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Prickly Pear For Smooth Skin

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Don’t be a prick! Unless you’re a prickly pear cactus. In that case, prick it up and do anything you need in order to protect your inner beauty by whatever means necessary. We’re sharing why prickly pear is so great for you and your skin.

It’s harvest time in Arizona. It’s time to give prickly pear its moment in the sun, which is pretty easy in this desert life. This fierce superfood holds concentrated plant richness with amazing health benefits created by holding it down in the desert’s harsh environment. We harvest the juicy leaves from native cacti to create succulent selfcare for all.

Don’t squeeze a cactus!

They are gorgeous to look at, but you know better than to just grab a prickly pear cactus, right? If you’re curious about a prickly pear’s ripeness, watch the fruit color change from green to a solid red or yellow color. This is the most important indicator, and often only indicator, as to the fruit’s ripeness. If the fruit feels firm, it is another indicator that the fruits are fully ripe. Again…don’t squeeze a prickly pear while still thorny.

According to our friends at Arizona Cactus Ranch, harvesting prickly pears is best done in the late summer when the fruit has turned to a deep magenta color and has no green remaining. The peak season for prickly pears is late summer through early winter.

The Prickly Pear Glow

Prickly pear is great for all skin types and especially great to help hydrate, smooth and revitalize. The oil of prickly pear helps to address signs of aging and provides immediate skin-softening that finishes with a dewy glow.

Prickly pear contains the highest level of betalains in the world. What are betalains? These phytonutrients are found in rich colored fruits (like pomegranate) and have amazing anti-inflammatory properties that have been known to help promote skin elasticity and can help stimulate collagen production. If your skin is prone to skin conditions that cause redness or swelling, betalains can help alleviate these symptoms.

Is there such a thing as too much of a good thing in skincare?

Since prickly pear is a very alkaline ingredient, it does have to be formulated to work well with your skin’s barrier. Fortunately for you, the Cactus Crush pure body cream is a well-balanced formula. Your skin will get all the amazing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits of prickly pear cactus plus other plant rich ingredients.

Desert-Derived + Sustainable

The desert harvested prickly pear we use is more sustainable than argan oil. We buy it from a local farm right here outside of Tucson, Arizona Cactus Farm, where they’re actually planting the cactus. Prickly pear cacti are also grown outdoors, so you’re getting all the benefits of the intense Arizona weather and in the concentrated nutrients it provides. No pesticides are used on this sustainable farm.

Can Prickly Pear Change Your Life?

We think it can. If you would like to try your first Prickly Pear offering, we have a recommendation:
Cactus Crush natural body cream for crepe skin. It is a synergistic blend of botanicals that target all the contributing causes of crepe skin to immediately reduce its appearance and help stop its long-term progression. Oh, and it smells good enough to eat! 

We are obsessed with this best-selling vegan body cream, but don’t take our word for it. Here is a review from a customer in Santa Fe:
“Apparently my skin is thirsty, and nothing quenches quite like Cactus Crush! I didn’t know what crepe skin was when I bought it. It was the rich texture and fresh fragrance that did the trick. Now I realize that I feel better when my skin feels good. I love that I can have prickly pear cactus and hyaluronic acid in a body cream!”

Prickly Pear Is Good For Your Skin

We didn’t stop with just one skincare super star. Here are the other key ingredients that make Cactus Crush a fan favorite:

Botanical Hyaluronic Acid naturally helps draw moisture from the environment into the skin and to helps smooth out crepe texture. Studies have also shown that long term use can help build collagen.

Vitamin B5  – Regenerates skin and helps support skin structures to retain skin resilience and elasticity.

Organic Sugar Cane helps increase cellular turn over which makes crepe skin lines look less deep by gently removing the top outer layers of dead skin.

Prick Life

In addition to succulent self care, go ahead and introduce prickly pear in your life in different ways.

