Neutrogena Naturals Fresh Cleansing and Makeup Remover Final Review and Ingredients

Two weeks have passed and here is a list of what is in the product and my final verdict for the face wash.  The ingredients for the product are listed clearly on the back of the bottle and are nicely labeled to make clear which products are naturally based. 

Water- Purified Water

Cocamidoprpyl Hydroxysultaine- Coconut/Palm Kernel Derived.  This is used to create the foaming aspect of the product.

Sodium Laurel Sarcosinate- Coconut/Palm Kernel Derived.  This is a more mild cleaning agent.

Cocamidoprpyl Betaine- Coconut derived. This is coconut mixed with other synthetic products to produce a skin conditioner and foam booster.

Glycerin- Vegetable. This is a natural ingredient that is a by product of soap making.  It is known to draw moisture into your skin.

Hydrolyzed Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum- Peruvian Tara Seed. This is a skin conditioner.

Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum- Peruvian Tara Seed.  Used as a skin conditioner.

Coco-Glucoside- Vegetable.  This is a mixture of glucose and coconut oil that is used as a cleanser and foaming agent.

Glyceryl Oleate- Vegetable.  This is a combination of glycerin and oleic acid a naturally occurring fatty acid.

Glycol Distearate- Vegetable Derived.  This is a skin conditioner made from steric acid which is a naturally occurring fatty acid.

Guar Hydroxpropltrimonium Chloride- Guar Bean Derived.  This is used as a conditioning agent.

Caprylyl Glycol-  Skin conditioner that can be naturally or synthetically based.  As this was not clearly labeled as the other ingredients are it seems that this is probably synthetic.

Acrylates Copolymer-  This is a synthetically produced product created from different acrylic acids.  This product is used to increase the thickness of a product.

Potassium Sorbate-  This is potassium salt of sorbic acid, a naturally occurring antimicrobial compound.  This is used as a preservative.

Benzyl Alcohol-  This is a liquid that occurs naturally in some foods and plants, but is also created synthetically.  It is used as a preservative.

Fragrance- This is anything natural or synthetic added to the product that gives the product a pleasant smell. 

On the back of the bottle it states that the product is 86% naturally derived and the remaining ingredients are essential to blend the product together and maintain effectiveness. It seems that although many of the products are naturally derived they are sometimes combined with other synthetic products to create the ingredient. 

Even two weeks later, I am still very pleased with the product.  I was really concerned that it would be end up being very drying, but I have been overly pleased with the nice balance that my skin has.  It is neither too greasy nor too dry.  It does a great job of removing makeup and cleaning my skin all without drying.  The product really does perform as promised.  I would highly recommend this product.    

Pros:  Removes makeup easily, cleanses well, not drying, great price (Walmart has been the best price I’ve seen for the product $5.97), do not need a lot of product to cleanse skin, product lives up to promises.

Cons:  For me there really were none.  The face wash worked great for me and I will continue to use it well after the trial period.

In Store Natural Product Deals for the Week of February 26- March 3

A lot of Aveeno Products are on sale this week. 

CVS-  Aveeno Skin Care is 2/$13 with card and you get $7 in extrabucks when you use your card.

Rite Aid- All Aveeno is Buy 1 Get 1 50% off and if you purchase $15 of Aveeno items you get $5 UP Rewards for your next purchase.

 

Walgreens- Aveeno Products Buy 1 Get 1 50% off including Aveeno Baby

Rainbow Henna Hair Color Review

Henna hair color has been something I have wanted to try for awhile and especially after reading the warnings inside regular hair dyes.  Henna hair color is not very easy to find and I had always heard in the past that it tends to turn hair red, so after doing some research I decided to go with the Rainbow Henna Hair Color.  The company has been around since 1976 and specializes in henna hair color.  They use only 100% organic henna with other plant bases to affect the tone that will show up on your hair.  I purchased this product online from a health company called www.imedmart.com which carries health supplements and other health products.  I purchased the product for $4.15 and shipping was $3.99.  That is comparable to buying a box of hair dye off the shelf.  The product arrived in just a few days. 

