11.29.2011

a new soapbox

i am not a crunchy hippie anti-chemical lady. i so wish i was, but i am just not. before i had kids, i had visions of being miss cloth diapers, chemical-free, organic everything.

in reality: there are 3 unopened packs of biodegradable diapers in our "garage sale" pile. we tried one with judah and they were AWFUL compared to evil, toxic, nature-bomb pampers. i realized we couldnt do cloth diapering be cause our kids go to preschool/daycare. and while i did manage to buy only organic jarred baby food for both kids, it was mostly because i stocked up during BOGO sales and used coupons...otherwise, i can just never justfy the extra cost to myself.

my parents became all-organic a few years back, and have loudly and often touted the benefits of this lifestyle. i have seen movies, read many articles and even a few books about the chemicals and crap in our food, homes and cleaning products and i cringe dutifully at the yucky stuff that's out there and vow to never go back.

but you know me (do you know me? hi, i'm keight), i have a hard time with moderation. i tend to go all or nothing. and with this thing, the all was just too much for me to think about, keep up with for longer than 10 minutes, and afford. so i landed on almost nothing.

my big argument is usually, "well i ate/drank/used all that stuff all of my life and i am okay." but the fact is that i am still in my 20's and who knows how any of those things might play out in my health in the future.

so here i am. knowing that there is probably a more natural and less chemical-soaked way of living, but kind of copping out and being too lazy/cheap to really be vigilant about it.

but some things are too big and glaring to ignore.

my buddy raechel took over a small business in october, Nourish Organics. she and another member of our half-marathon team, her cousin-in-law olivia, adopted this awesome, thriving, business when its creator found it was taking too much time away from her family. it actually used to be "nourish baby organics," but the girls decided that everyone's skin deserves yummy, natural, safe products...not just the babes!

so when rae announced her new ownership of the business, i wanted to support her loud and proud, so i made an order of all the bath washes. there was a big sale, i got free delivery since i was going to see raechel soon, but mostly i just wanted to support my friend in her new endeavor. i thought that would probably be the last time i bought anything since we have a stockpile of coupon'd un-organic washes and soaps that we use daily.

i figured that these smelly-good washes from Nourish would just be for special occasions. i.e. pre-business time for the grown ups or for if the kids were extra stinky.

and then this article came across my radar a few weeks ago. the hugely iconic and trusted (used by us since birth on both kiddos) johnson & johnson's baby shampoo was found to have a few known carcinogens in it. okay! so, you probably wont catch me grinding my own flaxseed meal or milking free-range goats, but i DO draw the line at rubbing cancer goo into my children's scalps.

i just kept thinking about their soft spots and how fast the chemicals probably traveled to their brains without the resistance of cranial bone! it makes me a little sick.

my attempt at conveying "eighty-sixed" using the few remaining characters from our bath toy set.

so! it looks like buying organic shampoos and washes wont be such an exception going forward, after all.

so when raechel asked if i would like to do a review and giveaway of some Nourish stuff, i was all on board now that i really feel convicted about using organic products to clean my family.

since i already had all 3 washes and and lavender oil (which i won by running 93 miles in a month for our race-training), raechel sent me the coconut and eucalyptus balms to try.


so when you add these to the washes i had and the lavender oil that i won for running 92 miles in july for race training, i have almost the entire line of products.

here's my take:

Nourish is a great looking, well thought out, designed and presented product. the washes came shrink-wrapped with screw-on caps and had the pumps included separately in the box to avoid explosions or leakage in transit.

all of the packaging and materials are so slick and awesome that i feel like i will never want to throw them out. i plan to accommodate this urge by becoming a very specific kind of hoarder.

