Modere Safe & Natural Products For Your Home & Body #MC

I participated in a Blogger Activation on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Modere I received a promotional item to facilitate my review and to thank me for my participation.

Finally, it is officially Spring, even though here in New England, it still very much feels like Winter. But despite the lingering chilly temperatures, it is time to get ready for that beautiful warmer weather. Spring Cleaning can be exhausting but it needs to be done and I prefer to do mine with natural products. Keeping my family healthy and safe is my number one priority so I will only use non-toxic cleaning products and personal care products in my home that I know are derived from natural ingredients.

For more than 25 years, Modere has been crafting some of the safest products on the market. It is important to their brand that they offer products that perform to high standards but that are also inspired by and derived from nature. Because our homes are a reflection of ourselves, Modere wants us to love everything about their products from the functionality to the appearance. Their website, much like their product packaging, is clean and invites you to stay and shop at your leisure.

Modere offers several home cleaning products that would be perfect to get your seasonal cleaning started. Right now you can pick up their Spring Cleaning Collection for $24.99 which includes 32 Laundry Pods and 32 Dishwasher Pods plus as a free gift you will receive their Multi-Purpose Wipes. Both sets of pods are natural, non-toxic, and chlorine-free and are available in scented or fragrance free.

Now I took a slightly different approach to my Spring cleaning. I know that at this time of year we are focused on cleaning up our homes after the long, dreary Winter, and that's great. But I also think Spring is a great time to rejuvenate ourselves. Perhaps try out a new skin care regimen or new hair products? For my review, I decided to test out some of Modere's facial products. Prone to breakouts, my skin is always a trouble spot for me so I am constantly on the hunt for natural products that work well. 

Cleanser: Combination Skin
I am really, truly loving this cleanser! It provides a creamy lather, which is usually not easy with our hard water, and leaves my skin feeling soft. I have been using it with my Clarisonic brush and have been happy with the results so far. My combination skin is super tricky as I have spots on my face that are simultaneously oily and flaky but this has been giving me a good balance without being greasy. It is also fragrance-free which is a huge plus to me since I tend to be sensitive to strong fragrances.

Day Lotion: Combination Skin
I would like this product so much more if it were fragrance free. I like the texture of the lotion and the way it feels on my skin, but the added fragrance is just too strong for me. I'm hoping that Modere can add an option down the road for those of us who like things to be unscented.

Toner: Combination Skin
I have been using this toner after washing with the cleanser and sometimes just during the day when I feel like my skin needs a little refresher. There is no added fragrance in this product which just leaves a barely noticeable natural sent from the ingredients.

Overall, I am pleased with the products that I chose from Modere and I would certainly purchase from them again in the future. In addition to home cleaning products and personal care products, Modere also offers some health and wellness items from vitamins and energy bars to protein shakes.

Connect with Modere
Website: www.modere.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/modereus
Twitter: @ModereUS

Seventh Generation Baby Bath & Body Products Review & Giveaway

Using natural products on my children is something that is very important to me. I want to know what all the ingredients are in a product and know that they are not toxic to my child's health. One of my favorite natural brands that I use for household cleaning is Seventh Generation. There has not been a product of theirs that I tried and did not like. So when I saw that they had come out with an entire line of natural baby bath and body products, I was ecstatic. Granted I technically don't have a "baby" anymore, but these are certainly still good for toddlers and even preschoolers.

About Wee Generation Products

- First complete line of USDA-certified biobased baby care products
- Endorsed by Healthy Child, Healthy World
- Products are gluten-free
- No synthetic fragrances, phthalates, parabens (all ingredients of concern)
- Tear-free, no worries about getting in eyes
- Non-toxic, biodegradable formula
- Made with natural ingredients that come from plants and minerals
- Made with extra-virgin olive oil to moisturize and protect

The most importance thing to me when deciding if I am going to use a product on my child is the ingredient list. And of course, Seventh Generation does not leave me disappointed. They list all of their ingredients on the product label and you won't find long lists of complicated chemical names. Just a nice short list of mostly biobased ingredients. I have been using the Foaming Shampoo & Wash on my toddler and the regular Shampoo & Wash on my kindergarteners and I have been very pleased with them both.  They lather very nicely and I love the light citrus scent. Too many baby products use lavender, which drives me bonkers, and I am glad they stayed away from that in this line.

The Baby Lotion is made with extra-virgin olive oil to moisturize and protect the skin. This also makes it good to use for baby massages. Baby massage is not something I ever tried when my boys were infants, though I really wish I had. Since they were all colicky due to a milk protein intolerance (causes intestinal discomfort and gas), I am sure they could have benefited from them. For more information on Infant Massage, watch the video below and visit: www.LiddleKidz.com.

Giveaway
Two (2) winners will each receive a set of Wee Generation products that includes one (1) each of the following:

Foaming Baby Shampoo & Wash
Baby Shampoo & Wash
Baby Bubble Bath
Baby Lotion
Baby Sunscreen
Diaper Cream

The average retail value of the prize is $50. Giveaway is open to US residents only and will end on November 21, 2012 at 12:01 AM EST. Please use the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Seventh Generation and The Motherhood engaged me for this post. Please note that the opinions and views expressed are my own and based on my personal experience with the product and/or company. You may encounter a different experience with this than I did. I received free product to review.

Crystal Body Deodorant Roll On Review #CrystalRollOn #CBias

For the past 4 years I have been using an all natural deodorant and I have been pretty happy with it. The chemicals found in traditional deodorants have been linked to breast cancer and I try my best to avoid toxic chemicals at all costs. My only problem, like with many of the natural products I use, is I have to order it online. Well, the natural food store in town might carry it, but that store is so expensive. So I wait for free shipping codes and find it for less online. I recently learned that Walmart now carries natural deodorants and I must admit I was surprised. They do have a small natural beauty section which is a great start, but I never saw deodorant there. With my current deodorant running low I thought it would be a good time to swap it out and try a new natural brand.

