Review: Soap Nuts -- An Alternative to Laundry Detergent

Great news, ladies & gents! I've recently had the unique and fun opportunity to practice my hand at being totally "green" and eco-friendly! 

Hey, I thought my recycling skills alone were "good enough," but when I found out about Soap Nuts, that fantasy concept was squashed. Turns out, recycling is old school and there's an even more awesome way to show some earthly love!   (Okay, recycling will never be old-school. Please don't send the tree-huggers after me. I have cats  & a million year old wiener dog who need me.)

 But Soap Nuts really should be all the rage right now! I don't even know why our grocery stores aren't rushing to take the typical laundry detergents off their shelves! Overstatement? I'll let you decide...

What on earth are Soap Nuts?

Here is a brief description of Soap Nuts that sums it up, straight from Greener Living's webpage. Very interesting too!

"In India, Nepal, and other South Asian countries, a tree called sapindus mukorrosi grows small fruits surrounded by a firm outer shell. This tree is unique because it produces its own natural saponins, a soap-like product, that coats the shell of the fruit. When the fruits ripen and fall from the tree, local families harvest it, then remove the fruit from the seed. The soap nut shell is then dried out in the sun, using absolutely no chemical processing or manufacturing processes. 

The soap nut shell absorbs water and releases saponins which circulate as a natural surfactant in the wash water, reducing the surface tension of the water and freeing dirt, grime and oils from the clothing. They act just as commercial laundry detergents, but without the chemicals. When the clothes are rinsed, the soapnut saponins are washed downstream where they remain harmless to the environment."

How to use Soap Nuts

The Soap Nuts come plastic wrapped and inside a muslin drawstring bag, which is very nice and handy! You remove the Soap Nuts from the plastic and put them inside the muslin bag, then wash as you normally would.

The Soap Nuts can be used as a much safer, healthier alternative for washing clothes, hair, etc.

Soap Nuts work best in warm or hot water. You can also find liquid soap nuts from Greener Living, which are made to work better for cold washes.

Why is using Soap Nuts healthier/safer/better alternative to regular detergents?

• Contain no chemicals
• 100% natural
• They absorb carbon dioxide & produce oxygen
• No chemicals left in clothing, so you can save water by cutting down on rinsing since it won't be entirely necessary using soapnuts. 
• Naturally leaves fabrics softer, so no fabric softeners needed!
• Biodegradable. Add to compost pile. They should be safe on septic tank as well.
• No foaming agents
• No toxins
• Are environmentally friendly
• No added fragrance or dyes/fillers
• Great for people with skin sensitivities/allergies

 Soap Nuts are also a great way to save money in the long run. What you'd normally spend on detergents and softeners will add up, amounting to more than what you spend using the Soap Nuts. Granted they are higher than one bottle of detergent, they can be used more than a couple times each -- even more if you didn't wash a huge or massively dirty load!

So, how well do Soap Nuts clean my laundry?

Just wonderfully! Actually, I didn't expect my clothes to get super duper clean because I assumed the only way to get super dirty clothes clean would require all those chemicals contained in your typical detergents. I was proved wrong. I'm quite impressed at how great my clothes have came out every time I've used the Soap Nuts. In fact, I was sure that my whites were whiter than ever. Stains? Nope! I don't know how well they would remove severe stains such as deep, set-in grease stains, but for the regular, every-day, light-stains, they do a very nice job.

  Using Soap Nuts will not leave your clothing scented. I like this, but occasionally, you want a little clean scent, so you can add essential oils in there if you have em' on hand or care to purchase any. The good thing is, essential oils come in handy for many, many, many uses, so if you purchase any, you can use them for more than just laundry. 

 I personally was happy to have my clothing feel nice and un-stiff like they normally do right after a wash. I felt like the Soap Nuts clean just as well as what I'd been using previously -- detergent from the grocery store. I'm quite fond of these easy-to-use little dudes! 

 The only worry I've had with using Soap Nuts is the brown stains they can leave on clothing due to seeds being left in the nuts.  I had heard about this happening, but fortunately, it has not happened to me and if it does, all it takes it one more wash to rid the stain. No, that's not exactly wonderful or fun, but I was glad to learn the stains can be easily removed if they do occur.

Another fabulous thing about Soap Nuts is they can be used on even delicate clothing like silk, wool, etc. Since a lot of my everyday clothing consists of things like delicate lace, dresses, silky materials, etc, this is really important and handy that I don't have to use an entirely different type of soap to clean different clothing material.

