Truly’s Natural Deodorant

Truly’s Natural Deodorant was developed by Angela for her family and friends in order to provide them with a safe, natural and effective solution to body odor. As the demand for her product grew she realized she had a product that should be made available to all. Truly’s Natural Products is run by the Collison family in Harrington Delaware and the natural deodorant is named after the youngest Collison daughter, Truly Mae.

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION AT THE END OF THE REVIEW!!

!!!!  WINNER: Tabitha Polley  !!!!

The Scoop

If you are an individual bent on finding natural alternatives for everyday products than you have likely encountered the challenge of finding a natural deodorant that actually works…and works well.

There are a number of ingredients in many deodorants that are important to avoid. The main culprits are: aluminum, propylene glycol, parabens, triclosan, steareth-n and phthalates. For information about these ingredients and why they should be avoided please see the link below:

Deodorant Ingredients to Avoid

What makes Truly’s Deodorant stand out in the natural deodorant world? Two factors.

1. There are 3 ingredients! Even better, they are pronounceable and they sound like the beginning of a tasty cake.
2. It works!! Not only does it work but it works better than any product I have ever tried.

So, what is it made of? Would you believe it only contains…

Coconut Oil

Powdered Sugar

Baking Soda

Those three simple ingredients combine to create a simple but powerful product that completely eliminates body odor. Why does it work and why in the world is sugar in there?

The sugar in the deodorant combines with your own sweat to form a hyperosmotic solution that prevents bacterial growth. The growth of bacteria is what causes body odor. Before the use of antibiotics, sugar and honey were used in open wounds to prevent infection. Additionally, baking soda helps to combat odor and the antimicrobial properties of coconut oil also help to eliminate bacteria. Want to read more about it? Click HERE.

So, with these three ingredients, Angela created the natural deodorant that I feel like shouting from the rooftops about. Consider my blog my rooftop. This is me waving my arms and shouting like a mad woman. YOU WANT THIS!

The Crunchville Experience

If you have followed my blog at all then you will be surprised to see this post show up. I fell away from blogging back in 2008 when my son was born and shortly after that my personal world blew up. Chaos still reigns supreme in my world but when Angela contacted me about doing a review for her natural deodorant I could not resist! I mean, there were my stinky armpits begging for attention as I read her email. I even had a painful rash from the Toms of Maine deodorant I was currently using. I have used many natural deodorant products but nothing has worked effectively for me. So, I excitedly wrote her back thankful for an excuse to bring my blog back from it’s virtual dusty shelf.

Truly’s deodorant comes in what looks very much like a can of chewing tobacco. Thankfully, it smells much better. It has a circular lid that you twist off and on. Since the product is made out of coconut oil it becomes a liquid state at warm temperatures and a solid at room temperature.

When I first received the deodorant it was the middle of summer in Tri-Cities, Washington. If you’ve never been there it is a hot, dry, cough, ugly, cough, cough, desert. So, when I took off the lid it was pretty melted and a little bit of the deodorant spilled out. I also had to swirl it with my finger a little bit to mix the ingredients back together. Instantly, I realized that I did not care for the type of container the deodorant is packaged in. However, I have spent the last month trying to figure out what a better type of container would be for this product and I can not for the life of me, figure it out. It may just have to be one of those things that is tolerated based on the nature of the product.

So, before I get in to my experience with Truly’s here is my experience with what I had finally settled on with deodorant. After trying many things that never worked I finally settled on Tom’s of Maine deodorant which gave me mediocre results. Even the one that claims to work for 24 hours didn’t last me very long (6-8 hours) before I began smelling. It also left a sticky residue in my armpits and after a few weeks of use I would get a chapped like burn in my armpits that was very painful. If I sweated from activity, I smelled right away and when I woke up in the morning I always smelled.

Since I’ve started using Truly’s deodorant for the last month I have only had body odor ONE time. One time in 30 days no matter what time of day it was! It’s like a body odor miracle! I have jogged and mowed the lawn in 90 degree weather. No smell. Walking outside in 110 degree weather? No smell. I have gone without showering for several days in a row. No smell. I’ve sat nervously in a courtroom for divorce proceedings. No smell. That one time that I did smell was because I forgot to reapply the deodorant first thing in the morning the next day.

