Things I love Part 2, Or: Do you think I have a problem?

If you're one of my faithful readers, you might remember my first post about things I love, where I mentioned all sorts of yummy goodness. Well, today I'm all about the body stuff. You know, the stuff we use to clean and primp. I'm a simple girl. A simple girl gone crunchy. I'm really not into makeup and my beauty cabinet has very few products. Not that I think I'm gorgeous or anything, I just like my face to speak for itself. On the rare occasion I dress up, I only wear a little mineral foundation with a neutral light brown eye shadow, maybe a touch of mascara and a nice lip gloss.

There are other body things that I love, however.

Take for example my huge collection of soap (and ignore, please, the messy shelf. This is after I cleaned out and organized my linen closet the other day.):


Do you see that? I have developed a strange love affair with handmade soap. Sure, there are a few old bars of Dove hanging out, but except for that, almost the entire section of that shelf in our linen closet is devoted to handmade soap. What you probably can't see is that behind all the soap is... more soap. In our master bath closet is... more soap. In the master bath shower is... more soap. Love that soap. And you know, it's not even that we're really dirty people. I just can't stop buying it. (Shipped just yesterday is, in fact, more soap.) I believe that once this newest bar arrives, I will have acquired enough soap to clean up the biggest of industrial oil spills. Olive oil soap, goat's milk soap, oatmeal soap, charcoal soap... if it's made, I probably have it.

"Wait! Back up! Charcoal soap!?"

Oh yes. Charcoal soap. I found it on Etsy after a friend told me about squalane.

"Squalane?? What the... have you gone mad?"

Yes. Yes, I have gone mad. Mad about these products from Zaja Natural. I'm telling you, this person is on to something. Her charcoal soap may be strange, but it's great. It lathers really well. A wonderful thick, dark gray lather. It cleans my face like nothing I've ever tried. It's great for blemishes, though not so great for your nice, white sink if you're a messy like me. *giggle*

I've even gotten my anti-crunchy husband hooked on it. When he ran out of his toxic chemical-filled shmudge, I handed him my big black bar and said, "dude, just try it" (or something not so surfer-like, anyway). After just a couple of days, he was convinced. Now he uses it more than I do.

As for the squalane, that's just the best moisturizer I have ever tried. While many of the sources out there come from shark, hers is totally vegan - taken from olives. Not that I'm a vegan, but I don't exactly relish the idea of shmearing shark on my face. Yumm. Either way, why coat your precious facial skin with chemical crud made from God knows what when you can put pure, God made stuff on it? I only use 2-3 drops. The bottle will last forever. We're talking baby butt skin. On my face. Ahhhh.

Perhaps my absolute most favorite product ever is the Zaja Dead Sea Mud Foaming Scrub.


People. People. This stuff is aMAzing. Never in my life have I used a product I adore so much. It's completely natural, made from all earthy crunchy granola type stuff. It's fan-freaking-TASTIC. I'm telling you, baby butt skin times ten. It cleanses. It exfoliates. It brings about world peace. Or at least I fully believe it would, if only everyone gave it a try. I mean, who could be all grouchy and stuff if their face felt like a baby butt? Not I... not I. Both my mom and I love this stuff. If Zaja ever stops selling it, I will cry. Then I might just start a war.

My next mention is absolutely shocking. It's *gasp* natural deodorant. I will tell you that natural deodorant is not something I ever... ever... thought I would try. I don't like to smell crunchy granola, thankyouverymuch, but when several people recommended this product called Funk Butter and absolutely raved about it, I really had no choice but to give it a try.


Funk Butter is made by Oyin Handmade, and is a creamy type stuff you shmear on your pits with your fingers. While not the most pleasant of applications, this stuff is really great. I bought the unscented and also the Black Cedar Fig. Dustin loves the smell of the latter, and so do I. I'm not ashamed to admit that when I wear it, I'm strangely drawn to the fragrance wafting from underneath my arms. Perhaps it's just my weird senses, but it reminds me of warm, raw cinnamon roll dough. This stuff actually works. For about 24 hours. I don't get that kind of mileage from the scary chemical stuff! It even works for my man. And we all know that men don't perspire, they sweat.

There is one other natural deodorant I have been very pleased with (and to be honest, I have only tried three. The third - which was actually the first I ever tried - was by Tom's of Maine and it made my skin peel. Pleasant, no?). The Thai Crystal Roll-On.


I've heard horror stories about the rock deodorants, but even though the concept is the same for this roll-on, this stuff does work. I think the idea behind it is it inhibits bacteria from growing where it is applied (you have to apply it to clean skin) and no bacteria = no odor.

I was skeptical.

After two days, I was a convert.

The only thing I do not like about this product is the fact that it is a roll-on, and I feel as though I need to wait for it to dry before fully dressing. It also does not have any odor at all to it, so I cannot walk around smelling myself and getting hungry for a pastry as I can with da Funk Butter. In terms of ease of use, however, it wins out over da Funk hands down. (Besides, every time I use Funk Butter I get "We got da funk! Gotta have that funk!" stuck in my head. And that's never a good thing.)

Also worth mentioning:

Gudonya Too products - I bought my mom and myself one of their body scrub kisses, and they are lovely. Unfortunately, I do not see them in their shop at the moment, but I'd happily recommend anything they make!

Rose of Sharon Acres goats milk soap - This company is in Texas. You gotta love that. Goats milk is wonderful for the skin. They even make tooth soaps. I bought a sample. They're unused in my cabinet. The idea still freaks me out. (While I'm mostly crunchy, I do like my fluoride. Sorry. I do.)

Burt's Bees - I'm sure you all have heard of this company. I simply adore their Milk & Honey body lotion. It's one of the two lotions that actually works on my hands (which love to crack and bleed). Their Citrus & Ginger body wash is great too. Actually, I've not met a product from them that I did not think was great.

So now that you have been informed of my handmade soap addiction and have learned about how cleaning your face with charcoal and mud can stop the ugliest of wars, tell me what you love. If it sounds interesting, might just have to clear a spot on my shelf.

Or buy a bigger house...