Who doesn’t want a whiter and brighter smile? We're always looking for safe, non-abrasive, and natural ways to whiten our teeth and it’s only fair to share with everyone a brand that we've been falling in love with for over a year - Supersmile! We purchased the Ultimate Whitening Kit from Supersmile and had amazing results with it! You can see noticeable results within the very first use! The crisp packaging is eye catching and has all the benefits listed on the side. Supersmile safely and painlessly whitens and remineralizes teeth and does not contain parabens, dyes, SLS, silica, gluten, or animal by-products. We decided to see what else Supersmile has to offer and was happy to find the 6 Minutes to a Whiter Smile Kit. About the kits: Both the Ultimate Whitening Kit and the 6 Minutes to a Whiter Smile kit, contain activating rods, a whitening toothpaste, and an accelerator. The 6 Minute Kit additionally contains the toothbrush and the pre-rinse which are not necessarily a must-have, but rather an added benefit. The ultimate kit contains 8 activating rods while the 6 Minute kit contains 4. The toothpaste and the accelerator is what makes up the actual ‘whitening system’ while the activating rods are what cleans and prepares the surface of the teeth to allow the whitening system to work more effectively.​ Calcium, phosphates, and magnesium strengthen your teeth and help to rebuild enamel while fluoride helps to prevent cavities. These kits work on all types of teeth! It whitens natural teeth, maintains and enhances the vibrancy of professionally whitened teeth, and even restores bonding, caps and veneers to their original whiteness. Both are these kits are 1-month supplies. They both contain a 1.75 oz tube of the original mint toothpaste, a 1.20 oz tube of the accelerator, and 4-8 individually wrapped activating rods. Lisa's Experience: "I experienced no sensitivity from using either kit! My teeth are moderately sensitive so this was a huge plus for me! This can be contributed to the ingredients which contain no harsh abrasives, which is what normally leads to tooth sensitivity. Using the Ultimate Whitening Kit, I was able to whiten my teeth by four shades! I noticed it removed A LOT of coffee and wine stains! The toothpaste is minty fresh with no hint of chemicals. I find that whitening toothpastes tend to have a hint of this chemical taste. ​​There’s no other way I say I love this kit, than becoming a returning customer. I can’t wait to see the end results when I finish this 6 Minute Kit! I will definitely post about my results!" Benefits at a glance: ✔️ Safely and painlessly whitens & remineralizes teeth ✔️ NO harmful bleaches or abrasives ✔️ NO Parabens, Dyes, SLS, Silica, Gluten, or ✔️ NO Animal by-products ✔️ Kosher ✔️ Whitens bondings, caps, veneers, & dentures. ✔️ Removes coffee, tea, tobacco, red wine, & food stains. ✔️ Made in the USA. For first time users: we recommend either kit but think the Ultimate Whitening Kit has a better value with the 8 activating rods! The Quikee and the gum shown in the photos are sold separately. Accelerator Only: https://amzn.to/2tp545E Activating Rods Only: https://amzn.to/2MIY9x5 Pre-rinse Only: https://amzn.to/2MHQcZe Toothbrush Only: https://amzn.to/2tfuymM Toothpaste Only: https://amzn.to/2yBOhm3 Toothpaste & Accelerator Only: https://amzn.to/2lk4VNj Quikee: Have you tried Supersmile? Let us know below!