WASHES:

lavender-i genuinely didnt like it at first. it has a strong smell when you're using it that reminds me of evergreens. but i totally changed my opinion when i washed layla with it out of necessity one day and i realized that when it dries the scent is not christmas tree-ish at all. the smell that lasts on your skin is actually really delicate and floral yummy. i use this one when i want to smell girly and pretty. layla gets this one during her few and far between baths and she will still smell great DAYS later.

coconut-first off, you HAVE to shake this one before you use it like the directions say. it separates into two different liquids when it sits. this one is SO coconut and tropical smelling that i was almost hesitant to use it in the fall for fear of clashing seasonality, but use it i did. it too smells way stronger in the tub than on your skin later on. i use this to wash judah's hair (and my whole self) and it works great as a shampoo on his lush locks. it does make me want to eat my own skin when i get out of the tub though. consider yourself warned.

sweet orange- probably my favorite of all. this one smells amazing start to finish. plain and simple. i am a citrus kind of gal and this one just nails it. this one works on the whole family since it's just clean and crisp and not gender-specific.

and they just came out with a peppermint wash that i dont have (yet). it's limited time only, for the holidays, and i cant wait to get my hands on it. i LOVE peppermint! and that red label is calling to me.

BALMS:

the eucalyptus balm is billed as a chest rub, a la vick's, but i seriously cant restrict it to just that. it smells so farking amazing that i just want to rub it all over my person. i had to write raechel to make sure that it was okay to use everywhere and not just on the chest. it doesnt have that crazy overwhelming menthol feel/smell that most chest rubs have--this is the most relaxing, gentle, calming smell known to man. rubbing it on my hands and feet is like a mini spa day. confession: i rub it on the inside of my nostrils like a big freak just so i can smell it for as long as possible. i want to apply this directly to my brain.

the coconut balm is a warm little tropical getaway. i used it on judah's winter chapped cheeks and a few random patches of dry skin on layla and they disappeared straight away. its not greasy, the only thing it leaves behind is moisturized skin and smell-good goodness.

the only cons of the balms are that i wish they came in large sized tubs as well. i find myself wanting to stick all of my fingers in to scoop out the treasure and with the little pots they come in now, i can only get one or two.

so here's my verdict:

i really wanted to go with "A-plus" but i didnt have the letters for it.


raechel and olivia are in a giving mood. here's what they are lavishing upon you:

DISCOUNT (valid now through friday 12/2):

everyone will get 15% OFF your entire Nourish Organics order when you enter the code dukes15 at checkout

like this!:



GIVEAWAY (ends at noon on thursday, 12/1)

one lucky reader of putapuredukes will win a $20 store credit to Nourish!

to enter: you MUST be a follower of this blog (using the widget in the top right sidebar) and leave a comment on this post telling me which product in the Nourish shop you are drooling over most.

*if you win the drawing and are not an official follower i will have to pick another winner. dont let this happen to you! sorry i am a greedy stickler!*

only one entry per person. i will announce the winner on thursday morning.

the (well-nourished) end


69 comments:

  1. Most def drooling over the lavender but the packaging for the sweet orange is so cute it was a tough decision!

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  2. WOW! I am ready to try all. HEEHEE, really I am trying to go more natural and you really made these products sound awesome.

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  3. Whose butt is in the pic?

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  4. I just got an orange wash & lavender oil. I'd love to add coconut balm to the mix!

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  5. @nina it is jesse's. he seems really hairy, but under his clothes he's like a white dolphin, hairless and smooth. j/k it's judah's

    @unknown make sure you follow here before the drawing!

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  6. I would really love to try the sweet orange and the lavendar..okay, you said one but that's really hard :D

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  7. weeeeehaw! I would love to try these! I am a big supporter of small business and I try to be organic when I can.

    Thanks for the giveaway Nourish!

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  8. i'd love to try these!!! I would love the lavendar wash for my baby girl. i follow your blog and raechel's blog too :)

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  9. I would love to try the balms...my youngest has chapped hands that just have to hurt!!!

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  10. I only go organic one item at a time (bc it's expensive and overwhelming)... slowly I've changed a few things and now we have good eggs, milk, meat, produce. I think you've convinced me on the shampoo and body wash. I hope I win, but I'll start supporting Nourish too!

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  11. I have the lavendar balm and love it, but I REALLY want to try the coconut balm!!!

    p.s. the peppermint wash is AWESOME. i love that my 21 month old daughter comes down from bathtime smelling like Christmas! :)

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  12. I have the sweet orange wash and use it way too seldom because I want it to last!!!
    Love that little bum picture! too cute!!

