Aura Cacia Massage Products
January 8, 2009 by Kitchen Table Medicine
Filed under Beauty, Dry Skin, Kat Lee, Kitchen Sink
by Kat Lee
Aura Cacia makes so many different “flavors”, I’m going to have to focus on just one, or this review would be twenty pages! While picking a favorite is difficult, I have to say that my favorite massage product is the Lavender massage cream.
The scent is sufficiently strong, but not cloying; the cream is thick enough not to run everywhere, but not so thick that it is sticky. In a word: perfect.
It is great for massage, but also perfect for moisturizing your whole body after a shower. Just apply everywhere while your skin is still wet. Lightly pat yourself dry, and your skin will be baby smooth. It’s so gentle that I can use it on my kids as well. My older son has issues with dry, sensitive skin, and generally develops a rash if I try to use any kind of scented product.
When I used the lavender cream, it moisturized his skin very well. Not only did he NOT develop a rash – it has begun helping to eliminate the perpetual “dry-skin” rash he has on his stomach during the winter.
However, to those who have a soy allergy, I must post a warning. This product does contain soy in the form of GLYCINE SOJA (SOYBEAN) WAX. Dr. Sundene stresses the importance of knowing all of the different names for the item to which you are allergic, and this only underscores that fact.
Luckily, having also used the Lavender Harvest massage oil, I can say that it is a perfectly acceptable substitution. The only real difference that I noticed was that the oil is, of course, a bit runny and more difficult to apply to wiggly children. However, if you’re applying it to yourself or another adult, you should be just fine.
I’ve included ingredient lists below for both products, linking many of the ingredients to their respective pages at the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Database. As you can see, the ingredients all rate very low on the toxicity meter — which is good!
Lavender Massage Cream Ingredients:
VITIS VINIFERA (GRAPE) SEED OIL, PRUNUS ARMENIACA (APRICOT) KERNEL OIL, PRUNUS AMYGDALUS DULCIS (SWEET ALMOND) OIL, COCOS NUCIFERA (COCONUT) OIL, SIMMONDSIA CHINENSIS (JOJOBA) OIL, GLYCINE SOJA (SOYBEAN) WAX, BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII (SHEA) BUTTER, EUPHORBIA CERIFERA (CANDELILLA) WAX, COPERNICIA CERIFERA(CARNAUBA) WAX, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE (VITAMIN E), LAVANDULA ANGUSTIFOLIA (LAVENDER) OIL, LAVANDULA X INTERMEDIA (LAVANDIN) OIL, LAVANDULA LATIFOLIA (SPIKE LAVENDER) OIL.
Lavender Harvest Massage Oil Ingredients:
VITIS VINIFERA (GRAPE) SEED OIL, PRUNUS ARMENIACA (APRICOT) KERNEL OIL, PRUNUS AMYGDALUS DULCIS (SWEET ALMOND) OIL, LAVANDULA ANGUSTIFOLIA (LAVENDER) OIL, LAVANDULA X INTERMEDIA (LAVANDIN) OIL, LAVANDULA LATIFOLIA (SPIKE LAVENDER) OIL, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE (VITAMIN E).
©KitchenTableMedicine.com, LLC ™Kiss My Face Fragrance Free Lotions
December 31, 2008 by Kitchen Table Medicine
Filed under Best, Dry Skin, Kat Lee, Kitchen Sink, Olive Oil
by Kat Lee
My hands are not normally very dry, for which I am thankful; but when winter hits, my hands get dry and start to itch. And of course, every year, I scratch them. I know I shouldn’t but I do. Then, when I decide to put on some lotion, what happens? They BURN! Like fire. And brimstone (whatever that is).
I’ve tried unscented lotions before but for some reason, they still burn (and the lotion still smells). My husband already deals with dry skin, so in the winter it’s even worse. He just deals with the fact that most lotions will burn. I said “most”, because I’ve found one lotion that does not.
Kiss My Face makes a fragrance-free lotion called Olive and Aloe that I have found works fabulously. Featured in Elle Magazine in May 2008, the main ingredients are… (drumroll please)… olive oil and aloe vera. I’ll bet you wouldn’t have guess that, eh? All kidding aside, olive oil and aloe vera are two very soothing emollients that make this lotion an absolute dream for wintertime. The lotion also contains lavender and chamomile, both known for calming the skin. And while it does contain these oils, you cannot smell them at all; it is very literally “fragrance free”.
- Aqua, Stearic Acid, Isopropyl Palmitate, Vegetable Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Sodium Borate, Aloe Barbadensis (Leaf Juice), Olea Europaea (Olive Fruit Oil), Avena Sativa (Oat Protein), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower Seed Oil), Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria Flower Extract), Foeniculum Vulgare (Fennel Extract), Sambucus Nigra (Elder Flower Extract), Calendula Officinalis (Flower Extract), Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange Flower Extract), Salvia Officinalis (Sage Leaf Extract), Achillea Millefolium (Yarrow) Extract, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond Oil), Xanthan Gum, Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A Palmitate), Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E Acetate), Allantoin, Lecithin, Cetyl Esters, Polysorbate 80, Squalane*, Titanium Dioxide, Trisodium EDTA, 1,2 Hexanediol (and) Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic Acid, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange Peel Oil), Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange Peel Oil), Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon Peel Oil), Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit Peel Oil), Evernia Prunastri (Oakmoss Extract), Viola Odorata (Flower Extract)
*Olive derived
Chlorine Shower Filter: Anti-Aging
June 4, 2008 by Dr. Nicole Sundene
Filed under Air Pollution, Anti-Aging, Asthma, Dandruff, Detox, Dry Skin, Eczema, Environmental Medicine, Hair Loss, Hydrotherapy, Psoriasis, Respiratory Disease, Skin Care, Skin Rashes, Water

A simple anti-aging trick is to use a shower water filter.
I cannot more highly recommend the use of shower water filters for reducing chlorine associated aging and accelerated damage to healthy cells.
Chlorine is a toxic gas that destroys the healthy cells in our bodies on contact.Historically, chlorine gas was used as part of chemical warfare!
It is now used in our water to kill pathogens that may make us sick, however a side product of drinking “healthy water” is premature aging of our cells, especially that of our skin and lungs.
Why to use a shower water filter:
- Anti-aging
- Softer, more radiant skin that requires less moisturizers as chlorine is VERY drying
- Great for anyone with chronic skin conditions such as chronic itching, dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, and psoriasis
- Stronger healthier, shinier hair, with less need to touch up your hair coloring
- May reduce aging related hair loss
- Less dandruff
- Healthier lungs, a MUST for anyone with COPD, asthma, or other chronic respiratory ailments
- Reduce the amount of toxins your babies and children are exposed to
Before you spend any more money on health products for the INSIDE of your body, think about what should be done for the OUTSIDE of your body.
Visit Aquasauna to find a great shower water filter.
~ Dr. Nicole Sundene
©KitchenTableMedicine.com, LLC ™


