Crazy Facts You Didn’t Know About Pumpkin and Black Licorice

Leave a comment September 22, 2020 Eleanor Jahns-Roerick

Pumpkin Spice is Back and so is Fall

For the Minnesotan, fall is the perfect time of year. Not too hot, not too cold. The roads aren’t slippery and all of the trees explode in gorgeous shades of yellow, orange, and red. Apple orchards and pumpkin patches offer steaming cups of cider and old fashioned hay-bale rides and of course there’s the obvious: AVNS limited edition fall soaps are back in stock with Pumpkin Spice (even better than a pumpkin spice latte? You’ll have to find out), Black Licorice, and Spice Cake!

Yes, you heard right. Our mouthwatering fall soaps are ready for consumption and this time they’ve got a blog to go with them. While the popular scents of our fall bars seem like a no-brainer, there’s a fascinating history behind the popular fall ingredients we probably take for granted. This week I dug deep to learn everything there was about pumpkins and black licorice and I think their ancient roots and unknown beauty benefits will really surprise you.

The History of the Pumpkin

So who was the first person to say, “Hey, let’s scoop out the inside of this giant orange fruit, carve out shapes in its sides, and stick a candle inside!”? Thanks to an enlightening article on the History Channel Website, I learned that the first Jack O’ Lanterns originated in Ireland and were not made from candles in pumpkins but coals in carved turnips (pumpkins weren’t native to Ireland). According to a spooky Irish folktale, a man by the name of Stingy Jack (sound a little like a certain Mr. Scrooge?) made a string of deals with the Devil and when it came time for him to pass into the afterlife neither God nor the Devil were willing to open their gates to the stingy, conniving man. Instead, “The Devil sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the Earth ever since.”

Whoa, that’s pretty spooky, and apparently the Irish thought so too because it became a tradition for them to leave their own carved turnips glowing brightly in their windows to ward off the spirit of Stingy Jack. I’m just thankful that the God I know is way more forgiving than the version in the story. And speaking of thankfulness, what about thanksgiving and pumpkin pie?

The History Channel filled me in. Pumpkins are native to Mexico and Central America, although they’ve been grown in North America for five thousand years. The first pumpkin pies probably looked more like sweet squash casseroles than the pie crust and custard filling we are used to today.

Beauty Benefits of Pumpkin

According to an article in MYSA for DIY Pumpkin Face masks, “Pumpkin contains vitamin A, C, and E, and antioxidants, which help fight sun damage and wrinkles. It also has fruit enzymes that help naturally exfoliate dead skin cells. Finally, it contains zinc and potassium to combat redness.” Our Pumpkin Spice Hand and Body Soap is stuffed with real pumpkin puree! If you love your pumpkin spice at Starbucks you’ll love this bar.

The History of Black Licorice

Today there seems to be two camps of thought, I’ve often heard it said that people who don’t like black licorice will not go anywhere near it, while people who do like it LOVE it. Is there really no in between? I guess I wouldn’t know since I absolutely LOVE black licorice and could not be more excited that AVNS has devoted an entire bar to the sweet, chewy black candy. It’s not all about the candy though, there’s more to Licorice than meets the eye.

For those who don’t like black licorice, maybe you’ll consider giving it another whiff when you learn that it holds a revered spot throughout history.

According to blog written by the Candy Warehouse, Licorice can be traced through the following ancient dynasties:

“Great quantities were found with the fabulous treasures of King Tut, and other Egyptian rulers — for it was believed that the licorice could be used to prepare a sweet drink in the next world.”

“The Chinese (dating back 5,000 years) maintained that eating the root would give them strength and endurance. Licorice still holds a prominent place in Chinese herbal combinations since it is believed to harmonize with the action of other herbs.”

“Alexander the Great, the Scythian armies, Roman Emperor Caesar, and even India’s great prophet, Brahma, are on record endorsing the beneficial properties contained in licorice. Warriors used it for its ability to quench thirst while on the march, while others (including Brahma and venerable Chinese Buddhist sages), recognized licorice’s valuable healing properties.”

*Twizzlers and Red Vines are referred to as licorice, but do not actually contain licorice root. Please consider this before trying to add them to your beauty routine!

Beauty Benefits of Black Licorice

According to an article in Root Science, “The anti-inflammatory properties of licorice root help reduce skin conditions that cause: puffiness, rashes, redness, swelling, and itching.” Our Black Licorice Hand, Foot, and Body Soap is also made with black walnut, regarded to be useful in the treatment of skin diseases and complaints such as eczema, ringworm, athlete’s foot etc. It’s long been used as a natural remedy for acne, canker sores, psoriasis and other fungal infections.

Food For Thought

I hope you found the histories of these commonplace foods as fascinating as I did! I love learning about cultural folklore, how about you? Sorry there wasn’t much about spice cake, the origins and history are largely unknown except for sources dating back to ancient Egypt. At least there are plenty of recipes for spice cake available (or if baking isn’t your thing just go for the soap!)

Much Love,

Nora

What is Hair porosity and why does it matter?

4 Comments September 14, 2020 Eleanor Jahns-Roerick

Hair Porosity

Photo by Rony Stephen Chowdhury on Pexels.com

Porosity refers to your hair’s ability to soak up and retain moisture (imagine trying to soak up a puddle of water with a sponge versus a sheet of plastic). Your hair’s porosity is determined by genetics, but can also be affected by external factors such as heat processing and chemical treatments. Knowing your hair’s porosity will help you choose the right products for your hair to keep it healthy, strong, and radiant. Today we’ll talk about the different types of hair porosity, how to determine your hair’s porosity, and what kind of ingredients and products work best for different hair porosities.

Why Porosity Matters

Each strand of hair on your head has an outer layer called a cuticle. Cuticles are made up of overlapping dead cells that form a protective barrier around the strand’s cortex (the inner core of your hair strand that determines your hair’s color). The cuticle’s composition is like the scales on a fish or the bark on a coniferous tree. Porosity refers to how flat and tight those scales are.

Low Porosity Hair

Low porosity hair is made up of strands on which the cuticles are composed of tightly bound, flat-laying scales. Low porosity hair is often shiny and repels the penetration of chemicals and moisture.

Medium Porosity Hair

Medium porosity hair has a slightly looser cuticle than low porosity hair, allowing the perfect amount of moisture into the hair strand. Medium hair is easily manageable and holds up to heat and color manipulation. However, overuse of color, heat, and chemical treatments can disrupt and damage the cuticles, which ups the porosity.

High Porosity Hair

High porosity hair has the loosest cuticle formation, leaving it vulnerable to too much moisture which can lead to breakage and frizz. I imagine the structure of porous strands of hair as fully matured pinecones. The scales of a baby pinecone are pressed flat but fan out as the pinecone matures. Once the scales are splayed, they are prone to catching and tearing. If it rains, the water collects inside of the pinecone instead of running off the outside and overtime the standing water will rot the pinecone’s core. Similarly, high porosity hair retains a higher water percentage than low porosity hair and too much water can cause weakening and elongation of your strands.