Once the 3 older boys were off to school, I grabbed my toddler and we headed out to Walmart. You can view a slideshow of my entire Walmart shopping trip.

I found their selection of natural deodorants on the top shelf of the deodorant aisle. I was there looking for the Crystal Body Deodorant, the purple bottle on the right. It was pretty reasonably priced at $3.48 plus they have a $1 coupon if you sign up with your email address on their website. A very good price for a natural product.


The Swap

The deodorant that I have been using these past 4 years is Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal, pictured on the left (pink). I have been using the solid crystal form which requires you to wet it before applying and then you dry it when you are done. Like I said it has worked well, though the extra step of adding water can be a pain sometimes. So I was anxious to swap it out for the Crystal Body Deodorant Roll-On because it would eliminate that step. As a mom of 4, shaving even just a few seconds off my getting ready time is a huge help. Plus, I'm lazy.

Old deodorant - solid crystal stick.

New deodorant - liquid roll-on.

The Result

So the important question now is how does it work? It goes on very easily: just give it a little squeeze and roll it around. With natural deodorants it is very important to cover the entire area well. In my experience if you miss a spot, the results could be rather stinky. In fact, this happened the first day I used this last week. I was in a rush, big surprise, so I was sloppy in my application and I had one not so pleasant smelling arm pit later in the day. Yet the other side was fine which tells me I didn't put it on right. The second day I used Crystal Deodorant it was 85 degrees here in Connecticut. In October. It was rather insane but made for a good day to test out deodorant. We went to a harvest festival in town and chasing four kids around left me pretty sweaty. However, since I applied it correctly this time, there were no bad smells. I have been using this for six days straight now and I am very happy with the results.

The ingredients.

As you can see there are only three ingredients in here. No aluminums, chemicals, fragrances or other yucky stuff that shouldn't be anywhere near your body. Since this is a clear liquid, it goes on clear and dries clear which means no gross residue is left behind on your clothing.

In comparing it to my previous deodorant I can't say that it works any better or worse, I think they are pretty comparable in their results. However, the Crystal Deodorant Roll On is definitely much easier to use which makes it a big winner in my book. And since I am able to buy it locally at Walmart I can say that I will definitely be making this a permanent switch.

Connect with Crystal Deodorant
Facebook: facebook.com/CrystalDeo
Twitter: twitter.com/crystaldeo

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias All opinions are my own.

The Campaign For Safe Cosmetics

"Lead in lipstick, carcinogens in baby shampoo -- you've heard the rumors, now get the real story behind what's in your cosmetics and what you can do about it. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics put together this short video to explain what's really going on your body."

Click on the video to watch, or visit www.safecosmetics.org for more information about the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.

Ecostore USA Review and Giveaway

All 3 of my boys suffer from dry skin and eczema, especially Luke. His eczema is quite bad and my pediatrician said what he has is hereditary and there actually isn't anything I can use to cure it. So it is important for me to use washes and lotions that are easy on the chemicals and therefor easy their skin. So I was really excited when I found Ecostore USA and their natural baby care products.

"Our mission is to focus on individual health issues. Our ingredients are the principle factor in helping Ecostore achieve this goal. By eliminating hazardous toxins that are the basis of so many conventional cleaning products we not only help you but keep our planet in the best shape possible. Doing Good by Nature means taking the wonderful gifts that nature offers and developing plant based products that are safe, authentic and really work."

I was so thankful to receive some samples of Ecostore's baby products. I received the body wash, shampoo and lotion and immediately started using them on the boys. The first thing I noticed was the scent - I love it! That's saying a lot for me because I am sensitive to scents. So many can trigger headaches for me. But the Ecostore baby care line has a nice, clean, fresh scent. When the boys are out of the bath I love cuddling up with them and smelling their hair. I've also noticed improvement in Josh's skin. He definitely had the most mild eczema of the three. He would occasionally get really rough patches around his elbows. However in the several weeks I've been using these, that has happened much less. I also want to mention that a little goes a long way with the shampoo and body wash. It lathers really nicely with only a small amount; I'd say I use about dime sized portion. Just be careful when pouring because it can come out fast!

Of course let's not forget the best part: "No Nasty Chemicals". All of the Ecostore USA products are free from parabens, SLS, phosphates, chlorine, propylene glycol and other chemicals that pose dangers to our bodies and our environment. I'm so jealous of you all that live near a Meijer store, where the Ecostore USA line is exclusively sold in the United States.

Ecostore USA has much more than baby care products. They have laundry care, pet care dish cleaners, household cleaners and so much more. I'm anxious to try out the Cream Cleanser on my cooktop!

Shop
In honor of Earth month, receive free shipping on all orders of $25.00 more. Good for the entire month of April 2009.

***GIVEAWAY CLOSED***

Win
Ecostore USA is giving 1 winner a $25.00 gift certificate to their online store.

Mandatory
Visit the Ecostore USA site then come back and tell me TWO items you would like to try. Remember this is mandatory and you must complete this before submitting additional entries.

Extra Entries (please leave a separate comment for each)
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This giveaway is open to US Residents 18+ only and will end on Monday, May 4th at 11:59pm EST. One winner will be chosen at random using Random.org. Winner has 48 hours to claim their prize otherwise a new winner will be picked. You must leave your e-mail address in your comment(s) so I can contact you. I will not share your e-mail address with anyone, it will strictly be used to notify you if you win. Good luck!

This review is based on my opinions and my experiences only. Everyone is different and therefor your experiences may differ from mine.