Ms. Healthy Face

If you have been looking to purge yourself of chemical and preservative filled hair and skin care, then keep reading... Bogavia is a skin and hair care brand free of: parabens, mineral oil, sodium laurel sulfate, artificial fragrance, and chemical preservatives! Oh yeah, and cruelty-free!! Everything in their ingredient list is easily pronounceable and all natural with a lot of organic plant and fruit extracts. They have a line for adults and babies -- so exciting! I contacted Bogavia after learning that they crafted a baby-friendly skincare line. My sons have grown a little fascination with creams and lotions after watching my AM & PM skincare routines. So, I had been looking for a baby-friendly lotion for them. I absolutely love Bogavia's Extra Gentle Healing Butter for my two angels' soft skin. The Healing Butter, infused with Calendula, is a thick unscented cream with a denseness like Desitin, but feels like a lotion. It can be used and applied all over the fac...

Since I have sworn off exfoliating scrubs a la Lisa Eldridge,  my skin has been looking a bit dull. Earlier today, I had a small window for a quick pick me up.  The boys had just gone down for their nap. I had 30 minutes to mask, shower, and get ready. To be honest, this Alba Botanica Hawaiian face mask has been sitting in my medicine cabinet for a minute. I was skeptical about it when Health Designs sent it to me a few months ago. The first time I read the directions, "Apply for 5 minutes", I shrugged it off....and I am so sad I waited this long....   

I had never used an aerosol-free shaving cream...have you?   Well, that is why I was so stoked when  Alba Botanica's Very Emollient Shaving Foam  was sent to me from healthdesigns.com (they carry almost the entire Alba Botanica line) because I am never going back to Gillette shaving foam/cream/gel, etc.!

Serums, to me, are an absolute necessity -- like taking your daily multivitamin. Essentially, serums are multi-vitamins for your face, and trust me, your face needs all the nutrients it can get after being exposed to the sun and pollution. So, when I look for a serum, I make sure that it has at least Vitamin C and E, and any other antioxidants or anti-aging ingredients are a plus.  Vitamin C and E are important anti-aging antioxidants that prevent and reduce oxidative damage from UV exposure, pollutants, and intrinsic aging.  Serums are powerful and quick to absorb because they are extremely concentrated. More specifically, serums leave out emulsifiers and hydrating-agents that most moisturizers include. Thus, you only need a small pea-sized amount, but keep in mind, that serums must be applied before moisturizing so that it has the best chance to absorb. Now, while serums are powerful with all their super ingredients, religious topical application will not...

My dream-come-true medicine cabinet would be filled with bottles and bottles of serums that treated every single skin ailment, from dryness to dullness; from wrinkles to hyperpigmentation. I am on my way to building a sizeable collection, but I am far from my ideal serum collection. My latest serum addition and obsession is  Palmetto Derma’s Hydrating and Firming Serum . Palmetto Derma is an up-and-coming, cruelty-free, and certified-organic skincare line.  That’s not all -- all of Palmetto Derma’s products are paraben-free, sulfate-free, and alcohol-free, and so it really is a skincare line that can be used by any gender, and all skin types, including the most sensitive skin. (yay! ::happy dance::) Palmetto Derma also takes pride in being a brand that is more than  skin  deep. They donate 1% of all profits to Breast Cancer Awareness.  I connected with the owner and founder, and she was gracious enough to send me a full size bottle to t...

I love Trader Joe's! Recently, I discovered their face wash with tea tree oil. Tea tree oil is amazing. It an essential oil and acts like a natural antiseptic. Some claim it is almost as good as benzoyl peroxide, which is awesome for acne-prone and sensitive skin people like me. I was eager to switch from my sensitive Cetaphil because I have been attempting to limit my paraben exposure, and so I began using it for my daily facial cleansings -- twice a day. The tea tree oil wash smells great - mainly from the tea tree oil, which is a camphoraceous smell. However, using it twice a day began to dry out my skin. So, I went back to TJ's to try out their other face wash. The 'Nourish' face wash is an awesome complement to the tea tree oil wash. It's light, fragrance-free, and doesn't leave your skin feeling tight and stripped. It's perfect for the morning facial cleansing! I would definitely recommend both the washes. I like to use the tea tree oil wash at night a...