Product Review: Acure Organics Day Cream

Acure Organics is definitely my new favorite skin and hair care line, but my favorite within this favorite is for sure the Chamomile + Carrot Day Cream. I have recommended this day cream more in the past two months than any other product - ever.

This cream smells great, absorbs well, and makes my skin feel incredibly soft and moisturized. It contains Gotu Kola Stem cells that have been proven to firm skin and help protect it against day-to-day life. It also contains Chlorella, an ingredient shown to support collagen and elastin fibers.

I've been putting this on daily for the past three months and my face has never felt brighter, clearer, or healthier.

Mention you saw this recommendation to get 15% off your next purchase of Acure Organics Camomile + Carrot Day Cream. I think you'll love it, too!

Product Review: Blue Diamond Nut Chips

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"They're made from brown rice, California almonds and a splash of sea salt to bring out the crunchy flavor, so you can indulge your snack chip craving without compromising your desire to eat smart. Sea Salt Baked Nut Chips contain no saturated fat, no cholesterol, no MSG, no wheat or gluten.* And with 22 grams of whole-grain goodness, what's not to love? They're ideal for people managing celiac disease and for those eating a vegan diet, but their crowd-pleasing flavor makes Sea Salt Baked Nut Chips perfect for everyone who enjoys guilt-free snacking or simply likes a great-tasting chip!" 

(product description taken from Blue Diamond's website)

I have a new favorite snack.

These baked nut chips from Blue Diamond are amazing and completely addicting. My favorite flavor is sea salt, but Tim loves their nacho cheese crackers. As a vegan, I appreciate really tasty dairy-free snacks and the fact that their ingredients are GMO free, as well as grown in the US, makes this treat even tastier.

These chips taste good with hummus, dipped in peanut butter, with salsa, or plain. I eat them for breakfast, with lunch, and often for "dessert". (Yup, they're yummy enough to be classified as a dessert!)

Becki's Product Review: LA Hold Hair Spritz

I tend to be picky when it comes to hair products, and it took me a long time to even try some of the hair styling products at Apple Wellness. My younger sister is more adventurous than me and she recently bought the Giovanni LA Hair Spritz. When I saw her later that week, I exclaimed over her pretty, wavy hair and asked her what she did differently. Her response "I used that amazing LA Hair Spritz you carry at the store!" Well, I was sold and asked Tim to bring me home a bottle that night. Since then I've used it nearly every day.

The LA Hair Spritz can be used for a variety of purposes and for anything you would use normal hair spray for. But, best of all, it can be used to coax pretty curls and waves out of naturally wavy hair. Simply get your hair wet, "scrunch" it with your hands, and mist it lightly with LA Hair Spritz. Your hair will keep the waves you "scrunched" and dry without feeling crunchy. Also, because all Giovanni hair products are organic and infused with natural herbal extracts - and no gross chemicals or artificial ingredients - the LA Hair Spritz is actually good for your hair, leaving it healthier than ever!

Nature's Plus Prenatal Vitamins Review

 

I normally have a very sensitive stomach, and this was only intensified with the morning sickness I experienced during my early weeks of pregnancy. Before becoming pregnant, I had tried several other great prenatals, but each of them tended to make me a little queasy unless I took them with a meal. 

When Tim started me on Nature’s Plus Prenatals, I immediately noticed the amazing difference. I could take them at any time of the day, with or without food, and they never, never made me feel sick. This is because they are in a whole food form, so my stomach recognizes them in the same way it recognizes fruit or lettuce. Also, they smell nice, which is huge when you’re pregnant and every little smell is enough to send you running to the bathroom. I could take these without a problem, and I felt reassured that I was getting the proper nutrients my little baby needed, especially since I wasn’t able to eat much. The pills are big, but not huge, and I never have had a problem swallowing them. I would recommend this prenatal vitamin for everyone!

It’s important to note that every woman who is trying to get pregnant, or considering getting pregnant in the near future, should be on a prenatal vitamin. These vitamins are specifically formulated to get a woman’s body ready to bear a child, and some important nutrients, like folic acid, are most needed before many people even realize they are pregnant!

Becki's Product Reviews: Week 4

Toothpaste is a somewhat boring product to buy. Right along with dental floss, dish soap... and other boring necessities of life. I used to buy the cheapest kind of toothpaste possible. Until I realized that most regular brand toothpastes contain artificial sweeteners and flavorings. And that seemed a little counterproductive to me. So I made the switch to natural. At first it was super hard, because I was so used to the fake sweet flavor of regular toothpaste. And to be honest, some natural toothpaste out there leave a lot to be desired. I really appreciate toothpaste that tastes good. And Now's Xyliwhite tastes good! 

