Beauty
Review & Giveaway: Mainelement:love Aloe Conditioner
The main element in this line may be love but a prominent element is aromatherapy. It’s infused into the entire line to not only nourish the hair and scalp but also ‘awaken the senses.’ This aspect was highly important to creator, Tyrika Williams, a licensed massage therapist who knows about the benefits of aromatherapy.
Mainelement:Love Aloe Conditioner made my hair soft, silky and feeling healthy. It even gave it some shine. My hair is pretty healthy and soft, it’s not coarse or frizzy so I would only use this once or twice a week but it can be used everyday and as a leave-in conditioner. It nourishes the cuticles and hair shaft with panthenol and wheat protein. If your hair is dry, brittle, damaged, color treated then use it more often and it will help get it back in good shape.
I’m loving the aromatherapy aspect, it has a delicious vanilla mint scent. You know those yummy mints they give out at nice restaurants? That’s what the smell reminds me of!
Check out their whole botanical hair care line which includes herbal shampoo bars, conditioners, hair tea rinse, and herbal styling balms made with essential oils, natural butters and botanical herbs.
I’m happy to report that most of the ingredients are clean, no toxins that are of very high concern. It does, however, contain a few ingredients that rate 4 on the EWG cosmetic data base. On their scale of 0-10, 4 is considered moderate concern. I’d rather all of them be no higher than a 1 but fortunately the rest of the ingredients are clean.
It’s important to note that it doesn’t contain sulphates which are not only harmful but they severely dry hair out and strip the color.
One of my lucky readers will win a bottle of this fab conditioner and soon be sporting soft, healthy hair. Enter to win today! Good luck!
Are You Making These 4 Summer Skin Care Mistakes?
Summer brings the usual issues that overwhelm the skin like peeling sunburns, bug bites, or oily and sweaty skin. It’s a tricky balance to care for the skin during the summer and we’re probably not aware of the mistakes we make.
1. Over-exfoliating and washing the face Since the summer heat and humidity can makes us sweat more, it makes the skin feel oilier. This can be so unsettling for some people that they tend to over-cleanse the face and increase the number of times the exfoliation is done. This essentially strips the skin of its natural oils which causes the skin to overproduce oil exacerbating the problem.
- Solution: Keep your cleansing routine the same — wash in the morning and cleanse at night. Limit exfoliation to twice a week. Continue to moisturize because without adequate hydration, skin may over produce oil. If necessary, blot wipe it with a clean cloth.
2. Foregoing Sunscreen Despite its popularity, some people are still not in the habit of applying sunscreen. It’s important to do this even if you don’t have any plans of spending the day at the beach. While some people are not applying sunscreen, others are applying it incorrectly.
- Solution: Don’t skip this at all. If you go swimming or spend the day outdoors, bring a bottle with you and reapply as needed. Lather a generous amount on skin that’s exposed. Choose a sunscreen with non-nanoparticle zinc oxide. Look for one on the Environmental Working Group’s list of safe and effective sunscreens. Ava Anderson Non Toxic tops their list.
3. Failing to stay hydrated While refreshments, such as a cold glass of juice, quench the thirst and relieves our body from the heat, our skin also needs the same kind of treatment inside and out. It’s not enough that you drink lots of water, especially during this season.
- Solution: Eat fruits and vegetables that are rich in water content to supplement what you may lack with drinking just water. Put on lotion and moisturizers so that the skin absorbs this, preventing flakes and dryness that commonly happens during summer.
4. Disregarding care of the feet Feet are exposed to a lot of free radicals and irritants during the summer because people wear sandals and flip-flops a lot, or walk barefoot in the sand. With so many activities, care for the feet is often overlooked, when it should be given attention, as this is when cracks and dryness often occur.
- Solution: Don’t ever forget to moisturize and exfoliate the feet. Make this part of your skin care routine. One other thing you can do is apply moisturizer, such as extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil at night and then wear socks. This may be a bit too warm to do in the summer, but try at least three times a week.
What is your summer skin care routine? Share your tips in the comments below.
The summer season can also trigger a yeast infection. Know what factors cause this and what you can do to prevent or treat yeast infections using natural ingredients by visiting YeastInfectionsAdviser.com.
You Have To See This
This short video from Earth Focus is worth a few minutes of your time. Why am I so passionate about everyone using safer personal care products? Watch this and you’ll know why.
You do not need to subject yourself or your children to toxic chemicals every time you wash your hair or moisturize your body. There are safer options. But don’t be fooled by companies claiming to be ‘natural’ or ‘green’ because they could be misleading you.
