I get a lot of questions about natural alternatives for skincare, and while I’m not a product junkie I have spent a lot of time researching natural remedies (with a lot of help from mom, too).
It doesn’t come in fancy packaging (although I do wish it was glass), and it doesn’t have a pretty French-sounding name, but Witch Hazel is one of my favorite products! It’s a cheap and easy way to add a natural alternative in place of conventional astringents and toners.
After cleansing, the purpose of a toner is to remove excess oil and dirt, but also to close the pores and restore pH balance. Witch Hazel is a natural antiseptic, so if you make sure the product you’re getting is alcohol free, it can perform all the functions of a conventional toner, but without the added preservatives and chemicals. To apply it I don’t even use a cotton ball (it’s just one other organic item to add to the list, and really it’s just not worth it), so I just pour a tiny bit into my cupped palm and splash it on my face. After that you’re free and clear to lotion it up.
Bottom line: it’s natural, it works, it’s cheap, and it will last you quite a long time.
Many different varieties here for about $6.
While these little guys have already made the blog rounds I couldn’t resist sharing as an accessory to yesterday’s first aid kit. Hooray for Cynthia Rowley! Limited edition, and a portion of the proceeds go to a good cause. Assortment of 20 for $10 here.
Dr. Bronner’s family of soaps
I adore my Dr. Bronner’s soaps, they make me happy. Yes, washing my hands with his soaps actually makes me happy. And reading the label is always interesting. All of the soaps are vegetable-based, completely biodegradable, made from organic and fair trade oils, and have no synthetics or preservatives. You can actually recognize all nine of the ingredients on the label, and checking in at the Cosmetics Database shows it’s ranking as a wonderful 1-2 (which is not always easy to find). The scents come only from the essential oils, so no fragrance has been added. I’ve admitted it before: I am a perfume/fragrance brat. I’ll have none of it, thankyouverymuch. I use almond in both the liquid and bar soaps and it smells heavenly; nothing artificial or overpowering, just a soft natural almond scent that reminds me of cookies for some strange reason.
Aside from the lovely smell and all the benefits of organic and natural ingredients, converting to a natural soap is an easy way to make the transition toward a cleaner house, and here’s why: last April the FDA announced that there may suddenly be a concern with the commonly used antibacterial chemical triclosan. Found in everything from toothpaste to deodorant and liquid soaps and hand sanitizers, the chemical is so prevalent that it is found in 75% of the population’s urine. Recent studies have found that triclosan disrupts normal endocrine functions (by mimicking hormones produced by the thyroid), while other studies have shown it to affect sea life, even preventing photosynthesis in diatom algae. In short: a chemical employed since the early seventies, presumed to be completely safe (by the FDA in spite of mounting evidence) until last spring, is currently being investigated, but still exists in nearly every health and cleaning product available.
Triclosan
Switching soaps is an easy and fairly inexpensive way to remove a few more chemicals from your home. Compared to many conventional soaps it may be more expensive, but seeing as how some countries and politicians domestically are asking that triclosan be banned from children’s products, it is definitely worth making the switch.
Very easy to find, and liquid soaps are often available in bulk-size. Check your local natural food store or buy online here.
From YSL’s fall beauty line Rock and Baroque. Now if only I could get my nails to look that good with just one color.
[via 80s Purple]
Here’s the first-ever Holiday Gift Guide - ooh, my favorite style! I’ve collected some of my favorite things from around the Web to share with you as inspirations and thought-starters to help you get ready for the holidays. Have fun, and get to shopping!