How to Test Your Hair’s Porosity

The most popular method of testing your hair’s porosity is by observing how a strand of hair interacts with water (often known as: the float test). To prep for this test, shampoo your hair and let it air-dry. Once your hair is clean and dry take a couple strands and drop them into a cup of water. Watch them for the next 15 minutes. If they float, your hair has a low porosity. If they quickly sink to the bottom your hair has high porosity. If they sink a bit and then hover in the middle your hair has medium porosity. You can always run this test with a few friends to have other hair to compare yours to. Depending on your determined porosity, you can adjust your hair routine to benefit your hair’s health.

Both of these hairs are from my head! The curlier, coarser strand is from the back and the looser, thinner strand is from the front!

My Results From the Float Test

I was curious as the whether this test really works (you know I love DIYs), so of course I had to try it out. I selected two different strands of my hair from my head because as you’ll see from the photos I took: I have a diverse head of hair. I also used a strand of my mother’s hair because why not? According to the results, my hair is low to medium porosity and my mother’s hair is low porosity. If you’re going to run this test I suggest using a bowl with a wide opening because the hair strands kept clinging to the edge of the glasses with narrow openings.

The first glass has a strand of my mom’s hair. Her hair is shiny and has a slight wave and as you can see, her hair floated at the top for the entire 15 minutes. The second glass has my curly strand and the third glass has my wavy strand, both of which submerged slightly but not entirely.

If You Have Low Porosity Hair

Product will tend to sit on your hair instead of being absorbed. You’ll need to clarify frequently to control build up. Clay is a great way to do this. Our Rhassoul and Avocado Shampoo Bar and White China Silk Shampoo Bar are both made with clay: an excellent natural clarifier. Acidic hair rinses are also extremely helpful for getting rid of build up.

If You have Medium Porosity Hair

You’re really going to want to balance moisture and protein in your hair care routine. Hemp seed oil is perfect because it is an oil that will lock in moisture while also providing protein. I love the Hemp and Honey 2.0 Shampoo Bar for my curly hair.

If You Have High Porosity Hair

Trap in that moisture with oils. Coconut oil is great for locking in moisture and is a key ingredient in many of our shampoo bars. The Coconut Milk and Citrus Shampoo Bar and Key Lime Shampoo Bar are made with coconut milk, a natural beauty treatment used in many hair and skin products to hydrate and repair skin cells as well as to add shine, silkiness, and softness to hair and skin. Using oils when you style is also essential. Argan oil will lock in additional moisture and promote shine!

What’s you hair’s porosity?

Much Love,

Nora

Boost Your Confidence Naturally With Power Posing?

3 Comments September 1, 2020 Eleanor Jahns-Roerick

I Tried Power Posing for Five Minutes Daily to Increase Confidence

Is confidence something you’re born with? Or something you can naturally obtain over time with experience? Are there things you can do to boost your confidence quickly? I decided to spend five minutes power posing every day and then keep a daily journal to record any signs of increased confidence. I can say with complete confidence that the results surprised me.

Boost Natural Confidence?

Outer Sources of Confidence

Natural ways to improve confidence are easier to achieve than you might think. Evaluating the patterns in your life can help you determine ways to boost confidence with only a few mindful adjustments.

Surround Yourself With Supporters

Spending time with people who believe in you can help you to believe in yourself. Be mindful not to rely on others to feed your ego, but learn how to participate in a community focused on the goal of lifting up others.

Essential Oils to Boost Confidence

Essential oils are used as natural remedies to boost confidence. Our noses have a powerful influence on the rest of our bodily systems. Introducing your senses to certain smells in order to influence your body or mind is known as aromatherapy. Specific essential oils such as lavender, bergamot, and peppermint have been used to relieve tension, boost self-esteem, and even increase performance ability (have you ever received a peppermint before a big test? I know I have!). Many essential oils and plant products also have topical benefits as well, which is why they are the perfect natural solution for scenting our soaps and other products.

Inner Sources of Confidence

There are tons of natural ways to boost confidence, and most of them start with the way you treat yourself.

Self-Talk

How you talk to yourself influences your self perception. When your inner monologue is positive and not self-deprecating, your self-esteem increases. For some examples of negative self-talk vs. positive self-talk, check out this educational example!

Body Language

What is Power Posing?

If you’ve ever prepared for a job interview, there’s a good chance you’ve heard the term “Power Posing” before. Power posing comes from the idea that our body language plays a big role in determining self-perception and if we look powerful, we’ll feel powerful. The initial Power Posing Ted Talk by Amy Cuddy became wildly popular after its debut in 2012, but after a replicated study in 2015 failed to produce similar findings power posing was called out as pseudoscience. Despite receiving fervent backlash, Cuddy must have been power posing 24/7 because she refused to give up and confidently continued her research into 2018 until she confirmed without a doubt that power posing is shown to make people feel more confident, even if it doesn’t actually produce a hormonal change.

Five Days of Power Posing

I kept a little journal for each day that I spent standing like Wonder Woman to record any changes in confidence that might have occurred as well as some overall feelings and observations about the experiment.

Day 1

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

Today was my first day “Power Posing!” I decided to use the same pose every day, even though there are many poses to choose from. I chose the Wonder Woman-esque “hands on hips” pose because it seemed the most natural (just in case I ever had to do it in public) and it’s also the pose used on Grey’s Anatomy (Season 11, Episode 14) which is where I first got the inspiration for this blog. I posed in my bathroom so that I could look in the mirror to check that I was doing it right. Wow. Five minutes sure seems like a long time when you aren’t doing anything, I tried to think “powerful thoughts” but I kept getting distracted and I think I checked my timer like a million times. I’m so glad I decided to start this project today because I had an interview and I needed all the confidence I could get. The interview went very well and at one point my interviewer asked me if I was actually good at writing. Normally I’d come up with a tactful reply balancing between humility and positivity, but when he asked me my instant response was a big, confident, “Yes.” WHOA. WHERE DID THAT CONFIDENCE COME FROM?! Does power posing work that well? I guess I’ll have to see and find out!

Day 2

Power posed in the shower today so that I could let my favorite deep condition do its trick at the same time. I felt pretty low today because my long term boyfriend and best friend leaves for college in three days and I’m going to miss him a ton. I went over to his house to help him pack for school and was just overwhelmed by sadness (and all the packing that needed to get done). I was sitting in his room feeling sorry for myself when this thought popped into my head, “You know, if you work at being productive you might not feel so sad.” Cleaning is never my favorite task and I’d have normally dismissed the thought, but for some reason I felt like I had the inner reserves to push through and get the job done. After five hours and a bunch of sorting and organizing we had gone through his entire room. It was extremely satisfying and I felt like maybe the power posing had helped me feel like I was capable of accomplishing tasks I would normally avoid.

