EO

You’ll never find me without hand sanitizer in my purse or diaper bag (yes, I’m a bit of a germaphobe), and I was recently able to try out some great hand sanitizers that contain organic alcohol and other organic ingredients thanks to EO.

According to the website, EO, which stands for Essential Oils, is a “Certified Organic Manufacturer of personal care products using the highest grade natural and certified organic ingredients. We create products that are natural, gentle, effective and free from animal testing…It is our mission and our privilege to develop our own innovative and efficacious formulas, source our natural ingredients, manufacture, and find the most environmentally friendly packaging to fill and ship each and every EO® product.” The essential oils in EO's products are “steam distilled directly from flowers, leaves, bark and wood without any adulteration or synthetic additives, as it was intended directly from nature, and giving you products that smell amazing.”

All the various forms of the hand sanitizer (gel, spray, wipe) are made with 62% organic alcohol, but what really sets them apart from other hand sanitizers are the organic ingredients and the great fragrances, or flavors.

I tried the Organic Lavender and Unscented with Organic Jojoba Oil Gel Hand Sanitizers (ARV $3.99 for 2 oz., various flavors; also available in 8 oz. and 32 oz.). The Lavender smelled great, as expected, and the Unscented didn’t leave behind a strong alcohol smell despite not having any scent. I also tried the Organic Peppermint Hand Sanitizing Spray. (ARV $2.99 for .33 oz., various flavors; also available in 2 oz.). Just one or two sprays does the job, and I love the peppermint smell—it reminds me of candy canes.

My favorite product is the Sanitizing Hand Wipe (ARV $.67 each, various flavors; also available in a 24 ct. box). The wipes are my favorite because not only can you use them to clean shopping cart handles, high chair trays, counter tops, and so much more, but they are gentle and safe enough to use on your hands.

EO offers more than just hand sanitizers. Their product line includes items you can use from head to toe—shampoo, lip treatment, lotions, and foot balm, to name a few, and I was able to try out some of their bath products.

I received the Time Out (Coconut and Vanilla with organic Tangerine) and Nighty Nite (Blue Chamomile with Lavender) Bubble Baths (ARV $9.99 for 12 oz., various flavors), and they contain a Coconut Cleansing Complex that doesn’t dry out your skin. As expected, they smell really nice, especially the Time Out Bubble Bath—it smells so yummy! Just a few drops creates enough bubbles for you to soak in, and what’s great is that they contain no parabens or sodium lauryl sulfates.

I also received a couple of terrific Bath Salts ($3.99 for 4 oz, various flavors)--French Lavender and Be Well-Eucalyptus and Arnica. They contain Himalayan Pink Salt which help to detoxify your body and help you relax. The Bath Salts smelled amazing as well.

According to the website, “EO Bath products are inspired by the Japanese ritual of bathing which emphasizes purification and relaxation - mindful soaking - a valued part of daily life.” Now, I wish a bubble bath or a soak in a tub full of bath salts could be a part of my daily life, but with a newborn and a toddler, that’s nearly impossible. However, now that I have EO bath products on hand, I may not be able to resist a daily soak!

Shop: You can purchase EO products online on their website, at other online stores, or find a retailer near you.

Win: EO has generously donated a 32 oz. bottle of Organic Lemon Hand Sanitizer (ARV $24.99) for one lucky winner.

***THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED***

Congratulations to Tamara B.!

• To enter, visit EO and comment on which is your favorite product or which product you’d like to try.
• You’ll get one extra entry each if you 1)Subscribe to my feed; 2) Blog about this giveaway and link back to Sage and Savvy and EO; 3)Add my button to your sidebar (be sure to leave a comment for each "entry").
• The deadline for entries is February 1, 2009, 11:59pm HST.
• An eligible entry will be chosen by random.org as the winner; the winner will be notified via email on February 2, 2009 (make sure your email address is in your profile or comment) and will have 3 days to accept.
• Valid for US addresses only.

Good luck!

Thank you to EO for providing the product(s) for review and/or giveaway.