You’ve probably seen it in cocktails (hello, Prickly Pear Margarita) but take a shot of prickly pear juice straight or mix it into a smoothie! Juiceries sell drinks with prickly pear in them because the prickly pear borders on being a superfood. Smart venues like Topo Arizona sell delicious prickly pear soft serve because it tastes like a dream!

We’re so fortunate to have so many powerful and beautiful ingredients at our fingertips in Tucson. We invite you to add prickly pear into your routine! It’s so easy to crush hard on this desert beauty body cream. We know you will too.

Postcards from Tucson

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We’ve been fortunate enough to work with some amazing artists and this month, we’re collaborating with a charming Mississippi native who has chosen Tucson as her home and inspiration. Katie Corley is the uber-talented owner of Moon Valley Creative. Her photography captures the moody side of Tucson. She has infused her laid back vibe and unique eye for photography into Earth Based Body’s imagery.

We’re thrilled to shine a light on this Tucson superstar as we team up to give 3 lucky people a 12-pack of postcards featuring Tucson scenes plus a Get Fresh vegan lippie!

In celebration of our collaboration, I sat down with Katie to hear more of her story. Check out some of our conversation and please support Moon Valley Creative.

All right, Katie, tell us how you arrived in Tucson.

So I lived in Mississippi for pretty much my whole life. And in 2018, I had a plan that I was going to get out of Mississippi. I was checking out some locations I wanted to go to for sure, and Tucson was the first place I visited. I was working with Hip Camp and taking on shoots for people while traveling up through the West Coast from Arizona, California to Washington.

When I landed in Tucson and went over the iconic gates, passed down through the Saguaros, I fell in love right there. I’ve never seen such a thing. And then I went down to the San Xavier Mission and was in awe of this second iconic place.

After I had road trip all the way around the West Coast, I met my husband Kyle. Basically, we were cold in Washington and we were like, “Oh man, we don’t like this, where should we move to?”.  I told him I’ve been to Tucson it’s this really rad place. Then he revealed he’d always wanted to go live in the desert, too. We explored different areas then figured out we liked way out on the west side better.

What is it about the desert that feels like a place that you can call home?

It’s just this really surreal place. I would get postcards from my uncle as a kid so I’d see like all kinds of cool places in Arizona with rock formations, or the Saguaros, and the sunsets. Sunsets are some of my favorite things to look at everyday. And, the fact that you can see mountains as part of the sun setting is amazing. Growing up, I was only seeing trees and nothing else, so I just fell in love, pretty instantaneously, man.

What inspires your desert photography?

I like the lighting a whole lot, but also the landscape with what’s there. I like the way the light might touch a certain cactus, or just like the way these rocks might pop out and then the light could hit it a certain way.

It’s also all the neat things you see in the desert. It’s unlike anything I’ve seen back home. There is something satisfying about capturing something new.

I love mixing people into desert portraits to make it more interesting. I feel like it adds a whole new element to how creative you can be with your environment.

You mentioned getting postcards from your uncle when you were a kid. Is that what inspired you to do your own postcards?

Oh yes. He would always send postcards and I thought that was a really cool thing. He would actually just take an old film camera and have his film printed out and they he would just write on the back and throw it in the mail.

That’s how I started. When I saw the reaction to them, I developed a process where I could offer expertly printed versions.

How do you want people to use these gorgeous postcards?

My goal is for people to use them to send love out to other people. It’s always fun to get mail. My goal is to use them to stay connected in a special way. Send a funny joke or sweet story. Do whatever feels good to bring a smile to somebody’s face.  

You’ve shared that you love to support small and local businesses. What does that look like in your life?

Okay so yeah definitely support, the small and local businesses. It has been so fun to work with brands, like Earth Based Body. I love supporting local coffee shops, herb stores. My favorite thing is shopping small for gifts. My eye always goes to something that’s a little bit unique and artistic. I love to surprise my people with random little things I find in those shops.

