tones to everything. Sigh.

So that is it for now. What have you guys finished lately?

Lots of Love,

Renata.

Related posts:

May 2017 Empties

Spring 2017 Empties

Winter 2017 Empties

Disclaimer: after some recent event I decided to add that you can't use any of my photos without my permission. Not that anyone would steal empty product photo or anything, but I want people to know that any of my blog photos are my property and not public domain. I am happy to let brands or web shops use them as long as they give photo credit tracing back to me. Not asking before and not giving photo credit = not cool.