Stuff I Keep Buying: Garden of Wisdom

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Hello, beautiful people!  In today’s Stuff I Keep Buying series, I’m going to discuss my absolute favorite skincare company EVER and give you a list of some of the items that I purchase repeatedly.

Garden of Wisdom is an incredible small business that sells fantastical, hand-crafted, organic & cold-pressed (when possible) products for skin, hair and body.  You all know that I love to try new things, but I only keep the good stuff in my permanent rotation.  And Garden of Wisdom products have been a part of my permanent rotation for quite a few years now.  Markey Martin, the owner and key crafter at GOW, combines science, research and nature’s own goodness to provide finished products and raw materials (butters, oils, clays, etc.) that are not only effective, but GOOD FOR YOU!!!

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Click Photo To Enlarge

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• Winter Balm (pictured above) is a versatile, nourishing item that I always keep on hand.  Look at those ingredients, people!  Wow!  No goopy icky crap to be found!  The pale green-yellow balm has a lovely, natural scent and is good for whatever ails you.  I use it as a nail/cuticle conditioner; skin softener for hands and feet; on cuts and scratches to speed healing; lip balm; and I mix it with my facial moisturizers in the wintertime if my complexion gets thirsty!!

“Named for the season it works most fabulously in, Winter Balm adds moisture to skin, aiding in the relief of dry, itchy, red, chapped skin. Great for blemished skin or eczema prone skin, it helps to protect skin against the wind and cold. This balm skins in quickly, helps to even out skin tone, and will leave you glowing.”  GOW Website

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• Simply Clean Tea Tree Oil Cleanser.  I can’t say enough good things about this facial cleanser.  It’s an absolute treat to use every single time.  Jam packed with yummy ingredients for healing, soothing, moisturizing, detoxifying and more, this transparent, amber-colored gel has a slight cooling effect, making it especially nice to use after exercise.

“Our Simply Clean Tea Tree Cleanser is a concentrated blend of tea tree and neem oils, neem extract, and manuka honey, making it an antibacterial powerhouse. This cleanser aids in the control of whiteheads, blackheads, pimples, oil production, and heals skin at the same time. Simply Clean Tea Tree Cleanser detoxifies skin and moisturizes. This cleanser does not compromise the mantle of the skin since it is pH balanced. Great for Oily, Blemish Prone, Balanced, and most other skin profiles.”  GOW Website

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• Majik Coconut Revival Cream is an off-white powerhouse cream of coconutty goodness.  If you like the scent and benefits of coconuts, you’ll LOVE this facial moisturizer.  Coconut water, Coconut milk, Coconut cream, plus shea butter, tamanu oil and more!  I would have thought this product to be oily, heavy and to basically sit on top of the skin, but alas! I was wrong — it sinks in quickly and creates a perfect, nearly-matte canvas for makeup application.  Good stuff, people.

“Blemishes no longer stand a chance!” is what our Coconut Revival Cream screams as it is applied to skin. Healing, gentle, and acne fighting, this cream has so much coconut power it can do no wrong. Perfect cream to “revive” your skin, and is gentle enough for all skin types.”  GOW Website

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• Takrai Lemongrass Cleanser is another long-time favorite of mine.  It’s a wonderful facial exfoliant with a heavenly citrus scent.  The product comes in the form of a paste, which emulsifies with water.  It’s easy to use, easy to love and a little goes a looooooooong way!  Get ready for silky smooth skin, baby!

“This particular cleanser is thick, almost paste like, and manually exfoliates with the rice powder. Our Takrai Lemongrass Cleanser conditions skin, is antifungal, antibacterial, and soothes inflammation, making it a great choice for those with oily or blemish prone skin. Use as you would any cleanser, or in the exfoliation phase of your routine. Leaves your skin soft, smooth, and rejuvenated.”  GOW Website

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• Argan Oil is one of my newest loves.  We’ve all heard the benefits, seen the ads.  It’s one of the newest discoveries in natural goodness.  Use it on skin, hair, and body for quick nourishment.  My two favorite uses: hair and facial moisturizer.  VERY effective.  Check out this giant 4 oz. bottle of GOW’s organic, cold pressed and unrefined argan oil for only $31.60.  That’s a LOT cheaper than most places that charge an arm and a leg for tiny bottles full of fillers and hoopla!

“Our Argan oil is 100% pure and certified organic. Imported from Morroco, our argan oil is rich and high is essential unsaturated fatty acids, making it great for improving the health and youthfulness of skin. Soothing and anti-inflammatory, argan oil calms irritated and swollen skin. It heals damaged skin, and assists in treating skin conditions such as eczema. Perfect for sensitive and dry skin, argan softens rough skin, leaving it smooth and touchable.”  GOW Website

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• GOW is constantly coming up with new products, so it’s always a treat to try samples.  (Check out their Sample Program.)  On my last order, I got a sample of the Rockin’ Moroccan Goddess Hair Oil, and so far I’m loving it!  More than once, they’ve come up with their own (healthy) version of a popular mainstream product and this one’s a slam dunk.  Seriously, check these ingredients.  Plus, my hair looks ridiculously awesome when I use this.  Case closed.

