All About The Beautiful Marseille Soap

Let me tell you the story of the most beautiful soap I have ever used.

It's girly, it's lush, it smells incredible and it is so good to my skin!

Le Savon de Marseille, or simply Marseille Soap in English. This soap has been made in France (in Marseille, as the name says) for over 600 years now and the recipe has pretty much stayed the same.

It's made from just vegetable fats and oils, so no animal components, which should make vegans jolly.
Traditionally, it is mixed with sea water from the Mediterranean. ( How awesome does that sound! )

I found these soaps by accident at a home decor store called Bamboo and was super excited about it because I had heard so many good things about the Marseille soap but was never able to actually find it and buy it.
I got these two: Lavander and Forest Fruit.
As girls usually do, what did I try out first? Exactly, the pinkish looking one!

I love the look they have, it really looks like something that could have been made couple hundred years ago. Nothing too fancy, but beautifully traditional.
Not to mention I jumped up and down when I saw it also had Shea Butter ( the Beurre de Karite you can see written in the upper right corner.)
If you don't know how obsessed I am with Shea Butter ( and for a good reason!) , you can read all bout the Why I Love and the How I Like to use it on the links right there.

I used to be absolutely fascinated with this Shea Butter and Adzuki Bean Soap but I have to say ... this one beats it by a mile!

Like I've repeated so many times, my skin is super dry, and with the weather and temperatures changing, it got an extra boost  of  "oh no,it's getting drier!"

But my skin didn't even feel remotely dry! AND it makes the most lush foam! I now basically look forward to showering so I can cuddle with the foam. The softest, most delicate foam you will have ever touched!

Not to mention that one day I just decided to see what happens if I foam my face up a bit too. Well, what happened was that my eyeliner and mascara made a very clear disappearance from the scene.
I would have never thought it removes make-up so well too!

And the smell....oh the smell! Incredible! I'm super fussy with smells but this one won me over in a second!

I am generally of the conviction that soaps are much better, less ingredients, less bad stuff going on your precious skin.
Not to mention you get much better quality for a comparatively low price if you take soap vs shower gels.A super gel will cost you much more than a super soap.

This has definitely become one of my must have products and I think it will take a very special shower gel to ever convince me to give this soap up.



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Organic Rose Water Face Toner

I am someone who is VERY careful with what touches her face. I've been lucky enough to not have problems with it and intend to keep it that way.
The one thing I couldn't control or reverse are the years I spent in the pool with swim training, surrounded by face destroying and skin drying chlorine.
So now, all I can do is try to keep my newly dry skin happy.

I normally use organic oils, like The Amazing Apricot Oil I posted about, or just as organic butters, like Raw Shea Butter that I was also praising a while back.

I think that the more natural, the better. This brings us to my newest favorite: Organic Rose Water

Like I said in the post about the apricot oil , it's always best to get your products as close from the source as possible.
Bulgaria is known as being the world's biggest Rose Water producer, so when I got this in Romania ( which borders to Bulgaria) I was lucky enough to pay considerably less than if I had gotten it anywhere else, if I would have found it to begin with.

This thing is beautiful! It has one ingredient: Roses , which is right up my alley when it comes to keeping the ingredient list short. You can't really beat one ingredient,can you?

I use it every morning on my face. I don't wash my face anymore, I clean it with rose water and my skin looks like I had been walking in fresh air for hours.

Benefits:

• Some say that rose water is a source of antioxidants, which can help strengthen skin cells and regenerate skin tissue. It is said to be especially good on sensitive skin types (such as my face).
• Those like myself, who have dry skin, can use rose water as a moisturizer. The natural oils in the petals trap moisture and the sugars found in the rose water have a soothing effect on the skin.
• Because rose oil has anti-inflammatory properties, using rose water can help in reducing the redness from irritated or over-heated skin. Of course if you have rose oil at hand too, add a drop of that and you get extra points.
• It is a great cleanser and removes oil and dirt accumulated in clogged pores. That's why it's perfect for preventing acne and pimples.
• It has astringent like properties (closes up pores), which is why it is used after facials and clean ups to close open pores. 

I say you give it a try if you can, if you can't get hold of it, let me know and I'll try my best to help you!

And I don't know if you've seen it yet, but I'm holding my First International Giveaway where you can win some of my favorite products!

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Raw Shea Butter Vs Shea Body Butter

There's so many lotions and body butters out there that have a Shea butter base,but have you ever considered checking out the real thing?
The Raw Shea Butter

In this post,I want to show you which does what ( Shea butter and Shea body butter) and which one is better in my opinion.

SHEA BUTTER

Meet the Shea Butter. This amazing African product has been used for generations by women all over their body. Shea Butter is a fat extracted from the nuts of the African Shea tree.It actually is edible and is used for cooking in many parts of Africa.

