Bebe & Bella Probiotic Skin Care Review

This post has been sponsored by the PRIMP Network.  All opinions are my own.

I've always had pretty good skin, but my smile lines are getting worse with each passing year.  Rather than stop smiling or laughing, I've been using products that target those fine lines to make them less noticeable.  That's why I started using Bebe & Bella's probiotic skin care line.  It's an innovative skin care line that's unlike any I've ever used because it focuses on your appearance and your health.  Keep reading to learn more about probiotics and the Japanese method of layering skin care products for the best results.  

Bebe & Bella Skin Care

Bebe & Bella is owned by a mother and two of her daughters.  Their family business is pharmaceuticals, so it's no surprise that these three women began creating skin care products in 2013.  The focus of Bebe & Bella is probiotics, which are mainly thought of as digestive aids, but they also help your skin from the inside out.  

Probiotic Skin Care

The first thing you'll notice about Bebe & Bella skin care line is that it has both topical anti-aging products and a probiotic oral supplement.  The supplements are an important step to radiant skin because they encourage faster cell turnover for a protective moisture barrier and to help fight free radicals.  The supplements also help even out your skin tone and improve your complexion.  When combined with anti-aging skin care products, you'll get a skin care system that delivers results.  

BeBella Skin Care

The BeBella skin care line is based on the Japanese method of layering skin care products.  By applying products in a specific order, you'll get the maximum benefit from each product.  

For best results, use in the following order:

1. Facial cleanser
2. Toner
3. Facial essence
4. Eye cream
5. Hydrating night cream

When used in this order, you'll soften fine lines, reduce inflammation, and even out skin tone by fading age spots.  For best results, use the system twice a day.

I also tried the Facial Essence Stick, which is used to refresh your skin on the go.  Even though I'm a work at home mom, I'm not home much because I have appointments almost daily, usually two or more each day.  I can put this in my makeup bag in my purse to refresh my skin between appointments.  Since I'm a mom who doesn't ever get enough sleep, I use this to reduce puffiness around my eyes that can creep up from lack of sleep.  

I also tried the Freeze Dried Probiotic Essence with Activator.  This has freeze dried probiotics vacuum sealed in a container that aren't activated until you use the activator hyaluronic acid.  This powerful skin care product makes your skin look more radiant and healthier.   

After using the BeBella Probiotics Essentials Starter Kit, my skin looks and feels great.  The essence and creams really plump up my skin to smooth out my lines.  What surprised me the most is how soft my skin is.  I joke that I've been looking for a product to hide the fact that I've been tired since 2006, and I think I've found it.  Finally, my skin doesn't look dull or tired.  

Ready to try Bebe & Bella skin care for yourself?  Use code PRIMP20 to save 20% with no expiration date!

Links in this post may be affiliate links, which means that I earn a small commission from sales.

Bath salts are one of my favorite recipes because they are easy and inexpensive to make, yet they provide many benefits.  The salt soak really helps my aching joints, and I find it very relaxing to soak in the tub for a while.  Hot water also helps my joints and muscles feel better.  This lavender mint bath salt recipe is especially relaxing thanks to the lavender essential oil.  I added some peppermint essential oil to help with arthritis, but you could make it without it.  The smell combo of the two is really great, so I do suggest using the peppermint if for no other reason than to smell wonderful.  If you like bath bath salt recipes, I do have an ebook with 30 easy bath salt recipes available for the Kindle.

Lavender Mint Bath Salt Recipe

How to Wash Your Hair (You're Probably Doing It Wrong!)

You probably wash your hair several times a week.  I used to wash mine daily, but as I've gotten older and my hair has gone from oil field to desert, I only wash it two to three times a week now.  But considering that I've been washing my hair by myself since I was about 8-years-old (maybe younger?), I thought I knew exactly what I was doing.  Turns out, I didn't.  Yes, there is a right way to wash your hair.  And a wrong way.  If you're washing your hair wrong, don't worry.  You can bring it back to live in just a few washings when you learn how to wash your hair the right way.

Until about four years ago, I didn't have a salon or stylist that I really loved.  I was guilty of walking in to a walk-in salon and taking any stylist.  I had a cut that I loved, and each one did it differently.  After getting recommendations from friends a few years back, I decided to try a new salon.  I picked a girl who had been recommended by a few friends and gave her a try.  After the first visit, I knew that this was the start of a long relationship.  She works magic with her scissors, my friend.  The next time I went, I got a three color hair dye and cut.  I felt like a million bucks walking out with perfectly coiffed hair, and my hair got compliments wherever I went.  Now, I can't imagine going somewhere else.  Here are some hair salon etiquette tips to help me ensure that the relationship is mutual.

Hair Salon Etiquette: Dos and Don'ts

Tip

>

How much you tip depends on a lot of factors, but it should be 15 to 20 percent of the total.  If you like the service, tip more.  Stylists in higher end salons expect a tip closer to 20 percent, even though the cost is higher.  If someone other than your stylist washes your hair, tip $3 to $5, and don't assume that your stylist shares the tip like waitresses do.  

