Avoid These Skin Care Ingredients that can cause an Eczema flare up

Here is a list of ingredients to look out for if you have sensitive skin or eczema. You may only react to one or few of these items. Test out items within your comfort zone to figure it out. I'd add the generic "fragrance" to this list also.

• Acetone
• Alcohol
• Witch hazel
• Alpha hydroxy acids (glycolic acid)
• Benzoic acid
• Bronopol
• Cinnamic acid compounds
• Dowicil 200
• Formaldehyde
• Lactic acid
• Propylene glycol
• Quaternary ammonium compounds
• Sodium lauryl sulfate
• Sorbic acid
• Urea
• Vitamin C

Source:
Baumann, Leslie. "The Skin Type Solution." Bantam Books. 2006.

Review: Hair One Olive Oil Hair Cleanser Conditioner For Dry Hair

If you've read my previous hair product blogs, you'll know what I'm dealing with here. To read some previous posts on similar items, check out this post on Mystic Divine Argan & Monoi Oils Nourishing Mask.

My Process

I used these products, in this order, with a rinse between each application:

1. Shampoo - Finesse Clean + Simple
2. Beyond the Zone Shock Therapy Extreme Clean Clarifying Treatment
3. Hair One Olive Oil Hair Cleanser for Dry Hair
4. Ovation Cell Therapy
5. Free & Clear™ Conditioner

The RATING - ★★☆☆☆

I compared this to the Hair One Argan Oil product. This one was not as good at moisturizing. My curls were shiny, but did not seem as moisturized. My scalp was still itchy afterwards and flaked near the end of the week. The scent was okay and tolerable, but it still did not please me. The product did not impress me enough to try again. It would work fine for someone who had just moderately dry hair. But if you have extremely dry scalp, are prone to eczema, have dense African American hair like I do, this may not be enough for you. Applying avocado straight to the scalp before washing may be better.

If you had different results or want to share your experience, please post a comment below.

Ingredients:

Water (Aqua), Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Amodimethicone, CID 157846, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, PEG-60 Almond Glycerides, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Coffea Arabica (Coffee) Seed Extract, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Rosa Roxburghii Fruit Extract, Panthenol, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Menthol, Polysorbate 60, Citric Acid, BHT, Disodium EDTA, Potassium Sorbate, 1, 2-Hexanediol, Hexylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance (Parfum)

Review: Every Drop Beauty and Lip Spatulas

I was just going through my makeup and skin products, realizing that I have a lot of unused product. I found some very expensive moisturizer that was housed in a glass bottle. I really like the product, but was using the pump tube, to get the rest of the product out of the bottle. There are some suggestions online to get extra product out of tubes and plastic bottles, but it's difficult to remove this product out of a GLASS container.

There are a couple of options out there, but I wanted to try something fairly inexpensive first. Here are the options, I was looking at:

SEPHORA COLLECTION Bottom’s Up Beauty
ProBeauty Tools
Every Drop Beauty Spatula

I opted for the Every Drop Beauty and Lip Spatulas because they were at the Container Store and I was already there. But I believe you can get them at Walgreens, on Amazon, etc. for a comparable price. 


I found that using them together for the glass moisturizer bottle worked best. I needed the larger one to get the sides and the bottom of the bottle. I used the smaller one intended for lip gloss, for the area behind the neck of the bottle. the results are below. 

Bottle after product is removed. 

What you see in this pot(right) is only a portion of
what I got out of the bottle. I took this photo
2 weeks after I used the spatulas. So you are seeing
this after I used two weeks of product. 

I've since used this with three bottles of lotion and toothpaste and have extended my regular usage by additional two months. For plastic bottles, I can easily cut them open and scoop the remaining product into a jar or a wide mouth travel bottle. Once you cut open a plastic bottle, the remaining lotion or product tends to dry out, so you need to have a clean container on hand. Hope this helps!

For more useful reviews on hair products or other beauty products, please go to Chardonnay's Reviews!

Review: Mystic Divine Argan & Monoi Oils Nourishing Masque

Still in a quest to find a the holy grail of curly hair deep treatments, I tried a Mystic Divine Argan & Monoi Oils Nourishing Masque sample. I did not clarify this week, because I hadn't been using a lot of product.

For the last few weeks, I have been applying fresh avocado to my scalp, leaving it on for a half hour prior to washing. This is just some background, so that you know what I was starting with.