How to tell when the Soap Nut is no longer usable

 My Soap Nuts from Greener Living Soap Nuts turned shiny and no longer had brown residue all over them after they were done doing their thing. This took 5 loads using the same nuts, since I used cold water. Using hot water releases more saponin, which is what does the cleaning. This is why the Soap Nuts last longer doing cold water washes. I have used one nut to handwash 5 different tops though! It's still got some life in it. I've been able to wash a really delicate silky blouse that has layers of lace on it as well as another "hand-wash only" shirt  and  a few lycra dresses with sequins all over. All came out fine & dandy!

Other Awesome Uses for Soap-Nuts: (and by "awesome," I mean completely amazing!"

Soap Nuts can be used to wash your own hair. All you need to do is boil a nut for about 25-30 minutes. You can crush the nut before boiling to release all saponins if you plan to use the entire nut for shampoo. Then add water.

If you're brave enough, you can even use the soap nut liquid wash (just like the shampoo) for a safer alternative to toothpaste! Had I not already began using aloe vera from my plant and Olive oil natural bar soap to brush my teeth with, I'd have used the soap nuts. 

However, I do plan to purchase a good supply of Soap Nuts to try for this purpose as well. This is all because I despise toothpaste! It's horrible for your health. Truly, truly horrible! So I got dedicated here lately and decided even brushing my pearlies with SOAP was better than the horrible, horrible effects of blasted toothpaste. Remember, toothpaste is horrible! 

Although I have yet to try this, someone told me Soap Nuts are good for cleaning jewelry as well!

I have read that Soap Nuts are efficient in removing parasites (think ticks, fleas) from your pet's skin! I have been using Dawn dish detergent for years when bathing my dog to instantly kill the fleas, so I will absolutely be trying this safer alternative when he gets his bath this week!

I have used Soap Nuts to clean my bath tub and sink. Apparently they work well for all kinds of household cleaning, but so far I've only had enough left over to clean the sinks and tubs, wonderfully so!

You can even wash your dishes with these little soap berries! I have not tried that, but they can be tossed in the dishwasher for a safe, clean wash.

Disclaimer (I know, I hate them, too, but these days you kind of can't afford to note post them.):

I am not a specialist or any other kind of doctor or expert. Content on this blog is not intended to be taken as medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or advice of any sort. I'm simply sharing information about my own experiences and results from use of a product or activity in hopes of providing useful information/suggestions to readers, not to be taken as a patient/medical adviser relationship. I am not responsible for what readers choose to do after viewing the content here. Furthermore, I do not hold an "exceptional" or other special relationship with the company mentioned. I'm simply a consumer who worked with the company on a review that is in compliance with FTTC's guidelines. That means, everything you read here is my own words, not anything of the company's. I was not provided with monetary compensation for my review. All information posted has been done so with complete honesty. No action should be taken based solely on the content of this publication ( I'm not responsible.) Readers who rely on the information in this blog to replace the advise of an appropriate health care provider assume all risks of such behavior.

My Pearl of The Day: Berry Plus (review)

BerryPlus is an aweseom all-natural

laundry detergent. Being natural is pretty dang special, but what makes it real unique is that it's actually made from berries -- soapberries!

 BerryPlus is surprisingly an effective, eco-friendly laundry detergent. Its lack of fragrance is a plus to sensitive folks like myself who either have allergies or are migraine prone (that's me!) Or even people who have neither but simply dislike using harmful ingredients like that you find in a lot of the laundry detergents on shelves.

I know some of you are thinking just what I did at first, won't that stain light clothes? Although the liquid does have a red-ish shade to it, it actually doesn't stain.

BerryPlus is made in the USA using imported soap berries.

 The berries have actually been used for years in India and Asia as a laundry detergent since the berries turn kind of soapy when added to water and shaken. That's awesome, huh? I guess God really has supplied us with absolutely everything we could ever possibly need (laundry detergent from soap berries! The guy's a genius.)

I'm really excited about this Berry Plus detergent! It's been magnificent to have an opportunity to try it, and it actually works better than I ever could've imagined.

I will just jump right in here. Forgive me if I am all over the place.

BerryPlus comes in a plastic container with a dropper lid, which is oh-so-handy since you can simply squeeze the dropper and add it to your laundry. No scoops or mess from pouring via a lid.

Also, the dropper has mL on it to help with dosing your semi-dirty or extremely dirty laundry.

BerryPlus laundry detergent will take care of a whole 20 loads for ya (less if you have super dirty laundry and use more at once, like I do). 

The smaller bottle (the one shown in this post) comes with 55 mL of liquid. It did surprise me at how long a bottle lasts, even with extra-use per load.

BerryPlus does come in other sizes, though. There's the smallest option: 20 loads (the one shown here,) 40 load bottle and 80 load.

Again, BerryPlus is fragrance free and allergen free, so it's a very safe option.

