Desert Essence Coconut Shampoo

First of all, I'm sort of obsessed with shampoo for some reason. When I was a teenager my father would get so mad at me for having multiple bottles of random hair care products in the shower. Now I try to pare things down, not that my husband would think that I do.

I heard about Desert Essence Coconut Shampoo from TheSilverLining80 on YouTube and since I was ready to make a Vitacost purchase, I decided to throw some of this shampoo into my cart.

Here is the description of this shampoo direct from Desert Essence's website: Provides intense moisture to dry or over-processed hair, smoothes frizzies and restores hair’s natural luster, leaves hair feeling soft and healthy.Coconut Oil Cleansers gently cleanse dry or damaged hair. Organic Jojoba oil moisturizes hair and scalp so hair looks and feels healthier. Organic Olive Oil leaves hair soft and silky without weighing it down.


This product smells absolutely amazing. It's very coconutty and summery without that strange plastic undertone that I detect in some coconut scented products. This is just pure, fresh coconut. I was also shocked at the amount of lather that this product creates. I used a bit too much the first time because I'm used to sulfate free products that require quite a bit of effort to get sudsy. This, however, has immediate and luxurious bubbles that smell devine. It doesn't weigh my hair down and it doesn't seem to have any detectable buildup yet, but it adds just enough moisture so that if I am running behind and don't want to take the time to use conditioner I don't need to.

There are no parabens, phthalates, silicones or sulfates in this product. In fact, the ingredients look pretty good to me for such a sudsy and effective sulfate free product.

Water (Aqua), Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract*, Arctium Lappa (Burdock) Root Extract*, Achillea Millefolium (Yarrow) Extract*, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Leaf Extract*, Foeniculum Vulgare (Fennel) Seed Extract*, Sambucus Nigra (Black Elderberry) Flower Extract*, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract*, Sodium Coco-Sulfate (Coconut Derived), Decyl Glucoside (Coconut and Corn Derived), Propanediol (Corn Derived), Coco-Glucoside (Coconut Derived), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter*, Coco Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Cannabis Sativa (Hemp) Seed Oil*, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil*, Dehydroacetic Acid, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides (Coconut Derived), Sodium Chloride, Potassium Sorbate (Fruit Derived), Lauryl Glucoside (Plant Derived), Benzyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Stearyl Citrate (Vegetable Derived), Fragrance (Parfum) * Certified Organic

Have any of you used any of Desert Essence's products? There are other shampoos on their site if the coconut doesn't strike your fancy. I will definitely be trying the other formulas and conditioners and will most definitely repurchase this particular one. I think I'll even buy this as a gift for my coconut loving brother.

The Green Monster

In my last blog I had mentioned that I was planning on trying the Green Monster Movement and I did manage to make one of those Virgin Green Smoothies that are listed in the recipes section of the website.

I'll admit it. I wasn't overly thrilled with the idea of putting a banana, spinach, almond milk, ice and flax seeds into my blender so that I could then consume it in a liquified state. However, I also know that I'm not eating enough fruits and vegetables even if I do eat a cucumber per day (don't ask). I also know that some things like this are an acquired taste and if this little concoction can help to heal my skin from acne, prevent future breakouts and provide healthy nutrients, I might as well acquire that taste for it!

I whipped up a green smoothie and drank it. The first taste was a bit of a shock because it wasn't as potent tasting as I had expected. It was quite mild, bananaesque and thick. I didn't hate it, but I'm so used to sweeter smoothies that I also didn't love it right away. As I drank it, I found that the farther in I got, the more I didn't want to drink it. I do think that I made a much too large smoothie for my first time and that might account for some of the aversion I was feeling toward the end.

I didn't take a photo of my particular creation, but if you want to see what they look like simply Google "green monster smoothie" and then look at the images. They are green and slushy looking.

The strange thing is that I really did feel quite good after drinking it and for the rest of the evening. I ate more fruits and vegetables the day I made the green smoothie than I usually do in a week. I know that I'll make more of these soon and I'll probably try different recipes to shake things up a little. I think that pineapple is going to be the next addition to my smoothie. Ideally, I'll be making and drinking a green smoothie daily.

Have any of you tried a Green Smoothie or Green Monster? Let me know what you think.

MyChelle Dermaceuticals Incredible Pumpkin Peel

One of my favorite skin care companies is MyChelle Dermaceuticals out of Colorado. I started using their products about 2 years ago after seeing some YouTube reviews on various products.

I've tried several things in their line, but my absolute favorite product is the Incredible Pumpkin Peel.
This peel smells phenomenal if you love the smell of pumpkin pie or autumn spices. It's a thick, burnt orange color, but goes on the skin like butter. I apply a thin layer per the directions and then rinse off after 5 minutes. On my skin there is a slightly tingly, warm feeling while the peel is doing its work, but no burning or other irritation. After I rinse my face of the peel, my skin is so smooth and soft and any little dry skin flakies are miraculously gone.

I like to use this peel before a more traditional mask and the two together really clean out any nasties in my pores.

Ingredients
Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin)*, Aqua (Water), Lactobacillus/Cucurbita (Pumpkin) Ferment Extract, Glycerin (Vegetable)*, Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Wine, Honey*, Gluconic Acid (Glucose), Aminoguanidine HCL, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Oil*, Ananas Sativus (Pineapple) Stem Powder, Eugenia Caryophyllus (Clove) Leaf Oil**, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil*, Myristica Fragrans (Nutmeg) Kernel Oil, Cinnamomum Cassia (Cinnamon) Leaf Oil*, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Oil, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Water, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract , Alcohol Denatured (Grain), Potassium Sorbate, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose (Plant). (*Certified Organic, **ECOCERT Approved/Accepted)