Fragrance Free Skincare

Eclectic Lady's Fragrance Free African Black Soap is one of my new favorite things. It's the funkiest soap I've ever seen! This soap brings the cool factor in the bathroom up several notches just by being there. It looks like a big rock or a smashed up turtle brownie, depending on your perspective. It's worthy of just being used as a decorative item, placed in an equally cool soap dish in the guest bathroom.

However, it's also a great soap! It doesn't really look the part, but it is very luxurious in the tub. It has a very high shea butter content and shea butter is really awsome (see my review further down the page). So this soap is very moisturizing. It also cleans well without irritating your skin. I use it on my whole body, including my face and have not had any allergic reactions. Since this soap is made from natural materials, I was concerned that I'd be allergic to something in there, but thankfully, I'm not.

One note--which Eclectic Lady tells you about in the product info sheet she sends with the soap, is that it needs to be kept dry. It absorbs moisture from the air which can make it turn a bit white. I dont mind that myself. I think it adds to its unique look. But, you also must not leave it in a wet soap dish (which I did after a quick shower one morning). I came home to a little pool of brown goo in the soap dish. Not much and nothing to sweat about, but I assume that repeatedly leaving it in there would use it up very quickly and you certainly want your African Black Soap to last as long as possible.

Ready to try this uber-cool soap for yourself? Click to Buy Fragrance Free Black Soap.

Eclectic Lady offers a wide variety of handmade products for the home and has a great selection of bath and beauty products. Jeanne, the owner of Eclectic Lady is a fellow writer at Bellaonline.com and she sent me samples of her fragrance free products so I could review them for this site. I have purchased home fragrance items from Eclectic Lady but never shopped her bath and beauty products because of my allergies. I was delighted to discover that she had several fragrance free products. Like most who have had reactions to soaps, lotions and potion, I tend to stick with the very few products that I've found that do not irritate my skin. I typically "walk on by" the lovely soap and lotion displays but have always thought it would be great to be able to use those products. Now, I can use African Black Soap, shea butter, oatmeal shea butter soap, fragrance free massage oil, and more! And, you can, too!

Eclectic Lady's fragrance free products have that handcrafted "artisan" look-- because they are all handmade. They look special and unique and make it easy to pamper yourself. Plus, Eclectic Lady uses environmentally friendly packaging and does no animal testing.

You can visit Eclectic Lady's Fragrance Free Products page for her complete selection. And, continue reading here as I review some of these products.

I love this soap. It is rich and creamy from the shea butter and a little bit of oatmeal gives it the tiniest bit of exfoliating action. I've been showering with this soap for about a week and I'm very happy with it. It cleans well, leaves my skin smooth but still rinses off. I have not had any reaction to it and that's a big plus!

This soap feels very luxurious, something often lacking in fragrance-free soaps. It's a large, oatmeal-colored bar and I think the addition of the oatmeal helps it a lot. Oatmeal has long been a favorite skin soother. I used to give my babies baths in it and it's highly recommended for anyone with chicken pox! By combining oatmeal with shea butter (what a wonderful ingredient!), Eclectic Lady has created a soap we can use daily not just to cleanse but also to heal and protect.

You can buy Oatmeal Shea Butter Soap at Eclectic Lady's website. Plus, if you sign up for her newsletter, you'll get discount codes!

African Shea Butter has an almost cult following and is touted to cure a wide variety of skin ailments. I have never tried it before but I find it really hard to find cuticle cream that doesn't have fragrance. If you are sensitive to fragrance, you know that putting fragrance on your fingers leads to transfer of that fragrance to other areas--in my case, I touch my face and break out from anything I put on my hands that has fragrance in it. So, my cuticles are a wreck! I have used safflower oil, various fragrance-free lotions and even olive oil on my cuticles. Ditto for my heels which get very dry in the winter.

I have been using Eclectic Lady's Pure African Shea Butter on my cuticles for just a few days and already, they are much less dry and cracked. I think it might also be helping my nails, which are also quite dry.

I also have been dabbing a bit of the shea cream on the "laugh lines" around my eyes. Since it's fragrance free it can't hurt and hey, if it slows down the aging process, I'm all for giving it a try!

The shea butter appears to be an off-white color with an almost paste-like consistency. It's not sticky at all, it just looks like paste. It is very thick and creamy. You can use it very sparingly as just a tiny bit goes a long way. As you apply it, it sort of melts into your skin.

Using cologne and perfume does not have to be forbidden if you have allergies. For most of us, some areas of our skin is not at all affected by the sensitivity. I can probably use anything on my legs, for instance without harm. I use fragrance-free lotion there mostly because putting fragranced lotions on with my hands means I'll transfer the lotion to my face. And, it's easier to just have all fragrance-free lotions now.

I do however have a few bottles of cologne. I have found that I can use it if I keep it pretty far from my face. So, no behind-the-ear spritzes or neck splashes. But, I can put it on my abdomen and my wrists and it doesn't bother me.

Some fragrances do irritate my nose, particularly if someone wears too much. I can get a sinus headache from highly-fragranced stores that sell potpourri, even. So, I always test a fragrance before buying.

There is one other way you can smell good without causing a breakout--try using the fragrance on your clothing. Be careful as this may harm some fabrics, and definitely use a light touch as fabrics do tend to hold on to scents for a long time. Oh, and I would not put it on dry-clean fabrics, but stick to your washable items. A little spritz on your bra or the cuff of your shirt might just work!

