ecoTools are Cool Tools!

August 24, 2014 by Heather Heyer 2 Comments

Samples provided.

More and more these days I find myself searching for and purchasing eco-responsible products. As more and more products become available and the ability to easily find more products that fit my budget adds thrill to the hunt, I was introduced to ecoTools and am excited to share what I found with MomStart readers!

What a find! Pure Complexion Facial Sponge with Konjac is truly something special. What is Konjac you ask?? Well, it is a perennial root plant mostly comprised of starch. Much like a potato it is used in foods in Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia. How is it also a sponge that I can use again and again, was your next question, right? Mine too! Let me introduce you to this product and you too will be swept away with its soft and gentle clean just as I was.

Eco responsible from start to finish, my ecoTools Pure Complexion Facial Sponges came in appropriate packaging. All of their packaging is made from post-consumer recycled paper and is 100% recyclable! I tried both the regular and sensitive skin Pure Complexion Facial Sponges so I got double the fun! When I pulled my sponges out, I was a bit confused with what felt like a Cheeto or a starch packing peanut. But add a bit of water and see a whole new sponge. I should say, feel a whole new sponge. I was expecting it to feel scratchy like a loofah sponge but nope, 100% natural ingredients, fragrance free, gentle – a better clean feeling. It is that simple, it is that good. ecoTools recommends that you replace your sponge every three months which is reasonable for great skin care and is certainly affordable and available online for $5.99.

ecoTools Pure Complexion Facial Sponge is a hit! Would I recommend it? Absolutely!! For any age and any skin type, including sensitive skin. In fact, this little sponge has me so excited that I am ready for more. So bring it on ecoTools! I’m ready for you!!

For more information on ecoTools and their Living Beautifully project go to ecoTools.com.

Zits and Wrinkles It’s More Common Than you Think! Better Get Some Bioré®

January 10, 2014 by Alyson Leave a Comment

by Alyson LaBarge

MomStart Contributor

I was blessed with fantastic skin as a teenager. I had minimal trouble with acne or other blemishes so I spent very little time perfecting a skincare routine. Then I turned 30.

Yes, you guessed it – Zits and Wrinkles, at the same time. I developed a super oily T-zone, tons of blackheads and blemishes galore . Yes, Mother Nature has a wicked sense of humor. I needed to develop a first class skincare routine and fast. After much trial and error, plus a decrease in my sugar intake/increase in my water intake plus straightening out my hormones, I began to see positive results. The oily areas decreased, the blemishes became few and far between and blackheads were a thing of the past.

Unfortunately, the blackheads left a bumper crop of large pores in their wake. One of the products I had tried and had some success with along the way was Bioré^®, specifically their Deep Cleansing Pore Strips as well as their Pore Unclogging Scrub. When I had the chance to try some of their other products, I eagerly anticipated some modicum of success. I tried their Steam Activated Cleanser and 4-in-1 Detoxifying Cleanser.

I added the Steam Activated Cleanser to my daily shower routine each morning. It featured Biore’s exclusive SteamActiv™ beads. This exclusive formula, combined with the shower’s pore-opening shower steam, not only dissolved whatever gunk my pores had trapped in them but also washed away any remaining traces of makeup, oil or bacteria. The Steam Activated Cleanser is

Dermatologist Tested
Hypo-Allergenic
Non-Comedogenic (won’t clog pores)

It did a fantastic job cleaning out my pores, leaving my face feeling refreshed instead of over dry and tight as some other products had done. It also allowed the other products I used to reduce the size of my pores, leaving me with a smoother, clearer complexion. The only negative was the new packaging – the tube was difficult to open, especially with wet hands.

The 4-in-1 Detoxifying Cleanser was the next product I tried. I used it in place of my usual daily face wash, even when I was traveling. Oil free, this light and airy foam removed all toxins, leaving my skin feeling smooth, toned and refreshed. Packaged in a easy to use pump, I loved having to worry about the product accidentally being released in my luggage and leaving me with a huge mess and I only needed one product instead of four.

Both of these Bioré® products are now part of my regular cleansing routine as I work to banish my blemishes and wrangle my wrinkles. The 5 ounce Steam Activated Cleanser and the 6.7 ounce 4-in-1 Detoxifying Cleanser are available at Amazon.com, Walmart, Target and drug stores near you.

About Alyson

Alyson is a Stay-at-Home Mom blogger and an Aspiring Author of Contemporary Cowboy/Country Romances. She lives in Texas with her family of three crazy, amazing girls and her Prince Charming. She loves all things Disney, reading, writing, travel, cowboys and horses. You can read about her daily ups, down and craziness at Not My Circus, Not My Monkeys or her reading and writing at Liberty Ann’s SnifferWalk Books.

Manuka Doctor Skincare: Purified Bee Venom Skincare

August 16, 2013 by Beeb 3 Comments

Manuka Doctor Skincare

Product samples were provided for this article.

