Blowdrying: Quick and Easy

I’ve had long hair for years and have love nothing more than a professional blowout!  With two little ones running around – I don’t have time to spend a lot of time getting beautified.

When a friend recommended this hairdryer she may have saved me from perpetual frumpiness.  This video demonstrates how you can get a great look in literally minutes – it takes me 6-8 minutes!  Also – did you know that the typical dryer releases 75 lbs of  Carbon Dioxide annually, as if good hair wasn’t enough!

This hair dryer was not supplied by conair, nor do I have any relationship with them… but if you know their rep… send them my way!

Welcome back to PND. It's good to see you again!Blowdrying: Quick and Easy

Diva Guide: Suncreen

Summer is coming – which sunscreen will you slather on your skin?

Sunscreen is a product that we are encouraged to use to protect ourselves from harmful UV rays while enjoying the outdoors. If you’re a parent, it’s likely you are even more concerned about protecting your children’s sensitive skin and making the safest choice possible.

But what to do we really know about the safety of the products we are choosing – in my research – it seems clear that we don’t know enough.

Note – be prepared when switching to safer sunscreens you are going to move into products that are going to be thicker, whiter and slower to absorb that other sunscreen choices.  This is because they rely on a high concentration of zinc oxide or titanium dioxide to block the suns rays.

Look for:
At least 7% zinc oxide or titanium dioxide for UVA & UVB protection.

What to Avoid:
Spray and Powder Sunscreen
Sunscreen insect repellent combo – pesticides absorbing into your body
Ingredients; Oxybenzone or benzophenone-3, skin absorption, allergies, hormone problems
Brands; Coppertone, Banana Boat and Most Neutrogena

From the EWG:
No one understands the health implications of our exposures to complex mixtures of industrial compounds and pollutants: remarkably, federal health standards do not require companies to test most products for safety before they are sold, including nearly all chemicals in sunscreen and other personal care products. Little is known about the safety of most industrial chemicals. In the absence of data the federal government approves new chemicals for the market using computer models to predict if they are toxic to humans.

After 30 years of debate,the government has failed to set mandatory sunscreen safety standards. Companies are free to make their own decisions on everything from advertising claims to product quality. FDA now stands in direct violation of a Congressional mandate requiring the agency to finalize sunscreen safety standards by May 2006, flouting not only Congress but also consumers, who are reliant on sunscreen to protect their health.

EWG’s Top Ten List:

Blue Lizard
California Baby (SPF 30 or Higher)
CVS (with zinc oxide
Jason Natural Cosmetics – Sunbrellas Mineral Based Sunblock
Kiss My Face – Paraben Free series
Neutrogena – Sensative Skin Sunblock
Olay Defense Daily UV Moisturizer with zinc
SkinCeuticals Physical UV Defense
Solar Sense Clear Zinc for Face
Walgreens Zinc Oxide for Face, Nose, & Ears

My Picks:

After studying the EWG’s extensive list the following products have an EWG score of 0-3 for toxicity. My selections are for individual products, not the brands in general, as brand scores can vary widely.

Natural:
Jason Natural Cosmetics Sunbrellas: Mineral Based Physical Sunblock SPF 30+
Kiss My Face Sunscreen Spf#30 + With Oat Protein 100% Paraben Free
Nature’s Gate Organics Be Solective Sunscreen for Face, SPF 30
All California Baby Sunscreens

Luxury
Dermalogica Super Sensitive Face Block, SPF 30
Mustela Sun Cream for Sensitive Areas, SPF 50
Kiehl’s All-Sport ‘non-Freeze’ Face Protector, SPF 30
DDF Organic Sunblock, SPF 30

Value:
CVS Sunscreen with Zinc Oxide, SPF 45+
Walgreens Sunblock with Zinc Oxide for Face, Nose & Ears, SPF 45+
Olay Complete Defense Daily UV Moisturizer, SPF 30 – Available at my Target
No-Ad Ultra Sunblock Lotion, SPF 60

If you must use a spray – these are your best bets:
Almay Sun Protector for Body Spray, SPF 30
Dermalogica Waterblock Solar Spray, SPF 30
Banana Boat Ultra Mist Kid’s Tear Free Continuous Spray Sunblock Lotion, SPF 30 – Only SPF 30 the SPF 50 is rated 9!

