Giveaway + Organic & Raw Sun Harmonising Beauty Products I Use In The Summertime 🌞 Living Libations
It is currently the middle of summer down here in Australia, where we are blessed with copious amounts of sunshine and balmy heat. I’m spending most of my days dipping in and out of the ocean, tanning on the sand, with salty air breezing against my skin. In this type of dry climate with plenty of sunlight exposure, I am conscious of protecting and nourishing my skin with the highest quality plant botanicals, so I am very excited to be using the Living Libations skincare line and sharing my thoughts with you all!
I have been using Living Libations Skincare and beauty products for years now. I first discovered their range on a little island called Kauai, one of the Hawaiian Islands, in a beautiful juice bar. At the time I suffered from terrible acne, and was learning about the benefits of seabuckthorn berry for skin health & inflammation. I then came across their 'Seabuckthorn Best Skin Ever' cleansing & moisturising oil. I was so drawn to it, purchased it, and immediately started seeing amazing results with the healing of my acne.
I am a firm supporter of Living Libations, ADORE their products, and recommended their products to my health coaching clients that are dealing with skin issues or would like to take a non-toxic & synthetic free approach to beauty & skin care.
In this blog post I discuss and review my Living Libations summer essentials and also speak on the importance of sunshine!
Why am I so deeply in-love with Living Libations? Well, they're...
- food grade (meaning its safe to consume!)
- beyond fair trade
- animal friendly
- reef safe
- leaping bunny certified
- synthetic free
- raw
- organic & wildcrafted
- GMO free
- gluten free
Let’s have a chat about the sunshine
Currently, we live in a sunlight-deprived society; and according to the Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, this deprivation is harming us, as we deny our bodies and minds the recharging vitality of the sun. The fine filaments of our bodies are covered with thousands of vitamin D receptors designed as antennas for the sun’s rays. Our cells have a DNA code and photons that require energy and information from the sun. Sunlight is a key that unlocks the nourishes & sustains our life.
It is true that our skin can be vulnerable to sunburn, and repeated sunburns can cause visible damage, though despite the negative press linking sun exposure to skin cancer, there lacks consistent scientific evidence to support it. For example, people with the greatest risk of melanoma are not those with the greatest cumulative solar exposure.
A sampling of a few research study conclusions sheds a different light on some common conceptions. One study found that malignant melanoma is less likely for adults and children who work and play outside. Another study showed that melanoma is far more common for people who work indoors. A review of studies showed no correlation between sun exposure and melanoma. In his extensively researched book The Sun and the “Epidemic” of Melanoma: Myth on Myth!, Dr. Bernard Ackerman, the founding father of the field of dermatopathology (the study of skin diseases), substantiated that “there is no proof whatsoever that sun exposure causes melanoma.” He wrote, “The calculations now in vogue [about the incidence of melanoma] will be shown to have been inaccurate woefully … and that the sun, now incriminated as the major culprit responsible for an ‘epidemic’ of melanoma, will be rehabilitated from its status current of pariah, our worst enemy, to its place rightful, all things considered, namely, humankind’s best friend.”
The issue with sunscreens
There is also a lack of scientific evidence that sunscreens prevent skin cancer. However, synthetic suncreams do prevent sunburns. Let’s look at how this is achieved. When we apply sunscreen, sun-shielding chemicals that block UVB rays are absorbed into our skin; UVB rays do cause burns after extended time in the sun. SPF, sun protection factor, is a designation that can be used only for synthetic ingredients that have been laboratory tested to prevent sunburns. Yet SPF creates a false sense of security by disabling our skin’s early-warning protection, the sunburn, against overexposure to the sun. Essentially, sunscreen anesthetizes skin. UVB rays—the rays blocked by sunscreens—are also the nourishing rays that spark production of vitamin D in the body.
UVA rays become harmful when they are separated from their UVB ultraviolet partner by sunscreens. Current studies suggest that it is isolated UVA that damages DNA. So, slathering on sunscreen actually inhibits the much-desired vitamin D and allows the undesired penetration of isolated UVA while UVB is blocked.
