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Expert Beauty Reviews | Skincare Ingredient Guides

Stainky’s Purifying Bar Soap Why It is Special

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For many of us, clean beauty often extends to all the products we use on our skin – face and body.  Yet natural deodorants are often underwhelming.  Stainky’s provides a natural way to enhance the efficacy of your natural deodorant by improving the biome (pH) of the armpit skin. 

Part of this range is the Stainky’s Purifying Bar Soap which contains Peppermint, charcoal and salt along with other soothing ingredients to deliver a superior, natural cleanse. We investigated the ingredients and tried it for ourselves. Take a look and see what we found!

Why You Will Love Stainky’s Purifying Bar Soap
Stainky's Peppermint + Charcoal + Salt Purifying Bar Soap

What is Stainky’s Purifying Bar Soap

Stainkys’ line a line of natural products which address the source of odor naturally. It also makes for healthier and more attractive armpit skin, lightening discoloration and removing rough, dry skin texture.   

Use this soap before applying their Pit Prep. Pit Prep adjusts armpit pH to eliminate the source of body odor. 

Why It Is Special

When combined with their signature “Pit Prep” spray, this soap is like a power level up that enables your natural deodorant to work its’ best.  It’s combination of ingredients cleanses without causing skin irritation because of glycerin-retaining, soothing ingredients. 

Serious skincare with a spa like, minty scent

Key Ingredients

Activated Charcoal Powder

A form of charcoal carbon, in powder form. While not abrasive or directly drying, activated charcoal is highly absorbent.

Activated charcoal draws bacteria havens such as sweat, dry skin flakes, and debris out of the skin.

 

Charcoal
Coconut

Coconut Oil

Coconut Oil is moisturizing. It is also anti-inflammatory and antibacterial.
Coconut Oil penetrates deeper than other oils. It exfoliates dry flaky skin and reveals smooth skin.

Black Salt

Black salt is a dark brown-pink to purple volcanic rock salt from the Himalayan region. Rich in mineral content, it gently exfoliates and purifies, removing excess oil and dead skin debris.

 

 

 

Safflower Oil

Safflower Oil is high in Omegas 3, 6 and 9. It hydrates dry skin, soothes irritation and enhances skin texture and appearance. It tightens and brightens the skin.

 

Organic Shea Butter

Shea Butter comes from the Shea Nut.

Shea Butter treats dark scars. Shea can feed the skin and overhaul the skin texture, even on deep burns.

 

 

Sunflower Oil

 
Sunflower Oil is hydrating, nourishing, and an excellent supporting oil base.
 
It retains moisture in the skin and is also rich in vitamin E.

Rosemary Oil & Extract

Rosemary Extract combats dry skin. It naturally protects skin from free radicals. It also has natural antiseptic properties and is a gentle exfoliant for dead skin flakes.

Rosemary is soothing and helps reduce puffiness and lightens dark spots. It is stimulating and promotes better blood circulation to deliver the nutrients necessary to build collagen, elastin and to encourage scar repair.

It also adds a lovely and invigorating scent to lend a spa-like vibe to armpit skin maintainence.

Peppermint

Peppermint has both cooling and anesthetic properties to quell skin irritation. It also soothes rough & dry skin. And it has a crisp, clean scent.
A combination of charcoal and salt to cleanse, plus rosemary and peppermint

The Experience

This gives an exceptionally clean feel and scent to the skin without being harsh. 

Despite the robust cleansing ingredients, it doesn’t sting or irritate the skin. It exfoliates dry skin and debris, where bacteria tends to hide.  Even with regularly use, there is no stinging or irritation to the skin. Skin is smoother, with less of a bumpy, rough surface. Dry skin flakes are whisked away to keep skin in optimal, clean shape.

There is a fresh mint and rosemary scent, but it is not overwhelming. 

The glycerin rich ingredients lend towards this being a “moist” bar that will not fully dry between uses. I keep my soap on a soap dish to allow it to dry out after each use. 

 

 

This soap combines charcoal, salt and peppermint for a fresh scent and clean skin!

The Results

After two weeks of regular use, I really am impressed with the results! I have experienced no irritation from the soap or when applying my deodorant after. 

While the soap can be used alone, the best benefits come from pairing this soap with Pit Prep. 

Stayed tuned for our experiences with Stainky’s Pit Prep in an upcoming review. 

 

 

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS?

Have any questions or comments? 

Email us or comment below and we will do our best to answer them!

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How to Best Use Vegamour GRO Hair Foam

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This is a product review and ingredient breakdown for Vegamour GRO Hair Foam. We clarify a common misconception about How to Best Use Vegamour GRO Hair Foam.

Many of us would like to grow fuller, lush hair. There are several serums and oils on the market. These are often a messy application that makes hair go flat and greasy at the root – right where you want more volume.