I’m a sucker for good packaging. It always wins me over.

What is your favorite Earth Based Body product?

Also, my favorite is Get Fresh, because my lips are always chapped out in the desert. I went through that stuff so fast! So like all day, I’ll be applying it. I love that and I love that you use natural ingredients so, like, I don’t have to wonder what is it that I’m putting on my skin because you know, your skin is absorbing all of this and that is something that’s in the forefront of my mind when I am applying stuff so it’s like knowing it’s plant based and healthy. Pretty much it’s like, I don’t have to worry.

Get Fresh is very hydrating, it’s clean. It stays for hours, really. And then after that, like your lips still feel nice and smooth. I get addicted to the whole feeling of like, oh my lips are super soft so then it just makes me want to put more on. Oh, I’m so into the peppermint.

What’s next for you?

That’s a really good question. I’ve been more focused on my mission versus like working on photography stuff. I’m taking the time to start being more intentional with my plan. I definitely feel like a storyteller, and an entertainer, and I enjoy being able to, like, see how people react to whatever it is I’m sharing and hopefully getting a good laugh or a smile out of it.

I do enjoy working with different people or brands to create a unique for their specific audience. I love bringing their vision and my style together in a creative way that will present a product beautifully.

And for portraits, I like to just bring out like what is it that you enjoy about yourself or life.

To enter the Tucson Local giveaway, make sure you’re following us on Instagram!

Real Rituals – A Fierce Mom with Sensitive Skin Shares Her Picks

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What is the perfect skincare ritual? You tell me! Are you a bathing beauty? A high priestess of hydration? A lippie lover? There are so many different self-care rituals that you all have shared with us. In an effort to give you quality options for your unique skincare needs, we will be sharing the choices of some of our “real customers” for their skin types and lifestyles to inspire + inform.

This month I got to chat with Ellie from Los Angeles. She is a self-proclaimed “workaholic” who works for a tech startup. She is a true inspiration for finding the balance between her career and unwavering love of a non-toxic lifestyle…all while being an amazing Mom! In celebration of Mother’s Day, here is a bit of our chat and a little extra about her favorite products that have kept her happy + hydrated recently:

Tell everyone a bit about yourself and what illuminates your life.  

Ellie: I’m Ellie, I live in Los Angeles, California. I work for a startup. I work a lot and I live on Zoom, like many of us do currently. And when I am not working, I have a 12-year-old daughter who I spend a lot of time with and who I am helping with her distance learning, and just kind of managing life all at home together.

What lights up in my life? Spending time out in nature, and having the opportunity to do so more. One thing about living in Los Angeles is that even in nature, sometimes it can be hard to socially distance, unless you want to drive really far. That isn’t always practical. As more things are opening, people are not spending as much time in nature as they are more comfortable being close to people and being inside. I’m looking forward to getting out there and reading. That’s what I love to do. I read.

Moms deserve all the extra bits of love available. Can you walk us through your self-care ritual?

Ellie: I’m pretty low maintenance when it comes to a beauty routine. I don’t wear makeup. I never really have. I really minimize what is on my skin, both because of my skin being sensitive but also because I am very conscious of the fact that my skin is such a large organ and anything I put on my skin goes into my body.

When I wake up in the morning, I wash my face with a very gentle cream cleanser and then I put a serum and a hydrosol spray on. In the morning, I use Root Chakra tinted lip balm with these because Zoom washes me out. It gives me a little bit of color on my lips. Sometimes I’ll even put it on my cheeks for extra warmth.

I have to say my favorite of the vegan lippies is actually Nude Mood, because I just have a very fair complexion, and the subtle shimmer looks nice on me. I don’t wear it that often right now though I will say because when I’m out my lips are covered, and through a video, it’s not as noticeable. If I’m out and about, and I need moisture from my lips. I will use the Get Fresh, because it won’t stain the inside of my mask, which is a huge plus.