Know your ingredients, read labels and stay away from any products or ingredients that score higher than a 2 on the Environmental Working Group’s Cosmetic Data Base. You can see a list of the most dangerous chemicals to avoid here.
8 Tips For Your Non Toxic Bridal Beauty Regime
Every bride wants to look beautiful on her wedding day, but makeup should be the end of your routine – not the start. To obtain perfect wedding skin you have to start months before the big day and stick to natural, non-toxic ingredients.
This week on Green Bride Guide I offer my top 8 Tips For Your Non Toxic Bridal Beauty Regime. Head over and check out my article so you can be a natural beauty on your wedding and every day!
Posh Polish For A Green Girl’s Perfect Mainicure
If you want your manicure to outlast the rest try Poshé top coat. I’ve used it for years. I gave myself a quick little manicure before heading out on the town last night and only had to wait 5 minutes before my nails were good to go. There are a lot of Seche Vite fans out there but I find Poshé works better.
Allure Magazine agrees, they’ve given it the best topcoat award 5 times. It gives great shine and it really is chip resistant. My pedicures can last 3 weeks without a chip. Obviously it doesn’t last that long on my hands since they’re constantly being used and washed but it lasts as well as the brands with toxic chemicals.
If I do my nails at night, after just 5 minutes I can get in bed and wake up the next morning without sheet prints on my nails. The best thing about this top coat is that it is free of the toxic chemicals dibutyl phthalate (DBP), Toluene and Formaldehyde that are found in most other nail polish brands. Try it & let me know what you think.
A Must Watch From Earth Focus: UnSafe ~ The Truth Behind Everyday Chemicals
Endocrine disruptors, carcinogens, allergens, contaminants, mutagens…. these are the things that are in most of the products that you use in your home, on your body and your children's body every single day.
It's easy to turn the other cheek and think, "how bad can they really be if they are allowed in the market place?" Extremely bad because most chemicals are not tested for safety and there is no regulation.
That means there are no safety measures in place to protect our health or the environment. Cancer, autism, asthma, allergies, reproductive issues, birth defects are all on the rise. I urge you to take a look at this very important and informative video from Earth Focus to learn more. Set political views aside and focus on the message: The chemicals in most everyday products are extremely dangerous. Be informed.
Hot Holiday Gift Ideas
This elegant Convertible Chrystal Lariat by Lexi Lu Jewelry on Open Sky can be worn long or traditional lariat style. I want.
Let your guy travel in style with this personalized dopp kit in cotton canvas or leather from Sivani Designs.
Give the gift of beauty and wellness for the holidays with Ava Anderson Non Toxic. Their candles smell sublime and they have many luxurious yet affordable skin care & body care items for the whole family. The entire line is 100% FREE of harmful chemicals.
Basil infused olive oil & Gourmet Truffle & Sicilian Salt from Sabatino & Co. make dishes delicious & come in bottles that will look nice on any cooks counter. They make a great hostess gifts too, btw.
Let her sparkle & shine. Choose something pretty from the fabulous items from Stella & Dot like the Ainsley Bracelet or the Palladian necklace. They’ll go perfectly with her New Year’s Eve outfit.
Any guy will love the BassBoomz portable speaker. After borrowing mine on separate occasions, my neighbor & my 18 year old nephew each said how cool it was & that they wanted one! No brainer.
Fearless, free-spirited girls of every age will love Tomboy Vintage. You’ll find adorable retro-inspired Ts & hats for all the women & girls all your list.
Also at Open Sky (they have tons of great stuff) is this Filigree Cut Out large clutch by Lily Wang in neon pink. Will it go perfectly with your holiday party outfit? Buy it for yourself!
“… To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect” ~Oren Arnold
Rethink Your Regimen: 4 Ways To Prepare Your Skin for Fall and Winter
Guest post by Emily Pope
On average, a face will withstand the elements of approximately 320 seasons in a lifetime. That’s a lot of sun, wind, whipping rain and freezing snow! Fortunately, modern science and Mother Nature have provided us with many wonderful ways to prepare
for what the weather can throw our way. With colder weather closing in, it’s time for a change to your skin-care regimen.
Sunblock: Unfortunately, many people sustain sun damage in fall and winter, due to the simple fact that they don’t consider sunblock a necessity. This could not be more incorrect; sunblock is important all year long and your cold-weather skin care regimen needs to reflect this. Try incorporating sunblock without toxic chemicals like Ava Anderson into your daily beauty routine.
Rich creams and lotions: Since frigid winter temperatures penetrate skin deep, the lotions you apply to heal and protect must be rich and concentrated, to counteract the cold. Enjoy liberal applications of your favorite skin softeners in their thickest forms. If you want to get fancy, try La Mer Moisturizing Cream. Despite costing around $275 a pop, this cream has won many prestigious accolades and praise from Sally Singer, renowned Vogue
editor.