To apply the product you remove the lid and dip your finger into the mixture. My product has ranged from a very liquidy cream, to a thick cream to a fairly solid mixture that you have to apply pressure to in order to remove some with your finger. This varies dependent on the temperature in your home. No matter the consistency the product always works great.

A few of my favorite factors that have not been possible with other deodorants is that there is no residue that builds up in my arm pits. They don’t get sticky. There’s been no burns or skin sensitivity. It doesn’t make my skin peel at all. And in the mornings, even if I sweat at night, I don’t stink! Even more amazing is that if I don’t shower every day all I have to do is put on more deodorant when I wake up and I still don’t smell all day even though I’ve been using it during the hottest month of the year in the middle of a desert!

The one setback I had with this product was when I traveled to a friends house for the weekend. Without thinking, I put it in my travel bag and when I got there the deodorant had leaked a little out of the container and slimed some of my bathroom products with coconut oil. I recommend putting it in a ziploc bag for travel.

I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy or excited about a natural body care product. Now if only I could find a natural shampoo that worked as effectively for my hair as Truly’s works for my armpits…I’d be set.

Wrapping It Up
-Suggestions, Observations and Wishes-

-I would love to see Truly’s deodorant come in a different type of container that prevents it from leaking or spilling. I honestly have no idea what this container could be but it would improve the overall usability of the product tremendously.

-On the website FAQ’s it states that the product will last from 4-6 months. I am only applying the product once a day but it is more than halfway gone and I’ve been using it for a month. Some of it was spilt and I found out after speaking with Angela that I have been more generous with it than I need to be. Even after this, I would say that I will still get 2 months of use out of it. However, even if I had to go through one can a month this would be more than worth it to me.

-Based off of my review Angela has created some tips to help make the transition to Truly’s deodorant a more seamless transition. Apparently, some of these were written on the packing slip that I did not read. Whoops. I threw away that pressure seal that prevents spilling when I opened it. Double whoops.

Truly’s Tips:

1.  Truly’s Natural Deodorant may liquefy during shipping and for ease of use should be left overnight in a climate controlled environment to allow it to re-solidify.  (This is printed on the packing slip, but I don’t know if anyone reads it!)  If you do open it right away, do so carefully to avoid spillage.

2. The Truly’s Natural Deodorant container comes with a pressure seal which if peeled off carefully and reinserted into the base of the lid, it will keep your container of deodorant from leaking even if it is in a liquid state. Just be sure to mindfully close the lid tightly before packing, and it is not a bad idea to slip it in a baggie to be on the safe side.

3. Our statement that one 2 oz container of Truly’s will last 4-6 months is based on our experience alone and not a scientific study as we are just a small family business.  I use it usually twice a day…once in the early morning before I exercise and again a bit later after I shower and it lasts me well beyond 4 months.  It is very concentrated and I encourage people to experiment with how little they actually need to stay fresh all day.  (See picture below for amount recommended).

4. If you have airconditioning and keep your home around 75 degrees,  Truly’s will stay as a creamy semi-solid but it will work at any consistency or temperature.

Overall

This is a must have product. It’s simple and extremely powerful. You can feel safe letting everyone in the family use it. For those women that are pregnant and nursing you don’t need to worry about the effects your deodorant may be having on your baby. Gentle enough for your kids and powerful enough for the stinkiest among us. I love how simple the ingredients are. I love that I can directly support another family by purchasing it. It’s nuances  (product consistency and the need to put your finger in it) are small when compared to how amazing it works. Who knew you could become so excited about deodorant??

The Basics:
Company Name: Truly’s Natural Products
Product Name: Truly’s Deodorant
Price: $7.99 for a 2 oz container OR $42.94 for a family six pack (each 2 oz)
Where to Buy: trulysnaturaldeodorant.com

GIVEAWAY!!!

