I am always looking for a good face wash, and when I received a nice-sized 1.7oz sample of Simple Refreshing Facial Wash Gel in the mail, of course I gave it a try!
First, The Ingredients:
Ingredients: Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Propylene Glycol, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Panthenol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate.
Cocamidopropyl Betaine is a synthetic (man-made) surfactant (foam-booster). It can cause allergies in some people.
Propylene Glycol is a petro-chemical used a skin-conditioning agent. It doesn't pose much risk, but many people are against it because it is a petrochemical and could possibly contribute to carcinogens.
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose is a harmless synthetic polymer that is often used in eye drops. It prevents evaporation, which is what keeps this face wash at a gel-like consistency.
Panthenol is synthetic Vitamin B5, which is used as a moisturizer and lubricating compound.
Disodium EDTA is an agent that binds and removes free radicals and impurities. It is also used as a formula stabilizer. There is a lot of complicated chemistry behind this one!
Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate is a preservative that is often found in "natural" cosmetics. It is a problem because it is known to often be contaminated with formaldehyde, and is also a known skin-irritant.
So........ WOW! For a brand that is supposed to be "Simple", they sure pack a lot of chemicals into their products! It is a little disturbing for a company that claims to be an expert in sensitive skin to have all these things that are known to cause skin reactions! Kind of scary... and it pays to do your research!!
I found all of my information from ewg.com, or the Environmental Working Group. Many of these ingredients have been contentious in healthy product debates, so I urge you to look them up yourself if you're unsure. I tend to be a little more lenient with products that are getting washed off my skin immediately and therefore don't have the chance to soak in.
How it Works:
I actually like this face wash, believe it or not. The ingredients might be a little dubious, but it does do a good job. The product is a gel that is clear and feels very silky when you put it on. It does not foam, but lathers only a tiny bit. I find that I have to make sure to scrub it into my nose really good to get all the make up to wash off. Sometimes (but not always) I need to use a separate eye make-up remover to get all of my mascara and eyeliner off.
What I like about this face wash is that it leaves my skin feeling clean and fresh without any kind of a weird tingle or "tight" feeling. It also does not dry out my face, which is a huge issue for me as most face washes leave me having to put on a ton of moisturizer afterward. This one, very "simply", does what it is supposed to do.
So I'll leave you to make up your own mind. I might buy this product again if it is on sale, but it probably won't be my main one, as I am still trying to move to more real organic products for my skin.
What is your favorite face wash? What do you like most about it? Please leave me your comments and questions! I love to read them, and I'll be happy to comment you or your blog back! :)
Until next time,
J
*Disclaimer: I ordered this sample from CVS.com. Simple did not contact me or request a review of this product.
Well, my plan for this weekend was to write a review on some face wash I had tried. That didn't get done, but I will do it at some point soon.
The last couple of weeks have been tough. First my illness kept me down a lot, work has been crazy overwhelming, and this morning we woke up to a huge flood in our apartment. One of the little pipes in the toilet tank broke, and it leaked all night and we woke up to maintenance pounding on our door because it had flooded the downstairs apartment, too.
We slept through the flood because it happened in our spare bathroom and den, so we didn't have a clue! I seriously had to answer the door in pjs. Plus the dishes were everywhere and nothing was clean because I've been sick for two weeks. So incredibly embarrassing....
Now we have these loud, smelly blowers in our apartment to dry the carpet, and the carpet guys are coming back on Tuesday to take them away and put in new pads, plus shampoo the carpet.
If all this wasn't crappy enough, I've also fallen off the wagon as far as my weight loss was concerned, and I can't blame my illness entirely. Ever since going back to work, I've been so dang tired in the evening that I've been making poor food choices constantly. Since getting sick, I haven't been able to keep my work out schedule, and so I have no idea what I weigh at the moment...
But I digress. So I'm not perfect. Not even close. Life has gotten in the way the last month, but I promise I'll get better. One day at a time, right?
I know it has been a little while since I actually wrote a health update, so I wanted to do that today. The last few days I have been horribly sick with some kind of cold or flu or whatever sickness is currently spreading like wildfire through my workplace. When I started getting the tell-tale tickle in my throat on Wednesday, I was struck with a bout of extreme frustration, because in past years I have had until October before coming down with the yearly plague.