Things I adore about BerryPlus:

The BerryPlus website gives plenty of useful information and answers any question one could have about their product. I also feel that they're a very trustworthy, ethical company with a fantastic quality product. 

For starters, it's non-GMO! That's my favorite kind of any product.

They say on their website that their product is equally as effective as the leading brands. I can vouch for that as I have used the BerryPlus for a couple of months now (still have a few loads left before the bottle is empty!) and I would go so far as to say that BerryPlus actually does a better job than any of the regular ol' store-bought stuff I've used. Seriously. I couldn't believe it myself.

I have used nothing but BerryPlus since I got the bottle. I actually prefer it over the other junk from the stores. I still had a lot of it on-hand when the bottle of BerryPlus arrived and I haven't touched any of that stuff since. In fact, I did a load of jeans with BerryPlus today -- works perfectly well. 

P.S. You can read BerryPlus' "promises" here. Very awesome things.

I loved the idea of BerryPlus and how the company said it's safe on your clothing (probably even safer than the harsh detergents we're used to), safe on us, our washing machines and the planet. That's fantastic, but I really didn't think Berries would be enough to really, really clean a load of very dirty clothing. It does and it does it magnificently.

As I said, I think it may even do better than the store-bought detergents. I say this because I've noticed my colored clothes looking brighter! Even the dingy whites -- using no stain remover, only BerryPlus -- are looking fabulous and not nearly as dingy and stained up. 

That said, BerryPlus is a keeper for everyday laundry use, including heavy, stinky and stained. I've never even had to use the BerryPlus as a pre-treatment (letting it sit) because it takes out stains (coffee, regular crud you get on white clothing) like a charm.

One more thing: You don't have to use softener with it. BerryPlus is said to soften, too. I don't really use softener on my actual t-shirts anyways, so I didn't find it hard to resist adding other softener or anything with Berry Plus. I also didn't notice any difference in the softness of my clothes, but that's not something I ever pay much attention to. They don't feel hard, and I never really felt like the store-bought softener really made clothes any softer anyways. However, my clothes do feel exactly the same after washing with BerryPlus as they did when I'd use softener and regular detergent, so that's a positive. 

Oh, guess I lied. There's actually one more thing: I wondered if my clothes would have that loose hand-washed feel to them once I washed without store-bought detergent and only BerryPlus. For some reason, I thought they might not have that just-washed fit to them. Anybody else know what I mean? When you've worn your clothes, especially jeans for a long day, they become loose-ish on you, and once washed again, they have the brand new fit all over again. Anybody follow this or am I the only one who has this happen?

Anyways, Jeans still come out of the washer with that brand-new fit to them. I was happy that BerryPlus really doesn't seem a lot different for my clothes as using regular detergent except the color seems better, there's no fragrance and all that good stuff.

Otherwise, the difference is not noticeable. It's perfectly effective.

 

All in all, I'm very, very impressed, BerryPlus!

Ingredients (the best part)

• 95% berry-based (berries + water)
• 4.5% vegetable glycerin (for stability and added softening)
• 0.3% olive-leaf extract (to kill bacteria and other junk)
• 0.1% each of potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate (food-grade preservative to give Berryplus a shelf life)

Instructions: 2 squirts per load. Use another for extra large, dirty loads.

Pre-treat by squirting a few drops onto tough stains and  adding the rest to the washing machine load.

"Don’t be fooled by its size – this small but mighty microdose is perfectly measured to wash a full 30lb load of laundry!"

BerryPlus can be used to do laundry anywhere you typically do laundry -- sink, washing machine, laundromat (it travels easily) and even in the woods, BerryPlus says, which is true. It'd even work there.

Just for good measure, and to try and be a little more helpful to my readers and give more than just "it really cleans clothing well," I've decided to take you guys along as I tried the Berry Plus Laundry Detergent! Now, it's a little tough to show results via photos, so bear with me.

Yea, I really wasn't kidding when I said I made an attempt to really take you readers with me on the journey! I even took a photo as I was adding the BerryPlus. That you see is a full dropper (it won't hold more than what you see), so I added 4 droppers to this load.

  

What I chose to wash was the dirtiest item I had at the time -- a perfectly dried-muddy comforter. My beloved reversible zebra print comforter that my beloved (although a little less after this mess. Kidding! Kidding) Pookie muddied up after a trip to the creek one morning. Ugh. He sometimes ventures outdoors for a stroll to the neighbors' in the morning (he's friends with their poodle dog, whom I gave them). On the way out there, he has to cross the creek in our backyard and since his legs are about as long as my index finger (he's a wiener), he has to actually walk through the creek to get there.

