Andalou Naturals Avo Cocoa Skin Food Mask Review

I picked this up when I went to visit Lisa from Serenity on the Humber Spa.  She's absolutely fantastic! We spent countless hours discussing different products and she was trying to clear out inventory, because she had purchased way too much, so most things were 50% off!! I will be doing a post about her and her spa soon.  Having loved the Pumpkin Honey Glycolic Mask, I though I'd love this as well so I picked it up for $12 CAN. 

Description: Fruit Stem Cell Complex, dark cocoa and organic avocado oil, abundant in Vitamin E, superfruit antioxidants, and amino acids, deeply nourishes dry, damaged, and depleted skin, stimulating healthy cell renewal and dermal structure for soft, smooth texture, and a beautiful, nurtured complexion.

The Good:

• smells exactly like friggen chocolate! Can you say nom nom nom? NOM NOM NOM
• a little goes a long way
• hydrating

The Bad:

• too heavy for MY skin
• made my acne more apparent (weird :S)
• burned/tingled, leaving my face red
• leaves a film
• heavy glass jar

Verdict: Blah, such a disappointing product. It's a thick chocolate mousse consistency. It spreads and applies really nicely, requiring only a small amount to be needed for the entire face, but feels like it's burning my skin. I'm not sure what's causing that but I gave this a few tries and it happened each time. I find it difficult to remove and while my skin is hydrated, it feels like there's an oily film left. Luckily, toner removes that annoying residue yet still leaves my skin soft. It comes in a heavy glass container, like their other mask, so I used a wooden "popsicle" stick to take out desired amount. It would have been wonderful if it was in a squeeze tube instead of the jar, easier to travel with and definitely more hygienic.  Perhaps my skin just isn't dry enough for this mask, I will not be repurchasing it.

Retails for approx $15.99 CAN and can be purchased at most health food stores.  Check out Andalou for more info.

Have you tried this rich chocolately mask?

Ingredients: Aloe Barbadensis Juice*, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Powder*†, Vegetable Glycerin, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Butter*, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter*†, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) and Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oils*, Cyamopsis Tetragonolobus (Guar) Gum*, Sclerotium Gum, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugar Cane) Juice*, Fruit Stem Cell and BioActive 8 Berry Complex*, Coffea Arabica (Coffee) Extract*, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Resveratrol, Ubiquinone (CoQ10), Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) and Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Oils*, Lecithin, Phenethyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Camellia Sinensis (White Tea) Extract*†
*Organic
† Fair Trade
Made naturally without GMO’s, gluten, paraben preservatives, petrochemicals, phthalates, sulfates, synthetic colors, dyes and fragrances. Verified Gluten-Free 100% Eco-friendly, Vegetarian & Cruelty-Free

Dry Skin Cure - Weleda Skin Food Review

If there's one thing I hate about Fall/Winter, besides it being cold, is that my skin can get pretty dry.  That means that my normally extra dry bits (knees, elbows, etc) get even worse and it feels like I could exfoliate my whole body with those areas.  Hmm...maybe I should try exfoliating with my elbows...imagine?  It's a little funny! My extra dry bits are no longer extra dry thanks to Weleda's Skin Food.  I won this little gem from a Facebook contest (Noah's Natural Foods) and am so glad that I did. 

Description: Intensely hydrates and cares for the skin. Ultra-moisturizing, pure Lanolin and anti-blemish, organic Pansy nourishes and soothes dry and damaged skin. A precious essential oil blend of lavender, rosemary and sweet orange oil refresh the skin and the senses. Apply this whole body cream to your skin anytime, with special attention to extra dry areas, such as the feet, hands and elbows.

This cream comes in Weleda's usual apothecary type tin which makes it super light and easy to travel with.  The texture is thick and slightly sticky, but a little goes a long way and it leaves skin nicely hydrated and dewy. I would definitely say that it's more of a "spot treatment" type product for me, I'm sure you could use it all over your body though. So far, I have been using Skin Food for 3 weeks on my elbows and knees and have noticed a tremendous difference in the way that they look and feel. I might actually try applying some to the dry patches on my face and report back. It definitely smells like a citrusy, lavender, and rosemary cocktail of some sort.  The smell is a little strong and does linger but it's definitely tolerable.   My mom had purchased a large size of Skin Food last Winter and absolutely loves it.  She still has the tube which is a clear indication of how long it lasts and she loves the smell. If I keep getting great results, I will definitely be purchasing it when I run out!

Retails for approx. $12.00 CAN for 30ml (1 FL OZ).  It also comes in 2 other sizes, a mini (.34 FL OZ) and larger (2.5 FL OZ) size.  Can be purchased at most health food stores, check out Weleda for more info.

Where do you apply Skin Food?



Ingredients (INCI): Water (Aqua), Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower), Lanolin, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond), Alcohol, Beeswax (Cera Flava), Glyceryl Linoleate, Hydrolyzed Beeswax, Fragrance (Parfum)*, Viola Tricolor, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary), Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria), Calendula Officinalis, Cholesterol, Limonene*, Linalool*, Geraniol*, Citral*, Coumarin*.

* from natural essential oils