One thing I learned very quickly after launching Garden Girl is that there are TONS of women out there who are challenged by sensitive skin.

Did you know that more than 60% of women believe that they have sensitive skin? But the interesting thing is that it’s estimated that scientifically speaking, really only about 20% of women technically do have sensitive skin, and of this, only 2 to 5 percent can attribute the sensitivies to cosmetic ingredients. (Source: Milady’s Skin Care + Cosmetics Ingredients Dictionary – Second Edition, by Natalia Michalun) Interesting isn’t it?

The way skin becomes irritated is when the stratum corneum (top layer of skin) is damaged and products can penetrate deeper into the epidermis and/or dermis. Also – your own skin’s bacterial content can react with chemical components of a product and cause a reaction. The irritation typically appears as redness, burning, itching and/or some type of a rash.

The most common ingredients in products that cause reactions are fragrances (which, as I have mentioned before, can have hundreds of ingredients but are simply listed as “fragrance” or “parfum” or “perfume”), preservatives, and some of the chemical sunscreens. Other common irritants are sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate. But every person is different and what bothers some, may not bother others.

If your skin becomes irritated, be sure to think about whether you have tried any new products – these could be skin care, bath care, laundry, dishwashing soap etc. Also – check ingredients and see if you can narrow down any commonalities that could be causing problems. To be safe, it is always a great idea to avoid products with any chemical fragrances as this is often the cause. Here is a link to a great list of the most common fragrances that can cause allergies. And of course, have any irritations checked out by a doctor to be safe!

The reality of that all is that there are many many women out there who are afraid of trying new products for fear of getting a terrible reaction. So as you can imagine, people with sensitive skin are incredibly happy to find products that work for them! This is why Garden Girl has focused on providing products that work for sensitive skin – and why we exclude parabens, sulfates, petroleum products and phthalates. Nearly all of our products are designed to work well for sensitive skin, and we have some products that are specifically formulated for even the most sensitive skin – like like Oasis for Faces face wash and No Worries face cream.

In a giving mood today! So I figure it’s high time for another product giveaway. This month it is for a FREE bottle of Break Free fruit acid gel. This product can be used safely on all skin types and it is a fantastic “at home peel”. Break Free is comprised of glycolic, pyruvic and lactic acids which basically eat away at the glue that is hanging on to the dead skin cells on your face. Sounds a little icky I know, but the results are amazing. Your skin looks fresh and renewed.

The best part about Break Free is that it is a serious product – it’s far superior to many of the typical glycolic or other chemical peels you’ll find in a store. Break Free has a 7.5% concentration, with a pH between 1 and 2 it is unbuffered. Why does all of this matter? Well most of the products you’ll find are buffered and have higher pH levels which means they are less effective. Break Free is the perfect combination of having just the right levels so that it is incredibly effective, but also safe to use at home.

So you can use Break Free and save zillions of dollars (ok that might be a slight exaggeration) over dermatologist peel treatments, and get fantastic results right at home. Peels not only help your skin look smoother and younger but with continued use they also help to even skin tone, unclog pores and reduce any pigmentation issues you might have. And if you suffer from breakouts? It’s one of the best solutions for maintaining clear skin.

We typically suggest that if you have normal to oily skin you should use Break Free 1 to 3 times per week and leave it on for 1 to 3 minutes each time (depending on your tolerance). If your skin is dry or sensitive you can start by using it once per week or once every other week and build up from there.

It is vital to remember, however, if you use any kind of exfoliator, that you are extra careful with your sun exposure. You need to be fully protected because you are exposing the more sensitive layers of skin to the sun. So just be sure to be deligent with your sun screen!

Now for the good part - one lucky winner will get a full sized 4 oz bottle of Break Free for FREE. HURRY – the contest ends Tuesday, August 4th.

Here’s what you need to do to enter:

Go to www.gardengirlskincare.com an answer these questions, then email the answers to contest@gardengirlskincare.com:

1) What is the name of the customer who said “I want to tell you how much I love your products. I do have very sensitive skin and many “natural” products, like Aveda tend to irritate. I have been using my Oasis for Faces, plus toner since I received them and my skin looks and feels wonderful.”

2) What is Garden Girl’s mission? (you can cut/paste)

3) Name 2 beauty blogs or magazines that have featured Garden Girl reviews

Have FUN!!! And don’t forget to submit your entry by Tuesday August 4th!

What a pleasant surprise to see another great review on one of my favorite beauty blogs – Bionic Beauty! They had reviewed Garden Girl back in January but I didn’t realize they were going to do “Part Deux” as they call it. Bonus!

In this review, Jami checks out Garden Girl’s Starting Over microderm scrub, No Worries face cream and Break Free fruit acid gel. Best part? She loved them all! It’s always a little nerve wracking to read reviews – you never know where they are going to go. The reputable beauty bloggers (like Bionic Beauty and Mythbuster Beauty) give their honest opinion. That is why they are good – you know you’re getting the real scoop – rather than just random reviews you might see posted elsewhere on the web (like in beauty chat rooms). So I was thrilled to see that she loved them. And with Bionic Beauty’s highly sensitive skin, it speaks to the fact that both Starting Over and Break Free can be used very effectively on sensitive skin.

And don’t forget – this week you can save an incredible 15% on ALL ORDERS (no minimum). Just use coupon code July7 – anytime before Saturday at midnight. If you haven’t tried Starting Over, No Worries or Break Free – now is the perfect time! And don’t forget, our products are always free of parabens, sulfates, petroleum products and phthalates!