With ingredients of oxybenzone, polymers of petroleum, parabens, and PABA, these chemical-laden lotions also block our skin’s ability to breathe; our skin’s cellular-respiration process is inhibited from inhaling oxygen and exhaling toxins and carbon dioxide. Likewise, as we soak up the sun, these chemicals bake into our bodies. Oxybenzone, an active ingredient in many sunscreens, is a powerful free-radical generator that is noncarcinogenic—until exposed to sunlight!
Refuse to use sunscreens that restrain this vital connection, and let the sunshine in.
Far more effective than sunscreen, protective melanin lingers on our skin and in our blood in the form of vitamin D long after the sun has set. To preserve the juiciness of sun exposure, lubricate with organic botanical oils before, during, and after sun exposure, and be sure not to soap the skin’s surface, which disrupts the process of these regenerative substances.
Sunshine Vitamin
Organises our biochemical processes
Increases muscle tone
Relaxes nerves
Increases oxygen of blood & tissues
Regulates and boosts hormones
Supports eye health
Lowers blood sugar
Regulates basal metabolic rate
Benefits thyroid
Boosts immune and repairs DNA
Antiseptic against pathogenic bacteria
Necessary for normal cell division
Sunscreens
No proof of sunscreen preventing BBC
Increase estrogenic activity
Chemicals stored in fat tissue
Generate free radicals
Increase cellular damage
Indirect DNA damage
Absorb UVB rays, but let (most) UVA through
2007 study at U of C concluded a significant correlation between sunscreen and skin cancer
No evidence sunscreen prevents melanoma
Blocks production of vitamin D
Carcinogenic ingredients & toxins inhibit skin’s respiration cycle
Disables skin’s warning system
Sun Wise Interaction
First recover the integrity of the skins outer layer (botanical oils & dry brushing)
Topically use pure botanicals in sun and after sun
Eliminate all processed PUFA vegetable oils & high PUFA foods
Avoid tap & plastic bottled water
Block: clothing, hats, zinc, & shade
Enjoy sunrise & sunset
Start tanning in spring
Tan in morning hours until solar noon
Gradually build melanin 5-20mins a day
Expose as much of skin as possible
Build reserves for winter
Avoid soap and tap water after sunning
SPF diet: sunshine grown super-powered foods
Antioxidants & iodine
Sun Harmonising Botanicals
Cell Regeneration - rose otto, lavender, sandalwood, myrrh, seabuckthorn berry, turmeric
Hyperpigmentation - seabuckthorn berry, tumuric, carrot seed, immortelle, geranium
Sun Harmonisers - seabuckthorn berry, turmeric, carrot seed, immortelle red raspberry seed, coconut oil, jojoba, olive oil, peppermint, geranium, sandalwood, frankincense
After Sun Care - lavender, aloe vera, frankincense, sandalwood seabuckthorn berry
Sun Shade - zinc, vitamin C spray
Using Living Libations Botanical Oil Elixers
Botanical oils preserve the juiciness of your sun exposure. Plants, too, require wise interaction with the sun. Plants alchemize sunlight to create a verdant growth. This is the same star that stirs our skin cells and invites our bones to grow. What is on and in our bodies while engaging with sunshine is vital! Almost all plant oils offer some degree of ultraviolet protection to their own tissues. Every kind of light ray has a different impact on the plant’s life process. At the same time, the blossom leads a completely different life with regard to light than do the green leaves (the blossom consumes oxygen while the leaves produce it); it colors and unfolds itself differently within it.
Officially, the term “SPF” can only be used to reference synthetic sunscreen ingredients, yet plant oils do offer a range of skin-shade that can gracefully extend our time in the sun. Plant oils of virgin coconut, jojoba, olive, and seabuckthorn applied to the skin provide a measure of plant-shade. Raspberry seed oil also has potential use as a broad-range sun protectant. Under a spectrometer, raspberry seed oil absorbed both UVB and UVC rays while scattering UVA; it may provide a botanical equivalent of SPF-25.
Essential oils, the distillates of plants, are especially adept at harmonizing the sun’s rays with our skin and further enhance harmonizing our skin with solar rays when added to the lipid oils listed above.
