Archives for June 2016

Primiracle Natural Replenishing Hydrating Conditioner

June 9, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Primiracle Natural Replenishing Hydrating Conditioner

Hair conditioning is crucial for those who color or highlight, use hot styling tools and irons, spend time in seawater and chlorine or just have longer and thereby older, weaker hair. PriMiracle Natural Replenishing Hydrating Conditioner is a compliment to the PriMiracle shampoo, using complementary natural ingredients to hydrate and treat hair.

INGREDIENTS
PriMiracle conditioner contains several quality ingredients for both hair and scalp. I like that in a conditioner so that it can be used even as a Co-Washing (using conditioner as a good massage for the hair and not using Shampoo) since it won’t make the hair oily or greasy.

Aloe Vera is well known for its’ skin soothing properties but also is a natural treatment for the scalp and conditioner for the hair. It doesn’t leave hair greasy or dull. Some research into Aloe Vera shows that its’ protein contains 18 of the 20 amino acids found in the body plus Vitamins A, B, C, and E. Aloe gives intensive hair nourishment and adds shine.

Aloe Vera has a similar makeup to hair keratin, so it can provide nutrients to the hair, giving it more elasticity and add strength to prevent breakage. If you are considering a Keratin treatment for your hair, there are possibly dangerous chemicals and at times, accidental hair loss and breakage. Aloe Vera is a very safe way to enhance your hair’s keratin.

Olive Oil is frequently used as a deep conditioner for hair because it repairs damage and adds shine. It is especially effective on coarse and unruly hair to make it softer and more manageable. The moisturizing properties of Olive Oil are undisputed, but on normal to thin hair, it can make hair appear weighed down and limp. While direct hot oil treatments are common and effective, it is often difficult to fully rinse the Olive Oil from the hair, so Olive Oil as an ingredient within a conditioner is an efficient way to get this benefit without excessive rinsing, weight or dullness from residue.

Rosemary Oil promotes the growth of strong, healthy hair and reduces hair loss and imparts shine.

Grapeseed Oil address problems such as weakened hair, hair loss, and dandruff making hair stronger, healthier, more attractive hair. Grape seed oil contains Vitamin E, an antioxidant that helps to build tissue, and linoleic acid, a fatty acid which promotes hair and skin growth.

Several of these ingredients are not only moisturizing to the hair but are also hydrating and beneficial to the scalp. For example, Rosemary, when teamed with Olive Oil, helps minimize dandruff. Peppermint Oil normalizes the production of scalp oil, balancing the scalp’s pH level. Peppermint also combats dry scalp and dandruff and assists with hair loss. Aloe Vera reduces dandruff and helps maintain the scalp’s pH balance.

USE
Scented, emollient and thick in consistency. After massaging it into my scalp and hair. I tend to leave it in for 5 minutes to allow it to penetrate well. It washes out easily without feeling greasy. The scent does not last after rinsing. I found this conditioner also makes for a good pre-shampoo conditioner, leaving it on for about 30 minutes as a hair masque gave my hair a nice soft feel and shine.

RESULT
My hair is soft but not oily, there is no dulling residue, and my hair feels strong, clean, lush and full. Typically I use some leave-in treatment in my hair since my hair is fairly unruly without some sort of product to tame it. But after using the PriMiracle Shampoo and Conditioner, I let my hair dry naturally with no leave-in treatment to exactly what the conditioner did. I did not have to add any volumizing product to my hair to make fuller, my hair just felt naturally thicker even at the more fragile ends. There was a beautiful shine. To tame my wild mane into acceptable for the office appearance, I only had to touch up my hair lightly with a hair dryer and brush after it dried, and a quick run-through with a flat iron would have worked just as well. I was very pleased to find a conditioner that my hair felt thicker and soft without being greasy.

The PriMiracle conditioner is Peta Certified, not tested on animals, cruelty-free and Vegan.

Primiracle Natural Replenishing Hydrating Conditioner

Primiracle Natural Restorative Moisturizing Shampoo

June 9, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Primiracle Natural Restorative Moisturizing Shampoo

It seems shampoos often accomplish just one goal, whether it protects color, or it is clarifying, leaves hair volumized or shiny, reduces dandruff or helps stimulate new growth. Natural Restorative Moisturizing Shampoo packs in several shampoo objectives into one product by having a slew of natural ingredients that are great at hair care multi-tasking.

Like many people, I have a go-to shampoo intended towards certain objectives: I have one that clarifies, one that helps my hair color or new highlight retain their vibrancy, another that treats my scalp to moisturizing ingredients that give an invigorating scalp massage and encourage lush hair growth. The combination of ingredients in Natural Restorative meets many of my shampoo objectives.