I baught 1kg of Shea butter a while ago from a certified cooperative from Ghana. If you do a Google search,you will find a lot of such cooperatives yourself . The one that I got it from is Akoma.
It comes in chunks in a sealed bag and smells incredible. It's what you would expect such a pure product to smell like.

What you need to be careful about is to get unrefined shea butter,so the one that has an ivory color. If it's white,it probably has been bleached and you don't want any chemicals on your skin,do you?

Ingredients:

As you can see,it's organic,raw,unrefined,fairtrade and made up of 100% Shea butter.

I got this for under 20 Euros, including shipping from the UK.

Pretty unbeatable price for so much goodness,isn't it?

 The Pros:

• 100% natural!
• No chemicals,parabens or ingredients that  might cause your skin to react badly
• You can use it for anything and everything: as a moisturizer for body and nails(nails sometimes tend to break because they are too dry),as a face cream,even as a hair treatment! (And I've tried them all)
• It also has medicinal properties,such as reducing inflammations and calming your skin
• It can also absorb UV rays,making it a good sunblock 
• Is easily absorbed by your skin,because it melts at body temperature and doesn't leave any oily traces, which is really practical if you're in a hurry

The Cons:

• Truthfully,I have yet to find an argument against it

SHEA BODY BUTTER

 

We've all used Shea based body butters at one point or another.It's a good ingredient for a moisturizer to have and of course,it nourishes your skin,but could it be doing less good than you expect?

I've had this Body Shop Shea Body Butter and have also used it,but after using raw Shea butter,I started finding this one a bit too watery. You clearly can't compare the texture of a natural fat with something created in a laboratory.

Ingredients:

There are more ingredients on that list but the problems that stand out are the Paraben and then the other Paraben ...
There's also the Xanthan Gum which is derived from some ingredients that may cause allergies.

The Pros:

• It's accessible and widely available
• It will nourish the skin
• Contains Shea butter,but no percentage is specified on ingredient lists

The Cons:

• Contains ingredients that can be harmful 
• Usually has Parabens in their composition
• Clearly overpriced
• Some of these products might have been tested on animals

Conclusion:

I'd definitely go for the raw shea butter!
Price-wise,you will get better quality and more quantity than you would get in a store bought body butter.

 Not to mention the fact that one is 100% natural and the other...not so much.

So when it's this easy,why not go natural and save some bunnies from being tested on in the process?

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All Natural: Quick Beauty Fixes!

Beauty does not only mean "What products can I put on to mask imperfections?". It means caring for yourself in such a way that you will be healthy and that it can reflect on the outside.
We all know that saying about beauty coming from the inside but the process of getting that inner balance can take a while. It is also 100% worth it,so never back away from it just because it isn't a quick fix!

We also know that today,the "quick fix" is a global favorite,so I decided to show you some great quick fixes that I use. And the best part about it: THEY'RE ALL NATURAL!

Let's start with EYES

I have a tendency of getting tired eyes really fast and really often and I also get dark circles under them. The problem is,when my eyes get tired,a headache is just around the corner.
But worry not! For I have found the quickest and most effective fix for it. And when I say quick I mean INSTANTLY !

Meet The Cucumber.
This young fellow cools,calms,reduces puffiness and dark circles. Perfect you say? Pretty much!
For me,it really is the one thing that is guaranteed to work.

Slap on two slices and you're ready to go. I like to cut them progressively thinner,from edge to middle,so that the side you put exactly under your eyelid is thinner and stays on more comfortably. Like so:

We move on to the FACE

Whenever I have some time,I cut a slice of fruit and rub it all over my face. It's a fast face mask and it is 100% natural,organic and vegan. Can't get any better,can it?
Just leave it on for 10-20 minutes (even more if you have the time) , then rinse with water and gently dry your face.

My fruit of choice is The Mango.
It is absolutely packed with vitamins ( The antioxidant Vitamin A and C, plus Vitamins B1,B2,B5,B6,B9 ) And it's suitable for any skin type. My skin is fairly dry and sensitive and I can tell you for a fact that it loves the mango. My face and Mango are potential bff's.

Cut a slice and rub it all over your face. Your skin will look healthier and in case you were pale,you will get a nice color correction from it too,leaving you looking less white and more sun kissed.Quick fix or what?!

Now to show some love to the HAIR


You might not know this,but there is one thing out there that can work as doping for your hair,giving it vitamins and nutrients and leaving it strengthened and shiny.
I bet you have no idea you probably even had it for breakfast!

Wanna know what it is? Coffee!

Yes,you heard me! Coffee and your hair will get along very, very well.