Day 3

I was super busy and didn’t have time to power pose until late afternoon because I spent the morning driving to Wisconsin to get to work on time. I didn’t notice much of a difference throughout the day, although one interesting thing did happen at the end of the day. I was sitting behind the front desk and a couple came in looking for a recommendation for trips down the river. When I started talking to them, I found myself getting out of my chair and standing. Then my hands naturally went to my hips and before I knew it I was discreetly power posing (nervous sweat be gone!)!

Day 4

I forgot to power pose at home and had to do it at work today. The workplace can sometimes be stressful and I found I had difficulty holding my pose for the full five minutes. I kept resorting to more anxious body language. The rest of the day went relatively smoothly. I think my main takeaway from today is that maybe power posing offers more than just boosting confidence, maybe it also acts as a gauge to determine how confident you are at any given place or time. Perhaps, if you recognize a place where you don’t feel as confident, your awareness can help you push through the situation.

Day 5

Photo by Cedric Lim Ah Tock on Pexels.com

The last day of power posing started off with really great news! I was offered the position at the place I interviewed! For the rest of the day I felt extremely productive. Over the last five days I’ve found that I’ve been able to initiate action with more ease than I have in the past. I think I’m going to continue power posing every day for two minutes instead of five. Even if its effects are just placebo, power posing gives me a couple minutes to just breathe and be in my own body and I’ve come to appreciate and cherish that time.

I hoped you enjoyed following my five days of power posing. Feel free to replicate the project and reach out with your results! If you’re new to AVNS, welcome! You can join our community newsletter to stay up to date on sales and giveaways and get 10% off on your first purchase!

Much Love & Confidence,

Nora

3 Important Skincare Tips for Mature Skin

8 Comments August 18, 2020 Eleanor Jahns-Roerick

Giving Your Skin What it Needs

Signs of aging are nothing to be ashamed of.

You are beautiful beyond your physical appearance.

That being said, your skin deserves the best care you can give it and you deserve to feel like you look as amazing as you are…no matter what your age is.

So you shouldn’t be ashamed for wanting to find the perfect make-up routine either.

Behind Every Great Make-up Routine is an Amazing Skincare Routine.

This is especially true for mature skin. According to the U.S National Library of Medicine, As we age, “changes in the connective tissue reduce the skin’s strength and elasticity.” For people 50+, a mature skincare routine means paying extra attention to your skin’s needs to prevent dry, dull skin from weighing down your glowing personality. Because I’m just a youngin when it comes to the beauty industry, I reached out to a professional make-up artist who specializes in mature skin to bring you the top three tips on caring for mature skin.

Pssst! Not over the hill yet? Not even over the anthill? You should keep reading, because it is never too early to find the perfect skincare routine and these tips apply to all skin!

Meet Elise Marquam-Jahns

Author at Sixtyandme.com, “Elise Marquam-Jahns is a professional makeup artist who is passionate about helping women 50+ get their glow back. She is the founder of Boomer and Beyond Beauty and recently launched “Boomer and Beyond Beauty with Elise” – a makeup and beauty YouTube channel specifically designed for women over 50.”

I spent the week emailing with this sophisticated skincare expert (and watching her informative Youtube videos) to learn as much as I could about how to best care for mature skin.

3 Skincare Tips for Mature Skin

These three easy steps can be added to any and every skincare routine to help keep your skin luminous and healthy.

Exfoliate

While using the right cleanser for your skin has countless benefits, Elise points out that washing your face correctly is also an essential part of an effective skincare routine. In her Youtube video “6 Skincare Musts for Women 50+” Elise recommends using a sonic cleansing brush to wash your face instead of doing it manually because, “it doesn’t thoroughly get rid of everything that’s accumulated on our skin over the day.” Pollution, left-over make-up, and dead skin all contribute to build-up. Exfoliating with a brush removes this build-up and enhances the appearance and feeling of your skin. It also exposes your skin and allows the products you’re applying to be more effective. For example, exfoliating and then applying a toner will allow the ingredients to interact with the brand new skin. Rich in vitamin C our Organic Bulgarian Rose Facial Toner has tons of benefits for mature skin including possible lessening of fine lines and wrinkles over time, read more here. One important note about exfoliating is to not do it too often. Over use of a sonic cleansing brush can lead to raw skin, so finding a frequency your skin can tolerate is important. Exfoliating once every other day is a good starting point!

Moisturize

Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

In her video, Elise lists moisturized skin as a priority for mature skin and we couldn’t agree more. Natural Soap is a great way to ensure that your skin is moisturized and cleansed at the same time, we even have a line of facial soap dedicated to dry skin. I wanted to know exactly what kind of ingredients were best for mature skin, so I asked Elise for a list of DOs and DON’Ts for skincare ingredients.

DON’T: Mineral Oil, Aluminum, DEA, MEA or TEA, DMDM Hydantoin and Urea, Parabens (anything with Methyl, Butyl, Ethyl, Propyl), Phthalates, synthetic fragrances, alcohol, and Triclosan

DO: The most important skin care ingredients for me are Vitamin C + E plus Ferulic Acid (skin brighteners), Coenzyme Q10 and Matrixyl Synthe 6.

Argan Oil is packed with vitamin E and a great natural moisturizer for both mature skin skin and hair and you can read about why that is here.

Antioxidant Beauty Facial Soap

One of our most pampering bars, the Antioxidant Beauty Facial Soap is packed with natural ingredients including:

Green tea extract for added skin elasticity.

Papaya with vitamin A for new cell reformation.

Guava for its anti-aging B vitamins.

Rosehips for their natural skin brightening retinol and vitamin C components.

Sea buckthorn for its collagen-creating Omega 7 fatty acid.

Yogurt for its pore-tightening lactic acid.

Rhassoul Clay absorbs impurities from hair and skin while leaving it soft and moisturized.

Protection

I have the same visor in two colors. That’s how much I love it.

I grew up believing that sunscreen was only meant for day-long sunshine marathons on the dock. Contrary to popular practice, you can benefit from wearing sunscreen with safe ingredients whenever you go outside. I have sensitive facial skin, so I always, always, always wear my signature giant sun visor. Elise recommends wearing a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. Sunscreen not only protects against skin cancer, it also preserves the appearance of your skin. According to the Institute of Health, “When UV rays enter skin cells, they upset delicate processes that affect the skin’s growth and appearance. Over time, exposure to these rays can make the skin less elastic. Skin may even become thickened and leathery, wrinkled, or thinned like tissue paper.”

A Word on Haircare

The condition of our skin affects the condition of our hair too. In an article published in Good Housekeeping, the myth that grey hair is naturally coarser was debunked with this insightful correlation, “While gray hair feels coarse and rough, the structure of the strand hasn’t actually changed. When those melanin-producing cells run out of steam, the hair follicles also produce less sebum (the natural oils that hydrate hair). As a result, gray hair tends to be drier, which gives it that wiry texture.” Knowing that grey hair isn’t inherently difficult means we can do something about it! If you’re tired of touching up your roots now could be your time to embrace your grey! With hashtags like #greyhairdontcare you can find an online community of beautiful women supporting one another as they transition to elegant, icy hues.