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  13. I can honestly say thank you for writing this post. i have been meaning to blog about the evil J&J for weeks since I heard. I spent countless hours searching a toxins website to find the least toxic store bought products! sadly there aren't many! so i would LOVE to win a credit to buy something to wash our newest offspring in...something i could use from head to toe!!!!

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  14. I am loving the sound of that coconut wash. Will definitely have to get my hands on some of the peppermint! Thanks for the awesome giveaway!

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  15. I love the coconut wash and did order some peppermint wash and it is divine!!!! I would love to have some eucalyptus balm and lavender oil!!!!

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  16. I'm coveting (forgive me, Lord!) that sweet orange and the lavender! I can almost smell it as I'm reading your description :)

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  17. I have been drooling over the whole site, but can never justify the purchase! I really want to try the coconut balm because being from WNY, I get so dry in the winter!

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  18. I'm itching for the peppermint! Love the lavendar oil and euchalyptus balm!!!

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  19. I have been itching (literally... the weather out here in California is horribly dry so I've been all itchy!) to try the peppermint before it's gone, and with the discount code I am totes trying it. But if I win that credit, I think I'm going to try the coconut. Man. Now I just want to take a shower.

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  20. I want to the try the peppermint wash! and the Coconut yum!

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  21. I would love the coconut wash & balm in memory of summer while I freeze my buns off during these winter months

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  22. I am drooling over the peppermint wash... oh boy do I want some!

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  23. I want to try the Sweet Orange wash! All of the items sound so amazing!

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  24. I am a sucker for eucalyptus ANYTHING, so that might have to be the first on my wish list. But you were very convincing about the sweet orange, too... hm. Decisions, decision. (Oh, and your
    "white dolphin" comment about Jesse in regards to someone else's comment made me LOL.)

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  25. Lavender anything is always my pick! Fun fact : at our wedding people threw lavendar buds at us when we left. As people walked over it after we left it released a faint lavender smell that people could still smell the next morning. I always think of that whenever I smell lavender!

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  26. I would definitely want to try the coconut wash! Tropically-scented stuff is my favorite, plus I saw another blog post about the J&J stuff and just told my husband last night that we need to chuck it all and find something else.

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  27. Hands down, eucalyptus balm sounds amazing! I have eucalyptus air fresheners everywhere in my house because I am, in fact, trying to apply the smell directly to my brain. And with dry weather just around the corner, this would be ba-nan-as.

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  28. Hi Keight,
    Just signed up to follow you (privately, hope that still works?) and I think the sweet orange wash sounds amazing as does the chest rub. Great review - thanks for sharing the Nourish love!
    lisavandermeer@gmail.com

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  29. This chapped winter ass needs some help! I have heard of this stuff before and now you have given me more reason to order. Do they have international shipping?

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  30. Most definitely drooling over the Lavender wash... I can imagine it already... Dreamy...! :)

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  31. I'm a follower! I REALLY want to try the lavendar wash!

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  32. Oh how fun! Thank you. I would love to try out the coconut balm- or maybe the cocnut bodywash....

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  33. Thanks for the new site, K8, I'm always up for more organic when I can't afford NOT to!! Been looking for organic wash, since we do rub it right into our skin (the largest organ in our body no less) every day. Since I'm seriously in love with organic coconut oil (the absolute BEST lubricator on the planet) I'm dying to try the coconut body wash. All sound incredible, but will have to wait their turn. ps...sending the article has got to count for extra points in the give away, plus, I recognized the tush right off the bat!

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  34. Okay so I'm not a sweet smelling wash kinda girl but the sweet orange actually sounds yummy and I may break down and try some :-) I'm sure my husband will love me slemming like something besides the I scented dove bar I typically use :-)

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  35. I would love the coconut wash! Yes, please!! :)

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  36. Lucky for me that I found your blog today through the Livesays blog. :) I'm a follower now... and if I won the giveaway I'd try the orange wash OR the eucalyptus rub. I may try them anyway!

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  37. Anything coconut makes me smile. So the coconut wash and balm sound amazing! Pick me :)

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  38. Yay! It's official I am now a follower not just a stalker reader. Would love to try these for Heidi and even me sounds Yummie~!! I think sweet orange for Summer and pepermint for fall and winter sounds divine!

