Koru Naturals Review

My family had the privilege of trying the Koru Naturals products: Skin Clear Cream, Manuka Honey Propolis Soap, Manuka Honey and Manuka Oil Facial Cleanser & Manuka Honey, Tamarind and Manuka Oil Facial Toner for this review to use in conjunction with our own homeschool curriculum. This is a Schoolhouse Review Crew Review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

Koru Naturals is a company that brings natural bath and beauty products from New Zealand to the United States. These natural beauty products have ingredients like: Argan Oil, Emu Oil, Blue Tansy Oil, Manuka Oil, Manuka Honey, lanolin, Rotorua Mud, Rosehip Oil, Australian Sandalwood, Sheep Placenta, Bee Venom, French Clays, Shea Butter, Tea Tree Oil, and New Zealand Flowers. They have bath, beauty, candles, diffusers, and honey products.

I got to try four of their products: Skin Clear Cream, Manuka Honey Propolis Soap, Manuka Honey and Manuka Oil Facial Cleanser & Manuka Honey, Tamarind and Manuka Oil Facial Toner. The NZ Fusion Botanicals product line of Koru Naturals contains no parabens, artificial colorants or fragrances. All these products use natural ingredients to protect the face and skin. They help solve skin problems and keep it looking healthy.

Skin Clear Cream is part of the NZ Fusion Botanicals product line of Koru Naturals. This skin cream is great for acne prone skin and blemishes. It's main ingredients are raw, unpasteurized Manuka Honey (rated at 20+) and pure steam-distilled East Cape Manuka Oil. For the 20th Anniversary of this product they have made a more advanced formula with some other ingredients added to those that have been present since the beginning. These include: Kawakawa and Harakeke, Burdock Root, Thyme, Canadian Aspen Bark, etc. A full list of ingredients is listed on their website. This skin cream has natural moisturizers and promotes skin elasticity as well.

Manuka Honey Propolis Soap is a 4.93 oz boxed bar of soap made with Manuka Honey and Propolis from the hives of bees. This beautiful golden colored bar has a bee shape stamped in it and is honey comb shaped. It is gentle on the skin, a natural moisturizer, and a skin protectant.

Manuka Honey and Manuka Oil Facial Cleanser Gel is part of the NZ Fusion Botanicals product line of Koru Naturals. This facial cleanser comes in a 4 fl.oz/120ml silver bottle with squirt pump. It has Aloe Vera Juice, Lavender, Manuka Honey, Manuka Oil, Pro-Vitamin B5, Vitamin E, and other ingredients that are all listed on their website. The combination of ingredients in this deep cleanser is gentle on acneic, oily, combination and sensitive skin. Use this before the toner and moisturizer.

Manuka Honey, Tamarind and Manuka Oil Facial Toner is is part of the NZ Fusion Botanicals product line of Koru Naturals. This facial toner comes in 4 fl.oz/118ml silver bottle with squirt pump (shown in the picture is the spray pump). This product has been improved with the addition of Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) and Beta Carotene (Pro Vitamin A) for even more skin protection. A list of all ingredients is on their website. This works for people with acneic, oily, combination and sensitive skin. Perfect for conditioning skin after cleansing and before moisturizing.

How We Used This and Our Thoughts:

I love all of the products that I received from Koru Naturals. They all smell divine and do their job really well. I started using them from the time I received them and am still using these products on myself. The four products I received from Koru Naturals were majorly for my face, all except for the soap bar that I used all over to clean and moisturize my body. I also love that these four products all go very well together in a beauty routine.