I have had my eye on ‘Everybody Loves the Sunshine’ for a few months now, and I am so excited to be finally using it and loving it! This is a mixture of sun-loving oils, to prepare our skin to welcome the sun's warm rays. Everybody Loves the Sunshine combines the oil of the desert jojoba plant, virgin coco-creme, red raspberry seed oil, seabuckthorn berry oil and tamanu berry with the essential oils of schizandra berry, immortelle, carrot seed, rose otto, cape-chamomile, frankincense, sandalwood, geranium, ginger, lavender, turmeric, calendula, and palmarosa. It truly smells like a luxurious tropical holiday with melodies of tropical coconut, sweet flowers, warm spices, and verdant flora.
It is lovely knowing that the oil is nourishing and protective at the same time. When I used to wear sunscreen (before I knew the truth about them), I never really had the confidence that they were benefitting the skin beneath, more that it’s simply sitting on top adding a layer of protection. With this oil it’s different. You feel like you are really treating your skin from the deepest layers and out to the surface protection.
I'm happy to say that it didn’t cause any breakouts. I have sensitive skin that can break out over the tiniest disruption and it has been perfectly fine, I’ve not had any sensitivity, pimples, or stinging. Instead, it left my skin feeling soothed and happy. I am also so stoked to report that Everybody Loves the Sunshine gave me a beautiful golden tan and I experienced no burning at all!
This has quickly become one of my favourite Living Libations products and is ALWAYS in my beach bag coming along with me on these beautiful Aussie sunny days.
Sometimes, if I spend a full day in direct sun, I can get burnt underneath my eyes or on my nose. I have tried many ‘natural’ face balms and sunscreens before to protect my face.. but all of them had one or two ingredients in them that I wasn’t comfortable putting on my skin. I have been using Everybody Loves the Sunshine Zinc Beach Balm, which is similar to the body oil I’ve been using but is in a balm version, with uncoated zinc oxide for added protection. (Zinc oxide reflects the sun's rays and is a really pure option. Uncoated zinc oxide is purer than both titanium dioxide and coated zinc oxide, which is made with synthetic silicone, Triethoxycaprylylsilane.)
I am utterly stunned at the difference in my skin from using this balm! In the summer, when I’m constantly in and out of the ocean, under strong sunlight with salty winds blowing against my bare skin, my face can get easily sensitive, dry, with some redness around my nose and mouth. No natural sunscreen I’ve tried in the past has worked. Most irritated my face & unfortunately broke me out. However, this heavenly balm has taken the redness & irritation out of my face, and today I came home from a long day at the beach and my face looks & feels so smooth and radiant! I would also like to emphasise that the Everybody Loves the Sunshine Zinc Beach Balm has a pore-minimising, and almost ‘skin blurring’ effect… like, what sunscreen can do THAT! I am so impressed and am seriously looking forward to the rest of my life using these Living Libations elixirs and happy sun enriched skin.
This balm is a dream to apply, rubs in very easily and although you do see a bit of white-cast from zinc oxide initially, it rubs in really quick and is undetectable once on. I really like the handy stick applicator, it is so easy and quick to apply on the go, and as you can guess, the ingredients are nothing short of truly natural and organic.
I have to be honest, one of my biggest pet-peeves is when I go to the beach and I can smell those toxic & synthetic coconut fragrances in the sunscreens people are applying that are sitting around me. It’s a really horrible smell, and I wish people knew what they were actually spraying and rubbing into their bodies. Rest assured, this sunscreen smells NOTHING like that! Everybody Loves the Sunshine Zinc Beach Balm has a lovely tropical, yet earthy smell, with hints of sweetness and spice.
Another thing I want to mention as well, is that I found this balm surprisingly moisturising and hydrating too. I am so excited to see how this will go in the Winter months as well!
I have been on a journey to find the perfect natural deodorant. My search is over! I have been wearing Petal in 38°C weather, whilst participating in intense pilates classes and spending my afternoons swimming… I am extremely impressed with the longevity of each application. It smells like the clean fresh air of the forest with some sweet notes of flowers blooming near by… this scent seems to change depending on the time of day and intensifies when I sweat.