I’ll Say it Again

Signs of age are nothing to be ashamed of. They represent the individual experience of life for every person on the planet. Our bodies were built as beautiful, temporary houses for our souls and they do so much for us while we inhabit the Earth. For this we are grateful. I’m personally grateful that I had the chance to catch up with a beauty mentor who also happens to be my amazing grandmother (did the same last name give it away??)! What are you grateful for?

Pictured left to right: my mom, me, my grandmother Elise and my aunt Erin.

Much Love,

Nora

Want to become a Brand Ambassador for Natural Soap? Here’s How.

3 Comments August 11, 2020 Eleanor Jahns-Roerick

What is a Brand Ambassador?

A Brand Ambassador represents a company and promotes the company’s products either in person or on-line.

Apple Valley Natural Soap Brand Ambassador/Affiliate Program

We want people to have natural, organic, vegan, cruelty-free, options when it comes to health and beauty products. As a smaller business we do our best to reach people with quality, hand-made natural products, but sometimes we need a little help. The Apple Valley Natural Soap Brand Ambassador/Affiliate program was created so that people who love our products can benefit from sharing them with others via social media (Facebook, Instagram, personal blogs…you get the idea).

Don’t Think You’re Tech Savvy enough to be a Brand Ambassador? Think Again!

Okay, let me start by saying: I have never been a tech savvy person. When I tell people this they think I’m being dramatic. Then I tell how I failed my computer skills class in eighth grade. The story goes like this:

We were supposed to program a short animation of a cat doing the following: walking across the room, picking up a can of tuna fish, eating the tuna fish, turning green, and barfing.

After five hours of sweating over my keyboard and mouse my cat did this:

Turned green, walked…upside down across the ceiling, barfed (while still upside down), completely ignored the can of tuna, and then disappeared.

People don’t question me after that.

Steps to Becoming an AVNS Brand Ambassador

I decided that if I could figure out how to become an AVNS Brand Ambassador, you could too. I spent the entire week attempting to learn the ins and outs of being a Brand Ambassador and even if I’m never successful, hopefully I can give you the start you need to become the best AVNS Brand Ambassador EVER.

Step One: Create an Affiliate Account Through Apple Valley Natural Soap

If you’re on the mobile version of our site it will say “Pages”

Once you’re on the AVNS website, click on “More” and then scroll through the drop down menu until you find the “Ambassador/Affiliate Program” tab.

The Ambassador/Affiliate Page will walk you through the process and benefits and at the bottom of the page you’ll see a button that says “Register.” Click on it.

Here are the basics of becoming a Brand Ambassador

Setting up your account is super easy, as is setting up a Paypal account if you don’t already have one.

Step Two: Set Up a PayPal Account

I’m pretty sure all I had to do was enter my email…

If you know you’re putting all your profits towards more AVNS soap, we have an option for your commission to be in the form of store credit as well!

The trickiest part for me was the actual Brand “Ambassad-ing”

Step Two: Create Promotional Posts

We’ve already supplied you with banners (photos of your fav products) that can be found on your affiliate account. Just download the photo you want to post and then upload it to social media. I love Instagram and Facebook, but I quickly learned that I wasn’t as good at navigating them as I thought. It took me a while to understand that I couldn’t share a click-able link on my Facebook and Instagram stories. The trick is to put your affiliate link (which you can find on your account page) in your bio. And then direct people to your bio.

Aww, look at my cute lil affiliate link!

Not sure what a bio is? That’s okay, you aren’t alone! A bio is a place for you to introduce yourself on social media platforms and is typically under where your name is displayed. A blog is also a great way to share products with others

My First Post

I chose the half-sized bar banner because one of my favorite things about AVNS is the huge selection of unique soaps. I put my affiliate link in my Instagram and Facebook bios so that I could redirect people through my story. My Instagram gives me the option to share the post on Facebook and to that I said YES!

When people purchase through your affiliate link you’ll earn commission starting at 6%!

Why Be a Brand Ambassador for Apple Valley Natural Soap?

Apple Valley Natural Soap is about more than keeping surface-level clean. We design our products to exist in harmony with the environment and with your body. What we put in our earth and on our bodies MATTERS. We strive for a deep clean of mind, body, soul, and earth because we believe it is a noble undertaking. If you believe this, and want to help others achieve a deep clean then you’re already on your way to becoming an AVNS Brand Ambassador (if only we can get this pesky post to upload, am I right?)

Much Love,

Nora

How to Achieve the Perfect DIY Spa Day

2 Comments August 4, 2020 Eleanor Jahns-Roerick

In my opinion, there is nothing better than the perfect spa session.

Correction.

There is nothing better than the perfect DIY spa session. In fact, I’ve perfected the art of the DIY spa so, well, perfectly…that I’ve never felt the need to go to a professional spa.

I love a DIY spa day because you get to pick:

Who’s Invited

You can make it a fun project for the kids, a surprise gift for a friend or family member, or a romantic occasion with your significant other.

What’s on the Spa Menu

You get to pick your spa treatments (hot wax treatment…but skip the intense leg massage? You got it!)

The Products

And you get to use products you already know and love. Annnnnnnnd when you love Apple Valley Natural Soap you also know every ingredient that goes into your favorite soaps, lotions and scrubs.

Okay. So now that I’ve convinced you that a DIY spa day is the way to go, I’m sure you’re wondering where to start.

Don’t worry, we might be about to go all-natural with our products, but I’ve got you covered.

The Importance of Self-Care

Before we get lost in the excitement of sugary body scrubs and scrumptious body butters I want to say this: behind every amazing spa day is a source of meaningful motivation. Planning a spa day is a fantastic way to be intentional about self-care.

What is self-care?

Photo by Tirachard Kumtanom on Pexels.com

This quote on Active Minds, the nation’s top non-profit for support and education on mental health, beautifully sums up what self-care is and why it matters, “Self-care is important to maintaining a healthy relationship with yourself. It means doing things to take care of our minds, bodies, and souls by engaging in activities that promote well-being and reduce stress. Doing so enhances our ability to live fully, vibrantly, and effectively. The practice of self-care also reminds both you and others that your needs are valid and a priority.”

If this year has thrown some unexpected challenges your way, raise your hands (mine are already up).

If you raised your hand you are a top candidate for self-care, and if you didn’t raise your hand you are too.

Self-Care Spa Day

The number one reason why I love a DIY spa day is because it allows me to transform my daily maintenance tasks from obligations to occasions. If I’m going to clean my body I might as well do it in style and comfort.

Exfoliate with Salt Bars or Body Polish

I love the way my skin feels after I exfoliate. Both salt and sugar make great natural exfoliants and the essential oils added to our salt bars and sugar scrubs are known for their additional health and beauty benefits.

