Organic Peppermint Lip Balm by ABCD Vitamins!

Hello, hello, hello, everyone!

As it's getting warmer and we're gravitating more towards outdoors activities, it's important to remember the effect that the sun has on your skin. Nothing is more inconvenient than having sunburn or peeling on your lips. Maybe your lips haven't fully recovered from the winter! Either way, I've got the product review for you, so listen up! :)

I was recently selected to review a free product sample of ABCD Vitamins' Organic Beeswax Lip Balm. There are a couple of reasons that I really like this balm. The main one is very minty scent. I've used an organic peppermint lip balm in the past, and it wasn't as strong as this one. The flavor and scent are equivalent of having an actual piece of candy in your mouth. This can be good or bad...depending on your personal likes.

Another thing that I noticed was the formula. I LOVE beeswax. It glides on smoothly and evenly and absorbs quickly. It doesn't feel greasy or heavy. I think that the strong mint quality reddens my lips slightly, which I'm not a fan of...but if I'm in need of serious healing, adding a tiny bit of redness isn't the most of my problems! This balm has an SPF of 15 so you're protected from sun damage as well!

As far as the packaging goes, I think that it's great that it's very simplistic. The four balms come in a plastic sleeve with a simple ingredient, logo, and product name label. The tubes of balm have the same design as the package and are all safety sealed. I LOVE that fact, because I can tell that they've never been opened. The tubes are the size of a typical ChapStik, so they're easy to carry or throw in your purse.

In all, I really like these balms and I love that they're all natural! Beeswax is my favorite lip product and ABCD Vitamins has done a great job of making it enjoyable with the minty, fresh scent.

Something TOTALLY New: Organic Deodorant Creme by Bella Naturals

Normally, I'm open to trying a lot of new things, so long as they're within the range of products that I've used before. Facial serums, hair growth vitamins, and conditioners are examples of products that I review pretty regularly. When the opportunity arose to review an organic deodorant creme, I hesitated to apply just because I had never tried a creme deodorant. However, I was really interested in the idea of using an organic deodorant, so I gladly accepted my free product.

When it arrived, the first thing that I noticed was how strong the scent was. If I would change anything about the product, I would have much preferred to have it in a floral or fruity scent. The vanilla mint scent is wonderful, but it's not a common deodorant scent. It's very strong, but I didn't find it any more overwhelming than someone chewing a minty gum.

The deodorant came in a small jar that reminded me of a Carmex jar. It has a screw on lid and easily opens and closes. The product inside is a thick, white creme and has the consistency of melted deodorant (I hope I'm not the only one who's left it in a hot car...), but a little firmer.

The only other thing I would change about this product is to have it easier to get out. Now, it isn't an issue, because my container is full (a little goes a LONG way!). When I've used it more, the level will go down, and I'll have to reach further into the container to get to the product. This will be messy, as I'll have to stick more of my fingers in. I think a push-up bottom in a tube would be a fantastic idea for this product. That would eliminate the mess and getting the deodorant all over consumer's hands.

Once I applied the deodorant, I noticed that it had a cooling sensation. I liked it! :) It went on smoothly and evenly.

At this point I have to add: organic deodorant won't work immediately. Non-organic deodorants clog the pores of your skin, so it takes about a week to detox. For me, personally, I decided to detox over spring break because I knew it could get ugly. After detoxing and exfoliating a few times, I tried the deodorant.

My results: as long as I'm not doing anything extremely strenuous, it works perfectly. On days that I'm not active, I noticed that it did a decent job of keeping me from stinking. However, once I ran, I believe it sweated off, and I became a nasty, stinking, mess.

Typical deodorants keep you from sweating or they use tons of chemicals to mask the scent. The concept of organic deodorant is that it fights the bacteria that is sweated out.

The ingredients listed are: Organic Shea Butter, Organic Arrowroot Powder, (Vegan), Organic Sunflower Oil,  Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, Aluminum-Free Baking Soda, Organic Peppermint Essential Oil, Organic Vanilla Extract, Organic Tea Tree Essential Oil

So...as a healthier alternative, I will wear this deodorant anytime I'm not running or at the gym. I know that, ideally, I would go straight organic, but mostly organic with few exceptions is much better than having deodorant on 24/7 that contains aluminum! For those days that I have to get active, I'll look for an aluminum-free alternative with a little more punch. Although I know that this deodorant will have chemicals and unnatural additives, I just can't stand sweating the deodorant off and smelling bad.