honest company - Stuff Parents Need

Honest Company Organic Healing Balm Review and Uses

February 20, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Referral links may be included at no cost to you. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’ve been using the Honest Company’s Organic Healing Balm for over a year now, and I continue to be amazed at what an extremely versatile product this is.

It’s important to note that a healing balm isn’t intended to be an exact substitution for lotion. It is very thick (think sort of like Vaseline) so it doesn’t spread all that far. But just because you can slather it all over your entire body, that doesn’t mean that this product isn’t crazy useful.

Here are some of the ways I use it.

1. Overdrive for your lotion

I actually will add a dollop of organic healing balm to the lotion I’m about to apply to my body and mix it together really well before applying it. That’s one way that I manage to get a bit of this product all over without having to use half the tube. I think it gives my lotion an extra boost of intense moisturing power, too.

2. Hair serum

Yep, you can take a tiny dab (like the size of a pea) and rub it vigorously between your hands and then run those hands through dry hair to help cut down on the frizz factor. This is such a great hack for those of us in humid climates.

3. Dry Patches

Do you have any areas of your skin that just seem to struggle? For me, it’s the heels of my feet and my elbows. I apply the organic healing balm to those areas on the regular and it makes a really huge difference.

4. Lip Balm

The ingredients in this balm are perfectly safe to apply to the lips, as well. I love when a product can do so many jobs at once, especially if I’m traveling so that I don’t have to carry as much with me.

5. Brow Gel

A very tiny amount of this product can also be used to help your eyebrows look nice and smooth and to keep everything right where it should be.

6. Hand Therapy

Before heading to bed, apply the balm to your cuticles, or even to the entirety of your hands. It provides amazing moisture and helps keep those hands looking and feeling soft.

7. Baby Balm

If you have a little one in the home, try this product out for diaper rash, or even just for a little hand or foot massage.

8. Eye Wrinkle Attack

I’m of the age where those fine lines around my eyes aren’t quite so “fine” anymore. I’ve been dabbing a tiny amount of this product right in that area (obviously not going close enough to get into my eyes) and I’ve been really pleased with the results. This is another hack to try right before bed.

Honest Organic Healing Balm contains sunflower, olive and coconut oils as well as shea butter. Those are all absolutely fabulous ingredients for skin health and happiness. There’s also Tamanu oil, which I have read is great at restoring skin’s moisture, as well as chamomile and calendula which are soothing agents. It is a certified organic product, as well.

Where to Buy Honest Company Products

If you’d rather not go through the Honest Company’s bundles, you can purchase this item at retail price through Amazon. And if you’d like an option that’s a little easier on the wallet, definitely give Aquaphor a try.

Want to see more Honest Company reviews? I’ve got a huge list, so be sure to check them out!

Honest Beauty Product Reviews: Deep Hydration Cream

January 28, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

Referral links included at no cost to you. Honest Beauty product reviews are based on my own purchases and my own experiences. Honest Beauty did not request these reviews.

If you have dry skin, I think you are going to absolutely LOVE this product from Honest Beauty. Definitely get your hands on the Younger Face Deep Hydration Cream. Because it is from Honest Beauty, you can trust that the ingredients have been thoroughly vetted to be honestly good for your skin and good for the environment. This particular cream has ingredients such as chamomile, calendula, radish seed oil and boabab fruit. Pretty neat, right? And my skin feel and looks great when I use it.

It does take a few minutes to soak in, so if you typically apply your makeup just a minute or two after applying your moisturizer, then you might want to save this as your night time cream. But if you can give it about 10 minutes to get soaked in before applying your makeup, then it’s great as a daytime cream, as well.

How to Pay Less

Younger Face Deep Hydration Cream has a retail price of $34, which is not unheard of for high quality moisturizers, but still stings the pocket book (at least it does mine!). You can pay MUCH less than that by signing up for Honest Beauty Bundles. You can select any 3 products from a very large offering, including this cream, and the total is $50.00. That makes your per item cost just $16.67, which is less than half the retail cost. If you fall madly in love with the product you could stock up and get 3 in one bundle for a steal, but I’ve been so pleased with what I’ve tried so far from this brand that I’d recommend that you try out a few other new products.

Bundling is super easy and super relaxed: you get a notification when you bundle is close to being shipped just in case you want to log in to your account, make changes, and even push back the date when it will be shipped (I just logged in a few minutes ago and pushed my order date back by a month). If you want to cancel, you do have to call in, but my experience with The Honest Company has been that they don’t give you any hassle about canceling, which is a relief.

Before you sign up for your first bundle, though, check out my post on the Honest Beauty trial offer to see if it’s right for you.