Photos

If you are getting a new cut or color, take a photo.  Your idea of light blonde and your stylist's idea of light blonde may be completely different, so show her exactly what you want.

Voice Concerns

If you think the stylist isn't doing something how you want it, don't be afraid to ask questions.  Be polite, and you may save yourself from a cut or color that you didn't want.  

Natural Hair

Your hair should be clean and unstyled when you walk in to the salon.  The stylist wants to see how your hair behaves before you straighten or curl it.  This will help her cut your hair the best way for your hair type.

Arrive on Time

Or a few minutes early.  But don't arrive late!  Stylists keep a tight schedule so they can fit more clients in.  I know my stylists is a wife and mother, and her time is valuable too.  Try to arrive a few minutes early if possible.  If you're going to be more than 10 minutes late, give your stylist a call.  She may be running behind herself and can still get you in anyway, or she may ask you to reschedule.

Get Childcare

Your salon is not your child's playground.  When my kids were little, I didn't visit the salon as often as I'd like.  Once my kids were in school all day, I was finally able to visit as needed.  I've been in the chair while a child is running around the salon.  Not only is it disrespectful, but it's also dangerous.  They could cause someone to fall, and there are chemicals that could hurt them.  Trade babysitting time with another mom so you can both get your hair done if you don't have someone.

Chat or Not

Most hairdressers are willing to be chatty with you, but they certainly don't expect it.  Some of my appointments are spent chatting; others are mostly quiet.  If I'm tired, I close my eyes and enjoy the time off for a few.

Cell Phone Use

Cell phone use is acceptable some of the time if you're silent.  It's mostly okay to text or play a game, but if your stylist is trying to get a precise cut, it is time to put away your phone.  Talking on the phone is generally rude unless it's an emergency.  Talking on the phone is rude to everyone in the salon, not just your stylist.


Now that you know hair salon dos and don'ts and etiquette, you're ready to get a great cut and feel comfortable at the salon!

10 Best Overnight Face Masks

Even though this has been a mild Ohio winter, my skin looks tired.  I'm doing my usual multi step skin care routine daily and exfoliating twice a week, but my skin needs a little pick me up.  Maybe it's from being sick.  Maybe it's from lack of sunshine.  Either way, I need to use one of the best overnight face masks.  Overnight masks are lighter than your regular moisturizer, so you won't make a mess on your pillow.  They are made to put on at night before bed and rinse off in the morning.  They create a permeable seal on top of your skin so whatever you put on underneath them soaks in better.  

I have to apologize for not keeping up with my regular posting schedule.  The week before Christmas, I got pneumonia.  Although I can finally breathe for the most part, I do not have my energy back.  By the early afternoon, I'm ready for bed.  Even if I do take a nap, I'm ready for bed around 9 and sleep in until 10 each morning.  Right now, I am so thankful that we homeschool.  I do not think I'd have been able to handle getting the kids ready each morning.  I'm also thankful that we haven't had a lot of work to do the last two weeks so that I have more time to recover.  I'm hoping that I get my energy back soon because I'm normally a high energy person who is always doing something and never sitting around.  

Most of you know that we moved from a McMansion to an old farmhouse a little over four years ago.  Although I love being on a farm, I do miss one thing about the cookie cutter house: having three bathrooms.  Our house was built before indoor plumbing was really a thing, so we have one bathroom.  For five people.  I'm about to hand out bathroom schedules a la Sheldon Cooper.  Let's just say that this DIY poo bathroom spray recipe is a necessity, especially with three boys in the house.  

DIY Poo Bathroom Spray Recipe

Links in this post may be affiliate links, which means that I earn a small commission from sales.

When I saw this spray in the stores for the first time, I thought what a great idea!  But then I noticed the cost.  Yikes!  It's literally going down the toilet, so why would I pay $5 an ounce for something that I can make almost for free?  I know that I have replacement costs, but I did make it for free the first time.  If you don't have everything on hand, you can make it for just a few pennies per batch.  

This ingenious spray works by creating an oil barrier on top of the water.  When you go, the smell can't penetrate the barrier, so it traps the odor in.  

You need to add something to help bind the water and oil in the recipe, so I'm using rubbing alcohol and vegetable glycerin.  Both are inexpensive and can be used for other recipes, so that's why I chose them.  

DIY Poo Bathroom Spray Recipe Ingredients

• 4 ounce spray bottle
• 1 teaspoon rubbing alcohol
• 1 teaspoon vegetable glycerin
• 15-20 drops essential oils 
• 1-2 drops blue food coloring (optional)
• water

Directions

1. Add rubbing alcohol, glycerin, and essential oils to the spray bottle.  Shake well.
2. Fill it up with water and add the food coloring if desired.  The coloring is just so you can see where it sprays.  
3. Shake well.

To use, shake well and spray 5 times into the water before you go.  