Add more of your regular facial moisturizer under foundation, or opt for something specifically geared toward protection against colder conditions. If you are prone to breakouts and concerned the excess lotions will wreak havoc on your face, consider gentle microdermabrasion treatments to keep pores picture-perfect.
Intensive hand and lip treatments: Extra protection is necessary for the overexposed and most sensitive areas of skin, and no place exemplifies this more than your lips and hands. Avoid chapped and cracked skin with repeated applications of intensive lip balm and frequent use of hand creams. Use heavy-duty hand lotion often, protective gloves when outdoors and extra gentle hand-sanitizer whenever possible. Ava Anderson Non Toxic offers all of these products without harmful chemicals.
Exfoliating dull skin: At no time of the year is exfoliation more important than when it’s coldest; at home microdermabrasion can be very beneficial. Microdermabrasion works to gently exfoliate your skin, while increasing cell regeneration. Dry skin is often composed of layers upon layers of old cells, s microdermabrasion will remove winter’s damage and rejuvenate your complexion. Follow up exfoliation with a healthy hydration product that will pamper your face and keep you glowing.
The effort you put into your cold-weather skincare routine surely pays off in the form of a healthy and beautiful complexion. With a little time and extra effort, skin is nourished and protected from the elements, and you can put your best face forward!
Can Microdermabrasion Ruin Your Skin?
Guest Post by Igor Marcikic
We`ve all heard of microdermabrasion, a mild, non-invasive method of removing dead skin cells found in the surface layer of the skin. It was introduced in Italy, almost 30 years ago. Today, it`s one of the most popular methods for dealing with acne, mild scarring and wrinkles, skin exfoliation and rejuvenation.
Can it ruin your skin? Not if it’s done properly. Microdermabrasion boosts skin circulation and helps rid skin of toxins and impurities. However, as with any procedure, there are dangers and hazards to be aware of.
Aluminum Oxide Crystals
Although this technology is outdated, you have to be aware, especially if you are looking for a machine for microdermabrasion at home. Some older machines use aluminum oxide crystals to blast the dead skin cells off your skin. Research shows that aluminum in personal care products is linked to Alzheimer`s disease, breast and prostate cancer.
These crystals can:
- Cause skin irritation and inflammation
- Scatter into your lashes, hair and ears, causing discomfort and possible health problems
- Irritate your eyes, causing corneal scratches and abrasions
- Cause the powder from the crystals to get into the lungs and lead to health problems, especially with asthma sufferers
The solution to this problem was found in the use of a new technology – diamond tip exfoliation without the use of crystals. It is less irritating and far more gentle on the skin so it can be used even on more sensitive areas.
So, before you schedule a microdermabrasion procedure (or order a machine for home usage), make sure they use a machine with a diamond tip!
Sensitive Skin
“Is microdermabrasion safe for sensitive skin?” Since sensitive skin often goes hand in hand with acne breakout, this question is incredibly difficult to answer. If your skin is already affected by severe acne inflammation, rosacea or if you spot broken capillaries, you should steer clear of this procedure.
Those with sensitive skin should get a professional do to the job properly with a diamond tip since it will allow better pressure control depending on the skin`s reaction. After the treatment, moisturize and hydrate your skin with pure non-toxic products since it will be very dry. The second treatment should be scheduled at least 2-3 weeks after the first one, to give your skin enough time to fully recover.
Microdermabrasion And Pregnancy
Pregnancy can be a challenging time, as far as the skin is concerned. You may be faced with new breakouts, rashes and all sorts of skin problems, but pregnancy is definitely not the best time for microdermabrasion.
The skin will be far too sensitive and the normal post-procedure changes (dryness, redness and itching) may greatly intensify. Not only that, your skin will take more time to recover, opening a doorway to various bacterial skin infections. I advise waiting until after the baby is born. Everyone, particularly expectant mothers, should avoid skincare products containing harmful chemicals.
Post-Procedure Problems
Redness and dryness is normal, to a certain degree, it usually feels like a mild sunburn. This usually goes away after two days. If they are still present after 48 hours, you should consult a medical professional. It is also advised not to expose treated skin to direct sunlight for a couple days.
At the end of the day, skin type and sensitivity vary from person to person, so there are no ultimate rules and regulations. Arm yourself with knowledge and always ask questions if there are some parts of the procedure you are not 100% on board with.
Igor Marcikic is a beauty & skincare writer, for more info & tips visit his blog, Skincare Panda.