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  39. I love the coconut balm!!!!

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  40. Oh the eucalyptus balm sounds divine! I love that smell! Now I am an official follower too, yay!

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  41. i want the coconut wash and/or the eucalyptus balm, since the inside of my nose is feeling a bit dry...

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  42. I am drooling over the sweet orange wash! Would love to try it for my little man.

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  43. did my entry get deleted?? i NEED the peppermint wash...can you wash your dogs in this stuff? how great would in be to have a peppermint flavored dog jumping around the house!

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  44. I think I would pick sweet orange or the peppermint. Heck, it all sounds AMAZING.

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  45. Yes, babies can get stinky...but you know what is often stinkier? Husbands! I'm drooling over the peppermint wash. For Christmas I fill my Husband's stocking with washes/aftershaves/other yummy-smelling products that I know he would never buy for himself! The Peppermint wash (his favorite scent) would be a perfect gift!

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  46. I am dying to try the peppermint wash... and the orange wash!

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  47. Hmmmm... we love the lavendar wash and oil at our house. yum! I am supposed to be getting the yummy peppermint wash soon! I can't wait!

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  48. The eucalyptus balm sounds amazing!!! But I'm also sorely tempted by the peppermint wash, I LOVE peppermint.

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  49. The coconut wash has saved our little Ellery's skin for sure ~ we love, love it! BUT I would also love to try the peppermint wash! So Christmasy!

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  51. mmmmm.....peppermint. I fell in love with peppermint soap after using Dr. Bronner's on a camping trip. (That stuff is seriously awesome too in the crunchy granola soap department.) Definitely would go for the peppermint wash!

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  52. I would love to try the peppermint wash!

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  53. I think I officially follow your blog now (if I did it right, ha!). I would love to win this giveaway...thanks for the opportunity!

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  54. I am officially following your blog now and I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to try the Orange wash for my girls!

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  55. I've been reading for a while but just joined as a follower, so it's official now. I would love to try the orange wash!

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  56. Bah! So log, Johnson & Johnson.. Baby W will have to go dirty until I can pick up a suitable replacement (which may or may not happen in a timely manner, let's get real). I'm pretty sure the Orange Wash sounds like a Bahama cruise in a bottle -- that being said, I'd love to try it!

    P.S. Cute "end" picture. WAY cute.

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  57. Man o man, it is a stretch to pick just one. I love the idea of the coconut one, especially here in the way northern regions of the US. The lavender one sounds yummy too, especially when you mentioned that it lingers for days. Crossing all my digits on this giveaway!

    Harper

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  58. I absolutely love everything citrus, too, and so the citrus wash looks absolutely divine... but I can't help not wanting the peppermint wash, too, once I saw it in the product list! The red bottle is practically screaming at me!

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  59. I love the orange wash: like you, I think it would be great for the whole family. I am especially excited about the coconut balm though! I've been having trouble with the skin on my hands healing because of dry weather, changing diapers and washing my hands 80,000 times a day, laundry, dishes, etc. I've been looking for a natural product like the coconut balm to literally save my hands and would love to win store credit to try it out!

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  60. Ooh such a tough decision! I want the peppermint wash though!!

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  61. i've been drooling over the coconut balm fo-EVAH, but can't swing it just yet...when I can, I'm sure my babes' skin(and mine, too!)will thank me!

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  62. It all sounds amazing (I'm tossing our Johnson's stuff, btw), but I'm most interested in the Sweet Orange wash and Coconut Balm :).

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  63. pretend you see a lightening bolt before my name. i can't login since i can't remember my userid or password. in other news, my dad isn't the only family member with dementia. also, i'd like the orange wash. i'm super cool and should totally win.

    btw - this is katy

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  64. I would like to try the sweet orange wash.

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  65. The orange wash sounds amazing!

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  66. I so want to try the coconut wash! I'm a sucker for anything coconut scented, and can rarely find it in organic products!

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  67. would love to try the peppermint wash!

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  68. The lavender wash sounds amazing!

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