Review: Ancient Minerals Transdermal Magnesium

Magnesium is a mineral that is often recommended during a detox, and for good reason: it relaxes muscles, including those of the bowel, helping the body release toxins and clear up any blockages.

So on my recent foray into the world of detoxification, I was glad I had recently gotten my hands on some topical magnesium products from Ancient Minerals: some magnesium bath flakes, a concentrated magnesium gel, and a magnesium oil spray.

Skincare review: Boscia

I was first introduced to Boscia when my mother-in-law, who works at Sephora, handed off a sample of the Willow Bark Breakout Treatment. It’s a lightweight gel that goes on clear — not heavy or sticky like some other acne treatments. I wasn’t familiar with the company so I looked it up and was pleasantly surprised to learn that Boscia products are preservative free and botanically based. They also rate a low 2-4 on the Skin Deep Database.

Skincare Review: MyChelle Dermaceuticals

MyChelle Dermaceuticals was the first skin care company I checked out for my natural skin care project. My local health food store carries an extensive supply of the products, including nifty little travel kits for various skincare needs, such as anti-aging, sensitive, or sun damaged. I picked up the oily skin travel pack for $25.

Facial Product Face-Off

As I previously mentioned, I am in the market for a new line of natural facial products. Over the next few weeks, I will be reviewing a few different brands to determine which one best meets my needs.

Please note that my incredibly subjective testing process is not intended to evaluate long-term effectiveness of any one product. Rather, I will be sampling a variety of product lines and offering my initial impressions in terms of quality of ingredients, product diversity, and commitment of the company to providing safe, eco-friendly products.

Natural Product Lineup

In my ongoing mission to eradicate synthetic chemicals from my daily routine, here are some of the personal care products I am comfortable using and endorsing based on both ingredients lists and packaging.

Shampoo

I’m using my Chagrin Valley Café Moreno shampoo bar. My scalp feels so much better now that I am not using SLS-based shampoo. Surfactants like SLS strip hair of its natural oils, causing the scalp to produce more.

Do you know what’s in your shampoo?

I’ve often extolled the virtues of my favorite Lush shampoo bar, so I regret to report that, after looking more closely at the ingredients list, Lush uses Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) in their shampoos.