“Apply several drops to the ends of your hair.  Once applied run your fingers through
the rest of your hair from the scalp downward. This is ‘our’ version of a nice,
natural hair oil.  Enjoy :-]

List of Ingredients

Argan Oil   [Moroccan]
Camellia Oleifera Oil
Broccoli Seed Oil
Watermelon Seed Oil
Macadamia Nut Oil
Brazil Nut Oil
Amla Oil Infusion
Dimethicone
Buriti Oil
Cyclomethicone
Natural Essence”  GOW Website

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In conclusion, if you’ve never sampled the fare of Garden of Wisdom, hop on it, people.  They have zillions of products for just about every need, whim and fancy you could think of, plus most items are available in sample sizes.

 Let me know which GOW products are YOUR favorites!!

Cheers!!

~^~^~  Elizabeth ~^~^~

“Behold, the winter is past . . . ”  Song of Songs 2:11  <><

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© 2012 Elizabeth Regan

Happy Skin: 3 Glad Oils for a Glowing Body

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I admit it:  I get ridiculously happy about oil. XD  Oil is GOOD for you!  Oil is healthy, happy, medicinal and amazing!!!!!  But don’t settle for the counterfeit.  The  more pure, unrefined, cold-pressed and organic the better.

Of all the jillions of different wonderful oils available, today I’m going to focus on three amazing oils to get your mind pondering.

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• Olive Oil: Of all the oils in my bag of tricks, olive oil is probably my favorite.  It’s incredibly versatile.  It tastes great, is very medicinal and nourishing when consumed in your favorite dishes and can even be taken by the spoonful for general wellness.

Besides cooking with olive oil, it’s fantastic applied topically to the skin.  It’s my hands-down favorite cleanser:  simply splash the face with water; massage a quarter size drop of olive oil into the skin; use a warm, wet wash cloth to rinse and clean the face.  Perfect.  It removes makeup and even mascara easily and quickly.  Plus it leaves your skin feeling silky soft and hydrated.

Try adding olive oil to your bath water (this is one of my favorite things!!)  Double your pleasure by wearing an Olive Oil Honey Mask as you soak in a luxurious, steamy, soothing olive oil bath.  Put on some soothing music, light some candles, throw some rose petals in the bath water and you’ve got your own private spa.  Do it!!!

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• Rose Hip Seed Oil:  True story:  several years ago, an unfortunate series of epilator incidents left my darling, little legs a mess. They were covered with red marks, ingrown hairs and scars.  With summer fast approaching, I knew I needed help.  I asked the friendly and very knowledgeable ladies over at one of the Garden of Wisdom message boards if they could recommend something.  Someone suggested Rose Hip Seed Oil and it struck a chord with me.  I immediately purchased a bottle and after every shower I slathered the miracle oil onto my legs.  In less than three months, my legs were picture perfect again.  I was hoping for an improvement, but was frankly and happily shocked to discover that Rose Hip Seed Oil had not only healed my legs completely, but left them beautifully glowing. Double score.

Rose Hip Seed Oil is a light yellow green (depending on the source . . . it can also be a more amber color), is transparent and has a slight herbal aroma.  It’s not heavy and can easily be incorporated into your daily routine by adding a drop or two to your regular moisturizer.  Mix it in the palm of your hand and apply. Voila!

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• Argan Oil:  A few weeks ago, I got my hands on some of Josie Maran’s Argan Oil.  It’s new to me and I’m loving it.  Unlike olive oil and a lot of other heavier oils, Argan is relatively light-weight.  It soaks in quickly and neatly, making it ideal to use as a daily facial moisturizer.  It has no scent (that my  nosebuds can detect) and is clear and nearly colorless.  It’s lovely on cuticles, small scratches that need healing, under eyes before bed and because it’s so light-weight it’s fantastic on the ends of hair.  I’ve been applying a healthy dose to the very ends of my hair before bed and when I wake, my hair is soft, silky and much improved, but not at all greasy (unlike heavier oils that I’ve applied to hair in the past).

I have normal to dry skin and I love it, however I’ve read that Argan is especially ideal for those with oily, combination or acne-prone skin.  Not only is it healing, but it’s nourishing, as so many oils are.  It actually *feeds* your skin the good nutrients that it needs to thrive.

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So, what are you waiting for?  If you’ve not yet dipped your toes into the wild, waiting world of happy oils, go ahead and make your plans.  Oils will make you GLAD!!  Get some on ya!!!!

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What are your favorite oils to use?  Happy Weekend, beautiful people!!!

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~^~  Katie ~^~

“Behold, the winter is past . . . ”  Song of Songs 2:11  <><

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© 2012 Katie Elizabeth Regan