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.

Read Full Post »

Down to Earth Toys – Toy Giveaway!

PLEASE READ, A NOTE FROM ME ABOUT GIVEAWAYS: CLICK HERE

Carrin, from Down to Earth Toys is giving away a shaker rattle. This handmade, heirloom quality rattle is all natural and made out of reclaimed woods from the Pacific Northwest. It makes an excellent teether, musical instrument or even a worry stone. It soft smooth service is perfect for little hands to grasp. To read about our experience with this rattle and other items from Down to Earth Toys please read the review HERE.

Share this giveaway on your own blog or other site that you frequent (make sure it is allowed first) and receive an extra entry for each website you post it on. Simply include the link to where you posted the giveaway within your comment. If you need to leave an extra comment with the links you posted it to, that is fine. The giveaway address is:

http://journeytocrunchville.wordpress.com/2008/12/08/down-to-earth-toys-toy-giveaway/

To enter the contest simply answer the question below in the comments section. Remember, there is no right or wrong answers and it does not matter if your answer is fancy or a few words:

“As a child what was your favorite toy? Why?” or “What was the toy that you ALWAYS wanted but you never had or were not allowed to have?”

Hmm. Nothing is really springing to my mind on this one. I do remember wanting a swing set and never having one. Seriously, mom and dad, what was that all about? I’m trying to think of a favorite or cherished toy and the only thing that I keep coming back to is this doll that I received for Christmas when I was 7  called “P J Sparkles”. Anyone remember that doll? I still remember the little commercial jingle and everything. “P J Sparkles, shine a light on me. Shine! Shine! Shine! When I give you a hug, you light up with love. And all through the night, when I’m holding you tight.” LOLOL

Now I wish I would have kept P J Sparkles because I know my daughter would love her. And just for good measure here is a picture of her (taken from the all wonderful eBay. She is going for a pretty penny these days).

Contest ends Sunday December 14th at 11:59 pm. Winner will be announced Monday December 15th.

Read Full Post »

Down To Earth Toys

Wooden Play Camera & Shaker Rattle

Down to Earth Toys is a family run website that specializes in offering unique and timeless toys. Carrin, Todd and their young son operate their business out of Michigan. They seek to provide simple toys that provide hours of imaginative play while remaining conscientious of this worlds precious resources and the need for practices that are environmentally sustainable. They understand that quality outlives quantity and that less is often more. They also have a large portion of their site (over 90%) dedicated to toys that are made right here in United States.  We are happy to be able to support their efforts and their fantastic toys by sharing this review with you.

The Scoop

My 1st Camera is a fun wooden camera that is made from reclaimed walnut, maple, cherry and birch woods. The camera is made by Firewood Toys. They get their name from the fact that their toys are made out of wood that would have gone to the wood stove. Firewood toys are made by hand, one at a time, and finished off with tung oil. Firewood’s motto is, “These aren’t toys, they are heirlooms!” The craftsmanship of this camera really speaks to this.

The shaker rattle is a wonderful, all natural, alternative to plastic teether toys. These unique rattles are handmade out of remnant woods from the Pacific Northwest. They are filled with metal pellets and have a delightful sound when shaken. They are hand sanded and finished with natural beeswax. Not only are they wonderful as rattles but they also make an excellent music shaker or worry stone.

The Crunchville Experience

Given the nature of the products we were testing, I decided to let Camden be the one to open the package. The look on her face when she discovered what was in the box was priceless.

She was so tickled to see a camera and pointed out to me that, “Look! Now I can take pictures for the blog.” LOL, what have I done? Here is her experimenting with her new camera but first she read the sweet card that Carrin sent us.

When Mikayla came over she also loved the camera and had fun playing with it and when I was taking pictures of Garrett sleeping in his new hammock she grabbed their play camera and snapped some shots too. :)

We also received a maple shaker rattle for Garrett to test. Camden found it to make an excellent music maker and also to practice her skills at pretending to be a baby. I enjoyed that it did not have a jarring obnoxious sound when shaken but instead it was very pleasant and subdued. Pictures of Garrett holding the rattle coming soon.

