The great natural skincare search....
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free skin care · Wed Mar 14, 2007 5:18 am

Ok, I need major help!

I decided about 6 months ago to convert to skincare that did not include certain ingredients, i.e. propelyne glycol, parabens, etc...

I starting using Dr. Hauschka in October and that worked well for me about until Christmas, when I noticed my skin was just not responding to it and I started beaking out. Then I moved on to Weleda, which seems to do a good enough job, but nothing spectacular. Now I've tried Kosmea (not impressed), Juice Organics (which is my favourite so far), etc... But I developed a weird sort of rash on my chin / nose area and it just won't seem to go away.

The problem is, I used to have GLOWING skin (when I used skincare containing these ingredients I am now trying to avoid) and am finding it very difficult, in light of the results I am getting now, not to fall back in my old ways.

I am tempted to try Juice BEauty, but I don't want to spend another $250 to get suited up in yet another skincare line to be dissapointed down the road...

The truth is, Aloette (my beloved skincare line) was on tSc this weekend, and I found it very difficult not to place an order because my skin looked SO good when I was using Aloette.

Sorry for the long post, but this is a real struggle for me and I would appreciate any advice you could give re: other skincare lines or how to deal with this dilemma. Sad

free skin care · Wed Mar 14, 2007 5:37 am

I use a lot of natural/organic products and oils from different brands. I have no problems with mixing brands, but I find that my skin OD if I use a spesific product (especially oils) all the time, so I rotate my products and let my skin breathe.

free skin care · Wed Mar 14, 2007 5:41 am

Schnee wrote:

I use a lot of natural/organic products and oils from different brands. I have no problems with mixing brands, but I find that my skin OD if I use a spesific product (especially oils) all the time, so I rotate my products and let my skin breathe.

What brands would you recommend? I bought Babor Hy Ol and Phytoactive after reading your review. I'm still loving it. Are you still using it?

free skin care · Wed Mar 14, 2007 5:52 am

andaman_gypsy wrote:

What brands would you recommend? I bought Babor Hy Ol and Phytoactive after reading your review. I'm still loving it. Are you still using it?

Yes, I love the Babor hy-öl + phytoactive! I could never give it up. Laughing

I use a lot of products from Weleda (love the wild rose capsules), some from Dr. Hauschka (normalizing oil and tinted moisturiser, occasionally cleansers) and Farfalla (aloe-shea serum and oils). I rotate types of oils I use every day, or my skin will OD. Laughing

free skin care · Wed Mar 14, 2007 7:14 am

gottaHAVEitALL-why did you decide to give up things like PG and parabens? I don't intend to turn this thread into a debate on the merits of these ingredients (so don't feel the need to answer that in this thread) but I think that you may want to look at your reasons for doing this and see if they are more important than having the skin you love. Perhaps you can find a natural line that will work as good for you but if not then maybe nice skin is worth using these ingredients. I don't have issues with any of the ingredients that you mention. At one time I was very into natural and organic skincare and now I tend to use whatever works for me. Personally I found that the more I learned about ingredients like PG and parabens the more comfortable I felt using these. So for me it really isn't a compromise because I no longer fear these ingredients in appropriate amounts.

As for naural brands I really liked some of the Jurlique products. The Sanoflore moisturizers are also very nice and this brand is a good quality but less expensive natural brand. Another option might be to use a product or two from the Aloette brand that you think are the most beneficial and then use natural products for the rest of your routine. It doesn't have to be all or nothing!!

Good Luck!! I hope you work something out that will benefit your skin and that you can feel comfortable with!

free skin care · Wed Mar 14, 2007 7:15 am

Hi Gottahaveitall! This is a tough dilemma indeed. I actually decided the same thing for myself a while back, and have been looking into natural skincare ever since. I thought I had totally found the answer with Dr. H since I loved their ingredients, scents, textures, everything, but unfortunately their products clogged my pores beyond belief, so I had to move on.