Oh, then throughout the day, if I’m feeling particularly dry, I will put on more Serene Marine natural body cream. Obviously, I will use the lippies throughout the day, because I talk a lot, and talking really dries out my lips.

Evening Ritual

In the evening, I will shower. I am super old school and use Dr Bronner’s. I’m a super old-school hippie, and I have transitioned to a No Poo hair washing situation, which has made my scalp happier than it has ever been. And then I get out of the shower and I put Serene Marine all over my body, while my skin is still moist. A few times a week I will also slather my feet in moisturizing Serene Marine and put socks on. I’ll just walk around the house until bedtime, with my feet all moisturized in socks. It makes a big difference! Those are really the only products that I put on my body.

Is there one favorite Earth Based Body product that you would tell people about? And, how does it specifically impact your skin?

Ellie's Sensitive Skin Favorites

Ellie: I use a few Earth Based Body products but my favorite is Serene Marine. I use it every single day, when I get out of the shower and I put it on while my skin is still damp to seal that moisture in. I tend to have dry skin. The air in Los Angeles is really dry. Also, our water is really hard. My skin gets dry really easily. Putting Serene Marine on when I get out of the shower makes a huge difference.

I have really sensitive skin. I can walk past someone’s dryer vent, who’s using dryer sheets in their dryer, I will get a rash, just from that. So historically I’ve never been able to use anything that smells good, because it will irritate my skin. Serene Marine has a gentle wonderful spa like smell that doesn’t bother my skin. It’s the first product I can think of in a long time that I can use, and I love it for that.

How does being a Mom effect your decision-making process when buying products?

Elllie: I’ve always been really conscious of what I put on my skin, but having a daughter, it does make a huge difference. We live in LA and there’s a lot of sun here. We only use mineral based sunscreens, because I am concerned about the hormone disrupting chemicals that are in other sunscreens. She knows if she wants to eventually wear makeup, then she has to use all natural makeup.

I’m pretty sure she’s experimented with my Root Chakra, even though I haven’t seen it. She won’t admit it, but I think she’s also into Succulips lip mask. I asked my husband. He’s not using it, and it’s been going faster than I used to use it. So I know that she’s using Succulips in secret.

I just stress the importance to her, of putting these clean, natural products on her body. She’s getting that kind of teen skin, so making sure that what she’s putting on her face is good is my priority. It can be hard to convince a 12 year old to moisturize her body because they have such perfectly hydrated skin, but when she does moisturize, she will use Serene Marine because she likes the way it smells. It’s important to show her that even though she may not be ready to use much on her skin yet, she’s exposed to are things that are healthy for her skin.

Why do you feel that it’s important to show support for women owned companies and indie beauty brands as an example to your daughter?

Ellie: Yes, absolutely. I like supporting people. I like feeling like what I am buying is directly impacting a human, as opposed to buying from some huge company that is more anonymous. Pretty much all of the body products I use are Earth Based Body. On my face are smaller type companies that I use not just because I like the products that are in them but because they share my values. In these and in Earth Based Body, I feel like I’m supporting a business that I believe actually cares about the mission that they put forth in the world.

Our thanks go out to the kind and generous Ellie for sharing her thoughts. If you’d like to learn more about the products in her self-care ritual, here is a quick summary:

Serene Marine natural body cream for tightening: Like a “spa in a jar”, Spirulina and Blue Green Algae combine to help maintain healthy, elastic, tight skin. Botanical Hyaluronic Acid attracts moisture from the environment and locks it into skin for a plumping effect. Then we add in CoQ10 for a boost of elasticity that provides a smoother and tighter appearance for you hard working skin.

Root Chakra lip + cheek tint: Hydrate + warm up your complexion with this naturally tinted flush powered by nourishing Organic Shea Butter + Vitamin E for lips and cheeks!

