Good afternoon, Bare Beauties!  Body lotion is one of those necessary evils, and the unclean, conventional ones are just plain malicious.  As I mentioned yesterday, and as many of you know, your skin is your largest organ.  Anything you put on is going to soak in and enter your bloodstream in less than thirty minutes.  Of all the personal care products to consider when making the switch to clean and green, body lotion is THE MOST IMPORTANT.

Take a look at the “This isn’t Pretty” section of the website again.  Most body lotions contain ingredients like mineral oil, petrolatum, glycerin, synthetic fragrances, parabens, dimethicone (a relative of silicone) and propylene glycol.  Propylene Glycol is one of the main ingredients in anti-freeze.  Yes, anti-freeze.  And you are slathering this all over your entire body just about every day, right?  And the baby lotion you use on your child?  It contains the same ingredients.  Yikes.

When looking for a body lotion, look for aloe, shea butter, coconut, olive, or jojoba oil.  It should be first or second on the list of ingredients.  Glycerin is okay as long as it is vegetable glycerin.  It helps the skin retain moisture.

Some body lotions that are Bare Beauty Approved:

 ACURE FIRMING BODY LOTION

This lotion does it all.  It is very rich without being greasy and it absorbs well.  Evening primrose, cranberry and rosehips help tighten while cocoa butter and organic argan oil replenish moisture.  Acure is a wonderful product line, and it is very affordable.  Also, Acure donates 5% of each product sold to Bright Pink, a national non-profit organization that provides education and support to young women who are at high risk for breast and ovarian cancer.  Don’t you love that?  Cost: about $10 for 8 oz.  Purchase it here.

Ingredients: Organic Curoxidant Blend (Organic Euterpe oleracea (Acai) Berry, Organic Rubus fruticosus (Blackberry), Organic Rosa canina (Rosehips), Organic Punica granatum (Pome- granate), Organic Calendula officinalis (Calendula), Organic Matricaria recutita (Chamomile), Fair Trade Certified™ Organic Aspalanthus linearis (Rooibos), Organic Camelia sinensis (Mango Ceylon), Organic Aloe Barbensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Fair Trade Certified™ Organic Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Organic Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Organic Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Glyceryl Stearate SE (vegetable derived), Vegetable Glycerin, Organic Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Oil, Infusion of Organic Calendula Officinalis Flower in Fair Trade Certified™ Organic Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil, Organic Argania spinosa (Argan) Oil, Ubiquinone (CoQ10), Glucono Delta Lactone (fermented Sugar), D-Alpha Tocoperyl Acetate (Vitamin E), Marrubium vulgare (white horehound) stem cell culture, Echinacea angustifolia stem cell culture, Fermented Resveratrol Extract (Probiotic), CoQ10, Olea europea (Olive) Leaf extract, Organic Chlorella pyrenoidosa (Chlorella Growth Factor), Organic Oenothera biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Potassium Sorbate (food grade preservative)

ILA BODY LOTION FOR NURTURING SKIN

I really love this lotion.  It smells divine (naturally!) and moisturizes so well that my skin is still soft 24 hours after applying.  Cost: about $24 for 10 oz.  Purchase it here.

Ingredients: aqua, rosa damascena flower water*,  prunus armeniaca (apricot) kernel oil*, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter)*, candelilla/jojoba/rice bran polyglyceryl-3 esters & glyceryl stearate & cetearyl alcohol & sodium stearoyl lactylate**, arachidyl alcohol & behenyl alcohol & arachidyl glucoside**, glycerin*, vetiveria zizanoides (vetiver) root oil*, citrus aurantium amara (bitter orange) peel oil*, p-anisic acid**, glyceryl caprylate**, tocopherol**, xanthan gum**, pogostemon cablin (pachouli) oil**, pelargonium graveolens (geranium) flower oil*, linalool**, limonene**, geraniol**, citral**, citronellol**.

*Certified Organic.  **From Organic Oils and Natural Materials (Sourced from Plants, Trees, Vegetables, Fruit, Grass and Seeds)

DR. HAUSCHKA ROSE BODY MOISTURIZER

This stuff is pure luxury.  It is hands down the best body lotion I’ve tried, which would explain the price tag.  If you have some money to burn, burn it on this.  Almond and jojoba oils hydrate and rose wax seals in moisture.  There are other scents if rose is not tyour thing: quince, lemongrass, almond, or lavender sandalwood are also available.  Cost: about $40 for 4.9 oz.  Purchase is here.

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Rosa Canina (Rose Hip) Fruit Extract, Rosa Damascena (Rose) Flower Extract, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Alcohol, Glycerin, Pyrus Cydonia (Quince) Seed Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Beeswax (Cera Alba), Rosa Damascena (Rose) Flower Wax, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil (Rose Essential Oil), Fragrance (Essential Oil), Citronellol*, Geraniol*, Limonene*, Linalool*, Citral*, Coumarin*, Eugenol*, Benzyl Benzoate*, Farnesol*, Propolis Wax, Lysolecithin (Hydrolyzed Lecithin), Xanthan Gum.

Stay tuned!  Tomorrow we will cover body wash and soap.