Shopping at Target:
I was recently at target, they had walls of sunscreen. I could only find one of the above products – After an hour of research using my telephone I was able to find 2 sunscreens that were an EWG 3 and the lowest score for a spray was a 5.
Coppertone WaterBabies Pure & Simple – SPF 50 – oil, fragrance & dye free
Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Sunblock Lotion – SPF 60+
Banana Boat Kids Continuous Spray Sunscreen – SPF 50

To learn more:
www.ewg.org/cosmetics/report/sunscreen09

Diva Guide: Suncreen

Diva Review – Kabana Organic Sunscreen

Kabana Organic Fragrance Free Tinted Sunscreen SPF 22

Planning a getaway for some fun in the sun this winter? You’ll want to protect your winter white skin from the sun with sunscreen, but you’ll also want to be sure the protection doesn’t care it’s own set of concerns.

Kabana Skincare offers a selection of ultra pure sunscreens, baby care products, soap & bodywashes that offer light UV protection for everyday protection, moisturizers, lip balms and sunscreens.

To learn more about the importance of careful sunscreen selections read the Diva Guide to Safer Sunscreen.

Kabana offer’s sunscreen in both Tinted & Untinted.  Many of the safer sunscreens contain a high amount of zinc, as does Kabana’s.  Many people don’t like the white pastiness you end up with from the zinc.  Tinted sunscreen provides a solution to this problem.  I’m very fair and the tint disappeared into my skin.  Those with darker skin my find the tinting a little pale.

Sunscreen is an important part of a skincare regime.  Not only does it prevent skin cancer, but wrinkles too.  Let’s face it, most of us are more motivated by vanity then our health.  According to the American Academy of Dermatologists – 90% of wrinkles are caused by sun!

What I love about the Kabana line is their streamline approach they take with their products.  Their Tinted Sunscreen has 8 ingredients.  Eight!  They focus on high quality, effective ingredients.  I was initially concerned that they didn’t offer a SPF 30.  Their founder,  Eric Kreider believes that an SPF 20 is all the protection we need and equates to absorbing 95% of UV, while an SPF 45 only gives you 2.8% more protection while exposing our bodies to more chemicals that typically carry a %300 increase in associated health risk along with a higher price tag.

With a Diva Total  13.7 of out of 15 points this product is: Divaliscious!

CLICK HERE for review criteria:

8 Points Skin Deep Low Hazard Rating ~ 1
2 Points for being Organic – The Tinted Sunscreen comprised of %86 organic ingredients.

1.8 Points for effectiveness Worn at the Beach in Sunny California and on a Palm Springs getaway, my fair skin didn’t get burnt. I did get a bit of extra sun on my nose – I should have reapplied after 2 hours as per the instructions.

.8 Point for Texture This product was very smooth and creamy. For a zinc based sunscreen I found it absorbed in more quickly than other products I’ve tried.

.7 Point for Fragrance The Kabana Sunscreen is unscented and doesn’t contain any fragrance to mask it’s natural scent.

.3 Points for Packaging Appearance The packaging is very sporty in appearance. Royal Blue with Bright Yellow and Green Writing accents.

.1 Points for Packaging SustainabilityThe Sunscreen is not packaged using any additional boxes, but there was no information on their site or the tube.

Overall:

With a nice texture, effective sun protection and ultra pure ingredient list, this is a great sunscreen option for your entire family.  If whiteness from the zinc bothers you, choose the tinted option.  Otherwise I didn’t notice a difference between the two offerings.

Note – Don’t forget to shake the tube well prior to application as it separates when it sits.

Diva Review – Kabana Organic Sunscreen

Diva Review & Giveaway: Miessence Organics

Congratulations to the winner!

I was introduced to Miessence Organics by Erin Ely an Independent Representative who has been following PND and knew that I had to check out their line!

What I love about Miessence Skin Care products is that every ingredient in the skin care line is certified organic to food standards by the Australian Certified Organic (ACO).