- Cool Jewels ice tray So fun, right? ($9)
- Chobs Grips for your cutting board & icons to help you keep track of which side is for veggies and which side is for meat. ($12.95)
- Baggu Bags x 5- You guys know how much I adore my Baggu’s. ($35 per set)
- OPI nail lacquer The best polish out there, and also conscious about chemicals too. I love their SoftShades of pink. ($8.50 each)
- Tarte Cosmetics eye shadow palette Chemical-free, GMO-free, green packaging, and a killer set of colors at a great price too. ($44)
- Picture keyboard stickers This is just too cool. ‘B is for Bowie, G is for Geisha!’ ($12)
- Alexander McQueen Britannia patent clutch Really no need to dive into details here. Would be an amazing gift for so many reasons! ($1,067.50, was $1,525)
- Tom Binns Swarovski crystal bracelet The colors. The style. Swoon. I would rock the hell out of this; would be a great investment. ($440)
- Helmut Lang twisted draped jersey dress Because I love the amazingly soft Helmut Lang jersey and because this is the perfect LBD for work and play. ($360)
- Toms Glitters My lovely teammate Miss Ngo rocks her gold ones and just got these lovely pinks sent to the office. I lusted big time and had to add them here. A perfect gift for your giftee and for a child in need. ($54)
- Swarovski Maggy fuschia ring Have you seen how sparkly Swarovski crystals are? ($115)
- Marc by Marc Jacobs diamond Lurex gloves Functional, a touch of sparkle, and really cute! ($70, was $88)
- Alaia lace-up calf hair pumps Literally just went on sale and just almost sold out. I was drooling over an all-black leather version I saw at Barney’s last weekend though, so my dreams are not completely shattered. These really are gorgeous on, not as intense as they look. ($1,098, was $1,830)
- Chanel trompe-l’oeil temporary tattoos Did you see these on the runway last year? So fun! ($75)
- Litter SF thumb holster I love my Litter shoulder chain so I must figure out when I can start adding to my collection. Love this look. ($225)
- USB Battleship Come on, how fun would this be to give? ($23)
- Dotz cord wrap My Lova is the best at keeping cords organized, but I can’t say the same for me. Look at those before and afters. I need these at work. ($9.99)
- Samsung Galaxy Tab Worth considering if you’re in the market for a tab/pad/whatever. I’ve heard good things. Just saying it wouldn’t hurt to shop around; I know I will. ($599)
- Temple leather iPad case Now if you’re going to go through all the trouble of getting a new toy you should probably invest in a nice form of transportation for it, no? This is for an iPad, but perhaps a Galaxy would fit? ($189)
- Dotz identifiers Another great way to organize your cords. Anyone else have that scene in A Christmas Story floating through their mind?
- Cogo floral rug, Anthropologie Loved the pattern and the thickness. Available in other colors too ($78 – $1,098)
- OXO Good Grips 10-piece pop container set BPA free, air-tight, and just all around fucntional and pretty. I can’t find the perfect glass ones so I think these may be the ones. ($99.99)
- Organic cotton frayed-edge sheets, West Elm Because crisp sheets are always a good thing. ($29 – $119)
- Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented I’ll be making a few of these recipes this holiday season. Peanut butter + chocolate. Buy the book to see the rest ($29.95)
- glassybaby The rainbow of colors is just so pretty. Handmade in Seattle, but you’ve probably seen them in restaurants and lovely spaces throughout the country. ($40 each)
My quest for living a clean life goes far beyond organic produce and filtered (plastic-free) water, and dives deep into the products I use in my daily skin and hair care routine. Think about it…how many health and beauty products do you use in a single day? Shampoo, cream rinse, soap, astringent, lotion, and that’s all before the make-up goes on.
Well, the fact of the matter is that make-up ingredients are not regulated, and the most accessible products for skin and hair contain an endless list of toxins:
“The average woman exposes herself to 167 different chemicals on her face and body during her daily beauty regime.”
“300 contaminants have been detected in the umbilical cord blood of newborns.”
These are just two of the facts that are featured in this quick and infinitely important message about health and beauty products and their effects on women, men, and babies. Please, if you do one thing today, watch this quick video to get an idea of what we’re all up against. Like the latest movement for food industry reform, this is another industry that is putting their product and dollar before the health of consumers.
Yes, it’s overwhemling, but for everyone and especially for us women of child-bearing age, it is essential for us to take charge of what we put in our bodies and on our skin and hair. We can change how these companies formulate their products.
Organic products DO help, you just have to make sure that the product you’re buying is actually what is says it is. It takes more work to figure it out, but that’s where the EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database is an essential tool for the arsenal. All of my make-up, shampoos, toothpastes, and lotions have a rating of 4 or below. If you do two things today, please poke around the database and learn a bit more about what you’re using at home.
My skin has never looked or felt better than the last few years that I’ve switched to organic and chemical-free products, while also taking my vitamins (all 9 of them!). I can’t believe the first picture I post of myself will be first thing in the morning without make-up, but my point is that you cannot buy healthy skin in a jar that promises fewer wrinkles or blemishes. It comes from so much more work and research, but ultimately from a clean lifestyle that anyone can have with some practice. Please, please know what your feeding your body!
GT Dave’s Mango Kombucha, and my traffic cone orange nails.
