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When it comes to searching for beauty products, the first move I make is for the label. Having chemicals in my goods is no no and I avoid it at all costs. The earth has everything we need naturally to cure our beauty ailments so why look anywhere else? I’ve explored everything from lip balm, to nail polish and It’s taken me quite some time to curate the most killer collection of effective, cruelty free, environmentally conscious products, but it has been done!!! Here is my list of top fav natural beauty products.
Shampoo/Conditioner: Ohhhh, shampoo and conditioner. What a search it has been! I have had a myriad of issues with the early natural shampoos but over the years they have improved considerably. The experiments were not always fun, I had a lot of sticky, dirty and limp hair. But it was not in vain (pun intended?). As a result I have a few favorites I go between. You can’t beat Burt’s Bees Pomegranate Shampoo or conditioner. Currently I am using Avalon Organics Lavender conditioner with Burt’s Bees Pomegranate Shampoo. The combination seems to be a wonderful one for my hair and the environment.
Leave in conditioner: Leave in conditioners is something I have gone without for a longtime, until I discovered the amazing Weleda Rosemary Hair Oil. All natural, deep moisturizing and deliciously smelling, this product is a winner! I put it on as soon as I get out of the shower without combing my hair and it dries in the most ethereal wavy curl I have ever seen.
Face Wash: I’ve had great, but problematic skin my whole life, so it has taken me quite some time to figure this one out. It was around the time I moved to the LES that this miracle product was introduced to me and I haven’t looked back since. Dr. Alkaitis’ Organic Purifying Cleanser is packed with skin loving herbs, oils, vitamins, and leaves my skin clean, younger looking and more radiant than before!
Face Lotion: Wherever you live, whatever the season a good moisturizer is an essential part of any woman’s self-preservation ritual. I am a huge fan of grape seed oil. It’s around $5.00, totally natural and since it’s much lighter than jojoba oil it assimilates into the skin flawlessly. Grape seed oil is natures little secret delicate skin warrior; fighting acne, shrinking varicose veins, fending off premature wrinkling and containing more antioxidant power than vitamins c & e, it’s the little black dress of skincare. A must.
Wrinkle Cream: Wrinkles, wrinkles everywhere! Not with Burt’s Bees Naturally ageless night cream. The rich, lightly scented cream features pomegranate extract, white birch bark to restore firmness and para cress to help lessen the appearance of fine lines. I have used it nightly for years and have had nothing but amazing naturally age defying results. I will recommend using this product on selected areas such as eyes, lips and neck. It's quite rich and can cause irritation to sensitive skin on the cheeks, t zone and forehead for some.
Lip Gloss: Lip gloss brings back nightmares of goopy gloss streaks across my face after getting caught in the wind. With Burt’s Bees Natural Super Shiny Lip Gloss you definitely will have nothing short of a perfect pout. It glides on super smooth, leaves a beautiful tint to your lips and moisturizes for hours. My go to color for a night on the town or a walk to the corner store is Zesty Red. Ohhh la la!
Blush: The creator of Tarte Cosmetics Maureen Kelly is literally my hero! Starting Tarte Cosmetics in 1999 out of her New York apartment and bucking the big company trend of chemical ridden products she started a make up revolution. The companies Amazonian Clay 12-hour blush is packed with vitamins such as Vitamin C that is proven to fight free radicals, those pesky little buggers that cause wrinkles, prevent oxidative stress and premature signs of aging which results in healthier, brighter looking skin. Vitamin E which is a natural preservative that also acts as an anti-inflammatory emollient and protects against free radical damage. Cruelty, fragrance and chemical free this blush is amazing from the inside out. I only wear this brand of blush and have it in a variety of colors. Can't recommend supporting this company enough!
Body Cream: Body creams can get expensive and confusing. The simplest, richest unscented body cream I’ve uncovered is from the organic wonderland that is Wholefoods. The store’s signature line of goodies, “365”, offers a great moisturizing alternative to the paraben ridden products on the market.
Nail Polish: With most nail polish being made from toxic chemicals it left me wondering if I would ever find a nature friendly way to keep my finger nails primed and ready for the world. It took a little digging but I eventually found Priti NYC. Named after the flower they are made from they come in an incredible array of colors boasting favorites like Stemless Gentian, Sweet Sultan and Ginger Snap Orchid. The colors are illustrious, fun and sophisticated and the bottles they come in aren’t too shabby either.
Tooth Paste: Tooth paste is mucho importante! Bad oral health is linked to a myriad of diseases including heart disease! Scary. A great way to prevent dental problems is to brush and floss those teeth! However, using traditional toothpaste that totes saccharine amongst the long list of icky chemicals seems counter productive. So once again the search was on! I found Trader Joe’s Antiplaque Toothpaste with Fennel, Propolis & Myrrh- it’s fluoride free and gets into those pesky nooks and crannies to make sure your mouth is truly clean. The taste is great and the price will most definitely not break the bank.
Body Scrub: This scrub is my little secret…well, probably not but it feels like it! Trader Joes lavender scrub is 100% unbeatable. The smell is soothing, the oil conditioning, and the rich sea salt scrubs away all the terrible layers of winter skin to uncover fresh deeply moisturized luscious skin. I use it every time I shower, which is ok! The price is so affordable I don’t have to sit and fret about wasting it. Nope! I have flawless, flake free skin all year round thanks to this miracle scrub.
All Over Magic Worker: We have covered pretty much the entire body with all of the products listed above, but I saved the best for last. Egyptian Magic is the end all be all Holy Grail of skin cures. Brimming with royal jelly goodness, bursting with conditioning olive oil and the ninja like infection fighting abilities of bee propolis. I slather my hands, hair, neck, elbows and face in this constantly and love the results! It tames flyaway’s and keep cuts infection free. Jeez, talk about being a multi tasker. It’s an investment and well worth it.
By Candice Cooper
to quote My Fair Lady and Rex Harrison,
ReplyDelete"a woman should be more like a man"
and forget all that nonsense about makeup etc.
beauty comes from within, and emanates from the life spirit. After good hygiene, any skin schmier is
a waste of energy and money and buys into the feminine insecurity created and fueled by wealthy corporations.
anonymous, put a little conviction behind your quotes. if you type it you should stand by it. no? also, what fun is being a dude? none.
ReplyDeleteha. yea, rex harrison is definitely the right place to look for advice
ReplyDeleteabout feminine insecurity and the value of women. he knew exactly how
to treat a woman with respect. so much so that only 2 of his 6 wives,
lovers, and the women he cheated on his wives and lovers with,
committed suicide after being with him. also, my fair lady is the
quintessential story about how a little self improvement is never a
bad thing, no matter how perfect we think we are on the inside. and
i'm talking about the henry higgins character not eliza. she needed a boat load of improvement. not just some humility.