They also ship all of their products fresh from the factory and suggest their product be used within 6 months to ensure you get the full benefit of the active ingredients.  Miessence also uses cold pressed formulations – this ensures that heat will not kill the active ingredients during processing.

They have a full line of body care products,  skincare and makeup that you can use with confidence – the entire product range scores from 0-2 in the Cosmetics Database.

I wish I could go to the store to try all these fantastic products, but they are only available through independent distribution.  The line prices out with  cleansers at $42, shampoo & conditioner that are $22 each, and at $40 their facial serums are a bargain.

Erin did send me their Rejuvenessence Facial Serum to try – it was  little too rich for daily use on my skin, but I adjusted to using it 2 or 3 times a week and that has been just right.  It has a rich botanical fragrance and absorbs quickly into the skin.

Lucky for us, Erin has agreed to give one lucky reader a $50 gift certificate to try Miessence for themselves!  Use it for toothpaste, sunscreen, shampoo, make up – it’s your call – but use it with confidence because this company prides themselves on being 100% organic and natural.

Win a $50 Gift Certificate for Miessence Organics

HOW TO ENTER:

There are a few ways you can enter, leave separate comments for each entry.

Mandatory

Become an Email Subscriber to PND using the form in the sidebar. Leave a comment with a name I can print in our newsletter if you win. Winners are only announced in our newsletter – so don’t forget to check!

• The subscription must be confirmed. You will receive and email that you must reply to for your entry to be valid.
• Already a confirmed Subscriber. Complete any one of the additional entries options – Leave a comment letting Diva know you’re subscriber name and the entry option you selected.

Additional Entries

1. Go to ElyOrganics and share what you will use your $50 to buy!
2. Stumble, Digg, Kirsty, or Technorati favorite this post. Leave a comment with your name and the link.
3. Follow @purenaturaldiva (use link on the sidebar) and @erinely on twitter. Leave your twittername in a separate comment.
4. Become a Fan of Pure Natural Diva and Miessence Organics on Facebook. Post this giveaway as an update, leave your FB Name or Name with a copy of your update in a separate comment. One entry for each.
5. Tweet this giveaway. Copy and paste “WIN a $50 Gift Certificate for Miessence Organics, make-up, skin care… Diva Giveaway http://bit.ly/bhvrJ8 @purenaturaldiva #ElyOrganics”. Leave a comment and link in the comments.
6. Write a post on your blog linking to my blog and to the – Good for two entries. Leave this comment twice so you get both entries!

This giveaway will run through midnight on May 22, 2010 PDT, with winner being announced May 24, 2010 in the PND Newsletter. Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries. Winner will have 24 hours to contact me before the contest is re-opened until the following weekend.

Giveaway is open to residents of the U.S.

alt=”MckLinky Blog Hop” longdesc=”http://www.mcklinky.com” />

target=”_blank”>Click here to see the entire Blog Hop List….

Diva Review & Giveaway: Miessence Organics

Safer Nail Polish

This is the story of Lil Diva and her first manicure and pedicure.

Previously – I had heard about opting for greener polish – but wasn’t compelled to try them until my daughter asked to have her nails painted. And I didn’t know what the problem was with regular polish.

So why should you consider switching?

Dibutyl phthalate (DBP), formaldehyde and toluene – big words right?
What makes them bad… well they are know to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity.

All three ingredients are banned by the European Union, but not by the FDA.

The good news – there are many companies making nail polish without these harmful ingredients.

Sally hansen has also removed the harmful ingredients.

Opi and Orly are continuing to use some of the ingredients, while removing others.

Safer Nail Polish

Sephora Natural & Organic: How do they Rate?

Sephora is offering it’s customers over 1400 Natural & Organic products. A clear indication of their response to consumers demand for more Natural Cosmetics. But how are they really doing?

PND spent some time researching their choices, learning how these products rank in the EWG’s Cosmetics Database (CD).  The CD gives products hazard scores from 0-10. To learn more about why PND uses this database click here.