INGREDIENTS

Aloe Vera: My Grandmother kept an Aloe Vera plant in her kitchen to treat burns and abrasions by cutting a leaf and applying the gel inside. Long used in skin care, Aloe Vera is also very useful as a non-chemical based treatment for dandruff and to keep the scalp healthy. It also contains proteolytic enzymes which repair dead skin cells on the scalp. It promotes hair growth, prevents itching on the scalp, reduces dandruff and conditions your hair.

Peppermint oil is used for hair growth and scalp stimulation. It feels cool and invigorating while giving the scalp a good lather. It regulates the pH balance of the scalp skin, which quells yeast and dandruff on the scalp. Peppermint Oil binds to hair follicles which increase blood flow thereby encouraging hair follicles to grow hair. It is rich in fatty acids, so it can treat the scalp without drying hair, which is a perk over many dandruff shampoos. It also makes hair smell fresh and clean.

Rosemary Oil is a blood circulation stimulant that is hair-growth inducing. In addition to clearing up an oily scalp without excessively stripping the hair, Rosemary has Antioxidants to combat pollution and harsh chemical products. It is also antibacterial which helps reduce dandruff production.

Argan Oil gets a fair amount of press as a hair conditioning ingredient. While it has hair softening and conditioning properties, it is most useful for conditioning the scalp and keeping hair follicles in optimal condition.

Don’t you love getting a long, relaxing scalp massage during a shampooing at a salon? Massage your scalp the same way with this shampoo, because each of these ingredients are valuable assets in natural hair care, and I found my scalp benefits from allowing the shampoo to stay on my hair an extra minute or so after a good massage to encourage blood flow, get my hair clean and release tension. I usually wash the ends of my hair out first, then my scalp and then the whole length of my hair.

SCENT
The scent is suitable for men and women, primarily a fresh scent of the Aloe, the Argan with a hint of the Peppermint and Rosemary.

APPLICATION
The shampoo lathers after working it into the hair a bit, and rinses clean.

RESULTS
I had just colored my hair a few days before, and the first shampoo after coloring I am always concerned about stripping the color. The shampoo did not strip my color but still left my hair feeling very clean and fresh. It has been difficult for me to find a shampoo that both protects my hair color but can remove styling product or deep conditioner residue from the hair, so I am glad to see a product that accomplishes both.

Primiracle Natural Restorative Moisturizing Shampoo

Primiracle Natural Hand and Body Lotion

June 9, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Primiracle Natural Hand and Body Lotion

Despite the careful use of daily sunscreen and moisturizers on my face, I have comparatively neglected my hands and body skin. In my quest to make up for lost skin care time, I found there are several choices when it comes to moisturizing the skin, but a surprising lack of products that are both natural and effective in skin repair and hydration, especially for sensitive skin. Since the skin is such a large organ, I want to be careful about what chemicals I unnecessarily use on my skin in the form of body washes and body lotions.

PriMiracle Natural Hand and Body Lotion contains Shea Butter, SunFlower Oil and Aloe Vera, three powerful moisturizers that can hold their own against chemical moisturizers any day. These three ingredients are assets to a hand and body lotion because they naturally provide so many protective and curative benefits to the skin. The PriMiracle lotion has several ingredients that not only make skin soft and hydrated but treat the skin as well, including problem skin such as acne prone, eczema and sensitive skin.

INGREDIENTS
Here is a brief overview of some of my favorite ingredients:

Aloe Vera. Most of us have tried Aloe Vera for soothing a sunburn, but that is just one of the many vast uses found in Aloe’s bag of tricks. Aloe Vera excels in remedying dry, flaky skin without being greasy or sticky. It has several of the same Amino Acids found in skin and hair, so it nourishes the skin and helps it look radiant and healthy. It also can reduce inflammation such as in a burn, a pimple or from sensitive skin conditions. The Gibberellin in aloe stimulates the growth of new cells. A hallmark of the PriMiracle line of skin care, Aloe Vera is a high impact hydration ingredient that addresses a variety of skin care woes.

Sunflower Oil is one of my favorite moisturizers because it is very effective even when used straight from the bottle. But it is a semi-greasy oil which makes application and dry down difficult. But when incorporated into a lotion or cream, Sunflower Oil it can be exceptionally useful. While Sunflower Oil is an effective moisturizer all on its’ own, it is also a carrier oil, so it enables the other active moisturizing ingredients to sink deeper into the skin and have more impact. Sunflower Oil is non-comedogenic so that it can be effective moisturizing acne prone areas. It soothes eczema, scarring, redness and irritation.

Shea Butter intensely hydrates skin for extended periods of time and can treat several skin conditions including eczema, psoriasis, and acne. It is especially useful for dry skin patches such as on the heels of the feet, elbows, and cuticles.

Jojoba Oil is another favorite of mine since it is both a barrier oil and a carrier oil, so it supports other moisturizers ability to soothe the skin, and it protects the skin by providing a moisture seal barrier. Despite being an oil, it absorbs quickly. Jojoba’s structure is similar to skin’s natural oils, so it helps regulate smooth skin without leaving it too oily, whether your skin is dry, oily or normal.

