.:: CybeleSays ::.

I’m on a roll with these foaming hand soaps lately! This is the second one I’ve found that works well and is not full of nasty chemicals. It’s from the KISS MY FACE line, which on the whole I’ve never been a big fan of but this single product has my attention and now I want to know what else they are putting out now. They call it Peace Soap and the ingredients are really straight forward: Water, Coconut Oil, Organic Olive Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Xanthan Gum, Natural Fragrance Blend.

And these also do good. Not only are the bottles the soap is packaged in made of 50% post consumer recycled materials but 10% of the proceeds benefit Seeds of Peace. So, what does your hand soap stand for??

Available in 4 scents and shown here in Pomagranate Acai. Yum!

$7.99/8oz @ kissmyface.com.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

I’ve discovered a great new line! VERMONT SOAP ORGANICS hails from you guessed it and is based on the Vermont way of life. The line started with the creation of a bar of soap in 1992 and has morphed into products for bath, foot fungus, baby and even a horse shampoo. The one I tried was their Foaming Hand Soap in Lemongrass Zen. It’s the first USDA approved, certified organic soap former and it doesn’t disappoint. Just look at these ingredients: Saponified organic coconut, olive and jojoba oils, vegetable glycerin, lemongrass essential oil blend, organic aloe vera and rosemary extract. That’s it!

So how does it work? I’d put it up against any other foam soap I’ve ever tried! So how do they keep it so pure? Their foaming mechanism on the top is able to aerate their organic castile soap to make the froth and the lemony scent is pure essential oils. So did you see the price? $7.78/7oz @ vermontsoap.com. Another example proving that healthy beauty products don’t have to be expensive.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

Let’s talk hands as in getting them in shape. I mean, do you ever specifically do a treatment on your hands? And if you do, how often? Apply sunscreen on the backs of your palms? I admit that I neglect the hands a lot of the time but these new ones from CRABTREE AND EVELYN will remind me. They just put out a Hand Therapy Collection in Citron Honey & Coriander that helps keep hands buff and looking presentable. Each are free of parabens, lauryl sulfates, and mineral oils and instead contain hydrating botanicals and anti-oxidants. And the Citron Honey & Coriander scent is really enjoyable. I love great smelling products!

Choose from the following:

• Hand Therapy ($15/3.5oz, $8/1.8oz)
• Scrub Cleanser ($15/8.5oz)
• Creamy Cleanser ($15/8.8oz)
• Hand Recovery ($20/3.5oz)
• Rejuvenating Hand Remedy ($24/3.4oz)

I’ve been contemplating an on-going feature for the past few weeks called, “Scents that Rock,” and I don’t mean perfumes. These Hand Soaps from BATH & BODY WORKS’ new American Grown Collection would for sure be the first feature. They smell so amazing! I think I wash my hands just so I can get a whiff. And they are in a huge squoval 16oz container and a little squirt gives a lot of later so just one will last you a while.  Scent picks: Napa Grape (ripe grapes), Montana Sky (fresh air) and Washington Apple (red delicious). Also comes in Siesta Key Lemon and Savannah Mint.

And though we don’t post sales here, I just have to tell you that on their site right now, they have a buy-one-get-one-free sale going on so get over to bathandbodyworks.com to get yours. And each scent also comes in a huge 24oz Shower Gel for $12.50. To me, this is a bargain so I’m also filing this under Budget Beauty.

So what do you think of an on-going feature that focuses on great smelling bath and body products? I figured the title Scents that Rock would be fitting. Let me know in the comments if you are as into great smelling body products as I am and what your favorites are.

There’s nothing like some great smelling products. And the ones in the fruit category are my favorite. The FRUiTS AND PASSION line just put out three new Eco-friendly collections. What makes them eco? Each uses biodegradable formulas, 86% to 95% natural and plant-derived ingredients, recyclable and/or reusable packaging, and there is no animal testing or animal-source ingredients. Choose from mango with the Mango Evasion group, peach with the Peach Obsession collection of products and our pick, the yummy pomme or Apple Illusion collection.

