I have enjoyed putting lotion on parts of my body now for many years, thinking I was helping my skin. Little did I know however, that within the typical commercial lotions hide many unsafe chemicals that are not only harmful to our skin, but possibly harming our health on a deeper level in the process.

Having discovered the local, Canadian company Green Beaver, I was thrilled to know that they had a full skin care line, and one even specially designed for winter too. That as you can imagine comes in very handy living in Canada, or anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere where you get dry, cold winter weather.

So for the winter season, and available year round, Green Beaver has a special winter care line, called the “Après Ski” line. It features 5 products: the Winter Face Cream, Winter Hand Balm, Winter Lip Balm, Winter Bath Therapy and the Winter Lotion that I will talk about today.

Where lotions are concerned, I am really happy in every way with the quality of the regular Green Beaver Hand and Body lotion. I do not suffer from very dry skin, so the regular lotion works well enough for me. However, having used the winter line lotion from Green Beaver, and especially through the winter, I really appreciated it as well.

The lotion is thicker than typical lotions, and goes on with white streaks, until you really work it well into your skin. Once you do though, it gets absorbed great and leaves skin feeling soft and non-greasy. It also depends on the amount one uses.

The scent is nice – a slight mixture of lavender and cinnamon – although a little stronger than I imagine some sensitive people to scents may like. What made me happy is that the aroma is made from natural herb extracts.

The ingredients are fantastic, and this is one of the main reasons why I like Green Beaver products so much. One can easily recognize the ingredients as typical, everyday substances and not a bunch of unknown chemicals with hard to pronounce words.

The lotion moisturizes very well and generally speaking I recommend it. However, if you don’t have very dry skin, or don’t have a cold, dry environment than I would recommend sticking with their regular lotion which is a little easier to work with.

The Green Beaver Winter Lotion was also quoted in an issue of CanadianLiving.com – 21 Best Body Lotions.

Ingredients for Green Beaver 100% Natural Winter Body Lotion

  • Purified water
  • Vegetable glycerin and emulsifiers
  • Shea butter
  • Sunflower oil
  • Grapefruit seed extract (3 – moderate hazard*)
  • Oat kernel extract
  • Cocoa butter
  • Rosemary oil
  • Vegetable allantoin
  • Mineral saltExtracts of:
  • Oregano
  • Thyme
  • Cinnamon
  • Rosemary
  • Lavender
  • Goldenseal root

* Safety Rating based on Skin Deep Cosmetic Database

Packaging

The lotion comes in a plastic #1 bottle, that is fully recyclable when product is finished. The size of the bottle is 240ml.

Price (as of this posting)

  • $10 – $14 CAD per bottle at health food stores across Canada
  • $9.99 CAD per bottle at HealthToYou.ca
    (free shipping to Canada & US, minimum order required)
  • $12.99 CAD/$12.30 US per bottle at
    (free shipping in Canada, no minimum order required)
  • $11.38 CAD/$10.94US per bottle at FeelBest.com
    (free shipping in Canada & US, minimum order required)
  • Combo Pack 1 from HealthToYou.ca
    $25.98 - Includes 4 out of the 5 Green Beaver Winter Line Products
  • Combo Pack 2 from HealthToYou.ca
    $33.97 - Includes all 5 Green Beaver Winter Line Products

Availability

  • Widely available at health food stores across Canada, especially Ontario
  • Widely available at many on-line stores for Canadian, US and international shoppers

The Good

  • Pleasant Scent (from natural spices)
  • Great absorption
  • Excellent moisturizing properties
  • Excellent protective feel on skin
  • Non-greasy thickness or feel on skin
  • Suitable for all skin types
  • 100% Biodegradable
  • 100% Natural
  • Vegan/No animal products
  • No chemical preservatives
  • No parabens
  • No petrolatum
  • No drying alcohol
  • No mineral oil
  • No artificial aromas, fragrances or dyes
  • No animal testing
  • Outstanding ingredients
  • Fair price
  • Fair availability
  • Made in Canada

The Bad

  • Nothing that I am aware of at this time, ingredients are excellent
  • Grapefruit seed extract can be prone to chemical contamination depending on how it is prepared/extracted
  • Scent may not be suitable for all people’s preferences