Four Cow Farm Product Reviews and a Giveaway!

This month at Pasture Living, we are doing a series on how to take care of our skin naturally. The skin is the body’s largest organ and it absorbs everything we put on it directly into the body’s bloodstream; bypassing the organs that would filter out harmful ingredients. This is why it is so important to know what we put on our skin.

I believe in nourishing our skin naturally for healthy skin, avoiding toxic chemicals that are in so many skincare products, and going with natural skincare products and cosmetics as much as I can. I'm not 100% there yet in my natural skincare routine but I'm taking one step at a time and replacing my old skincare products with natural ones. These past two months I had a chance to try out skincare products from Four Cow Farm, a company that produces 100% all-natural baby products in their own farm. Here are my reviews of their products.

Calendula Remedy

I love that this salve contains jojoba oil. Jojoba oil is one of the best natural oils to moisturize the skin and it is the only oil that has helped with Elin's eczema on her elbow. Calendula is well known for its anti-septic, anti-inflammatory, and soothing properties and the combination of the two is just the perfect recipe to sooth and heal irritated skin. I've been applying this cream to moiturize the skin around the eczema and although it's not yet completely healed, it is not as dry and flaky as before. I like that it is in the form of a salve so it is easy to bring around without worrying that I may spill the oil. You can use this to sooth eczema, skin inflammation, diaper rash, and as a nipple cream.

Tea Tree Remedy

Tea tree is anti-fungal and anti-bacterial in nature. Many uses this to treat bruises, cuts, and insect bites. Combined with the moisturizing macadamia oil and anti-inflammatory castor oil, this mess-free salve makes it handy to have in my purse all the time (especially with toddlers running around). This is one of the my favorites as it has helped heal Elin's (way too many) bug bites faster.

Baby Lotion

This lotion is a blend of two gentle oils: sweet almond and apricot kernel, of which are cold pressed, retaining all its natural fatty acids, vitamins, and antioxidants. It is wonderful for daily moisturizing for all skin types, including the face. I love how the lotion is absorbed quickly into the skin without leaving a sticky residue. It does contain potassium sorbate, which is a preservative used to preserve food. They (Four Cow Farm) assure me that where they need to use preservatives, they do so very carefully and in the smallest amounts and they definitely avoid all preservatives that have worrying side effects such as phenoxyethanol, parabens, methylchloroisothiazolinone, benzyl alcohol and any form of alcohol. You will find that their products don't have long shelf life, unlike many conventional skincare products you find in the supermarket, because they use very little preservatives.

Baby Oil

This chamomile and rosemary infused oil is brilliant for those who have very dry skin. It is made from a combination of cold pressed apricot kernel, macadamia, and sweet almond oil which makes it a calming, soothing, and moisturizing oil to nourish the skin. The oil blend is rich in essential fatty acids, vitamin A, D, and E which makes an excellent moisturizer for the face and body, and can also be used as a massage oil and to sooth skin affected by cradle cap. When I came back from a two-week hiking trip in the desert of Israel, my skin, especially my hands, became so dry and uncomfortably itchy due to the dry weather and sun exposure almost all day long. I applied this oil regularly after I came back for two weeks straight and it has helped moisturize and heal my skin. I love how the oil is easily absorbed in my skin without leaving an oily residue. I really have come to love the the mild scent of natural ingredients and this is one of my favorites of Four Cow Farm products! When applying the oil, warm it up in your hands first as that helps it to penetrate the skin.

Baby Wash

Ahhh.. Lots of foam from your liquid soap, that makes our skin so clean! Right? No, you will not find that with this baby wash. Consumers are used to the idea that more foams equals better and clean, but the reality is that foam-boosters such as sodium lauryl sulfate is considered a harsh chemical and not one that we want to put on our babies! This echinacea-infused olive oil wash is very gentle and excellent for washing the face, hair, and body. It takes a little getting used to as it doesn't foam up as much, but I love knowing that it doesn't contain any harmful chemicals. It also smells wonderfully natural. Synthetic fragrances give me massive headaches. It's one of the things I love about Four Cow Farm products, they don't use any synthetic ingredients in their products. This wash is also fully biodegradable, so it is very friendly to our environment.

Nappy Cream

This cream is made using zinc oxide, castor oil which has anti-inflammatory properties, moisturizing sunflower seed oil, soy lecithin (non-GMO), which is a natural antioxidant and works as an emulsifier. It has a consistency of a sunscreen lotion, which is easy to apply on the skin. The antibacterial and antioxidant properties of zinc oxide coats and protects the skin against wetness. This is an excellent, all-natural nappy cream that is safe to use, especially on delicate parts of babies' skin.

I highly recommend Four Cow Farm if you are looking for natural skincare products:

- I love that Four Cow Farm is a family-owned business and all their products are handcrafted in their own farm. It gives assurance that their products are produced with care and it is easy to get in touch with them when customers have questions. They are very responsive and knowledgeable about their products.

- I am extremely happy to know that all their oils are extra virgin, cold-pressed oils. That means they are not treated with heat or chemicals, but are literally pressed cold from the fruit. This ensures that all the natural fatty acids, vitamins and antioxidants are retained in the oils.

- I love the scent and consistency of the above products. They smell naturally lovely and easy to apply.

- Cost. Compared to other natural and organic products, their prices are reasonable and comparable. You get what you pay for. And the good thing about Four Cow Farm products is that a little goes a long way and so a bottle lasts long.

- They are environmentally-friendly!

Thanks to Four Cow Farm, three lucky winners will get to try their products. To enter:

1. "Like" Pasture Living Facebook page, if you have not already.

2. "Like" Four Cow Farm Facebook page.

3. Share this giveaway on your Facebook wall, tag Pasture Living and a friend.

4. Write a comment below why you would like to win Four Cow Farm products, the age of your children, and your email address. If you are uncomfortable with providing your email address publicly, drop me a message through Pasture Living Facebook page.

This giveaway is open only to Singapore residents and will end on 29 November 2013 Singapore time. The winners will be contacted via email.

A special discount for those of you who want to purchase Four Cow Farm products, use coupon code "maleny10" between today and next Friday, 29 November, for a 10% discount when you shop through their online store.

Disclaimer: Four Cow Farm sponsored the above products for reviews, but all opinions are my own.