Tube Your Lashes!

Every girl has stories about her first experiments with makeup. I remember a classmate in high school who was known for constantly adding layers to her mascara throughout the day. It was like she only had five eyelashes by the end of the day. She was a bit obsessed with it I think! When I met her my freshman year, I had never worn mascara. She took one look at my lashes and begged me to let her put a little on me. I agreed (to just one coat). I was a bit nervous, but one look in the mirror, seeing how my eyes just popped...I loved my new look. Now I just had to convince my mom!

Have dark circles under your eyes? Well, it might not be just lack of sleep. The pigment used in some mascaras can bleed and deposit right into your skin. Years ago, I heard that cosmetic companies use coal tar in mascara. Yuck! I started looking for a natural formula. I have since done some research and I cannot seem to get a clear answer. Is there tar in mascara? Some sources say that the tar myth is simply that, a myth. Others report differently. Well, I will have to continue in my research and report back to you later. For now, I will recommend a great product I've found that definitely does not contain coal tar, and does not run!

If you know me well, you know that I have been accused of wearing false lashes, on more than one occasion. It is a blessed genetic gift bestowed by my dad. Ah, but don't worry. The scales were evened out, as I also inherited his feet! With this burden of long lashes to bear, I am a bit picky about choosing a mascara. I have tried lots of different brands through the years, and when I went all-na-tu-ral with my makeup, the natural mascaras did not do much to impress me. They were okay, but just did not have the performance of some of the more popular brands. I've gone back and forth between different brands, trying to find one that looked great and didn't contain all the chemicals.

In my search for natural mascaras, I have found most of them just don't seem to have the stay power a girl is lookin' for! Now I am using blinc (formerly Kiss Me) mascara. This is such a cool product! You put the mascara on and it forms little tiny tubes around your lashes. To remove, you just use warm water and apply a little pressure. No makeup remover needed. No rubbing your eyes and no irritation.

What I love about this product is that it really stays put. While I don't purposely wear makeup for workouts, I sometimes exercise in the evening when makeup is already on from the day. I can be dripping with sweat and my mascara does not run. And the ultimate test for us ladies...a good cry-yes, it passed that test as well. I'm not talking about a few tears here either. I have had a total sobbing fit and this mascara stayed in tact.

But when it comes time to take it off? Piece of cake. Just use warm water, apply a little pressure and the tubes come off. It is a little strange at first...almost looks like you are pulling your lashes out. Oh, and best of all, I never get those yucky glops of mascara sleep gunk in the corner of my eyes. Ladies, you know what I'm talking about!

Okay, so I wish I could say that this product is absolutely natural. It does NOT contain tar, but it does have a couple ingredients that are on my no-no list. Despite this, I am giving it a pass, because once this mascara dries, it is DRY, and the product does not continuously get deposited into your skin. The mascara is a little tricky to work with at first. If you are picky like me, you want your lashes to look just so. When using blinc mascara, just have your eyelash comb ready to go to get the look you want. If you want to apply more than one coat, it needs to be done before it dries, not after. When it dries, it is set. While the packaging says it does not flake, I have had a tiny flake here and there (very tiny) during hot and humid weather. But this is by far, the best performing mascara I have tried.

Although this is a healthy-living blog, this post was more about sharing a favorite exception to the rule. While I live my life looking for the healthiest products out there, once in a while I find a happy compromise, and this is the case with blinc mascara.

So, here's to fabulous lashes!

I Use Lace on My Face!

When it comes to your skincare regimen, skip the scrub and grab the lace. Lace For The Face, that is! What is it and how do you use it? It is a beautiful little terrycloth washcloth with a lace overlay that is used for daily cleansing with your facewash. It is dermatologist recommended, suitable for sensitive skin, and hypoallergenic.

I bought my Lace For The Face recently at my local health food store and I LOVE it! I use it every other day (though it can be used every day) to exfoliate my skin. It gently sloughs away dead skin, while lifting dirt, bacteria and dead skin cells out of your pours. My skin feels silky smooth and my pours are visibly smaller.

Lace For The Face can be used on your entire body. No need to buy expensive scrubbing products. Use it on your entire body to help with rough skin, sun damage, ingrown hairs, and blemishes. The packaging actually states that you can use it to "spot treat" pimples. Oh how I wish that I no longer dealt with the occasional zit, but I still break out at least...um, once a month. I recently tried using it on my blemish, and it worked. Unlike popping pimples, which is bad for the skin, applying a little bit of pressure with this exfoliating cloth can safely open it up!

I'm done with scrubs. Its just Lace for my face! Find this natural microdermabrasion cloth at your local health food store or go to http://www.lacefortheface.com/.