The CD Ranking:
0-2 Low Hazard
3-6 Moderate Hazard
7-10 High Hazard

Top marks went to Juice Beauty, although all the information in the CD was derived from their old formulation – one can only hope their new formulations are even better.  Many of the lines had too few items listed in the CD to give an overall assessment of their line.  This seem like a basic step to overlook for a company in the natural beauty market.

Many other lines had a number of offerings that scored well, only to have others do poorly – very confusing for consumers. My personal preference is to find brands that can be trusted overall to take the guess work out of shopping and keep things simpler.

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE OFFERINGS:

Bare Escentuals – Mineral Make Up
They have 188 products list in the CD score from 1-6. Most of their ranges scores in the 3-5 range. Not to bad, but keep in mind there are many mineral lines with products scores in the 1-3 range. Their safest offering – bareVitamins Prime Time (1). Their highest scoring product – Faux Tan Body Moisturizer (6).

Bieux Skin – Skin Care
Only one product is listed in the CD. Sephora is selling two of their products. Bionaturals Power Lift & Repair Serum – 3

Boscia – Skin Care
They have 8 products listed in the CD with score from 1-4 and Sephora is selling 14. Their safest offerings are their Enlivening Amino-AG Eye Treatment and Soothing Cleansing Cream – both products scored a 1.

Carol’s Daughter – Body & Hair Care
Carol’s Daughter has 22 products listed in the CD scoring from 0-5. Take your pick of 2 lip balms and a lip gloss with a 0.

Caudalie – Skin Care
Caudalie has 21 products list in the CD scoring from 3-8. Their best offerings are Energizing Concentrate & Anti-Ageing Serum Eyes & Lips, both coming in at 3. Will their worst scoring product is the Radiance Day Fluid, SPF 8 scoring 8.

Coloron – Press on Mineral Make Up
Did not show up in the CD. I don’t think I want press on make-up, but perhaps I should try it before I make wide sweeping comments.

Evian – Water
Are they really listing water as a natural beauty product? I’m pretty sure we can all be youthful and radiant without a can of evian water to mist on our faces!

Jack’s Black – Men’s Skin Care
Jack’s Black has 35 products listed in the CD scoring from 3-9. With 9 of their products in the red zone (7-10) I would look for an alternative. Their are many safer men’s line’s in the market.

Josie Maran – Make Up
Jose Maran has only 2 products listed in the CD a lipstick and tinted moisturizer – scoring 3-5.

Juice Beauty – Face & Body Care
Juicy has 25 products listed in the EWG all products scoring 1-4.  They are also certified organic.  All of the products have been noted as being rated based on the “old formulation”.
Products like their Revitalizing Eye Treatment and Daily Nourishing Moisturizer score at 3.

Jurlique – Skin Care
Jurlique has no products listed in the CD, Sephora is offering 15 of their products. They look lovely, I’d love to be able to say more.

Klorane – Hair Care
Klorane has 11 products listed in the CD scoring from 4-8. With scores starting out so high, this is a line that I would just avoid all together.

Korres Natural Products – Make Up and Skin & Body Care
Korres has 81 products listed in the CD scoring from 0-9. With 16 of these products scoring above 7. This is another line I would move past. Some of their products are good, but when the score range this broad it is much less confusing to just cross it off the list of products to try. How does a line with this many high scoring products get to use the word natural in their name?

Lavanila – Fragrance & Body Care
Lavanila has 3 products listed in the CD – they score from 3-5. I’d like to see more of their products listed in the database. I’m a bit familiar with this company and I’m relatively confident their ingredients are safer than many others in the marketplace.

Nude Skin Care – Skin Care
No products listed in the CD.

Nuts Cream Perfume
No products listed in the CD.

Nvey Eco – Make Up
Nvey Eco’s Certified Organic only has 3 products listed in the CD, but they score 2-3, so it appears they are on the right track. Sephora is carrying 10 products. I’d feel much better if they had more products in the database to enable a more extensive review.

Ole Henriksen – Skin Care
Ole Henriksen has 17 products listed in the CD, most of the listings score from 0-4. Products to avoid are the Blue/Black Berry Enzyme Mask (6) and the Grease Relief Face Tonic (8).

