Primrose Organic Salon: Hair Salon Review

What self respecting diva doesn’t love a trip to the salon?  Even better – I love discovering a new eco conscious beauty salon.  One of my latest discoveries is Primrose Organic Salon & Boutique in Los Feliz.

PND was invited to come in for a review – given that I love nothing more than discovering new places to share with my readers – I was excited to check it out.

The salon is in trendy Loz Feliz and the mood is comfortable, cute with a retro vibe.  On walking into the salon – the first thing you might note is what is missing – the absence of a strong chemical smell that accompanies so many salons.

Primrose opened in 2009.  It was a partnership between Felicia Howe,  the salon’s head stylist and Melissa Tornay, who overseas the business and retail side of their business.  They are committed to bringing their clients the safest & best performing products coupled with outstanding services.

I was treated to a fantastic cut & color by Felicia – the salon primarily uses the Organic Color Systems Color Line, with the additional option of Davines for those who need a gluten free option.

I’ve been wearing Felicia’s cut for a few weeks now and have found it to style beautifully.  The color added just the right amount of auburn to my brown locks – while still looking very much like it was my own color – so let’s keep the fact that it’s not our little secret!

One of the things that really impressed me about the salon was how informed Melissa is about the products she has handpicked to sell in the store.  For your product needs tell her your exact priorities and she’ll match the line to your wish list, from the ultra safe & purest organic ingredients, to the safer – but not perfect – high performing, to gluten free – she’ll break it down for you.

My purchases included a new hairspray, lip balms & homemade soaps!  I couldn’t resist.

Pricing at the salon is comparable to conventional salons with a cut & style priced at $60 and the single process color priced at $70.

I’ll be back soon – well worth the drive across town!

To book an appointment:

(323) 664-5446

4616 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA  90027

Kabana Organic Sunscreen: Sunscreen Review

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.

Brighter Tomorrow by Organicare: Beauty Review

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!

All Purpose Green Cleaner: Home Recipe

There are a ton of green cleaners on the market, but my favorite cleaners are the ones I make at home.
One thing you know for sure, when you make it – you know every ingredient.
You will also save a lot of money, the ingredients are so inexpensive, no wonder the companies that manufacture cleaning products have so much money to spend on advertising! It costs so little to make a batch – it’s crazy!

I make it in batches that make 4 28oz bottles.

13 1/4 cups of Water (1 hot)
1/4 Cup of Dr. Bronner’s Castile Liquid Soap

Pin It

– I like Citrus for the All Purpose Cleaner
1/4 Cup of Borax
1/4 Cup of Vinegar

Borax Free – The Vinegar & Baking Soda reaction is fun for kids!

NOTE – Cleaning with the following recipe requires rinsing.  I’m working on a reformulation and will leave this posted with this caveat until I have a borax free option that doesn’t require rinsing.

10 1/4 cups of water (5 hot)
1/4 Cup of Dr. Bronner’s Castile Liquid Soap

Pin It

– I still like Citrus for the All Purpose Cleaner.
1 1/2 cups of Baking Soda
3 cups of Vinegar

Mix the hot water with the borax or baking soda until it disolves.
Once dissolved pour into a bucket – make sure that you have a bigger bucket – the next step will give you a little foaming action!
Add the remaining water, vinegar & Castille Soap.

Use a funnel to pour the solution into the four bottles.

I used to use the Method Products, so I have reused the spray bottles & taken the labels off. Using the handy label maker, made my own labels so I know what’s in each bottle and it looks organized.

There are rumblings about the safety of Borax and while it certainly appears to be a better option than the chemicals in commercial cleaners, there are people who would prefer to avoid it.

Click here to read what they say at Chemistry.com.

I have posed the question about Borax to the EWG. I’ll be curious to hear their response.

Safer Lipstick Options: Simple Solutions

By Tania Reuben

With the Canadian government banning two common lipstick ingredients and questions surrounding lead and it’s use in lipsticks.

A guide to the safe selection of lipstick is in order.

The suggested choices have a maximum hazard rating of 4 in the EWG Cosmetics Database – 4 is on the low end of a moderate hazard rating(4-6). There were so many choices that rated 4 and under, it didn’t seem necessary to add hazards. Also, given that lipsticks are worn on our mouth – better safe than sorry.

Diva Top Picks:
NVEY Eco Organic Lip Lustre
Burt’s Bees Lipstick
Organic Wear Lip Veil & Organic Wear Lip Gloss

Other Options:
MAC Matte Lipstick, Glaze Lipstick, Satin Lipstick, Cream Lipstick and Frosted Lipstick
DuWop Shades of Venomn & Anti-Venom Satin
Bare Escentuals Lipsticks

Value Selection;
Covergirl Continous Color Cream & Covergirl Outlast All Day Lipcolor

Shop carefully – many of these companies have a number of lipstick offerings – pick another Covergirl Lipstick and you may be selecting a 7 or 8 on the EWG hazard rating.

To Look up your lipstick, see how it rates with EWG – click here.

Solve your snail problems naturally: Snails, Snails & More Snails!

Everyday I go to take my daughter to preschool and my front garden bed is full of snails.
They are making a buffet of my hibiscus and leaving their leaves looking like swiss cheese.
Not pretty.

My remedy so far has been picking them up and tossing them into my shrubs on the edge of our yard.

So the hunt for natural remedies has begun:
Eat Them:
I found this suggestion in a few places, our common garden snails – they are the same snails that are served as escargot – so for our gourmets.

Barrier to Entry:
Create a salt barrier – they won’t crawl over it
Egg Shell Barrier – ditto
Human or Animal Hair – they won’t crawl over it – but it sounds a little icky for my taste!
Copper Wire – Frame the perimeter of your garden so they have to crawl over it – it shocks them and they backtrack.

Complementary Planting:
They don’t like some savory plants, like Lavender, rosemary and sage. I noticed that the hibiscus next to my lavender is fine and snail free.

Kill them – Naturally?
Strong Coffee Solution – sprayed on plants and surrounding soil

Help other critter’s enjoy them – Circle of life approach:
Beer
Oatmeal

I think I’m going to start out by trying the salt… but next time I’m at the hardware store I might have to pick up some copper wire.