An Eco-Babe's Guide to Greening It

I had the extreme pleasure of trying out a variety of Kuumba Made products.
Water Goddess (scent) Lotion, Bath Oil, Bath Salts and perfume; Twilight Shimmers lip balm, Breathe Deep chest rub, and Herbal Healing Salve. All of these products were absolutely tremendous in every category.

Scent - The Water Goddess scent in the lotion, bath oil, perfume and bath salts was luxurious and enticing.  The scent was like walking on the beach on a blooming spring evening. There is a slight floral and musk that mingles together to create a relaxing experience.

The Herbal Healing Salve smells like an herb garden. It almost has a very soft patchouli smell, which could be attributed to the Echinacea. It's very faint and not at all overwhelming. If you had a burn on your nose, the scent would not irritate.

The breathe deep chest rub was a lifesaver during my last bout of strep throat. It has this peppermint/lemon/rosemary smell that reminds me of my favorite soothing tea. Smelling it now, I wish I could drink it! It's a creamy smooth scent that opens up the sinuses without the harshness of most chest rubs like VapoRub.

Quality - The herbal healing salve was perfect for tattoo aftercare as well as the occasional booboo. In fact, my lips just ripped during a violent sneeze a few minutes ago, and the salve has soothed the stinging burn. The fact that it is organic makes me confident about applying it to my lips.

The Water Goddess lotion was a lifesaver last winter. I was in Boston, and the wind can get so biting cold that it feels like it is ripping your skin off. It was gentle enough to use on my face, but strong enough to where I didn't have to reapply every few minutes.

The Boston winter also affected my lips and the lip shimmers quickly became my go-to lip balm. It soothed my dry cracked lips and added just a hint of color. The last tinted lip balm I tried was Burt's Bees and that one made my lips look like it was stained by Kool Aid. Twilight Lip Shimmers was subtle and realistic.


Overall, Kuumba Made has become my favorite bath and body brand. If they made shampoo and body wash, then my bathroom needs would be set! I'm excited to try out their other scents.

For more information about Kuumba Made, please visit www.kuumbamade.com. You can also find their products at many New Frontiers, Whole Foods, and many find local boutiques.


Kuumba Made is a proud sponser of the 2011 Southern Arizona Race for the Cure in Tucson, AZ.


Note: Some of you may have read a comment on this site about Kuumba Made products causing an infection. This comment was spam and untrue. Please disregard. 

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Lusa Organics Ylang Ylang And Lavender Goat Milk Soap

I have been using this soap for a few weeks now and I absolutely love it. I've tried other eco-bar soaps before and they didn't leave me feeling very clean. This one suds up great, even with a loufa or scrub brush. It rinses clean away and doesn't leave a slimy film behind. Oh and the smell...absolute heaven.


I was using a liquid soap before and it left my skin dry and itchy. The lusa organics goat milk soap has ended that drama. Now I don't have to apply lotion the moment I get out of the shower. My skin is soft, smooth and feels great now.


Everytime I get into the shower, it's like one of those commercials where you see the woman smelling the product, sighing and then having a out of body experience. The ylang ylang and lavender goat milk soap sends me to a warm, misty waterfall in a fragrant wild flower filled meadow in the middle of an enchanted mossy forest.


What I love the most is the website gives you the option to buy the soap, but without the packaging. So you save some money and the environment too.

Bubble And Bee Lemongrass Rosemary 100% Organic Deodorant (Stick)

I have nothing but rave reviews for this product. It smells absolutely wonderful. I can't help but to sniff my pits! Even my husband can't help but to snuggle up to enjoy the lemony scent. The best part is, it really works! My underarms have never felt better. It's made out of Organic Beeswax, Organic cocoa butter, organic soybean oil, organic lemongrass essential oil, and organic rosemary essential oil. The creator, Stephanie Greenwood is so confident in her wonderful deodorants that she guarantees you will be satisfied. I love to support women-owned businesses, and this one is definitely in my top 5. I look forward to reviewing more of her products.

Dr. Bronner's Organic Shikakai Spearmint Peppermint Body Soap And Citrus Conditioning Hair Rinse

This product is advertised as having 18 uses. You are able to not only brush your teeth, but wash your hair and body. I've used this product as a body wash and shampoo for several weeks now and I'm still undecided. To really get a feel for a shampoo, you should use it for at least 2 weeks. Each person will react differently to a shampoo based on the type of hair they have. I have wavy, brown hair that tends to have fly-aways. It's not normally greasy. I've used it for about a month now and initially my hair was awful. It was thick, stringy, tangly and greasy after I washed it. I was forced to keep it in a bun. I then tried using their hair rinse and things did get better. It was instantaneous the results. As I poured the rinse over my hair, I felt it detangle and soften. With the rinse, I can finally brush my hair and wear it down. It still feels a little oily, as if I have some sort of styling product in my hair. I love the smell of the citrus rinse. I will keep using these products and if things get better, I may consider using them from now on. But if my hair stays oily, I will switch to something else. I imagine these products would be great for people with thick, stringy, dry, curly or dreaded hair.

EDIT-September 30, 2010: I actually switched to a different shampoo with the Citrus Hair Rinse and now everything is working perfectly. If you have think "latina" hair, try Bubble and Bee Peppermint and Tea Tree shampoo with the Dr. Bronner's Citrus Hair Rinse. This combination doesn't leave me with the greasy feeling I was experiencing with the Shikakai Shampoo.

Preserve ® On The Go Tableware

Features:

• Made of 100% recycled #5 plastic, 100% recyclable • Can withstand hundreds of uses • Dishwasher safe • BPA and melamine free • Made in the USA

	At least 54% less water than virgin polypropylene
	At least 64% less greenhouse gases (in CO2 equivalents) than virgin polypropylene
	At least 75% less oil than virgin polypropylene
	At least 48% less coal than virgin polypropylene
	At least 77% less natural gas than virgin polypropylene
	At least 46% less electricity than virgin polypropylene