Pacifica – Perfume and Body Care
Pacifica has 3 products listed in the CD and they all score 3. With this limited information it’s difficult to assess.

Phyto – Hair Care
Phyto has 99 products listed in the CD scoring from 1-9. With 27 (over 25%) of their products scoring above 7. Consider looking for a safer line.

Plantlove By Cargo- Make Up
Plantlove by Cargo has 24 products listed in the CD. They score from 4- 6 and are primarily lip products. While the score isn’t horrible, there are many lip products that score lower and I also think that if it’s going on your lips, the standard need to be a little higher, not only is our skin absorbing it, but we’re likely to ingest some too.

Skyn Iceland – Skin Care
Skyn Iceland has 12 products listed in the CD. Their products scored from 2-10 in the database. With 50% of the line score a 10 – this is a line I would skip.

Tarte – Make-up
Tarte has 133 products listed in the CD scoring from 3-8. Products like tarte Lash Hugger Mascara, Smooth Operator Foundation and Double Dose Berry Boost & Lip Gloss that score 4 and under, however they also have a number of lip glosses, sheers, and spf lip balm that score above 7 and would likely be better on the store shelf than on your skin. Product lines with such varied scores make it tricky – you really need to cherry pick the line to make safer choices.

Yu-Be – Skin Care
Yu-Be has 3 products listed out of 5 that Sephora carries, they score 4-5 in the CD. They list a skin polish, and 2 Skin Creams. You could likely do better, but you could do worse too.

THE BOTTOM LINE

While a couple of lines being offered by Sephora are excellent. Many of these “Natural Lines” contained products scoring in the 8′s & 9′s.

Hopefully this overview gives you an idea of how careful we need to be in choosing our personal care products. The lines that we studied here were selected by Sephora buyers for being Natural & Organic. It would be nice if we could add safe to that description. Until we have better regulation in the industry we are going to need to be very careful in the choices we make for personal care if we want to be assured that they are really safe to use on our bodies.

Sephora Natural & Organic: How do they Rate?

Diva Recipe: Homemade Body Lotion

Kadi Prescott -  of Girly Gazette – this is for you!

I keep a small tub of this homemade recipe in my car and shared some of it with Kadi Prescott – dynamo mother of 7 children.  Needless to say – she instantly wanted to know how to make it for her sensitive skinned little one.   Because we are both blogging diva’s – instead of emailing the recipe to her I told her I’d kick into gear and get the recipe posted.

All of the ingredients can be easily sourced – but the trickiest may be the beeswax.  You buy it buy the pound so one block will make a lot of lotion!  You can find it at Michael’s for $20 – but I found for less money, not to mention a more trusted source on Local Harvest.

This lotion recipe has 3-4 ingredients, is easy to make and you’ll have the pleasure of knowing every ingredient that went into it.

Diva Honey Citrus Body Butter

2 Tablespoons of Beeswax
1/2 Cup of Grapeseed Oil
2-3 Tablespoons of Distilled Water
10 Drops of Citrus Essential Oil – or to preference

Combine the wax and oil together in a wide mouth jar. Microwave until the wax is almost completely melted.

Use a hand blender to whip – ensure it’s completely submerged for safety reasons!
Slowly add water and continue to aerate, then add fragrance. It will turn white and be thick and goopy.

Allow the lotion to settle for at least 15-20 minutes.

Scoop into a lotion container of your choosing, empty lip balm tubs.

Apply a small amount to any dry spots and enjoy!

Diva Recipe: Homemade Body Lotion

Diva Review: Ratana Eco Salon in Hollywood

My husband has been asking me for ages to go back to the Auburn Hair Color I was when we first met.  I stopped coloring my hair when I was pregnant with Lil’ Diva.  After she was born and I’d learned even more about the toxins in hair coloring – I was happy to avoid the exposure and keep my natural color.

Little did I know – there are other options.  You can find salons that offer beautiful color with dramatically safer color options.

Today I visited Ratana Salon – A hidden gem in West Hollywood off La Cienega just south of Santa Monica Blvd.  You even enter the salon off the back lane!

