For so long the formations of organic and natural products were not meeting the needs of beauty lovers. But, over the last five years, so many small green businesses have been doing an amazing job at crafting non-toxic skin care and makeup products with luxurious textures and great results. SO, green beauty is having an amazing moment.

To be considered “natural,” the formula of beauty products must be free of metallic aluminum, triclosan, talc, mineral oil, parabens, phthalates, sodium lauryl sulfate, silicones, polyethylene and polypropylene (microbeads), petrolatum, formaldehyde, toluene, and chemical sunscreens (such as oxybenzone, avobenzone, and octinoxate), BHT.

I tried many organic and natural beauty products and here is the list of the products I loved in 2018. These products will make your skin glow and make you feel great in your skin.

The Best Moisturizer

I have been using this Josh Rosebrook | Day Cream |. This day cream is a rescue facial cream. Every time I apply It, my skin becomes super nourished, smooth and soft. This day cream that contains organic evening primrose and almond oils that promote soft and healthy looking skin. These oils are also full of antioxidants to fight skin aging signs. This day cream also contains aloe vera to quench thirsty skin. 

One of the added bonus here: this cream doubles as a sunscreen; it is SPF-30 and contains 12% Zinc Oxide (Non Nano, Uncoated, Micronized). We so often forget to apply sunscreen during winter, but we need sunscreen all year round; this day cream make it so easy to have our sunscreen daily. Also, it applies without a white cast. No white cast on my  dark skin tone.

The Best Face Serum

The| Youth Serum| from  Honua Skin Care is just ammmmazzzing!! If you want to keep your glow this winter, you got to use this serum.  I used this serum in many different ways and it works great every time. I applied it when my skin felt tight and irritated and it calmed it. I had flaky patches that disappeared overnight after I applied this serum. I used it my moisturizer; it absorbs so quickly without stickiness which makes it perfect for skin care layering. 

Let's talk ingredients; one of my favorite things to do. Their main ingredients: { Aloalo & 'Awa} Firming, tightening and wrinkle relaxing. {Lau Comfrey } Amazing skin regenerator for youthful skin. {'Ōlena} Anti-inflammatory powerhouse and skin brightener {Noni } Magical skin healer, rich in anti-aging antioxidants,Vitamin C & Selenium to help will cell regeneration. When checking their ingredients list closer, I see that they use grapefruit seed extract (GSE) and Organic Rose a.k.a damask rose. GSE has amazing anti-aging properties. Damask rose has been used for centuries as a tonic to moisturize, hydrate, plump dry and mature skin. I also love that they use hydrosol organic damask rose. I feel like this serum will become one of my skin care staples

The Best Facial Wipes | Facial Cleanser

I love the  Ursa Major Facial Wipes. They have a lovely mint scent. These wipes are vegan, cruelty -free, and biodegradable. These wipes will remove dirt, makeup, or sweat that is on your face without drying it out. 

These wipes comes in individual packages with makes them very practical for trips or to carry around in your purse. These wipes are perfect for on-the-go lifestyle. 

The Best Eye Cream

The Good Beauty Lab Medicine | Starry Eyes| has been a staple of facial care routine. This eye cream is amazing; it is perfect for long night and for dealing with dark under eye circles. It brighten my dark circles and nourish my skin at the same time.

Good Beauty Lab Medicine explains " When we formulated Starry Eyes we wanted a product that would rejuvenate and sustain healthy skin. Knowing that the skin around your eyes is very thin and vulnerable naturally missing essential fat or muscle, we specifically formulated Starry Eyes with a combination of ingredients generous in vitamins A, B, C all essential for  brightening dull discolored, lackluster skin. Butters and oils all designed to nourish and feed the skin and oxygen boosting ingredients to deliver nutrients.".

The Best Mask

Sometimes you try something and you're like "Yes!" That's a love affair. I wanted to share about this beautiful antioxidant face mask |Matcha Tea & Chamomile| from Plant Apothecary for a while. When I have these moments when my skin is sensitive and irritated, my pores are clogged, you name it; this mask works so great. 

​Second, this mask is so soothing and my skin is glowing and so soft after I use it. I found that this mask works with my skin instead of against it. It doesn't stress it or make it uncomfortable. For me, natural or organic products should work with our skin to detoxify and care for it. This mask is not for dry skin; it contains matcha green tea.

 If thinking about switching your antiperspirant can make you sweat a little bit. Thinking about switching to natural deodorants can seem so overwhelming. But, it does have too. You probably heard about the detox phase; don't let this put you off. Transitioning to natural deodorants can be done once you how to deal with the big B.O. For me, it was about finding the best natural deodorant that could kill bacteria and fight body odor and adding few tricks to make the detoxifying phase easier to handle. Here are few tips I learned along the way.

