Giovanni Smooth As Silk Deep Moisture Shampoo for damaged hair

Giovanni shampoo is so good! Other people seem to have noticed Smooth As Silk's fine qualities too, as it  is constantly out of stock. As said in the title, this is a deep moisture shampoo for damaged- be it raspy or frizzy, dry or chemically -treated, basically worn-out-hair in need of some moisturizing, healing boost. The shampoo transforms the damaged hair into silky and soft again. It smooths the dry hair and gives back some healthy shine to locks.

I have chemically treated, bleached hair and the ends tend to get dry and raspy, but using this shampoo has helped me to moisturize them and get a healthier looking hair in-between salon visits. The formula is rather creamy and pearl-color and it lathers well in the shower. The scent has a lovely hint of Valencia's ripe oranges in it. It is really soft and feels gentle. There are no parabens, lauryl or laureth sulfate (an inexpensive but effective cleanser which is found to cause skin and eye irritation) or dyes in the product.

For even better results I use it in combination with the same brand's Smooth As Silk Xtreme Protein Hair Infusion hair treatment.

Overall, the shampoo seems rather safe only concern being the phenoxyethanol which was the ninth-most-prevalent allergen in patch tests (5.8%) but the percentage seems rather low. Here are the ingredients with some notes about their use and safety:

Aqua (purified water), sodium lauroyl sarcosinate (safe hair conditioning agent), decyl glucoside(safe hair-conditioning agent), cocamidopropyl betaine (cleansing agent, foam booster), sodium cocoamphoacetate ( cleansing and conditioning agent, foam booster, from coconut), lauryl glucoside (repairs damaged hair), sodium cocoyl glutamate (safe, hair conditioning agent), sodium lauryl glucose carboxylate (mild cleanser), pyrus malus (apple) fruit extract, *aloe barbadensis (aloe vera) leaf juice, *chamomilla recutita (matricaria) leaf extract, *citrus aurantium dulcis (valencia orange) extract, *citrus grandis (grapefruit) fruit extract, *cymbopogon schoenanthus (lemongrass) extract, *echinacea purpurea extract, *ginkgo biloba extract, *glycine soja (soybean) seed extract, *lavandula angustifolia (lavender) extract, *rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract, *macrocystis pyrifera (sea kelp) extract, *mangifera indica (mango) extract, *salix alba (willow bark) extract, xanthan gum, glycol distearate (gives the pearly appearence), panthenol (pro-vitamin B5) (gives shine & moisturizes), citric acid, polysorbate 20 (emulsifier), potassium sorbate (a preservative to prevent microorganisms, instead of parabens), phenoxyethanol (preservative, might cause allergy), natural fragrance

*USDA Certified Organic

100% vegetarian ingredients.

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Lundberg Black Japonica Rice (454g/16 oz.)

Black rice is a real superfood. It is better than brown rice because it has higher amounts of vitamin E, which strengthens the immune system and protects cells from free radicals.The black color is an indicator of the antioxidants, just as it is with acai-berries and blueberries.  It beats though blueberries with its higher anthocyanin antioxidants.Anthocyanin antioxidants have been found to lower the risk of heart attack. It prevents the buildup of plaques in the arteries which is the most common reason for heart attacks. Anthocyanins also control cholesterol levels better than other food supplement available today. (http://www.naturalnews.com/)

The taste is quite dark, rich and nutty with a floral end-note. It is whole-grain so there's something to chew too. The rice is high in nutrients and and a good source of fiber (3 grams per serving). Moreover, it is gluten-free so it is suitable for those with celiac disease. Lundberg is a family owned farm which aims for farming in an environmentally sustainable way. The choose farming methods which conserve water, build soil integrity and support the natural ecosystem. Lundberg Family Farms participates in the US. non-profit's Non-GMO project and follow its practices for GMO avoidance. The non-GMO project seal means that the product is tested annually for GMO (http://www.nongmoproject.org/.)

