Body Balm: Coconut Delight

Why use a natural organic body cream . . .

It is Natural

Well, first of all, it's an all-natural product. Commercial lotions are NOT. Our Body Balms and Whipped Shea Butters only contain the ingredients that they need to moisturize your skin.

Creams and lotions formulated with synthetic ingredients often aggravate sensitive skin, exacerbate irritated skin conditions, and trigger allergic dermatitis.

The organic oils and butters we use do NOT contain petroleum based chemicals (Mineral Oil, Petrolatum, Paraffin), chemical emulsifiers (DEA, MEA, TEA), chemical preservatives (Parabens, Urea), Propylene Glycol, artificial colors, or synthetic fragrances.

No Preservatives

Have you ever noticed that when you use your body lotion your skin never stays moist and you find yourself going back to the lotion bottle over and over?

Look at the ingredients. The main ingredient in lotion is water! Once water is added to make a lotion, preservatives are needed to prevent mold and bacteria growth.

No Alcohol or Petroleum Ingredients

Commercial lotions often contain isopropyl alcohol and/or mineral oil. Both of these actually are very drying to your skin. The alcohol gives a temporary sense of coolness due to evaporation.

Mineral oil is a clear, liquid oil with no scent and will not spoil. It is very inexpensive because it is the liquid by-product of the distillation of petroleum to produce gasoline and other petroleum-based products from crude oil. It is found in lotions, soaps, baby oil, cosmetics, and motor oil. Mineral oil

It is great for oiling your wooden cutting boards--but not your skin. Mineral oil does not penetrate to soften. It is difficult to absorb, coats your skin and clogs the pores. If you would like to have healthy skin, stay away from mineral oils, animal fat, petroleum, and synthetic oil based skincare.

It Has So Many Uses

We know that natural body butters make great moisturizing body creams. But here are some other ways we have used these balms and butters:

• Get rid of those cracked heels
• Gently massage into very dry areas on your face
• Soothe and smooth skin after shaving
• Add a dollop to your hot bath water instead of using synthetic bath oils
• Massage some into your cuticles to soften them
• Massage into your lips for a great all natural lip balm

HINT: If you enjoy the application "feeling" of a lotion better than a cream, try massaging our rich Whipped Butters into warm, wet skin after a bath or shower. Wait a few moments and gently pat dry. (Do not rub the skin dry!)

Since a lotion is just a lot of water mixed with oils, a rich natural butter on warm wet skin will have a similar feel.

Remember, the skin is the body's largest organ
and it needs to breathe as part of its
important role in maintaining overall health!

Your skin is as unique as you are.

If you think about it, your skin type is not even the same for all of the areas of your body.

The skin on your face is different from the skin on your hands, which is different from the skin on your back which is different from the skin on your feet ...etc.

Although your skin type is determined by genetics, it will also be affected by other factors and can change with time.

Understanding your skin type is a good starting point before trying or switching to natural products.

There are typically five types of healthy skin: normal, dry, oily, combination, and sensitive.

NORMAL SKIN

This skin is balanced, neither too dry nor too oily. It has regular texture, no imperfections and a clean, soft appearance, and does not need special care.

OILY SKIN

Oily skin is the result of excessive secretions of sebum, an oily secretion of the sebaceous glands. Oily skin tends to attract more dirt and dust than dry skin and may be prone to blackheads, acne, and excessive shine. It is frequent in adolescents and often seen with acne or blemish-prone skin. 

DRY SKIN

For some people dry skin is caused by external factors such as the weather, low air humidity, sun, or hot showers, and it is often temporary.

However, for others it may be a lifelong condition. Dry skin is a result of a decrease in natural oil production which often results in skin that is flaky and has a rough appearance. Dry, cracked skin is often prone to skin disorders, such as eczema.

SENSITIVE SKIN

Truly sensitive skin easily reacts to external stimuli. The skin is often fragile, thin or fine-textured, dry, and prone to allergic reactions. 

Sensitive skin often feels uncomfortable, tight, red or itchy. It is a delicate skin that needs a lot of TLC. 

COMBINATION SKIN

Combination skin is just what is sounds like, it has characteristics of both dry and oily skin. The area with more oil is usually the T- zone (forehead, nose, and chin), while the skin on the cheeks is normal or dry.

For more information on skin type and help with product recommendations for your individual needs, please read our blog, What's Your Skin Type?