Salt Bars

A salt bar is a fantastic way to exfoliate and clean at the same time, so it is a great option for DIY pedicures (just scrub, pat dry, and follow with a little argan oil). The Lavender Rosemary Salt Bar is on my top ten AVNS list because it smells amazing, feels amazing, and also works as an amazing shampoo.

Sugar Scrubs

A sugar scrub is my go to for a perfect pre-shave exfoliation because sugar is a natural, gentle exfoliant and the moisturizing oils add an extra layer of protection for my skin when I shave. Our Body Polish is so moisturizing that after using it you may find you don’t even need to apply lotion! It comes in four delicious scents: Citrus Sugar, Matcha Mint, Sweet Vanilla, and Sweet Rosehips (my personal recommendation).

Shave with Coconut Bars

Shaving gets tedious, but with a Virgin Pina Colada nearby it can be wayyyy more enjoyable!

After exfoliating you’ll need to lather up and I’m going to promise you something. Using one of our coconut soap bars as shaving soap will change your life. I had been using shaving cream since I first started shaving and I was super skeptical about using bar soap, but after that first lather…whoa. Coconut Bars lather up so luxuriously, you’ll feel like the King or Queen of shaving.

Massage

While I wish a massage was part of my daily routine, it’s definitely a great way to ease the pain of sore, stiff muscles after a long day of work or play. Our Organic Virgin Jojoba Oil is the perfect massage oil and you can get it CUSTOM MADE with any of our soap scents. If you’re curious about what jojoba oil is you can read more about it here.

DIY Self-Care Massage (feet)

As a dancer I spent a lot of my time walking around with sore feet. I wish I had this Youtube tutorial by PsycheTruth on how to give myself a foot-massage back then, but oh well.

DIY Couples Massage

It’s important to make sure you are in a good place before you start lifting those around you and a DIY couples massage may be the perfect way to lift as you rise! Check out Cleverly’s short, simple instructional video for an upper back massage!

Remember to Relax!

You’ve earned the right to relax this year, and we hope our products will help you achieve the pampering you deserve. For more DIYs, follow our blog. I’d love to know how you use our products to unwind after a busy day, so always feel free to comment below!

Much Love,

Nora

Argan Oil Vs Jojoba Oil for Hair and Skin

23 Comments July 28, 2020 Eleanor Jahns-Roerick

Why Try Oil for Hair and Skin?

A quick search about the benefits of facial and hair oils will leave you with more questions than answers. Some websites claim that dermatologists recommend oils over any other type of moisturizer, while other websites claim that dermatologists strongly discourage the use of oils. What is true? What isn’t? Today we’ll be sticking to what we know about oil, specifically Argan oil and Jojoba oil and then we’ll do the one thing that no amount of research can do, we’ll decide for ourselves. I wanted to give you the best advice on these two popular cosmetic oils, so I put them to the test and did a half-and-half style session to see which oil will rule them all.

What is Argan Oil?

According to an article published in the National Library of Medicine, “Argan (Argania spinosa L.) oil has been used for centuries in Morocco as cosmetic oil to maintain a fair complexion and to cure skin pimples and chicken pox pustules scars.” If you read my last blog, you know I’ve a huge fan of argan oil’s versatility!

Main Components of Argan Oil

Argan Oil is mainly composed of fatty acids which play a major role in aiding the skin’s natural functions. There are four ways in which fatty acids contribute to the skin’s natural process. Now, if you understand scientific terminology feel free to read the original article here, but if you’re like me and want the basics I’ve broken each function down into more simple jargon below.

Fatty Acid Functions

1) Contributes to skin’s permeability layer which allows skin to lock in water to stay hydrated.

2) Acts as building blocks and support for generation of skin’s natural oils.

3) Helps maintain skin’s homeostasis.

4) Strengthens outer skin’s barrier and acid mantle.

A Note About Linoleic Acid

Photo by Immortal Snapshots on Pexels.com Walnuts are just one of many foods that contain linoleic acid!

“Linoleic Acid is a polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acid and is one of two essential fatty acids for humans, who must obtain it through their diet. It is a colorless or white oil that is virtually insoluble in water. ” (Wikipedia). Linoleic is an essential addition to the human diet to avoid scaly skin. To read more about Linoleic acid and its benefits you can read this study.

Uses of Argan Oil

My wash day hair before and after deep conditioning with Argan Oil

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.
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’, but if your beard needs additional TLC check out our brand new Beard Oil along with our other recently released men’s products!
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. (Also great for sunburns!)
Expectant mothers: apply organic argan oil to your tummy to help prevent and reduce the appearance of stretch marks.

What is Jojoba oil?

Jojoba Oil is gleaned from the Jojoba plant which can be found growing in southwestern states. An important thing to note is that, “although jojoba oil is often categorized as an “oil” because of its pale yellow, transparent, liquid appearance, it is actually a liquid wax ester” (NCBI). Before you go dismissing jojoba oil as some melted candle juice, just remember that wax ester is actually used to make the skin soft and that wax treatments are very popular at spas…so does that make jojoba oil like a secret, portable spa treatment? Try Customizable Portable Spa Treatment! We offer Customized Jojoba Oil scented with the same essential oils we use for our scrumptious soaps!

Uses of Jojoba Oil

Moisturize hair and skin
Massage oil
Make-up remover
Helps combat athlete’s foot
Helps rid the scalp of dandruff
stimulates hair growth
Aids in combating skin infections

While argan oil and jojoba oil supposedly share many of the same benefits, jojoba oil is known for its similar composition to skin’s natural oil: sebum. Oils are rated on the comedogenic scale on how likely they are to clog pores (zero being rarely and five being like ‘whoa, do not get near my pores’). Argan oil is a zero on the comedogenic scale and even though jojoba oil is a two, it is still widely recommended for oily skin because it is thought that it can trick the skin into producing less sebum. On the other hand, argan oil is known for its ability to combat dry skin.

Battle of the Oils

So what happened when I tried using a different oil on each half of my body?

After showering I applied both oils to my face, hair, and body. I used Argan oil on my left side and Jojoba on my right side.

Argan Oil Vs Jojoba Oil for Skin

Skin Status: I recently realized during an informal family poll that I’m somewhat of an abnormality when it comes to bathing habits. Obviously I’m going to need to write a blog on this, but for now I’ll say that most of my skin is very balanced. I rarely suffer from over-dry or over-oily skin except on my hands, face, and back.

Hypothesis: I typically apply lotion after showering, but I hate the greasy residue left on my skin (especially when I’m trying to jam my damp legs into jeans during the winter season after that perfect shave…ew). I predicted that applying oil would yield, well, even oilier results…but I was pleasantly surprised.

Results: Both my arms and legs felt soft and moisturized after applying the argan and jojoba oil, without leaving a lot of extra surface oil to make me feel slimy or sticky. I didn’t include photos because my camera isn’t strong enough to detect any differences in my skin quality (I should invest in one of those pore-exposing skin microscopes). If to make any comparison, I would affirm that a little jojoba oil goes a long way and spreads easily, whereas the argan oil was thicker.