Today I experimented with the leftover avocado that I had from my breakfast and made a DIY avocado face mask and it really got me thinking about my skin care regimen! I want to share my love/hate relationship with this face mask but also want to share my story, especially with those who may be dealing with problematic skin. I would love to hear your thoughts after reading this post. I apologize in advance about how long it is but I could just go on forever when it comes to this topic! To give you some background: I consider myself to be picky with my skin care products and the way I cleanse, prevent, correct, and moisturize. I am not the type of person that can switch between multiple products daily, weekly, or even monthly without getting break outs – although I like to think that I can because I love trying new products! I still sometimes feel at a loss with my skin care regimen – like nothing actually works. To give you some more background: I’m in the process of becoming paleo (that’s a whole other blog post that will be coming very soon) and throughout this experience I have been thankful enough to learn about a ton of all natural DIY’s for skin care, hair care, and more. I love all natural products and the idea of using natural products. I really hate when I read the ingredients on a product and an hour later find myself still google searching what it actually is. But I do love researching online and trying new things, especially since there are so many options to choose from and so many blogs, youtube videos, etc. It’s actually very overwhelming – as much as I want to try everything, especially all these DIY face masks, I just don’t think my skin would handle it well. I want to do things naturally but at the same time, if I have a problem I want to make sure its being treated correctly. I never had problematic skin growing up but once I turned 24 that quickly changed. I wouldn’t say that I have acne but I would say I get sporadic break outs and they seem to happen for no reason! I would also say that my skin has become bumpier due to what I believe to be milia. Could it have been that I started actually working out at 24? (no more baby crunches) Or my diet? Or could it have been strictly hormonal? I feel like I might never get that question answered but I do know one thing: Since 24 I’ve been way too picky about my skin care, the products, regimen – everything – and have spent way too much money on skin care products. A trip to the dermatologist resulted in prescription pills, a morning and night treatment, a cleansing gel, moisturizer, and a facial – oh, and $300 less in my wallet. I was okay with it though because it’s what I “needed” right? Wrong! So where am I now? Well, I’m mid-twenties and although I still have “bad skin days” overall, my skin has been generally pretty good with a few breakouts here and there. I still have some milia problems – it goes away and comes back whenever it wants. I don’t know what gives me a worse feeling now, pimples all over my face or finally getting my face clear and getting one huge pimple on the center of it.. “Hi everyone please only talk to this huge zit on my face! Thanks!” (at least that’s what I feel like..) Over the past two years I have learned a lot about living a more healthy and natural lifestyle. I do think things always go hand in hand though and will always be a work in progress. However, making little changes can truly go a long way (and along with that paleo post, I will be posting about these changes and how they have helped me and how they may help you!) So what have I changed in the past two years? Actually, a lot, but to summarize the key points: I stopped going to a general dermatologist I stopped the prescription pills, morning and night treatment, cleansing gel, and moisturizer which has saved me a lot of money I quit my overly stressful full time job I started working out more consistently I started wearing more makeup more consistently I started a paleo diet (not to lose weight but because my doctor recommended it for stomach issues) I started using more natural products and DIY products I stopped drinking a lot of alcohol – less social events! I have stopped and started a few new skin care regimens/products Why I made these changes: I didn’t feel like going to the dermatologist really made a huge difference. I tried following the doctors regimen for close to a year and to be honest, it did not make a huge difference. Again, it’s not acne i am dealing with; it is break outs and milia coming and going. The prescription pills actually made me a little sick. I have never been a huge fan of taking prescription medicine but since the doctor said I needed it, I gave it a try. I didn’t see a huge change when stopping the products, face wash, and moisturizer the doctor prescribed me. My skin just kind of stayed as is. I quit my job because I was getting sick from being stressed out – being stressed out really makes everything worse – your skin, mood, the way you think. I try to stay as stress free as I can – it’s challenging but I am trying. I started working out more frequently and consistently. I have my months where I work out more than others but I am working on exercising 7 days a week – even if it’s only a short, quick work out – it’s better than nothing! The change to paleo has been by far the hardest and most challenging and I promise to work on a post about this journey because it is truly just so interesting! The paleo change has made me feel better but one thing I quickly learned is that you feel awful when you cheat. It’s either you’re all in or not – a week of paleo eating topped with a big mac can really hurt you more than it seems. I knocked off the partying and drinking in exchange to live a healthier lifestyle. I still drink from time to time but definitely not as much as I used to and not every weekend – I was never a big drinker but went through a phase and that phase is definitely when my skin was the absolute worst! What I learned that may be helpful to you: Know your skin problem. Is it acne? Is it milia? Is it dark spots? Etc. Or is it all of those combined? Don’t just start throwing all types of fruits and vegetables onto your face. Just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it will actually help you! Sometimes natural and DIY products and regimes can cause more harm. Research ingredients on products! Just because something is more expensive doesn’t mean it is better. Research, research, and research some more! A lotion that is $60 may literally have the same ingredients (exact) as something that is $7. Know what you are using on your skin! Watch and read reviews from people that have different skin types and weigh out the pros and cons before splurging on any item. It’s time consuming but worth it. Exfoliating