Bath and Body Review: One Hand Washes the Other

I have recently discovered One Hand Washes the Other.  I have linked you directly to her blog because that is where she lists all her available scents and the link to her Artfire shop.  WARNING:  She is currently on haitus until the beginning of September.

I've been on an "indie" store kick lately.  I really love exploring what these vendors have to offer that isn't main stream.  Becca, the owner of OHWTO, produces natural beauty products for those who are concerned or allergic to all of the synthetic materials placed in beauty products.  She lists all ingredients for every product she makes on all her media sites as well as labels her products really well.

I ordered Sweet Cream in Sun-Ripened Cherry, Lip Butter in Marshmallow Pumpkins, and Solid Scent in Viva La Juicy.  I received my items nicely packaged in a small box.  I was very appreciative that my items weren't just thrown into a package without any care.  Inside the box, there was a cute envelope with an embossed wax seal that contained a small copy of my invoice with a handwritten thank you, a business card,  some cute stickers, and two solid scent samples in Barista and Pink Lady.  Right off the bat, I am impressed.    The Lip Butter and Solid Scent were packaged in a cute purple bag.  The Sweet Cream was in a cute Halloween looking treat bag.

The Verdict: Sweet Cream

A 4 ounce container will run $6.50.  I don't think that is expensive at all in comparison to similar store brand products.  The following ingredients are listed:

INGREDIENTS: Evaporated Cane Juice, Coconut oil, Grape Seed oil, Rice Bran oil, Emulsifying wax, Stearic Acid, Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Olive oil, Fragrance, Optiphen (paraben-free preservative), and Vitamin E

OHWTH states: 

Sweet Cream is an emulsifying scrub handmade by me in very small batches, 100% from scratch. Emulsifying means that when water hits it, the oils combine with the water and transform your scrub into a lotion-y substance which leaves a light layer of moisturizing oils on your skin, as opposed to rinsing totally clean like other scrubs. Along with the oils, it will also deposit a touch of fragrance, leaving your skin soft and sweet-smelling.

As you can see from the label, OHWTO clearly prints instructions and a slip warning on her labels.  I used this product after I showered this morning and my initial reaction is I love it.  My skin was softer and after a full day of work, it is still soft and I can faintly smell the cherry.  It is not overpowering at all; however, I think I chose the wrong scent for myself.  I wanted to play it "safe" and well, the cherry is reminding me of cough syrup a bit.  My husband says it is all in my head.  He likes the scent.  I don't hate it, but I don't love it either.  The product itself is well worth the price and I will most likely be a repeat customer.  It has a good exfoliating action, and I think this product lives up to her claims.  It receives my recommendation.

The Verdict: Lip Butter

A .15 ounce tube of Lip Butter costs $3.25.  The ingredients are as follows:

INGREDIENTS: Shea butter, Coca butter, Candelilla wax, Hemp seed oil, Jojoba oil, Grape seed oil, Coconut oil, Olive squalane, Meadowfoam seed oil, Castor oil, Vitamin E, and Flavoring.

OHWTH describes her Lip Butter as:

This is MY lip balm, made from scratch from my own recipe, the one I'll pretty much always have in stock unless some kind of catastrophe occurs. It's petroleum free, consisting solely of vegetable oils and waxes- which also means it's vegan-friendly. No beeswax is used, and it's also palm-free (see my bar soap description below for information on that). As far as flavors go- there are some I have which are presweetened (and due to "proprietary" information I can't be sure of what is used), and others I have which are unsweetened, but I typically sweeten those with stevia. If a flavor is sweetened with stevia, I will be sure to note this in the item's description, as I know some people can be allergic to it. If there's no mention of stevia, the flavor is either unsweetened or it's one of my "pre-sweetened" flavors.

I have been using this product for two days now and I am still deciding on whether I like it or not.  Again, I think I picked the wrong kind of flavor/scent.  I honestly think I can taste the castor oil which is not a taste I like to get unsuspecting hits of.  I am not sure whether or not it is supposed to taste like marshmallow, but I am not tasting either marshmallow or pumpkin.  Every once in awhile, I get a burst of sweetness that I THINK is a pumpkin spice flavor.  I do not have much experience with vegan-friendly products, therefore, I cannot rightly say whether this is normal or not.

With that said, my lips are hydrated and I think use of this product has sloughed off some dead skin.  I do find myself re-applying it because it does give my lips that smooth, healthy feeling.  I am going to re-visit her lip butter after I order a different flavor.  For now, I'm still deciding.  I can say that I like it more than not.

The Verdict: Solid Scent

A .15 ounce oval tube costs $3.99.  The ingredients are as follows:

INGREDIENTS: Sweet Almond Oil, Grape Seed Oil, Candelilla Wax, Coconut Oil, Vitamin E, and Fragrance.

OHWTH states:

 These are probably my most popular item online- portable solid perfumes at an affordable price point, in a wide range of scents to suit most anyone. Again, these are made from a recipe of my own device, and they are surprisingly melt-resistant. No beeswax is used to harden them; instead I use candelilla wax, which is a plant-based wax, so this formula is 100% vegan-friendly. The scent in these lasts awhile applied to pulse points, and when it begins to fade, a quick rubbing of the spots it was applied to will refresh the scent. Though they have a decent staying power, solid scents are not overpowering- this was an intended part of their design. I think of them as the "anti-Axe", as they will make YOU smell good without leaving the people in every room you enter gagging on your fumes ;) These are one of the strongest-scented products I have, in addition to my perfume oils. 

I absolutely love it.  I've seen similar products at festivals, and loved the idea.  It is great all around.  I chose the Viva La Juicy dupe.  Man, did she nail it!  It is a beautiful scent.  With the scent aside, the actual product is awesome.  It is small so you can carry it in your purse.  I apply it to my pulse points and it does last ALL day.  The oiliness might set some people off, but it disappears really quick.  Out of all three products, I recommend this the most.  It is my absolutely favorite.  It is portable, functional and smells wonderful.  It is perfect for your purse.  It lives up to the claims.

 THE FINAL WORD:

Try Becca's products out.  She takes great care in packaging your items, provides samples of scents to try, and her products are worth the price you pay.