Chagrin Valley Soap & Salve is a USDA Certified Organic Company

The most important consideration in any business is its customers. Today's world of misleading claims, false advertising, and simple deception, often leaves consumers trying to discover the truth about personal products and their ingredients.

• We want our customers to know that we are committed to transparency in everything we do.
• We want our customers to know that when we say "organic," we mean it.
• We believe that in becoming a USDA Certified Organic company, our customers do not have to wonder if we really use certified organic ingredients or if our organic products are truly organic.
• So we choose to be a certified organic company and abide by the strict standards required for organic certification.

Some of my favorite products are made with ingredients that just do not exist as certified organic. Why? At this time there are no standards created for ingredients specifically used in the personal care product industry. Organic certification of personal care products is based on the organic food standards set by the National Organic Program of the USDA.

But since we are a certified organic company, we are required to submit documentation that even our "non-organic ingredients" were produced without the use of toxic pesticides, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), sewage sludge, or irradiation.

Why Did We Become a Certified Organic Company?

What Do All of the Organic Labels Mean?

Organic Soap Labeling

We often receive questions as to whether our soaps, shampoos, and other items are safe to use on young children.

A baby’s skin, so thin and delicate, is no place for harmful synthetic chemicals.

Sadly, even some of the most trusted baby brands add nasty chemicals to their products.

Read the label on a bar of commercial baby soap or shampoo. Read the label on a bottle of commercial baby oil. Now read the ingredients in Chagrin Valley products.

We recommend starting with our Milk & Honey Baby Soap. We also recommend our two Castile soaps and Carrot & Honey Soap. They are unscented and, as with all of our products, contain no artificial ingredients!

My grandkids use our Milk & Honey bar as a baby shampoo--just keep the soap away from their eyes.

When you think your child is ready, try some new soaps.

As with all new products, it is best to do a skin patch test prior to full usage to test for any skin allergies or sensitivities. If you have any questions or concerns always check with your doctor or health care professional.

It is best to add only one new soap or product at a time and use it for a while before switching to a new soap.

Essential Oils & Children: We do not provide information on the safety of essential oils for use in Children because the available information is very ambiguous and often contradictory. If you are interested in using essential oils with young children please consult your health care professional before use.

Please do not ask us to diagnose your child's skin problems, we are not health care professionals. Our recommendations are based on what our customers have shared.

Click Here to visit our page of Organic Baby products!

All of Chagrin Valley's natural soap, shampoo bars, and personal care products are certified cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny.

 Chagrin Valley Soap & Salve has been Leaping Bunny Certified since 2013. 

The Leaping Bunny Program was developed in 1996, by The Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics (CCIC), to identify and support companies that are doing their part to help eliminate the unnecessary use and mistreatment of animals to test cosmetic products and ingredients. The CCIC is made up of eight animal protection groups including the Humane Society of the U.S., as well as groups from Canada and Europe.

At Chagrin Valley we do not test our finished products on animals (other than human volunteers). But what about the raw materials, the ingredients we use?

Many products display labels claiming that their finished product is ‘not tested on animals’ but this does not guarantee that the product ingredients are actually free from animal testing. 

The CCIC Standard is a pledge that a company makes to remove animal testing from all stages of product development. Our pledge to buy ingredients that are cruelty-free is integrated into the purchase agreement for all of our suppliers.

Personal care products displaying the “real” Leaping Bunny logo are certified ‘cruelty-free' using the internationally recognized Humane Cosmetics Standards. These rigorous standards require that no animal testing is performed or authorized for finished products or any of the ingredients in any stage of product development by the company, its laboratories or its suppliers after a fixed cut-off date. All Leaping Bunny companies are subject to independent audits and pledge commitments that are renewed on an annual basis.

This annual renewal is a key requirement that sets the Leaping Bunny Program apart from other cruelty-free certification programs. Companies that manufacture products, as well as their ingredient suppliers, must annually recommit to upholding their promise to not conduct animal testing on any finished products, ingredients, or formulations.

Why is this annual commitment renewal important? "Because product formulations change, suppliers come and go, and manufacturers develop innovative lines to meet consumer needs. But we know that compassionate consumers need to be confident that no animal testing is involved in the products they use."

At Chagrin Valley Soap & Salve . . .

• we do NOT test our products on animals
• we do NOT use ingredients tested on animals
• we do NOT sell into markets that require animal testing
  
  

The Leaping Bunny Program provides
the best assurance to consumers
that they are making compassionate shopping choices
by purchasing Cruelty-Free skin care!