Tag: cosmetics

Caring is Sharing

Sometimes, being vegan is easier said than done, especially depending on where you live. Even as veganism rises in popularity, many restaurants and grocery stores still have only a small selection of plant-based options. However, this movement has been continuously on the rise and wider varieties of food and cosmetic items have popped up, particularly online. The accessibility of these virtual shopping ops mean that it’s effortless to spoil that special vegan in your life with thoughtful, cruelty-free gifts shipped directly to their door.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)2 Comments

Hands-On Probiotics

Change is the only reliable constant when it comes to advice on health and wellness. Young or old, fit or inactive, immune support tends to be a hot topic, especially as colder months creep closer. The once popular antibacterial hand sanitizers that once proliferated in grocery stores, doctor’s offices, and public school alike have suddenly turned into the enemy. It seems that the detrimental effects may outweigh the benefits. By indiscriminately destroying all germs, both good and bad, you may end up with a more fragile immune system that’s less capable of coping with even a mild cold. It makes perfect sense, in hindsight, but turns previous health commonsense preventative care on its head. Without this protective line of self defense, what is one to do?

Probiotics are here to save the day, again, but not in the form you may think.

We’ve all heard of probiotics in our food and our supplements—but what about our hand sanitizer? Desert Essence has changed the probiotic game with their new Probiotic Hand Sanitizers, available in three botanical-infused formulas. While they kill 99.99% of most common harmful germs, they also deliver good bacteria from probiotic-packed vegan-certified kefir. Further differentiating themselves from harsh, old-fashioned options, a few drops actually helps moisturize skin, rather than drying it out.

Available in lightly scented blends of lavender, lemongrass, and simply tea tree oil, any aroma is short lived but refreshing and invigorating when you need it. Cooling upon contact, it’s like a topical palate cleanser, between activities. Best of all, the mini size is perfect for travel, because everyone knows the importance – and difficulty – of staying healthy while on the road or in the sky.

Are you on the probiotic bandwagon yet? Go ahead and rub it in; there are more ways to get your daily dose than yogurt and sauerkraut now!

Use the promo code DEprobioticpower to get 30% off Desert Essence Probiotic Hand Sanitizers by visiting desertessence.com.

This review was made possible as a collaboration with Moms Meet and Desert Essence. My opinions can not be bought and all content is original. This page may contain affiliate links; thank you for supporting my blog!

Hannah (BitterSweet)3 Comments

Bare Essentials

This blog post is sponsored by iHerb but as always, the opinions and experiences expressed in this post are my own.

Essentially, the freshest new obsessions in ancient wellness trends are essential oils.

Distilled from the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, or fruits, essential oils are the most concentrated expression of individual plants available through natural means, which makes them incredibly potent and effective for therapeutic uses. It doesn’t take a medical degree to reap the benefits, though! Aura Cacia makes these powerful extracts accessible to everyone, offering well over one hundred single origin essential oils and dozens of different blends. Previously overlooked or simply unavailable in small health food shops, iHerb is delivering the largest selection of these indispensable ingredients around.

Based in California but reaching customers in over 150 countries all around the world, iHerb boasts over 30,000 brand name natural products, guaranteed at the highest quality and lowest prices possible. Free or discounted shipping ensures that your oils will arrive on time for even the most urgent needs or ailments; no need to suffer from both an unfortunate malady and the offense of an interminable wait. Additionally, do I have to remind you that all this shopping can be done from the comfort of your own home, without going on a mad goose chase trying to hunt down obscure pieces to complete your wellness puzzle?

Aura Cacia oils promise the highest standards of quality. You’ll never find synthetic fragrances, fillers, artificial colors or stabilizers in any of their products. Only 100% pure essential oils make the cut.

Starting from truly the bare essentials, uses for these powerhouse oils are endless. Take a peek into my kitchen and you’ll undoubtedly find an impressive array of those tiny glass bottles standing tall, but perhaps not in the way you might imagine for someone as food-focused as myself.