I was still a little apprehensive about trying the product, but planned on following the instructions exactly.  I chose the Persian Medium Brown which seems to be the closest to my hair color.  The product arrives as a powder and gives good instructions for mixing the product.  The basic instructions are just to mix the powder with 1 cup of boiling water and then apply.  They also list other products to add to enhance the color and results.  

For my color, they suggest to add 1 cup of brewed coffee to help tone down red tones.  They give a tip of adding 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar to help the color adhere to grey hairs, of which I unfortunately do have some. They also suggest adding 2-4 tbsp of olive oil to help condition hair and to help with the rinsing process. 

I combined all the ingredients into one giant jar and got a very thick, dark green paste with an odd plant based smell.  At this point, I debated whether I wanted to try this, but figured that this is not permanent and will fade.  The product is very thick to apply and is messy.  

 Once I got it through my hair, I put a shower cap over the top and let it sit.  It is suggested to leave the product on for 60-75 minutes.  I was afraid the product would be very hard to get out of my hair as it was so thick, but was pleasantly surprised that it washed out quite easily in the shower and after a regular shampoo and conditioner it was completely out.  

Despite the messy application and odd smell, I was very pleased with the color.  It really enhanced my medium brown color.  It covered the grey hair decently and also some of the leftover highlights I had gotten last summer.  It left my hair so soft and smooth.  This is supposed to last around 4 weeks so we’ll see how it holds up.

Here is the before and after pictures of the color. 

 Before:

After:

Pros:  Good price, all natural ingredients, color as promised, decently covers grey hair, leaves hair soft and smooth

Cons:  very messy to apply, long processing time, odd smell

I would definitely use henna again, but would next time mix half of the powder and try to make it a little more liquid.  If I could apply it from a regular hair color bottle I think it would be a lot less messy.  I loved the results.  They don’t suggest doing major hair color changes with henna, but if you are looking for just an enhancement of your real color, the product is great.

In Store Natural Product Deals for the Week of February 12-February 18th.

CVS-  Aveeno-  Buy 1 Get 1 50% off. 

Rite Aid- Organix Hair and Skincare- Buy 1 Get 1 50% off.

Buy $15 of Burt’s Bee’s Products and get $5 UP Rewards for your next purchase.

Walgreens- Renpure Organics Hair Care- Buy 1 Get 1 50% off

                         20% off select Aveeno Cleansers, Anti-Aging Treatments, or Eye Roller

Neutrogena Naturals Fresh Cleansing and Makeup Remover Review

    

     I’ve been seeing the ad on TV for a new Neutrogena Facial Cleanser called Neutrogena Naturals which promises to cleanse without using harsh chemical sulfates, parabens, and dyes.  I visited the website to find out more.  The line is based on a few fundamental ideas:

1. Pure, Safe, and Effective- The product is supposed to provide the same great Neutrogena results with out the use of chemical sulfates, parabens, petrochemicals, dyes, or phthalates.

2. Bionutrients- highly concentrated chemical compounds found in nature that are essential for healthy-looking skin.

3. Experts- scan the globe in search of time-tested solutions and ingredients from natural sources as well as examining thousands of plants to find bionutrients essential for skin health.

     It sounded like just the kind of product I wanted and I was anxious to try it out.  I purchased the product at Walmart for $5.97 for a 6oz bottle.  At first, I was a little disappointed by the size of the product as the TV commercial makes the product look a lot larger, but the price is very reasonable and the size is comparable to other face washes on store shelves.

     The product promises a one step face wash and makeup remover without stripping the skin of its natural moisture.  It is supposed to rinse clean and leave skin soft.  On my first use of the product, I was very impressed.  One pump of the bottle was plenty to clean my face.  The product goes on very smooth and builds a nice lather.  It washes clean and does leave my skin soft as promised.  The product has a very faint, but clean scent.  I am initially in love with this product.  As I use it over the next two weeks, I will be looking to see if it causes any breakouts and if it keeps my face smooth and moisturized.  I’ll let you know how it holds up and what the ingredients are in the product. 

If you want more information about their products check out their website at: http://naturals.neutrogena.com/