GUEST REVIEW: Desert Essence Organics Vanilla Chai Hand Lotion (I’m a Vanilla Kind of Girl)
by Jenni Simmons

I’ve always had a thing for vanilla. It all began long ago when I worked at The Body Shop during college. I swooned at the comforting scent of vanilla perfume oil and dabbed it on my wrists and behind my ears even though my boyfriend (at the time) said I smelled like a cookie. Then my mom started using Bath & Body Works Warm Vanilla Sugar lotion and I copied her; like mother, like daughter. I liked that fragrance so much that Bath & Body Works sucked me into their scent layering system including lotion and body spray - forms of aromatic heroin.Yet the more I used Bath & Body Works products, I noticed a strange rash on my hands. Along with the foreign bumps I learned the dangers of parabens, namely that they are often found in breast cancer tissue. As if that were not enough, through a friend’s research, she learned they cause weight gain by screwing with women’s hormones. If you turn over a tube of Bath & Body Works cream and read the ingredients, not only will you find parabens, but your lips will jump through linguistic hoops; usually a sign that such substances should not soak into your skin.

And so I embarked on a search for a natural and healthy vanilla lotion and body spray set. To make a long story short, my search was successful! First up, we have Desert Essence Organics Vanilla Chai Hand and Body Lotion which boasts zero: parabens, phthalates (another unnecessary hormone bully), artificial fragrances, sodium lauryl/laureth sulfates, or petroleum-based ingredients. This moisturizer is even cruelty-free and biodegradable - no phosphates. Towards the end of the ingredient list are a few items of chemical vocabulary and one mysterious phrase, “a proprietary blend of essential oils”, but Skin Deep gives the other ingredients in this lotion their low rating of concern: 0.1 - 0.5. I can sleep well at night with those statistics. The scent is 100% perfection for myself and fellow vanilla-lovers. It is not too strong and smells like real vanilla beans from an orchid and not an overpowering synthetic fragrance. The clove is subtle and warm, fondly reminiscent of an authentic cup of Indian chai. It has a light, whipped texture and soaks deep into every Sahara-like region of your epidermis with no greasy residue. Ok, one more rave - it contains antioxidant-rich green and black tea for skin repair which is genius since both teas do wonders for your internal health. Why not your skin?

Next up we have Hugo Naturals Vanilla & Sweet Orange Essential Mist, another safe, low rating on Skin Deep. It is oh so nice to spray from head to toe and it also makes for an uplifting room spray. Speaking of, I have to join Kerry’s questions to Method; their Aroma Sprays trigger my usually dormant asthma, but Hugo mist does not. Why? All of the ingredients in the Hugo spray are natural and listed right on the bottle including clary sage extract water, kosher vegetable glycerin, Madagascar vanilla extract, and organic sweet orange and lemon essential oils. I am able to pronounce every single ingredient without a chemistry degree. I truly consider myself a vanilla connoisseur and this fragrance receives five stars as well.With these two body care products on my bathroom counter, I officially kissed Bath & Body Works good-bye. My odd hand rash is gone and my skin stays soft. I smell lightly of chai and vanilla beans with a twist of citrus - a relaxing elixir to waft towards my nose. Mostly I am happy to know that what is seeping into my skin is not a toxic nightmare and a likely culprit to disease. I’ll keep sniffing out vanilla products of this caliber.