The creek. It's muddy. So when Pookie returns from his morning stroll (usually with a doggie treat in mouth), he gets in my bed and muddies it up.

Of course he hasn't responded to my scolding him over it. It still happens.

So I decided it was the perfect moment to put the BerryPlus to the test! If you'll notice, the other side of my comforter is white.. The enemy of all pet-owners and in-bed-eaters (I'm both). 

Below is my attempt to photograph a close-up of  Pookie's muddy spot:

Take note of all the cat hair.

And these are the after pictures. I washed the comforter using only the BerryPlus. Not a single stain remover, and look how white that baby is! Yes, it was white to begin with, but had a lot of crud, including loads of pet hair on it.

The black side that was previously muddy and covered with Fuzz's hair:

I tried my best at getting the full comforter in the photo so you guys could really see it all. Hope this works. Of course there's a hair or two on it (one is mine. What can I say, I shed too!), but all very wonderful considering how bad my pets and I shed. I was surprised it came out with only a few little new hairs on it. This is unusual.

Oh, and of course the comforter was not the only thing to get cleaned after that muddy disaster:

This is Pookie (for those of you who haven't yet met him) He's all clean and brand new after the mud journey, laying wrapped in a towel on the freshly cleaned and applied zebra print bed-spread. Thanks, BerryPlus!  

 

 

 

Poor little guy was cold, and the wet towel had to go, so my sweetheart loaned Pookie his own jacket to warm up in.

 

And he supplied him with a cozy pillow, too!

 

Oh, and I did not use BerryPlus to wash Pookie, just so you know. I figured I might should clarify since I said he got cleaned, too. Nope. We use a natural coconut oil soap on him, but now that I think about it, BerryPlus might would be safe on pets... Nevermind. That could be something I shouldn't say (disclaimer will be at bottom!)

 

Disclaimer (I know, I hate them, too, but these days you kind of can't afford to note post them.):

I am not a specialist or any other kind of doctor or expert. Content on this blog is not intended to be taken as medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or advice of any sort. I'm simply sharing information about my own experiences and results from use of a product or activity in hopes of providing useful information/suggestions to readers, not to be taken as a patient/medical adviser relationship. I am not responsible for what readers choose to do after viewing the content here. Furthermore, I do not hold an "exceptional" or other special relationship with the company mentioned. I'm simply a consumer who worked with the company on a review that is in compliance with FTTC's guidelines. That means, everything you read here is my own words, not anything of the company's unless otherwise stated, and put in quotations (such as product descriptions or claims).  I was not provided with monetary compensation for my review. All information posted has been done so with complete honesty. No action should be taken based solely on the content of this publication ( I'm not responsible.) Readers who rely on the information in this blog to replace the advise of an appropriate health care provider assume all risks of such behavior.  This is a sponsored post. I was provided with a product in exchange for my honest review and opinion. I receive no monetary compensation for writing this, and you can rest assured that my post (and all of them) is in compliance with the FTC's Guidelines.

Green Street Luxuries

Green Street Luxuries skincare

 

For the past week, I have completely changed my skincare routine & I wanted to share what I’ve been doing and the results with you guys. I want to start off by talking about my new skincare routine, and then I will go into detail about the specific products I have used and how they work (not all in one post.) I’m going to focus on one product for the time being though – a fantastic exfoliator from Green Street Lux. It’s called Organic & Natural Exfoliance Radiance and Facial Cleanser. This stuff is a God-send! 

P.S. You can also watch my video (will be published in a separate post title "Green Street Luxuries -- My New Skincare Routine) where I'll be speaking just a little about all the skincare products. Mostly, I did the video in case all this writing was too much for some of you to read through. It's just a brief little bit on each product and what I think, how it works, what it does, etc. 

My Old Skincare Routine was basically washing with a natural bar soap. The problem is that I have what I consider high maintenance skin and a simple bar soap just doesn’t do everything my skin needs. The bigger problem was that I’d tried a bazillion different products and none of them were helping! You guys know most of the products I have used because I like to share with you what I do, what works and what doesn’t. My biggest problem was, I’d get a facial cleanser or moisturizer or exfoliant or all and they would work nicely for the first couple of days, then my skin would go right back to having the typical problems, which I will describe below.

The Exfoliance Cleanser up close

What the cleanser looks like

The Exfoliance Radiance Cleanser has tiny grains in it, as you can see in the photo above, that help remove dead skin. 

My Skin Problems:

My skin is shiny on the “T-zone” area, right in the middle of my forehead, nose and chin. Then, the rest of my skin like a patch on my forehead and cheek is dry and flaky. This makes things nearly impossible because I always must use moisturizer because of the dryness and also because it’s a habit I like to keep since it can benefit my skin in the long run. Well, the moisturizers would always be too oily where my skin was oily! Most all of the cleansers I was using would leave my skin dry in some areas. Some of them even caused breakouts for me.

