This California skincare line was born over 20 years ago, the creation of two parents on a mission to make healthier products for their baby. The company is USDA certified organic, a proud B Corp member and certified cruelty free by Leaping Bunny, they offer a selection of vegan products as well. The lovely Jamie Arrigo of www.wallaceandjames.com recently introduced me to the line. Jamie is a fellow mama with a blog centered around a sustainable and "holistic but realistic" lifestyle. she has terrific taste and style, so giving the products a whirl was a no brainer. Below is what I used and what I thought.
Body Wash in Breathe - fresh, foresty smell ( essential oils of eucalyptus, cedar and spruce), ample suds and didn't over dry my skin. Love this wash for the whole family because of the unisex scent and safe ingredients.
Firming Salts + Firming oil (sold separately) - this duo is phase two of a shaping and firming routine designed to give you tighter, firmer skin. The salts can be used as a soak or blended with the oil to create a scrub. I'm more of a shower person so I did the latter, it worked nicely to exfoliate and moisturize my skin. I also really like the oil for dry brushing. I can not attest to the shaping and firming because I skipped the first phase and have not used them regularly enough to note a difference. But I do like the way they leave my skin feeling exfoliated and hydrated.
Body Lotion in Relax - a nice gentle fragrance of lavender, rose and neroli essential oils. Medium weight moisturizer that left my skin soft and non greasy. I removed this from our bathroom to take photos and my husband immediately complained. He has been working on an unplanned kitchen renovation in our home and gets super dry hands, apparently this is his new favorite cure.
Hand Cream - I've been carrying this little buddy in my tote daily and I love it. The smell of Neroli reminds me of my childhood. I think my dad had an oil or incense, I can't remember exactly what it was but the smell triggered memories. I had forgotten about it until this cream entered my life and now I am hooked. Provides great none greasy moisture too!
Lip Balm - another one that's been traveling with me everywhere. I'm a bit of a lip balm junkie, glosses are too shiny and I am generally a mess with lipstick (it ends up on my teeth and cups more than my lips). So lip balm is my friend. My favorite thing about this one is that it provides moisture yet is matte, because again I'm not really a shiny fan. Plus it lasts a long time.
Refreshing Organic Foot Balm - rich, buttery balm with a lovely fresh scent (grapefruit, ginger and cypress oils). This would be a great one for pregnant mamas to help soothe those tired dogs, its free of any nasties and the smell is light so its easy on those sensitive senses.
And there you have it. I love that the products all use essential oils instead of fragrance. Not only do they provide better scent, but you also have the added benefits of the oils and you avoid the toxins in synthetic fragrance. My favorite products from the group I tried are; the lip balm, foot balm and the hand cream. Although I did enjoy everything, these three have been getting the most use.
Check them out at www.erbaviva.com follow along @erbaviva.