Tip #1: Timing is key! Use cotton tees! Transition to natural deodorants during spring or fall -
The temperatures are cooler and we tend to sweat less. We also tend to wear more breathable clothes. I notice that cotton fabrics are the best to wear during the detox phase. My favorites 100% cotton tees is from Hanes an organic alternative are the Econscious100% Organic Cotton Short Sleeve Tees; they are so breathable!!

Tip #2: Wax/Shave it all! If it is not already done!
 Don't keep any hair. Shave or wax it very other day! I found that having no hair helped so much. It helps to reduce sweating and makes it so much easier to clean your pits! There are many products on the market for waxing. My go-to natural wax is Moom Organic Hair Removal Kit. It is great on sensitive skin and is so easy to clean. All you need is to rinse off with water and it leaves no residue. I works so well; I don't have to go over twice. I also like that the wax comes with 18 washable, reusable fabric strips. I also used razors; It was less painful to shave every other day at first. I used the Preserve Shave 5. These are made with recycled materials and the razors are refillable.

Tip #3: How to tackle the B.O.? Wash Wash Wash!
This is about keeping your underarms clean. Washing you underarms three to five times throughout the day is essential here. I know you are probably thinking this is crazy.

If you are on-the-go and busy, my trick is to use deodorants wipes to keep those pits clean all day. I just love the EO deodorant wipes; they are perfect for on the go. They are practical; they came in individual packs. I will just have three wipes in my back for the day. Each wipe is large enough for both pits. These wipes kill any B.O.!

Body odor is actually due to toxins being released in the sweat. These toxins have been accumulating from years of using antiperspirants. We want your body to release toxins (read all about the sweat glands work here).  I used the Zabana Essentials armpit detox bar to wash away any sweat. This detoxifying soap bar was so useful.

Tip #4: Use a detoxifying mask for your armpits
Yep! It sounds weird, but it worked for me and I still do this to this today.  My B.O. was so bad at first. I researched and tested the bentonite clay armpit detox and it works great for me. It just keeps the stink at bay. Bentonite clay is your friend here! Bentonite clay is also referred healing clay and has been used throughout in other cultures for centuries. It works as well for our armpits. I even drink Yerba Prima Bentonite Detox to detoxify my body. Remember, toxins/impurities are released when we transition to natural deodorants. I noticed that anytime I used this detox armpit mask, the stink was gone for a whole day.  This might also speed up the detox phase during transition. Learn about armpit detox mask and how to do it!

Tip #5: Start now with the right natural deodorant!
Take advantage of these cool temperatures and start now with a great natural deodorants. Read all about my picks for natural deodorants .

So what are your tips for transitioning to natural deodorants? Has there every been a time when you stunk and you couldn’t figure out why? Share your experiences in the comments!

Natural deodorants can be tricky to add to a natural skin care regiment. It can take time to find the right natural deodorant, but don't gave up when transitioning to all-natural deodorants. Read about My 5 top tips on how to switch to natural deodorants.There are great chemical free natural options and the best time to transition to natural deodorants is fall, and spring. The temperatures are cool enough to not sweat too much; it is the perfect time to switch to natural deodorants. Do you know about the armpit detox mask? Learn about armpit detox mask and how to do it here!
Stay away from antiperspirants! One of the functions of the sweat glands is to release toxins our body creates in stressful situations, according to Mayo Clinic. The fluid is released during emotional stress time in our armpits' hair follicles, and is actually odorless. The odor under the armpits comes from bacteria breaking down the fluid that was released. Antiperspirants stop this process. According to WebMD, aluminium-based compound antiperspirants clog the sweat conduits. But, there are many natural deodorants that  do not clog the sweat conduits; they work great, smell great, and we have several options. Here are my favorites:

This deodorant is extra strong; it gives me all day protection. I used the lavender Green Tidings Lavender natural deodorant to fight body odor during my transition phase. It is an aluminium-free natural deodorants that works even in 90s to 100s temperatures to keep your body odor at bay. If you are on the go and do not have time to re-apply your deodorant, this is a perfect option; I love the 1oz size to carry in my purse. I only apply it in the morning and I am good for the day. I had a great experience with this natural aluminium-free deodorant.  They have unscented version. It retails from $8 to $15.
Ingredients: Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, Organic Shea Butter (Unrefined, Fair Trade), Magnesium Oil, Manuhot Esculenta (Tapioca) Starch, Aluminum-Free Baking Soda (sodium bicarbonate), Wildcrafted Candelilla Wax (Euphorbia Cerifera). 100% pure lavender essential oil added in lavender scent version ONLY.