Here is our research on the Vegamour GRO Hair Foam formulation as well as our experience.

Read all about how Vegamour GRO Hair Foam works. It looks like hair mousse but you only need to apply small amount

How to Best Use Vegamour GRO Hair Foam

Vegamour GRO Hair Foam is a mousse-like foam that adds volume at the root.

It is not intended for the lengths of the hair.

While it does double-duty as a styling agent to maximize the appearance of thinner hair, it is really a hair growth serum in a precise application form.

Why It Vegamour GRO Hair Foam is Special

While most hair growth formulations are oily, greasy or clump the hair together, this formula acts like a styling mousse at the root and adds some hair volume.

Adhering to daily use is much easier when I am not tempted to skip a day of treatment in order to have a better looking hair style for a day.

Vegamour GRO Hair Foam review

Research-Backed Treatments for Hair Regrowth

There are many formulations out there promising hair growth. While many ingredients can provide SOME benefit, most don’t address the main reasons hair won’t grow in well.

Research indicates the primary enemies to hair growth are:

  • DHT accumulation on the scalp
  • loss of blood circulation to the scalp
  • scalp inflammation
  • nutritional deficiencies

Bloodwork can rule out some nutritional basics like low Vitamin D levels, iron, magnesium, and B12. Most of us get enough Biotin from fortified foods but if you are low, that can impair hair growth.

A dermatologist can rule out other conditions, such as inflammatory conditions of the scalp, that may require medical attention.

But DHT and poor blood circulation are more complicated. That requires some topical treatment intervention. The ingredients in that topical treatment are key to your success.

Check out the ingredients in Vegamour GRO Hair Foam.

Vegamour Gro Hair Foam Key Ingredients

tumeric

Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Callus Conditioned Media

Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) is used for the prevention and reduction of hair loss, achieving an increase in density.

It is also an important stimulator of follicular activity, optimizing the hair cycle and providing improvements in the density, strength and health of the hair.

It is also an outstanding anti-inflammatory for promoting optimal scalp health.

Tumeric is effective at “jumpstarting” the dermal papilla cells of DPCs – where hair growth happens – after periods of dormancy.

Trifolium Pratense

Trifolium Pratense is red clover. Red clover addresses DHT.

DHT is a hormone that accumulates on the scalp. It can suffocate the hair follicle, causing it to grow a thinner and shorter until it cannot produce a hair at all.

DHT is partially removed with regular hair washing, but not entirely. It can be trapped under dandruff or oils. Certain ingredients show an ability to remove DHT. Red Clover is an particularly effective one while also not being harsh or drying to the scalp. 

Bergamot

Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Peel Oil

Citrus Aurantium Bergamia, better known as Bergamot has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Linalool and carvacrol are compounds in bergamot oil. Both are excellent anti-inflammatories for skin issues such as acne and skin irritation.[1,2]It also lends natural scent.

Caffeine

Caffeine stimulates blood circulation and reduces puffiness
Caffeine stimulates blood circulation

Caffeine reduces inflammation.

Caffeine has antioxidant properties and slows down photo-aging. On the scalp, Caffeine encourages blood flow to nourish follicles and encourage healthy growth.

Vigna Radiata Extract

Mung beans. 

As it turns out, the humble mung bean is a hair growth superstar.

Mung beans deliver folate directly to the DPCs Dermal Papilla cells (DPCs).

DPCs are specialized mesenchymal cells [3] located at the hair follicle base. They are essential to the hair growth cycle, especially for postnatal hair growth. [4]

Nicotiana benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide 9

This is a fusion peptide. It is designed to be an identical copy of the human gene responsible for vascular endothelial growth factor, part of what grows hair. It contains amino acids, disulfide bonds and proteins all of which build hair. There are no animal bi-products in this peptide, and it functions like your own human genes, but younger and healthier.

Simply put, this peptide nourishes the anagen (growth) cycle of the hair while strengthening roots.

Lemon

Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide 86

A peptide.

Glucopeptide-2

Glucopeptide-2 is a peptide which uses an amino acid that acts like adiponectin. Adiponectin reduces the impact of genetic hair loss factors.

Limonene

Limonene comes from citrus peels. It adds natural fragrance and is believed to have some of the beneficial properties of the fruit such as Vitamins and anti-inflammatories. [5]

Biotin

Biotin is Vitamin H. Biotin aids in hydration, moisturizes, and restores dry skin. Biotin also supports the building of the keratin structure of hair.

Gluconolactone

A gentle polyhydroxy acid (PHA) exfoliant. PHA’s are like aHa’s but less irritating to the skin, so even sensitive skin types can use it. It not only exfoliates barriers such as dandruff and sebum, but is anti-aging to the scalp skin itself. [6] It is a “natural” ingredient, a cyclic ester of D-gluconic acid. [7,8]

THE Vegamour GRO Hair Foam EXPERIENCE

The scent is a fruity bergamot with a touch of citrus, but not so detectible once it dries down.

