Routine De-Odor-Cream Review

~ Michele Raiyne ~ 3 Comments

Routine is a small Canadian company specializing in all natural deodorant with a number of formulas (baking soda, reduced baking soda, baking soda free, vegan) and many different scents, so there is a routine for everyone.

After using conventional antiperspirant and making the switch to an all natural deodorant, the Akita roll-on, I was looking for something where the scent would last longer. I’ve never had skin sensitivity, so ordered from Routine’s baking soda line, Like a Boss and Sweet Jane. These also contain clay and beeswax.

Like a Boss ingredients: cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), zea mays (corn, non-gmo) starch, kaolinite (kaolin clay), cera alba (canadian ethical beeswax), theobroma cacao (cocoa) seed butter, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), calendula officinalis (marigold) infused olea europaea (olive) oil, tocopherol (vitamin e), citrus aurantium bergamia (bergamot) fruit oil, lavandula officinalis (lavender) oil, pelargonium roseum asperum (rose geranium) oil, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf oil, citrus reticulata (mandarin) oil, citrus sinensis (sweet orange) oil, mentha viridian (spearmint) leaf oil.

Sweet Jane

Sweet Jane ingredients: cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), zea mays (corn, non-gmo) starch, kaolinite (kaolin clay), cera alba (canadian ethical beeswax), butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), calendula officinalis (marigold) infused olea europaea (olive) oil, tocopherol (vitamin e), theobroma cacao (cocoa) seed butter, flavor (organic vanilla, pear), vanilla planifolia oil, citrus medica limonum (lemon) peel oil, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract.

Like a Boss is a unisex, stronger smelling deodorant that I bought for use at the gym. I was worried it might smell too masculine, but I found it just fine for me, smelling like geraniums with an undercurrent of rosemary. Sweet Jane smells like brown sugar and vanilla cupcakes. Both of these contain kaolin clay that helps absorb a bit of sweat, and beeswax. They are both quite solid, with a bit of powdery grittiness from the baking soda.

After about a month of using the baking soda formula, my underarms turned very dark with what looked like thickened skin. I was surprised, as I had no redness or itchiness; symptoms that might be linked to sensitivity. I emailed the company asking if this might be due to the baking soda, which they confirmed it might be, and kindly sent me a sample of the reduced baking soda line, Superstar, and the baking soda free, The Curator.

Superstar is made with charcoal, prebiotics and reduced baking soda. The scent comes from the tonka bean, and smells like vanilla and a bit spicy, kind of like cinnamon. This is my favorite scent of the deodorants I’ve tried thus far. Superstar has a creamy, smooth texture that is dark grey in color, but doesn’t turn the underarms grey.

Superstar ingredients: cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, magnesium hydroxide (dietary magnesium), kaolinite (kaolin clay), zea mays (corn, non-gmo) starch, maranta arundinacea (arrowroot powder), cera alba (canadian ethical beeswax), sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), theobroma cacao (cocoa) seed butter, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), calendula officinalis (marigold) infused olea europaea (olive) oil, tocopherol (vitamin e), activated charcoal, inulin alpha-glucan oligosaccharide (prebiotic), cetearyl olivate (and) sorbitan olivate (natural olive based stabilizer), brassica glycerides (natural cruciferous vegetable emulsifier), pogostemon cablin (patchouli) oil, vanilla planifolia, elettaria cardamomum (cardamom), vetiveria zizanioides (vetiver) root oil, dipteryx odorata (tonka bean), roseum asperum (rose geranium) oil, salvia sclarea (clary sage) oil, melaleuca ericifolia rosalina) oil, piper nigrum (black pepper) oil, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract.

I just want to point out that topical activated charcoal doesn’t detoxify skin.

The Curator is baking soda free (the baking soda is replaced with magnesium) and smells like marigolds and eucalyptus. This is a good deodorant to use while at the gym. It feels more smooth going on than the bit of grittiness in the baking soda formulas.

the curator
The Curator

The Curator ingredients: cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, magnesium hydroxide (dietary magnesium), kaolinite (kaolin clay), zea mays (corn, non-gmo) starch, maranta arundinacea (arrowroot powder), cera alba (canadian ethical beeswax), theobroma cacao (cocoa) seed butter, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), calendula officinalis (marigold) infused olea europaea (olive) oil, tocopherol (vitamin e), cetearyl olivate (and) sorbitan olivate (natural olive based stabilizer), brassica glycerides (natural cruciferous vegetable emulsifier), eucalyptus globulus leaf (eucalyptus) oil, aurantium bergamia (bergamot) fruit oil, pogostemon cablin (patchouli) oil, pelargonium roseum asperum (rose geranium) oil, tsuga canadensis leaf (black spruce) oil, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract.