Sea Salt & Sugar Body Scrub: An Honest Assessment

December 30, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Referral links may be included at no cost to you. All thoughts and opinions are my own as always.

One of the products that The Honest Company launched this year was the Sea Salt + Sugar Body Scrub. I tend to think that this type of product is severely overpriced in the retail market and that homemade versions are quite comparable and cost so much less.

However, in this particular case, I do believe we have a winner for the best organic body scrub. I don’t think I could replicate the perfect balance of soft and gritty that Honest Company has developed. And the smell? Oh mercy, this is a good one! Every time I use this product I not only have very soft skin for quite a long time, but I also smell amazing (I know Honest Company makes use of essential oils rather than going with artificial perfumes, so know that your scent will be a natural one, and not one made in a lab somewhere).

And thankfully, a little goes a long way, so you won’t run out of the product too terribly quickly, which makes the $16.95 price tag much more justifiable.

So for those of you who do bundles with the Honest Company (pick 5 products from an extensive list for just $35.95), here’s the bad news: this one doesn’t qualify (well, sort of). It DOES qualify to get added as one of your 3 bonus items (when you bundle you can select 3 additional items to add to your order, and each of those items is 25% off). So definitely try this as an add-on, because it will bring down the cost quite a bit (it becomes $12.19…not bad at all!). And if you are new to Honest Company and have no idea what to pick for your bundle, I’ve got a very lengthy list of Honest Company reviews you should check out. Spoiler alert: most things rock, but there are some lemons in the lot, so you’d be wise to read up before filling your cart!

How to Boost the Immune System for Kids: the Simple Way!

December 26, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Referral links may be included at no cost to you. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

My kids take a multi-vitamin each morning (ok, most mornings…) and we also use essential oils to help provide some support to our bodies to help us stay well. But sometimes we need an extra dose of immunity boosting goodness (especially in the late fall and winter when the sniffles seem to be almost impossible to avoid).

Today I want to show you a product from The Honest Company that is formulated for kids, but that my entire family actually uses. The reason we all use it has to do with the way I choose to use the product: in our smoothies.

I’d say that my crew has smoothies as part of breakfast 2-3 times each week. During the fall and winter (and if needed, other times of the year as well), if I’m making a smoothie that is going to have a dominant berry flavor, I go ahead and add some of this Kid’s Immunity Boost.

It comes in powder form (and a berry flavor) and it can be used in smoothies, on yogurt or even in juice. I’ve simply found that my crew likes it best in smoothies, so that’s the route we take.

I think this is a great wellness tool to add to your arsenal as a boost to help your kids’ bodies be primed for fighting those germs that most definitely will head their way.

Since this product retails for $19.95 it is slightly more affordable to sign up for a wellness bundle, which is $35.95 for 2 products in the list of options (so you could buy 2 and save $2 per container that way). Since shipping is free once you spend $50 or more, take advantage of the fact that bundles allow for up to 3 additional items to be added at 25% off the retail price per item. At 25% off, your price for that third container would be $14.96. I think the most fun thing to do would be to order several different things from the selection, but you could just stick to the Kids’ Immunity Boost and order 4 of them through the bundle service. Your grand total would be $65.87 (that’s $16.46 per container), you’d get free shipping, and you’d likely be all set for a year or even more with your immunity booster.

If you want to look at some of the other wellness products, be sure to check out my Honest Company reviews to see which ones I recommend!

Honest Company Best Multivitamin for Men Review: An Honest Assessment

December 19, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

Referral links may be included. My family buys and loves Honest Company products.

My husband has been using the Honest Company’s Men’s Complete One a Day Vitamins for over a year now, and they the best multivitamin for men for a few key reasons.

I think the biggest benefit of this multivitamin is the fact that it also has probiotics included. We both have felt a noticeable difference in our overall health when we take probiotics, so having it included with the multivitamin instead of being a separate pill is awesome.

I’m also really impressed with the specific ingredients in this multivitamin and the fact that it is truly targeted for the needs of men. It has a stimulant-free combination of ingredients to help give an energy boost throughout the day.

Tim doesn’t like to take this pill on an empty stomach, so it’s best to pair it with some food. But otherwise, it’s so great to pack so much great stuff into one pill. I wish they could find a way to add in some Omega-3 vitamins, too (although they do offer a separate pill to get those vitamins, too).

And just like all Honest products, here’s some of what you WON’T find in these multivitamins: made soy, gluten, yeast, wheat, casein, gelatin, sodium, dairy, eggs, shellfish, sweeteners, HFCS, artificial flavors, starch, dyes, preservatives, parabens, or phthalates.