Another problem is a few small, but noticeable scars on my left cheek from a breakout a while back. I haven’t been able to get rid of those scars for the life of me. And then I have the breakouts on top of it all.

So if you have skin like me, you understand how stressful it can be! It’s a lot of work and you just can’t ever seem to use the right stuff.

Now that you know my own skin troubles, I will tell you what I’ve done for the past week to improve (drastically!) it.

I already drink lots of water and that is one of the only things that prevent my face from being even worse dry and even worse broken out. So we have that, and it’s important, but it wasn’t giving me results as far as acne and scars or the oily t-zone is concerned.

The first day, I use this exfoliator/cleanser on my face. I told you earlier, but will tell again – it’s called Organic  & Natural Exfoliance Radiance and FacialCleanser and it’s from Green Street Lux. I definitely needed to exfoliate and since I was just beginning an entirely new skin care regime, I figured the best way to start was by exfoliating well.

I had actually spoken with Candy from Green Street Lux and got some advice for my skin first. She took a look at my skin and told me exactly what I needed – which was really amazing! It’s hard to know what is best for your skin when there are so many products to choose from. She also told me what kind of routine I should be using (a life saver!) So here is what she came up with and this is the routine I’ve been following for a little over one week now:

Evening: wash with Tea Tree Soap (LOVE  this stuff!).

After shower, but before bed: Use a product called Stunning (I will explain how each of them work later.)

Candy also told me that your body heals in the first three hours of sleep, so this is why it’s important to use products that aid in healing before bed and not in the morning. Very helpful tip to know!

She also advised me to use the Acne Toner for spot treating acne.

Then the Exfoliance Radiance Cleanser. This is to be used twice a week.

Morning: Shea Butter Soap Wash.

Then after the Shea Butter Soap Wash, the Day Face Lotion.

So the first day I just used the exfoliator first, but then I followed the routine exactly as Candy advised, using the exfoliator only twice a week.

I was really excited to try this new routine & at this point, desperate enough to do anything. So I stopped everything I was doing/using before, including my regular moisturizer. As soon as I looked at the labels on the new skin products, I had no qualms tossing my old crap. The label that lists the ingredients on all the products I was about to begin using was so exciting. Tea tree oil and all sorts of really amazing herbal and natural ingredients only. I knew from looking at the ingredient list that these were going to be great because I’d known the benefits of some of the ingredients listed. Moving on though. I will get to that in a moment.

How To Use The Exfoliance Radiance Cleanser

After applying the Exfoliance Radiance Cleanser, you leave it on for 5 minutes, until it’s dry. Then, while in the shower, use circular motions to exfoliate the skin. So I did this, massaging well all over my face. Then rinse. Pretty simple, and before I even had it all rinsed off my face, I noticed such soft, silky-ish feeling skin! 

After the Exfoliance Radiance Cleanser, I used the Day Face Lotion, which also has fabulous ingredients. This made my skin even softer.

After my very first use of the Exfoliance Radiance Cleanser, I noticed less of those tiny black heads that tend to hang out on my chin and nose and are such a pain! I also had tiny bumps on my chin that wouldn’t really have anything come out when squeezed, and these were not on my chin after the first use of the exfoliating cleanser. 

Ingredients in Exfoliance Radiance Cleanser:

Water, Decyl Glucoside, Acrylates Copolymer, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Coco Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Jojoba Oil, DMDM Hydantoin, Citric Acid, Triethanolamine, Cetearyl Alcohol (emollient), Ceteareth-20 (emulsifier), Glycerin, Aloe Vera, Pineapple and Papaya extracts, Rose, Lavender & Tea Tree Grains, Sunflower Seed Oil, Shea butter, Cocoa Butter, Palm Oil, Glyceryl Monostearate (preservative & thickener), Coconut Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, .Phenoxetol (preservative), Vitamin E, Sodium Citrate, Carbomer (thickener)

The Exfoliance Radiance Cleanser is:

•  Vegan

• Safe for all skin types
• Paraben, SLS and Gluten-free!
• Contains amazing, beneficial ingredients such as organic papaya extracts, pineapple and  more.
• Contains coconut oil, which is healing for skin and leaves is very soft, smooth and moisturized. Coconut oil also anti-ages.
• Leaves skin super clean and smooth and very soft!
• Reduces the look of my enlarged pores & ahem... blackheads.