I also ordered a couple samples to try, A Girl Named Sue (reduced baking soda) and Blackberry Betty (baking soda free). A Girl Named Sue smells like raspberries and sage and Blackberry Betty smells like blackberries.

I use a pea-sized amount rubbed onto the underarms. As for residue, I find that this de-odor-cream will leave white marks on clothes unless it is left on for a minute to be warmed up by the underarms and rubbed in a bit more.

For each deodorant I tried, I used one application in a number of different scenarios; at the office, at the gym, out hiking in 30ºC full sun weather, to get a sense of how well each deodorant worked. The scent of the deodorants lasted 10 to 12 hours in an office setting. I applied before the gym and a hike and the scent lasted through those, with fade of the lighter scented ones, A Girl Named Sue, Superstar and Blackberry Betty. Even though these scents faded, my underarms didn’t smell like sweat at the end of the day. While the clay in the deodorants absorbed a bit of wetness, this isn’t an antiperspirant, so I still felt some moisture. I found as well that if, for example, I woke up sweaty and stinky, once I put the Routine deodorant on, the sweat smell was gone; not just covered up (as I’ve found to be the case with conventional antiperspirants). I applied before going to bed, hoping it would mitigate the sweaty smell when I woke up; it did not.

My favorite combination I’m using now is a half pea size of The Curator and a half pea size of a Girl Named Sue. It’s a great combination that provides a more feminine scent without the fade of a lighter scented deodorant for days when I need a bit more sweat smell protection, like at the gym.

I’ve already made a repurchase of Routine cream and will continue to do so.

Thank you for reading.

Akita Natural Hand Cream Review

~ Michele Raiyne ~ 4 Comments

Akita is a skincare company founded in Turkey specializing in rose water and rose oil skincare. They have four different product lines; rose, lavender, cacao and unscented and use natural plant-based ingredients. I bought a number of Akita’s rosewater products, one of them being the hand cream from the rose line. I get very dry hands no matter the season and in the colder months will get very dry, peeling skin.

Ingredients: Water, Apricot Seed Oil, Glycerin, Beeswax, Cetyl Stearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Mono Stearate, Olive oil, Ceteareth-20, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Aloe Vera Barbendensis, Rose Essential Oil, Hazelnut Oil, Centaury Oil, Sesame Oil, Chamomilla Extract, Sweet Almond Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Grapefruit Seed Extract.

These ingredients are all natural and this product claims to soften skin and protect the skin’s natural moisture balance while accelerating healing. Along with a number of oils, this product contains beeswax. Beeswax provides a protective barrier and can act as a humectant (attracts water). Centaury oil comes from the yellow centaury flower and is used primarily in the treatment of burns and wounds.

I got the rose hand cream in the hopes that it would sooth my dry hands and prevent further peeling and soreness in the winter months. I use this primarily twice a day, in the morning and evening. This is a very strong-smelling product; not unpleasant, but a very strong rose smell that lingers for a couple hours. The cream is very thick, so a little goes a long way. It absorbs nicely and almost immediately without feeling greasy, but leaves a bit of a protective layer that is not heavy feeling. This protective feeling lasts even through a couple hand washes. For me, there was immediate relief of dryness and pain that very dry hands can cause. The cream is very smoothing and indeed prevented new peeling skin and dry spots on my hands. I didn’t find much difference in the signs of aging my hands; the bit of wrinkling and thinner skin around the knuckles, but I didn’t really expect to. This hand cream would be a good preventative for some of the signs of aging, however. I really like the Akita hand cream and will definitely repurchase.

Update: April 29, 2020 – After a recent purchase of this hand cream, something changed in the formula. The texture feels the same, however, this is nowhere near as hydrating and leaves an odd dry feel on the hands as it is rubbed in. I will no longer be purchasing.

I also tried the hand cream in cocoa and the texture is much different, not as rich or buttery, and was not very hydrating.

Thank you for visiting.

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).