My core products right now are from the Naturderm line, and I kid you not, they have given me the best skin of my life. I use the Triple Lavender Face Foam, Chrysalyx, NaturdermX, and EpidermxII and love them all. They are very natural products, and they contain no PG, petrochemicals, silicones, etc etc. However, they do contain a very small bit of parabens. I don't like parabens and I've discussed this issue with Amy from Naturderm quite a bit. Amy understands the concern about parabens, and she says she only uses the smallest fraction of a percent of them in her products and she only uses naturally-derived parabens. Frankly speaking, because of how good my skin looks and because of how great all the other ingredients in this line are, I can live with a tiny amount of parabens. If you decide maybe you can too, I would highly, HIGHLY recommend these products.

Some other natural lines that I've used that have NOT clogged my pores are Zenbiotic and Best Bath Store. From Zenbiotic right now I use their Rinseless Cleanser (Just spray on and wipe off--- so easy!) and their Moisture Enrich for when I need a moisture boost, and then from BBS I use their toner. HTH-- please keep us updated!

free skin care · Wed Mar 14, 2007 7:19 am

I love, love, love the body stuff (scrubs, silk and honey lotion, body wash) from Bella Lucce. With my last order I received samples of the Pink Grapefruit Foaming Cleanser and Pomegranate Polishing Crème. Last night I tried them both for the first time and this morning my skin is soft and glowy. I also have their Peruvian Chocolate Renewing Masque that I use once a week. It smells yummy and also leaves my skin all glowy.
They have a 7 step facial kit, with all their face products for $90. I haven't tried all the facial products yet but I have loved everything I have ever tried from them.
They also have fantastic customer service. And the packaging is darling. With my orders I get the cutest little Chinese take-out box filled with samples.
Oh, and the scents they have are to die for.
Take a look at their website, there is a page on their company philosophy that explains how she got started, etc.
http://www.bellalucce.com/

free skin care · Wed Mar 14, 2007 7:28 am

kandaboersma-- shame on you for posting that link!!! How on earth do you expect me to resist a product called "Peruvian Chocolate Renewing Masque"?? Drool

free skin care · Wed Mar 14, 2007 7:50 am

gottaHAVEitALL

May I suggest a look at the following website:http://www.i2byivanak.com It is organic skin care but you can purchase samples which is a great help.

I have had the same dilemma as yourself and switched back and forth from organic skin care to products with chemical ingredients. I found that my skin responds best to organic products but it depends on the ingredients. One may be sensitive to certain essential oils and other organic ingredients so perhaps it's just a matter of trying to find out what your skin responds to best. For example, Jurlique and Juice Beauty and Weleda are way too harsh for my skin. Dr. H. is okay but I can't tolerate the products that contain their alcohol. It tends to get time consuming trying to find the right products and ingredients. Perhaps shop around a little more and if you can't seem to find an organic line that you like then go back to what works for you even if it has chemical additives.

free skin care · Wed Mar 14, 2007 8:30 am

Manslayerliz-
All of their chocolate stuff is awesome! Pure chocolate smell. The body scrub smells like fudge. I also love the French Sugared Vanilla scent and the Bali Coffee Scrub. MMMMmmm, just thinking about it makes me want to hop in the shower.
Sorry for the temptation but I think if you ordered from them you wouldn't be sorry.
Bella Lucce is "girly" which a lot of the organic companies seem to lose. With my three boys running around here like hooligans it's nice to have "girly" stuff once in a while.

free skin care · Wed Mar 14, 2007 9:09 am

Oh, I am so glad you posed Kandaboersma. I just discovered that site last night, and I so wanted to try some of the products, but had never heard of any one using them! Please keep updating especially on the facial products! Very Happy

free skin care · Wed Mar 14, 2007 9:12 am

I am now just using whatever products that work for me. I try to use more natural products though. I love The Organic Pharmacy products and I'm only starting to use Osea. I'd like to try Weleda body oils as I keep hearing so many good things about it.

free skin care · Wed Mar 14, 2007 9:14 am

manslayerliz wrote:

Hi Gottahaveitall! This is a tough dilemma indeed. I actually decided the same thing for myself a while back, and have been looking into natural skincare ever since. I thought I had totally found the answer with Dr. H since I loved their ingredients, scents, textures, everything, but unfortunately their products clogged my pores beyond belief, so I had to move on.

