Au Naturel Essence

All natural treats for body and soul


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Evande Facial Care – A Product Review

For the month of January, I have been using a whole new set of skin care products.  It’s the Evande Skin Care Set.  This set was sent to me free of charge.  In return, I’ve been using it religiously so that I could provide you all with my personal review of the set.

Evande

Scent

The scent of any skin care product is really important to me.  I have to like it or I simply won’t use it.

The scent of the Evande set reminds me of a light baby powder.  It’s a very feminine and delicate scent.  I love the way it smells when I put it on.  I also love that I catch a whiff of it every once in a while throughout the day.

Each of the products in the set has the same scent, so they work really well together.

Evande Cleanser and Make-Up Remover

The soap-free cleanser is light and creamy all at the same time.  It works well as a makeup remover.  The hardest makeup I had to remove was some lipstick that had lasted beyond its best before date.  It was very sticky on my lips and felt horrible.  A dab of the cleanser/makeup remover allowed me to wipe it off in one swipe.  So yes, it works as a makeup remover.

As a cleanser, it is gentle on my skin.  After I’m done using it, my skin feels clean without that dreaded squeaky clean feeling.  My skin doesn’t feel dry afterwards, either.

Evande Cleanser

Evande Cleanser

Evande Alcohol-Free Pore Minimizing Toner

This is the only toner I’ve ever been able to use without breaking out.  In fact, I had all but given up on toners until I received this set to try.  I figured I had to give it a try in order to do a complete review.  To my surprise, my skin didn’t react poorly at all.  I love spraying this toner on my face and neck after cleansing.  It seems like such a lovely way to ensure my skin stays moist.  I am totally hooked.

Evande Face and Neck Moisturizer

The moisturizer is light.  I just need a little bit for my face and neck, especially after the toner.  It leaves my skin well-balanced and hydrated, but not greasy or feeling heavy.

Evande Face and Neck Moisturizer

Evande Face and Neck Moisturizer

Effectiveness

This skin care set has served me well for a whole month.  It’s been cold and dry for most of the month and my skin has been well hydrated throughout.  The cleanser is gentle and the moisturizer is nourishing.  It’s exactly the right combination I need to keep my skin clean and moisturized.

Packaging

The packaging is simple.  The pumps for the cleanser and moisturizer and the spray nozzle for the toner make each product really easy to dispense.  I personally like the clean look of the white bottles and the touch of gold classes it up a little bit.

Evande

Ingredients

The Evande brand uses the tag line, “Feel the Natural Elegance”.  Evande prides itself on creating products that are great for your skin without using harsh unnecessary chemicals.  On their website, they have listed the chemicals that are prohibited from use in their product line:

  •    DEA (Diethanolamine)
  •     Dyes
  •     Mineral Oil
  •     PABA
  •     Parabens
  •     Paraffin
  •     phthlates
  •     Sulfates

I love that Evande uses more natural substances to create their products.  They also clearly list all their ingredients right on the back of each bottle.  I’ve also reproduced the ingredient list below, in case you’re interested.

Evande Ingredient Listings

Evande Ingredient Listings

Cleanser and Make-Up Remover:

Water, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Cocomidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Vaccinium Myrtillus (Bilberry) Fruit Extract, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugar Cane) Extract, Acer Saccharum (Sugar Maple) Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Citrus Limonum (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbedensis Leaf Juice, passiflora Edulis (Passion Fruit) Extract, Phyllanthus Emblica (Amla) Fruit Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Glycol Distearate, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Fragrance

Pore-Minimizing Toner

Extracts of (Marigold, Chamomile, Rosemary, Cucumber, Elder, Arnica, Linden, Cornflower, Matricaria, St. John’s Wort, Hops, Horsetail, Pine Cone, Mallow, Ivy, Pellitory, Burdock, Sage and Soapwort) in Water, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel), Glycerin, Propylene Officinarum (Sugar Cane) Extract, Acer Saccharum (Sugar Maple) Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbedensis Leaf Juice, Laureth-23, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Tetrasodium EDTA, Fragrance

Face and Neck Moisturizer

Water, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Cetyl Alcohol, Petrolatum, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Aloe Barbedensis Leaf Juice, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Almond Butter), Silk Amino Acid, Ficus Carica (Fig) Extract, Kigelia Africana Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Niacinamide, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycol Distearate, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Propylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol,  Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium EDTA, Fragrance

I looked up this brand on the Good Guide and on Skin Deep.  Unfortunately, it was not listed on either site, most likely because it’s such a new brand.  I’d love to know how these products rate on either of those sites.

Affordability

Is this magic skin care set affordable?  In short, YES!

Each bottle contains 200 mL of product.  My best guess is that, after one month, at most, I’ve used about one-quarter of each bottle.