I used the facial cleanser, facial toner, and cream products in my morning beauty routine. The first product you are supposed to use on your face is the Manuka Honey and Manuka Oil Facial Cleanser. It comes out of the pump as a gel and you are supposed to shake the bottle well before dispensing. Then you massage a small amount in an upwards circular motion with clean fingers or a cotton pad all over your face especially where problematic areas are, wait 2 minutes, and give your face a good rinse. This made my face tingle a little and I could feel it working. I only needed about two pumps of it to get my whole face covered. Next you put the Manuka Honey, Tamarind and Manuka Oil Facial Toner on by applying it all over the face and allowing it to dry completely. This product has a cooling sensation and also feels like it is tightening the skin slightly. This refreshes my skin and tones, or shrinks the pores; making it look younger, smoother, and fresher. Lastly I moisturized my face with the Skin Clear Cream. It comes in a handy container with a screw off lid, a plastic covering (to separate the spoon from the cream, and a small plastic spoon so that you can scoop it out without using your fingers. It needed stirred before use too because some of the honey had separated from the cream and it was so much easier to do this with the little spoon as well. The cream went on smoothly and didn't leave my face overly oily. It absorbed into my skin well and left my face feeling really smooth and soft. The Manuka Honey Propolis Soap is a wonderful honey glycerin bar with propolis from bees. The benefits of Manuka honey are great. Honey is anti-bacterial, antibiotic, and is said to repair tissue damage. My husband and I have used honey to treat burns and it works miraculously to heal the skin. Propolis is natures richest source of bioflavanoids which defend your skin against the damaging effects of stress, pollution, and even age itself. I love the cute packaging and appearance of this bar of soap. It suds well and leaves a wonderful fragrance behind, cleaning the skin and leaving it moisturized and silky smooth. These products are amazing and I will be getting them again once I am all out. I am also excited to try more Koru Naturals products in the upcoming years.

BUY IT
You can buy the Skin Clear Cream for $19.20, Manuka Honey and Manuka Oil Facial Cleanser for $13.60, Manuka Honey, Tamarind and Manuka Oil Facial Toner for $13.20, & Manuka Honey Propolis Soap for $7.90 on the Koru Naturals website.

Follow Them on Social Media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/korunaturals
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/korunaturals/

Read other homeschool curriculum reviews for  Koru Naturals...

Honey Bunches of Oats Tropical Blends Cereal Review and Giveaway

Post has a new cereal in the Honey Bunches of Oats lineup. Honey Bunches of Oats Tropical Blends has crispy mango flavored flakes, real coconut shavings and crunchy coconut flavored granola clusters with just a touch of honey.

Good Points:

• 10g Whole Grain (per 3/4 cup serving)
• 120 Calories (per 3/4 cup serving)
• 6g Sugar (No high fructose corn syrup) (per 3/4 cup serving)
• 9 Essential Vitamins & Minerals including 60% Daily Value of Iron (per 3/4 cup serving)
• 4 Wholesome Grains
• Heart Healthy: 0g Trans Fat, 0.5g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol (per 3/4 cup serving)
• No Artificial Food Dyes (contains Annatto extract for color)
• No Unpronounceable Ingredients: All of the Ingredients in the Cereal were things I had heard of.
• WIC Eligible
• Labels For Education

Bad Points:

• Corn (first ingredient) and other Corn products are present. Most likely this cereal contains GMOs. It doesn't say otherwise.
• Contains: Natural Flavor. Who really knows what this term actually means??
• BHT  (Butylated Hydroxytoluene) added to packaging material to preserve product freshness (I had to look this one up and I also ended up calling Post about it. This chemical has a MSDS, Material Safety Data Sheet, that states: ingestion causes abdominal pain, confusion, dizziness, nausea, vomiting. BHT may have effects on the liver and be linked to cancer. The lady on the phone for Post informed me that the BHT, a chemical added to many foods to prevent fats from going rancid, is in the bag with which the cereal touches, but it is only trace amounts so I am told that there is no need to worry.)
• Contains: Wheat and Milk. This is only a bad point if you are allergic to these items. (I'll award good points also since this is clearly labeled in bold on the box).

My Thoughts:

I am one of those people that always looks at the ingredients labels, especially on food products. This label was pretty mild from some of the ones I've seen. Honestly, I eat so many things with corn products I guess I shouldn't complain, but I do wish (like most) that GMOs were labeled right on the packaging so it wouldn't be such a mystery to try and figure out. The BHT scared me at first, but I was a little reassured that it is only trace amounts and I guess it shouldn't matter, or so I am told. No one in my immediate family is allergic to wheat or milk, but I know many others that are.

So, what does the cereal taste like? It has a very unique flavor. My favorite part of all Honey Bunches of Oats cereals are the granola clusters (and dried fruit when there is any)! The clusters have just enough crunch and sweetness to make the cereal so tasty. I love coconut too so making the clusters coconut flavored in this cereal was brilliant IMO. The mango taste is OK. It doesn't taste weird, but I wish it had real dried mango instead of just "mango flavor"...at least it has real coconut flakes. My kids loved the cereal and ate it up.

My semi-related rant: Honey Bunches of Oats doesn't have their yummy Honey Bunches of Oats with Real Peaches anymore...it has been discontinued and it was one of my favorites of the flavors.