This is a baking-soda free natural deodorant. Several natural deodorants contains baking soda and that can be an irritant if you have sensitive skin. This Meow Meow tweet is a cream deodorant is great for sensitive skin. It is a paste deodorant. Paste deodorants are a bit different, so it takes a little to get used to them. To use:  just take a small amount of the paste on clean dry fingers and apply under the armpits. This paste deodorant still works  great even after a long day, but you need to reapply this deodorant during the day. They also have a deodorant stick now, but I find that it is a little to expensive. The 2.4 oz cream deodorant retails for $18 and the the 1.8 oz stick deodorant also retails for $18.
Ingredients: *arrowroot powder, *shea butter, magnesium hydroxide, *virgin coconut oil, *jojoba oil, *grapefruit, *bergamot, *lemon and *sweet orange essential oils. *organic ingredient

This is another great option for sensitive skin. it is baking soda free, cruelty-free, and vegan option. This is a very clean deodorant; some ingredients are sourced from organic and/or local suppliers and other are made from scratch. The Bare Bones deodorant is also unscented; that is so great is you are sensitive to scent. If you have rashes when you using natural deodorants, this one will work great. I also love the price; the 2oz retails for $8. This deodorant can stain your clothes; It mainly use it when I wear sleeveless clothes. It creaminess and moisturizing effect actually makes this natural deodorant perfect for sensitive deodorant, but it leaves a light oily residue in your armpit. Another option could be the Kaia Natural deodorant; it is a very clean deodorant.

The peppermint and eucalyptus scent of the Ursa Major Hoppin' Fresh Deodorant is just so uplifting and makes me feel so great when I use it. kaolin clay absorbs the sweat and moisture very well during the day. It is all natural and it has that cooling effect that is so refreshing. Swipe and Swipe under your armpits to feel fresh with no irritation. It also last a long time. I would not advice using it if you are in the transition phase to natural deodorants; I noticed that it does not keep body odor away for a very long time. I suggest using the Green Tidings All Natural Deodorant to deal with body odor.
Ingredients: Aloe vera (aloe barbadensis) leaf juice*, propanediol, sodium Stearate, tapioca Starch, silica, microcrystalline cellulose, cellulose gum, shea (butyrosperum parkii) butter (community trade), sodium bicarbonate, kaolin (clay), tocopheryl acetate, glyceryl caprylate, glyceryl undecylenate, glycerin, royal jelly extract, hops (humulus lupulus) extract, lemon (citrus medica limonum) peel extract, ginseng (panax quinquefolium) root extract, calendula officinalis flower extract, matricaria (chamomilla recutita) flower extract, saccharomyces ferment, rosemary (rosmarinus officinalis) leaf oil, peppermint (mentha piperita) oil, grapefruit (citrus grandis) peel oil, eucalyptus (eucalyptus globulus) leaf oil. Ingredients with * denotes that they are organic.

I know this sounds weird, but don't judge!  Why do you need to detox your armpit?
 if you are dealing with B.O in your armpits, keep reading - It started when I was training to organic and natural deodorants; my B.O. was so strong that I started to research how to get rid of the stink. I mean I spent hours and hours researching and experimenting ways to deal with underarm odor. There is no science behind this. But, after testing many natural ways to get rid of the stink, I found that the bentonite clay armpit detox works the best! We use bentonite clay for our face because it gently draws out impurities from the skin. We use this clay for hair mask as well. Why not using it for our underarms to remove the toxins that are released from stressful days.

My results -

• No irritation
• No B.O for at least 16 hours
• Less B.O overtime even without using natural deodorants

I love that it is simple to make if you are on-the -go and you can make it at home. Repeat the detox daily, or as needed, if your transitioning to natural deodorants.

Armpit Detox Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp bentonite clay, nothing fancy here! You could try the Bentonite clay from Redmond.  You will get a lot of uses out of these clay jar.
• 1-2 tsp water
• 1 or 2 Washclothes - cotton clothes are the best!
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar (optional) - I don’t recommend using it if you have sensitive skin. ACV is is mild acid.
• 1 small bowl and mask brush, One of my favorite set is from the Green Heart Lab

DIY Armpit Detox Recipe!

Betonite Clay from Redmond is very gentle, so it should hurt at all. If you feel any irritation, just remove immediately; I am not talking about tightness from the clay drying.

1. In the mask bowl mix the bentonite clay and the water until yogurt like consistency mask. Not too thick.
2. Spread in an even layer over your armpits and let it sit for 5-15 minutes.
3. Wash off the clay in the shower, or with a wet, warm washcloth.
4. Optional - Not for sentitive skin - Swipe your clean armpits with apple cider vinegar using cot balls to neutralize bad bacteria.

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• DIY Coconut Oil Lip Balm

So, have you used clay mask to detox your underarms? what do you think? too weird? Or totally normal? Share your experiences in the comments!