My core products right now are from the Naturderm line, and I kid you not, they have given me the best skin of my life. I use the Triple Lavender Face Foam, Chrysalyx, NaturdermX, and EpidermxII and love them all. They are very natural products, and they contain no PG, petrochemicals, silicones, etc etc. However, they do contain a very small bit of parabens. I don't like parabens and I've discussed this issue with Amy from Naturderm quite a bit. Amy understands the concern about parabens, and she says she only uses the smallest fraction of a percent of them in her products and she only uses naturally-derived parabens. Frankly speaking, because of how good my skin looks and because of how great all the other ingredients in this line are, I can live with a tiny amount of parabens. If you decide maybe you can too, I would highly, HIGHLY recommend these products.

Some other natural lines that I've used that have NOT clogged my pores are Zenbiotic and Best Bath Store. From Zenbiotic right now I use their Rinseless Cleanser (Just spray on and wipe off--- so easy!) and their Moisture Enrich for when I need a moisture boost, and then from BBS I use their toner. HTH-- please keep us updated!

Thanks, Liz. Would you mind posting the website link to Naturderm products? I'd be interested in looking into them...

free skin care · Wed Mar 14, 2007 9:21 am

gottaHAVEitALL wrote:

manslayerliz wrote:

Hi Gottahaveitall! This is a tough dilemma indeed. I actually decided the same thing for myself a while back, and have been looking into natural skincare ever since. I thought I had totally found the answer with Dr. H since I loved their ingredients, scents, textures, everything, but unfortunately their products clogged my pores beyond belief, so I had to move on.

My core products right now are from the Naturderm line, and I kid you not, they have given me the best skin of my life. I use the Triple Lavender Face Foam, Chrysalyx, NaturdermX, and EpidermxII and love them all. They are very natural products, and they contain no PG, petrochemicals, silicones, etc etc. However, they do contain a very small bit of parabens. I don't like parabens and I've discussed this issue with Amy from Naturderm quite a bit. Amy understands the concern about parabens, and she says she only uses the smallest fraction of a percent of them in her products and she only uses naturally-derived parabens. Frankly speaking, because of how good my skin looks and because of how great all the other ingredients in this line are, I can live with a tiny amount of parabens. If you decide maybe you can too, I would highly, HIGHLY recommend these products.

Some other natural lines that I've used that have NOT clogged my pores are Zenbiotic and Best Bath Store. From Zenbiotic right now I use their Rinseless Cleanser (Just spray on and wipe off--- so easy!) and their Moisture Enrich for when I need a moisture boost, and then from BBS I use their toner. HTH-- please keep us updated!

Thanks, Liz. Would you mind posting the website link to Naturderm products? I'd be interested in looking into them...

You can get them fromwww.greatnewskin.com. I think it's their official website. I got mine fromwww.goldportbeauty.com.

free skin care · Wed Mar 14, 2007 9:56 am

Here is a wonderful company for you Natural Skin Care people. I am in love with their facial masks, facial cleansers, toners and body products. The Body Deli just started shipping outside the US.

http://www.bodydeli.com/

Wed Mar 14, 2007 12:10 pm

Dear gottaHAVEitALL,

I have been using the most amazing transformative all natural skin care line for about 8 months now. It's called ARCONA, they are a small company based in LA, and their products are kinda hard to find. But SOOOO worth it. You can check out their website [arcona . com]

My skin has drastically improved since i started using their line. And it's gotten so much stronger! i used to have really senstive skin that would randomly get red and irritated. But since using the products my skin is super healthy and glowy. I get compliments all the time.

