Azara Organics: Organic Seaweed Powder

 

Organic Seaweed Powder for Facial Masks, Cellulite Treatment & Body Wraps

The Finest Quality Seaweed Money can buy:

Our Organic Seaweed Powder (Ascophyllum Nodosum) is wild harvested from the clean cold ocean water of the North Atlantic. We constantly test it to insure it's quality and consistency. We are happy to share the lab results for those who are interested.

My thoughts:

I wasn't really sure what to expect from this product but I have to say I love this! I hadn't used a mask in quite a while and I've always heard that Seaweed is good for our skin and nutritious as well so I was very interested in trying this. As I get older I've been noticing my forehead feels dryer and thinner if that makes sense. I've never really had issues with blemishes except when the seasons change so I wasn't needing it to control blemishes - I just wanted to try it to see if it made my skin softer and perhaps less "crepey" to the touch.

When I opened the little tub (it's actually quite big and you don't use more than maybe a TEASPOON at a time so it's going to last a LONG time) I saw a green powder that is pretty soft to the touch. You mix 1 teaspoon to 2 teaspoons of warm water and mix it up right in your palm. It becomes like a thick clay that was a bit hard to smear on my face. I haven't tried it yet but I think I'm going to add a drop of Olive Oil or maybe even our new Immerse Carrier Oil from Simply Aroma to see if it will smear over my skin a little easier. Leave it on for about 10-15 minutes and then wash it off. 

My skin was very soft after washing off the seaweed mixture and remained that way for several days which I loved. I personally liked the smell of the seaweed (it reminded me of the ocean) and I liked that my skin didn't feel over dry and like it was cracking like it does with clay based masks. It was a little tough to wash off and I had to make sure my washcloth was really wet several times but it wasn't overly grainy like it would be if I was using a walnut based mask and I really really liked that!

Basic Instructions for your face mask:

1) Basic: Put 1 teaspoon of seaweed powder into a small bowl. Add 1 Tb lukewarm water. Mix with a fork, adding up to another Tb of lukewarm water, as needed to achieve a thick, paste-like consistency.

2) Add 1 Teaspoon aloe vera gel, 1 teaspoon honey (or both) to the paste. Stir until well mixed. Add more water if needed, to achieve the desired texture. You can also skip these ingredients entirely if you so desire, although the aloe helps heal any skin irritation you may have and the honey adds the moisturizing effect of the mask and acts as a preservative.

3) Apply the seaweed mask to your face, leave in place for up to 20 minutes and rinse off with lukewarm water. Pat your skin dry. Use this mask up to 2x's a week as part of your regular beauty routine.

Tips:

4) You can substitute an oil of your choice - jojoba oil and sweet almond oil are two favorites - for the water in steps 2-3 if you so desire. Both jojoba and sweet almond oil are non greasy, absorb easily and help soften skin. Jojoba oil also has antimicrobial properties, which sweet almond oils scent may somewhat mask the seaweed odor.

5) Kelp Firming Facial Mask - 3 Tb greek yogurt, 1 teaspoon organic Kelp powder. Place 3 Tb of plain greek yogurt into a small dish. Add powdered Kelp, stir well. Add honey and stir until all ingredients are blended into a smooth consistency. Cleanse face, apply mask all over face, neck and shoulder area. Massage lightly. Leave on for about 5-10 minutes. Remove with a warm washcloth. Use a toner on a cotton ball for complete removal. Apply moisturizer as usual.

Learn more about this wonderful Organic Seaweed Powder and the different uses (like body wraps) on their website which is still in the process of being finished.... please be patient. =D

Disclaimer:
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Special Announcement - FREE Shipping through October!

Immerse is Simply Aroma's newest Carrier - it's a Ultra-Fine Nourishing Carrier for your face & body. Perfect for all skin types: Dry, Combination or Oily, helps heal blemishes faster, helps Psoriasis and Eczema begin to heal too! It's even safe for skin that is smooooth as a baby's bottom!

Simply Aroma has announced FREE Shipping for customers on the NEW Immerse Facial Oil! Or if you'd like to get it for FREE! you can host a show and get it for FREE as well as receive all the other Hostess Benefits too!

Contact me at defendyourself.tina(at)gmail if you'd like to host a Pocket Party within the next 2 weeks - or if you are in the Omaha area I'd love to do an interactive "Germ Warfare" Party! Your guests will get to make up a sample of the Mean Green Germ Fighting Spray to try out at home as well!

Disclaimer: I have not received compensation for this post from Simply Aroma.