• Contains  ultra-fine exfoliating Organic Lavender, Rose & Tea Tree grains and a blend of pineapple and papaya extracts - nature’s enzymes that will gently slough off dull skin layers and remove impurities.

               The green bar of tea tree anti-septic soap I talked about in the video:

The Shea Butter Bar:

Herbaria -- total heaven!

 

 Herbaria Soaps http://www.herbariasoap.com/is a fabulous store that sells the best quality soap/personal care items, natural soaps included, I have ever used to date. I was introduced to Herbaria Soaps a few weeks ago and when I visited their site myself, oh sweet Jesus! It was like heaven. I love a good, quality, relaxing soap that's super safe, effective and leaves that amazing herbal clean scent behind. In fact, the herb stores are my favorite to visit because of their smell! My mom used to take us along with her on her trips to the herb store and I've always walked in inhaling. I love the scent. She'd buy all kinds of lovely herbal products including this lemon grass soap, and ever since those days, I've been in love. With both the soap and the herb store's scent. Oh how we loved our natural lemon grass soaps. One day though, they stopped carrying it and for years my mom and I have looked for a soap as good as that old bar of lemon grass. We've bought tons of herbal, natural soaps and many in lemon grass, but they never quite measured up. 

And now. That lemon grass soap I used as a kid has met... its... match! Holy sweet mother of pearl, I never thought I'd say it! Herbaria's bar soaps (and the deodorant, which I'll discuss too) has totally put every single other soap out there on the same level as dirt. I am now confident that there is nothing in the world as good and perfect and wonderful as Herbaria's impressive products! 

While I really was discussing the natural soap bars, I want to make a quick topic switch only because I've been so ecstatic about their spray deodorant that I can't think straight. So I'm going to tell you lovely people about the Lavender Deodorant from Herbaria Soaps. 

No, I'm not so ecstatic about the deodorant because I liked it better than the soaps, but the reason I'm so ecstatic over it is because it totally blew my mind as a deodorant, and I never liked anything besides my Dove, so I can't help but be a little crazy over Herbaria's liquid spray deo. I truly did not expect to like it.

I've been picky, picky about deodorants. I'm allergic to Suave, the majority of the deodorants on the market stink or either they mix with your sweat and really stink because they're not truly preventing odor/sweat. Or they just plain feel weird on. I'm a freak about any weird residue between my fingers or on my pits. 

When I seen the Lavender Deodorant was liquid spray, I'll admit, I expected to really not like it. Not because I didn't love the ingredients or believe it'd be effective really, but because I was just certain that it'd leave my pits feeling weird. When I've showered and waited a while to apply my deodorant, my skin on my arm pits feel weird. Sticky maybe? They just feel grabby or something. It's terribly hard to explain, but it will drive me to a blind rage. So being that the creamy bar of Dove is what I'm used to, I didn't think I could be satisfied with the feeling of my arm pit skin after using a spray deo. 

Holy dangit!  I am so glad I decided to give the natural Lavender Deodorant a try just for one night. See, I really wanted to try it badly, but was worried that I'd still have to apply my Dove in order to keep that weird feeling of no deodorant away. 

So I showered one night, and sprayed the Herbaria Lavender Deodorant about 4 times on each arm pit -- wanted to be sure I covered the entire surface. 

I was going to bed right away, but I always read until I fall asleep. This can last anywhere from 3 minutes to 4-5 hours, depending on how tired I am and how into the book I am. It was about 15 minutes before I fell asleep, but I went ahead and grabbed my Dove deo figuring I'd notice that weird no-deo feeling and need it. 

I woke up the next morning, and seeing the Dove deodorant made me remember -- I used the Lavender Deodorant and forgot all about deodorant! It didn't feel funny at all. I hadn't noticed anything really besides a comforting scent of Lavender. That feeling I get when I go with out deo, not the oh-my!-I'm-gonna-stink-now feeling, but the weird sticky-ish skin feeling -- never happened! Lavender Deodorant worked wonderfully.

So I had no hesitations in tossing my Dove to the bottom of my vanity and using the Lavender Deodorant. You know, when you make such a big change in a routine that you've been used to for years, it's hard! Just think about going from using toothpaste all your life to using soap! That is still tough. And the same goes with deodorant, for me anyway. You get used to the way a certain deodorant feels and then nothing else quite cuts it for you. 

I went on this hunt a while back looking for a natural deodorant after learning the serious and scary dangers of regular deo. Never could adjust to the one I tried. You guys remember me trying another really strong deo? I loved the strength of it, really, but it was tough because it felt funny and smelled manly. 

