review :: 100% pure products

nothing to disclose: purchased product

Just as I think it's important to scrutinize the ingredient list in the food you consume, I also think it's important to discern the ingredients you rub into or onto your body. Most of the cosmetic and personal care products that you find in mainstream drugstores and supermarkets are manufactured by huge conglomerates like Gilette, etc. Besides being notorious for testing on animals, these products also contain toxic ingredients. Take a look at any drugstore shampoo or moisturizer label [You'll need to pull out the reading glasses!]. Do you recognize or can you pronounce any of the the polysyllabic ingredients besides "aqua?" News flash: if it's not good to eat, then it's probably not good to rub into or onto your body.

I've been buying natural and cruelty-free cosmetics and body care products since I was 20. I used to be an avid Lush fan, and I still purchase some of their products. I love their stance on animal testing, and the fact that so many of their items are also vegan. But as with everything, you can't be charmed by marketing. You still need to scrutinize labels. Most of Lush's famously colorful bath bombs glow with chemical colors, many of which are carcinogens. And many of their lotions now contain parabens, which are linked to breast cancer. When I tweeted Lush and asked when they were going to drop parabens, they responded by saying "Right now, 60% of our products are totally preservative-free, and we're working on increasing that! ❤" Basically, they did not answer my question. I find their PR machine a bit hypocritical, since Lush portrays themselves as all crunched out.

About a year or two ago, I discovered 100% Pure Cosmetics. They don't purvey the fanciest or most day-glow products.  Their line is subtly colored and subtly scented, but their products live up to their name: 100 percent pure. Every ingredient they use is natural, and most are plant-based. 100% Pure products smell wonderful, but not overpowering.

Since I run and work out just about every day, I go through a lot of shower gel and body cream. I'm a big fan of their hydrating body wash;  I've purchased this a few times [Strawberry-Lemon is my favorite scent]. I also love-love-love their coconut body creams and body butters. Vanilla and coconut are two of my favorite scents, but there are still about 10 more I want to try. 100% Pure soaps are also silky and quite moisturizing.

100 Percent Pure eyeshadow is pretty, neutral and wears well. My only "beef" with it is that when I accidentally dropped the container – which happens people! – it basically shattered into a powder. Not pieces, but a powder, almost like mineral makeup. Their containers are also not the sturdiest or best made. Although I loved the Argan Oil SPF 30 Moisturizer, after only one or two uses, the pump broke. Very frustrating!

But I can overlook this because I love what's inside: 100 percent pure ingredients that keep my clean and glowing. I am not a brand loyalist, and I have no affiliations with this company at all. But I will stay loyal to 100 Percent Pure as long as they stay 100% Pure and kind to animals.