Package warning: If you have had painful, bleeding, scaring acne, or any other serious or painful skin condition, consult your dermatologist prior to use of any microdermabrasion product. Do not use around eye area."

Here's to beautiful skin, and here's to your health!

Quick Beauty Tip

I like my skin to have a nice, healthy glow, but I never want it to look oily or "shiny". Every lady knows that restrooms are not just a place of rest. Women congregate in the ladies' room to check out their hair, reapply their lipgloss...and essentially, to "powder their noses".

A while back, cosmetic companies came out with blotting tissues, little mini tissues to absorb excess oil on the skin. A lot of companies make them, but here is a little trick I discovered several years ago while at my chiropractor's office. Many of you may already know this, but here it is just in case you haven't heard this one.

The chiropractor was just finishing up with me. I sat up from my face-down position on the table and realized that the sanitary paper on the table had an oily imprint of my face in it. A few days later, while in a public restroom, I noted that the toilet seat covers were made of this same paper. Aha! You know where I am going with this...blotting paper. FREE blotting paper!

Next time you are in a restroom, give it a try. It works! Some may be too germaphobic for this one..but I thought I'd share it anyway. Of course, it is best to avoid the first few papers toward the front of the stack! So there you have it, a quick and frugal beauty tip for the week.

I still like to keep blotting tissues readily available in my purse. When choosing a brand, be sure to check the ingredients before you buy. Stay away from those with added chemicals or talc. The most absorbant ones I have tried are Clinique's pore minimizer oil-blotting sheets. I was pleasantly surprised recently when I tried them. There are no added chemicals, they are very absorbant, and they don't leave any powdery residue. Plus, they are a bit more convenient than running to the nearest powder room!

Interesting fact:

The term powder room dates back to the early 18th century, when it was used to refer to a closet-sized room where people went to have their wigs repowdered. The expression carried through to Victorian times, when any reference to personal bodily functions was considered indelicate. Ladies of the era were embarrassed to speak of such things and would excuse themselves from mixed company to go to “powder their noses.” In fact, many women still use refer to a public ladies’ room as a powder room. (found on http://www.wisegeek.com/)

The Facts on SLS

There has been a lot of talk about dangerous chemicals in our every day products. I have made note of several here on this blog. One of these ingredients is Sodium Laureth Sulfate (also Sodium Lauryl Sulfate). I put it on my list of ingredients to avoid, but I have to say that I wondered about this one. A lot of the natural products I used in the past contained this ingredient and listed the source as "Coconut Derived".

So what is the deal with SLS anyway? Well, it seems that there has been a lot of widespread misinformation out there about this particular ingredient. As a result, many companies who have been using small percentages of coconut-derived SLS have reformulated their products. Have they done this because it is SO dangerous? Not so much. All the hype about SLS has proven to be a distraction, thus hindering sales for some very wonderful, natural companies.

Read what Dr. Andy Weil has to say about it here. I am officially taking naturally-derived, coconut-based SLS off my list of things to avoid at all cost. Of course, if I don't know the source, I absolutely avoid it. There are some very dangerous chemicals in products to be concerned about, like Triclosan and benzalkonium chloride to name only a couple. Remember to reference the Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database if there is an ingredient you want more information about. Get the facts. Know what's in your products. Here's to your health!

Go Ahead-Go Bare!

Here in Hawaii, we spend the majority of our time barefoot. Sure we wear sandals quite a bit, but no one wears shoes in the house. It is customary to take off one's shoes before entering a person's home. Walk up to any front door and you will see a pile of shoes waiting to be retrieved. Of course, we do wear shoes sometimes. When we're not at the pool or the beach, our favorite pair of flip-flops walk several miles. With the moisture level here, our skin rarely gets dry, but all that time sans shoes can leave the heels of our feet dry and cracked. What is a girl to do?

The pastor's wife at our church recently gave a useful tip at a women's potluck. She learned it from a friend and passed it along to us. That's just how we ladies do it! We like to chat, so when we get a great tip, we gladly share it. That is afterall, what this blog is all about. So here's a quick beauty tip for the day:

Silky Smooth Feet Recipe

1. Take a pumice stone and gently exfoliate the bottoms of feet in the shower or tub.

2. Apply pure Vitamin E oil to the bottoms of feet. Be especially liberal with the heels.

3. Put on a pair of your favorite socks and leave them on overnight.

That's it! Your done. Do this often and watch as your dry, cracked heels become soft and smooth again! You can pick up Vitamin E oil at a drug store or your favorite health food store. Here's to happy feet!

Be Kind To Tender Tushies!