You won’t find any hustle or bustle here – instead you’ll meet Ratana, possibly her sister, Suchana, and be soothed with zen-like music in an intimate Spa like atmosphere.  There is one station for one  client, and the first thing I noticed after walking into the salon was the absence any chemical smell.

Ratana began the process of becoming a greener salon a year ago -  they’ve come a long way in that time.  After working as a salon owner and stylist for over 20 years, she decided to change over to a less toxic coloring system because the traditional chemicals were making her sick.

The color process she uses – Organic Color Systems – employs heat  to open the hair follicle and prepare it for the color.  Traditional coloring uses ammonia.  This system does take a little extra time – so if you decide to try it out be sure to allow 2 hours for your color process.

Ratana offers Organic Care Systems hair care line and Eminence Organic Skin Care .

Ask for tea or coffee and you’ll get an organic offering – right down to the organic cream… and… oh… it will be served in a real mug.

A trip to the powder room and you’ll find the paper products are 100% recycled.

Ratana decided we should try a semi permanent process on my hair  and successfully transformed me into an Auburn Diva once again.  Semi permanent is a great choice for those who don’t need to cover gray and want to have less pressure to “get your roots done.”

Whether you live in Los Angeles or not – if you color your hair it may be time to ask your stylist to make a few changes or find an Eco Salon in your area.  When I asked my personal stylist why more salons aren’t offering organic options – he said when it comes to beauty women just don’t care.  I truly hope this isn’t true.

Ratana Salon
916 1/4 N. La Cienega Blvd.
(enter thru La Cienega alley)

Phone: (310) 659-2239

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Diva Review: Ratana Eco Salon in Hollywood

Diva Review: Vapour Organic Siren Lipstick

Vapour Beauty is a New Mexico based company that joined forces with renowned make-up artist Erik Sakas.  They created a line of organic beauty products that is made using food grade organic ingredients.

Vapours shares many of the values that we embrace here at PND.  Acknowledging that as our largest organ; care should be taken with what we put on our skin.  Topically applied products will be absorbed into our bodies!  Adding toxins and chemicals will unduly burden our system, contributing to illness and disease.

They recently sent me a sample of their Siren Lipstick to review.

With a Diva Total of 14.8 out of 15 points this product is: Divaliscious!

Click here for review criteria:

8 Points for Skin Deep Low Hazard Rating of 1 - Excellent!
It should be noted that PND input the product ingredients and one item was not found in their database.

2 Points for being Organic – 95% organic content

2 Points for effectiveness – I was concerned that it wouldn’t have very good staying power and while it may not rival those in the extended wear lipstick category it’s certainly surprised me.  It nicely made it through lunch with the girls.  I also enjoyed the conditioning properties in the lipstick.  These days most lipsticks feel very drying on my skin, but the Siren felt hydrating.

1 Point for Texture – The texture of their lipstick was really nice, not sticky or heavy.

1 Point for Fragrance -  The fragrance is delicate and just a little fruity.

.4 Points for Packaging Appearance – Their lipstick comes in a tube and twirls out, much like chapstick.  Part of me missed the conventional twirl out of a more traditional lipstick.  However, when Lil’ Diva got her hands on the tube and I was able to “save” the tube by compacting all the lipstick back together again, I was VERY grateful!

.4 Points for Packaging Sustainability – Vapour uses wind power for all of their manufacturing.  Packaging is either recyclable or made from recycled materials.  We’d love to see all packaging made from post consumer materials, but they’ve made some great choices and hopefully will strive toward that goal.

Overall:

Vapour delivers a high quality organic lipstick using food grade ingredients.  This is fantastic because we wear it on our lips which means we’ll likely be ingesting a little of it!

Siren lipstick is available in 5 colors, desire, hint, knockout, ravish and tempt and retails for $19.

Ready to try Vapor for yourself… find it on www.ShopNBC.com and www.VapourBeauty.com.

Diva Review: Vapour Organic Siren Lipstick

Diva Review ~ Brighter Tomorrow by Organicare

By Tania Reuben

Microderma Oxygenation Treatment by Organicare

With a Diva Total of 14.4 out of 15 points this product is: Divaliscious

Organicare is a line of Certified Organic Skin Care designed for the individual who wants luxe organic skin care with without sacrificing performance.