A one month supply retails for $19.95. You can subscribe to a bundle and get 2 items from their listed of choices for $34.95 (which will save you about $5 on two containers). You can also get 25% off up to 3 additional items when you subscribe to a bundle, so if you wanted to buy a third bottle, that bottle would cost just $14.96. It’s important to note that there is a shipping charge unless you spend $50 or more, and then shipping is free. So my recommendation is to buy 4 bottles of the vitamins at a time. You’ll get the price per bottle down to about $16.21 that way and you won’t pay for shipping.

And as far as being a bundle subscriber, it is truly hassle-free. You can push back your order as much as you want online, and you receive a notification when you order is a day or two away from processing in case you forgot and need to change anything, want to push it back again, or call in and cancel. I love being a bundle subscriber and the cost savings is totally worth the miniscule amount of time you have to spend pushing back order dates until you are ready to order again.

Want more ideas about which Honest products are awesome and which ones you should pass on? I have a complete list of Honest Company reviews. And don’t forget to get all those great Honest Company free trials before you spend a single penny, too!

Honest Beauty Mascara: An Honest Assessment

December 1, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

Referral links may be included. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always. Honest Beauty did not request or sponsor this review.

I have been searching for years for an eco-friendly mascara that issn’t worthless. I know that’s a harsh way to put it, but in my experience, every non toxic mascara I’ve ever tried has given me the end result of it looking like I didn’t put on mascara, and that’s not the look I’m going for.

I’ve been pleased with the products I have tried so far from Honest Beauty, so I included the Truly Lush Mascara and Primer in my most recent bundle order. Here’s what it looks like:

Friends, I love it! I think the primer makes a big difference with this particular product. You apply the primer first to your lashes. I think it plumps them up and gives the mascara more to cling to which helps your eyelashes look thicker and longer.

I would suggest using a eyelash curler before you apply your primer, as I tried it once without first curling them and thought they looked rather straight. Also be careful with the primer not to apply it too close to your lash line, not because of possible irritation, but because it might be hard to get your mascara to fully cover it so close to your eyelid (learn from my mistake!).

I thought the end result looked great and wore really well throughout the day. It gets passing marks from me. I can’t say it’s the best mascara I’ve ever tried, but given the fact that it’s a non toxic option, it’s a winner for me, and I will most definitely order it again and plan to make it my primary mascara choice. I’m so glad to have one more item that I use regularly be a healthier choice for my body and for the environment!

The retail price for this item is $22, but remember, you can sign up for a bundle and pick any 3 items for $50, total. That’s a much better deal. Need some more ideas on what to include in your bundle? Check out my Honest Beauty reviews page, which I’ll be updating as I try more products.

Honest Company Women’s Complete One a Day Multivitamin: An Honest Assessment

November 28, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Referral links may be included. I’m a very happy Honest Company customer and I love sharing my thoughts on the value of their products.

Friends are you taking multivitamins on the regular? If not, I’ve got the perfect thing for you to request that Santa leave in your stocking this year (or if you are reading this at a different time of year, the perfect gift for you to get for yourself): Honest Company Women’s Complete One a Day Multivitamin.

This product is designed to be ultra-absorbable. Did you know many multivitamins are really hard for your body to break down, which makes them sort of pointless? Not this one! Furthermore, this blend has been specifically formulated for the needs of women, with amino acids, superfoods, healthy probiotics (something most multivitamins lack!) & digestive enzymes.

And because this product is made by The Honest Company, it is free of GMOs, soy, gluten, yeast, wheat, artificial flavors, dyes, preservatives and all sorts of other questionable stuff. This is why I love this company. I trust that they are making high quality products that will boost my health, not compromise it.

Honest Company offers wellness bundles, which allow you to get any two items on their wellness list for $35.95. The retail price for these vitamins is $19.95, so if you get them in a bundle, you will save $3.95 on your purchase. Additionally, you are offered the opportunity to get up to 3 more items from the wellness category at 25% off when you order a bundle. This is a GREAT opportunity to add in more vitamins, because at 25% off, each bottle will cost you just $14.96. So you could get a 5 month supply at one time if you wanted, or you could make other purchases from their offerings. I would recommend getting at least one more item so that your order total comes to $50 or higher, since shipping is FREE at that point. 🙂 Why put money into shipping when you could put it into more Honest Company products, instead?

I love these vitamins and I would highly recommend them to others. I also love having a wellness bundle. And remember, it’s SO easy to change the date when your next order will ship (seriously, you can put it off for months at a time if you so wish…not a big deal AT ALL, and you can do it online). And if you have never ordered from The Honest Company, check out my post on the Honest Company free trials that you should take advantage of first and foremost. I’ve also got a long list of Honest Company product reviews if you’ like to learn more about which products I recommend, and which ones I don’t.

