My regular readers know that I am a huge proponent of chemical free living, as much as possible. I know that we cannot eliminate all junk from our surroundings, but we can certainly reduce it.
Our skin is our largest body organ. Anything you put on your skin get soaked into your blood stream in a matter of minutes. Needless to say that what you choose for personal care products (lotions, soaps, etc.) is going to either help you live a healthier life or flood you with even more chemicals that you body will have to battle, wasting precious energy it can use to deal with other outside invaders.
A couple of months ago I was contacted by an Oregon based company, Sage Botanicals, which makes lotions, soaps, lip balms and other personal care products. They wanted me to check out their line… and I was curious. I do use very simple things for self care–coconut oil as my moisturizer, Dr. Bronner’s soap for shower gel, etc., but once in a while a girl wants something special in a cute container she can put in her purse 
. But, you know me, I did not want to be the only one benefiting from the experience, so I asked them, if I liked their product, to do a giveaway… and they happily agreed.
DISCLOSURE: I was provided a free set of products to sample, however, my opinion cannot be bought or sold, so, what you are about to read is my honest opinion.
Review
I received a set of small size lotions, a container of hand cream, a small bottle of soap, a lip balm, and a bug lotion. I made it a point to try EVERY SINGLE product before passing a judgement. I have not had a chance to try only one thing–the bug lotion, since I am trying to stay inside with my little Sprout at bug abounding hours of the day, however, with my body getting better daily, we are going for evening walks now, so I can see using it the future as well, especially due to its natural ingredients. For some of you, especially in the muggy states, the bug spray/lotion is probably going to be a must have.
The products have organic ingredients in them, and you know I am pretty much an all organic snob, or at least I try to be to reduce chemicals in my surroundings even more. For example, Jasmine Lotion has the following as ingredients: water, aloe vera concentrate, OG jojoba oil, OG almond oil, OG avocado oil, OG shea butter, OG cocoa butter, vegetable glycerin, vitamin E oil, emulsifying wax, stearic acid, rosemary extract and potassium sorbate (preservatives*), fragrance oil (OG stands for organic).
The products that I especially enjoyed, and even my picky husband liked, were body lotions and hand cream. Body lotions are thick, and the best part about them is that once on your skin, they do not magically disappear in a matter of moments–they have staying power. If I did not have to wash the dishes, the diapers and take care of the house, my hands would feel moisturized for hours. I even feel safe to apply these lotions on Sprout, and hubby thinks that she smells divine wearing them.
The hand lotion is something I totally fell in love with. Whipped to perfection, thick, creamy, wonderful in every way–certainly something I will have to order for myself when I run out of this containers.
The soap smells great and foams easily. I am a Dr. Bronner’s soap fan and find that I need less of it to get my bath sponge going than Sage Botanicals, but it is still a good product.
So, having tried Sage Botanicals for a few weeks now, I am a satisfied future customer and would gladly recommend them to my readers. The best part is that they are affordable.
*Fact about preservatives: The preservatives they use are potassium sorbate and rosemary extract. Both have been listed as completely paraben-free and are plant derived. The company has tried really hard to keep within these parameters and so far these have fit those requirements and are very effective. Their products do have a shelf life, due to the natural preservatives. They put a 18 month date out on them, although many will last much longer than that (per their information). If kept in extreme heat they will spoil more quickly.
The Giveaway
Alyson, at Sage Botanicals, has graciously offered to give away a small gift bag of her products to one winner, whom I will pick using a random number picker (to be fair 
).
When
The giveaway will open as of today (8/8/12) and end on Tuesday (8/14/12) at midnight EST.
Rules
One entry per person. Only for US residents (considering the S&H costs).
Enter your email address into the comment form, otherwise you are not eligible.
Once the winning is announced the winner will have 24 hours to respond to claim the prize. At that point s/he will have to provide a physical mailing address where the prize can be sent.
How
Tell me your worst skin care product story, then visit Sage Botanicals web-site and tell me which one of their products you would like to try. Make sure to have both of these parts in your comment to qualify.
Also, be kind and facebook or twitter this giveaway so spread the word–let’s support home grown organic businesses!