Your face has to take so much! On any given day it can be exposed to sun, wind, rain or snow – not to mention pollution. Oh – and don’t forget just the regular old aging process (ugh). This is why it is so vital to give it some love and pay a little attention to it. The rewards are amazing – you’ll be so glad you did!

So this week’s sale is all about keeping your face hydrated. As I always say, there are just a few simple steps that you should take each morning before you put on makeup and each evening before you go to bed to take good care of your skin: 1) Wash 2) Exfoliate (1-3x per week) 3) Tone and 4) Moisturize. (Please see the previous blog post about SPF products)

Moisturizing is the last step – and some might argue it’s the most vital. So this week we are offering our 3 face creams at drastic savings! This means you can get any of these 3 products for HALF OFF!!!!

NatureNurture face cream for normal to oily skin. NatureNurture is packed with fruit (alpha hydroxy) acids from lemon, apple, sugar cane, and orange to reduce fine lines and leave skin fresh and new. A healthy dose of hyaluronic acid helps replenish moisture deep in the skin, while organic aloe and jojoba and shea butter deeply hydrate and keep skin soft and smooth. Last but not least, Nature Nurture has tons of antioxidants from vitamins A, C and E plus green tea. You show those free radicals who is boss! This is the perfect cream for day and night use. This offer is valid on Refills as well!!

No Worries face cream for dry, sensitive or mature skin – and also for acne-prone skin. No Worries has developed an almost cult-like following among people with sensitive skin. Garden Girl understands how hard it is to find products that don’t cause redness or reactions, and we developed this product with you in mind. No Worries has the same deep moisturizers as Nature Nurture but stays away from any ingredients that might be a challenge for sensitive skin like alpha hydroxy acids. So we still have the benefits of the gentle but incredibly effective organic aloe and jojoba, plus the shea butter and hyaluronic acid. Then, we added a fabulous ingredient called Zinc PCA (a derivative of zinc) which has natural properties that help keep skin clear and free of bacteria and irritations. Oh – and don’t think we left you high and dry without antioxidants! Those are packed in there too! Not bad, eh? Give it a try and see what all the fuss is about. The Refills for this product are also eligible for the discount!

Bright Idea skin brightening cream. I get asked about this product all of the time. People wonder – is it a bleach cream? What will it do? This is what I tell them – Bright Idea is a gentle brightening cream. Using a blend of extracts from plants like mallow, cowslip, lady’s mantle, speedwell, lemon balm and yarrow this cream gently brightens skin, bringing back a glow that young skin has but that we lose as we age. This is especially effective for “mature” skin. These extracts are then blended with a highly effective combination of organic aloe, organic jojoba, shea butter and hyaluronic acid to deeply hydrate and trap the moisture so you are left with soft, super hydrated skin. And because we are such big fans of antioxidants, they are in there as well! Because it is not a harsh bleach, the skin brightening occurs over time. Watch for a gradual improvement over 3 weeks or so. It has become an incredibly popular product as people try it for the first time, then are hooked!

As always – this is a great opportunity to stock up on your favorite – or try something new! To get the discount simply go to:

www.gardengirlskincare.com/facecare

then place at least one of the products above into your cart and then when you are done shopping, use coupon code

APR20

You have until SATURDAY APRIL 25th at MIDNIGHT (I’m a day late this week!)

Have a great week! And if you are in the northeast let’s do a big dance to the warm weather gods. PLEASE! This is getting ridiculous. Watching our kids sporting events (and the Boston Marathon today) in winter parkas and leather gloves is just plain wrong! C’mon sun – warm us up!

The fabulous Bionic Beauty blog just wrote a wonderful review of Garden Girl products. Their unbiased (but happily very positive!) review appeared today. They tried our Pucker Up sugar scrub, You’re Fresh face wash, Even Ste(pH)en toner, Hugs body butter and Hand it to You hand cream.

Check it out what they had to say: http://bionic-beauty.com/garden-girl-skincare-reviewed/

And while you’re there, take a peek at their other posts – it’s a great blog. Now – what would be so fantastic would be if every customer told 10 friends, and they told 10 friends, and so on, and so on….

Keep an eye out for another customer referral bonus soon!

I’m posting this early or late – depending on how you look at it. I missed last Monday’s posting – I was coming off of a week’s vacation at fantastic beach house on Cape Cod (thanks again Karen!!). It was amazing – unbelievable weather and the most amazing house on the water. We all had a blast. Now back to the real world!

But I do have great news. Inspired to always find better ways to reduce/reuse/recycle – I have figured out a new way that is a huge win for everyone – including our planet! Garden Girl will now be offering “refill” packages for some key products – Nature Nurture, No Worries, Cookies + Cream and Starting Over.

The deal is that you order the Refill package (right under the regular jar on the website) – and we’ll send you a small, heavy-duty zip-top bag with 2 oz. of that product. You save a whopping $10 on the product (!!) and you help to reduce excess packaging. Not bad, eh?

So to entice you to try this fantastic deal, I will offer $5 off your order if you order any one of those products. That means you actually end up saving a whopping total of $15 when you add in the $10 you save by ordering the refill. This offer is good through JULY 25th!

The catch, is that you have to have ordered the jar version first – so you can reuse the jar. This is not meant for use in whatever jar you might have lying around – as the risk of additional bacteria is too great. Also – you will need to wash and sterilize your original jar and lid (easiest way is using your dishwasher – or you can boil them for a couple of minutes).

To take advantage of this great deal – simply go online to
www.gardengirlskincare.com/facecare
and add which ever refills you would like to order to your cart. And of course, keep shopping and stock up on other items while you’re at it

Then when you check out, use coupon code:
JULY18

Happy shopping – especially knowing that you are doing something good for this planet!
Have a great weekend!