Living Libations Petal Poetic Pits is formulated with essential oils of sandalwood, lavender, ylang and chamomile. “Each petal essence quivers in perfect balance, creating a poignant poem-garden of nourishing underarm charm. Powered by petals, instead of parabens and aluminum metals, this effective natural deodorant will have you waxing poetic as you emit a blessing of blossoms from your pits”.
This deodorant leaves no marks or stains on your pits or clothes, which I am so happy about! However, the most notable aspect of Petal is that it is the most effective & long-lasing natural deodorant I've ever used- no need to reapply throughout day, even after taking a dip in the ocean!
This blend keeps me fresh and smelling delicious all day, and every time I wear Petal, partnered with the Living Libations ‘Night Flight to Venus’ Perfume, I am told by others that I smell like “a majestic floral bouquet!” This is my first deodorant from Living Libations and I now I am so excited to try more scents!
In the summer months, when I am heading to the beach for a fun day of picnics, reading, sunbathing, meeting friends for juice, or heading into the city for a night out with friends, I love to add a little bit of ‘glam’ whilst keeping the ingredients I use on my skin and the final beauty ‘look’ natural and clean. I have been trying out the Living Libations Beach Beauty Shimmer, which is a creamy lip balm with shimmering shades of sparkling sand and hints of seashell pink.
I absolutely adore this product, Beach Beauty Shimmer is not only stunning on the lips and skin, but it is also surprisingly moisturising and hydrating. It smells like a tropical holiday swirled with candy and flowers. I have been a little creative with it and enjoy applying some to my eyelids, cheekbones, browbones, and cupids bow, as well as my lips! I am always taking with me in my pocket- I am never without it!
When I first found out about Beach Beauty Shimmer, I wondered “what creates the shimmer effect if the balm is all-natural and without synthetic ingredients?” Well, it’s actually mica minerals! Mica is made of crushed gemstones called phyllosilicate minerals. These tiny twinkling lights naturally reflect the beautiful rays of sunlight, moonlight or the luminosity of ambient light. This divine formula truly reminds me of the setting sun twinkling over the ocean at my favorite cove to swim at… my little oasis.
“The foundation of Beach Beauty Shimmer is happy beeswax made with love and dedication by healthy, buzzing honeybees. Beeswax shields skin by forming a porous, breathable layer over the lips. To the beeswax we add jojoba for moisture, carrot seed for balance, palmarosa for strengthening skin, grapefruit to plump and energise, sweet thyme to tone, chamomile and vetiver to calm redness, and coffee for its aroma and action. Sparkling mica minerals are swirled into this balmy lip color to give your lips the shimmering kiss of summer at the beach.”
I was extra excited to try the Living Libations BeDew Dab Ozonated Beauty Balm, as I am currently in love with my Ozonated Happy Gum Gel, which has done wonders for my teeth and gums, and was my first ever experience with ozonated botanicals. I had also previously tried the DewDab Drops, which is the most effective spot treatment oil I’ve ever used! This beauty balm blends azure-blue botanical oils with cooling plant essences and fresh ozone for a skin calming & cooling beauty balm. It contains blue tansy- a naturally cobalt blue colored oil, peppermint to calm intense skin and abate the appearance of redness and roughness, jojoba, laurel wax, frankincense, sandalwood, and cypress.
This unique blend has a very distinctive scent… it’s energising, electrifying, and certainly actives my olfactory receptors. If you are new to ozonated oil, the smell can be surprising as it is reminiscent of the aroma of charged air during a lightning storm. It feels like a breath of fresh air mixed with velvet! Activated oxygen, ozone, is made by charging pure oxygen (two oxygen atoms - O2) to become pure ozone (with three oxygen atoms - O3). This freshly activated oxygen is then slowly infused into Jojoba. Bubbling ozone through Jojoba further fortifies the oil with a breath of fresh air, delivering oxygen right into the skin.