Argan Oil vs Jojoba Oil for Face

Skin Status: Ah, my face. As you may already know, I’ve spent a ton of time trying to get rid of my acne. I have large, visible face pores that are extremely prone to clogging and love to produce oil…so I figured my face was the perfect canvas to test out these two “miracle oils.”

Hypothesis: I actually started using these oils before this experiment to make sure my face wouldn’t have an extreme reaction.

Results: I felt as though the argan oil made more a difference in the long run, but had a heavier feel on my face, whereas the jojoba oil was super light. I’ve actually applied argan oil directly to healing acne scars on my face and I personally feel like it has made a huge difference in the healing process. My scabs seem to heal faster and I get to avoid that gross “crusty phase” because my skin stays so moisturized. I think I will continue to use argan oil as a night moisturizer and jojoba oil as a daytime moisturizer.

Argan Oil Vs. Jojoba Oil for Hair

Hair Status: I have lonnnnng (overdue for a haircut) wavy to curly hair that I work hard to keep bouncy and beautiful. I am prone to greasy roots and dry ends.

Hypothesis: I was worried that the oils might weigh my hair down. Oil is a controversial subject in the Curly World and is promoted and discouraged by curl influencers. Because the results from the skin tests were so similar, I imagined my hair would probably looks the same, but it didn’t…

Results: I was so surprised by the results after my hair finished air-drying. I even took a picture because you can see the difference in my hair. The left side with the argan oil has great definition and I love how fluffy the wave/curls look. The right side with the jojoba oil seemed to be slightly more defined, but also made my curls look slightly oilier. The biggest surprise was that the argan oil side actually looks LIGHTER? I have no reason as to why this was, maybe I used too much jojoba oil?

You might hear curly girls rant and rave about the benefits of coconut oil for curly hair, but when I tried adding it (also used wayyyyy too much) to my own hair routine the result was a greasy, nasty, stringy mess. My curls are so sensitive, and usually anything thicker than a sour cream consistency elongates and weighs my curls down (don’t use sour cream in your hair). The lesson here is: different oils work for different hair/skin types. Not sure which to try? Get both and run your own experiment!

Much Love,

Nora

DIY Beautiful Summer Photo Shoot Ideas That Will Let Your Natural Beauty Shine

5 Comments July 20, 2020 Eleanor Jahns-Roerick

Does Your Instagram Need a Pick-Me-Up? Try These Easy Photo Shoot Tips and Tricks

Looking to achieve that flawless summer selfie, but not sure where to start? Trying to capture an intimate family moment without stepping out of it? I love a personal and atheistically pleasing Instagram, but maintaining one can be difficult. This blog is written from one amateur photographer to another. I’ll be walking you through some of my top tips (including the famed “hair water flip”) to get some naturally amazing photos with minimal effort (all photos were taken with a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge).

This is the blog I’ve been waiting to write, and I could not be more excited about the fact that it features two of my favorite things: my cousin Emme (although we’re basically sisters), and Apple Valley Natural Soap products!

Tip #1: Go For Floral

Nothing says “summer’s starting!” like flowers. Not only will flowers fill in a natural pop of color, they’ll also provide effortless natural texture and depth to your photo. Em and I adore this photo and it only took seconds to take. Flowers are a fantastic photo opportunity because there are so many varieties. You can go for warmer shades with flowers that are yellow, orange and red (dandelions, hawkweed, roses). If you’re looking for a cooler photo try blues, purples, and whites (violets, blue lupine, morning glories). The flowers in this picture are lilacs…which smell as great as they look!

I love Em’s modest, but confident pose and the fact that the only make-up she’s wearing is a little bit of Natural Lip Balm for shine makes this photo all the more beautiful! Our lip balm comes in unscented, but I would strongly recommend Vanilla Latte because it is my FAVORITE.

Trick #1 Get Creative With Angles

Spending our summers in rural Wisconsin means we aren’t afraid of a little dirt! Emme was more than willing to get adventurous when I suggested she lie down right in the middle of the flowers…and it definitely paid off! While a little adjusting may be necessary, let yourself be inspired by the natural process of your photoshoot. The way Em’s hair curls around on the left side was accidental, but it turned out to be our favorite part of this photo. While nature exists for our enjoyment, please be mindful of creation. As Em and I like to say, “No plants were harmed in the making of this film!”

Super Secret Extra Tip For Gorgeous Summer Hair!

Caught between brown and blonde, I like to consider my hair tone a natural bronze. That being said, the sun always leaves me a little lighter at the end of summer. Anyone else? Part of me looks forward to the free, natural highlights, but I also worry about sun damage. Moroccan Argan Oil is a great natural thermal heat protectant for hair. Blessed to be a natural blonde, Emme does a great job of maintaining her beautiful blonde hair, and we’ve even got some shampoos like the Restore Shampoo Bar to help!

Tip #2: Try a Silhouette

Sometimes I wake up and I’m just not feeling ready for my close-up. On days like this, a silhouetted photo reminds me that physical beauty does not define me. While we progress towards a more accepting definition of physical beauty, I’m always working to remember that what really makes me beautiful is not what others can see on my body. I love this photo for the romantic experience it encapsulates. The wind, the water, and the feeling.

Trick #2 How to Take a Selfie That Doesn’t Look Like a Selfie

This water hair-flip is an insta-photo opportunity that’s super simple to accomplish and looks incredible. I love a great picture of myself, but I feel super self-conscious and annoying asking people to take photos of me. That won’t be a problem here! For this photo you’ll need water, a video-recording device with screenshot or video capture features, and yourself.

How Do You Flip Your Hair With Water?

A water flip is super easy to accomplish. I find a way to prop my phone up near the end of my dock. Then I hit record. Once I get out in front of my camera I submerge my head in water and then toss it backwards. Longer hair will create a more powerful water arc, and shorter hair will create a more even arc because it won’t take as much effort to toss your head back. Well-conditioned hair is recommended. If you have the coordination, throwing your arms back through the water will create additional texture and shape in your image. Try different things! Your camera will record it all! Afterwards I go through the video and pause it on frames I want to keep. You can either screenshot these or use a video capture feature. This is super fun to do with young kids and teens.

Tip #3 Play with Light and Shadow

I love a dramatic look, so it’s no wonder light and shadow come into play when I get an idea for an impromptu photoshoot. Where you are in relation to the sun will determine which features are highlighted. You already know I love a classic silhouette, and getting creative with the sun can add a fun, personal touch to a photo. The two photos below were taken only a minute apart and all I did was adjust my phone for two completely different looks!

Trick #3 The Ultimate Make-Up Hack

While an all-natural look is my go-to, I love experimenting with bright colors. Emme and I call this the “mermaid eye.”