Hi, my name is Natira and I am a ‘buchaholic. It started casually enough; I’d have a sip here and there if it was around, but before I knew it I was sneaking off to buy a bottle for myself. Then pretty soon that wasn’t enough – I wanted one before lunch, then again pre work-out…but then there was also the post work-out craving. It’s euphoric: the thirst quenching effervescence, the gorgeous array of fruit flavors, the wonderfully clean feeling. Suddenly I was in need of a separate budget item just for this little elixir. I needed help and I knew it. Now I’m down to a bottle a day, but I’ll always want just one more sip….
Recently GT Dave has voluntarily recalled his Kombucha to re-evaluate the alcohol levels that are on the label. Since the drink is fermented it has slight levels (currently labeled at .5%), but that level may be higher since it may continue to ferment during shipping.
I’m DYING! I can’t find it anywhere. I haven’t had a soda in years, I can’t take all the sugar corn syrup, but I crave carbonation. More alcohol or not, Kombucha is an amazing drink to health and balance and I can’t do without it and its natural fizziness. I’ve tried four, count ‘em f-o-u-r different Kombucha brands this past week and they are all a joke. Excuse me, but why would you pasteurize your Kombucha? Oh yeah, and why would you add sweetener? No. Nice try, but that’s not what Komucha is and that is not a drink to health. Puh-leeeze hurry back GT Dave!
The benefits of GT Dave’s raw Kombucha are seemingly endless, and once you get past the strong taste you’ll start helping your body live a cleaner life. (I always feel like those little scrubby bubble guys from the commercial are washing through my body after every drink. You really do feel nice and clean afterward, and no it’s not a buzz from the alcohol.)
Some of my favorite facts about Kombucha:
- It’s a living culture of mico-organisms that’s fermented in order to produce a bevy of goodness for your body to restore a natural balance. Some of the goodies include amino acids, enzymes, probiotics, polyphenols, and antioxidants. Bottom line: good for the tummy, immune system, and skin!
- It’s a raw food. It hasn’t been heated or pasteurized, so it retains all of its nutrients.
- It’s organic! No icky preservatives or sprays on anything added to the bottle. In fact, the presence of the antioxidants in the body that comes from drinking Kombucha can help eliminate free-radicals that are present in the body (from pesticides and preservatives in the typical Western diet).
- It’s a glass bottle. No BPA leached here.
I strongly believe in the benefits of Kombucha, and the ability it has to help our bodies fight off the potential for cancerous growth. When we talk about cancer prevention this is one for the arsenal. If you’re new to Kombucha I recommend starting with the Multi-Green flavor. It’s not as intense as some other flavors, so once you get used to that you can move on to my favorites: Mango, Strawberry, and Gingerberry. Who knows, maybe I’ll be seeing you in ‘buchaholics anonymous.
A few years ago, I started transitioning to organic products both in and out of the kitchen. While looking for organic produce and proteins are fairly simple, it is a very different story with health and beauty products. For one, many, many brands claim to be All Natural or Organic, but in reality there are not. Secondly, finding the organic product that’s right for you can be daunting and overwhelming. With on-going help and research with mom we now have a solid arsenal of products that we rely on every day.
One of our staples is organic cocnut oil; a wonderful treat for your skin and hair. (I haven’t tried the scalp massage method as my hair tends to be on the oily side, but hope to try one of these Sundays.) With its antioxidant and antibacterial properties, coconut oil not only acts as a great moisturizer but also a remedy for premature aging and various skin conditions. Also available for use in the kitchen, there are other benefits that come from using it in cooking as well.
Some tips:
- Available online at Amazon, or from health food stores. Whole Foods has a few different brands to choose from.
- I use it at few times a week, but as it’s an oil it’s not always practical to apply it if you shower just before bed. I’d say it takes about 15 minutes to absorb.
- If you buy a big jar, split it into two jars so you can save the other half for later, and that way you’re only sticking your hands into one jar at a time. [via mom 
]
Image via Sundance.org
I’ve always thought I was missing that gene most girls have that enable them to style their hair. I don’t hate my hair, I just don’t know what to do with it most of the time; and to be fair, I probably wish for different hair more often than I should. Well, that all changed after watching Good Hair.
When Chris Rock’s daughter came home upset that she didn’t have “good hair” his mission became clear, and he set out to investigate how this notion had entered her young mind. The result is a brilliant documentary that is hilariously funny, honest, and just plain astonishing. (With a 94% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes!)
I loved watching Chris go from a hair show in Atlanta, to barbershops and salons across the country, and even to an Indian temple half-way around the world. His candid conversations throughout the movie are interesting and entertaining, and when you’re not laughing out loud you’ll be shaking your head in disbelief. I walked away with a whole new appreciate for what women all over the world will do with and for their hair.
Check out the trailer.