Honest Beauty Everything Cream Foundation Review: An Honest Assessment

October 29, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · 2 Comments

Referral links may be included. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post is not sponsored by Honest Beauty or The Honest Company.

I’m so excited to start sharing with you my thoughts about Honest Beauty products! This company is an off-shoot of The Honest Company, and it’s focus is on creating beauty products that look great and that are honestly free of ingredients that are questionable for our health and wellness. If you are new to the company, you should start with my Honest Beauty free trial post and learn how to snag some great freebies. Let’s dive in!

Today we are going to look more closely at the Honest Beauty Everything Cream Foundation. I am quite pale, so I ordered the lightest shade, Snow.

Here’s a look at the outside of the compact. So shiny!!!

Inside you’ll find a cream type foundation (frankly, it seems like a small amount!) and underneath the foundation is where you’ll find the applicator, which is a thin, round sponge.

As you can see from the photo, I find it quite difficult to keep the compact looking nice and neat, as I tend to swipe my sponge over the product before applying it.

Now I want to show you what an application of the foundation looks like on my skin. I applied moisturizer several hours before I took this shot, and I do NOT have on any type of BB cream, or any other makeup for that matter. Also, I’m 35 and have two young kids, so please have mercy on my honest photo!

Ok, so here’s my assessment: first, I do think the foundation looks better in my case with a BB cream underneath, but that’s because I do need a heavier amount of coverage due to having splotchy skin.

I do notice a difference in the appearance of my fine lines, so that’s a big plus!

I also have noticed that the shade is a hair lighter than my skin tone. I think that as we head further into fall and then into winter, it will work for me. It’s borderline right now. When I tried it on a month ago it was just too light.

For me, there’s no way to use this without my beloved concealor as well, but that’s pretty much par for the course for me. I’d call the coverage medium.

So…I like it. I don’t LOVE it, and I’m quite curious to see just how long it will last, as again, it doesn’t appear to me to be a large amount of product, so I’m concerned that I’ll run out very quickly once it becomes my everyday choice. I’ll try to update you once I know for sure (though I’m putting this one away for one more month to let my skin get a bit more pale before I start using it).

How to Buy It:

So Honest Beauty, as you may know, offers bundles where you can choose 3 products for $50, and shipping is free. You are signing up for a subscription, but it’s EASY to change the date and push back your next subscription as many times as you want without penalty. Canceling just requires a phone call and they give you NO hassle.

This product, if you purchase it a la carte, is $30, so if it works for you, it’s a STEAL to put in your bundle. I haven’t tried this, but if this was a product I LOVED, I’d attempt to buy 3 at a time to see if that’s allowed for the bundle. Let us know if you’ve tried it! 🙂

And if you have tried this product, let us know in the comments what shade you tried and what you thought about it.

Honest Beauty Free Trial Offer

September 22, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · 3 Comments

Referral links may be included. All thoughts and opinions about Honest Beauty are my own. Honest Beauty posts are not sponsored by Honest Beauty or The Honest Company.

Have you heard the great news about the launch of Honest Beauty? This is a line of beauty and skincare products from the makers of The Honest Company. I am SOOOO excited about this line and I am eager to try out pretty much everything they’ve got so I can tell you what to get and what, if anything, to avoid!

Let’s start with the Honest Beauty free trial, because that’s the very best way to start your relationship with this company: with free gifts!

For $5.95 (this is to cover shipping costs) you get 3 skincare products and a really cute faux leather makeup bag.

You can take advantage of the free trial offer by going through my link (please and thank you! They reward folks for spreading the word by giving credit back to their site…you can do the same thing once you join!). Once you get signed up you will get to select your skin type and then your trial will be on its way.

Now this part is important: this is a TRIAL. Meaning, there is something coming later! If you love your products, GREAT! You don’t need to do a thing and you will be all signed up for the Honest Beauty bundle, which offers you any 3 makeup or skincare products in their line for $50 (which will save you money over buying those items individually). If you do NOT want to get the bundle, no problem! But within 7 days of receiving your freebies, you need to call Honest Beauty at 1-888-678-8873 to cancel. Based on my experience with their parent company, The Honest Company, you are NOT going to get any hassle from folks about canceling; it’s very refreshing! If you know up front that you aren’t going to get the bundle, I’d go ahead and call in on the day your package arrive, just to ensure that you don’t forget. But I think you are going to be in for a treat if you do decide to subscribe (take it from someone eagerly awaiting her first bundle!).

As I try out various Honest Beauty products, I’ll be putting together more reviews for you, so be sure to stick around. Let me know if there’s a particular product you want to see reviewed ASAP! I’ve already reviewed the Honest Beauty Lip Crayon, so check it out!