CLEANSER:

• Deep Cleansing: Oil/Makeup Removal, Acne Control- Saponified Coconut Oil generates Mother Nature's highest lather-cleanser (even in hard water) because it has shorter-chain saturated fatty acids. Our soap contains three to four times more coconut oil than comparable soaps.

• Mild and Non Drying: Saponified Olive and Palm oil-based soaps make a mild, smooth, creamy lather because these oils contain longer-chain unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fatty acids.

We could have stopped here and still been in the top 5 percentile of the best facial cleansers on the planet but our desire was to ‘out-do' and ‘one-up' the best of the best. That is why we have included the following Pure Plant Botanicals, Essential Oils and Extracts.

Water - Your skin is mostly water. What is the best way to hydrate your skin? Water. Consumers know this and some companies are making a spray bottle with water in it and making big bucks. It's true that water hydrates your skin but it is more effective when combined with humectants and moisturizers.

Vegetable Glycerin- Technically, vegetable glycerin is a humectant. Humectants function by ‘catching' water molecules in the air and hydrating your skin.

Safflower and Jojoba Oil - Combined together these two not only moisturize your skin but form a protective barrier that seals in moisture when applied to wet skin.

Vitamin E Oil - (alpha tocopherol) is an anti-oxidant that assists in maintaining cell integrity. When applied to the skin, vitamin E oil promotes healing, protecting cells from free-radical damage and reducing itchiness. Many people use it to ensure optimal skin health.

Pure Lemon and Lemongrass Essential Oils - No other combination of essential oils are better for your facial cleanser. The color and fragrance of a lemon bring to mind freshness and vitality while lifting the spirit. Not only this, but they are a powerful antiseptic with antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral effects attributable to its limonene content.

EXFOLIATOR:

1. Exfoliate
Are you aware that your skin replaces itself almost completely every 28-45 days? A new skin cell is born, contributes to the health of the skin for 28 days, and then dies and ‘sheds' itself. Your face is literally the graveyard of millions of dead skin cells… EVERY DAY! The process of removing dead skin is called exfoliation. If you neglect exfoliation you will clog your pores and seal the cap on the breeding grounds for the bacteria that causes acne. Thus, an effective acne skin treatment must include an exfoliation process.

• Great Salt Lake salt. The largest U.S. lake west of the Mississippi River . The 4th largest terminal lake (no outlet) in the world. Paavo Airola , N.D. , Ph.D, an internationally recognized nutritionist, says, “Of all natural living waters, The Great Salt Lake has the greatest curative power. It is extremely rich in all the beneficial minerals.” Great Salt Lake salt not only removes dry, flaky, and dead skin but moisturizes and provides a feast of minerals for the skin.

• Walnut Shell Grit. Nature doesn't have a better solution for exfoliation. Walnut shell comes in 3 cosmetic grades. Juliet considers the finest grit (60/200) as the ideal grade for all types of skin. Several prototypes involved the perfection of this ingredient. We have just enough to thoroughly exfoliate yet still not irritate it.

2. Cleanse
Skin experts recommend avoiding soap because of its high pH. A high pH (alkaline) soap will dry the skin and diminish its life expectancy. The skin's surface is mildly acidic, having a pH of around 5. Most soaps are well over 7, and some as high as 10. Soaps with a high pH will not only dry the skin but also eliminate its acid mantle (coating on the surface). Effective skin cleansers can contain a number of different natural ingredients.

• White Willow Bark. The bark of the stately white willow tree (Salix alba) has been used in China for centuries as a medicine. The active ingredient in white willow is salicin, which the body converts into salicylic acid. The salicylic acid in white willow bark lowers the body's levels of prostaglandins, hormone like compounds that can cause inflammation. Salicylic acid helps slow down shedding of skin cells, preventing clogging. Salicylic acid also helps break down blackheads and whiteheads. The salicylic acid derived from white willow bark DOES NOT have the averse allergic reactions and irritation as the chemically derived salicylic acid.

• Tea Tree Oil. Melaleuca alternifolia, or Australian tea tree oil as it is more commonly known, is a native Australian plant with many remarkable properties. When crushed and distilled, the leaves of this plant yield a 100% natural oil which is an antiseptic, a fungicide, and a mild solvent. This is the ULTIMATE BENZOYLE PEROXIDE ALTERNATIVE!

• Chaparral. A very expensive aqueous extract of the leaves and twigs of Larrea tridentata (Sesse & Moc.) Chaparral was taken by Indians as a remedy for curing a wide variety of ailments, including arthritis , cancer , venereal disease, tuberculosis , bowel cramps , rheumatism, and colds . Today it is applied in skin treatments used for afflictions such as acne and eczema , sores, wounds , and rashes .

• Redmond Clay. Geologically, Redmond Clay is volcanic ash that was deposited in sea water approximately 150 million years ago. Generations of people have used the clay for an all natural facial with no additives, chemicals or preservatives. As the clay dries, you will feel it draw and pull. In the case of a facial for acne, pimples, or minor cuts, leave it on until it is almost, but not totally dry, then remove.

• Gotu Kola. Gotu kola is a slender, creeping plant that grows commonly in swampy areas of India , Sri Lanka , Madagascar , South Africa and the tropics. Gotu kola has been referred to as "food for the brain". This oriental herb has demonstrated mild tranquilizing, anti-anxiety and anti-stress effects, as well as improving mental functions such as concentration and memory. It has a calming effect on the body and is chiefly used to support the central nervous system. It has been used as a tonic for purification of blood and for promoting healthy skin and to treat skin inflammations.