Our daughter has been potty-trained for over a year now...phew! I don't miss the frequent diaper changes, but they are not far from my memory. Let's face it. Poopey diapers are quite a mess. When I became a mommy, I did my research on baby products, wanting only the best for our little one. When I read the ingredients in the most popular brands of baby wipes, I was disappointed to find so many added chemicals.

I have tried several natural brands of wipes over the past few years, but my favorite are Whole Food's brand 365. They are natural, very emollient, and the least expensive I've found. They are hypo-allergenic, unscented, and whitened without chlorine bleach. While others seem to dry out a while after opening, 365 wipes are "sudsy". They really get the job done. We still use baby wipes for cleaning a little tushie in the morning after being in a night-time diaper. We also have them handy in the car. You never know when you might need one for a quick sticky-finger clean up!

For little ones who have graduated to the potty (and for anyone else with a sensitive tush), I recommend Tender Care flushable wipes. They are soft and gentle, and unlike other flushable wipes, they do not contain harsh chemicals. Alcohol-Free, hypoallergenic, with Vitamin E & Aloe, they are the only natural, flushable wipes I have found. Having these handy made my little one's transition out of diapers a little eaier on both of us! My only complaint would be that they are a bit small. These might be a good thing to bring on camping trips or other outdoor excursions. I have yet to find these here in Hawaii, so I stock up when on the mainland, at either Whole Foods or Mother's Market-a wonderful chain of natural stores in sunny Orange County, California.

Here's to cute little happy heinies!

Pure, Natural, Beautiful Skin!

I have been using mineral makeup for a while now and I am excited to see such a buzz about it these days. Suddenly every brand out there has a mineral line of cosmetics. But, not all mineral makeup is created equal. Some products still contain parabens and other chemicals. I have tried several different brands, including the more popular Sheer Cover (also called Bare Minerals and Bare Escentuals) seen on late-night infomercials. I liked the product, but was curious about one ingredient in particular-bismuth oxychloride. So I googled it and found that it is a naturally occuring element, but some companies use a synthetic form of it, which goes through various chemical processes during production. It can be a skin irritant in some people, causing itchiness and other symptoms. Well, that explained the itchiness I had been feeling on my skin!

I started shopping around online and found two great mineral lines that make very pure and natural, beautiful makeup. Both companies offer inexpensive samples, allowing me to try different shades to find the right one for me. I love mineral makeup because it is light and weightless, blends nicely into any skin type, and it reflects light which minimizes fine lines and wrinkles. It offers a natural SPF with titanium dioxide, and with it's nurishing minerals, it can actually improve our skin! "Matching" our skin perfectly just isn't possible, and our skintones may vary throughout the seasons of the year. But I find that with mineral makeup, I can easily adjust my shade by mixing colors together-and I have total control over the amount of coverage I want by using different brushes.

My favorite brand is Alima Pure. It comes in simply beautfiul packaging, the company uses recycled materials for shipping, and they always throw in extra samples! I especially love their eyeshadows. I bought sample sizes of several colors months ago and I have yet to run out...a little goes a long way. My favorite shadows are Amethyst, Plum, and Zen. Alima Pure makes the most gorgeous eyeshadows I have ever tried!

Another brand I like is Sheer Miracle. Their website and packaging are not very glamorous, but they offer beautiful, pure makeup. I really like their foundation. Their colors are a very similar match to the popular Bare Escentuals, without the bismuth oxichloride. I use "Medium Light Neutral", a great blend for light skin with both pink and golden undertones.

Here's to playing with makeup and here's to a healthy, gorgeous you!

Do You Clean Well?

"Lavese sus manos!"-Wash your hands. We see the signs in public restrooms, we hear about germs and preventing illnesses from our doctors, read about it in magazines, and hear about it on the news. Antibacterial soaps and instant sanitizers have been pushed by the health industry and rightfully so. We do need to wash our hands. BUT what are the common ingredients found in antibacterial soaps...and are they safe?

Most antibacterial soaps include dangerous chemicals like Triclosan-a chemical that resembles a pesticide, Benzalkonium Chloride, and others. Search "antibacterial chemicals" on the Skin Deep Cosmetics Data Base for a more detailed list.

For awhile I avoided these strong chemicals by simply adding a few drops of naturally antibacterial essential oils to my favorite natural soap. But I couldn't take my soap to go, and those instant sanitizing gels left my skin feeling dry and smelling medicinal. Now that I am a mommy, I of course, want the best for my little one. I was thrilled one day to find an all-natural, alcohol-free hand sanitizer, in a convenient spray form, that smells great, won't dry out your hands, and most importantly, does not contain any dangerous chemicals.

