One Hand Washes the Other: Review

I've been using OHWTO products for months already, so this review/spotlight is long overdue. Becca, the owner of OHWTO, makes fantastic perfumes, bath/body products, facial cleansing products and more. I have yet to try something from OHWTO that I don't love.

:::  THE SPECS  :::

For this particular order, I purchased the following:

:::  Black Magic Breakaway Bar
:::  (4) Black Magic Sample Bars
:::  Black Magic Bar Soap
:::  Coconut Lip Butter
:::  Fresh Snow Solid Scent
:::  Carnivale Solid Scent

I also received free solid scent samples of Pasticceria and Besos del Sol.

Shipping was $6.25 but I was refunded the overage once postage was paid for, which is really great customer service. Her stated TAT is usually around 14-24 business {working} days, and I've never had it go over the TAT. She also keeps customers up-to-date with shipping timeframes, order details and sale announcements via Facebook, so I always felt very confident when ordering from OHWTO. The products themselves are pristine and high-quality, with so many unique fragrances to choose from.

:::  THE PICTURES  :::

{All of the goodies!}

{The free samples + business card}

{Black Magic Breakaway Bar}

{Black Magic Soap Bar}

{Black Magic Soap Bar — love the Celtic knot design}

{Black Magic Sample Bar — cute little flowers!}

{Fresh Snow and Carnivale solid scents, Coconut Lip Butter}

:::  THE OPINIONS  :::

Black Magic soap is to-die-for. It has really worked miracles for my complexion, reduced my random breakouts and evened out my skin tone. I purchased the small sample flowers for traveling, as well as a future blog giveaway. I keep them in the little baggie and they're perfect for a weekend away. I also have a large bar of Black Magic that I ordered previously, which has lasted about four months so far and isn't even half gone yet. It's in great condition and still works like a charm, so the Black Magic formula is obviously well-made and dependable.

For those who don't know about Black Magic soap, here's the info presented on the OHWTO website {taken directly from the site}:

Black Magic is my facial soap of choice. I haven't used anything else for years now and my face is STILL loving it! It's absolutely LOADED with ingredients long-used for toning and clarifying the skin: Tea Tree Oil, Peppermint Essential Oil, Grapefruit Essential Oil, Lemongrass Essential Oil, Rosemary Essential Oil, Vitamin E, Glycerin, French Green Clay, and Activated Charcoal. In addition, the soap is made after I HAND-INFUSE the base {and then filter it} with heaps and heaps of healing Calendula petals — you won't find another soap like this anywhere!

Now, you can go ahead and Google these skin-loving additives and see for yourself what their benefits are and how people use them {I encourage EVERYONE to do their own research and come to their own educated conclusions}, but I've compiled a list of snippets found via Google here in one place for your convenience:

- Tea Tree Oil: antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiviral, fungicide, antiseptic; it's believed to heal wounds quicker and protect them from infections, as well as help neutralize the scar marks and after-spots left by eruptions, boils, pox, acne, etc.
- Peppermint Essential Oil: Contains Menthol, which gives a cooling effect. It nourishes dull skin and improves oily skin.
- Grapefruit Essential Oil: an antioxidant, antiseptic, disinfectant; it's said it keeps the skin clean and is particularly good for treating oily skin and acne.
- French Green Clay: very absorbent, and literally drinks oils, toxic substances, and impurities from your skin. Its toning action stimulates the skin by bringing fresh blood to damaged skin cells, revitalizing the complexion, and tightening pores.
- Calendula: has a long history of use as a wound-healing and skin-soothing botanical. It has impressive healing powers, and can clear up many different types of skin problems.
- Vitamin E: helps skin look younger by reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
- Activated Charcoal: has the ability to attract other substances to its surface and hold them there. This is called "adsorpotion" {not absorption}. Charcoal can adsorb thousands of times its own weight in harmful substances.
- Glycerin: aids in preventing breakouts and keeping pores clear. It also can speed healing of present acne lesions. It is not inflammatory and will not irritate skin like many other products with harsh chemical ingredients. 


Now, this is what these ingredients are traditionally used for and believed to do for your skin; I'm not making any claims here, other than that my soap will clean your face, or whichever body parts you choose to wash with it...
I use gentle, SLS and SLES-free vegan soap base to create these soaps. There have been no colorants added; everything I've added to it adds up to create the green/black coloration of it. Additionally, I have left out any fragrancing, so this soap smells very medicinal — not unpleasant, but its not a bouquet of flowers-type scent, either. Think "herbal" or "apothecary" and you'll have a good idea of what to expect...


In my opinion, Black Magic soap is an indie beauty must-have. Simply amazing.
As for the other products I received, the lip butter is really moisturizing and has a nice, subtle flavor. Fresh Snow is a fantastic perfume solid that combines a fresh shower, fabric softener and an overall "clean" scent. It's one of my favorites now. Carnivale is one of OHWTO's custom scents {private stock}, and it blew me away! Ordering a scent without ever smelling it is always a gamble, but I was immediately convinced that I made a great decision as soon as I opened Carnivale. It's sweet, but not sickly-sweet, and wears down to a mouthwatering mix of lemon and cotton candy {those are the notes that I personally detect when wearing it}. I recommend OHWTO to anyone looking for that perfect signature perfume!

Stay Fabulous!