Durability, Craftsmanship & Play Value

My 1st Camera made by Firewood Toys will certainly live up to its motto of being an heirloom. From the moment you see and touch it you know that this toy will last. You can feel the quality of the wood in your hands unlike some of the cheaper wooden toys that are now cropping up in rapid numbers in department store chains like Target and Walmart. Don’t be fooled by the wood toy bandwagon that began flourishing last year after the lead recalls began. The wood toys you see in stores like Target and Walmart are still mass produced, cheap knock off versions of other wooden toys and they are still made in China.

This toy is handmade and it shows. Not in the fact that it is irregular or homely looking but simply by the fact that no machine could produce such a solid feeling and quality finished product. There are no ragged edges and everything is smooth.

Another factor that reveals its origin is its simplicity. There are no mechanical clicks or bells and whistles with this camera. Instead simple features like a rotating lens with a view finder and a rotating film advance are the only moving parts of this wooden camera. At first my daughter had some reservations about liking the camera once she discoverd that it didn’t say fancy things like the obnoxious Disney Princess camera I got suckered into buying her in the checkout line at Walmart. However, both Camden and Mikayla have learned to appreciate its simplicity. It forces them to use their own imagination and creates a much more open ended play opportunity. It also doesn’t drive mom nuts after hearing the same obnoxious phrases over and over.

All though made by a different company, the shaker rattle possesses the same qualities of simplicity, durability and excellent craftsmanship. The design is so very simple but it is remarkably beautiful (much more so in person than in the pictures) and I was very surprised by how smooth it is. In fact, ironically enough, it almost feels “soft”. I was also a bit surprised by how much Camden loved to play with the rattle,  she loves to hold it and shake it. Garrett is just now getting to the point where he can grasp and hold it and I will have some pictures of him playing with it uploaded soon. For me, I also love the fact that this teether is not made out of plastic or some other synthetic material.

Other Products Offered by Down to Earth Toys

All of the toys shown below are available on Down to Earth’s website and they are all made in America.You Can click the word below each picture to view more about that specific toy or you can click on the categories below or you can simply go to downtoearthtoys.com.

Click to view more Natural Toys

Click to view more toys Made in the U.S.A.

Dakotas Kitchen

A Frame Barn

Basic Breakfast

Hickory Dickory Dock Clock

Rocky Color Cone

Natural ABC Blocks

Mental Aerobics

School Bus

Waldorf Doll

Wrapping It Up

-Suggestions, Observations & Wishes –

-Because the shaker rattle is a bit wide my son chose not to hold it until he was nearly 4 months old. Babies will vary in their abilities and desires to hold objects.

-I’d love to see more pictures of some of the items on the website in use. I know this can be difficult but pictures can make such a big difference.

-Overall-

I love the store! Down to Earth Toys is the kind of store and products that I like to stand behind. I think it is important to support the “little guy” and to help the small artisan market thrive. I found Carrin’s customer service and follow-up to be excellent and their website was very easy to navigate. I also liked that they offer gift registries and a layaway program. I am very pleased with the toys we’ve had the opportunity to test and so are my kids. I would definitely recommend them. Now I am left drooling over all of the other toys on the site.

-The Basics-

Company Name: Down to Earth Toys

Product Name: My 1st Camera and Shaker Rattle

Price: My 1st Camera $22.95 and Shaker Rattle $16.95

Where to Buy: www.downtoearthtoys.com

Read Full Post »

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

if(window.yzq_d==null)window.yzq_d=new Object();
window.yzq_d['ANZxDtj8elg-']=’&U=13fd6aoaq%2fN%3dANZxDtj8elg-%2fC%3d691935.13018925.13224722.2881644%2fD%3dLREC%2fB%3d5489922%2fV%3d1′;

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.

Read Full Post »

It’s that time again boys and girls…

It’s time for more recalls! Without further adieu.

Recalls for 10/25/07

Halloween Pails (lead) – Dollar Store: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08051.html

Football Bobble Head Cake Toppers (lead): http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08050.html

More Jo Ann’s Garden Tools (lead): http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08049.html

Diego Toy Boat (Lead): http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08048.html

Dollar Tree Metal Jewelry (lead): http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08045.html

Shrek & Spiderman Metal Jewelry (lead): http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08044.html

Cars Game Pieces (magnets): http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08039.html

For a list of all children’s lead based recalls go HERE.

For a list of toys made in America go HERE.

Read Full Post »