is good but over-exfoliating can really mess up your skin. When I read that exfoliating daily helps with milia I picked up a new pack of exfoliators and went crazy but it ended up making my skin worse. I was scrubbing off all the good stuff my skin needed! Know that what works for one person may not work for someone else. I always read and watch product reviews and there are always products that come highly recommended. The only problem I face is that a lot of products contain either salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide and I really can’t switch back and forth between the two. Some SA products work for me and some BP products work for me. Be patient and give the product time to actually work before quitting. I thought that I didn’t give the prescription products enough time so I continued only to find out months later that they just simply didn’t work for me. I have also tried new products and gave up after a week. The trial and error process sucks but I promise it will pay off once you find what works for you! What I do now: I’m currently following a pure Benzoyl Peroxide regimen. I still follow the same method: Cleanse, prevent, correct, and moisturize. I do currently use a few different products; some all natural, some with ingredients that I’ve researched and at least one or two natural DIY scrubs and/or face masks per week. I did write above that I sometimes feel at a loss with my skin care regimen – like nothing actually works – but I think I’m heading in the right direction with the BP regimen. I have considered possibly seeing the dermatologist again to go over the experience I had with the first products I tried and just to hear their thoughts. However, my skin has gotten noticeably better within the past month with only very few break outs every once in a while. IN THE MORNING: To cleanse: I use a clarifying cleanser containing 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide followed by a alcohol free toner To prevent: I use a 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide repair lotion To correct: I use a retinol enriched serum containing 400,000 IU of Vitamin A To moisturize: I use an oil-free moisturizer for combination skin AT NIGHT: To cleanse: I use a clarifying cleanser containing 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide followed by a alcohol free toner To prevent: I use a 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide repair lotion To correct: I rotate between using a dark spot overnight peel and rapid tone repair To moisturize: I use a night-time firming cream Side note: I previously used SkinCeuticals LHA Cleansing Gel to cleanse. It’s $38 from the website and designed for aging skin that is prone to breakouts. The product combines potent cleansing agents with LHA, glycol acid and salicylic acid to decongest pores, smooth irregularities and brighten skin. I like that this product exfoliates without the abrasiveness. My skin feels fresh and clean after using it but since I wanted to try Benzoyl Peroxide I stopped using this product. I would be open to going back to it if I stopped the BP regimen. WEEKLY I exfoliate 2-3 times per week using all natural DIY scrubs I use a refreshing face mask at least once per week I am compiling a list of recommended all natural and/or DIY replacements and will post it as a separate blog post soon! Thanks for making it to the end of this long post! Since the avocado skin care mask got me writing this post in the first place I will be sure to post about my love/hate relationship with it ASAP along with other DIY all natural scrubs and masks, instructions, reviews and more! I would love to hear what you’re thinking! Any and all feedback, suggestions, and recommendations is very welcomed and appreciated. Thanks for reading! Thanks for reading! -Lauren

Working in the makeup field, it is not uncommon for someone to ask me what the difference is between natural products and organic products. I will admit that I am not an expert, not a dermatologist, or even an esthetician but I do truly love to research the topic of what is means to be a natural or organic product - but it can be so overwhelming. When I first got into my whole two hours per day researching habit, I always had all the information but I still didn’t understand what really classified something as Natural or Organic. Then, as I started to learn more I realized how weird the word natural is in the world of food, cosmetics, and skincare. When my sister found out she was pregnant last year I went on a legit week-long internet binge and read everything and anything I could about natural cosmetics and skincare products. The big topic of discussion was parabens, which I will definitely get into in a future post. But for now, let’s dive in and see what I found out about this natural vs. organic topic! According to the USDA definition, food labeled “natural”, does not contain artificial ingredients or preservatives and the ingredients are only minimally processed. However, these foods may contain antibiotics, growth hormones, and/or other chemicals. With this is mind, it’s easy to say that regulations can be fairly lenient for foods labeled “natural.” “A USDA Organic Seal denotes that a product has an organic content of 95% or higher. Products with 70% or greater organic composition can be labeled "Made With Organic Ingredients,” according to yoexpert.com. “An organic ingredient is by definition natural, and vegan cosmetic products are necessarily cruelty-free,” according to yoexpert.com. Ultimately what I learned is that when it comes to food, organic does not use any toxic persistent pesticides, GMO’s (genetically modified organism), growth hormones, or sludge and irradiation. The organic route also provides lower levels of environmental pollution, has animal welfare requirements to meet, requires that cows be on pasture for pasture season, has an audit trail from farm to table, has to have a certain certification and meet legal restrictions on allowable materials, as well as pass inspections. Natural, on the other hand, allows the use of pesticides, GMO’s, antibiotics, growth hormones, and sludge and irradiation. There are also no animal welfare requirements, audits, certifications required, legal restrictions, and this route does not ultimately expose the environment to lower levels of pollution. How is it that these so-called natural foods aren’t so natural? In the United States, the FDA and the USDA, do not have regulations for products labeled as “natural” and therefore, manufacturers often slap the good ol’ natural label on there product for marketing purposes, even though it may not actually be all that natural. Are you as surprised as I am with these findings?? (Serious question, please respond below!) ….But natural always sounds