Month: September 2017

B True Beauty Eyelash Enhancer Review

~ Michele Raiyne ~ 2 Comments

B True Beauty is a company that uses 100% all natural and certified organic ingredients and uses packaging that is recyclable, natural and biodegradable. The Eyelash Enhancer uses 100% organic ingredients and claims to enhance and accelerate the length of the eyelashes where you can start seeing results in as little as 7 days. In addition, this product is formulated to condition, thicken and fortify the eyelashes. It can be used on eyebrows as well.

The product comes in a tube with a mascara-like wand that you brush onto clean eyelashes like you would mascara; to be used in the evening. It can be used for people with sensitive eyes and those who wear contact lenses. The tube should last 6 months.

Ingredients: Certified Organic Castor Oil, Certified Organic Argan Oil, Certified Organic Aloe Vera Oil, Certified Organic Rosehip Seed Oil, Apricot Kernel Oil, Certified Organic Vitamin E Oil, Certified Organic Lavender Oil, Certified Organic Lemon Oil.

The first ingredient is castor oil which has been touted as a go-to natural hair growth ingredient with anecdotal positive results. I couldn’t find any actual scientific articles, however. It seems it might contribute to scalp health which in turn can lead to healthier looking hair. Then there are other plant oils – argan, aloe vera, rosehip seed, apricot kernel and vitamin E. These oils provide omega fatty acids, moisture, conditioning and nourishment to hair and skin. The last two ingredients are lavender and lemon essential oils. I’ve read that these essential oils contribute to scalp health and therefore hair growth. This might translate in a similar way to health of the eyelids at the root of the eyelash.

I have short, thin eyelashes and B True Beauty Eyelash Enhancer is the first lash lengthening product I’ve tried. It is a thin, pale yellow oil. The smell is a bit like pine needles; it smells like it would be irritating to the eye (I didn’t find this to be the case, however). Small beads of oil stick to the eyelashes and get on the eyelids as well. I used this product for 4 to 5 months. I didn’t see any lengthening or thickening of my eyelashes, but I was surprised to see they looked healthier, more moisturized and smoother. Mascara seemed to apply better and my eyelashes looked nicer in mascara than previous. It didn’t occur to me until trying this product that like hair, eyelashes and eyebrows need to be nurtured and moisturized especially with the stress of eyebrows being waxed and tweezed and eyelashes being coated with mascara.

While this didn’t lengthen or thicken the eyelashes, it did make my eyelashes look healthier and more moisturized. I’ve just started using marula oil (from The Ordinary) on my hair and feel like I might get similar results using it on my eyelashes as well (at a fraction of the cost).

I’ve since bought Lash and Brow Booster Serum, a new product in the medical skincare line, BioBliss, from Prairie Bliss Botanicals. I’ll be using this on my eyebrows and eyelashes, so keep an eye out for that review in a few months’ time.

Boo Bamboo Natural Sunscreen Spray Review

~ Michele Raiyne ~ Leave a comment

I’ve been looking for a natural spray sunscreen and found Canadian company Boo Bamboo’s Natural Sunscreen Spray in SPF 30. This is a broad spectrum UVA/UVB sun protection that uses zinc oxide. Boo Bamboo says this product is non-nano, non-whitening, unscented and vegan.

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Medicinal Ingredient: Zinc Oxide 16.5%

Non-Medicinal Ingredients: Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Aqua/Water/Eau, Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Powder, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Caprylic-Capric Triglyceride, Dilauryl Citrate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Gluconolactone, Glycerol, Hydrogenated Methyl Abietate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Lauryl Glucoside, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Methylcellulose, Octyldodecyl Citrate Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate, Populus Tremuloides Bark Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate, Sodium Phytate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sorbitan Laurate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum*

*I bought this sunscreen at Well.ca based on the above ingredients. When checking Boo Bamboo’s website, the ingredients are very different than those on my sunscreen canister and Well.ca, and state the product contains zinc oxide 9.5%, octocrylene 6% and octisalate 4% as the active ingredients and uses a few different inactive ingredients as well. About a month ago I emailed Boo Bamboo asking why the different ingredient lists and which list is correct, and have yet to receive a response.

The sunscreen I have is 30 SPF and uses 16.5% zinc oxide that sits on the skin to reflect the sun’s rays. These types of sunscreens are called physical sunscreens, as opposed to chemical sunscreens that absorb the sun’s rays.

To go over some of the more unfamiliar ingredients – Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Powder (bamboo) is rich in minerals and protein and is used as a moisturizer and can restore elasticity to the skin. Hydrogenated methyl abietate increases viscosity. Ethylhexylglycerin is a surfactant and preservative enhancer, used as an alternative to parabens. This sunscreen has radish root ferment and phenoxyethanol as preservatives.

The packaging offers a continuous spray that is thicker than that of the chemical sunscreens, so sticks a bit to the spray nozzle after use. It’s unscented, so has its natural scent which is kind of like a plastic-y plant maybe. It’s not a wonderful smell, but once rubbed into the skin (which only a takes a few seconds), doesn’t seem to linger too long. Also once rubbed in, it has a heavier feeling on the skin to the touch, but has no white residue.

I spent a lot of time outside this summer in 29ºC and 30ºC full sun weather, and the Boo Bamboo Natural Sunscreen Spray works. At the beach my kids and I used this sunscreen whereas my husband did not, and he was the only one that got reddened skin. I got a bit of a tan on my chest area, but also didn’t reapply the sunscreen every 2 hours as directed.

I will definitely purchase Boo Bamboo’s Natural Sunscreen Spray again (and hope that the company gets back to me regarding the ingredients).