XyliWhite™ is a fluoride-free toothpaste gel from NOW Foods. Xylitol is a natural sugar alcohol with a taste and texture that is remarkably similar to table sugar, with 40% fewer calories! Unlike many of the chemicals found in other fluoride-based, whitening toothpastes, xylitol is an all natural, well-tolerated substance that occurs naturally in many fruits, berries and other natural sources. In fact, the human body manufactures as much as 15 grams of xylitol every day.

XyliWhite™ toothpaste is completely safe for users of every age. Available in Cinnafresh, Refreshmint, and Platinum Whitening Mint.

My favorite flavor is Refreshment.

Becki's Product Reviews: Week 3

What do Europe, Hawaii, Florida, New York, and Australia all have in common? Kind bars. These delicious snacks have accompanied Tim and I on every single vacation we've been on together. We snacked on Macadamia Nut and Cashew Kind bars while waiting in line at the Eiffel Tower, Walnut and Date Kind bars while driving the winding Road to Hana on Maui, and Fruit and Nut Delight Kind bars while exploring the Australian outback! Our lunch in Disney World consisted of Almond and Coconut Kind bars, and our trip to the Statue of Liberty included a snack of Cranberry and Almond Kind bars. 

Can you tell that we love Kind bars?

Kind bars are all natural whole nut and fruit bars made from ingredients you can actually pronounce. They're super healthy and energizing, and they taste delicious!!

Each flavor is so tasty, I can hardly choose a favorite (although I will admit that the Almond Coconut might be the best, if we were picking favorites)…

Plus, the KIND company is dedicated to promoting Kindness to the world, which is pretty neat if you ask me. Check out their story on their website: http://kindsnacks.com/about-ourstory

Becki's Product Reviews: Week 2

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I love Mrs. Meyer's cleaning products. I don't think I have ever before, in my entire life, claimed to love any other cleaning product.

But this stuff is great. While I can't go as far as to say that using these products has made cleaning a joyous task… I can say that using these products has significantly increased my happiness while cleaning. It isn't just because the bottles have pretty labels, although I do appreciate how nice they look on my countertop. (All the packaging is biodegradable and totally eco-friendly!) My happiness with these products is this: they're all natural. They smell good and I don't have to worry about holding my breath while I'm disinfecting our countertop. I love that they aren't toxic or poisonous. We don't have kids yet, but I know if we did, I'd want to make sure that ALL of our cleaning products were 100% natural and safe for kiddos.

Pros: no harsh chemicals, smells delicious, no residue, all natural, safe for kids, eco-friendly

Cons: …

Extra Tip:

Did you know that you can make your own cleaning solution by mixing one part vinegar with five parts water? Just add a couple drops of your favorite essential oil (tea tree oil and grape seed extract are good for disinfecting, sweet orange is great for cutting grease). Put this mixture in a spray bottle to clean glass, countertops, sinks... etc.!

Becki's Product Reviews: Week 1

Hi! My name is Becki and I’m an owner of Apple Wellness. Tim is the other owner (and my husband), and we make a great team. He is the nutritional expert and knows almost everything about vitamins and supplements whose names I can hardly pronounce. I’m the graphic designer, and I just make everything look pretty. Well, I do a lot more than that, but making things look pretty is my favorite part.

Speaking of favorite parts, the natural beauty corner of our store is one of my favorite sections. There are so many great, natural shampoos, conditioners, body wash, soaps, shaving creams, make up products… I can hardly decide which ones I want to try!  

But, out of all the shampoos so far, the Alba Botanicals Rainforest Acai Shampoo and Conditioner has made me the happiest. This stuff not only smells heavenly, but it also leaves my hair feeling super soft and silky. I highly recommend these products for anyone who blow dries or straightens their hair. The shampoo and conditioner contains moisturizing ingredients, and you can really feel and see the difference! I typically blow dry my hair a couple days a week, and I noticed the change almost immediately. 

Positives: moisturizes hair, leaves hair feeling soft, enhances natural shine, smells delicious, pretty packaging (am I the only person who loves pretty labels?)
Negatives: the bottle is hard to get the shampoo out of (not a huge negative, but sometimes you have to shake it to get anything out!)

I spend a lot of time at our store, and I definitely have some opinions about what I think are the best products to try! Come back next Wednesday for another product review!