The Vegan Lip Store Review & Giveaway

Sponsored by Tomoson.com

Winner has been redrawn and emailed.
Hopefully she will send her info by 6/3 10 pm
or I will redraw again.  =<

 

I don't wear a lot of makeup.  I tend to be allergic to it and with my skin as sensitive as it is usually it's just too uncomfortable and itchy for me to wear.  I recently received a sample of Lip Glaze from The Vegan Lip Store and I actually held off for a while before trying it - but I honestly have to say I Like It!

Who is Monave?

Handcrafted mineral makeup that has purity and performance as its top priorities. Developing womens' businesses, and green education are Monave's pillars.

Monave Lip Glaze is a silky, natural lip product that adds a bit of shine, some sheer color that is perfect for a relaxed look. It is completely free of irritants, and preservatives, abiding by the philosophy that makeup should have organic food-based ingredients. Luscious coconut oil and natural orange flavor give slip, and shine without being sticky. Pigments are 100% naturally derived minerals.

100% vegan.  Many companies who claim to be vegan still use carmine and beeswax in their products.  We all know where beeswax comes from but did you know Carmine is associated with questionable practices such as killing thousands of beetles for the pigment that comes from their wings. (I was shocked to read this!)

100% Gluten FREE. According to the brochure I received from Monave their product line is almost completely gluten-free at this time. I have a friend with Celiac and I know she is going to be so excited to hear of this. She has to be very careful of everything such as lotions, body care products, soap, even the cartons something is packed in!  It's amazing! If you need absolutes on which product is GF, please contact information@monave.com or call 410-534-1058.  

The formulas used in their products are made from whole food, edible ingredients (not derivatives) such as cocoa butter, macadamia-nut oil and avocado oils.  Natural fruit extracts provide a pleasant taste, they use healthy skin-loving ingredients and their products are 100% handmade to support traditional craft industries.

The Monavé line of mineral cosmetics includes lipglosses, lipsticks, blush, eye liners, bronzers, mineral makeup foundation, as well as naturally formulated facial skin care and natural hair care products.  They have a multi-ethnic palette to meet the needs of all skin tones from African, Indian, Caucasian (they had a color originally created for Irish tones (that's me!) etc....  Each page has a link with full-disclosure of the ingredients used and you can also ask for help from a make-up pro if you aren't sure which colors would look best on you.

Did you know?

Monave has earned the admiration of Natural Solutions "for combining healthy ingredients and sustainable processes with the luxury and indulgence of high-end skincare."

My review: I received the Lip Glaze in  Honey Glaze which I thought was really pretty.  I was afraid it was going to be dark on me but it's actually a nice neutral color for those of us with very light colored skin (I'm a red head).  I found their lip glaze to be a little thick but if you shake it up good before pulling the wand out it smooths on nicely and is long lasting.  I wore it today to a job fair and it was still there 2 hours later when I left.  My lips weren't dried out which was wonderful and I didn't feel like I had to keep wetting my lips.  (I hate how my lips always feel so dry with lipsticks!)


Priced for the everyday woman: Monave's Lip Glazes are $13 and they also have mini lipsticks (not glazes) for $3.50 if you'd like to try a few colors before you invest in a full size stick.  Their lip products come in several styles: lip crayons, lip pots, glazes, glitter lipsticks, matte and sheer lip glaze and their prices run from $3.50 to $13. Lip Line

Monave is generously offering one of my readers a FREE Lip Glaze!  (YAY!)

Contest rules:  The mandatory entry is the only required entry and must be done before you do any of the optional entries.  PLEASE NOTE: (Please list each entry SEPARATELY - 3 entries = 3 comments!)


Mandatory: Go to Monave.com and look around.  Tell us about a product you would love to try if someone gave you a $25 Monave giftcard! (I know what'd I'd like - I'd love to try their skin care line!)


Optional:
Follow ME on GFC (left column, scroll down)
Follow Monave on FB at: Monave Mineral Makeup
Follow Monave on Twitter at: Monave
Check out their Make Up Studio & tell US something you learned - Make Up Studio!
Enter the following giveaway:
  - 2 bk set of Imagination Station kid's bk series (4/15, US/CA) ENTER
Follow ME on FB at: Family Literacy
Follow ME on twitter at: @familyliteracy

Please tweet: (max 5 times for 2 entries each time)
" #WIN a FREE #Vegan Lip Glaze from #Monave- long lasting, #gluten free and isn't tested on animals! http://ning.it/hri4mN #celiac, 4/25, US "

Extra Credit: 
What does the name Monave stand (or mean) for? (Hint: look on the about page) (x5 = 5 comments)


This contest will end 4/22 at 10 pm.  A winner will be drawn by Random.org and they will have 48 hours to respond to my email with their home address (no PO Boxes please), and phone number (in case of shipping problems).  Thanks for entering! 


I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.