Salves and Oils

Hey there! And welcome back to our in-depth conversation on natural moisturizers. Two weeks ago in a blog we covered lotions and body butters, and now we’ll talk about two lesser-known but extremely effective options: salves and oils.

With all the natural moisturizers that exist you might be wondering…what’s the difference between these moisturizing products? How do you know which is the best natural moisturizer for your body versus which acts as the best natural moisturizer hair treatment? What about natural options for acne-prone skin? And how about natural options for face, hands and scalp? Yikes, so many questions! Don’t worry, we’re about to find out!

Wait! Can Natural Soap Be a Moisturizer Too?

I know this blog is focused on our non-soap products, but you really can’t talk about moisturizing products without mentioning natural soap! While glycerin is typically removed in mass soap production, our natural soap is handmade in small batches and maintains a glycerin content. Glycerin is a naturally occurring chemical compound that attracts water, which means that your hair and skin will benefit if they are covered in a product containing glycerin. 

If you find that you have perpetually dry skin and always use commercial brand soap, you should try switching to natural soap. That little extra boost of moisture could be just what your skin needs.

Are Natural Products Better For Your Skin?

Before I jump into specifics in this blog, I want to say one very, very important thing. Just because something is natural…does not automatically mean it is SAFE for you or even benefits you (please do not rub your entire body with poison ivy) which is why you still need to be careful when choosing natural products. Every ingredient we put into our products is as safe for you as possible. We are constantly reevaluating our products, taking out ingredients that can be substituted with safer options or taking out ingredients based on new findings suggesting any negative effects. 

AVNS Products Containing CBD

With so many CBD producers on the market, how do you know who to trust? Our relaxation salve, tincture, balm, cooling cream and face lotion are produced for Apple Valley Natural Soap by a facility which rigorously evaluates every stage of the process. From soil to oil, the process is standardized and controlled to produce highly rated and effective products. 

What about THC? In order for a product to claim to be THC free, it needs to contain less than .3% THC. All 4 of our full-spectrum topicals (Relaxation salve, Extra Strength Balm, Pain Relief Cooling Cream and Rebalance Face Lotion) including our topical Hemp Facial Oil, contain no THC, not even traces.

For more info about CBD products, check out this blog!

Salves

A salve is often used to target specific areas of the body and to provide a medicinal benefit of some sort. 

Why Should You Use a Natural Salve?

I would probably compare choosing a natural salve over a commercial brand salve to choosing a natural bug repellent spray to a commercial brand. Both will work, but one contains ingredients that are lower risk to your safety. We have some specially formulated salves that range in potency to cover everything from bug bites to muscle aches and pains. 

Our Natural Salves

Organic Herbal Salve 

This Herbal Salve Works Best For: daily application for rashes, bug bites, sun burn, wounds, dry, cracked skin, bruises, diaper rash and more!

Chock full of soothing, certified organic herbs infused in a base of organic, extra virgin olive oil and unrefined beeswax, this salve is amazingly multi-purpose and economical. Here are some of the beneficial ingredients in this salve…

St. John’s wort: has historically been known to help speed up the healing process and prevent scarring. (Don’t worry, it isn’t an actual wart, it’s a flower).

Echinacea: has a long history of success with venomous stings and bites and is anti-inflammatory and antibacterial. 

Comfrey & Yarrow: have astringent properties and have been used to promote cell regeneration and healing. 

Plantain: is acclaimed for its ability to relieve bee stings, insect and spider bites and rashes.

Calendula: is impressive because of its ability to speed healing, improve the appearance of the skin, lower inflammation, and protect the skin against infections. 

Rosemary: has natural antiseptic properties, which makes it a superior disinfectant for our skin. It can also help protect skin cells from damage often caused by the sun and free radicals. 

Grapefruit seed extract: is an excellent anti-fungal agent.

Ingredients: extra virgin olive oil*, unrefined beeswax, St. John’s wort*, echinacea purpurea root*, echinacea purpurea leaf*, comfrey leaf & root*, calendula blossom*, yarrow flower*, plantain leaf*, rosemary leaf*, grapefruit seed extract and vitamin E oil (from Non-GMO sunflower oil).  *certified organic

Oils for Skin and Hair

Oils are making a big splash in the beauty industry, why? When applied to hair and skin, oils coat the surface they interact with and create a protective barrier that traps moisture and prevents things like dryness, breakage, and heat damage.

Why Should You Use Natural Oils

Yes, oils are popular right now, but not every oil on the market is the miracle you’ve been looking for. Unfortunately, many beauty companies are taking advantage of pure oil’s good reputation and are selling “beauty oils” made with low quality oil and a bunch of other additives. I recently received a facial oil sample that contained a bunch of dye used to give it a midnight blue coloring. Why would you ever want to put artificial dye on your face??? Natural oils will either be made of one pure oil or a blend of pure oils and few other ingredients. We have a few different oils that have been life-changing for our customers

Jojoba Oil

This Oil Works Best For: everyday use for every skin type.