I’m always on the search for newer and better skin care products, and I’ve tried all kinds of unique things in my quest to find a good anti-aging product. When I was recently introduced to Manuka Doctor Skincare, the first thing that jumped out to me was the fact that they use purified bee venom in their products. Bee venom? Well, that’s a new one on me! Apparently, this has been called “Nature’s answer to Botox” – I’m always a skeptic, but hey, bee venom certainly wouldn’t be worse than injecting a neurotoxin. We do the craziest things for beauty, don’t we?!

I received samples of both the Manuka Doctor ApiNourish Rejuvenating Skin Cream and the ApiNourish Rejuvenating Face Mask. These products blend purified bee venom with ingredients like Manuka honey, and tout the bee venom as an anti-aging product. Apparently, bee venom is the new trendy skin treatment with celebrities and royalty – Manuka Doctor have a quote on their website from Dr. Sunil Chopra stating that there is convincing laboratory data to back this up, which sounds awesome; unfortunately I couldn’t find any sources for these lab findings, which I think would be a great thing for them to publish and link to. Like I said, I’m a skeptic, so although I’m willing to try almost any cosmetic product, I’m not easily convinced; I like to review medical publications and see what data has been assembled for myself. I am intrigued by the concept, so I’d love to read up more about what’s been studied.

So, how have the products been working? I’ve been using them for about a week so far – during my first day using the skin cream, I did a patch test as advised to make sure I didn’t have a reaction to the product. Obviously, you’re not supposed to use this if you have a bee allergy! I’ve never been stung by a bee in my life, so I thought, “This would be an interesting way to find out if I do have an allergy…” Fortunately, I had no issues with this whatsoever.

The Rejuvenating Skin Cream is a thin lotion that I apply to my face in the morning. It’s not meant for use around the eyes, so you’ll want to combine this with an eye cream during the day if you’re as much of a moisturizing nut as I am. The cream does have a definite tingle to it, but has overall been just fine for daily wear. I’ve also tried the Face Mask twice so far – it has a nice, creamy consistency, and since you’re meant to put on a thin layer, it really looks more like a moisturizer that absorbs into the skin rather than your traditional mud mask! Apparently, you can even use is as a deep moisturizing treatment if you want, but that sounds way too intense for me. The mask stays on for 30 minutes, and I do find that it stings a little, but not enough to make me take it off.

I have super sensitive skin – crazy sensitive, really! – so I was aware that this line of ingredients might be too much for me. I did notice that after using both the Face Mask last night and the Skin Cream this morning, my face feels a little tender, so I think I’ll reserve the Face Mask as a more sporadic treatment and possibly use the Skin Cream every other day. It’s only been a week, so it’s not like the clock has been turned back on my face, but I’m open to trying these for a while and seeing if there are any benefits long-term. I think if I don’t overdo it, these won’t be too harsh, although my skin will sometimes have a reaction to a product that I’ve used for months without issue, so I’m always aware that my crazy skin can complicate which products I use!

For more information on this and other bee venom products, check out Manuka Doctor.com.

What do you think about purified bee venom as a skincare treatment, readers?

Mama Mio Shrink To Fit Hip & Thigh Cream

February 9, 2013 by Momstart Leave a Comment

By Lynn

Another product I got to try out recently, and is still “under the test” is called: “Shrink to Fit” Hip & Thigh cream. Now I know most ladies have issues with cellulite. This product is said to combat that with a short list of ingredients, and it explains on the package insert why each ingredient is used. It’s straight forward enough to use, one full pump per leg/butt cheek. But (ahem) you need to do this once a day every day for 30 days – and really RUB it in! Also to note the product has a slight lemony fragrance to it, which is pleasant and fades quickly. I’ve only had this product for a week and have been good at using it daily so far! I’ll have to update the site at the end of the 30 days with my progress report. I won’t show pictures but I have taken a “before” photo, and will take an “after” so that I can compare. One thing I was impressed with was that www.mamamio.com is a company run by 4 ladies who are interested in having products that are SAFE to use, as it started out as a company creating skincare products for pregnant women. And they encourage feedback, which I am certainly to provide! There is a whole range of products designed for women and all our skin issues.

About Mama Mio:

Now you may be thinking of Mama Mio as skincare that specialises in helping you through pregnancy. And that is definitely where we started – both in terms of our own needs and our original product range. But just as we have moved on in our own personal life-journeys and our own skincare needs, so has Mama Mio. The great thing is that those early days have given us huge experience in creating products that are SAFE, whilst being extremely effective in giving you strong, elastic, healthy, well-toned, FIT skin. Knowing how to help skin cope with a 40 inch stretch in 40 weeks is invaluable when working on formulations for anti-aging, cellulite, crepeyness or just dry skin!

We are probably the most selfish brand you will ever meet. We create products for ourselves; to solve the skincare issues WE want to overcome, using the very, very best ingredients at the highest potency to ensure that every product really works. And because our daily beauty rituals should be a pleasure, every Mama Mio product smells and feels fantastic.The way we see it, real beauty is about confidence – if you FEEL great, you will LOOK great.

About Lynn:

I met Lynn in MOMS Club and she has two children. One of which is the same age as my daughter and they love to giggle and play together. Lynn Hooper is also a local Mary Kay Consultant while also being a full time mom. “A lot of what the business stands for is true to my heart. Mary Kay Inc. has a foundation that donates funds to help end domestic violence and also funds research into cancers that affect women. Mary Kay also has what’s called "The Golden Rule" which means God (faith) first, family second and business third. A great principal for me and nice to know I am part of a team that believes in this too.”

