NaturalMantra.com - Shop for organic and natural products

First of all, I would definitely say that I am very glad to have such a website which promotes natural and organic products. And, these are not only beauty products but you can also find foods, snacks, spices, clothes and a special column is devoted entirely to baby products. And, they also have natural hair colors from Vegetal which has definitely intrigued me. Do check out their website here and facebook fan page here. And, I am also looking forward to more brand additions on the site.

About the Site and Services

It is easy and simple so no worries out there. But, there is one thing that the offers on the site are not displayed or advertised properly. For example, they have a Soleo Orgaics physical sunscreen (it has 22.3% Zinc Oxide which is just amazing) Buy 1 Get 1 free (I would highly recommend you to make use of this offer) or 20% off on Rustic Art products but these have been put as a part of slide show on the website which can be easily missed!!! So, that's something. 

And, another thing is they have free delivery only over Rs 1000 which I definitely feel is too high. Because, there are loads of site giving free shipping over Rs 300 - 500. And, then, they charge Rs 20 for COD which is again not really a plus point. But, they have loads of payment options right from credit cards to net banking so that relieves me but many others still prefer COD services. But, I am hoping that these charges would come down once the site grows in size and popularity.

'Organic' is a fairly new concept in India and not many people really trust it either. I couldn't get my mom to listen. She simply says this person charges you three times or more the normal cost (of a certain generic product, let's say). So, yes, organic products are definitely costly. But, since I have used them and I can safely say that they taste better too. So, my interest or excitement for this website lies more in food products than skin care.

Delivery and Packaging

I placed my order on 16th January and I received it on 20th January. Well, that's ok for me but yeah, I was very desperately wanting to get my hands on the products ASAP. So, nothing special about the packaging. It is securely wrapped and I would say it can be improved to more environment friendly. Anyways, check out what I ordered. 

everything was securely wrapped in a newspaper

in case you are thinking they used only newspaper, the Tahini was securely wrapped in a bubble wrap and then covered with a newspaper and before I forget, the thing on the base of all the products with naturalmantra.com printed on it is the shopping bag of the website which I guess is complimentary for all orders and, the tea light candle was also complimentary and I love its smell already (without lighting it) and the Soloe Oranics sunscreen sachet which I am dying to try!!!

And, this is the personalized message they sent on a hand made paper :)

You can buy Auravedic products on this site. I would definitely reach out this website because there are many things which I would love to give a try!!! Pin It

PS: I was given a discount voucher. 

Check out Auravedic product reviews:
Auravedic Reviving Body Cleanser
Auravedic Pure Brightening Skin Polish Amla Tamarind
Auravedic Facial Skin Repair Moisturizing Lotion

Groundnut oil for skin {Ingredient}

I have a bad habit of removing labels *feeling sheepish*

I had bought it for culinary purposes but unfortunately, it expired without getting completely used up and I don't think I'll ever buy it for culinary purposes ever again coz it gives too much of a nutty taste and smells very strongly of peanuts and I don't fancy the so-called aroma. Anyways, so I thought I would use it up for skin before the oil turns rancid. Well, here you might argue that it has expired but vegetable oils (not hydrogenated) don't really go bad so easily so if its only external usage, I don't really mind. Of course, I'll never eat it. So, how did it fare for my skin.

Groundnut Oil

Ok, first let me describe the texture and benefits. It is thick like other culinary oils and mine is organic (USDA certified) which I had bought from the 24 letter mantra I had talked about long time back. The groundnut oil is generally preferred for cooking because it has high smoke point and is a very stable oil and also has a long shelf life which is why I don't pay heed to the expiry dates of oils unless they are hydrogenated oils. Groundnut oil is highly rich in proteins and is also very nutritious. And, its essentially very high in fatty acids which are responsible for keeping the skin young.

Its major component fatty acids are oleic acid (46.8% as olein), linoleic acid (33.4% as linolein), and palmitic acid (10.0% as palmitin). The oil also contains some stearic acid, arachidic acid, arachidonic acid, behenic acid, lignoceric acid and other fatty acids.  [Wikipedia]

You can read about its nutrient profile here.

How do I use Groundnut oil?

I use the oil mainly for cleansing purposes after I finished up with Nivea Cleansing Milk. I massage for few minutes with the oil and I do take a generous amount for face and neck and exposed chest (if I have applied sunscreen there). And, massage for sometime. Then, I leave the oil for few minutes (around 3-5) and then, wipe it off with the cleansing wipes or baby wipes or even cotton (wipes are easier but lot costlier and have all lot of chemicals in them but then cotton has pesticides too and organic cotton is way too costly which is why I prefer wash cloths but oil on wash cloths would ruin them). Then, I simply wash off my face and moisturize.