Essential Oil Blends

You can use any essential oil you want, but these are good blends:

• Lemon + bergamot
• Lemon + lavender + vanilla
• Eucalyptus + spearmint
• Cedarwood + lemon
• Eucalyptus + grapefruit + cedarwood

You can mix them in any combination as long as you have 15-20 drops per 4 ounce bottle.  

If you like this recipe, be sure to follow me on Pinterest for more DIY beauty recipes!

Oatmeal Cinnamon Melt and Pour Soap Recipe

This oatmeal cinnamon soap is so cute, but it only takes about 10 minutes to make.  

This year as I was baking my Christmas cookies, I thought it would be wonderful to make an oatmeal raisin cookie soap because I love the smell so much.  I didn't want to use real raisins in my soap, so I made a soap inspired by the tasty cookie and thus my oatmeal cinnamon melt and pour soap recipe was born.

Normally, I grind the oatmeal and add it to the soap.  This time, I added it to the top because it looks pretty, and I wanted a little extra scrubbing power as I wanted the soap in my kitchen.

I used real cinnamon and cinnamon essential oil for the fragrance.  Cinnamon essential oil is good for skin conditions, so it's a good additive for dry hands like mine are in the winter.  Oatmeal is also soothing, so it's a good kitchen soap since I wash my hands in the kitchen often.

OATMEAL CINNAMON MELT AND POUR SOAP RECIPE

This melt and pour soap recipe is very easy to make and only takes about 10 minutes from start to finish.  It would make a great gift to give to a friend, or keep it for yourself like I did.  

I made two 4-ounce bars with this recipe, but you can easily double the recipe to make 4 bars.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces melt and pour soap (I used white, but you can use clear too)
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1-2 drops cinnamon essential oil
• oatmeal to sprinkle on the top
• soap mold

Directions

STEP #1

Weigh 8 ounces of melt and pour soap base.  I used white, but you can use white or clear.  You can start with any kind of soap with an additive, but I used a basic soap base with no additives.

STEP #2

Heat the soap in a Pyrex measuring cup or glass bowl at 30 second intervals in the microwave.  Stir at each interval.  Be careful not to let it boil.  If there are just a few chunks in it, sometimes you can stir them out without reheating it.

STEP #3

 Add the cinnamon powder and cinnamon essential oil.  The cinnamon will clump when you add.  Just keep stirring and smooshing the clumps.  

If some small ones remain, it won't hurt your final bar of soap.  I think it gives it some character.

STEP #4

Pour in to the molds.  Mine didn't quite fill the mold.

STEP #5

Sprinkle oatmeal on top.  You can add as much or as little as you want.  I wanted enough to exfoliate a little bit.  Then take a spoon and press it down in to the soap very gently.  You don't want to submerge it completely; you just want it to really stick on there.

A few hours later when the soap has cooled off and set up, unmold your soap.  I really like this silicone mold because the soap just pops right out.  

When I asked my daughter to put the extra bar in the cabinet with our extra soap, she smelled it and said it smelled just like an oatmeal raisin cookie.  Success!

If you like this oatmeal cinnamon melt and pour soap recipe, then you'll love these:

How to Make Hand Milled Soap

Calendula Soap Recipe

Rosemary and Lemon Kitchen Soap Recipe

If you like this recipe, be sure to follow me on Pinterest for more DIY beauty recipes!

Arrowroot Powder Benefits for Skin and Hair

One of my favorite natural beauty products to use and one that I use several times a week is arrowroot powder.  It's actually a food product, but arrowroot powder benefits for skin and hair are numerous, and it has several uses in your beauty toolbox.  I use this inexpensive powder for my makeup and hair.  The last container I bought was $1 and some change at an Amish bulk food store, and I've been using it for about 6 months.  A little really does go a long way.  

Valentine's Day Leggings Like Lularoe Plus Size TC and OS

I know we're just getting over Christmas and New Years, but my Facebook and Pinterest are filled with Valentine's Day ideas already.  After the cold, dreary winter, I'm ready for the fun colors of Valentine's Day, so it's all good.  I've noticed that a lot of people are asking for Lularoe holiday leggings in the groups.  I haven't seen them yet, and I heard that they can't even order them yet.  That doesn't mean that you can't get your hands on a pair of buttery soft leggings though.  You can get Valentine's Day leggings like Lularoe in plus size TC or OS on Amazon for a cheaper price, and you don't have to wait for a pop-up.  That sounds like a total win for me!

PUR Cosmetics Trolls Eyeshadow Palette

Last week, I got some happy mail from PUR Cosmetics.  It's their new Trolls eyeshadow palette that's hitting stores soon.  They sent me a whole box of goodies related to the adorable Trolls.  We haven't seen the movie yet, but I really can't wait until it comes out on video.  I love all of the music, and I loved Troll dolls when I was growing up.  I think I still have some of them from my childhood!  This palette is so fun, and I can't wait to create looks with it!