Wedding Day Nivea Products

May 19, 2012 by Momstart 145 Comments

They say that May is wedding season and yes I have to agree it’s the beginning of wedding season as the weather gets nicer people are looking to have outdoor weddings. We had our wedding outside in June in Washington and in June you can never be sure to have a sunny wedding but we were lucky enough to have one and this year it looks like May is nice enough for outdoor weddings, very unusual but we’ll take it.

NIVEA has the perfect combination of his/her products for a skin care Bridal Boot Camp to make wedding day skin ready for “I do’s.”

For the Woman:

· New! NIVEA Kiss of Vitamin Swirl Lip – Its hydrating formula is enriched with Acai Berry and Wild Apple extracts, both rich in vitamins and antioxidants, to help maintain healthy looking, kissable lips.

· New! NIVEA Touch of Renewal Lathering Body Scrub –with HYDRA IQ technology, this product delivers a unique balance of exfoliation and a rich cleansing, moisturizing lather.

· New! NIVEA Extended Moisture Lotion – Keep your skin soft with this fast-absorbing lotion featuring HYDRA IQ technology and Provitamin B5. Extended Moisture Lotion provides up to 48 hours of relief to provide long lasting moisture in preparation for the wedding day.

For the Man:

· New! NIVEA for Men 3-in-1 Relax Body Wash – A refreshing yet relaxing shower experience for a groom or groomsman to enjoy before all the excitement. This body wash with massaging micro-particles, a rich lather and relaxing scent, rinses off easily, to leave skin feeling clean, comfortable and healthy.

· New! NIVEA for MEN Maximum Hydration Moisturizer with HYDRA IQ and sea minerals– A technologically-advanced, intensive, moisturizer for Dry to Very Dry skin that provides more than 24 hours of moisture to the skin and leaves skin feeling great.

For more information on Nivea products and fun ways to win great prizes- Including the Million Moments of Touch date night giveaways check out the Nivea Facebook page.

This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to the winner, Stephanie J.

Please see the giveaway rules.

Clarisonic Skin Care Brush in Graphite Grey #Giveaway

June 9, 2009 by MomStart 654 Comments

Clarisonic contacted me and asked me to do a review and giveaway in honor of Father’s Day. I wanted to make sure that I did a great job reviewing it so I didn’t get the giveaway up in time for the Father’s Day Event. I got the female one, although, I think it would be fine for a man or a woman.

About Clarisonic:

Clarisonic Skin Care recognizes that men are just as discerning about their grooming products as women are. Created by the inventor of the Sonicare toothbrush, the Clarisonic uses sonic technology and works with the skin’s natural elasticity to unclog pores for deeper cleansing without stripping the skin. Using the Clarisonic prior to shaving will open pores and give your man the closest shave of his life. The launch of their men’s Graphite Gray Clarisonic for Father’s Day in 2008 was so successful that they made it a permanent part of the line. Tinseltown A-listers like Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman and Justin Timberlake have also made Clarisonic part of their grooming routine.
CLARISONIC Skin Care System is the first sonic oscillation face brush that deeply cleanses, stimulates and clarifies the skin. Using any nonabrasive facial cleanser, CLARISONIC works to cleanse skin more thoroughly than manual washing. With its easy usage and waterproof design, no additional time is added to the beauty regimen and it can safely be used in the shower.

Scientific studies have measured Clarisonic’s extraordinary results:
· Cleans twice as effectively as manual cleansing and removes six times more makeup than traditional cleansing
· After eight weeks, study participants reported:
Healthier skin, 83%
Fewer blemishes, 70%
Fewer dry patches, 69%
Decreased appearance of pore size, 68%
Softer skin, 94%
· Effective pre-treatment cleansing for in-office dermatology and plastic surgery procedures
· Through deep cleansing, the Clarisonic increases absorption of topical Vitamin C by up to 61% into the epidermis (compared with manual cleansing)
· Allows for deep cleansing of the pores and skin surface, yet is gentle enough for everyday use at home including for those patients with skin conditions such as acne, seborrhea, eczema and psoriasis

This information was taken from the Clarisonic Website. Be sure to do your own research or consult with a doctor before making medical decisions.

My Opinion:

Mine arrived fully charged so I was able to use it right out of the box. It did say in the directions though that you need to charge for 24 hours before using. Both my unit and the unit that I’m giving away have the same rechargeable base. It’s so nice that we don’t have to go through batteries.

The Clarisonic brush has a nice smooth pulse that feels great to me. I actually noticed a difference in my face after using it twice. A friend of mine said she noticed a difference using hers after four weeks. I think I just noticed my face looked brighter (I’m hesitant to say younger but that was my first thought) I’m not making any claims for this company, I’m just giving you my crazy opinion for whatever it’s worth.

I’m terrible about washing my face regularly so having this brush helps me to remember, because I actually enjoy doing it.

Win the Graphite Grey Clarisonic for Dad

(or yourself)

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