It is the texture of a hair mousse but applied just on the scalp at the hair root – not the lengths.

There is no weird residue. It wasn’t drying and washes out well. Only a small amount is necessary. This is particularly helpful for precise spot application if hair is thinner in a spot or to treat an uneven hairline.

  • PRO: Foam is less messy and offers a very precise application compared to a serum application.
  • PRO: Hair looks and feels thicker. There is less overall hair shed.
  • PRO: I did not experience white flakes or residue. It is somewhat stiff at the root – like a volumizing styling product – but not sticky.
  • PRO: Makes hair edges and the hair line appear thicker. This is a very nice perk compared to most hair growth serums and oils that tend to clump hair together or make hair seem greasy right where you want the appearance of thicker hair.
  • CON: If I could fix one thing, the nozzle would just a bit thinner to not disperse more product than I need at once.
  • TIP: Remember to shake the bottle well, like a hair mousse, for best texture on application.

If you are not a fan or serums or oils to promote hair growth, then Vegamour GRO Hair Foam’s controlled foam application is a great option for you.

It is useful for days I really prefer to style the fullest looking hair line yet still use a hair growth treatment, and use the hair serum on a “regular” day.

Where to Buy Vegamour GRO Hair Foam

Find Vegamour GRO Hair Foam at Vegamour and Sephora

References

  1. Perna, Simone et al. “Efficacy of bergamot: From anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative mechanisms to clinical applications as preventive agent for cardiovascular morbidity, skin diseases, and mood alterations.” Food science & nutrition vol. 7,2 369-384. 25 Jan. 2019, doi:10.1002/fsn3.903
  2. Shao, L. (2003). [Effects of the extract from bergamot and boxthorn on the delay of skin aging and hair growth in mice]. China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica, 28(8), 766–769.
  3. Satoshi Itami, et al. Role of Androgen in Mesenchymal Epithelial Interactions in Human Hair Follicle, Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings, Volume 10, Issue 3, 2005, Pages 209-211,ISSN 1087-0024, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1087-0024.2005.10107.x.]
  4. Madaan A, Verma R, Singh AT, Jaggi M. Review of Hair Follicle Dermal Papilla cells as in vitro screening model for hair growth. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2018 Oct;40(5):429-450. doi: 10.1111/ics.12489. Epub 2018 Oct 4. PMID: 30144361.
  5. de Cássia da Silveira E Sá R, Lima TC, da Nóbrega FR, de Brito AEM, de Sousa DP. Analgesic-Like Activity of Essential Oil Constituents: An Update. Int J Mol Sci. 2017 Dec 9;18(12):2392. doi: 10.3390/ijms18122392. PMID: 29232831; PMCID: PMC5751100.
  6. [Cutis., 2004 Feb;73(2 Suppl):14-7., A polyhydroxy acid skin care regimen provides antiaging effects comparable to an alpha-hydroxyacid regimen.]
  7. National Center for Biotechnology Information. “PubChem Compound Summary for CID 7027, Gluconolactone” PubChem, https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Gluconolactone. Accessed 26 August, 2023.
  8. Pastore, Saveria, et al. “The epidermal growth factor receptor system in skin repair and inflammation.” Journal of Investigative Dermatology 128.6 (2008): 1365-1374.

ABOUT THIS POST

This product was submitted to Style Chicks for consideration purposes. All opinions and experiences are 100% our own.

Vegamour + Healthy Hair Growth Guide What to Know

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We all want lush, healthy hair. So we fully tested 6 Vegamour GRO products.

  • We used each Vegamour product for the recommended full 3 months.
  • We researched the efficacy of the ingredients in each formulation.

Want to know what we learned? Check out our six-part Vegamour GRO series. We share research on how the ingredients work, show the packaging, and tell our Vegamour experience for each of the six products we tried for this year’s Hair Loss Awareness Month.

Vegamour GRO Hair Serum uses vegan-friendly ingredients to promote hair growth. We independently researched the ingredients and used the serum for the full three months. Stay tuned for our findings!

Skip ahead to the Vegamour Six-Part Series, or read below about what to do if your hair is thinning.

READ the SERIES

Who Can Benefit from Vegamour Hair Growth Products?

For more than 40% of women, hair thinning occurs with several medical problems, medications, post-partum, post-COVID, and simply with age.

Hair Growth Remedies

There are a few approaches to hair regrowth.

1. Hair Growth devices

2. topical solutions

3. prescription medications or topicals.

There are few vegan options or options for those who wish to avoid chemicals. But there are research-backed, vegan, topical remedies to optimize hair growth.