Our pure, organic jojoba is the most natural way to moisturize both skin and hair. The benefits of jojoba are numerous and unparalleled. Jojoba is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, moisturizing and easily absorbed into the skin, leaving no oily residue, making it the perfect massage oil. It is used to maintain skin elasticity and leaves skin literally glowing. You can use jojoba to remove makeup, combat conditions like athlete’s foot, dandruff, eczema, skin bacteria and other skin infections. It improves hair quality and stimulates hair growth.

This has, and always will be, one of my favorite AVNS products, and I have used it for years. It is simply amazing, and try as I might, (when I’ve forgotten to pack mine, when traveling), there’s nothing else out there that compares–even at a significantly higher price point. I apply after every bath. A little goes a long way, and despite using it on a daily basis, one bottle lasts a long time. There is nothing that moisturizes my skin better. My daughters are constantly telling me how soft my skin is. The twist-to-open applicator makes it a breeze to apply, with no waste. Pamper yourself. You will not be disappointed!

-Satisfied Customer

Argan Oil

This Oil Works Best For: Dry skin, mature skin, and hair 

One of the world’s most rare and potent beauty serums, this unrefined (virgin), certified organic, Moroccan argan oil is rich in nutrients, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids. As a non-greasy, fast absorbing oil, it offers better protection for skin and hair than any other oil on the planet. Argan oil is high in something called oleic acid and even though it’s still considered a “dry” oil, meaning it won’t leave an oily residue and will absorb quickly, it’s an oil which will keep the skin moisturized, help battle the loss of elasticity and reduce inflammation. Oleic acid adds a richness to oils, making argan oil an excellent deep moisturizer. It penetrates easily and deeply into the skin’s surface, replenishing lost moisture that naturally comes with age, it also helps the moisture from evaporating.

Argan oil’s benefits for skin are many, here are the highlights:

• Enriched with antioxidants it protects skin from sun damage and helps with skin repair from sun exposure.
• Moistures skin, packed with vitamin E and fatty acids it hydrates, nourishes and moisturizes effectively and replenishes skin cells.
• Prevents and reduces stretch marks as it helps improve skin elasticity.
• Heals infections with it’s anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. Speeding up the healing process of wounds, infections and burns is a wonderful benefit of this amazing oil.
• Treats acne, heals blemishes and evens out skin tone.

Moroccan Argan oil has multiple uses for hair and body

• Thermal heat protectant for hair: put 2-4 drops in the palm of your hand and massage into damp hair after showering. Your hair will feel silky soft after blow-drying. Check out our BLOG for more information about this and amazing results you can see!
• Deep conditioner: wet hair with hot water, massage a small amount into the scalp and down the shaft of the hair, wrap with a towel, and let it sit for 15 minutes. Wash hair as usual. Alternatively, apply to dry hair before going to bed at night. Wrap in a towel and wash in the morning for soft, silky locks. Argan oil helps with dandruff and other dry scalp symptoms.
• Makeup remover: put a couple of drops on a cotton ball and and gently remove eye makeup. Leaves the delicate skin around your eyes moisturized.
• Facial moisturizer: apply a few drops to your delicate facial tissue and around your eyes and watch your skin soak it up and start glowing.
• Beard oil: bearded people, you know what I’m sayin’. Or if you want something designed specifically for facial hair, check out our Men’s Nourishing Beard Oil.
• Cuticle and nail repair serum: apply a drop to cuticles and nails at night and say good bye to cut, sore finger tips. Argan oil will strengthen and nourish your nails too.
• Night hand oil. Two pumps rubbed into your hands before you go to bed leaves them soft and silky in the morning.
• Expectant mothers: apply organic argan oil to your tummy to help prevent and reduce the appearance of stretch marks.

Ingredients: pure, unadulterated, cold pressed, undeodorized, virgin, organic argania spinosa (argan oil).

I had a bottle of Argan oil that I used previously and It was ok, but I had nothing to compare it to. After using Apple Valley Argan oil I would guess the other is not pure. Anyway, I get 1-2 pumps and add a drop of lavender essential oil to it and dab it on my face especially under eyes. The oil has a thicker consistency but does not feel greasy. Also it melts into my skin quickly and leaves it looking so nice. Whatever is remaining on my fingers I gently swipe into my fine hair and is lays nice with no flyaways and it does not cause it to get greasy at all. I have also rubbed this on my knees and elbows and it is amazing for smoothing and moisturizing skin.

-Satisfied Customer