Would you like to win a container of Truly’s Natural Deodorant to try for yourself? To enter our giveaway please do the following:

1. LIKE Truly’s Natural Deodorant on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TrulysNaturalDeodorant

2. Visit Truly’s Website: http://www.trulysnaturaldeodorant.com/

3. Comment on this review: Please comment on this review something you learned from Truly’s Website

BONUS:

4. For an extra entry into the drawing: Please share this review OR Truly’s Facebook page on your Facebook page.

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Purely Nurtured Product Review

Purely Nurtured

The Scoop

Purely Nurtured is a refreshing website that offers a unique array of products. Run by two moms, Kelly and Nicole, Purely Nurtured seeks to offer their customers simple and natural products designed with the whole family in mind.

One factor that I believe helps Purely Nurtured stand out in the pack from other cloth diaper and natural product retailers is their interesting mix of products. Not only do they carry cloth diapers, wipes and diaper bags but they delve into a creative array of scrumptious bath products and homemade goodies. So why you are buying a diaper for junior you can purchase an “I dream of Sleeping” cupcake bubble bath and a pound of fudge and kiss your cares away. Because, after all, there are no parenting woes that can not be cured with a bubble bath and chocolate…

Would you believe this is a bubble bath??!! They are designed to look like cupcakes but are actually a solid bubble bath. These would make EXCELLENT gifts.

DinoSphere Bath Bomb with a surprise inside! A dinosaur! A great way to get your little one to willingly take a bath. What a great stocking stuffer.

Peanut Butter and Marshmallow Truffle. Mmmmmm

The Crunchville Experience

Due to dye sensitivities and nut allergies we were not able to test out Purely Nurtured’s bath products or candies. Instead we had the opportunity to test out a one-size fitted cloth diaper by Mosaic Moon.

Every mom that uses cloth diapers loves to get “fluffy mail,” a term of endearment given to receiving diapers in the mail. I am definitely no exception. I certainly didn’t have to wait long, all of Purely Nurtured’s packages are sent via priority mail. When I received the package I was pleasantly surprised with their great attention to detail in the packaging. It was like receiving a fancy present.
They layered the box with fancy tissue paper…

And artfully wrapped the diaper…

Inside we received the Later Gator print Mosaic Moon one-size-fits-most fitted diaper     (10-35+ lbs). The version we received has a double snap-in soaker for extra absorption and quick drying.

Outside of the Mosaic Moon

Inside of Mosaic Moon with snap-in soaker

-Sizing & Fit-

During the testing period Garrett weighed about 13 pounds with a 15 inch waist and 9 1/2 inch thigh. Mosaic Moons are designed to fit a large size range of babies by having a fold down front tab that shortens the rise and multiple snap settings, including the option of cross-over snaps.

We first tried the Mosaic Moon on Garrett on the small setting with the flap folded down. We used the smallest snap settings but didn’t find it necessary to use the cross-over snap function. The diaper had a secure fit and Garrett had the classic cloth diaper bulk look.

We then tried the Mosaic Moon on the largest setting with the flap up. It still seemed to fit fine but was higher up on his waist.

We also tried on the Mosaic Moon without the snap in soaker and this did take away a lot of the bulk.

Mosaic Moon without snap-in soaker on smallest rise

Mosaic Moon without snap-in soaker on largest rise

I found the fit of the Mosaic Moon to be more versatile than I would have expected but with small babies the bulk of the diaper is hard to miss. Even so, the benefit of buying a diaper that will fit the baby for the life of their diapering experience and the cute prints available make dealing with diaper bulk on newborns a typical and forgivable side effect of one size diapers.

-Functionality-

I have to admit that having never dealt with a one-size fitted diaper before I was a little perplexed when looking at all the snaps in how exactly the diaper was supposed to work. My friend, Emeth, who owns a Mosaic Moon diaper was kind enough to show me how the tab folded down.
Once you understand how the snaps work the diaper is simple to put on and off and the way the diaper is gusseted creates a secure fit around the babies back and thighs (where it counts for catching poo).

I didn’t feel as nervous pulling the snaps apart with one hand as I do with other pocket style diapers because the fabric feels more secure and less likely to have runs in the fabric around the snaps.