Since I have been using the oil, I have noticed that my blackheads are far fewer in number (which had becomes really pronounced in between). That's why I say "go for oil cleansing".  Ok, not easy while traveling but when you are at home. And, if I am not wrong, I have noticed my face skin has become healthier in the sense of supple and healthy skin since the past one month and, for the record, my habits are as irregular as they can be. I think groundnut oil behaves just like castor oil and has cleansing properties because you can see the dirt and all your sunscreen and foundation coming out of the pores while cleansing the face. And, no breakouts too which I had with almond oil.

24 Letter Mantra Products by Sresta Natural Bio Product Limited

Disclaimers: This is not a brand endorsements or even for that matter a review. I am just recommending a brand which I found useful and beneficial for me. I was not sent any samples for reviews. Rather, I bought the products from nearby supermarket, Spencers. And, I am not compensated to write this post. The views and experience is entirely mine.

I have recently seen a huge increase in the people going for Olive Oils and other products which are deemed to be good for body but not produced in India. Thus, we have to rely on the international companies and buy what we get. But, as I pointed out in one of my posts, even the most famous and popular of the brands sell adulterated olive oil labeling it to be Extra-Virgin. You can read the article here. So, how much would you like to compromise on the quality? If you ask me, I would prefer to go for products produced in India so that at least I am able to distinguish between the qualities. 

So, I would like to introduce you to one of the first food organic company of India - 24 Letter Mantra. First, let me talk about its certifications. The company is registered with US FDA and is certified from USDA Organic, India Organic and Control Union. You would find their symbols on the products and the license numbers are also give in its site. And, has various process and quality certifications of ISO 9001 and 22000 among others. The products range from all fruits and vegetables to spices and bakery. I have not yet had a chance to visit its retail store. Once I visit it, I would surely report back. Unfortunately, it has only two retail stores across India - Hyderabad and Pune and has partner stores across the main towns across the country. Its website provides the requisite information. The one thing which struck me was that it does not label everything to be organic. For instance, it labels the raisins (kismis) 'Natural'. And, makes a clear cut distinction among its 'Organic' and 'Natural' products. It claims most of its products to be organic.

I have had a chance to use many of its products including spices, dry fruits and vegetable oils. The vegetable or cooking oils are all cold pressed and organic. It has five oils: Safflower, Coconut, Mustard, Peanut / Groundnut and Sesame Oil. I had a chance to use Mustard oil till July. The duration for safe usage of the oil was just 9 months. Same goes for the Groundnut oil. The texture of the oils are rough and the taste is harsh on the mouth specially for the Groundnut oil which makes it pretty clear that it has undergone minimum processing. I applied the oil on my hair too and I can definitely say that the result was better than the commercial oils I have used. Both mustard oil and groundnut oil cost 200 INR for 1 liter bottle. In case of spices and dry fruits, most of the spices are good to use for only 4-6 months. Some of the packed are usable for a year but not more.  And, the cost is reasonable. The packaging is neat and clean.

Update: So, recently, I  bought a jar of honey of the same brand. The jar is labeled 'organic'. The ingredients list contains only honey. When I opened the jar, I was immediately repulsed by the smell of honey and I was happy!!
You see contrary to the widely held belief that honey is very aromatic, the smell is unusual and takes getting used to. I know this because some years before I had a bottle of honey straight from the beehive when a certain beehive was burnt in my locality. So, I know what a real honey tastes like. (I consider myself lucky for that.) Real Honey is pale yellow in color (actually that might vary because of the quality of flowers on which the bees have fed and other environmental factors) and is extremely thin in consistency as opposed to the thick ones available in the market. It is not even that sweet as much as the market honey is made to be. This happened in 2006 or 2007. And, I am never likely to forget the smell and taste.
Coming back to the product which I bought, it is touted to be 'Himlayan Multiflower Honey'. I do not know how much truth is in that. But, at least the consistency of the honey is thinner than others and smells foul. Regarding the taste, I can say it tastes tad sweeter than the one I tasted long ago but I think that again varies on the flowers fed upon by the bees and environmental factors. The color is almost like Dabur Honey. The price of the jar is 115 INR for 300 gms. And, the expiry period is after 12 months from the date of manufacture.
I do have my own reservations on the product but the fact that it is organic and smells foul and is thinner in consistency wins the argument and I would say that this product is worth a try. The fact that it is USDA certified Organic makes it better for me. I have already posted on how chemically treated honey is poisonous for our body.

So, in case you get a chance to try out these products, I would recommend you to. And, if you are already using these products, I encourage you to share your views and experiences.