Skincare: California Naturel Review

If you're a follower of the blog, you probably know I'm always going on about my sensitive skin. I'm forever on the lookout for gentle, natural brands that my skin will like. Just in time to address summer dryness, the lovely people at California Naturel offered to send me a selection of their plant & mineral based skincare products.

Like always, the packaging is what I noticed first. Colorful accents and embossing are such simple ways to make a product stand out.

A little about the company:

Based in California, duh. I really, really love that they are completely committed to making seriously all-natural skincare products. Everything is naturally scented, meaning they use plant extracts, and are free of parabens, sulfates, and synthetic chemicals. According to the site, they also pride themselves on being a socially responsible business. They also use a lot of organic ingredients. Each product has a different percentage of organic ingredients, so if you're curious, click the links below to learn more!

Here's what I got to try:

Gentle Cleansing Gel

No complaints! Pretty gentle, and at least hasn't made my dry, itchy skin any worse. Great if you wear a lot of make-up. Damascus rose, palmarosa, and ylang-ylang oils are all beneficial and make it smell lovely!

Nourishing Cream

This gentle face lotion smells very herby, which I love. It's exactly what my skin needs, too! Olive leaf and Crithmum Maritimum (fancy science name for sea fennel) are supposed to reduce inflammation and redness. It soaks in pretty quickly, which is nice when you're hurried in the mornings.

Sunscreen SPF 30

I'm not as crazy about this lotion's scent, but scent is in the nose of the beholder, so maybe you'll like it? If you're real concerned about protecting you skin, than this is the sunscreen you want! It's one of those physical sunscreens, so if you don't rub it in real well, you'll look pasty. Mixing it with the Nourishing Cream makes it a little easier to put on. The only complaint I have is that it turns yellow when it dries and I've stained a few shirts. If you plan on wearing a white collar of any kind, use a different sunscreen for the day.

Lip Balm SPF 8

I love this stuff, but I'm pretty into any and all lip products. Especially ones with SPF that taste like berries! It protects against both UVA and UVB, which is important since lips don't have their own natural protection. It goes on smooth and provides a long-lasting barrier against the elements. Great for the beach and won't make your milkshake taste like lipgloss. Well, unless you're drinking a McDonald's milkshake. I'm still bitter about the "improvements" they made to their recipe -_-

Overall Grade: 

A-

Great company & great products!

♠

Dinner Tonight: Power Salad

Grapefruit, kale, and avocados are all very affordable in April, since they're in season, so why not load up on all three! I've created this warm salad, which is loosely based on a delicious salad my BFF Katherine made for Thanksgiving. It features nutrient- and fiber-rich foods, is low-fat, vegan, and incredibly delicious!

Ingredients (2 salads):

1 bunch of kale

1 grapefruit

1 medium to large avocado

1 Tbsp olive oil

Juice of 1 lime, plus any leftover grapefruit juice

Red pepper flakes

1/4+ cup pistachios

salt & pepper to taste

1. Cut the avocado into slices or chunks; set aside. Cut the grapefruit in half and use a small knife to go around the edges. This will make it easier to scoop the sections out. Use a spoon to scoop the sections out and set aside with the avocado. Squeeze leftover juice from the grapefruit rinds over the avocado.

2. Heat a saute pan over low-medium heat. Chop kale and add to pan. Add lime juice, olive oil and pepper flakes and toss. If the kale starts to sizzle, the pan is too hot, so turn it down. Heat for 5 minutes, or just until the kale starts to turn bright green.

2. Divide the kale between two plates, making sure to top each with any leftover liquid from the saute pan. Now put half the avocado-grapefruit mix on each salad and sprinkle with pistachios. Season with salt and pepper as desired.

Serve with Grapefruit Whiskey Sour :)

Recipe: Easy Beans & Rice

It's been a while since I've posted a recipe, so I've been experimenting. After failing horribly with a curry-style lentil dish, I decided it was time to simplify things. The results: this delicious and easy bean dish.

I cooked mine in a crock pot, which meant the least amount of effort. We found a 2-person crock pot at Fred Meyer's (it's like Target) for $10. It's been one of our best purchases yet! When you use a slow-cooker, there is no need for cooking oil, which can help if you are trying to eat smart. You can cook this dish in a sauce pan too, but you will need to soak the beans over night, or use canned beans.

Ingredients:

1 medium carrot

1/2 onion

2 cloves garlic

1-2 slices wood smoked bacon (this can be omitted)

1 cup beans, any kind

Water or broth

Salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, to taste

1 cup rice

1 can beets

Cilantro & lime

Step 1.

Chop up the onion. Cut the carrot lengthwise and slice. Add to pot.

Step 2. Peel the garlic. An easy way to do this is cut off the end and then use the flat side of the knife to slightly crush the garlic. This helps loosen the skin so it can be removed easily. Chop up the garlic and add to pot.

Step 3. Rinse the beans and cut the bacon into small pieces. What's nice about bacon is you don't need a lot to add flavor to a dish! The bacon can be omitted if you want a vegetarian or vegan dish, but add some smoked paprika or smoked salt so you're not missing out on that lovely smokey flavor! Put the bacon and beans into the pot.

I used Anasazi beans for this recipe simply because they're beautiful! Black beans would work, too.

Step 4. Stir together all the ingredients, add salt, pepper, and pepper flakes, and add roughly 2 1/2 cups water or broth, or enough to cover. Now cover with the lid and let cook for 3 to 4 hours, or until beans are tender. Stove top cooking time will differ.

Step 5. Serve over rice with cilantro, lime, beets, and hot sauce.

I used fancy black rice that I found at the co-op that my mom shops at. It has lots of vitamins and a nutty flavor, similar to brown rice. How cool is this rice??

If you opt for black rice, here are the cooking directions:

2 cups water for 1 cup rice

Soak the rice while the beans cook.

When you are ready to cook it, bring the 2 cups water to a boil

Add in the rice and reduce to simmer

Cover and cook for 25-30 minutes

Note: If you don't pre-soak the rice, you will need to cook it for 60-70 minutes!