Several weeks ago I was thinking I really needed some new lip balm. I also just happened to see that my friend Colleen from Grow Forage Cook Ferment was selling her own homemade version. What a perfectly timed discovery! I ordered a set and awaited their arrival.
First of all, holy fast shipping! These balms traveled across the country in just a few days. They came wrapped up in a homey patch of burlap, accompanied by a hand-written note. That’s not to mention that they smelled delicious.
I was so happy with my balms, I wanted to share them with my lovely readers. Colleen, being the generous lady that she is, also offered me a sample of her herbal salve in exchange for my honest review. Besides that, she’s also giving away some of her awesome products to THREE of you! Better keep reading- you don’t want to miss this. 😉 (Giveaway is over now! But be sure to use code SPRING2016 to get 20% off any order over $10 on her Etsy site through 3/31/16.)
Colleen is a self-taught herbalist and home crafter of herbal products. After blogging for just over a year, she recently took the dive to open her own Etsy store, Coco’s Herbals. It makes my heart happy to support small businesses and give someone a chance to pursue their craft. Maybe it does for you, too!
Here’s what you need to know about Coco’s Herbal’s products:
Lip Balm- Colleens’ lip balms, made by hand, are made with a mix of organic olive oil, coconut oil, and beeswax. The Cocoa Mint flavor smells delicious with the addition of cocoa butter and peppermint essential oil. The Orange Spice balm (my personal favorite) is spiked with orange, clove, and cinnamon essential oils. Lastly, the Vanilla Lavender features shea butter and the lavender she grew in her own garden last year!
These lip balms are great for dry or chapped lips, but are really perfect for anytime usage. They are soft, smooth, creamy, and pleasantly moisturizing- but not at all greasy. I find myself using these throughout the day regularly. Men, lest you think these are too girly, you should know that my husband uses these, and my kids are always asking me for “lip bomb” now! 😉
Herbal Salve- A salve is a multi-purpose, topical semi-solid cream of sorts that can be used to help heal and soothe various skin ailments. (See “What is a Salve?” for more details.) Colleen’s herbal salve is made with calendula, yarrow, plantain and comfrey, all of which are known to have healing properties. It can be used on dry skin, chapped lips, scrapes, bruises, and minor cuts and burns.
I am quite willing to be a testament to how effective this salve is. My lips are usually almost raw in the winter time, but after three days of consistent salve application they were much relieved. My hands are often cracked in the winter, but they’ve stayed moisturized with the preventative use of this salve. This stuff is really great.
Here’s my top five reasons to buy from Coco’s Herbals:
- I understand the ingredients. You won’t find any long, unpronounceable words on these labels. With clear ingredients like organic oils and herbs, I feel no worries about using the products on myself or on my kids.
- They use plants! Speaking of ingredients, I love that Colleen is using herbs for their intended purposes. My amateur forager’s dream is to go out, pick plants, and make something useful out of them to use year-round. This is exactly what Colleen has done with her herbal products.
- They’re completely homemade. With so many factory-made beauty options lining the shelves, it’s easy to forget that there are real people who know how to create quality products themselves. Unfortunately, mass production can leave little rationale for individuals to take the time and pains to craft something from scratch- even if they would really like to do so. Purchasing homemade means enabling someone to keep doing what they love to do!
- They’re reasonably priced. I found Colleen’s prices to be comparable- actually, less expensive- than store-bought options. For example, Burt’s Bees .12 oz chapstick is $2.99 at my local store, and Coco’s Herbal’s .5 oz lip balm is $4- actually making Coco’s Herbals less expensive per ounce. Best of all, you still get to support a real person pursuing her passions. Win/win!
- They actually work! Ever wanted to love a handmade product but ended up letting it go by the wayside because it just didn’t cut it for you? I’m happy to report that Coco’s Herbals’ products have been very effective for me!
Snag your own herbal goodies at Coco’s Herbals shop here. Remember to use code SPRING2016 through 3/31/16 at check out for 20% off any order over $10!
