LIQUID HAND SOAPS GO LUXE
Photo Credit: Nordstrom.com
That innocent bystander on your sink—the hand soap—now is getting its due. Several brands are introducing beautiful varieties that now are on par with shower gels in their look and feel, and certainly in their ingredients. Since hands get extremely dry with repeated washings, hand soaps by nature tout “moisturizing” benefits like a Superbowl commercial. Here are some we love:
L’Occitane Verbena Cleansing Hand Wash ($20)
This pale yellow number is formulated with a vegetable base and is gentle enough to use on a baby’s hands.The sparkling lemony aroma of verbena gives cleansing hands that zing, and while it’s a pricier hand soap than most, it’s worth it for that non-
GORGEOUS GIVEAWAY: SHEA YELEEN NATURAL SKINCARE TRIO
This week’s Gorgeous Giveaway is perfect for soothing dry skin and chapped lips caused by cold winter temperatures—all with ethically sourced ingredients. We have 3 sets of the Shea Yeleen Natural Skincare Trio (a $27.50 value) to give to our lucky winners. The trio includes a body butter, soap, and lip balm.
Shea Yeleen is a new line of skincare that was founded by a third generation Ghanaian-American, during her service in the Peace Corps. The line exclusively uses pure, unrefined shea butter sourced fairly and ethically from women-owned cooperatives in sub-Saharan Africa. This grade A, organic shea butter is produced using traditional methods, without the addition of chem
DRY SKIN BLUES? SHEA BUTTER TO THE RESCUE
Winter is in full swing and so are the harsh realities of dry, cracking winter skin. Moisturizing is, of course, key, and what better way to soothe your skin than with shea butter, a naturally-derived fat that absorbs quickly into the skin without leaving a greasy feeling? From hair to nails, lotions to face masks, shea butter is a powerful dryness fighting ingredient found in many products.
Photo Credit: loccitane.com
No round-up is complete without a nod to the master of shea butter brands: L’Occitane. With a wide range of body care, from its cult classic hand cream to lotions, shampoos, and
CRUELTY FREE AND VEGAN, THE BEAUTY OF HALAL
Beauty companies are becoming savvier and savvier about the products we want to use and how it affects the world around us. Going “Green†has become de rigueur, where products are organic, natural, and cruelty-free. Now, comes another label to look out for: halal (“permissible†in Arabic) products. According to Organic Monitor, halal beauty products, designed originally for Muslim consumers, now compose almost 20% of the global beauty market. A halal seal of approval appeals to both Muslim and non-Muslim customers because they seek out products with ingredients not derived from animals, especially pork-based—like gelatin, glycerin, and collagen—as well