Argan Oil

As you’re about to see, a little argan oil goes a long way. You can enhance any low quality eyeshadow by layering it on top of argan oil. A simple base of argan oil will allow any cheap eyeshadow to stick and it will moisturize the skin below at the same time. I used a little argan oil on Emme’s eyelids and lips and then dabbed the shadow on for intense pigmentation.

Argan Oil…Again!

Instant natural shine. Just apply a little argan oil wherever you want to catch the light and you’ll shine in all your photos. As you can see, Emme’s cheekbones are radiant.

I hope some of these ideas have inspired you in some way to document this beautiful season. I’d love to see any photos inspired by this blog so please please please use the #avns or tag us in your photos and let us know how our products inspire you!

First time visiting AVNS? Follow our blog to stay updated and sign-up for our newsletter to begin your journey to natural beauty!

Much Love,

Nora

New Releases! All-Natural Products For Men

2 Comments July 11, 2020 Eleanor Jahns-Roerick

Beard Oil? Shaving Soap Bars? Shea Skin Therapy? Oh My!

What’s the difference between beard soap and regular soap? And what about beard oil? Is that oil pressed from beards? Well, my soap-loving friends, this blog is about answering all of those questions. I’m so excited for what’s about to come (coupon offer??? YES PLEASE) and I hope you are too…so read on!

Having Trouble Finding All Natural Products for Men?

Photo by **Suliman Sallehi** from **Pexels**

Make manly maintenance a breeze with our exciting line-up of all natural products made with men in mind. Everyone deserves a quality skin care routine that covers all of your face’s needs from scalp to chin and Apple Valley Natural Soap has got one fresh off the press. Shampoo Bars, Shaving Soap Bars, Beard Oil, Skin Therapy Shea Butter and Beard Soap all designed with top-notch, all natural moisturizing ingredients. These products are meant to bring your skin to the next level.

Shampoo Bars For Men

Our natural shampoo bars are nothing new, just some classic favorites with rich, invigorating scents.

Man 2.0 Body, Shampoo, and Shaving Bar

Distrustful of 3-in-1 soap? I was too. With this all natural soap bar you won’t have to worry about low quality because this bar truly does it all.

Men, now you can have your soap, shampoo, and shaving cream too. Made with organic olive oil, organic shea nut butter, and organic jojoba oil for an ultra gentle, moisturizing treatment, as well as bentonite clay for slip and silk on your face when shaving, this deliciously scented shampoo bar lathers like crazy and will leave you looking, feeling, and smelling like a million bucks (and we don’t mean a million majestic male deer).

What The Men Say About This Shampoo Bar

As I always say, “when in doubt, check out the reviews.” These reviews are efficient and to the point, just like the men who probably wrote them.

Photo by **Andrea Piacquadio** from **Pexels**

“Consistently good. A staple in my morning routine.”
-Customer Review

“This is a great shampoo bar, it lathers up quickly and does a great job…no plastic bottle. Very economical as the bars last a long time.”
-Customer Review

New Shaving Soap Bars

Nourishing Men’s Shaving Soaps handcrafted with natural and organic ingredients, created to build a luxurious and satisfying lather during a traditional wet shave.

The key to a good shaving soap is a high fat content so skin is protected during the shave, it will also nourish your skin so it doesn’t become dry and irritated. A good shaving soap is economically a great choice as it lasts a long time, and it is a wonderful option for your skin because it adds, not detracts, moisture. Ingredients such as olive oil, shea butter and avocado will do just that, nourish and protect skin during and after the shave. We’ve also added bentonite clay which brings slip to help the razor glide over the skin, and colloidal oats which help protect and soothe.

Classic Shaving Soap

Our Classic Shaving Soap is great for all skin types, but Classic’s blend of essential oils may assist those with oily skin. Cedarwood can help soothe irritation, inflammation, redness, and itchiness. Frankincense has powerful antiseptic and healing properties, bergamot is a natural cleanser so helps remove dirt and impurities and is great for those with oily skin as it helps to unclog pores, it also has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antifungal properties. Patchouli helps regenerate skin cells, which assists the healing of wounds and helps fade scars. Litsea cubeba contains antiseptic and astringent properties which makes it an excellent tonic for your skin, it also helps balance sebum levels on the skin surface and controls its production. And coriander (my favorite thing in the entire world) is very soothing, plus has anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and antifungal properties.

Rugged Shaving Soap

Like our Classic shaving soap, Rugged is great for all skin types, but the blend of essential oils may benefit those with dry skin. Jamarosa oil is an exotic addition which is known for its anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. Bay is warm and spicy plus offers antimicrobial and antioxidant benefits. Cedarwood can help soothe irritation, inflammation, redness, and itchiness, and ho wood has antiseptic, analgesic, antimicrobial, and soothing properties.

What The Men Say

Think you’ve got what it takes to leave a zesty review?

Now is your chance. These brand new products are looking for reviews and if you are among the first 50 people to try either of these natural shaving soaps and leave a review you’ll get a complimentary 10% off coupon for your next order!

Shea Butter Skin Therapy

Intense Nutrition for Skin, Shea Butter Skin Therapy is a super food for your skin! We have chosen only USDA CERTIFIED Organic Raw Unrefined Shea butter, pure and natural organic shea butter is the only one to use in order to reap all the benefits.

Benefits of Organic Raw Unrefined Shea Butter May Include:

helping to relieve dry itchy skin.
elimination of greasy scalp and hair issues.
balancing skin’s oil production.
deeply moisturizing the skin.
retaining the elasticity of the skin.
may help symptoms of inflammatory skin conditions, like eczema and dermatitis.
treating skin conditions such as dry skin, eczema, rashes, stretch marks, and burns.
diminishing wrinkles.
clearing blemishes.
healing wounds, scars & skin discolorations.

Our Shea Butter Skin Therapy is packaged in a 3.5 ounce violet glass jar with a smooth black lid. We have chosen this method of packaging to retain as much natural nutritional benefit of the product for as long as possible. You can read about the benefits of ultraviolet containers here.

Rosemary Mint Shea Skin Therapy

With the addition of 3 specifically chosen organic essential oils, this Rosemary Mint Shea Skin Therapy has a powerhouse of health benefits:

Peppermint essential oil has a soothing, cooling effect and is useful for reducing skin irritation and itching and the antibacterial properties present in peppermint oil accelerate wound healing. You can read a more in depth blog about the benefits of Peppermint essential oil here! Do you love that refreshing feeling on your skin & scalp from Peppermint? In addition to the Shea Skin Therapy, we have Shampoo, Body, Salt and Facial Bars, Body Scrubs, Lip Balms and many more products which contain this amazing essential oil.
Spearmint essential oil is not only a restorative, helping to repair the damage done to the body and aid in the recovery from injuries and wounds, it has antibacterial, anti fungal, and antiviral properties which can help get rid of infections. Spearmint essential oil is also an effective insecticide and can be applied to the skin for protection against mosquito bites.
Rosemary essential oil helps heal and soothe eczema and other inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis, rosacea and rashes due to its powerful anti-inflammatory properties, as well as its antibacterial properties that keep skin free from germs and other irritants that further aggravate eczema.