Allergy doctors test for allergic reactions to organic products like trees and weeds and pet dander. They do this by putting some of the substance on your skin and then pricking your skin. If your skin turns red or swells, you are allergic to that item. They also sometimes do allergy tests with blood, but again, they measure reactions to things that naturally occur.

So, if you are having reactions to products you put on your skin, they will test you for these natural allergies, but most causes of skin irritations are "sensitivies" not allergies. That's how doctors distinguish between the two.

To me, the physical reaction is almost the same. A bout of poison ivy is a bit different than a breakout caused by using a scented product on my face, but it is quite similar, too. It is possible (and probably quite common) to have both allergies and sensitivities, by the way. The "sensitivities" are just harder to figure out.

Many things can cause skin rashes, with exzema and allergic reactions being two. Another is the common (catch-all) diagnosis of dermatitis. You can treat a lot of these with OTC or prescription creams, but if you can learn what is causing it, you can prevent a lot of them as well.

Neutrogena Fresh Cooling Body Mist Sunblock comes in a blue stainless 5.0 ounce aerosol can. It looks like a tiny can of hairspray and it feels quite cool to the touch. It has a small plastic top and is about two inches taller than a soda can. It would fit well into a beach tote, backpack or even a medium-sized fanny pack or waist pack.

This sunblock comes in SPF 30 and 45. The front of the can tells you the SPF level and indicates that it contains "helioplex", which is Neutrogena-developed technology that combines a uva sunblock with a uvb sunblock and makes them more stable and effective. This technology makes the sunscreen last longer without reapplying.

And, there is an endorsement from the American Cancer Society which is the American Cancer Society logo with "Help Block out Skin Cancer" in blue letters. Skin cancer is a very real issue, and melanoma is deadly. Sun exposure is the leading cause of skin cancer, and one that is relatively easy to prevent. You should learn the signs, visit your dermatologist to check for skin cancers, and be vigilant about using sunscreens such as this one.

It is very cool when you apply it. For this reason, I think it would be great to take along to the beach or pool or on a walk, hike or picnic. You can reapply as needed just by spraying it on. Plus, you get a nice cooling blast!

The can does spray at all angles, but mine is still fairly full. It goes on pretty evenly, and it is clear, but visible, so that you can double-check and either rubs it in or re-spray if you missed any spots. So, this is an easy sunscreen to use by yourself. I can get most every area of my body that is exposed covered with the spray.

And, you do not have to rub it in. I often spray my forearms and chest before walking and I just spray and go. It takes a couple of seconds, which is much faster than rubbing in a lotion or cream.

I do not use this on my face because I am allergic to so many things that I stick with my Clinique sunblock there, so I cannot address the "running into eyes" issue. It does seem to stay put on my arms, though.

When first spraying the sunblock, there is an aerosol smell and the mist is very fine and gets into the air, so be careful spraying it around children or people with lung conditions. Make sure you are in a well-ventilated area.

There is no coconutty or beachy smell to this product, which I really like. Its smell is just barely noticeable and is a very light, clean smell.

One added benefit of using this is that I notice a slight sheen on my skin, sort of like you get with body oil, but not as shiny. It makes your legs look great!

And, the sunscreen works very well. Since I've been using it, the brown spots on my forearms seem to be fading, and I am pretty sure I've not added any sun damage this year.

Purchase from Amazon.com: Neutrogena Fresh Cooling Body Mist Sunblock SPF 45 5.0 oz.

Some products declare themselves "unscented" and list "fragrance" in the ingredients. How on earth? Seems unscented refers to the smell--meaning it doesn't smell. Occasionally, manufacturers will add a scent to make the odor of something neutral.

So, you can still have a reaction even though it says "unscented" right there on the label. Some people are sensitive to smells--i.e., they have breathing difficulties or other reactions to smells. That's why unscented products are popular. If there's no "fragrance-free" option, I will read the label and if it doesn't say "fragrance", I will try it. Sometimes it works for me, sometimes not.

You may be allergic to other ingredients in lotions, soaps or makeup. Most of these products will probably still work for you.

Eczema can have many causes, but one of the easiest to treat is removing products with fragrance. They are ubiquitous, so you must learn to read labels. If you see "fragrance" listed, avoid the product. That's not a 100% guarantee that it won't contain fragrance or even other subjects you might be sensitive too, but it's a good start.

Start with using fragrance-free soap and lotion. Fragrance-free makeup is also helpful if you have facial eczema.

You might also need to use fragrance-free detergents and fabric softeners, which are becoming more available now.

Babies often get exzema, too. Try to find fragrance-free baby soaps and shampoos and lotions for a baby that has skin rashes. Some people have ezcema as a result of food allergies, too.

Cortisone creams are good for relieving mild exzema and there are other prescription medicines you can get from your doctor.

I have looked high and low in local grocery stores and discount stores and there are about a million different kinds of liquid hand soap. With a million different fragrances.

I once found fragrance-free liquid hand soap by Method at Target, and I loved it, but I can't find it anymore. What's up with that?

And, whenever I am on the other side of town, there is a health food store that sells Kiss My Face fragrance free hand soap.

Dove's fragrance-free (sensitive) bar soap is good, too, but I do love the convenience of the pumps. They are far less messy--soap melts! Which I don't mind in the bathtub soap dish, but on the vanity, it annoys me.

Fortunately, there are alternatives online, but what about folks who don't like to order online? Wake up, retailers!