100% Tested on Whitney

Fight Acne Effectively Without the Guilt: St Ives Green Tea Cleanser

2011-10-21T09:49:00.000-07:00

I'm 22 and still have problems with acne sometimes. I thought I should have been over this after high school, but apparently not! I've found that most companies that make readily-available acne cleansers and spot treatments test on animals and include animal ingredients in their products, which is a huge shame. One day, while very bored at work, I started reading labels...ALL OF THE LABELS. Besides the Yes To Tomatoes line (which is still generally out of my price range), I've found one other company that does not test on animals: St Ives. St Ives strives to include all natural ingredients in their products so that you're not putting any harsh chemicals on your face or body where they should not be. A few of the ingredients they like to use are almond oil, apricot, green tea, oatmeal, walnut, and more. They've also made a natural commitment where they do not include parabens in their products, use environmentally sustainable vendors, do not participate in animal testing, and package all of their products in eco-friendly and recyclable packaging.

About this cleanser in particular: it works amazingly well (for me, at least...hopefully for others, too!)! I had been using Clearasil Rapid-Action Scrub and Cleanser that I had leftover and this stuff works much better than it. It has 2% salicylic acid for fighting off acne, blemishes, blackheads, and unclogging pores. It's not as harsh or strong as benzoyl peroxide, but it works for non-severe acne cases. Now, as I stated in my previous post, my skin is pretty moody. It's very sensitive sometimes, and other times not. The green tea cleanser has not irritated my face once in the month that I've been using it and all of my breakouts have cleared up completely in a week. Even blackheads are diminishing, which no other cleanser or scrub has done for me.

The best part about it all: it's not incredibly expensive! One 6.75 oz bottle is about $5-6 (I can't remember correctly). For a vegan product that works, that's pretty cheap. It's about the price, or even lower, than all of the other acne-fighting brands. So for about the same price as you would normally pay, you're getting a cruelty-free and natural product that won't upset your face in the least!

Be wary: make sure to still look on the back of all St Ives products before buying. They will directly state on the back of the product that it "contains not animal ingredients." Unless the product states that, it will most likely have animal-derived ingredients. A couple of their lotions still have animal ingredients, along with their apricot acne scrub and cleanser (unfortunately...those smell really, really good). However, St Ives is still probably the way to go over other brands considering they do absolutely no animal testing.

For more information, here's their website

Put Veggies On Your Face: Yes to Cucumbers Facial Towelettes

2011-10-07T22:09:00.000-07:00

So the "Yes to" company kept sending a bazillion coupons to us at my job... I couldn't pass up trying these since they went from $5.99 to $3.99 after said coupons. That was perhaps about six months ago, and I'm pretty much loyal to these. They do an excellent job of not only removing makeup, but also general cleansing. Supposedly cucumber and aloe are really great for your face...I think the aloe is supposed to help bring out a natural glow. Or maybe that's the cucumber that does it. Dead Sea Minerals help unclog pores and gently exfoliate your skin so it's super soft. Side note: The whole Yes to Cucumbers line is non-comedogenic and hypoallergenic, which is awesome if your skin is moody (not just sensitive) like mine.

Anyways, these make your face feel wonderfully tingly and cool while also boosting some natural radiance. My face feels amazing every time I use them (which is just about everyday) and I'm sure there's a reason these sell out almost instantly after getting them back in stock. It's not just me who buys these all the time!

Yes To products are all between 98 and 99% natural and organic, so you're not putting any harsh or odd chemicals on your face or hair. I've used the cucumber shampoo and facial cleanser, as well, and love them. Unfortunately, I can't buy them often because those are a bit pricey. The towelettes, however, are decently priced and this company loves giving out coupons. I have a nice little stack at my house (shhhhh, don't tell my manager).

Yes To Websites!

A Beginning or Something Like It

2011-10-07T16:34:00.000-07:00

Through working the cosmetics counter at a drugstore, I've noticed it's sometimes a bit difficult to find cruelty-free personal care and cosmetic items. I've only been vegan for 5 months at this point in time, so it's been a bit frustrating trying to find companies who do not test on animals or use animal products. Not a lot of companies advertise these things, either, making it all the more difficult.

I guess the point of this whole thing is to catalog my research on vegan products. Yeah, there are lists all over the internet saying which companies do and do not test on animals, but at the same time...many of those companies have very expensive products that are not easily found. I generally buy all of my personal care products at my job since I get a discount. I'm on a very, very tight budget and probably will be for a while, so my options seem very limited. So, I'm attempting to find the best vegan products that actually work that also happen to be budget-friendly. I haven't really found any such site cataloging these things, so I figured I would start my own.

So here it is. I guess I'll review items and probably post recipes...because life needs more vegan recipes, right? Yeah.