I love to use BeDew Dab Ozonated Beauty Balm at nighttime just before bed, after washing and moisturising my face with the Living Libations Seabuckthorn Best Skin Ever. A little goes a long way, and I love how a small dab can easily spread across my whole face and neck. Even though this balm is blue, due to do blue tansy, it does not appear blue on the skin, so no need to worry about looking like a smurf! 😂
This balm is designed to be cooling to the skin and restorative, which is exactly what I have experienced from using it. Like I previously mentioned earlier, my skin can, unfortunately, get a little dry, red and rough in the summer months when I am exposed to the Aussie summer elements (harsh sun, salt, and wind). I especially tend to get a little red around my nostrils and under my chin. However, I am so impressed by this balm because since massaging my face with it every night as part of my routine, these tiny red skin patches are starting to look like normal, healthy, dewy skin again!
If you are living in a warmer climate, your BeDew Dab Ozonated Beauty Balm may soften or liquefy when set in the sunshine or in warm spaces.I would recommend keeping your Beauty Balm at room temperature or cooler, as this is best for the most luxurious texture and consistency, you can also pop in the fridge for solidification.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been on the hunt for a chemical-free shimmering body oil to wear to the beach and to make my skin glow… then I found the Living Libations Best Skin Ever - Summer Shimmer Tropical. I am OBSESSED with this oil! This luscious skin drink is a deeply nourishing moisturiser, and also doubles as a skin-highlighting serum that has my decolletage, arms and legs radiating an iridescent glow of glistening gold! I really love how the shimmer is mild, it will just make you radiate in the sun, so don't worry about looking 'sparkly'.
Now, the absolute best part of Summer Shimmer Tropical is the scent. I would go as far to say that this is probably the best aroma I’ve ever been blessed to experience. It’s truly a luscious Tahitian love-dream. This exotic blend consists of coconut supercritical extract, Hawaiian sandalwood, gardenia infused in volcanic coconut oil, jasmine sambac, virgin coconut, jojoba, ylang, turmeric, lemon, and vanilla. I am my own walking aromatherapy treatment! I am a major fan of sandalwood, jasmine, and vanilla, so this blend boosts my mood and blisses me out upon every application.
I pretty much always have my BSE Summer Shimmer Tropical with me, and whenever I’m with a friend I share a pump of the oil and massage it into their arm... they are all in awe of this elixir and have cultivated their own Living Libations collections because of Summer Shimmer Tropical!
Like the Beach Beauty Shimmer, the infusion of shimmering mica is what makes this oil twinkle. Mica is a magnificent mineral - nature’s gleaming-dream, and is made with layers of crushed gemstones rich in iridescent color. The tiny, iridescent mica minerals cling to the skin, protecting and reflecting in every environment. I really appreciate how the shimmer element in the Living Libations products is non-synthetic and natural, as most body shimmer cremes and oils in cosmetic stores are full of chemicalised ingredients along with all kinds of weird parabens, phthalates, artificial fragrances, sulfates, etc.
I really enjoy using the Best Skin Ever - Summer Shimmer Tropical and Beach Beauty Shimmer together, they pair perfectly and make a radiant power couple!
🌞 GIVEAWAY TIME 🌞
I have teamed up with the crew at Living Libations, and we will be giving away some goodies to 1 lucky winner!
This giveaway will be run via my Instagram page @olivia.harper
What is the prize? You will win::
BewDew Dab Ozonated Beauty Balm🌟
Everybody Loves the Sunshine Zinc Beach Balm🌟
Everybody Loves the Sunshine Tanning Oil🌟
Your very own copy of ‘Renegade Beauty’ written by the founder of Living Libations, Nadine Artemis (this book has changed my life!)🌟
HOW TO ENTER::
Find the picture for this Living Libations review, and LIKE it 🌈
FOLLOW @olivia.harper, @nadineartemisofficial, and @livinglibationsofficial 🌈
TAG 3 friends 🌈
Optional - SHARE the giveaway post to your Instagram story for an extra entry (tagging all 3 accounts mentioned above) 🌈
This giveaway is open internationally (yay!🌏) and closes one week from now at 9pm AEDT Wednesday the 24th of February 2021. The winner will be randomly selected the following day, and I will send you a direct message via Instagram, and tag you to let you know you’ve won on my Instagram stories.
This giveaway is in no way endorsed, sponsored, administered by or associated with Instagram. The winner will have 24 hours to claim the prize after they have been notified and provide a shipping address, failure to comply will result in another winner being selected.
