The Natural Products Expo

Today is the last day of the Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim. The Expo features numerous natural products on display, as well as educational panels and seminars. NPE East happens in September, and more information is available. Using natural products, in addition to more “traditional” drugstore items, has long been a staple, and I learned of the NPE a few years ago through another company that was working for them. The Natural Products Expo is a great chance to learn more about new items and changes in the herbal/natural products industry, and while each Expo itself is regional, it does bring companies from all across the world. Here are some favorite natural products that appear at the event throughout the seasons.

Silver Biotics Advanced Healing Skin Cream

They had several different creams to choose from, and each one was silky smooth and the scents weren’t overpowering. Silver has been used for centuries to heal wounds, and there are plenty of products that use it. Made improperly, silver extracts can cause health problems, so it's important for a company to know what kind of process needs to be used to avoid toxicity.

Earthy Spa Natural Hand Therapy Lotion

This smells fantastic, though not noticeably different from most lotions. This was definitely delightful, though cocoa butter tends to be an overused addition to many formulas. While it smells great, the truth is most products tend to be better off using an alternative like shea butter or cupuacu butter..

Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Toothpaste

The Dr. Bronner line has many wonderful products, and the peppermint toothpaste was no exception. This mint is fairly strong, not something you have to wonder if you actually taste or not. As an alternative to most brands of toothpaste on the market, this one is typically a go-to for many people.

Nature’s Fusions Essential Oils

Most true essential oils have a strong smell, and Nature's Fusions were no exception. They tended to favor blends over single scents. Still, they have a very wide range overall.

Aura Cacia Essential Oil Roll-On

Easy application, and the fragrance was pleasant. Aura Cacia is one of the most well-known essential oil companies out there. Their scents are pleasant and reliably long-lasting so there's no need to worry that the scent will wear out through the day.

Organic Essence Organic Lip Balm

The balm was nice and smooth, and the best thing about this product is that it’s 100% biodegradable. All of the casings for their items are made out of paper.

Badger Mineral Lip Tint

It might take some looking around to pick whichever color works best, but the product itself was great. Smooth, not at all cake-y, and it does add a nice shimmer.

The Grandpa Soap Co. Buttermilk Soap

They've been around for quite some time, and are coming out with new items on a regular basis. This item in particular is a good soap with lots of lather. The scent isn’t strong, but it’s pleasing, not at all harsh.

Juniper Ridge Cascade Forest Body Wash

This was one was a big favorite. The scent practically transports you to the forest. It smells like the woods after an autumn rain.

Morningstar Minerals Mineral Spray

This spray contains numerous minerals and can be spritzed on the skin and hair. It doesn’t have much of a scent. It was very invigorating initially, but really quite a bit drying after a while - visibly so - regardless of whether skin was oily or dry. Wouldn't exactly recommend it for every skin type, but for some it probably would work well as a quick rejuvenating spritz.

Shea Terra Organics Virgin Shea Butter

This was surprisingly creamy and was the natural yellow shea butter (not the processed white shea butter). It blended easily into the skin. The best part about this shea butter is that it was easy to use without having the chemical smell that some processed shea butter's can have.