Colorescience Sunforgettable Sunscreen Review

~ Michele Raiyne ~ 3 Comments

Before getting a skin consultation in my early 30s and really starting to look at what my skin needed, I never wore sunscreen. I don’t burn easily, so figured I didn’t need it. Clearly, I was very wrong; everyone needs to wear sunscreen and I have hyperpigmentation and aging caused by the sun (I just thought they were normal freckles). So of course I needed to buy sunscreen, but didn’t want just makeup or powder with SPF and I didn’t want a cream or lotion as they feel heavy on my skin and are difficult to reapply especially with makeup on. The Sunforgettable SPF 50 loose mineral sunscreen from Colorescience with the brush is the first facial sunscreen I bought (they updated their packaging in February 2017 so looks different from my photo, but still uses the same ingredients). I use the SPF 50 brush-on in the medium shade.

Ingredients for Medium shade (SPF 50)
Active Ingredients:
Titanium Dioxide 23.9%; Zinc Oxide 24.1%

Inactive Ingredients:
Mica, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Lithothamnion Calcareum Extract, Mannitol, Methicone, Dimethicone, Calcium Silicate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Sodium Sulfate, Laureth-4, Diatomaceous Earth, Zinc Sulfate, Chromium Oxide Greens (CI 77288), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499)

This is a lightweight powder mineral sunscreen using titanium dioxide and zinc oxide that sits on top the skin to reflect/deflect the sun’s rays to offer UVA and UVB protection. These are called physical sunscreens or physical blockers. Mica is a fine powder used for coloring in cosmetics. Dimethicone/vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer, methicone and dimethicone are silicones. Methicone creates a barrier that prevents sweat and oil from shining through. Dimethicone forms a hydrating barrier on the skin. I’m only assuming these work similarly in powder form as with this sunscreen. Calcium silicate is used as an absorbent or a bulking ingredient and is opacifying. Triethoxycaprylylsilane can work as a binder and emulsifier and has silicone components that allow pigments to disperse well. Sodium sulfate is an inorganic salt. It’s used to increase the thickness of the water portion of a product, so not too sure how this translates to a powder product. Laureth-4 is used as a cleansing agent and/or enhances texture. Diatomaceous earth is fossilized remains of tiny water organisms called diatoms. Their skeletons are made of silica that collect in the sediment of rivers and lakes. Zinc sulfate helps inhibit growth of bacteria. Chromium oxide greens and iron oxides are used as pigments.

To apply, I tap the brush on my hand to get the product in the brush, and then apply to the face and neck in small circles. As with any sunscreen, directions say to reapply every 2 hours. It didn’t look like makeup when it was applied; I couldn’t really even tell it was on unless I looked at a mirror up close. It was easy to reapply through the day and over makeup (the makeup look wasn’t affected by the sunscreen). When I first used this product a few years ago it was summer and I was using Retin-A at night, so it was very important to apply sunscreen as Retin-A makes skin more sensitive to the sun. The Sunforgettable brush-on mineral sunscreen worked well. My skin didn’t burn or get more hyperpigmentation.

I’ve been using this sunscreen for a few years now and at my last purchase had asked for a refill, only to be told that the company discontinued the refills as customers found that over time the brush would become clogged with product and the minerals wouldn’t dispense easily. That was my complaint as well. Despite cleaning the brush as instructed (spraying cleaner on a paper towel and swiping the outside of the brush on it) it seemed inevitable that product would get stuck in the brush and the inner brush bristles would become tangled in each other with the bristles feeling scratchy on the skin. I’ve used about half my current jar and the brush is already becoming clogged as there is product that is not removed from the middle of the brush. The brush itself is soft on the skin (when new) and doesn’t lose any fibers. I’ve always been reluctant to wash this brush like I might a makeup brush, as I am worried that water will seep up the brush and get the product wet.

I was hoping to buy this sunscreen with a different delivery system such as a pressed powder (which would be just as convenient and I could have a bit more control over how much is used). I thought they used to have a pressed powder sunscreen on their website, but haven’t been able to find it again. I find it a bit difficult to tell how much product I’m applying with the brush-on, so probably use too much or too little at times. Colorescience says a jar should last 3 months when used as instructed, but I still find this a bit expensive. However, it seems to works and is probably the most convenient sunscreen.

Update (June 16, 2019) – I recently saw a photo of different sunscreen types under UV light showing that sunscreen powder applies rather patchy and it is hard to build up, so decided to try lotion sunscreen again. I still like to use mineral powder sunscreen for touch-ups throughout the day over makeup.

Thank you for reading.