Why Your Hair Isn’t Growing

The primary enemies to healthy hair growth are:

  1. DHT accumulation on the scalp
  2. Impaired circulation
  3. Scalp inflammation

And a related problem: hair breakage. Your hair is growing, but it is also breaking off. This makes hair uneven, appear thin and unkempt. It gives the overall look of no hair growth progress.

Check In With Your Doctor

If your hair growth pattern is behaving differently, the first thing is to check in with your doctor.

It isn’t just your vanity, your hair health can be a clue into your overall health.

The vitamin deficiencies impacting hair growth are the same vitamins necessary for your body to function properly.

Bloodwork can rule out some of the usual deficiencies such as low Vitamin D, iron, magnesium, or B12. Any of these can impair hair growth, cause brittle hair, and even cause hair loss and breakage.

Most of us get enough Biotin from eggs, nuts or fortified foods, but if you are deficient, that can also cause hair growth issues and hair loss.

A dermatologist can check if any scalp conditions are impacting your hair growth and make some recommendations.

Once these areas have been checked, it is time to consider which topical treatments work and what hair care can optimize your hair growth.

What Ingredients Help Grow Hair?

There are many ingredients which claim to jump start hair growth. Research shows some do.

Some ingredients help some people with certain problems, but won’t help others. It is awfully expensive in both time and money trying to figure out your hair growth problems.

How Vegamour Ingredients Can Help Grow Hair

Vegamour uses research backed ingredients within cruelty free, vegan formulations to optimize hair growth without chemicals.

Can all natural ingredients REALLY grow back hair?

We see many testimonials online saying that Vegamour works.

So we did our own research into several Vegamour formulations to see what the medical journals say about these ingredients. And we tried the products our for ourselves for the full three months required to see results.

The Vegamour Range

We tested several of their products for the full recommended three months. We researched each of the ingredients, and we report our findings on each product. Check out our reviews on these products from the Vegamour range:

  • GRO Hair Foam
  • GRO Shampoo
  • GRO Conditioner
  • GRO Serum
  • Anti-Gray Hair Serum
  • GRO Scalp Detoxifying Serum

Check out the ingredients in this stellar vegan lineup, see that oh so pretty packaging, and read all about our experiences with Vegamour!

First in the series is Vegamour GRO Hair Foam

What We Love About Armani Power Fabric+ Foundation

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June 2025 UPDATE: to this review: a 2025 in-depth detailed review of all the pros and cons of Armani Power Fabric+ Foundation is now live.

Giorgio Armani Power Fabric+ Foundation is a new player in the luxury foundation market. How does it compare to the cult classic Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation?

Armani Power Fabric+ Foundation product review

What We Love About Armani Power Fabric+ Foundation

This formulation covers a multitude of sins, especially on video conference!  It is buildable yet very lightweight. 

BEST FEATURE:  Armani Beauty’s Micro-fil technology and ultra-fine pigments give coverage without looking heavy on the skin. VERY thin layers get the job done.

Features

  • Matte Finish
  • There is an SPF 25 in this formulation
  • Lightweight formula with medium to full Coverage
  • Long-lasting, up to 24 hour wear
  • Full range of shades

The Giorgio Armani Power Fabric+ Foundation Experience

The foundation has enough coverage that I can skip concealer, plus it has an SPF.

I absolutely love the even, smooth coverage of this foundation. It blends flawlessly into skin with a very nice slip. There is a featherweight feel but the coverage is full yet natural. And extra dab under my nose and inner under eye and I needed no concealer.

I can find a shade that is an excellent match for my skin tone which is no small feat for my oddball coloring.

Areas Open for Improvement 

There are two things that disappoint:

  1. My skin is not oily, but the color oxidized within a few hours.
  2. It settled into fine lines quickly, despite my skin being well-hydrated and only using a sparing application. I refreshed with lightweight moisturizer dabbed on with a Beauty Blender, but I typically don’t have to maintain a product.

Final Thoughts

This is not a clean beauty formulation from an ingredient perspective, and it doesn’t claim to be.

However, it is still worthy of mention because it gives the appearance of very little (if any) makeup on the skin. Even those who prefer clean beauty cosmetics may wish to make an exception on occasion for a completely flawless finish that still looks natural.

This matte formulation however, seems best suited towards those with oily complexions.

My skin tends to be more dry, so I personally prefer the dewy finish of the original Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation to this newer matte formulation. Both formulations use the same Micro-fil technology and ultra-fine pigment.

But when you need a matte flawless finish with the look of no visible makeup, (think photo ops) Armani Beauty Power Fabric+ is hard to beat.

Where to Shop Giorgio Armani Power Fabric+ Foundation

Find the Armani Beauty range at Sephora and Saks Fifth Avenue

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