For this review I used the Brighter Tomorrow 4 times in a week, then I stopped. After four days without using Brighter Tomorrow my skin  started to feel rougher and the texture was not as nice.  So I definitely did notice a difference.

Using this product is a two step process.

First you apply the mask and massage gently for one minute.

Next you add about 1 teaspoon of the activator and massage for another minute.  You’ll start to feel it warm and tingle.  Note – I don’t recommend using this treatment in the shower – both of the times I tried it in the shower resulted in a mad dash for a dry towel to clear my eyes. The extra moisture from the shower was the source of my troubles.  With practice I’m sure I’d master it, but I’m going to save this treatment for my sink.

Click here for review criteria:

8 Points for Skin Deep Low Hazard Rating.
2 Points for being Organic – Certified USDA.

2 Points for effectiveness – My skin felt very smooth and tingly after this treatment. A little like I’d just come home from a facial!

.7 Point for Texture – The mask is exfoliating, the grain was fine and smooth.  I could feel the mask heating as I massaged it into my skin.  The activator is very thin, almost watery in texture.  When using it I suggest, opening the tube facing up to aid in controlling how much liquid comes out.

.8 Point for Fragrance – Brighter tomorrow is scented with notes of citrus, which I loved. The Aloe Activator is fragrance free.  The scent left on my skin after the treatment was fresh and clean, but interestingly,  not the citrus – which I would have loved more.

.5 Points for Packaging Appearance – The packaging is luxe and very nice. The Mask is in a Glass Jar and the Activator is in a plastic tube. They are sold in an all black  box that contains both items.  Style wise I loved the sleek look of the box – inside the box was a chic black and white stripe.

.4 Points for Packaging Sustainability – The packaging is gorgeous. With 3 components, box, tube and glass jar – it’s a lot of pieces. It would be nice to have less packaging. However, all packaging is produced in a carbon neutral facility and the paper products are made with FSC certified paper products.

Overall:

I enjoyed using Brighter Tomorrow Microderma Oxygination Treatment and will continue to use it because of how great my skin texture was after use.

This is a product for the person who loves to treat themselves to the best of the best – all while demanding a safe product with a corporate conscious.

Brighter Tomorrow retails for $125.

The Winners are Janet, Lisa & Jessica! Congratulations!

Organicare has agreed to give 3 lucky readers a Fresh Fix Hydrating Spray – a $30 Value!

HOW TO ENTER:

There are a few ways you can enter, leave separate comments for each entry.

Mandatory:

Become a Verified Email Subscriber to PND.
CLICK HERE.
- After subscribing you will receive an email – check your junk mail – you must verify your subscription using this email to win!
- Already a confirmed Subscriber. Leave a comment letting me know you’re subscriber and completed any one of the additional entries options.

Additional Entries

1. Go to www.icareorganics.com – tell PND about your favorite Organicare product or their corporate vision.

2. Stumble this post. Leave a comment with your name and the link to the stumble.

3. Follow @purenaturaldiva on twitter (use link on the sidebar). Leave your twittername in a separate comment.

4. Become a Fan of Pure Natural Diva on Facebook and post this giveaway as an update, leave your FB Name or Name with a copy of your update in a separate comment. One entry for each.

5. Tweet this giveaway. Copy and paste “@PureNaturalDiva – Organicare Review and Giveaway Fresh Fix, Hydrating Mist, 3 winners $30 Value http://bit.ly/yw3Jp “. Then come back and leave the direct link to your tweet (go to your twitter account, click on the words when your tweet was sent (ie. 5 seconds ago) and copy and paste that link in comments.

6. Write a post on your blog linking to my blog and to the Organicare website – Good for two entries. Leave this comment twice so you get both entries!

This giveaway will run through midnight on Sept 23, 2009 PDT, with winner being announced the morning of Sept 25, 2009. Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to contact me before another winner is chosen.

Giveaway is open to residents of the U.S.

Winners -  Missy, Lisa D and Janett have been notified and have 24 hours to claim their prize!

Diva Review ~ Brighter Tomorrow by Organicare

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