As if it isn't enough of a job keeping our little ones safe and healthy, worrying about yucky chemicals in the products we use to keep the germs away should not be part of the deal. Clean Well antibacterial sprays and soaps are safe and have been proven to kill 99.99% of germs. I wouldn't consider myself a germaphobe, but since our little one just happens to be a finger sucker, we have to constantly clean her hands. This spray is great because I can quickly sanitize hands, wash a boo-boo without causing a sting, or even give toys a quick cleaning. I keep one of the little sprays in my purse, my car, the stroller, etc. I keep a larger spray at hand in the kitchen and bathroom...convenient germ busting when my daughter is just too busy to be bothered with washing her hands in the sink!

We were at the pediatrician's office the other day, and I pulled out my handy little spray to clean my daughter's hands after she'd played with some toys. The nurses were so excited about an alcohol-free sanitizer. The doctor was most impressed with the chemical-free part. Everywhere I go I have a Clean Well spray, and everywhere I go, people ask me about it. I cannot say enough good things about this product. It is one that I just can't do without!

Order Clean Well products on their official site or buy at Target, health food stores or Amazon. By now you know that I am a fan of the spray, but I also LOVE their Orange Vanilla foaming hand soap. It smells like a dreamsicle! Yummy. Here's to keeping clean and doing it naturally!

(just in case you need specific directions-Ha Ha!)

Click this link for more information on how Clean Well got started:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLNpRDQ

More Than Skin Deep

A good friend recently asked me to blog about cosmetics and since I have been wanting to for some time, I am happy to oblige. When I first started making changes to what I was putting in my body, I didn't think much about what I was putting on my body...and then I met a very organic-focused esthetician while attending massage school, who helped me understand this simple truth-if it's on your body, it's in your body.

Our skin is the largest organ in our bodies and it absorbs everything like a sponge. We are all familiar with the fact that doctors are prescribing "patch" medications-from birth control to smoking cessation. This is proof that what we put on our skin is absorbed into the bloodstream. For years I used popular department store cosmetics, like Mac and others. In college I had a strange infection on my eyelid skin. It was so raw and irritated that I could not wear makeup at all for weeks. I asked my doctor about it and she said it looked like I was allergic to red dye #5, which is often found in eye shadows, especially mauves and plums...my favorite colors. Darn!

Fast forward a few years and I am still using the same cosmetics but avoiding the purple hues. Along comes this esthetician friend who educates me about the ingredients found in many cosmetic lines...I was appalled and a little grossed out. You may not be aware, but there are alarming amounts of petroleum and other dangerous chemicals in many personal care products. I decided this part of my health-conversion was not going to be gradual. I bought some makeup recommended by my friend and immediately went home and trashed everything in my cosmetics bag. A little rash? (Okay, no pun intended, but given my past eye infection I now understood that my body was rejecting a very foreign substance).

I have been using natural makeup for several years now (including beautiful plum eye shadows!) and I have experimented like crazy and been an obsessive ingredient reader. Natural makeup has come a long way. I have tried some great...and not so great products. I would love to give you all my favs in one post, but that would impossible as a mommy of a three-year-old. So each week I will feature some of my favorite skincare and cosmetic products.

First, it is important to know what is in our personal care products. Since the FDA does not regulate these products here in the USA, reading the labels with a little scrutiny is required. Here are just a few of the ingredients we should avoid...good luck pronouncing most of them!

1. Phthatales, di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) and di(2-ehtylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP)
2. Parabens or alkyl-p-hydroxybenzoates (methyl, propyl, butyl, and ethyl)
3. Lauryl sulfate(SLS), Sodium laureth sulfate(SLES)
4. Dissodium EDTA
5. Dimethicone
6. Formaldehydes or Diazolidinyl urea, 3-diol Imidazolidinyl urea, DMDM Hydantoin , Quaternium-15, Nitropropane-1, Formalin , Methanal , Methyl aldehyde, Methylene oxide, Morbicid acid, Oxymethylene
7. Amines-Diethanolamine (DEA), triethanolamine (TEA), amonoethanolamine (MEA)
8. Propylene / Butylene Glycol (PG)

This list may seem daunting to remember, but don't worry...I will be posting lots of great products sans the harsh chemicals. In the mean time you can do a little research of your own if you'd like. There is a great site that gives products a safety rating, defines their scientific ingredients, and lists the potential risks. I checked it out recently and I was impressed with the amount of info I got. To learn more about ingredients or to search a particular product, use Skin Deep Safe Cosmetic Data Base.

Here's to beautifully healthy skin and a healthy you!