so healthy, doesn’t it? I know what you’re thinking, what about the cosmetics and skincare products? The Skin Deep Cosmetics website is absolute lifesaver when it comes to knowing whats in my products and how safe it is for me to use. If you have never heard of this website, I highly suggest you give it a try. Click the link and type in your favorite beauty product and learn something new about it. Warning: what you learn, you may not like but it may help you in the long run. So what did I gather on natural vs. organic beauty products? What I learned is that researching this topic could definitely drive people nuts! It seems that these terms are often tossed around and used interchangeably when they really do have different meanings. When a product is labeled as natural, it suggests that the ingredients used to create it are sourced from nature, rather than synthetic chemicals. And what synthetic chemicals means, is that the ingredients are made to imitate certain ingredients, but are not from nature. As an example, vitamin C is a natural ingredient found in foods like oranges, green peppers, mango, and berries, to name a few. However, vitamin C can also to be synthetically created. The chemical name for Vitamin C is Ascorbic Acid, and it comes in two forms, L-ascorbic acid and D-ascorbic acid. “The L variety, which can come in both natural (found in fruits and vegetables, and also whole food vitamins) and synthetic forms (found in most other supplements), is synonymous with vitamin C and carries all its benefits, while the D carries identical antioxidant properties but not the vitamin C content of L and is not used in any form of vitamin supplement,” according to SmartyPantsVitamins.com. Natural ingredients generally don’t include synthetic chemicals, parabens, sodium lauryl sulfates, laurate sulfates, phthalates, formaldehydes, petrochemicals, GMO’s, and/or synthetic dyes, and the ingredients come from nature and are not just created in a lab. Unfortunately without the needed regulations, any manufacturer can slap on a natural sticker even when the natural product content is very low. Natural ingredients can also be poisonous. Think plants. They come from nature and are natural but while an aloe vera plant is a multi-purpose plant known for it’s healing properties, a hemlock plant is highly poisonous and fatal. Hello, headache, please go away? Organic product manufactures don’t have it as easy as other manufactures, because thankfully they have to meet specific requirements and pass certifications in order to have their products stamped with the USDA organic seal. This seal denotes that 95% or more of this product is organic, made naturally without the use of synthetic pesticides and must be non-GMO. And as a side note, when I learned about this seal I went into work and checked all the organic brands I was familiar with and shockingly, NO SEALS! AHHHH!!! So which products are healthier and better to use? Not everyone thinks natural or organic are the best. In fact, some people may even think natural and organic products aren’t all that good for you (trust me… I’ve read it, discussed it, argued it….) There are some valid points when it comes to this topic of discussion however, this is something that is truly for you to decide but I can help you! What’s important to you? Once you know this, you will definitely have an easier time shopping for products! And vegan and cruelty-free mean what…? Vegan and cruelty-free are their own, shall we say “categories”. Vegan products are free of animal products and cruelty-free, meaning the product is not tested on animals. Cruelty-free products are not always vegan. Vegan products are not always natural. Has your headache turned into a migraine yet? I promise we’ll figure this all out together! Next time you are shopping for “natural” or “organic” products, really take a look at what you’re buying. I think the key to healthy products is knowing your ingredients. If you have access to the internet, take a moment to plug the product into the skin deep website to see if the product is right for you. In my near future posts, I plan to talk more about the different terminology used in the world of natural products, what ingredients really mean, how I got rid of my acne by switching to more natural products, and what this whole “comedogenic” word is about (because at least one person asks me everyday!) I have had so many people tell me to start a blog over the last few months and that was the extra motivation I needed to move forward with this! Thank you to everyone who is consistently encouraging me, I appreciate it and love it. If you’ve made it this far - a big thank you to you! Thank you for taking the time to learn a little bit about me and my views on natural and organic products. Ultimately, my goal is to provide a better understanding of what makes a product natural and help others to gradually make the switch from chemical-loaded products to something that’s a bit safer but still provides results! Lastly, you may thinking about the products you use right about… now…. but I don’t think it’s imperative that you rush to your makeup and chuck all your products - just yet. These harmful ingredients I talk about are used in such minimal amounts (sounds like another future post!) but this is about making the switch and doing so at your own pace. Not everything I currently use is either Natural or Organic and I actually don’t even personally use a lot of Organic products! I’m OK with this because this is where I am at with my switch right now and I am aware of what am using and how it can potentially affect me. Making the switch and finding replacement products that work is a fun, yet long game of trial and error. There’s just so much to talk about when it comes to the world of natural beauty! I literally can’t even wait to put up my next few post! Thank you again so much for reading and please comment below with any thoughts, information or feedback! No, seriously, please do! Thanks for reading! -Lauren Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored and I was not paid in any way to promote the mentioned products. I only recommend products that I have personally used. This post does not contain any affiliate links. I write all of my own posts which contain my own personal opinions. The information within my posts was obtained through research I’ve done. I always encourage everyone to research these topics I talk about to discover your own thoughts and opinions on it. I am not a doctor and I do advise you to use your discretion before trying anything at home. I also encourage you to talk to your doctor about any serious health questions. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions guidelines concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising.