To cook the rice bring 2 cups of water and 1 cup of rice to boil, put a tight-lid on, reduce the heat to low simmer and let cook for a good 40-60 minutes. Check towards the end of the cooking time if the rice needs more cooking or not. Remove form heat with lid on and let steam for 10 minutes. Then fluff with fork.

To prepare in a rice cooker, use same water-rice ratio. If rice is crunchy at the end of cooking time, it may be necessary to add 1-2 tbsp liquid and cook longer.

I cooked the rice on the stove in a saucepan without a lid for an hour in salted water and stirred it with a spoon from time to time. It sticks quite hard on the saucepan after cooking. The taste is good and has more complex and richer flavor than brown rice. The color of the cooked rice is between purple and black, so it will definitely make a dramatic looking dish for guests.

Black rice is quite versatile ingredient. It can be used for a starter as in salads, as a main course like in seafood dishes or as a dessert like in puddings. I have used it to make Nigella Lawson's Squid and prawns with chili and marjoram (minus the squid) dish as featured in Nigellissima. I couldn't find Italian black rice (riso venere) so I substituted it with its close relative for good results. 

The package is really handy, you can re-close the bag with a wide zip. It is quite pretty too and livens up the shelf with its yellow color.

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Ingredients: Eco-farmed whole grain black Japonica Rice

Supplement Facts
Serving Size: 1/4 cup (dry) (45 g)
Servings Per Container: 10
	Amount Per Serving	% Daily Value*
Calories	150
Calories from Fat	15
Total Fat	1.5 g	2%
Saturated Fat	0 g	0%
Trans Fat	0 g
Cholesterol	0 mg	0%
Sodium	0 mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate	33 g	11%
Dietary Fiber	3 g	12%
Sugars	0 g
Protein	4 g
Vitamin A		0%
Vitamin C		0%
Calcium		0%
Iron		4%

Kiss My Face Sunscreen SPF 30

This is a sunscreen for body and face. It absorbs well and doesn't leave an oily foil to the skin. It even moisturizes the skin with hydresia. It is water resistant for 40 minutes. The lotion is white and has no fragrance. It is made with oat protein and betaglucans so it should prevent signs of aging. It includes no parabens or nanoparticles.
A short guide to sunscreens here too. There are two kinds of different rays: UVB rays cause the burnt skin and UVA rays are related to skin cancer, aging and tanning. A good sunscreen has an SPF above 15 and contains ingredients that protect from both UVA and UVB rays (http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/uva-and-uvb/understanding-uva-and-uvb)so Kiss My Face fills this criteria very well.

The active ingredients are:
 octinoxate 7.5% which protects from UVB rays.
 octisalate 4.5 % which screens UVB rays and  has water-resistant properties
 zinc oxide 3% which filter UVB and UVA rays. 

These are all accepted by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Inactive ingredients include: Aqua, cetearyl olivate, sorbitan olivate, polysorbate-20, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, glycerin, acrylates copolymer, cetearyl alcohol, stearic acid, xanthan gum, carthamus tinctorius (safflower) oleosomes, avena sativa (oat) protein, camellia sinensis (green tea) leaf extract, carota sativa (carrot) extract, avena sativa (oat) betaglucan, glycrrhiza glabra (licorice) extract, cucumis sativus (cucumber) extract, caprylic/capric triglyceride, phenoxyethanol, ethylhexylglycerin.

Remember to apply 2 tablespoons of sunscreen 30 minutes before going out to the sun. Then reapply sunscreen every two hours about 2-3 tablespoons and after swimming or sweating or drying with a towel. Rinse off with water.

The shape of the bottle is really handy and it doesn't mess because the cap stays put. There has been no animal testing and even the tube is made with 35% of consumer recycled materials. It lasts quite long with 118 ml or 4 ounces. but it depends if you put it on the entire body or just on arms and neck.

I am really happy with the product.
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The Kiss My Face's Face Factor with SPF 30 is really good too. It doubles as a moisturizer and it is easy to spread. The tube is small enough so yu can throw it in your handbag and the cap is so tight that it won't mess the bag.