You can find out all you want to know about Honey Bunches of Oats on their Facebook page. www.facebook.com/honeybunchesofoats

WIN IT
Prize: 1 winner will win 2 coupons for a FREE box of Honey Bunches of Oats.

I am trying out Rafflecopter on my blog. Please click on this post link if you do not see the script for it below. Also, if there is anything that is wrong with it let me know by emailing me: finamoon AT gmail DOT com I will try my best at fixing it. Thanks for being awesome readers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Post for sending me product for free and promotion information to facilitate my review and free coupons for this giveaway. This opportunity was provided to me because I am a Purex Insider. By posting I will be entered to win prizes. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for posting this promo.

Rosemary Gladstar's Honey Onion Cough Syrup with Added Garlic

Homemade Rosemary Gladstar's Honey Onion Cough Syrup with added Garlic:
I made a natural remedy for cough, colds and flu. Organic honey is best used for this recipe. The beauty of this recipe is that it is made with ingredients you probably already have sitting around your kitchen. Rosemary Gladstar is a wonderful herbalist that I would love to meet in person someday soon. Here is her recipe with an addition of garlic...



Slice 1 large onion into half moons and place the slices into a sauce pan. You can also add a few minced cloves of chopped garlic at this point.

Barely cover the onion slices with honey. Warm on low heat until the onions are soft and mushy and the honey tastes strongly of onion and garlic. Store in a jar in the refrigerator. Isn't it a gorgeous color!

At the first sign of a cold, take 1/2 to 1 teaspoon every hour or two. If you already have a cold, take 1 teaspoon 3 or 4 times/day to speed up your recovery.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: The medical information provided on this blog is, at best, of a general nature and cannot substitute for the advice of a medical professional (for instance, a qualified doctor/physician, nurse, pharmacist/chemist, and so on). I am not a medical professional, just a mom with a opinion. Even if a statement made about the natural remedy is accurate, it may not apply to you or your symptoms. I am only suggesting that you should try it for yourself and see if helps you. People are all different and outcomes could vary drastically.

Tropical Traditions Organic Canadian Raw Honey Review and Giveaway

Tropical Traditions Organic Raw Honey comes from the remote, wild frontier areas of Canada, and is only harvested during a 6-week period in the summer. These areas are rich in wild vegetation that produce some of the finest honey in the world. Tropical Traditions is the exclusive source of this premium organic honey in the U.S. Tropical Traditions Organic Raw Honey has not been subjected to the heat of processing, only warmed enough to flow (same temperatures the honey would see inside the hive). They select only premium honey that is pure, smooth and creamy, with the consistency of soft margarine at harvest. The honey contains live yeast and enzymes, because it has not been processed. It also contains pollen because it has not been filtered—merely screened.

• 100% organic by strict USDA & Canadian Organic Certification standards 
• raw
• wild
• unprocessed

My thoughts: I love the creamy soft texture of this delicious honey. This is all pure natural crystallized honey, not that liquid runny stuff you can buy at the store. When I opened up the glass jar and seal there was a crystallized white glaze over the top of the honey. I scooped a bit out by spoon and it was like soft peanut butter consistency. The flavor was amazing. It was rich and had a slight flowery taste to it. I love this honey! I love that since it is raw, organic and unprocessed it is also healthier for me.

Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil!

Tropical Traditions is America’s source for coconut oil. Their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is hand crafted in small batches by family producers, and it is the highest quality coconut oil they offer. You can read more about how virgin coconut oil is different from other coconut oils on their website: What is Virgin Coconut Oil?

You can also watch the video they produced about Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil:

Tropical Traditions also carries other varieties of affordable high quality coconut oil. Visit their website to check on current sales, to learn about the many uses of coconut oil, and to read about all the advantages of buying coconut oil online. Since the FDA does not want us to discuss the health benefits of coconut oil on a page where it is being sold or given away, here is the best website to read about the health benefits of coconut oil.

WIN IT
Prize: Win One 17.6 oz Jar of Tropical Traditions Organic Canadian Raw Honey

I am trying out Rafflecopter on my blog. Please click on this post link if you do not see the script for it below. Also, if there is anything that is wrong with it let me know by emailing me: finamoon AT gmail DOT com I will try my best at fixing it. Thanks for being awesome readers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product. This post has referral links in it. By clicking on my referral link that I am potentially benefiting from your purchase. If you order by clicking on any of my referral links and have never ordered from Tropical Traditions in the past, you will receive a free book on Virgin Coconut Oil, and I will receive a discount coupon for referring you.