Lavender Bergamot Shea Skin Therapy

With the addition of 2 specifically chosen organic essential oils, this Shea Skin Therapy is designed to soothe and heal skin.

Lavender essential oil has many health benefits for the skin. Most of these benefits can be attributed to its antiseptic and anti fungal properties. It is used to treat various skin disorders such as acne, wrinkles, psoriasis, and other inflammatory conditions. It is also commonly used to speed up the healing process of wounds, cuts, burns, and sunburns because it improves the formation of scar tissues.
Bergamot essential oil has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. It has the ability to inhibit the growth of germs, viruses, and fungi. It can also effectively prohibit skin infections and help heal scars and other marks on the skin. It may also make the distribution of pigments and melanin uniform, resulting in the fading away of marks and scars on the skin.

Beard Oil

The moment I know you’ve all been waiting for, what is beard oil? Don’t worry, it is not the oil pressed from beards.

Our Nourishing Beard Oil contains seven beneficial premium oils as well as four essential oils which target hair growth and conditioning, as well as beard and skin health. Full of powerful antioxidants to help nourish your beard and facial skin, this oil may:

help relieve any irritation of new growth.
soften and hydrate dry, brittle facial hair for more control
rejuvenate facial skin.
be an invaluable tool in tackling dandruff and flakey skin patches.

Nourishing Beard Oil is safe and effective for daily use and is best when applied after showering while hair is damp and soft (You have no idea how many times I had to go back because I accidentally wrote bread instead of beard).

Much Love,

Nora

You Can Benefit From Vegan Natural Soap (Even if You Aren’t a Vegan)

2 Comments July 5, 2020 Eleanor Jahns-Roerick

Veganism. What is it?

Photo of vegetables by Lisa Fotios on Pexels.com

A vegan’s lifestyle centers around the refusal to use animal products.

Vegan vs Vegetarian

Veganism differs from vegetarianism in that a vegan avoids all animal-sourced products including, but not limited to meat. From vegan soup to vegan soap this means vegan diets, vegan clothes, and even vegan cosmetics must be void of all animal products.

Why Go Vegan?

Photo Vegan by Daria Shevtsova on Pexels.com

The benefits of a vegan lifestyle extend past simply contributing to the increased quality of animal life. According to an article in Medical News Today, Health benefits of a vegan diet include better heart health, lower cancer risk, and weight loss. Planning a vegan diet also enforces the practice of being conscious about what you put into your body…but what about what you put on your body?

The Benefits of Vegan Natural Soap

All Apple Valley Natural Soaps are cruelty-free certified, this means that none of our ingredients or products have been tested on animals (unless hand-crafted for animals). Just because a product is cruelty-free does not mean it does not contain animal products. While some of our soaps do contain ethically sourced animal products such as silk and honey (read more about how we obtain these ingredients here), we also offer a variety of vegan options. Vegan natural soaps are gentle, nourishing alternatives to vegan soaps that still use harsh chemicals.

5 Vegan Natural Soaps You Have to Try

Go Green By Going Orange!

Not only are these five soaps vegan, they also all contain orange essential oils! It’s these hot summer days that have me dreaming about a cup of zesty orange sherbert (vegan recipe PLEASE!!!) and after trying them, I think you’ll agree that these soaps smell just as delicious.

1) Rosemary Orange Shampoo Bar

This is such a sweet, pretty thing. The vegan orange illite clay is peachy pink and has tons of fantastic benefits. Mango butter softens, conditions, and adds antioxidant properties, and the essential oil blend of rosemary and orange is absolutely incredible. It makes you woozy in love. (You think I’m exaggerating? Try one and find out for yourself!)

“This shampoo bar is awesome! I love how it lathers up so nicely and cleans my oily hair so well. I had gone no poo using baking soda for shampoo, but would occasionally use a natural shampoo as well. This bar fits my needs of being natural and keeping away all the nasty chemicals found in regular shampoo. I can still go 2 days without washing my hair just like when using the baking soda. I’m hooked on Apple Valley’s shampoo bars!!”
– Customer Review

2) Orange Anise Salt Bar

This striking and modern looking vegan salt bar is made with an artisanal blend of european spa salt (you can read all about our skin-nourishing salt here). Activated charcoal made from coconut shells provides a deep clean. The scent is an utterly addicting blend of spicy anise and sweet orange. You’ll be looking for excuses to wash your hands.

“We’re huge fans of the salt bars, but the orange anise bar is my current favorite. It’s amazing on my face, too.”
-Customer Review

3) Lavender Orange Castile Bar

Smooth, relaxing, dreamy. A 100% organic olive oil soap, a true Castile, beautifully scented with lavender and sweet orange essential oils.

A true Castile soap is the most gentle and mild of soaps, safe even for babies and those with ultra-delicate skin. You will not get a bubbly lather from a Castile bar, but rather a rich, thick, creamy highly emollient lather that is perfect for shaving. Castile soaps made with only olive oil are a gentle and effective option for even the most sensitive of skin and may be a great vegan soap for acne!

“Very sudsy soap…and smooth! Very gentle and right amount of oil to really feel like your covered in silk. I will purchase this again. The smell is just right.”
-Customer Review

4) Chamomile and Orange Blossom Shampoo Bar

Fishing for a clean, vegan start to your day? The lure is an organic chamomile and calendula infused oil blend to which we’ve added generous portions of coconut, mango butter and organic jojoba to cleanse, nourish and moisturize your scalp and skin. The scent in this shampoo bar will captivate you.

“This shampoo is absolutely AMAZING! My hair has never felt so nice! It also didn’t cause any breakouts for me, which is amazing since I’m almost allergic to everything on the planet. The scent isn’t overpowering and is so light and airy. I’m definitely going to buy more soon!”
-Customer Review

5) Mango Citrus Shampoo Bar

Soft citrus with a hint of floral, this bar is super rich in Mango Butter! This totally vegan mango butter has high levels of antioxidants, vitamins, saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids which makes it a moisture rich food for skin and hair. It reportedly aids in the slowing of hair loss through the treatment of scalp conditions such as dandruff, eczema, or psoriasis. Mango butter is readily absorbed into skin and hair, supporting cell regeneration of the scalp, which ultimately promotes hair growth as well as helping to strengthen the overall structure. It is also known to help repair split ends and help add volume to hair.

Thinking About Going Vegan?

Whoa, with soaps like those even a hardcore carnivore might be convinced to go vegan (What’s that Mr. T-Rex? You’d like to place an order for all five bars? Sounds good, we’ll be on that as soon as we get the time machine up and running).

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading all about the benefits of vegan natural soap. If you enjoy reading about the benefits of natural ingredients you can follow our blog to receive updates on future posts. Share this post on social media to keep your friends in the natural beauty loop! If there’s a specific ingredient you’d like information on, or just a question in general feel free to comment below and your suggestion could become a future post!

Much Love,

Nora