Maryam's Soap Nook

I recently recieved a wonderful little goody bag from Maryam's Soap Nook. This is a brand of bath & body products that are all hand-made with natural ingredients, and infused with aromatherapy to entice the senses as well. Maryam's inspiration for this line of products was the birth of her daughter in 1999. Since then, she's been making her own hand-made bath and body products, and using only these on her daughter (nice story, isn't it? And you know the stuff's high quality if she's using it on her own kids)

Here's a quick review of a few of the products I recieved and have had a chance to play around with:

Whipped Shea Monoi Herbal Body Butter ($15/8oz)- This is a thick, luxurious body butter made up of shea butter, monoi de tahiti oil, cocoa butter, sweet almond oil, sunflower oil, goat milk, vitamin E, and silk fibers. It takes some getting used to at first-- the concoction felt grainy as I first scooped it out of the tub, but then I realized that the "grains" are little bits of shea butter that melt on contact with your skin. My skin felt incredibly soft and silky after slathering this body butter all over. I recieved the Lavender Rosemary scented butter, which smells nice (smells moisturizing, if that's possible) though it's a bit overpowering for me-- I used this lotion right before bed once and my sheets smelled like it for days. However there's many scents to choose from and even an unscented version.

Exfoliating Body Wash with Kukui Nut Oil & Jojoba Beads($10/8oz)- The kukui nut oil promises to heal, renew, and moisturize dry skin, while the jojoba beads exfoliate dead skin cells away. I first tried to use this body wash by pouring some into my shower pouf, but most of the mixture simply dissappeared into the pouf rather than going onto my skin. It's probably better to use it with your hands or a washcloth. The Pomegranite & Wild Berries scent smells incredibly refreshing. This wash also comes in a variety of other scents, as well.

Shea Butter & Dead Sea Salt Glow Scrub($15/8oz)- The claims: "Helps circulation and is a great way to invigorate and rejuvenate your skin. The deep pore cleansing and exfoliating effects will leave your skin feeling baby soft, and refreshed." I have to admit, I've been loving this trend of sugar and salt scrubs. I love feeling the exfoliating action of the sugar or salt beads, plus feeling the oils truly lubricate my skin to make it uber-moisturized. It feels like just what I need during these dreary, dry winter months. Although this body scrub and the above exfoliating wash in many ways are quite similar (exfoliation + oils to moisturize), I like the scrub better as it;s thicker and more substantial. Beware, however, as the oils in this scrub (and any other) will make your tub more slippery!

Bottom Line? I'm not sure if I'd seek out these products on my own as opposed to going with other brands where I can easily waltz into a store to pick them up. However, if you like having natural, hand-made products to use on your skin, then these are definitely a good thing for you.