It's amazing how much junk we're tempted to put into our bodies on a day to day basis. Processed foods, sugary drinks, artificial dyes and flavorings - they're everywhere you turn (and sometimes in incredibly sneaky places). Take your beauty products, for example. If you were to reach into your bathroom cabinet and grab out of bottle, how likely would it be that the ingredients list on the back would be full of fillers and chemicals that you can't pronounce? Now, I'm not one to judge, as I too have tried my fair share of non-natural beauty products. However I find myself getting the most excited about the ones that are full of essential oils, plant butters, and other vitamin and nutrient rich ingredients that I know I can feel good about using.
Which of course is why I enthusiastically accepted Maple Holistics offer to let me try out a few of their products. Using the finest natural ingredients possible, their products are formulated to provide a number of therapeutic benefits for your body from head to toe. As an avid bath lover, I had to give their Lavender Hybrid Salts a try, and their Vitamin C Serum sounded delightful. I've been using them both for a few weeks now and have totally fallen in love!
Having perused the Maple Holistics website a bit, I totally appreciate their philosophy. They are really dedicated to providing their customers with the purest, most effective products possible, and also the ones that work best for them. If a formula you choose doesn't work for you they'll be happy to send you something different to try or give you a complete refund. Skincare isn't an exact science, and I appreciate a beauty brand that understands sometimes there's a little trial and error involved in getting the right fit. Their products are very reasonably priced and you can also get them shipped to you for free with an order for $25 or more.
One other really cool thing that Maple Holistics is currently doing is giving their customers the opportunity to receive free products from them. If you write a review of one of their products on amazon, they'll send you a product of your choice completely free of charge! You can find out more information about their free product program here.
Speaking of free product, I'll also have a chance for you to win a special goody from Maple Holistics at the end of this post! Get excited!
As a bit of a bath aficionado, I've tried quite a few different products geared at giving you a blissful soaking experience. Lately I've found myself really gravitating towards using salts instead of something that produces mounds of bubbles. It's not to say bubble baths aren't awesome. They'll always have a special place in my heart. However, bubbles tend to be more fun than functional. If I'm feeling stressed, sore, and achey, the detoxifying and rejuvenating properties of a mineral rich bath will help immensely.
Maple Holistics offers two different bath salt blends to relax the body and soften the skin - the Lavender Hybrid Bath Soak and the Eucalyptus Hybrid Bath Soak. I personally opted to try the Lavender version, as I personally enjoy that scent. Each bag has 16 oz of product for $12.95, which is perhaps a bit more expensive than my beloved Dr. Teals, but contains a few more quality ingredients. Speaking of which, here's exactly what goes into each bag of Lavender Hybrid Bath Soak:
Dead Sea Salt, Epsom Salt, Lavendula angustifolia (Lavender Oil), Cymbopogon martini var motia (Palmarosa) Oil, Salvia sclarea (Clary Sage) Oil
There no fillers, no artifical colors or ingredients, just pure natural salts and essential oils to give you a really blissful (and healthy) bathing experience. Dead Sea salts are extremely high in mineral content, and provide a number of health benefits, from improving circulation, to helping restore the electrolyte balance in your body. Epsom Salts are amazing for soothing sore and achey muscles. Lavender is well known for its relaxing properties, while Palmarosa has natural anti-bacterial properties. Clary Sage, the final essential oil in the blend, has an earthy, floral aroma that is described as providing a mild euphoria.
So far I've taken several baths using this soak and I've truly been loving it. After each bath I feel incredibly relaxed and my skin is soft and hydrated. I can just imagine how amazing getting in a warm bath with these salts would feel on a chilly winter night! All you need is to throw a good sized handful in the tub with you while the water is running, and let yourself fall into bliss for a good 20 minutes. Light a candle, throw on some tunes, and give yourself some much-needed pampering!
The second product I chose to try from Maple Holistics was their Vitamin C Anti Aging Serum. I was really impressed by the ingredients in this formula, especially considering how affordable it is, and thought it would be perfect to add to my current skincare regimen. You get 1 fl oz of product for $11.77 (compared to Ole Henriksen Truth Serum at $48 an ounce). Here's what goes into each bottle:
Water, Vitamin C (Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate), Vegetable Glycerin, Hyaluronic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf, Vitamin E Acetate, Vitamin A (Retinyl Palmitate), Algae Extract, Pullulan Xanthan Gum, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Glyceryl Caprylate.
Vitamin C is a total powerhouse ingredient for skin, fighting free radicals, reversing sun damage and hyperpigmentation, boosting collagen production, and reducing inflammation and irritation. Vitamin A (also referred to as Retinol) helps to boost cell turnover and fights free radicals, making it really affective against both acne and signs of aging. Vitamin E provides a protective barrier for the skin, helping to prevent the breakdown of collagen and oxidative damage. These three vitamins in conjunction all boost each other's effectiveness and will do serious work to fight premature aging of the skin. Each bottle also has soothing aloe and a high concentration of Hyaluronic Acid to plump and hydrate the skin.
I really was quite impressed with how this serum felt and wore on my skin. It's very lightweight and absorbs quickly into your skin. It doesn't leave you feeling sticky or tacky, although I did notice it made my skin feel a little tight until I applied my moisturizer on top. You really don't need a ton of product for each application, so I feel like a single bottle will last several months, even with regular use. With no added dyes or fragrances this formula is very gentle and shouldn't irritate sensitive skin. It has a very subtle, natural scent that is sweet and pleasant and definitely not overpowering. I would definitely consider repurchasing this serum when my bottle runs out!
If this serum sounds as amazing to you as it did to me, you're in luck! Thanks to the lovely people over at Maple Holistics, you have a chance to win your very own bottle of Vitamin C Anti Aging Serum! All you need to do is enter through the Rafflecopter form below. Make sure you check out Maple Holistics website and let me know in the comments below what product of theirs you'd be most excited to try.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The giveaway will remain open until 09/26/15 at 12:00 am, at which point a winner will be selected at random. Entries are open to US residents only aged 18 and older. All entries will be verified prior to the winner being selected. The winner will be announced 09/27/15 and will be notified via e-mail. Winner has 48 hours to respond and claim their prize before a new winner will be selected. Good luck!
