Tea & Topaz

Have you ever thought about what's in the products you use everyday? I certainly didn't, until about a year ago. If you've read any of the posts in my natural beauty series , you know that I've been trying to make my skin care routine more natural and environmentally friendly. Everything from skin care to shampoo to hand soap to dish soap to laundry detergent is made with chemicals that have been linked to both disrupting the endocrine system and causing cancer. The EU has banned or regulated over 1,300 ingredients used in personal care products. Here in North America, we are much more lenient. The FDA has banned only 11 ingredients, while Health Canada's list of banned ingredients is only slightly longer!  (Source)  As well, terms such as "green," "eco-friendly" and "pure" are often meaningless as they aren't regulated and are often only used to market products. For example, the majority of Green Works products receive a grade of F...

Not long ago, I received a trial size of Tarte Maracuja Oil , which is passion fruit seed oil. The trial size lasted me for about two weeks, and I just recently ran out. Today I wanted to share my thoughts about this product as well as compare it to coconut oil, which I have been using as a facial moisturizer for about four months now . Pros: 1. I definitely noticed an improvement in my skin when I used Tarte Maracuja Oil. It was brighter and softer. My skin did get a little oily midday (more so when compared to coconut oil), but that is usual for me.  2. It absorbs into the skin much faster than coconut oil. Cons: 1. This stuff is veryyyy expensive with 3.4 oz costing $90! In comparison, a 860 ml jar of organic virgin coconut oil is about $20. I've been trying to find a generic passion fruit seed oil online, but so far I haven't had much luck. 2. There are tons of complaints online about the packaging, which is a bottle with a dropper. I don't love th...

This is the first post in a new series which explores natural beauty products. I recently went for a facial at a new-to-me spa and was told something that has resonated with me ever since: why would you put something on your body that you wouldn't eat? During my facial, I was told about all the yucky ingredients in conventional skin care products, and about the importance of feeding our skin with everything it needs. She explained that we should not use products that contain alcohol, which dries out the skin causing it to produce oil, and should look for products that contain oil, especially those of us with oily skin. Immediately following my facial I scoured my local drugstores looking for natural skin care products with oil and no alcohol. I had no luck and came home empty handed. At this time, I was never completely happy with the skin care products that I was using. After checking the ingredients of my current products, combined with my unsuccessful shopping trip for ...