I was stuck on Dove. I've worn the same original Dove deo since high school. Once  I tried the scented version (grapefruit or something) and was furious when I kept smelling something funky and couldn't figure out who it was. Then I realized it was me. The same deodorant, just a different scent and it still drove me mad. So you see, I'm strictly a Dove girl and it's only because those minor things that make me crazy, that I just can't adjust to. Until now! Forget Dove. Dove who? What Dove? 









What I figured, is the Herbaria Soaps natural Lavender Deodorant would certainly work for eliminating odor and likely to prevent perspiration, but I didn't think it'd work any better than your drugstore brand. I honestly expected mediocre. I knew the benefits of switching to a natural deo would be huge in terms of health and all, but I just didn't think it'd be easy to adjust to. Sorry to keep on like that, but I'm really so impressed with it that it's hard not to.

After about a week of using the Lavender Deodorant, I noticed something... It was making me sleepy! When I first applied it, which is after showering and before bed, I'd get sleepier quicker than usual. And I've figured out that it's the Lavender in the Deodorant! It only makes me relaxed and sleepy when I'm already tired at the end of the day. The next day, while still having the application from previously, it doesn't affect me. 

So, a few days ago, I'd shaved my arm pits too roughly and decided to use the dove deo instead so that it wouldn't burn, although the aloe in the Lavender Deo would've been better because it soothers and all, but you get my point. I'd began having trouble sleeping and it kept happening for three days in a row, I'd sleep a few hours and wake up and not be able to go back to sleep at all until several hours later, which is bad because that much time passes and it's time for me to get to work and get a move on. So I'd be exhausted by that time. I go through these weird spells about every 3-4 months where I'll spend a week exactly only sleeping for 4-5 hours, no more and no less and then not being able to go back to sleep for the life of me. It's been happening for a few years and it's so weird. I've no idea what it is, but it always happens around 3-4 months and I always get 4-5 hours of sleep. Same exact patterns and everything. 

When I began this faze of no sleep again this week, I was dreading it because I knew it'd screw up my entire week. The third day though, when I woke up and knew the routine I'd deal with for hours, I remembered how it seemed the Lavender Deodorant made me sleepy. So I sprayed my pillows and bed with it, and I'm telling you, I yawned immediately and was passed out in less than 20 minutes! Slept for a good 5 hours too! So I've been doing that everyday this week, and things are back on track. This is the first "phase" I've had that didn't last exactly a week! How awesome? I've even tried chamomile teas and all kinds of things. Sleeping pills for crying out loud. It never worked if I was having one of those phases, but this Lavender has really been a God-send. I'm back to normal and doing fine.

Now, besides the alternative use I found for it, let's discuss more about it.

Remember I mentioned how I shaved and worried about the spray burning? It does feel cool and a little noticeable at first if I use it after shaving too close, but it lasts for less than 30 seconds, and I don't have the rawness the next day when I've used the Lavender Deodorant. I'll only feel the tingly sensation when I first spray it on after shaving and then I won't notice any other signs of razor burn. I have the aloe Vera to thank for that. Herbaria really knows what they're doing with ingredients! You guys know how I take my aloe seriously. I was even recommending it to a friend today. I'm happy to have aloe in any product, even if it's just eating the plant -- which has been a miracle for my stomach issues.

So, no worries about razor bumps or razor burn. You won't sting and be raw when using the Lavender Deodorant. It's all natural ingredients, and yes, the alcohol is what causes the slight cool/tingly right after shaving, but it's more soothing than anything once it's dried.

Guess what else is wonderful, besides the fact that you're no longer putting extremely harmful chemicals into your skin when you choose to go with Lavender Deo from Herbaria -- no more white deo stains on your clothing! That's right. 

The Lavender Deodorant is a slightly off clear color, it has a yellowish tint to it, but is mostly clear and is liquidy like water, hence the spray bottle. So it won't stain your clothing at all. It won't leave your arm pit folds filled with white clumps. It's not noticeable to the touch or eye. Your skin feels softer and there's a chance your pits won't endure as much irritation from everyday habits or just your clothing.

Why is the all-natural Herbaria Deodorant Better than others?

-No faux fragrance oils! That is why the scent of the lavender made me so relaxed that I could sleep. It's real essential oil, which I say is just awesome. It's a rare thing to find a company like Herbaria.

-Don't forget, essential oils have been used in Ayurveda and for home remedies for thousands of years because each, including lavender essential oil have their own special properties - such as the lavender relaxing me, relieving anxieties, helping you sleep, etc. It's been said that in the old, old, old days people used to spray their sleeping areas with lavender essential oil to ensure a good night's sleep and some even believed it warded off nightmares. I can't say for sure if that's totally true though. I do have nightmares very frequently. Almost nightly. I actually haven't had but one this week though, so perhaps! 