Hair Type:

3c, 4a curliness, SUPER dry hair with DRY SCALP, not colored, shoulder length, brown. Washed once a week, due to SUPER dry skin and hair. I used this product in conjunction with Finesse Clean + Simple Shampoo.

Product's Listed Benefits:

•     Eliminates Frizz
•     Restores Shine
•     Conditions and smooths dry damaged hair

Application Instructions:

Place a small amount of Mystic Divine Nourishing Oil Treatment in hand and smooth evenly through wet or dry hair.

The Rating: ★★★★☆

This product was way more than I expected. Having had an interesting experience with another Argan Oil product, I was not really looking forward to using it.  I am extremely sensitive to fragrances and my experience with Argan Oil was so far, less than pleasing. I was pleasantly surprised. This product had a pleasant LIGHT scent. Beyond that, it distributed easily through my dense curly hair. I separated my mass of hair into approximately six sections and applied the product to each. I could feel the hair become slippery. Sometimes items that tout themselves as detanglers, don't really appear to penetrate or moisturize while using them. This one was GRREAT! It is the next day, and I love the way my hair feels. 

I decided to wait until after one week to finish this review to see if the product held up to my usual routine. By day 6, I had extreme dandruff and itching, more than my usual. I was determined to give it a second try. This time I used my usual applications of products, not skipping any steps. I applied the masque directly to my scalp and waited 30 minutes, before washing it out. Then I used my regular shampoo, clarified with Shock Therapy, reapplied the Masque, my Ovations cell therapy (hair treatment only) to my temples, and rinsed. Then I applied my regular conditioner (Free & Clear). 

The next day, I straightened it. My hair was unusually manageable when brushing through with a Michel Mercier thick hair brush. The hair feels really good, conditioned and smooth. I am optimistic that I will have better conditioning results this time around. If your hair is less dry and you wash and condition more often than once a week, then this is for you. 

Ingredients:

Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Glyceryl Stearate, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Fragrance, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Dmdm Hydantoin, Tetrasodium Edta, Peg-4 Laurate, Citric Acid, Amodimethicone, C11-15 Pareth-7, Linum Usitatissimum (Linseed) Seed Oil, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Trideceth-12, Laureth-9, Sodium Pca, Gardenia Tahitensis Flower Extract, Yellow 6, Red 4, Benzyl Benzoate, Hexyl Cinnamal

Review: Beyond the Zone Shock Therapy Extreme Clean Clarifying Treatment

Because I don't use any product in my hair daily, I don't use a clarifying treatment regularly. As my hair is getting longer in some areas and breaking off in others, I'm giving in and am starting to use gel to keep the stray curly hairs around my hair line, controlled. Now I find that I should probably start clarifying again. I used to make my own, but my time is scarce now, so I'm trying some samples and testing them.

Hair Type:

3c, 4a curliness, SUPER dry hair with DRY SCALP, not colored, shoulder length, brown. Washed once a week, due to SUPER dry skin and hair.

I used this product in conjunction with the following products at different times:
Finesse Clean + Simple Shampoo
Ovation Cell Therapy Hair Treatment
Hair One Hair Cleanser and Conditioner with Argan Oil

 or Hair One Olive Oil Cleansing Conditioner for Dry Hair

Free & Clear™ Conditioner

Application Instructions:

Wet hair with warm water. Open packet and pour treatment evenly across wet palm. Rub hands together while adding one ounce of water to dissolve crystals and create a rich lather. Apply evenly throughout hair, scrunching ends and most affected discolored hair. Allow to remain on hair for 3 to 5 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and follow with conditioner.
For maximum lather, shampoo prior to application. 

The Rating:  ★★★★☆

I really really like this product. I love that it's a powder and that you add water to activate it. Depending on how much hair you have, you can use as little or as much as you like. I have a lot of hair, but didn't find it necessary to use the whole packet. I felt the hair extremely clean after using it. I conditioned again after application. I dried and straightened my hair. I found that my hair felt smoother, took products applied and kept my styles well, during the week. No offensive smell. I will definitely continue to use it.

Ingredients:

Glucose, Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Hydroxypropyl Guar, Disodium Edta, Sodium Gluconate, Polyquaternium-10, Allantoin

Review: Hair One Hair Cleanser and Conditioner with Argan Oil

Let me begin by telling you what the situation is. I have 4a curly hair. Ok, possibly 3c, or something in between the two. This is a degree of curliness (http://www.naturallycurly.com/hair-types).