-The Wash-

Mosaic Moon’s have a simple straight forward wash method. You can wash them with all of your other diapers and use the standard cold rinse, hot wash, cold rinse method of washing. Fitted’s are nice because there are no inserts to try and shake out and the fabrics are not as sensitive to soap buildup or repelling. If the insert is soiled you can either unsnap it or you can wash the diaper with it snapped on and remove the insert once go to dry the diaper.

One drawback to washing the Mosaic Moon is that all of the layers in the diaper make for slow drying. Even with the soaker that snaps out I found that the diaper did not dry all the way on medium heat with the rest of my inserts that I dry in the dryer. What I found to be easiest (and conserve the most energy) is to dry it for once cycle in the dryer with my inserts and then hang it to dry for the rest of its drying time. If you were in a pinch to use it again I would suggest drying it on hot.

On a positive note the diaper looked just as good after the first wash as it did when it was brand new. I didn’t notice any fading or pilling of the fabric and it was just as soft as ever.

-Real Life Application (AKA The Pee Test)-

The first time Garrett wore the Mosaic Moon and I took him to use the potty (we practice EC) I was pleasantly surprised to find that Garrett had wet the diaper but that there was no hint of moisture or wicking on the outside layer of fabric. The snap in soaker makes the diaper extremely absorbable. Because of its high absorbability we chose never to use a cover with the Mosaic Moon but I would suggest using a cover for in the car or overnight to prevent any possible wicking.
Not having to use a cover and still avoid any wicking is a great feature of the diaper that we found very useful for EC. I liked how Garrett was still able to have the instant feedback of the diaper being wet since the fabrics do not wick moisture away from baby’s skin but that I was able to avoid having a wet shirt due to the diaper wicking.

We did not test how the diaper handles the containment of poo because my son will not poo in a diaper. The fit does seem secure so I imagine it would hold up fine.

Wrapping It Up

-Suggestions, Observations and Wishes-

- Mosaic Moon diapers are definitely bulky. They create the classic cloth diaper bulk look which is perfectly fine as long as you understand you are not getting a trim fitting diaper. The bulk will obviously lessen as the child grows since it is a one size diaper.

-All though once I saw how the fold down flap and snaps worked it was an “oh duh” type of experience I’d love to see visual instructions on the different diaper and snap positions to help alleviate the confusion experienced by first time users. I’d like to see something included with the diaper itself or even a note on what website to go to in order to view pictures on how the diapers work, etc. I also love to see wash instructions included with the diapers.

-I think that this diaper would make a great overnight diaper but we haven’t had a chance to test this out because Garrett is so sensitive to feeling wet at night and he also won’t let me potty him or change his diaper while he is sleeping without making a huge fuss. He likes his sleep, can you tell? So at night we are still using a disposable. This will be one of the first diapers we try for overnights once he is more tolerant. I imagine for use as an overnight diaper that you’d want to use a cover to be on the safe side.

- All thought this is not under Purely Nurtured’s control I would love to see the makers of their bath bombs, cupcakes and other bath products update their recipes to use vegetable based dyes and pure essential oils so that we could use them (we have sensitivities in the house). It would also make them more “natural.” Nevertheless they are so absolutely adorable and I think they are such a great idea and gift.

-Overall-

I like the Mosaic Moon for a reliable cover free diaper to use at home. The prints are adorable and it is nice to have a cute fitted diaper that doesn’t need to be covered up and that can still avoid wicking, even with a large pee. My preference to use the Mosaic Moon at home is because of its bulk under clothing and my hope is that this will lessen as he gets older since I’d love to use this when we are out and about as well. I also think this diaper has great potential as an overnight diaper.

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China Recalls: Melamine in Cadbury Chocolate

So, I’ve been slacking on the whole China Recalls scene for quite some time. I used to follow all of the recalls very closely. In case you thought they just up and went away…they didn’t. I will try to get my recall lists updated.