Imagine Foaming Bath ($22/16.9oz)
Imagine Hand Soap ($16.50/16.9oz)
Imagine Hand Cream ($16/10.1oz)
Imagine Shower Gel ($12/6.7oz)
Imagine Quenching Butter ($22/8.4oz)
Imagine Apple Illusion Eau de Toilette ($34/1.6oz)

Not sure you want to make the commitment? Try their Apple Illusion Body Care Ritual for $9.95. It comes with a 1.3oz Shower Gel, 1.3oz Body Cream, .07oz Eau de Toilette all tucked inside a reusable pouch. These just smell so good, so we're making this a Best of Spring Beauty pick. Get 'em all @ fruits-passion.com.

I have a friend who loves all things rose smelling so when I get a rose beauty product, I automatically put it aside for her. Her latest present was this new Hand Wash in Rose from SPACE NK. They just released a new collection of Hand Washes and Hand Lotions and they are both made with organic essential oils and some of the purest ingredients like vegetal glycerin, silk proteins, coconut and rice. Rice? Hmmmm, not sure how rice plays into either of these. On the front of the packaging is a cute outline of the different lines on your hand – heart, head, life, fate, etc.

And these two lines are the official roll out of The NK Code. This is the founder of Space NK, Nicky Kinnaird’s, commitment to using the best ingredients inside products marked with this stamp. More to come soon! $28/10oz @ spacenk.com.

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Ok, you find yourself in a unique gifting situation (it happens). You don’t know what their favorite color is; if they are sober so it’s good to stay neutral in this kind of situation. One occasion coming up besides Christmas is New Years. What do you get the host of the party? Instead of regifting the bottle of wine that you got, opt for something citrus-y. I mean, who doesn’t like citrus? While I have not conducted a formal study, I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone say they don’t like it so here are a few suggestions for host gifts.

REN’s Hand Duo ($50/10.2oz each @ bluemercury.com) - Citrus Limonum Hand Wash (10.2oz), Citrus Limonum Prebiotic Hand Cream (10.2oz) 

ORIGINS Blue Skies Ahead ($35 @ origins.com) – Gloomaway Grapefruit Body Souffle (4oz), Gloomaway Grapefruit Body Wash and Bubble Bath (3.4oz) and Gloomaway Grapefruit Body-Buffing Cleanser (3.4oz)

There are quite a few reasons I am feeling APOTHiA's new Hand & Body Wash ($28/10oz @ apothia.com).

• They are sulfate and paraben free
• Life-friendly ingredients like apricot kernal oil, vitamin E and coconut oil
• Super sleek packaging with a no-slip gripper around the middle
• This Scene scent (fig, juniper berry, and pear nectar) is so enjoyable. I'm putting a vote in for making this one into a fragrance!

We’ve all heard of and used hand sanitizers in the gel and foam form. How about a hand sanitizer lotion?? PUREWORKS Antibacterial Lotion ($22/8oz, $12/4oz) is a first of its kind in a few different ways. Besides being in the form of a creamy lotion, it’s also FDA compliant as a First-aid antiseptic. I don’t recall hearing any other company in this category touting that fact.
Did you know that a lot of the popular brands are made up of mostly are mainly Ethyl Alcohol? Ones that contain alcohol supposedly work better than non-alcohol ones but Pureworks’ alcohol-free products claim to work just as good. Just short of doing a skin swab, how would one test this fact? Since I don’t own a chemistry lab, I used this one when I need to moisturize my hands anyways so I take their word for it. Their site has some interesting facts to back up their claims so read more @ handefend.com

As we get deeper into beauty as a whole, we are exposed to alternate ways of living and being, and part of that is grooming and beauty. One company that has recently cropped up on our radar is GREEN BY NATURE. Each of their products are 100% paraben free (preservative), 100% sulfate free  (lathering agent), 100% DEA free (additive that supposedly causes cancer), and 100% not tested on animals. Phew, that’s a mouth full! Now, if were to look at my kitchen sink, you’d see all the different liquid soaps I keep on the right side of the sink. One that has been added to the group is their Tea Hand Wash ($8.99/7.4oz @ greenbynaturebeauty.com). It contains natural lemon oil and other gentle ingredients that clean without stripping them dry. There are seven different scents available and my pick is the Mint Green.