Passion fruit seed oil, also known as Maracuja Oil, is rich in vitamin A and potassium to help keep skin healthy. It is also antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and naturally anti-itch. It is an excellent addition to anti-acne and sensitive skin care treatments.

Also important is what is NOT in this lotion, including no parabens, sulfate or harsh chemicals.

APPLICATION AND USE

It is a light to medium consistency, I use about a half-dollar size dollop for legs and arms, and another about the same size for torso and shoulders. I use it post-shower and let it soak for a bit while I towel off my hair and prep it for styling. I re-apply to my hands during the day and elbows as needed. I also use it at night on my hands, and my legs since summer has begun, and I want my skin smooth, flake-free and hydrated.

I love that this is unscented, that is a big perk for me since my skin is sensitive and my office is fragrance-free. And when I say unscented, I mean you smell nothing, there is no chemical scent to mask in this lotion. When I do wear scent, I prefer to use it deliberately instead of getting it from an all-over lotion. Being unscented allows for me to add a bit of scent whether perfume or scented oils, to this lotion directly, which is much more versatile and useful to me.

RESULTS
I found that after using the lotion for about a week, that I didn’t have to use it daily since it softened some dry and rough patches such as my knees, elbows, feet, and hands. So if I am in a rush after my shower, I can skip a day. Like many people, I wash my hands several times a day and use Hand Sanitizers, and with most hand creams, I must re-apply multiple times a day. But this lotion kept my hands soft all day with only once or twice a day use. I am especially pleased to find a quality hand lotion that lasts through the day.

Primiracle Natural Hand and Body Lotion

Teabook Premium Tea Gift Box

June 7, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Teabook Premium Tea Gift Set

THE SET
This Teabook Premium Teas set is a tea tumbler with a boxed set of pre-portioned loose tea pouches that come as four each of rare Greens, Whites, Oolongs, and Reds plus a Special Collection bonus pouch of a rare tea, in this case, a specialty Red. The sampler provides a taste of some of the loose teas available from the Teabook Premium Tea service; a discount subscription card comes with the box for 20% off.

The teas are pesticide free. The tea flavors are:

WHITE: Silver Needle white tea is a delicate tea that tastes of melon, blackberries, and a warm bread sort of aroma.

GREEN: Green Bud Green tea is mild and buttery tasting, more of a mint leaf leaning than a vegetable leaf one. This tea is an authentic green, which if one is unaccustomed to greens may seem bitter. I am a hardcore loose green tea drinker, and I like this blend. I got two brews out of the same leaves. If you are a seasoned green tea drinker, you will find this to be a pure green but not bitter, slightly sweet without any added flavorings. If you are new to green teas, you may wish to add some sweetener to the first brew, or you may prefer the less beneficial but still tasty second brew.

OOLONG: Bai Hao Oolong tea (Oriental Beauty) from China is a sweet tea with dark chocolate and raspberry overtones. To me, this Oolong has a bit of a liquor taste while still being delicate and this is my favorite of the four with a very pale golden color when brewed.

RED: Sunset Red (Hunan Hong) from China, it tastes like caramel and chocolate. I am personally not much of a fan of red teas, but this one does have a certain appeal with unexpected flavors that are tasty on a red tea base.

A concern I had about these teas, especially the White and the Oolong, is would they overbrew in the tumbler since most delicate teas should only be brewed for a minute or two? These teas do not seem too bitter to me; Teabook says this is because they chose only high-quality teas. Even when I drink the tea over the course of a few hours, it does not get bitter. I can also get a second brew off of the same pouch, not as strong as the first but still tasty.

PRESENTATION
This set could make a lovely gift although the outside of the box that the teas come in does not seem very gift-like. There are tea-related quotes and sayings inside the box itself, and it does keep the tea pouches in good condition. I, however, would be happy to get this as a gift or give it as a gift for a tea lover, and it is probably something I would not have noticed if I wasn’t for examining the item for review purposes.

This set contains a quality twelve-ounce tumbler. I like this tumbler because it has a double wall so it is heat insulated and I don’t burn my hands holding it. It is relatively easy to clean considering the infusing filter that is used to keep the loose tea away from the drinking area of the tumbler. The filter is sturdy and keeps any tea “floaters” away from the brewing area with a well-designed drinking compartment underneath the stainless steel cap. The tumbler can also be used for fruit infused waters and cold tea, but it should not be put in the microwave. It is sturdy.

I especially like how beautiful it is to watch loose teas unfurl, especially the green, as they infuse in the water like a slow motion dance! Having such a well-designed filter compartment keeps even tiny tea leaves strained away from the drinking area, and makes it easy to drink loose teas.

Recommended item because it is a well-designed tumbler that doubles as a fruit water infuser, tasty tea choices, and coupon code for discounts on future tea purchases at TeaBook.