Here's what you have to do:

- Make about one cup of coffee and let it cool before using it. It doesn't need to be cold,just not as hot as to burn your skin

- Take it with you to the shower :)

- Do your regular hair washing routine (shampoo,conditioner, etc) and rinse

- When you are done and have finished your shower, pour the cup of coffee over your hair

- DO NOT RINSE OFF!  You have to leave it in your hair. It is the crowing moment of your hair routine.

- Dry your hair off. If you are doing it with a towel,make sure you use one of a darker color, as the coffee in your hair is likely to leave some stains on white towels.

- Enjoy your new brilliantly strengthened hair!

I'll also do another post soon about how coffee can make your skin look amazing,so stay tuned!

Last but not least, THE ALL-ROUNDERS

I think we've all heard about this one and we've all used it on one way or another: 

Olive Oil

Nature's little all-round miracle.

I use it on my face as a moisturizer (sometimes combined with other oils also), on my nails for strengthening (they need love too), on my hair, also for moisturizing (but use small amounts,or your hair will be greasy even after you wash it off) and of course on my salad.

Just make sure it is cold pressed and bio olive oil. This really is one thing you should pay more for, as it guarantees quality,and that is something you need if you're gonna use it all over your body

One more thing you might not know about it it has a natural SPF(Sun Protection Factor).

Of course,it is not a high SPF.Olive oil has one of the lowest (raspberry  and carrot seed oil having one of the highest,raspberry between 28 and 50 and the carrot seed oil between 38 and 40), so don't go to the Mediterranean and sit in the sun with only olive oil rubbed on you.

But it can help you get a nice tan in the spring sun and it also keeps your skin from drying out. I also occasionally use it as a body lotion,but only when I have enough time to let it sink into my skin.

Another all-round product I very much enjoy is Majoram

 

This yummy spice is full of Vitamin C,D and B3 and tastes insanely good in cooked foods and salads!

What you can also do is make an infusion (aka tea:put dried leafs in hot but not boiling water and leave them for 5 minutes). You can either drink it and get some inner benefits like better circulation,or you can use it as a face wash. It's really effective in calming your skin down if it's itchy or just feels uncomfortable.

Hope you've enjoyed this first natural post and learned some new things. I have some more natural tips for you that I can share in a future post.

Stay healthy!

Tea Time!

Tea is good for you,we all know this by now. Some teas are amazing for you though.They have antioxidants,which are highest in concentration in white and green teas, while black tea has substantially fewer due to its oxidative preparation.Rooibos for example is naturally caffeine free and high on antioxidants,which help your body fight cell damage.

I'm an absolute tea aficionado and I figured,why not share my favorite teas with you?
Here's my current favorites:

From left to right,up to down: Good Earth Organic Earl Grey, Pickwick Chocolate Mint,Jacob Hooy  Orange Rooibos and First Tea Vanilla Honey


Let's start with the tea that I never thought I'd like this much, Pickwick Chocolate Mint. The Chocolate-Mint combo only works with After Eight chocolates in my mind,and that is what I had expected this tea to taste like. Big mistake! It tastes like smooth chocolate! Completely unexpected and delicious.

 My absolute favorite tea is Rooibos tea. Rooibos means "Red Bush" and it is the name that the plant has gotten because of it's color. It grows in southern africa and has absolutely no caffeine in it. Which means,you can drink it before bed for calming and you can drink it in the morning for energy. It's a Win-Win tea for sure! And adding orange to it...my goodness! Absolutely delicious! I drink rooibos anyway you offer it,but this has got to be the best one I have ever tasted!

Now this tea is a fascinating one. First Tea Vanilla Honey. It's a mix of white and black tea. Basically,white,green and black tea all come from the same plant that grows in China:Camellia sinensis. Its leafs are what make the tea. The difference between white and black tea is the degree of oxidation and processing.White tea comes from the buds and leaves. The leaves and buds are allowed to wither in natural sunlight before they are lightly processed to prevent oxidation or further tea processing.Black tea are leafs left to oxidize and get their specific black color.
This tea is simply yummy. Add some honey to it and you have yourself a cup of relaxation.

Good Earth Organic Earl Grey. Earl Grey usually means black teas that contain oil of bergamot as a flavoring. I'm a big Earl Grey fan and this one was a great find. Another plus,it's organic! I usually add some milk to it and it makes for the perfect coffee substitute.
You can actually find some of their organic teas in their Webshop. As I see,they're out of Earl Grey,but maybe soon again.

So that's my list for now. If you'd see my cupboard you'd be shocked as to how I managed to pick just 4 teas for this list :p
Do you have any favorites? Feel free to share.And if you're craving any of these guys and can't get your hands on them,let me know and maybe I can help