Graydon - Clinical Luxury by Nature - All Over Soap + Shampoo Review

Recently, or not so recently now, I got the opportunity to try out a few Graydon - Clinical Luxury by Nature products. The line is Canadian (with ingredients sourced from Canadian growers when possible), natural, and fabulous.

Graydon grew up in France and soon made her way to Canada. As a teenager, her skin care regime consisted of kitchen ingredients such as olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and baking soda. It was here that her dream of creating her own line began, and it was her extensive educational background and passion that made her dream a reality. The line consists of bioactive, plant based ingredients that each play an important role. "Bursting with omega rich oils, antioxidants, phytosterols, linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid, carotenoids, high levels of both tocotrienols and tocopherols (which are the natural isomers of Vitamin E), flavinoids and a plethora of vitamins and minerals, the ingredients and research within our line offer you unparalleled quality and product functionality."  They're free of fillers, petrochemicals, toxic chemicals, phthalates, parabens, artificial frangrances and colours, etc.

The beauty herself - Graydon

I wanted to start off with the *All Over Soap + Shampoo because it's my favourite of what I've tried from the line.

Description: The All Over Soap + Shampoo will clean your whole body: hands, body, face + hair. This eco blended soap is infused with plant based and coconut ingredients - sulfate free of course! Its super fresh smell will leave your bathroom smelling like a spa. Infused with our Germs Away AromaBlend you will take solace knowing that our soap will leave your skin extra clean, killing germs the natural way using our signature synergy of essential oils (not through fragrance or nasty chemicals).
* Safe to use in the lake or ocean.
 

This soap smells strongly of rosemary, yet doesn't bother me at all. Plus, I find the scent fades. The plastic bottle is great because of the blue tint (blocking out UV light), the pump locks (great for travelling), and the bottle is refillable (eco friendly considering it's plastic). If you love this soap, you can buy the 1L refill and just keep reusing this bottle. The soap is obviously liquid, a little runnier than I expected and almost like castile soap, but lathers well and cleans fantastically. As a body wash, it's great. It leaves me squeaky clean, but not dry (like castile soap would). As a shampoo, it just doesn't work for my hair type. Having fine and minimally damaged hair, this is just too hydrating and my hair looks and feels greasy by the end of the day. My absolute favourite way to use this soap, is for my hands. I keep it by my sink and use it whenever I need to because it doesn't leave my hands dry or irritated. This soap is very versatile and gender neutral, in terms of scent, that it would be a great addition to any household. Also, it's perfect for those who appreciate or prefer minimal products/bottles because of it's many different uses. With it's Germs Away AromaBlend, it would be amazing for camping and at the cottage. Been using it nonstop, for a couple of months now, and have only used about half of it. I would definitely purchase once running out and highly recommend. 

Retails for approx. $17 CAN for 240ml/ 8 fl oz. Can be purchased through Graydon or one of these retailers.

Ingredients: water (aqua), coconut based cleansing ingredient: coco glucoside (plantacar 818 UP), citric acid, rosemary botanical extract (rosmarinus officinalis leaf extract), grapefruit seed extract (cirtus grandis) ... spiked with a purifying blend of all-natural essential oils and nothing else
*Product sent for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Rave Review: Pretty Skin Savior Herbal Wellness Oil

Pretty is one of my all time favourite Canadian brands. I have loved almost every product that I have tried and their ingredients are exceptional. It was started by two sisters, one a Registered Dietitian and the other a Makeup Artist and Aesthetician, who wanted a line free of all nasties and suitable for the most sensitive of skins. Their products are free of synthetic fragrances and colours, sulphates, propylene glycol, phenoxyethanol, harsh preservatives, and pretty much anything else that you can't pronounce. You can read more about them here. For the record, they are not paying me to say anything nice about them and have never sent me free product. My love and passion for this line goes back to the beginning of my journey into natural products as it was one of the first brands I ever tried.

With that out of the way, let's talk body oil! Body oils are all the rage now and that's because they supply the skin with superb nourishment and benefits while still allowing it to breathe.

Description: Relieve dry, itchy skin without the use of cortisone or harsh ingredients. Calming oatmeal and soothing calendula are infused into a base of sweet almond and white tea oil. Lavender and juniper berry replenish moisture, relieve irritation and protect skin.

Guess what? I love this! Betcha didn't see that coming ;). The packaging is beautiful and very eco friendly, as it is with all of their products. The tinted glass bottle is light and comes with an upside down dropper that you can swap out for a pump. Don't you just love options? I personally prefer the pump because it's more convenient. The oil smells like the beauty section at a health food store, which is just lovely. It's not too overpowering and dissipates throughout the day. The oil absorbs into the skin really well, softening and moisturizing it while leaving a beautiful sheen. It hasn't stained any of my clothes or sheets, that I've noticed. I tend to get red patches on the back of my arms. There's no bumps or anything, it just looks irritated. This oil has helped reduce that redness upon application with it's soothing oatmeal and calendula infused almond oil and essential oil blend. Does it get any damn better?! I solely use this on my arms and any other irritated areas, like my hands. While it's targeted towards a specific skin type/condition, I think this would be a great all over body oil for anyone (unless you have sensitives to any of the ingredients of course). They have several other oils to choose from, if this one doesn't appeal to you. This oil is a beautiful indulgent treat for your skin that I think is well worth the price, especially considering the simplicity of the ingredients. I highly, highly recommend and would definitely repurchase!

Retails for approx. $24 CAN for 90ml. You can purchase it through Pretty. You can connect with them on Twitter, Facebook or send them an email to find a retailer closest to you.

Have you ever tried Pretty? If not, would you?

Ingredients: Oatmeal & calendula infused almond oil, camellia oil, safflower oil, jojoba oil, lavender oil, juniper oil, palmarosa oil, patchouli oil, rosemary oil, bergamot oil, rose geranium oil, orange oil