For now you should know that Cadbury has recently had to recall some of their chocolate items that were produced in Beijing China and sold in parts of asia and the pacific because those chocolate products contained melamine. Melamine is a compound that is high in nitrogen. It is sometimes illegally added to food products to increase its protein content to acceptable levels since certain tests measure the nitrogen level to assess the protein content of a product. These tests which are conducted to meet regulations are then misled by adding nitrogen rich compounds like melamine to products. This is, of course, highly illegal. When ingested melamine can be highly toxic. This is not the first time China has been caught adding melamine to food products.

Here is information on the Cadbury recall. It does not affect Cadbury products that are distribued in the United States however it is heinous no matter where the products are distributed.

Article is from HERE

Take a trip down memory lane and view the China recalls of 2007 and 2008. 2008 will be updated soon. EDIT: The 2008 China Recall list is now updated for all lead and magnet based recalls.

-2007 China Recalls

-2008 China Recalls

-Toys Made in America

Cadbury pulls melamine-laced chocolate from China

By MIN LEE, Associated Press Writer Mon Sep 29, 8:26 PM ET

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HONG KONG – British candy maker Cadbury announced a recall Monday of chocolate made in its Beijing factory after it was found to contain melamine, the industrial chemical that has sickened tens of thousands of Chinese children.

The 11 recalled items were sold in parts of Asia and the Pacific, the company said in a statement. Cadbury’s chocolates sold in the United States were not affected, said a spokesman for Hershey’s, Cadbury’s sole U.S. distributor.

Meanwhile, Kraft Foods, the maker of Oreo cookies, and Mars, the maker of M&Ms and Snickers candy, questioned the findings of Indonesian tests that identified melamine in samples of their products made in China.

Both Kraft Foods and Mars said they would comply with an Indonesian recall but planned to conduct their own tests and look into the possibility the tainted products were counterfeits.

Melamine-laced baby formula and other dairy products in China have been blamed for sickening nearly 54,000 children and leading to four infant deaths. The industrial chemical, which is high in nitrogen, is believed to have been added to watered-down milk to mask the resulting protein deficiency and fool quality tests.

Preliminary tests showed melamine in Cadbury chocolates produced at the candy maker’s Beijing factory, but it was too early to say how much of the chemical was in them, said a Cadbury spokesman who declined to be identified because of company policy.

Another official reached through the company’s London office said there was no way the contaminated chocolate could find its way into other countries because the Chinese factory only supplies Australia, Taiwan, Nauru, Hong Kong and Christmas Island.

“That factory in Beijing only exports to those markets. It’s only a small factory,” said the official. He said Chinese production makes up only 0.5 percent of Cadbury’s global sales, and the recalled items are “less than that because it’s only chocolate.”

The recalled products included Cadbury Dark Chocette, Cadbury Eclairs, Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate, Cadbury Dairy Milk Hazelnut Chocolate, Cadbury Dairy Milk Cookies Chocolate and Cadbury Hazelnut Praline Chocolate.

In the United States, Hershey’s spokesman Kirk Saville said the Cadbury distributor “has never purchased milk, including powdered milk, from China,” and that he was “positive” no Hershey’s suppliers receive milk products from the country.

Indonesia’s Food and Drug Monitoring Agency said tests last week found melamine in a dozen products distributed nationwide, including M&Ms, Snickers bars and Oreo wafers.

Manufacturers Kraft and Mars questioned the findings.

“We don’t use any milk ingredients from China in any Oreo products, no matter where they are made or sold,” said Kraft spokeswoman Claire Regan.

Tod Gimbel, Kraft’s director of corporate affairs for the Asia Pacific, said the company “was trying to understand what methodology was used” in Indonesia’s testing.

Mars, in a statement on its Web site, called the Indonesian results “completely inconsistent” with test findings from other government and independent labs in Asia and Europe.

“The vastly different results give Mars significant reason to question the validity of the Indonesian laboratory results,” the company said.

So far, only a local agency has checked the products for melamine, but the levels found were considered very high.

