Conventional creams and lotions are oil and water emulsified (or mixed) together. The oil moisturizes while the water encourages absorption so the oil won't just sit on your skin. Unfortunately, because they contain both oil and water, they require preservatives to prevent contamination by mold, bacteria and fungi. Chemical emulsifiers and thickeners are also added to stabilize the product and make it thicker and to ensure the ingredients don't separate. Coloring agents may be added to create that white color folks are used to. Lab-created fragrances are often added to mask the chemical smells or make the product smell "good," but many of these fragrances contain volitle organic compounds that diffuse into the air and are inhaled, which can cause negative reactions or disease. Many of these chemicals absorb into the bloodstream as well and have been shown to cause health problems including cancer. When you apply multiple scented and otherwise chemical-laden products to our skin (think about how many products you use in a day: deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, soap, lotion, perfume, hair styling products, makeup, scrubs, masks, etc) the negative effects are layered and compounded. None of these ingredients are added to improve the health of your skin and hair, and instead can cause multiple problems. You can then be trapped in a never-ending cycle of applying more and more products, trying to counteract the effects of the chemicals in the products, never realizing that the products themselves are causing the problems. Over the years, your skin can become very unhappy: dull, red, sensitive, chapped, peeling, dry, or overly oily. Cutting all of these unhealthful products out of your skincare routine and replacing them with a smaller number of our chemical-free products will serve to improve the health and look of your skin, while decreasing the health-risks associated with the many harmful ingredients found in these conventional skincare products. Rose and Bel's natural skincare balms are able to be shelf-stable for up to one year without the use of any of these harmful chemicals because we leave out the water entirely. Instead of getting wrapped up in a cycle of adding more and more ingredients to achieve a certain look, texture, feel, scent or color, we start with the crazy notion that if your skin doesn't benefit from an ingredient, we leave it out! Our oil-based products last about 3-5 times as long as creams or lotions because rather than filling our containers with up to 70% water, our products use the water already on your skin after cleansing. Remember not to towel the water off your skin before applying! Allow the skin to air dry if possible; if your routine does not allow the time for this step, you may gently pat skin dry (but we advise using your older towels for this as the oil may result in unpleasant-smelling towels--this may be remedied by adding a cup of vinegar and a couple tablespoons of baking soda to your wash). ​ Facial products are always unscented, although they do have a light pleasant herbal scent. Body and hand products are available unscented or scented with our signature lavender, rosemary and spearmint essential oil blend. ​ ​

Our oil-based moisturizers do require a shift in your skincare routine. It may take a few minutes longer than you're used to but your skin will thank you! Apply a very small amount to the skin, gliding it over the area without trying to achieve full coverage at first. Use dry hands when touching a balm and avoid getting water in the container; oil droppers should be kept from touching anything. Using a gentle circular motion (for face) or a vigorous rubbing down for hands and body, work in the oil after applying. Be sure at this stage to achieve full coverage of the area but ensure that you aren't using too much product: just enough to provide a very thin layer over the entire area. Massaging the oil well into the skin will emulsify the oil and water, aiding absorption and mimicking the effect of a cream. If skin feels greasy after about 15 minutes, try using less next time. If skin feels tight, try using a bit more. Adjust until your skin feels deeply moisturized but not greasy. It may take your skin a bit of time to adjust, and if you like you can use our liquid facial oil as a "boost" to your current face cream and then slowly reduce the amount of cream until you are using only the oil.

Rose and Bel's balms contain nothing but ingredients that benefit the skin and are completely safe for your overall health. They do require a bit of a shift in your skincare routine, don't look like the products we've become used to, and need a bit of practice in order to get used to them and use them correctly. But with this shift comes a myriad of benefits that not only prevent us from using harmful chemicals but are also more concentrated, requiring about 70% less product. They are full of beneficial ingredients such as skin-calming herbs, natural cold-pressed oils, raw beeswax, vitamin E and vegetable glycerin. These ingredients have all been shown to improve the health and appearance of your skin without doing any harm to ourselves or the environment. Our balms can help calm sensitized skin that has been harmed by these chemicals over the years and prevent any further harm. We grow many of the herbs used in our balms ourselves (e.g. lavender, spearmint, yarrow, mullein, chamomile, calendula) and we wild-forage many other native medicinal plants (e.g. plantain, chickweed, violet, deadnettle). Many of these herbs have been used for thousands of years to benefit the skin and all the herbs we use have been shown to be safe and effective by scientific studies. We love the idea of merging ancient wisdom with scientific evidence! All herbs not harvested locally are of the highest quality and 100% organic. Other ingredients such as clay, vitamins C and E and glycerin are also sourced from reputable sources and are the highest quality available. Every single ingredient in all of our products provides one or more benefits to the skin, with no added fillers, colors, preservatives or stabilizers. Our products last about 3-5 times as long as creams or lotions because rather than filling our containers with up to 70% water, our products use the water already on your skin after cleansing. Remember not to towel the water off your skin before applying! Allow the skin to air dry if possible; if your routine does not allow the time for this step, you may gently pat skin dry (but we advise using your older towels for this as the oil may result in unpleasant-smelling towels--this may be remedied by adding a cup of vinegar and a couple tablespoons of baking soda to your wash). ​ Facial products are always unscented, although they do have a light pleasant herbal scent. Body and hand products are available unscented or scented with our signature lavender, rosemary and spearmint essential oil blend. ​