North American Hemp Co.

I was looking for a new lotion to soothe my suddenly extremely dry  winter skin. Having moved from a damp climate to a dry one my skin suddenly went haywire and became very dry and flaky. My requirements where natural ingredients, paraben free,animal ingredient and cruelty free. I came upon the North American Hemp co. at the drug store and decided that since my skin was so dry it could probably use the wonderful properties of hemp. I purchased Hemp Holy Grail unscented body lotion at $9.99 for 342ml.
The body lotion is nice and thick with a pleasant slightly nutty aroma. I use it everywhere- on my body and my face and have noticed that since I have used it my dry scaly skin is no more, yet there is no greasy residue afterwards.

In case you are unfamiliar with hemp's wonderful properties it contains loads of Omega 3,6 & 9 oils which makes it wonderful for skin dryness and elasticity. A little goes a long way so this lotion will last you forever- ok maybe not that long but a few months for sure. I use it everyday right out of the shower from tip to toes.

The North American Hemp co. is based out of Ontario, Canada which also fits my criteria of trying to purchase Canadian made products. They make a whole range of hair and skin care products from body lotion, face cream, hair serum and styling products. Each contains certified organic hemp seed oil.  For whatever your needs there is a product out there for you.  You can also visit their web site and find some fun facts about hemp's history and skin benefits.

http://www.northamericanhempco.com/home.html

There's something that really irks me about being vegan.The price tag. It seems that these days clothing designers are really adding a sky high price tag for quality items that are Eco friendly and cruelty free. I think this could be a huge deterrent for someone who simply doesn't have that extra cash flow to spend on such items. I recently saw a really cool veggie leather coat that was $570. Now that is more then what I pay for my part of rent! So having said that there are so many small designers that are up and coming who are promoting a cruelty free lifestyle are affordable and they also donate part of the proceeds to charity! One such designer is on Etsy: Love Peace Vegan clothing. Every item you purchase goes to help support such charities as farm sanctuary and the price range is from $3.99-39.99.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/lamotif01?ref=seller_info
   

New Magazine I'm Loving

I just discovered this awesome eco-aware magazine yesterday during a much needed de-stressing trip to my fave book store: chapters.
The Magazine is called Boho and it features reviews on all things eco-conscious and sustainable from upcycling artists to haute couture and reclaimed items being made into furniture, and lots of beauty and food reviews. It's of course printed on recycled paper- no glossy pages here. It's totally cute and worth the $5.99 Canadian.

http://www.bohomag.com/

Green Beaver

I love this all Canadian and affordable beauty company. All the products are hand made by a husband and wife team and so pure you can eat them! They began their company when they saw that their newborn son would swallow his bath bubbles. Yuck. Not only are they vegan but they also use as many local organic ingredients as possible, and are free of harmful chemicals such as: dyes, preservatives, petro-chemicals, mineral oil, stabilizers and sulfates. It doesn't get much cleaner then this.

Each bottle ranges around $11 for a full size lotion or body wash, right now they have a combo of cranberry wash and lotion for $12. They make body wash, scrubs, lotions, an entire winter and gardening  line and even toothpaste and lip balms. Check em' out they can be found at any health food store that carries beauty products ( at least in Ontario).

Right now I am loving their winter skin face cream. It comes in a glass jar and is so nice and thick and creamy. It took me a little bit to get used to the blend of essential oils such as cinnamon and fennel, but now I love the earthiness of it. I am also using their organic locally farmed cranberry lotion and body wash ( which are sold as a duo combo for the price of $12 for 250 ml I might add).
http://www.greenbeaver.com/

Buyer beware

I just read about this on a web site. L'oreal just bought up Pureology. L'oreal is known for testing on animals so there is no guarantee that this line will remain vegan and cruelty free. I just emailed them to ask them about the animal testing, we shall see if they reply. But again Pureology is known for being a high end line with a hefty price tag. Here it retails for about $30/bottle and with so many other guaranteed vegan lines that are just as good- ex..ABBA ( also a salon vegan line that is half the price), why take the risk.

http://thebeautybrains.com/2007/05/16/another-one-bites-the-dust-loreal-buys-pureology/