Not only do citrus oils infuse everything they touch with a bright, clean, uplifting scent, but they’re also powerhouse grease busters. Natural antibacterial and antiviral properties make everything from lemon, tangerine, grapefruit, sweet orange, and all the sunny shades of warm yellow in between ideal candidates for chemical-free cleaning. My very favorite Citrus Symphony Dish Scrub is made of little more than baking soda and essential oils. Sometimes I’ll switch up the routine and inject a new bright scent with ginger or lemongrass, which are both excellent for soothing nausea, in case the aroma of your splattered, stained, and crusty dishes becomes overwhelming.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)3 Comments

Primed and Polished

Right alongside clothing concerns, from ethical production to actual components, cosmetics are often one of the last things that one considers when choosing a vegan lifestyle. In our food-obsessed culture, the focus is almost entirely on diet, while the remainder of our vast purchasing habits go largely unquestioned. It’s confusing, too, discerning the difference between cruelty-free certifications and pledges to avoid animal testing.

Then there’s the considerations towards personal health. Just finding something off the shelf that’s non-toxic is surprisingly difficult, with many mainstream labels boasting genuinely harmful chemicals like dibutyl phthalate (DBP), toluene, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, and camphor. When brands say that they’re five-free, it’s these bad apples that don’t make the cut. Now, many are taking it a step further to go “seven-free,” excluding triphenyl phosphate (TPHP) and xylene. That’s before we even start talking about shades and shimmers.

Based in Australia, Sienna Byron Bay has made the decision an easy one. Completely sustainable, vegan, and genuinely beneficial for your nails with breathable, water permeable polishes, each dazzling hue offers smart beauty in a bottle. Considering the disturbing number of landmines one must avoid when making an informed purchase, I was delighted to learn of this new brand, jumping at the opportunity to adorn my own fingertips.

That said, after years of grabbing hot pans out of the oven and washing dishes with scalding water, my hands are not very pretty to look at. To do these gorgeous lacquers proper justice AND enjoy them for longer than the average lifespan of a manicure, I decided to get a bit crafty.

Turning just a few drops of Sundance and Grace into genuine paints, plain white bowls became marbleized masterpieces in minutes. The idea is not a new one, but timelessly brilliant for any fellow photographers looking to jazz up their prop closet, or crafty kids who want to give personalized gifts this holiday season (because it’s never too early to start planning!)

Just fill a large bucket with enough water to submerge your dishes and drizzle your polishes of choice randomly over the top. The colors will float! Dip carefully, in one slow plunge, covering the surface smoothly. Let dry, but if you’re not happy with the results, just hit it with some nail polish remover and try again. Add more polish to the water if needed. Use with care, avoiding both the dishwasher and microwave to preserve the pattern.

Greater awareness of issues with cosmetics is building, which is very exciting to see, even as a fair-weather beauty enthusiast. Do you have any hot tips on brands to seek out, or surprising labels to avoid? It’s time to clean the shelves; no matter how you use lacquer, no one wants an evil genie to come out of those bottles.

Hannah (BitterSweet)3 Comments

Read My Lips (Lippy Girl GIVEAWAY!)

Makeup, hair, wardrobe, and modeling by Melisser Eliott.

Makeup is far from my field of expertise. Though fascinated by it from an early age, that intrigue never translated into successful application, and my skills remain limited to the basics. Luckily, lipstick is one cosmetic option that even I can handle, which is why finding brands that are ethical and non-toxic has been imperative. Master makeup artist Melisser Elliot gets all the credit for hooking me up with Lippy Girl, and flaunting their “Son of a Brick” Vegocentric Organic Vegan Lipstick so stunningly in the above photo shoot.

Without resorting to carmine and beeswax, add a bold splash of color to your own ensemble with shades to match any outfit, no matter how avant-garde or conventional. In case you’re not feeling quite so daring, rest assured that many shades are quite sheer with buildable coverage. Which lipstick color would you choose from the vibrant, variegated options? Let me know in a comment and you could win it, along with a tube of Extra Virgin Lip Gloss! Don’t forget to hop over and log your submission on the official giveaway form, and find more ways to rack up entries for a better chance to win big. This giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada, and will run until Thursday, May 14th. Good luck!

Hannah (BitterSweet)41 Comments