You can buy the whole set of three for $24.99!

Honestly, I didn’t even look at the price until it was time to write my review.  I was floored when I saw how well priced the set is.

Evande

Would I Recommend Evande?

Yes – I most definitely would.  I’ve had a great experience using this set for the past month.  My skin feels great and I’ve finally found a toner that works for my skin!  I also love the clean packaging and the great price.


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Let’s Talk About Talc

There’s a lot of controversy about talc. From all of the reading I have done, there doesn’t seem to be a whole of evidence either way.  Despite that, the very fact that there’s controversy has steered me away from using talc in my skin care routine.  In my very simple words, here’s a very short summary on the talc controversy.

Talking about Talc…

There are some who avoid talc because it is thought that it might contain tiny fibers related to asbestos.  People are concerned because these fibers could cause talc to behave like asbestos inside your body.  For this reason, long-term use of talc is suspected to contribute to serious illness, such as lung cancer.

The use of talc has also been linked to ovarian cancer, for folks who use talc in that area of their body.

On the other hand, I have also read that there are reports that say that talc used in cosmetics have such fibers removed and therefore, there is no need to worry.

Why Do People Use Talc in the First Place?

Talcum powder is great at absorbing extra moisture and keeping your skin dry.  Such a product is great as a baby powder for babies in trying to prevent diaper rash and great for adults in avoiding excess moisture during the day.  It’s especially good for areas of the body that get sweaty, like underarms and feet.

Alternatives to Talc

As I was getting some skin care products ready before my son’s arrival, I endeavored to make some talc-free baby powder.  I’m certainly no expert on talc.  However, there’s enough controversy about it for me to look for a less controversial option.  Fortunately, I found a few readily available options quite easily.  Powders can easily be made with cornstarch, arrowroot powder, oat flour, or baking soda.  All of these would be good at keeping the skin dry.  I ended up making a powder with a mix or arrowroot, cornstarch and baking soda.  (Then, I ended up barely using it because he didn’t need the extra drying power of a baby powder!)

Unscented Baby Powder

Unscented Baby Powder

Resources

Want to know more about what people are saying about talc?  Check out these links:

Personal Care Truth

Dr. Weil

EHow

Cinco Vidas

 


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The Final Baby Countdown Was Interrupted…by Baby!

I wrote a post about a week ago about the final countdown to my baby’s expected arrival.  You’ll see below that I had made as many preparations as I could and was quite happy about things.

Then, last Friday night, I went into labour!  What??  It was a wee bit early as I was concerned.  Anyway, into labour I went and just over a day later, early on Sunday the 25th, Baby Emir was born.

And yes, as far as I’m concerned, he’s perfect.

Prior to going to hospital, these are the final preparations that I made and wrote about to share with you all.  All I can say is, thank goodness that I made the preparations that I did!  They’ve all be very helpful!

Baby Emir – Just After His First Bath

My Original Post

It’s here, the final few days of pregnancy.  In some ways, it’s been a long 9 months.  In other ways, I can’t believe the time has already passed by!  I’ve been so lucky to have a smooth pregnancy and, aside from a few aches and pains, I’ve loved every minute of it.

I’ve been off work for a couple of weeks now. During that time, I’ve been busy completing the last-minute preparations.

Food

We have a freezer full of food.  There are healthy and wholesome baked goods that will be great snacks at any time of the day.  I’ve also got a few containers of soups and stews.  With any luck, that will last us for the first few days of our new lives with the little one!

Very Blueberry Muffins

Very Blueberry Muffins

The Nursery

The baby’s room has been ready for a long time.   More recently, I got down to the washing and did several loads of laundry to ensure that all the new gifts of clothes that we have received for Baby are washed and ready to go.

Baby  Skin Care

I even had time to put together some gentle and mild soap, some moisturizing balm, and baby powder for Baby.  I don’t know for sure if they’ll all work, but I’ve got my fingers crossed that they’ll be acceptable for his sensitive skin.

Gentle Goat's Milk Soap for Baby

Gentle Goat’s Milk Soap for Baby

Unscented Baby Balm

Unscented Baby Balm

Unscented Baby Powder

Unscented Baby Powder

The Hospital Bag(s)

They’re packed!  There’s one that’s full of clothes, blankets, diapers, and other goodies for Baby.  There’s also one for me and my hubby so that we’re also comfortable while at the hospital.

The Blog

I’ll do my best to keep posting regularly on my blog.  I’ve got a few posts that are scheduled over  the next few weeks.  However, if I’m slow in replying to comments or I seem to have dropped off the face of the blog completely, it’s probably safe to assume that there’s a little one in my life who is taking up all of my attention.  Please be patient — I’ll be back as soon as I can!