If i were you i would call the spa and have them help you pick out products. They are really helpful and knowledgable. Also, they have a travel kit, which is like a starter kit. It's not that expensive and last a pretty long while. And their stuff smells amazing!

hope this helps.

free skin care · Wed Mar 14, 2007 4:53 pm

i would second the rec for naturderm and if you do decide to go that route i would recommend calling amy - just mention that you found her through this forum and she's likely to help you work out the right package of products (for e.g., i got the cleanser, e2, and moisturizer, but didn't need the naturdermx).

some other suggestions - ren skincare is totally organic and a lot of people seem to like their products (you can also check out reviews on makeupalley.com) - i just got the jojoba scrub which is really nice! - soft and squishy, not rough, exfoliation, if that makes any sense. some whole foods have started carrying ren, if that's an option for you.

primavera is another organic line, sort of along the same lines as dr. h, but not as mainstream - that said though, they do use alcohol in a lot of their products, but it really isn't drying at all (i use their natural balance toner and witch hazel hydrosol). saffronrouge and kathlina both carry it online.

also, osea skincare has been getting a lot of raves recently on these forums, if you do a search. again, totally natural - plus, if you're in the us you can email them to ask for free samples, which is a really nice way to try out products.

hth! Smile

free skin care · Wed Mar 14, 2007 5:01 pm

I'm starting to fall in love with my Epidermxll.

free skin care · Wed Mar 14, 2007 6:26 pm

Hi gottaHAVEitALL,

I have recently switched to skincare that is almost all natural (except my SS of course) and am trying to phase out products that i have that are not so natural. I notice my skin is the same or a lot better. I am thinking the natural products you're using just aren't cutting it for you. I would play around with more before deciding to go back to your old stuff. the more i carefully read ingredients, the more i realize that a lot of skin care products are crap.

I use Garden of Wisdom, which uses simple ingredients and the price is ultra affordable. The base cream is around $6-8 and consists of wholesome ingredients. Markey makes excellent products.

Another line that has caught my attention and has garnered excellent reviews from what I have heard is Wild Sage Botanicals. Again, very affordable, a moisturizer runs about $14:

http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=19849

i just checked out bella lucce, and wow, it looks like a great line!

Kristen

free skin care · Wed Mar 14, 2007 7:13 pm

Thank you, ladies, you've kept me on the road to finding a healthy skincare line!! I have not faulted thanks to your encouragement and kind words.

So I took the plunge and ordered some Juice Beauty products from EDS (Cleansing Milk, Mist, Green Apple Antioxidant Serum & Green Apple Moisturizer). Of all the lines I've tried so far, Juice Organics is the one I've been the most impressed with - so I figured I would give Juice Beauty (same company) a try. My skin reacts well to the AHAs and exfoliation.

Wish me luck on my quest! And thanks again!!! I almost lost it and put in an order of Aloette products!!! Rolling Eyes

free skin care · Wed Mar 14, 2007 8:34 pm

I've just switched to Jurlique 99% as I feel I have been exposing myself to too many cancer causing chemicals for the last 15 years. However, do note that natural ingredients take a longer time to work and might not be that effective. For quicker / better results, go for the chemical based ingredients if you have no concerns.

free skin care · Wed Mar 14, 2007 10:40 pm

gottaHAVEITALL--I am so glad you haven't given up. please do update for all of us. and chloe is absolutely correct in that natural skincare products can take longer to show improvement. I have read this on many sites.

Kristen

free skin care · Wed Mar 14, 2007 10:55 pm

Good luck!!!! Smile

free skin care · Thu Mar 15, 2007 5:28 am

Eden's Kiss has really nice products. I particularly love the Anti-Aging Balm and the Anti-Aging Creme. The prices are very good for the quality (and the products are of the little-goes-a-long way type).

It's edenskiss with the usual befores and afters. You can purchase samples of some of the products.

free skin care · Thu Mar 15, 2007 9:14 am

Two of the best natural lines I've used are Dr H and Primavera. Since you didn't have much success with Dr H I would suggest trying the Primavera linewww.primaveralife.com. It's fantastic but a bit pricey here in Canada. Lavera and Jurlique are also great lines but I've only tried a couple of samples from both lines. You CAN have fantastic skin with natural products. My skin looks better than it ever has and I feel healthier on a whole as well. You have to stick with them though as it takes a while to wean your skin off of other products and to get the toxins out of your skin. Some people will find they break out or develop some mild irritation when they switch to a natural product and think this is a reaction to the new product when it is actually a release and flushing of all the gunk they had built up in their skin from previous lines. You really need to try a new product for at least 3 months before your skin adapts and responds. Good luck in you search. Hope you find something that works out for you.

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