No level of melamine deliberately added to a food product is legal in the United States, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

But the agency said it is conducting a health risk assessment to try to determine if there is a minimal amount that would be acceptable in cases where the chemical finds its way into a product through some other means. For example, melamine could be present in the meat or milk of an animal that was fed tainted feed or it could find its way into food processed in a factory.

Some experts in Asia say small amounts of melamine, which is used to make plastics, may be transferred during food processing.

Guidelines in Hong Kong and New Zealand say melamine in food products is considered safe at 2.5 parts per million or less, though Hong Kong has lowered the level for children under 3 and pregnant or lactating women to 1 part per million.

In China, the government continued its investigation into questionable milk sources.

Police raided dairy farms and milk purchasing stations in northern China, detaining 22 people accused of being involved in a network that manufactured, sold and added melamine to milk, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Monday. Police also seized more than 485 pounds of the chemical.

Chinese officials had previously arrested at least 18 people and detained more than two dozen suspects.

Asian countries continued to tighten controls on Chinese dairy products.

Myanmar’s Commerce Ministry said all Chinese dairy imports had been barred since last week, according to the government affiliated weekly Myanmar Times — a significant move because China is the country’s biggest trade partner. Chinese dairy products are widely sold in impoverished Myanmar, though there have been no reported cases of illnesses.

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Super Cloth Diaper Cuteness

So I have a new obsession with cute newborn cloth diapers and that obsession is being nicely fulfilled with Nanipoo diapers. They are the most reasonably priced newborn diaper (besides prefolds of course) that I have found that is both affordable, super de duper cute and made with excellent craftsmanship. It is hard to imagine how Shannon, the maker, is able to make such excellently crafted diapers and maintain such a great price. For the newborn diapers they are only $8.50 a piece. These are fitted diapers with snap closures and they have a little cutout for the umbilical cord. They are one of the truest to size newborn diapers that I have seen. On the downside we won’t be able to use them long. On the plus side they will actually fit! I intend to sell mine when our baby grows out of them and use those funds to buy more diapers.

So far I have 13 Nanipoos and I wish I had a bajillion more. LOL. I have slowly amassed them by saving up paypal from selling things and stalking her Hyena Cart, where she sells them. We don’t know if we are having a boy or girl (I suspect girl) so I have bought cute prints for each gender and some are fairly gender neutral. I just plan on selling the ones we don’t use.

For those who aren’t too familiar with cloth diapers, fitted diapers technically require a cover if you want them to be waterproof. We just intend on using them at home for the most part so we won’t need a cover plus we’ll be doing EC. If you were to say, take baby in the car or use these for bedtime, etc you’d want to put a waterproof cover on them.

My favorites are the monkey diaper (pic didn’t turn out well), the fishy mosaic and the yellow with pink flowers. Of course they are much cuter in person than in picture and they are SUPER SOFT inside. Here they are for your viewing pleasure…

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The Much Anticipated Waldorf Doll

For quite some time I have been looking for a Waldorfish doll for Camden to play with instead of her gazillion plastic babies that have infiltrated our house in their impressive tactical maneuvers. Like Gremlins, I swear those things multiply at midnight when no one is looking. Everywhere I turn there is another plastic baby hiding – in the car, in the closet, in the bathtub, under my bed – but never ever in their little baby beds. That would be too practical now wouldn’t it? They are loved and discarded in quick little bouts.

So I’ve been wanting to get Cami a Waldorf style doll to replace the hard plastic babies that sprinkle our home. This whole China recall mess only further encouraged their replacement with a sooner rather than later timeframe. I’ve been spending the last few months googling Waldorf dolls and particularly weighted babies which give children the added sense of a real baby and also has therapeutic play value. I wanted something of quality and something made with love. Something made from a work-at-home mom with time and care. Something special. I finally found it through Etsy and am so pleased with the doll.

The doll is weighted to about 3lbs and is so much cuter in person than in the pictures. She has been reserved for Camden’s Birthday which is on Christmas Eve. It has taken a lot of self-control not to give the doll to Cami early. Here is the precious doll. Barbara, the doll’s maker, was even so sweet as to make a mini-version of the doll (seen on the doll’s lap). The doll is about 20 inches long:

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