The Cheap Girl

I’ve been trying to add more natural and affordable products to my skin care routine. I basically don’t want to spend hours at night prepping my skin (I used to spend at least 2 hours while I watch tv,  getting my face ready for bed) so I am currently looking at a lot of 2-in-one products.

When I went to visit my aunt in San Francisco I discovered witch hazel. My aunt used it for everything. Witch hazel has anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties that make it perfect for people who suffer from break outs. I wanted to find a witch hazel solution that was alcohol free and was not too harsh on my skin.

Lo and behold Thayer’s Alcohol-Free Rose Petal Witch Hazel. I’ve been using it for a week now and I am quite happy with the results.

From the website:

Thayers Rose Petal Alcohol-Free Witch Hazel with Aloe Vera Formula Toner will make your skin bloom. Rose Thayer’s remarkably soothing Toner is made with rose-petal water, Vitamin E and our proprietary Witch Hazel extract.

Ingredients: Purified Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf (Certified Organic Filet Of Aloe Vera), Glycerin (Vegetable), Fragrance (Natural Rose) Hamamelis Virginiana (THAYERS® proprietary un-distilled Witch Hazel) Extract, Rosa Centifolia (Rose) Flower Water, Citric Acid, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Tocopheryl (Vitamin E) Acetate.

I use this product to cleanse and tone my face. I prefer things to be unscented but I don’t mind the light rose smell. I like this product because it soothes and cleans my face. Most of all it does not leave my skin feeling dry. I have not tried to remove make up with it yet so I am not sure how effective it will be.

The item can be purchased online for $13.99 (free shipping in Canada) and there is also a lavender option (I am going to try this next time)

Besides keeping acne away from my face I also use the toner in place of regular deodorant. Wet a cotton ball or pad and apply directly to your underarms. So far so good!

{via:whowhatwear.com}

Planet Forward ~ Sustainable essentials made for environmentalists by environmentalists.

I went to the post office yesterday to pick up a fantastic package from PlanetForward.ca (thank you Angela! I am so spoiled!). Inside my goody box I found a stainless steel bottle in a lovely grape shade (this is a superb alternative to wasteful plastic bottles that end up in our ocean’s gyres), a super soft organic cotton scarf, a fashionable lunch bag and a chic foldable basket perfect for my grocery shopping trips to The St. Lawrence Market.

Planetforward.ca is a company that supplies affordable, well-made essentials produced sustainably.  Green living is one my passions and I plan to start featuring more eco-friendly, natural and organic products from “green” companies. As a society I feel that most of us suffer from false consciousness and I think that it is very important to make smart and conscious purchasing decisions.  I am so glad that more and more companies are adopting and adding greener policies and products. I think that it is very important to have choices out there.

For the holiday season this year Planet Forward is offering a  great promo if you want to give someone an eco-friendly gift:

40% OFF ONLINE ORDERS with COUPON CODE: WHSE40 or BOX0940

This code is good until December 31, 2009

Free standard shipping on all orders over $50 or $6.50 flat rate shipping.  Click here for more details.

The Urban Epicurean lunch bag

Visit PlanetForward.ca to view the entire collection.