-Since Herbaria's deodorant is in a spray, liquid form, it's going to likely last far longer than a stick of solid deodorant. I go through a stick in about 2 months, maybe three because I use it until it's totally empty. Herbaria's deodorant comes in both the 2oz. or 8oz. Judging by how little is gone from the bit I've used lately, I have a feeling it will outlast a deodorant stick by miles. I will have to update you guys when I actually have used so much of Herbaria's that it shows a smaller amount left. 

However, it will depend on how much you use. But if you're using a spray, even if you totally saturate your pits, you're not going to use more than 4 sprays at the most. I have used 3 before because I often don't get the nozzle aimed correctly, but two suffice when I do. 2 sprays will cover my entire arm pit surface perfectly.

When I'm using the stick deodorant, I swipe it up and down my arm pits about 6 times to get enough there.

-Aloe Vera has a soothing and many other benefits. People with any/all skin conditions benefit greatly from applying aloe, and since Herbaria uses natural, you can expect to see soothing, softer skin, less irritation, etc. 

Also, even better, Aloe has antibacterial properties and sort of acts like a natural antibiotic, so certain conditions could improve greatly and this also ensures less bacteria and odor! 

-No rubbing alcohol, Herbaria uses denatured grain alcohol. Don't even think about drinking it now! Ha. Ha. But it's much safer. 





Fragrance
Herbaria's Deodorants are all natural. They come in different scents, which means different scents contain different essential oils, since Herbaria does not use those awful synthetic fragrances, but essential oils which like we talked about, are so far much better! This one, clearly is the Lavender, which produces a long-lasting, clean and relaxing aroma of lavender. It's a beautiful smell. It's a tad strong for the first minute, but quickly turns into a light, subtle scent that you notice every so often like when lifting your arm, and it's the kind of scent that perks your ears and makes you smile when catching a whiff. I do love that about this, and that's something no other deodorant can offer.

Oh, I was going to tell you what scents are offered: Lavender, Key Lime and Vetiver. I'm assuming they all smell fantastic! 

While you guys may be thinking these are women-only fragrances, don't be deterred! The Lavender could certainly be used on a male without smelling overly feminine. It's simply an herbal-y, lavender scent, which is neither masculine or feminine. It's not what I'd call florally, but fresh indeed. It wouldn't hurt to try it. I know I wouldn't think anything if I got a whiff of a man wearing this particular scent of deo. The other scents will work for men as well.


Entire Ingredients:

Grain alcohol (denatured with lavender (Lavendula officinalis) Essential oil  (SDA38B-LAV), Aloe vera, distilled water, Lavendar Essential oil (Lavendula), Patchouli Essential oil (pogostemon cablin).



How it compares in other ways to regular stick deo

I'm sure someone out there is still wondering about just how this holds up compared to your regular strong deo. I can say one thing: if you're used to using any drugstore bought deodorant, male or female, the Lavender Deodorant will surely exceed the strength, durability and be longer lasting. I don't think there's a brand I've not used, and this by far exceeds any drugstore brand in numerous ways. 

I'm not a huge sweater, but I have light perspiration, and it seems when I'm really cold, it's happens just as if I'm hot.. With my Dove for example, I can wear it, then tan later and I'm absolutely going to smell funky a little at least. Happened just the other day when I used the Dove again. It's not like the strong BO, but there's a light bit of sweat odor mixed with my Dove and it smells bad when it's mixed because the dove scent becomes sweet and bitter -- just not pleasant. 

Herbaria's Lavender deo will hold up through my tanning bed session without me ever smelling of sweat afterwards. I've yet to have any odor or perspiration while wearing it, except I did sweat a little while tanning, but other than that, I've been able to wear it and not shower for 30 hours and still have no odor at all. 


Herbaria is a  wonderfully amazing company! I am totally sold soap wise and deo-wise. I know I didn't manage to mention how the soap works out today, but stay awake because I will in the next day or two. I, however, can say that I absolutely love their soaps too, so if you're anxious about those and are considering purchasing any of their soap at all -- don't hesitate. I'd give their soaps, just like their deo a 10/10 and am sure that both products are far better than anything else. This is coming from someone who has been using Olivella, which stinks to high heavens as you remember me saying. So yes, I even recommend Herbaria over Olivella -- the benefits of Herbaria's ingredients exceed those of Olivella. If you have eczema, skin irritations/conditions, go with their oatmeal bar, but all of their soaps will be fabulous for any skin issues. So, there's you a brief for now. I'll be bringing you loads of really exciting, outstanding information about Herbarias' soaps asap!


Much love, cleanliness, health and... soaps and deodorants! Smell lovely and remember to laugh, laugh, laugh!
  
Kendra