Nude Mood lip + cheek shimmer: Hydrate + Highlight with this multi-purpose rose gold shimmer for lips + cheeks! Our super sheer tint will highlight your natural look while nourishing skin with Organic Shea Butter + Vitamin E.

Get Fresh peppermint lip balm: A clean and classic vegan lip balm that melts into lips. This fresh and succulent balm featuring hydrating Organic Shea Butter + Vitamin E + Peppermint is made to hydrate and heal. Your lips will be fresh and kiss-ably soft thanks to the magic of organic Jojoba seed and Rosehip oil.

Succulips hydrating lip mask: Our cooling lip mask uses Kaolin clay to restore the smoothness of your lips while hydrating. The natural goodness of our lip balms and tints will easily be absorbed after each treatment.

Buzz Chill Firming Cream and Cellulite Treatment

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Life can be bumpy. But we’re not about to let a few lumps get in the way of celebrating the gorgeous skin we are in! Can we talk cellulite? If you’re like me, that word can spark some feelings. In our effort to smooth things out we are shining a light on our skin smoothing Buzz Chill firming cream.  

Buzz Chill is a fresh and clean natural guarana cream for cellulite made for firming and strengthening skin. With bright lemon and exhilarating guarana + coffee, it makes waking up a little more fun. When you give yourself a deep massage, you’ll stimulate your blood vessels and break up that cellulite and kick start a detox for your skin.

The Scoop on Cellulite

First off, we are all about body positivity and empowering you to love your size, skin tone, skin texture, cellulite, stretch marks, and every other perfectly imperfect part of you. Let’s accept that we all get cellulite, we have cellulite, and we know we’ll never be able to banish it completely.

Cellulite is defined as a dimpled appearance—caused by fat pushing against connective tissue in the skin. It happens to everyone, and can be caused by anything from genetics, to weight gain, to aging. There is no quick fix for cellulite. But many of you have shared curiosity on ways to reduce the appearance of cellulite and want to know if an anti-cellulite cream will help. Let’s start with what we can control.

Cellulite and Nutrition

One piece of the cellulite puzzle is nutrition. For the most part, when we put good things in, we get good things out. Asking yourself “is this food inflammatory?” is a great way to decide if a food is going to help or accelerate the condition.

There are three major kinds of inflammatory foods: those high in processed sugar, those high in salt, and those refined carbs.

  • Sugar: most often found in soft drinks, candy, ice cream, and jellies.
  • Salt: canned foods, cold cuts, frozen meals, and salted nuts are among the most sodium saturated foods.
  • Refined Carbohydrates: these are generally ingredients and foods that have been stripped of nutrition and processed to be white like pasta, flour, rice, baked goods, and many breakfast cereals.

Some foods are essential for our skin and they can help our collagen production, anti-aging, and skin firming in the same way natural skincare treatment would. Let’s turn to why a firming cream serves as a cellulite treatment. Hint: It’s all about the ingredients!

Guarana + Lemon + Coffee, Oh My!

When we created Buzz Chill firming cream, we combined Guarana, Coffee, Lemon and Quince leaf to form the most advanced, dare we say best cellulite cream, on the market. This caffeine body cream contains all the ingredients that have been shown to positively impact the appearance of cellulite. It also contains grapefruit oil which is known to inhibit appetite.

Where does the “Buzz” Come From?

Guarana and Coffee all work to stimulate blood flow and help detox skin. Experts have found that caffeine is able to facilitate the breakdown of fat by stimulating enzymes that do just that. Additionally, caffeine is shown to temporarily constrict blood vessels. Constricting blood vessels decreases blood flow, reducing the appearance of inflammation or, essentially, smoothing the skin.

