Frutique - Papaya Enzyme Exfoliating Gel – “Beauty by Nature”

I bought this stuff at Sally Beauty Supply, and the lady who rang my sale told me that she uses it and loves it! Regrettably, exfoliation has never been a consistent part of my skin care regimen, but I had made the decision to be better about taking care of my skin cuz, let’s face it, my skin definitely needs the help! I saw the Frutique product line while I was browsing, and I’m always up for trying the “natural” skincare alternatives when I can. This product uses Papaya extracts to naturally exfoliate the skin and is gentle even on sensitive skin types. I’ve heard that the scrubs are not good/preferred for exfoliation because they cause tiny micro-scratches on the surface of the skin which can be damaging. I used to use a skin refinishing lotion (similar concept to the Papaya gel, just combined in a lotion) and I really loved the gentle exfoliation, so I was very excited to try Frutique’s gel. However, the first time I tried the exfoliation gel I freaked, and thought “What have I done to my skin!?” Let me tell you the story …

The directions on the bottle say you should use the gel on a clean, dry face and rub in gentle, circular motions for 30-60 seconds until the skin sloughs off, then you can rinse your face. Sounds pretty straightforward, right? I washed and dried my face, pumped a few pumps of gel onto my fingers and began gently massaging it onto my cheeks, chin and jaw line. The skin began sloughing off almost instantly and I thought, “Hey, this stuff works great!” Then I tried rinsing it off… and that’s when panic set in! The sloughed off skin was stuck and would not wash away!! I tried scrubbing, using more gel, hot water, cold water … I tried everything! The skin that had sloughed off looked like pills of cotton, and was stuck all along my jaw line like a beard! (Sounds pretty funny when I think back on it, I admit! haha) But man, I sure was panicked and regretted using the gel and thought my face was ruined forever! In order to remove the skin I had to scrub my face real hard with a towel. I thought for sure my skin would be red and irritated for the rest of the weekend! (By the way, it’s a good thing I tried this stuff on the weekend and not while getting ready for work!) But, I must admit, once I had “exfoliated” the skin off by scrubbing with a towel, my face was incredibly smooth and, surprisingly, didn’t remain red and irritated. *phew*

That was how it all went down the first time I used the gel. Needless to say, I hated it and was about to return it and get my $13 back. But, I decided to be brave and try it once more, just to say I gave it my best effort because I really wanted to like it, despite the first go around. After trying it a second time, I had a much more “normal” experience with it and actually ended up loving it! I use it once a week now and it keeps my skin very smooth and even! I find that when my face is super smooth, my makeup goes on much more evenly and easily.

If you end up trying this exfoliation gel, just be cautioned that your first time might be similar to mine … or maybe what happened to me is normal?? Who knows? But the bottom line is, I’m glad I gave it another try because now I use it regularly, and even just bought Frutique’s “Citrus Essence Brightening Crème”. Verdict: So far so good. It’s supposed to help naturally brighten and even out skin tone with the natural licorice and citrus extracts. It goes on light and not oily, but feels moisturizing enough.

So that’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it. Hopefully I didn’t scare you off with my horror story about my first use, because I think if you try it you’ll really like it just like I (eventually) did!

You can check out their website to see the other products they have. I can't wait to try some of their other stuff!

Downy UNSTOPABLES

Over the summer I saw some samples of Downy Unstopables attached to the laundry detergent that I buy. I didn’t think much of it at first but figured I would give them a try....


I emptied the packet of waxy pellets into my laundry machine and proceeded to wash and dry my clothes as normal. I could tell right away that my clothes had that really fresh-out-of-the-dryer smell and were soft(er than normal). Ok, so far so good…. Did I mention that laundry happens to be my least favorite household chore?? ... 

…A couple days later I could still smell the freshness of my clothes each time I went into the closet or opened a dresser drawer. Ok, I’m kind of impressed now.

…A week later my clothes still smelled freshly washed. Even my running/work-out jacket smelled as if it had just come out of the dryer.  Now I’m definitely impressed!

At this point I had run out of my sample packets and decided that I needed to buy some more of this stuff ASAP, and have used it in every load of laundry since then.

The only con is that they are relatively expensive, in my opinion. (They average $8 per container and I typically get about 15 loads out of it.) However, considering the fact that the freshness lasts as long as it does, I find myself not having to wash blankets and other non-clothes items as often, which saves on detergent and softener. We have 2 small dogs who like to cuddle in the couch blankets with us, and I have noticed that washing the blankets with Unstopables keeps them smelling fresh and not “doggy” for over a week! This is definitely a plus!

Purex also makes “Purex Crystals” which is a very similar concept to the Unstopables and is less expensive. I gave these a try hoping that they would be just as awesome and could save a little money but, unfortunately I wasn’t as impressed with the longevity of freshness. Purex uses “crystal” granules as opposed to the Unstopables’ waxy pellets – which I think may be how the freshness clings to clothes longer.  

If you’re not willing to fork over the $8 to try it, I recommend searching online for a free sample packet!

Check out their website for more info on Unstopables: 

Organix

A few months ago I stumbled across an Organix conditioner while I was shopping at Target. Maybe I've been living under a rock for who knows how long, but I had never heard of or seen this brand before. What's the first thing I do when I see a new hair product? I smell it! And oh my goodness, it smelled so good! Like a tropical, coconutty vacation in a bottle. I decided to buy the "brazilian keratin therapy" conditioner and began using it just a couple times a week.... I often switch back and forth between brands of hair products, depending on how I'm feeling that day, so this has been my "special" conditioner for the past couple months.

The other day a coworker mentioned to me that they have a full line of Organix products at Walmart and that the prices are better than Target! (Sorry Target, I love you, but hey ... a good deal is a good deal!) I went to Walmart and ended up buying "coconut milk anti-breakage serum", "moroccan argan oil renewing treatment", and "brazilian keratin therapy flat iron spray". And yes, I used them ALL this morning! What a great way to start the day, no? Needless to say, my hair smells delicious and is super soft.

I recently had a bad haircut; by asking for a "trim" my long hair ended up being an awkward-shoulder-length-mullet-ish...  If you just threw up a little, it's ok, I did too. My point being is that now it's more important than ever that I keep my hair healthy and split-end-free so it doesn't need to be cut even shorter. I'm not really "granola" or anything but I do opt for organic, chemical free options when I can. I feel good about using Organix on my hair because not only does it smell delicious, it has kept my hair really smooth, shiny and healthy and I'm looking forward to trying even more products in their line of hair care and skin&body!

Check our their website! http://www.organixhair.com/