Raw Food Store
If You See It Here, I've Used It Personally and I Recommend It
Organic Skin Care, Shampoo & Conditioner
I try to only let organic products touch my skin. The problem is, a lot of organic skin care, body care, and cosmetics can be a pain in the butt to work with. I've tried a ton of different organic manufacturers, and here are some of my favorites.
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Dr. Alkaitis - Skin Food
Dr. Alkaitis has become my ultimate favorite for skin care. There is no doubt that a healthy, raw, organic, plant-based diet will help give your skin the glow, but we also have to consider what we put on our skin. As a general rule, if I can't eat it, I probably don't want it touching my skin.
Enter: Dr. Alkaitis products. Holy moly! These are amazing. I started using them after coming off a little hormone-induced breakout and I saw extreme improvement within a couple of days. I actually couldn't believe my eyes. I'm going to be hard pressed to use any other company. (But, you know me, I'm a girly-girl and I love trying new products.) Almost all of the doctor's products are vegan, and my favorites are the cleanser, toner, soothing gel, treatment oil, and eye cream (all described below).
I've also used the organic day cream and night cream sparingly but tend to just stick with the aforementioned products on a regular basis. The Travel Kit is a great sampler for giving the entire product line a try without committing to a major purchase.
All of Dr. Alkaitis' products are made with organically grown or wild-crafted plants (or unpolluted sea life), and their herbal extracts are made in-house! The base is organic aloe, making the products very concentrated, so a little goes a long way (my "7-day" Travel Kit lasted almost two weeks). All the products are raw, living, not heated above body temperature. And, to preserve freshness, they make small batches at a time and products are only two-weeks old when they get shipped to you (for US shipments). Rockin' huh? I wish everything was made this way!
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The Cleanser: Organic Purifying Facial Cleanser
Great for removing makeup, dirt and oil. I especially love using this line of products with my Clarisonic Mia (see info below). One bottle of cleanser lasts about 2 months.
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The Toner: Organic Herbal Toner
This is great because it doesn't dry out my skin yet it's powerful enough to do the job of balancing my skin and acting as an anti-inflammatory. I was never much of a toner-using girl until I tried Dr. Alkaitis Organic Herbal Toner. Now it's one of my favorite products.
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Organic Soothing Gel
Whoo I can't sing the praises high enough for this. I think it was instrumental in helping calm skin irritations (PMS skin issues anyone?!). It works great under makeup, too.
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Organic Nourishing Treatment Oil
Made for your face, scalp, and body, the smell of this exotic oil is sultry and hypnotic. I keep a bottle in the shower to use after I'm done. It helps keep my skin soft and supple. Another way to enhance this product is to dry brush your skin before getting into the shower. This makes a great gift, too.
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Organic Eye Crème
For when you first wake up and need to face the world. From the Web site: "Luxuriously textured and gentle, Organic Eye Crème rejuvenates and refreshes tired eyes while reducing puffiness, dark circles and fine lines."
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Clarisonic Mia Sonic Skin Cleansing System
OMG!... this thing is amazing.
My mom bought me the Clarisonic Mia, a sonic skin cleansing system. I’ve always known from beauty experts that it’s important to exfoliate your skin on a regular basis for truly trouble free skin. I used to use a fibrous exfoliating hemp washcloth but sometimes it was too rough and aggravated my skin more than anything else. The Clarisonic Mia, on the other hand, exfoliates unbelievably effectively and gently. But, it’s not just great at exfoliating. There are two other great benefits: It gets my skin super clean – like never before. After the first use I couldn’t believe how extra amazing my skin felt. The other unique result from using this is that it helps my Dr. Alkaitis Skin Food products absorb more efficiently.
According to Clarisonic, the following are benefits that can be expected:
- Leaves skin feeling and looking healthier and smoother
- Removes 6 times more makeup than manual cleansing
- Cleanses so well that products absorb better
- Pores appear smaller
- Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
- Reduces oily areas, dry skin patches and blemishes
- Gentle for use twice daily for different skin types
But, you don’t have to take my word for it… check out the reviews! There are tons of raving fans out there using this system. (Note: I don’t use the cleansing products that came with it; I use Dr. Alkaitis' products described above.)
I don’t have the Clarisonic Pro, which has some other perks like the ability to use it on the body, but I’m interested in getting one. Check out the amazing reviews about the Clarisonic Pro.
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Morrocco Method - My Choice for Hair Care
(Note: This is for uncolored hair only.)
This has become my favorite line for hair care. The awesome thing about Morrocco's products is that they're organic, vegan, gluten-free, and even RAW! They are pure, baby!
