Top Secret::: Chagrin Valley Soap & Salve Company

Chagrin Valley Soap & Salve has been among my daily favorites since learning about it on a skincare forum, when it was declared by a self-proclaimed "resident expert" that the Whipped Squalane Face & Eye Mousse was the "best non-actives moisturizer out there", in part because it was natural and inexpensive.  When multiple other posters started chiming in with similar proclamations of agreement, and the reviews in the product reviews section are glowing, naturally one is intrigued, especially if one is looking for a non-actives moisturizer to just moisturize alongside her armory of actives.

I did a little reading about the company and loved that it was started by a former nurse-slash-biology teacher who was looking for a unique hobby, and was displeased by all of the chemicals in the soaps she'd found at local craft fairs and boutiques. Soon her husband was on board using his woodworking hobby to make molds, and her kids and mother had joined in helping her craft the soaps she started with and package them with home-printed labels, and before she knew it, it blossomed into a fantastic array of products.

Photos: Me

After reading the incredibly short list of natural ingredients, one that listed nothing I was sensitive or allergic to (unheard of!), I decided to put in my first order and give it a go. About a week later I had my first jar, priced at a ridiculously reasonable $6.85 per jar, along with a couple other items I wanted to try out from their selection, but this product really is the star of the show.  I have since ordered a couple more jars of this amazing product (and secret cheapy) and it's one of my favorite products to use at night, especially in the cooler months. I have even, ironically, turned my dermatologist onto this little white jar, and that has to speak volumes about it's quality and ingredients.  This heavenly smelling fluff should be priced way higher than it is, but I am thankful that it is incredibly budget-friendly!

It only takes a tiny amount to cover your entire face, melting in on contact, making these jars last a good while, and because it's completely natural, and made of ingredients the skin would otherwise produce or respond to, the skin just laps it right up.   I have been layering it over the One Love Organics Vitamin C for the last two weeks, which I put on right out of the shower after blotting lightly with a paper towel, as my cheeks are a little dry from layering it with my retinoids (see what I'm doing there!), and my face is looking pretty fantastic, despite the heat and chemical warfare. I usually put a double layer under my eyes just because I need a little extra help there.

Sidebar::: They just changed their packaging to those gorgeous jars shown on the website, which are being phased in gradually. My photos depict the older plastic jars which for my clumsy hands I actually don't mind, I bought mine well prior to that change. The pro to the glass for me, besides being pretty and more easily recyclable, is going to be the ability to see how close to the end of a jar I am versus opening the jar to see that I am scraping the inside out, which is where I am right now, as I just do not want to dip my hands into that pristine surface I show in these photos.

If anyone else is an avid user of this product, or gives it a try, I'd love to hear about it in the comments below!

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