What is in your daily face cleanser and moisturizing lotion?

Have you ever read closely on what is in your daily facial cleanser and moisturizer? I just did!
I am shocked to find out how many "Dirty Dozens" ingredients are in them.

Daily Facial Cleanser

Moisturizing Lotion

I hope you checked yours! and choose body cloth and moisturizer that are toxins free! #JoinMe #ToxinsFreeRevolution #NewYearResolution

Current Poofy Organics Fave Product: Orange Lavender Herbal Shampoo Bar

I started using orange lavender shampoo bar when I had to travel to Asia last month.
Thinking of TSA-friendly skin care, I load up my luggage with Poofy Organics orange lavender shampoo bar and lotion stick.
It takes a while to get used to using the shampoo bar as they lather differently from liquid shampoo.
At first, I feel that I over-rubbing it into my hair and I am not rinsing it well enough. But, after using the shampoo bar for a month, i am in love!

I love the convenience of using just a bar for my whole body.
I love that the shampoo bar actually leave my hair in perfect state (I wash my hair everyday and I used to feel that liquid shampoo is drying my hair and conditioner leaves my hair oilier than I expected- So I used to use just deep conditioner just every few days) Now with the shampoo bar, my hair feels much healthier and easier to style. I had couple people commented on how nice my new hair looks :)
I love that the shampoo bar is relatively cheap and last a while.
Last but not least, i love the smell of the orange lavender!

The top question people asked me about the shampoo bar:
How do you use it?It is simple. Just get your hair wet, take the bar and rub it  over your scalp and down your hair. Then put the bar away and massage your scalp and hair to work it into a wonderful lather. Lastly, make sure you have a very good  and clean rinse. Voila!

My tips, do not forget to use Soap Lift to make your bar soap last longer.

Ready to give it a try? You can purchase my favorite here

Poofy Organics Orange Lavender Herbal Shampoo Bar

Ingredients: saponified organic oils of palm, coconut, sunflower, castor & olive, rhassoul clay, bentonite clay, organic essential oils of orange & lavender

Merry Christmas DIY Matcha Lavender Honey Sugar Scrub

Today I am in the mood of being busy in the kitchen.....
not for baking, not cooking, but making my own sugar scrub!

I want to give handmade gifts for some friends, hence this:
Matcha Lavender Honey Sugar Scrub

Matcha Lavender Honey Sugar Scrub Christmas DIY

Ingredients:

• Cane Sugar or Brown Sugar (preferably Organic one) 
• Manuka Honey (This is what I use)
• Matcha (I got it from Uwajimaya)
• Lavender USDA Certified Organic Essential Oil (I got mine here)
• Jojoba Oil (I need it last minute so I went to GNC)

I used 1 cup of sugar with 2 tsp of matcha, 2 tsp of manuka honey, 1 Tbs  of Jojoba Oil, and 4 drops of lavender oil

Mixed all of them and healthy skin for the holiday is coming your way!

Choosing only the best ingredients!

Matcha's benefits:  At first I was debating whether I want to use matcha or green tea- then I read this article, so I decided to go with Matcha!

Manuka Honey: read here for benefits

Jojoba Oil: Known as the best carrier oil to treat acne (here)

Lavender USDA Certified Organic Essential Oils: " Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) has a fresh, sweet, floral, herbaceous aroma that is soothing and refreshing. Because it is the most versatile of all essential oils, no home should be without it. Lavender is an adaptogen, and therefore can assist the body when adapting to stress or imbalances. It is a great aid for relaxing and winding down before bedtime, yet has balancing properties that can also boost stamina and energy. It's great for beauty. It may be used to soothe and cleanse common cuts, bruises, and skin irritations."- Poofy Organics

Ava Anderson Essential Oils NOT organic- in violation with USDA

I am all for companies that strive to provide safe havens away from harmful chemicals. However, I dislike companies that is not truthful. Marketing products as something that it is not, is considerably a fraud! I am very disappointed with this news and saddened.

