Finding the right deodorant isn’t always easy. Powders, gels, regular strength, clinical strength…there’s a ton of options on the market, but many women still struggle with finding a product that meets their exact needs. Why is it so hard to find a product that smells good, gets the job done,
and nourishes our skin?
I recently came across Lavanila Labs, an all-natural, healthy beauty company promising high-quality organic goods. Among a slew of other beauty products, Lavanila Labs boasts a set of
Healthy Deodorants. The collection of freshly-scented powder sticks promises long-lasting odor protection and powerful skin nourishment to boot.
I was immediately intrigued by the deodorant collection, mainly because they had some delicious names like
Vanilla Grapefruit,
Vanilla Lavender, and
Vanilla Passion (and I mean, who
wouldn’t want their armpits to smell vanilla-y fresh?). Aside from the names though, I wasn’t immediately sold. I was pretty skeptical at first because I’ve tried a small handful of other organic antiperspirants and deodorants, and no product has ever lived up to my expectations.
I decided to put the Lavender-Vanilla scented Lavanila deodorant to the ultimate test: a cardio workout. After a 3 mile run and about twenty minutes of free weights, I made my roommate smell me.
Yes. I just said that. I made my roommate smell me after a good 50 minutes of working out.
I’m happy – and not to mention relieved - to say that Lavanila totally works! I wasn’t once nervous about the product not performing, and after a few days of use, I’ve even started noticing my skin feels slightly more moisturized. An added bonus? Lavanila deodorants seem to be slightly easier to get out of clothing if your hand happens to run awry while applying. Not that I would know anything about that, of course!
Have you tried any Lavanila products? Share your experience with us in the comments?
* Disclosure
EDIT: 4/23/2012
Not too long after this was posted, we received the following tweet:
Sara was kind enough to engage with us and said that it stopped working for her after about a month or so. At the time, Lavanilla was still working wonderfully for me....until this weekend, that is. One day I noticed that it completely stopped working, which is a total shame because I had high hopes for it. If you've had a similar experience, please feel free to let us know in the comments!
If you ever have the chance to visit The Lodge at Woodloch either for a Pocono getaway, or locally for a spa day, you won't want to miss the chance to eat at TREE. Woodloch's TREE is literally a delight to your tastebuds. Everything comes fresh from their garden and/or locally sourced farmers. It's always healthy and absolutely delicious.
Below is the recipe for their mouth-watering Ratatouille with Herbs de Provence. I think you'll love it!
Ingredients
2 pounds eggplant, cut into 1- inch cubes
2 ½ pounds tomatoes, seeded, and cut into 1/4- inch cubes
1 ½ pounds yellow onions, thinly sliced
1 ½ pounds bell pepper, assorted colors, cut into 1- inch pieces
8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 cup (approximately) extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ tablespoons herbs de Provence, dried, if using fresh herbs triple the amount
1 pound zucchini, cut into ¾ - inch half moons (remove seeds from larger zucchinis)
1 pound yellow squash, seeded, cut into ¾ - inch pieces
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Directions
Toss eggplant in 1/2 teaspoon salt and place in a colander. Let stand in the sink for 30 minutes. Pour eggplant onto several paper towels and blot to remove excess moisture. In a heavy-bottomed, 5-quart pot over medium heat, add onions and approximately 4 tablespoons of oil. Season with about 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook for about 4 minutes until onions are soft, stirring occasionally.
Add peppers and cook for another 4-8 minutes, adding enough oil to keep mixture quite moist. Add garlic, cook for another 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, herbs de Provence* and about a 1/3 cup oil. Cover partially to allow steam to escape. Cook for 30 minutes until tomato starts to break down, stirring occasionally.
Put eggplant into simmering mixture along with enough remaining oil so vegetables are quite moist, but not swimming. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place zucchini and yellow squash in mixture and cook until they are just soft, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Add pepper. Check seasoning.
May be served hot, warm, or at room temperature. Improves when refrigerated overnight and reheated.
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