My Favorite Rain Products and how I use them.

When we were in New York a little over a month ago, we explored some apothecaries in the city.  Rain was a big interest on our list because all of their items are sustainable and wild harvested in South Africa.  They have an extensive list of ingredients that they don't use and I love when body care products are actually all natural.  Rain products are free of parabens and there's no petroleum jelly, no mineral oil, no liquid paraffin, no petrochemicals, no animal testing, and most importantly no child labor.  I really loved all their items and purchased a bath fizz and some avocado oil.  But when we walked past the Columbus store, I decided I needed to go in for more products.  I'm so glad I did, because I actually got so much more stuff!  Here's a look at my favorite products and how I use them...

These essential oils are amazing!  You know I love my essential oils and when I saw they had vanilla e.o., I just had to have it.  It's my favorite scent and I love diffusing it in my house.  The lavender is also one of their 100% pure oils.  Pure oils are hard to come by, sometimes you can find them in stores {or ask me which other brands I trust}, but because they're not regulated by the FDA you don't always know if it's actually pure or diluted.  Some oils do need to be diluted because they're so strong or because they're so difficult to extract and expensive, diluting them makes them more affordable.  Diluting essential oils can be done in a safe way with a pure carrier oil.  What I love about the Rain oils is that they disclose the percentage of actual essential oil to carrier oil.  For instance their Cape Malva e.o. is 30% actual essential oil with jojoba oil as the carrier.  I also appreciate the warning labels that come with the oils, there is a list of all their oils with warnings in the packaging. For instance, lavender has a warning about use with low blood pressure, and the Cape Malva should not be used during pregnancy. As a consumer I think it's important to be informed of the benefits and risks of all products, knowing the warnings allows me to use the products safely and responsibly to prevent and health issues in the future.

So, how do I use an essential oil? My preferred method is aromatically or topically.  Aromatically means that I'm breathing it in the air, I am smelling it and the way I do that is with a Diffuser like the one pictured here.  I fill to the max water line and add 3-5 drops of oil to the water, and turn it on, it diffuses the scent in the room for several hours.  I use this to get rid of our dog smell in our living room, or to freshen up the bathroom when guests are over, or when I need to relax.  Lavender is wonderful for de-stressing and one of my most common oils, my kids love it too.  

Speaking of de-stressing a warm bath with a cup of epsom salt and a few drops lavender is the prefect recipe for calming down.  I not only use this for myself, but also for my kids.  This is more of a topical use because the lavender is coming in direct contact with my skin.  The epsom salt {magnesium} is detoxing and great for the skin, the lavender has beneficial properties for skin as well, so I get out feeling refreshed and calm.  I also love lavender for traveling with kids because I can use it to calm them down mid flight and it's naturally anti microbial and anti bacterial, which is a helpful when traveling, 

Once I'm out of the bath I try to remember to moisturize.  I'm terrible at developing a body care routine but I know living in the desert it is especially important to keep skin hydrated.  So in addition to drinking lots of water, I try to use plant based products to help moisturize, like aloe for instance.  Aloe is really good for skin and has been used in the desert for years to help skin recover after a sun burn but also for general skin care.  Since I've been working on a lot of paintings recently and hosting a few parties{see also: doing too many dishes} and being a mom taking care of everyone when they were sick, I've been washing my hands a lot.  And because it's so dry here in Phoenix that my skin had a hard time recovering from all that use.  This Aloe & Avocado body cream is extremely moisturizing.

I love this ceramic spoon it comes with. You know I appreciate well made items and this is a beautifully packaged and functional product.

I'm kind of picky when it comes to scents, actually really picky, I'm not a fan of floral or perfume types and this was a crisp clean scent with hints of citrus, and it did have some floral notes, almost rose, maybe geranium but it was clean, light, and refreshing.  Husband actually really liked the scent as well and has been sneaking it for himself!

I was afraid it might be too greasy because sometimes creams and lotions feel slimy but this one absorbed in nicely.  

Next up is this baobab & olive oil soap bar.  Husband burns through soap in about a week, so I was curious how long this bar would last, we're lazy soap people and usually just leave it in the shower so a little bit gets wasted each time the waters on.  When talking with the owner of Rain, she mentioned how important it is to set the soap outside of the shower on a soap rack so that you don't lose soap in the humidity of the shower!

Let's talk about how much I appreciate the design on the soap and was almost sad to use it because it was so pretty, but not really because handmade soap is really special and I love any chance I get to use a product made by hand.

This soap was definitely moisturizing.  It felt like it was melting away onto my skin and my skin was absorbing it like a sponge.  Since it's black it made a dark gray layer of bubbles, which isn't really a problem but it's noticeable in an all white tub, so just be prepared to wipe out your tub when you're done.

and hey, look at that!  The design lasted a few uses.  In the end this soap lasted for about 2 and a half weeks with 2 adults and 2 kids using it, when stored correctly. 

If you're thinking about gifts with environmental responsibility in mind, I highly suggest Rain products, I know I'm going to be getting a few items for family and friends myself.  Plus their shipping is free, which always makes buying things online a little more convenient.  If you're in New York City I definitely suggest hitting up the Rockefeller store and saying hi to Sean, he was super helpful and enthusiastic.  Also don't forget to check back later this week for more gift ideas, I'll be sharing a few gift guides for last minute Christmas shopping!

While this post was created in partnership with Rain Africa the view points and opinion are, as always, mine and mine alone.  I only collaborate with companies I believe in and products I authentically want to share.