I still can not wrap it in my mind why million dollars company like Ava Anderson is not providing us with USDA Organics products.
I am all for the USDA Organic certification and the seal. I have posted information about how rigorous the process of obtaining the USDA Organic seal here: http://creatingsafehaven.blogspot.com/2015/11/how-important-is-usda-certified.html

And this is another GREEN and SAFE company that speaks about USDA Organic Certification well: http://bubbleandbee.blogspot.com/2014/08/can-usda-organic-be-trusted.html

I support Bubble and Bee's statement: "Of course, it always helps to buy your organic products from sources you trust, and companies that have demonstrated their dedication to organic standards." and with that, I choose to NOT use Ava Anderson products because I just cannot trust Ava Anderson.

Ava Anderson Essential Oils in violation with USDA

One of the Ava Anderson's page posted this "“USDA Organic” is simply a marketing term now, unfortunately. And did you know that the goal of the USDA has always been to increase agricultural sales, not promote organic farming? It's ALL about the ingredients. NO seal, stamp, buzzwords or "certifications" mean very much, unfortunately." with a link to here: http://www.realfarmacy.com/usda-organic-labels-no-longer-trustworthy/#dQsq12tY6wwGqsv3.99

What a joke?!

USDA ORGANIC CERTIFICATION SEAL means INTEGRITY and ACCOUNTABILITY.
I, personally, prefer products with USDA Organics seal.

Holiday Hosting...need tips for Cleaning!

Here's some good guides for Laundry :)

I feel that my marriage goes through rough spots when I have my baby. This is a good reminder to keep my marriage healthy and loving. Hope this bless you, too! Long Lasting marriage takes work and believe me, it is worth it, especially if we put Jesus Christ in the center of it all.

A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken- Ecc 4:12 NLT

There's an alternative, why not use it?

Yesterday, I found out a disturbing news. The Rose Ointment I have from Young Living contains mink oil. I did not bother to research it more when I read it because I thought that mink is just some type of plants, until someone ask about it at the oil group on Facebook that I am in. "Was the mink oil ethically sourced?" Then, it just clicked on me about "mink fur" and how cute minks are. I was scared to know where the mink oil came from.

Yesterday, I had the reply from product information at YL:

"The minks that we use as the source for our mink oil are minks that are

farm raised for their fur. Humane euthanasia techniques practiced on

fur farms are those recommended by the American Veterinary Medical

Association in the United States and by the Guelph University Research

Facility in Canada. The only method of euthanasia for mink certified

by FCUSA Animal Welfare Committee is pure carbon monoxide or carbon

dioxide bottled gas. The animals are immediately rendered unconscious

and die without stress or pain. Due to the larger physical size of fox,

the American Veterinary Medical Association approves lethal injection as

the most humane method. This is the only method recommended by the FCUSA

Animal Welfare Committee. These are the same methods used by many local

humane shelters. In the United States, the U.S. Department of

Agriculture (USDA) includes fur farming in annual agriculture production

statistics and reports, as do most state agriculture departments. In

Canada, fur farming is licensed and regulated by the provincial

departments of agriculture.

Mink oil is made from the thick fatty layer minks have just under their

skins. This fat is removed from the pelt when the mink is skinned and is

then rendered into mink oil. Mink oil is a source of palmitoleic acid

which possesses physical properties similar to human sebum, therefore

mink oil is used in several medical and cosmetic products."

That just does not sit well with me. I am appalled. Bear in mind, I am not an animal activist, I still eat meat and all.......but this just is not right on many level.

1) There is a botanical alternative, why not use it? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mink_oil

2) Gas chamber as supposed to lethal injection?

3) How can this be cruelty free? I need a new definition of cruelty free :(

By the way, I also questioned whether YL is TRULY cruelty free, when they claim to be. Why aren't they listed at PETA or the Leaping Bunny? Companies can claim whatever without third party accountability.

Now, I just don't know what to do with my rose ointment. I can't use it when I think of the minks, although I used to enjoy the smell of it.