Mom Special, Mom Practical, Body Conscience by Barbara Schiller

By Laura Medina

Mom, Chemist, and Body Conscience's Founder/CEO, Barbara Schiller.

As a mom and a chemist who have to put up with water-rationing as she chased after the kids, Barbara wanted something quick, decent, luxurious, and environmentally-friendly. Plus, it never hurts to cut down on the water bill.

With sensitive skin allergic to chamomile and arnica and her friends allergic to nuts, frustrated, she figured there has to be an easier way to find wholesome body products that doesn’t damage their skin or the environment.

Body Conscience Bars and Jars with generous pouches of Refills.

Disappointed with the usual organic body fare heavily dependant on nut oils and everything she and her friends are harshly irritated by, Barbara took matters in her own hands. Using her training as a chemist, she whipped the first batch of Body Conscience in her kitchen.
It took her seventeen long years of making it herself then gifting to friends before she decided to launch at Ron Robinson/Fred Segal in West Hollywood.

Those years gave her enough knowledge to know what men and women with sensitive skin want and need.

Free of parabens, petrochemicals, sulfates, preservatives, and synthetic fragrances, the line is generally unisex. But with organic sugar, nut-free butter, and all-natural essences, it’s warm enough for women while deep enough for men.

The first products were the bars or the small, round cakes of soap-free cleansers. Barbara names them "body polish in a bar." Thinking of her nut-allergic friends, she replaced the shea butter with oxgenating Kokum Butter from Southwestern India and the vegetarian-friendly Mango Butter to replace the parabens.

Since getting a lush shower in the quick was always the purpose behind the line, Barbara said first you wet yourself down. Shut off the shower then rub the cakes or bars. The organic sugars scrub the skin clean while the emollient butters soothe the skin soft.

As a chemist, she believes in the old saying, "Oil and water don't mix." This is why she instruct you had to turn the water off, for better absorption, water conservation, and lower the utility bill.

After you're done rubbing, turn the shower back on then rinse for three minutes. Just enough to wash the sugar, the dead skin cells, and grime down the drain. There will be enough butter oils for the skin to soak in.

Barbara calls this "The Three Minutes Shower," saving time, energy, and money to feel refreshed and clean. "The Three Show Shower" is the basis of Body Conscience. Something luxurious but quick with quality that don't destroy the resources. As a mom of young children who has time to unscrew the caps and lids off jars.

If you're lucky enough to have adult children, she offers a more indulgent but value-oriented option, a set of big jars of the scrub cleansers. The jars are environmental keepsakes that can be refilled by pouches of the scrubs.

Wearever Whenever Body Balm Lotions.

For those with dry and/or sensitive skins living in humidity-deprived climates, say Las Vegas or Arizona, or putting up harsh winters with wind-burnt faces and hands in New York or Chicago, Barbara, who's from Denver, feels your pain too.

She names her lotions, "Wearever Whenever Body Balms" in the three signature scents: citrusy neroli/champaka, the sensual white orchid vanilla, and the invigorating amber/black cardamom.

As always the mom-on-the-go, Barbara set up a box of three travel-sized lotions that will always be there. One for the purse. One for the car. One for the kitchen. If you feel parched and your hair is fizzying out, a squirt, a dab, then a swipe from hair to face to body can keep you going.

If you prefer a quickie spritz from head to toe, Barbara said you can spray her Body Veil Dry Oil Mist in your hair then brush for a fast styling and conditioning, since there's no silicon or alcohol.

If you want to win brownie points from your mom, Barbara releases a complete collections of all the products categorized by the three scents.

Calling them the "Renew Collection," each set comes in White Orchid Vanilla, Neroli/Champaka, and Ancient Amber.

Now, busy moms at different stages in their lives can have their pick of wholesome, quick but lush skincare products to keep them polished and clean between juggling the kids and career.

Body Conscience comes to the number three: Renew, Reuse, Replenish in three minutes flat. Enough to take care of you and the kid-and the spouse.

You can find her good stuff at www.ronrobinson.com or at Ron Robinson at Melrose and Crescent Heights in Hollywood.