Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Review - Pangea Organics



I stumbled upon Pangea Organics about 2 years ago through Allure Magazine.  They quickly became, and still are, one of my favorite green/organic/cruelty free companies. They specialize in skin care products for the face and body that are full of good-for-you ingredients, and they offer different options depending on skin type.  Most of their packaging also includes the seeds of bushes or trees and contain planting instructions, so it's like receiving an extra earth-friendly gift with purchase with every order.  On their website, their motto is:


ALWAYS: Nurturing, Handcrafted, Organic, Fair Trade (whenever possible), and Cruelty-Free
NEVER: Petroleum, Sulfates or Detergents, Synthetic Preservatives, Artificial Colors or Fragrances, or GMOs

Now that is the kind of company I can feel good about supporting! They have a nice selection of skin care, lip balms, body care, and even hand soaps and I have tried quite a few of their products, but this review will focus on their Facial Toner, Lip Balm, and Body Soap.

I am currently using their Italian Green Mandarin with Sweet Lime facial toner, which is made for combination-normal skin.  They also offer toner for dry-mature skin and oily-acne prone skin. First I have to say that I love the smell of this!  To me it smells like lime Kool-Aid and it's very refreshing - this will be great to have on hot summer days and I actually plan on taking it camping this summer.  The toner comes out in a fine mist and it dries very quickly.  Within a minute I'm ready to put on moisturizer or whatever comes next.  On the skin it feels cooling and hydrating and just makes me feel refreshed and balanced.  I think it makes my pores look clearer and a bit smaller, and I actually look forward to this part of my beauty routine now.  When I spray it I close my eyes and inhale and it's almost an aromatherapy experience so it's very relaxing.  I'm already thinking about buying another bottle of this to keep as a backup, which is rare for me to find in a product - especially a toner which is a step I never thought of as a must-do before.  Another plus is that it can be used all over the body and throughout the day for a quick pick-me-up.  I have put it on over makeup before and it left my makeup perfectly in place but still left me feeling refreshed.
Grade: A+
Pros: Refreshes, tones, and hydrates, smells great, can be used anytime and all over the body
Cons: Comes in a glass bottle which might not be good for traveling

Next up is their Lip Balm, which is a favorite of mine.  I have tried both the Italian Red Rose with Mandarin and Pyrenees Lavender with Cardamom and they both smell and feel wonderful and are full of essential oils.  I am a lip balm junkie and have been since around the tender age of 13, so by now I think I've just about tried them all!  This balm quickly became a favorite for a few reasons, including its natural ingredients, super emollient and wonderful smelling essential oils, and light, non-sticky texture.  The texture of the balm is a bit thinner than most due to the oils in it but I like that it doesn't feel waxy or thick like some balms do.  This product also doesn't last quite as long on the lips as ones that contain chemicals, but for the heavenly smell and nourishing oils I think it's a fair trade.  Another plus - it comes in a larger tube than most lip products - at .25 oz my first tube lasted me about 4-5 months of everyday use, so although it seems pricey for a balm it really does last.  I want to try the Egyptian Fennel Grapefruit and Sweet Orange one next, as I have a thing for citrus scents.  
Overall: A
Pros: Nourishing ingredients, great smell, large tube lasts a long time
Cons: Thinner texture, requires more often re-application

Finally, let's get to their body soap. As well as being a lip balm junkie, I am also a soap junkie.  I have a drawer that is just for soaps and whenever I see one I want to try I toss it in, then I get excited when I'm almost out of the one I'm using and it's time to pick a new one (sometimes you just have to enjoy the little things in life!)  I have tried 3 different kinds of Pangea soaps, each of which focuses on one aspect of the body and mind.  The most recent I tried was Indian Green Tea with Mint and Rose Petals, which is mind: inspiring and body: restorative.  I  enjoy the smell and feel of the soap and it, like the lip balm, has lots of essential oils in it.  It lathers well, smells delicious, and has gentle exfoliating properties due to the bits of rose petals in it.  It leaves skin feeling soothed, refreshed, and soft and leaves no residue.  They recommend storing the soap in a dry well-drained place when not in use to preserve it.  I did this, and my soap still didn't last long at all.  For being 3.75 oz I expected it to last at least a month or two with daily use but unfortunately within 2-3 weeks the entire bar was gone.  For the price, I expected it to last longer like other natural soaps I have tried that were much less expensive.  I am assuming it might be due to the oils in the product, but it seemed to just melt away.
Overall: B
Pros: Soothing natural ingredients, great smell, gently exfoliating, no residue
Cons: Doesn't last long compared to other soaps

Just for a bit more information on the company, here is their practices pledge on their website: 

PRACTICES
Buying Pangea Organics products does more than make your body feel good. It means you’re supporting sustainable agriculture and culture – everything from fair trade sourcing and organic farming to living wages and the use of renewable, recycled and recyclable resources. In other words, good for you, good for every body.
Pangea products are (and always will be):
• Crafted by artisans in small batches, using pure, organic ingredients that replenish the skin
• Hand-blended to soothe or stimulate your senses
• Preserved using the gentlest of methods to retain the nurturing properties of the botanicals in each customized blend
• Intentionally sourced from organic farmers through fair trade practices whenever possible
• Honest above all else: if it’s in our products, it’s on our labels
I love that this company is totally green and supporting the environment and fair trade - in the age we live in, this has become increasing important to me as I think about the products I use, who/what made them, and how they affect the environment and future generations.  Do you have any favorite green companies that I should check out?
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