• Alfalfa. First discovered by the Arabs, they dubbed this valuable plant the "father of all foods". The leaves of this remarkable legume contain eight essential amino acids. Rich in protein, vitamins E and K, alfalfa restores and increases body tone. It contains an anti- fungus agent which alkalizes and detoxifies the skin.

• Valerian root. Comes from the Latin "valere," which means "to be in good health." The plant grows in damp places throughout Europe , northern Asia , the U.S. and South America . It affects the central nervous system (CNS), and has antispasmodic, sedative, and stimulant properties to sooth your skin. It is an antibacterial which cleans deep within in the skin.

• Jojoba Oil. It is suspected that jojoba oil "tricks" the skin into stopping the production of sebum through somehow mimicking sebum. This also means that jojoba oil will assist in breaking down sebum in plugged-up pores. Sebum and jojoba oil will mix readily without sealing off the skin pores. Dermatologists have also reported jojoba oil's non- irritating use for acne. Other materials such as mineral oil can cause anaerobic microbial growth and inflammation redness and swelling in and around pores. Jojoba oil will not cause blackheads that contribute to acne.

• Lavender Oil. Recognized around the globe for its fresh and heady fragrance, the lavender plant (Lavendula angustifolia), a flowering evergreen shrub native to the Mediterranean region, also boasts a long history in herbal healing. The aromatic lavender flower has natural antiseptic and astringent properties that folk healers recognized centuries ago. Lavender oil prevents infection thus stopping the spread of acne.

• Chamomile Oil. An extremely expensive extract, Chamomile is one of the safest medicinal herbs. It is a soothing, gentle relaxant that is best known as a muscle relaxant, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory agent.

• Spearmint and Peppermint Oils. Can be used to relieve any kind of inflammation, irritation or itching (using dilutions of less than 1%). It may be used to relieve sunburn and makes a refreshing skin tonic.

3. Moisturize and Supplement
A moisturizer is an agent designed to make the stratum corneum softer and more pliant by increasing its hydration. This step is essential in the treatment of acne for the opposite (dry and dead skin) is the primary cause of acne. You must supplement your skin with the best nutrients available for healthy skin.

• Shea Butter. Obtained from nuts of a large tree native to West Africa . Shea butter has soothing, moisturizing and protecting effects and has been deemed by many dermatologist ‘Natures Greatest Emollient.' Due to the presence of a sizeable quantity of unsaponifiable fats, its content in vitamins and other active elements, shea butter adds other more precise activities to these general properties. It displays a protecting role against UV rays because of its content in cinnamic acid and can thus be incorporated in solar products. The natural latex contained in shea butter would moreover prevent certain sun allergies. Shea butter also helps cell regeneration and capillary circulation.

• Avocado Oil. Avocados find their roots in Central America . Also known as Persea americana , the avocado was labeled the "fruit of kings". These luscious pear-shaped wonders are considered one of the most nutritious fruits on earth. That's because avocados contain at least 75% monosaturated fats -- that's good for YOU! Avocado Oil penetrates the skin more deeply than other plant oils (e.g. lanolin, olive, almond or soya-bean oils). Therefore it's an ideal base for transdermal treatments, & a natural carrier for added supplements to reach the deepest target areas.

• Aloe Vera Gel. There are over 240 different species of Aloe, growing mainly in the dry regions of Africa, Asia , Europe and America . The aloe leaf contains over 75 nutrients and 200 active compounds, including 20 minerals, 18 amino acids, and 12 vitamins. Aloe gel has been used for topical treatment of wounds, minor burns, and skin irritations since ancient Egypt .

• Oatmeal. The colloidal Oatmeal almost instantly gives a slightly milky, almost slimy consistency --which then coats the skin, moisturizing, softening, and protecting it. The emollient, or skin-softening, properties of oat products come from ingredients in the oatmeal such as cellulose and fiber.

• Green Tea. Catechins (the medicinal portion of green tea) are well recognized as powerful antioxidants. Used to enhance your skin's immunity and rebuild damaged skin cells. Useful in the treatment of acne sun burns, chronic photo-damage, aging and the effects of environmental pollutants.

• Vegetable Glycerin. Vegetable glycerin comes to us through a very complex and sophisticated method of extraction known as Hydrolysis. It is invaluable as a natural source ingredient with emollient like properties which can soften and soothe the skin and it assists the outer epidermis is retaining moisture.

• Grapeseed Oil. A byproduct of wine production containing vitamins, minerals, and protein, GLA, and a small amount of vitamin E. It is rich in linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid quite important for the skin and the cell membranes. It has regenerative and restructuring virtues and has great skin moisturizing properties.

• Vitamin E Oil. Vitamin E has been shown to play an important role in protecting skin from environmental and oxidative damage. It is beneficial in the repair and reduction of acne, scars and stretch marks.

• Bergamot and Jasmine Oil. Bergamot is an essential oil obtained from the rind of the fruit of the Citrus bergamia and is well-known for its pleasingly sweet citrus aroma. Jasmine essential oil has a sweet, exotic and rich floral smell and the oil is deep orange-brown in color. This unique blend adds to the soothing and natural aroma of Juliet's Clean and Smooth.

EXTERMINATOR:

Juliet and I decided it would be best to include other all natural ingredients known to fight and treat acne and damaged skin without clogging or irritating the skin:

• Aloe Vera
• Green Tea
• Witch Hazel
• Tea Tree
• Calendula
• Comfrey
• Burdock
• Rosemary
• Vegetable Glycerin
• Lemon Oil
• Lavender
• Thyme
• Palmarosa
• Chamomile