Working in a germ-factory like a school, it is almost impossible to avoid coming down with something when everyone else has it. You can get all the rest in the world, take Vitamin C, eat healthy, and avoid touching your face; but inevitably, eventually you will catch something. So how do you deal?
I am a special case because I am deathly allergic to penicillin and most of the alternatives, so I don't even bother going to the doctor when I'm sick. I just have to suffer it out. I do take NyQuil to help me get through the first couple of nights, and DayQuil when I have to go to work. They don't work well, but they take the edge off.
First, I drink LOTS of juice. Water is too rough/tastes weird on my throat when I'm sick, so I make a half juice/half water concoction and drink that 24/7. Yes, yes, I know that juice is mostly sugar, but I'm sick so I feel that I can have a free pass on this one. Besides, it's better than the constant flow of 7UP, which is all I would drink when I was sick as a kid!
Hot tea and coffee help too, but avoid any kind of dairy creamers. Milk and cream in general are not a good idea when sick with a cold or flu, because liquid dairy can increase mucus production. Some studies have debunked this as a myth, but I'm just saying it from personal experience. Every time I have milk or cream or ice cream when I am sick, I feel a little worse. Cheese seems to be okay. Better to be safe than sorry!
Chicken soup, or any kind of soup, is good for you. It's easier for your body to digest, and just feels comforting!! My favorite is Marie Callender's Potato Cheese, but it's expensive and there isn't a Marie's near where I live now. I settle for Tomato Basil from Fresh & Easy, or some sort of Chicken Noodle. I have a great recipe for Zucchini Soup with a chicken broth base, and I would have made it this week if I didn't feel so terrible! Next time I make it, I'll post the recipe!
The other two things that help when I'm sick are lots of trashy magazines and lots of sleep. The celebrity gossip is so much fun and I don't have to think much, plus the more sleep I can get, the faster I feel better.
That's it... I know there are tons of home cold/flu remedies out there but I'm simple and stick to the basics.
What are your favorite home cold/flu remedies? How do you deal when you're sick? I'd be happy to hear any good advice!
Now, I'm going back to bed!
Until next time,
J
This has been a very long and stressful week back at my day job, and I am so glad that it's now a three-day weekend! All I want to do is sit around, eat some good food, and read or watch TV! And what is TV time without a good snack to go with it?
When I got the opportunity to try and review Bare Fruit Cinnamon Apple Chips, I jumped on it. I had never tried these before, but I can honestly say they are now one of my favorite snacks. My husband loves them, too. As soon as we got the bag, we both tried them and couldn't stop eating them! How could these possibly be good for us?
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| My bag of Apple Chips! |
But they are! Right out of Washington state, Bare Fruit Apple Chips are 100% Organic and gluten-free with only two ingredients: Apples and Cinnamon. Plus, a 20 gram serving only has 58 calories!
These apples are specially bake-dried so that they have the consistency of potato chips, and they are just as satisfying without being bad for you! They are delicious as a snack or as a dessert because they are so naturally sweet and delicious. The Cinnamon Apple Chips have the perfect blend of sweet and tart crispness.
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| Bowl of snacks! |
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| Close up! |
You can buy Bare Fruit Apple Chips online at Bare Fruit's Website, or on Amazon.com or Alice.com. Locally, they can be found at Costco, Walmart, TJMaxx, Marshall's, and Whole Foods.
At around $7.50 for a 14oz bag, they seem pricey, but when you consider that there are 30 apples in every bag, it's not bad at all! Apples in my city are currently around $1.49 or more a pound, and 30 apples would cost me approximately $20.00 or more!
You can also "Like" Bare Fruit's Facebook Page for coupons and giveaways! :)
I highly recommend you try these chips if you have a chance! I will definitely be buying some more!
What are your favorite TV time snacks? Would you try these Bare Fruit chips? I look forward to hearing your thoughts!! :)
Thanks for reading!
J
***Disclaimer: Product was provided in exchange for my honest review.