It’s totally normal to feel overwhelmed when you start reading the packaging on a product that says it’s “natural with organic ingredients” and it’s “non-comedogenic and contains no parabens”. We've dug into the terms and are here to help! Without further ado, here’s our “what does that word even mean” list: Natural: Generally refers to containing no artificial or synthetic ingredients, but this is not always the case. The intention is that the ingredients are derived from nature and the product contains no preservatives. The ingredients are also allegedly minimally processed. When it comes to natural food, keep in mind that some natural foods still may contain antibiotics, GMO’s, growth hormones, and/or synthetic ingredients. Organic: A USDA organic seal denotes that the product has an organic content of 95% or higher. It generally means that it is a natural product grown without the use of toxic pesticides, herbicides, synthetic fertilizers, GMO’s, growth hormones, sludge, or irradiation. Organic products also have lower levels of environmental pollution. When it comes to organic food products, they should meet animal welfare requirements and the animals that produce meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products were not pumped with antibiotics or growth hormones. Vegan: Refers to a product that does not contain any ingredient that comes from animals. Usually products are also cruelty-free but not always. A person who is vegan does not eat or use animal products. Non-toxic: When ingredient that have been linked to a toxic response in humans are left out of the product. A toxic response can be any ingredient that caused a hormone disruption, neuro-disruption, or much worse, cancer. An example of a toxic ingredient is phthalates. Chemical-Free: Chemical-free is similar to the term non-toxic. It’s used in marketing to symbolize that the product is safe, healthy, or environmentally friendly because it contains natural, non-toxic, chemical-free ingredients. Arguably, “from a chemist’s perspective, the term is a misnomer, as all substances and objects are composed entirely of chemicals and energy.” GMO-Free: GMO stands for genetically modified organism and can be a plant, animal, or other organism. Consumption of GMO’s is not safe and the consequences are, for the most part, unknown. Animal studies show there are health risks associated with consumption of GMO’s and since your skin cab absorb anything, it’s best to avoid it. Non-comedogenic: A product labeled non-comedogenic means that it should not clog your pores. Hypoallergenic: Products that are relatively unlikely to cause an allergic reaction however, be cautious because brands can use this term for marketing purposes. Dermatologist Approved: This means that at least one dermatologist tested and approved this product as safe. Ophthalmologist Approved: This means that at least one ophthalmologist tested and approved this product as safe. Generally means it’s safe for sensitive eyes or contact lens wearers. Cruelty-Free: Does not test or experiment with products on animals. Gluten-Free: Product does not contain gluten, a substance present in cereal grains, especially wheats, that is responsible for the elastic texture of dough. It’s a mixture of two proteins and causes illness in people with celiacs disease. Paraben-Free: Product does not contain parabens. A paraben is a group of compounds used as a preservative in pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, as well as in the food industry. Fragrance-Free: Usually means the product contains no perfume, natural or synthetic. Oil-Free: This generally means that the product was formulated without the use of plant or mineral oils. Oil-free products are usually non-comedogenic or generally less likely to clog pores in oily or acne-prone skin. Physician’s Formula is a great example of a company that packages their cosmetic products very well, making it clear what there products are all about. Each product has a list of features, whether it’s non-comedogenic, fragrance-free, or gluten-free, each product will show you right on along the side of the box. Their website even makes it easy to understand, listing the benefits in each product description, as pictured below. Another brand that we recently took the time to learn about was PUR Cosmetics. Instantly fell in love and even purchased a product from them, the Pur Miracle Mist! Similar to Physicians Formula’s packaging, you will see a list of the benefits alongside the box. It’s super helpful. Their website is also easy to shop, allowing you to select your main concern (ie: Shop Gluten Free Products) and browse the products that fall under that category. ​​Pur has an amazing starter skincare kit on amazon for $26.08 where you get to try a little bit of everything if you’re interested in getting to know this brand. We hope you enjoyed this little compilation of some of the Natural terminology often plastered on cosmetic and skincare packaging. But just keep in mind, although some of these words can be used for marketing purposes, there are brands that you can trust and that are honest with the use of these words. This is just another reason why it’s important to know your ingredients! With this knowledge, you can fish out those green-washing brands and know that what your using is healthy and right for you!