Since I have curly hair, I only wash once a week. I am also used to dry scalp and occasional dandruff and/or itchiness. The itchiness was becoming so bad, that I thought I should begin to deep condition. Yes, I know. I should have been doing this regularly, but I have two little kids and a full time job. I don't even use product in my hair. Some days I'm lucky if I remember to brush my hair. (I wear it straight most days).

So I went to Sally's and bought some samples of clarifiers (see an upcoming review), and various samples of conditioner. I tried this one first as a conditioner.  

My Process

I used these products, in this order, with a rinse between each application:

1. Shampoo - Finesse Clean + Simple
2. Beyond the Zone Shock Therapy Extreme Clean Clarifying Treatment
3. Hair One Hair Cleanser and Conditioner with Argan Oil
4. Ovation Cell Therapy
5. Free & Clear™ Conditioner

The RATING: ★★★☆☆

I loved the results. Very shiny curls, no itchiness, no flakes. I did not like the very strong musky smell. It bothered me all week. I had to get it out! The smell was so overpowering that my allergies acted up, my pillow smelled musky and I was distracted. For the smell alone, this item does not get 4 stars. 

I went to look up whether Argan Oil is supposed to have a scent and all of the research said yes, but the descriptions did not describe what I smelled. I read that Argan Oil by itself had a subtler scent and that whatever I smelt was an additive. It's also possible that the Argan Oil was not pure or that this batch had gone "bad" or rancid. If you have a different experience, please post below!

So, in conclusion, if you like a musky smell on your hair, hands and pillow or you can tolerate perfume, then have at it! I just wish that I could. 

Ingredients:

Water (Aqua), Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Amodimethicone, CID 157846, PEG-60 Almond Glycerides, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Argania Spinosa Kernal Oil, Coffea Arabica (Coffee) Seed Extract, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Rosa Roxburghii Fruit Extract, Panthenol, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Menthol, Polysorbate 60, Citric Acid, BHT, Disodium EDTA, Potassium Sorbate, 1, 2-Hexanediol, Hexylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance (Parfum).

Use iExplorer to transfer game progress between idevices without Jailbreaking

Have you ever wanted to transfer a game from one device to another, without losing your status? or wanted to restore a game's progress? This is how I did it.

 

BACKGROUND
I play Smurfgrabber on the iphone. It does not transfer game status by using Game Center even though Game Center registers its existence. I wanted to play the game on the iPad without losing my status or progress. I asked on the forums and found from Beeline that you can't do this transfer (like you can with many other games) with this game. But I found a solution.

[If you've had your new device for some time, you cannot "restore" using an old backup to sync your single game. You've already started playing other games, and you have data that you don't want to disrupt. All you want to do is sync up this one game. Restoring using an old backup would revert not just this game or app, but EVERYTHING.]

Another use for these directions is to save your Game Saves for a game that you want to move off of your device. Maybe you want more space for games and apps that you use more regularly and only want to come back to the game when an Update is released.


DIRECTIONS
Download the app from the App Store for the Game that you want to transfer.
Do NOT open the App until you are completely done and ready to Test.

Download iExplorer from http://www.macroplant.com/iexplorer/index-c.php?utm_expid=15979170-15

Plug in your original device

Find the game or app that you want to transfer or back up

Double click on the App in the middle panel until you find the Documents folder. In some cases the Documents folder is not enough to do the complete transfer, so for safety's sake, also find the LIBRARY folder.  You might not need it, but if you do end up needing it, you won't need to go back and plug the original device in again (like I did).

Right click on the Library folder (or choose Action in the menu above) and choose Export to Folder.
Unplug original device and plug in new device if you are doing a transfer. If you just want a back up, you're done. Now save these folders in a Safe place, LABEL it with the Name of the GAME! And then bookmark this page.


Wait for the software to recognize your new device.

Find the same Document folder once your new device is  mounted. Delete the Document Folder Contents.

Drag and Drop to Replace the contents of the corresponding Document Folder with what you saved on your desktop.

To test, open the App on your new device and check to see if your progress corresponds to your old device.

If you see none of your progress, your transfer failed. You may have to try the Library Folder.
Repeat the process.  Before you Test, delete the App from your new Device and reinstall a clean version. Then copy over both Document AND LIbrary Folder contents.