  • Guarana has among the highest concentrations of caffeine in any plant. Guarana also dilates blood vessels to stimulate blood flow to the areas where you’d like more skin contouring. This helps make the bands that bind fat more elastic which reduces the appearance of dimpling. The guarana found in our Buzz Chill firming cream contains five times the caffeine of coffee and is ideal for boosting energy, supporting natural circulation, and smoothing the skin.
  • Coffee stimulates the breakdown of fat cells. Caffeine in coffee helps to dilate blood vessels. It leaves no space for fat deposits to push through the skin and hence makes cellulite less noticeable. This, in turn, makes the skin firmer, reducing the appearance of visible cellulite. The skin may also tighten from the stimulating effects of caffeine by improving blood flow and eliminating excess water.

What gives the Chill?

  • In addition to providing a natural mood boost, lemon helps tighten and detox skin. Lemons are natural detoxifiers, which rid the body of cellulite-causing toxins and trapped fluids. It can help eliminate toxins from the body and reduce the appearance of dimpled skin.
  • Quince Leaf is often praised for its ability to help smooth and contour skin. It soothes the skin, reduces the inflammatory response, and protects the skin from irritation. It also helps with inflammation. The high levels of vitamin C also help to control inflammation and improve the health and appearance of your skin.

Summer is coming so it’s time to show a little skin, stay cool, and shine some light on your body. Buzz Chill firming cream is the fresh pick-me-up you need to make every day glow. And, be sure to check out our other natural body creams made to tighten, hydrate, and help crepe skin. Be confident and sprinkle kindness everywhere you go.

Earth Based Body® is now Leaping Bunny Certified!

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As we head into Easter weekend when bunnies have their biggest moment in the sun, we are thrilled to share that Earth Based Body® is now certified cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny! From natural body creams to multiuse lippies, Leaping Bunny Certified bath and body care is the gold standard for cruelty-free. We are proud to live up to their expectations.

So, what is Leaping Bunny Certified and why is it such a big deal?

Leaping Bunny is a non-profit organization supporting a global campaign to end animal testing. The Leaping Bunny Program sets corporate standards of compassion for animals through a set of criteria for cosmetics and household products. A company can become Leaping Bunny certified only by proving that it meets these criteria.

In short, the company cannot participate in animal testing in either product formulation or ingredients. The finished product be free from animal testing. Each individual ingredient used in the product must not have undergone animal testing or been purchased from a supplier who conducts testing on animals.

All companies that are Leaping Bunny Certified must comply with the Corporate Standard of Compassion for Animals. This is a voluntary pledge that companies make to remove animal testing from every stage of development. To ensure the standard is upheld at all levels, our ingredient suppliers also make the same pledge ­­– resulting in products that are 100% free of animal testing.

Don’t Believe the Hype!

Everyone with a social handle can claim to be an expert. Thankfully, this has given rise to the conscious consumer – who we love so much! But even in an age of product transparency, there is still room for evasive and false messaging.

While some items say they are cruelty-free, that may only refer to the finished product. Most animal testing actually occurs at the ingredient level. Even brands who maintain that they do not experiment on animals may, in fact, be contracting a third party to do the testing – therefore, misleading consumers in their attempts to shop ethically. So. Not. Cool.

Cruelty-Free Every Step of the Way

Seeing the Leaping Bunny Certification on your products ensures that your favorite brands, like Earth Based Body®, are keeping it real. Holding everyone accountable at each level of development ensures that animal testing is never a factor in production. Companies that have taken the pledge to create cruelty-free products must also be open to independent audits and recommit to the program annually.

Earth Based Body® follows Leaping Bunny’s requirements for sourcing its ingredients and finished products from its vendors. Please know our suppliers are forbidden from conducting or commissioning animal testing for finished products or ingredients.

The Earth Based Body® Standard

We always have been, and always will be, a proudly cruelty-free and 100% vegan brand. We have also always been a clean beauty brand free of parabens, petrochemicals, sulfates, gluten, and synthetic colorants or fragrances. In honor of the earth and all the bunnies, we never will settle for anything less.

Thanks so much for supporting conscious brands like ours. We look forward to sharing more behind the scenes content so we can get to know each other better!