Prior to finding Morrocco Method, I was using Terressentials' mud to wash my hair. That was an interesting and neat experience, but after a while, I started getting flakes. EEK! I tried using an apple cider vinegar/water rinse and coconut oil, but without success. Some days my hair was soft and clean feeling, other days it wasn't. So I decided to look for another line that was as natural as I could get. I even thought I would be foced to compromise a bit with the ingredients (and not be such a purist), so I looked at Aubrey Organics, Suki, and some others. But, every time I read the labels, I couldn't help but feel disheartened when comparing their chemicals to the purity of Terressentials' mud. I mean, come on(!), I work so hard to keep my body clean internally and externally that I just didn't want to compromise.
Morrocco Method to the Rescue!
After much searching, I discovered Morrocco Method products. I was immediately intrigued because the website boasts about the products being not only organic, but Raw, vegan, and gluten-free... for shampoo! I mean, who DOES that? Morrocco Method does! My pulse quickened as I scrutinzed the entire website. But before committing, I hunted down some reviews. Most people loved the line. The occasional less enthusiastic reviews weren't great about the shampoos' results; it was complaints about their smell, lack of lather, or price. The different products smell very earthy and I actually really like it. As for the lack of lather... well, you're looking at a gal who had done the haircare equivalent of Survivor Borneo, shampooing her with mud for months! (Mud doesn't lather.) So suffice it to say, I'm used to using all natural products like this. And BTW, Morrocco Method actually does lather up a little.
The Results
So... what happened to my scalp problems? The flakes disappeared immediately. Ever since I started using Morrocco Method, my hair has been so freakin' soft, shiny, and silky. It's extra gorgeous! My husband is amazed and loves touching my hair, always telling me how "soft and luscious" it is!
The Routine... Hang With Me Here...
You don't just buy one shampoo from Morrocco. It's a complete regimen. In fact, I love it... you actually rotate through a five shampoos (1 week each) to achieve optimal results:
- Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo
- Earth Essence Shampoo
- Heavenly Chi Shampoo
- Pine Shale Shampoo
- Sea Essence Shampoo
(I also like the Chi Instant Hair Conditioner, the elixirs, their Diamond Crystal Mist and Sapphire Volumizer Mist, which gives you tons of body and it was a life-saver during my temporary post-partem shedding. I also tried Morrocco Method's Blood of the Dragon Styling Gel, but I confess I like the name more than the actual product... but it's not bad). I'm also not crazy about the Agave Styling Mist because of the sprayer - it comes out in more of a stream instead of a spray.)
But back to the regimen... the system isn't cheap, due to the need to rotate through five shampoos. But my results have been so profound... WITH NO CHEMICALS... it's just so healthy for my hair and health that I can no longer imagine using anything less. I cringe at the thought of the toxic chemical soup that most people are massaging into their scalp every day... it's crazy when you stop to think about it.
It also helps with the cost that I stretch it out. Since I don't wash my hair daily (more like 2-3 times a week), I don't use much of the product so it lasts awhile. I, do, however recommend getting a couple of the Chi Conditioners because obviously you'll run out of that quicker than going through 4-5 bottles of shampoo.
So here are two plans for you to choose between:
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Plan A: Five Full-Size Shampoos
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Shampoo Plan A: Buy one bottle of each (the family size) of the five shampoos listed above and stick with it. This costs more up front but these will last a long time and you'll save money in the long run. This is the best option if you're committed to using the most healthy haircare products possible and eliminating all synthetic chemicals from your shampoo.
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Plan B: Trial-Travel Set
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Shampoo
Plan B: Experiment by buying one or two Trial-Travel Sets (which has 2oz trial size bottles) and trying the system out before committing to a big purchase. This is the best option for people who are only mildly interested in eliminating synthetic chemicals from their hair care. This will cost you less money up front, but you'll run out of product sooner. But before you run out, you'll have been able to try all five shampoos and see if you like them. At least, you'll know if you like using them (the smell, consistency, etc.)... if you get only one set, you may not complete the detox process and see the full results before you run out however. That's why I suggest buying two Trial-Travel Sets, as you'll then be sure to have enough time to see if the product gives you results you like, but you'll have spent less than if you had purchased a full family-size of each of the five shampoos.
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My Preferred Conditioner
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A Conditioner
You'll definitely want to use a conditioner every time wash your hair with these shampoos. My personal preference is the Chi Instant Hair Conditioner, but Morrocco Method does offer others.
The Bottom Line
I'm thrilled to have finally found Morroccom Method. I've also had people write to me after trying these products praising them. I love knowing that only the purest of products are touching my scalp. I love the smells of the shampoos, too - they're sexy, sultry, and earthy. For more information, check out their Web site and read these really powerful testimonials. And if you have questions, the company is great about helping you out!
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