Gotta love it when this happens: You have an idea for a post and then you think… “That sounds like too much work!” and post about something else instead. Then you hop on over to your favorite wellness site and lo! They’ve done the work for you.
From Well+Good:
Spring is all about lightening up your makeup. Time to trash the heavy foundation, the lip lacquers, and that 4-year-old cream blush. Now, looks and products play to the “effortlessly dewy,” with springy palates, sheer coverage, illuminating shimmers, and trendy colors that (judiciously) pop.
We’ve culled from the crop of natural and organic cosmetics, and road-tested them for how the new brands and stalwarts wear—and for just how pretty they are on the inside, too.
Some of our favorites made the list! RMS Beauty, Kjaer Weis and Vapour Organic Beauty and Jane Iredale were on there—and so were some brands we haven’t tried!
You can see the rest of their 12 favorites are here.
Nick Kristof of the New York Times has been one of the most influential voices in the media when it comes to the dangers of endocrine disruptors. Last week he wrote again about the the science fiction that we are living with these chemicals.
The article is a great reminder of why we make such a big fuss around the presence of endocrine disruptors, and why we always advise people to avoid fragrance in their products. (Fragrances notoriously contain phthalates, part of this nasty club.)
Are you very aware of these chemicals in your day-to-day? Do you avoid them at all costs? I still eat many things out of a can (notably sardines) and am at a loss as to how to stop. Is is too much to ask that these chemicals just be banned, once and for all?
This month also happens to be Pregnancy Awareness Month, founded by author and lifestyle expert Anna Getty and producer Alisa Donner. Have you heard of this? It was created in 2008 with the intention of building a support community for mothers and expecting families, and to help educate them around health and wellness.
We should all know about endocrine disruptors, but fetuses are particularly vulnerable. I’ve pasted a few highlights from Kristof’s piece below in case you missed it, or if you’ve capped out on your New York Times articles for the month:
Endocrine disruptors are everywhere. They’re in thermal receipts that come out of gas pumps and A.T.M.’s. They’re in canned foods, cosmetics, plastics and food packaging. Test your blood or urine, and you’ll surely find them there, as well as in human breast milk and in cord blood of newborn babies.
Scientists have long known the tiniest variations in hormone levels influence fetal development. For example, a female twin is very slightly masculinized if the other twin is a male, because she is exposed to some of his hormones.
Now experts worry that endocrine disruptors have similar effects, acting as hormones and swamping the delicate balance for fetuses in particular. The latest initiative by scholars is a landmark 78-page analysis to be published next month in Endocrine Reviews, the leading publication in the field.
“For several well-studied endocrine disruptors, I think it is fair to say that we have enough data to conclude that these chemicals are not safe for human populations,” said Laura Vandenberg, a Tufts University developmental biologist who was the lead writer for the panel.
Need we say more?
Mais oui, according to a new study.
We told you a few weeks ago that thyme has been shown to be more effective than benzoyl peroxide—that skin-destroying ingredient that, in my opinion, totally doesn’t work if you’re over the age of 15. Many of you jumped with joy (which is to say posted comments about how awesome that is), and now we have even more interesting news: Rose essential oils can block the effects of stress on skin when inhaled—not applied topically.
This is the kind of research that gets me excited. As anyone with skin woes can tell you, the impulse to reach for a product to fix the problem is tough to beat. Unfortunately, as we’ve said many times, this doesn’t do much for you in a big-picture way. It’s the old “treating the symptoms, not the condition” thing. When it comes to just about everything, and especially our skin, this kind of spot treating (ha) does not work. Or if it does, it doesn’t work for long.
Rose has been shown—in a human and rat study—to significantly inhibit cortisol, the stress hormone that causes inflammation (which causes zits). It also blunted transepidermal water loss, which happens when your skin’s barrier function is compromised.
There are many ways you can put this into play in your life. Prevention.com has recipes for both thyme and rose skin solutions here.
Or you can seek out a potion that contains rose and huff the stuff when you’re stressed. Here’s some things that are worth knowing about aromatherapy:
1. Not all oils are created equal. The tidy rows of bottles you see lining the counter at health food stores? Not what you’re looking for. To work, essential oils need to be super-concentrated and carefully crafted, and when they are, they are incredibly powerful for your mind, body and your spirit. Many of these plants and flowers have incontrovertible evidence supporting their use to heal us, but you’re not going to get these benefits unless you’re working with high-quality oils. That means organic, wild crafted and, ideally, made in small batches.
2. You can use them anywhere, anytime. I basically always have aromatherapy and flower essences in my handbag, as anyone who’s been to a bar with me can attest. (I like dosing people whether they ask for it or, as with our friend Erika, violently protest.) I also keep some on my desk at work, which many a coworker has gotten in the habit of popping by to borrow. This makes me happy.
3. Understand that they can seriously affect your mood. This is important! Essential oils should not be used willy-nilly. The sleep potions I use, for instance, feel almost narcotic when I take them (looking at you Hope Gillerman and Essence of Vali). But investing in high-quality oils can be an amazingly effective (and completely drug-free) way to reduce stress, sleep better, and even look better.
Different ways to use them:
—Drip a few drops on a tissue and hold it to your nose taking 10 deep, meditative breaths.
—Put a few drops on your hand and rub them together, warming the oil and releasing the fragrance. Cup your hands over your nose and inhale as above. Remember that oils are super-concentrated, and can irritate or even burn the skin if you use too much. You may be better off skipping this approach altogether, though I’d be lying if I said this isn’t what I usually do.
—Put four or five drops in the bath for a sinus—and stress—clearing bath.
—Bring it with you in the shower and apply a few drops to your hands, rub them together and pretend you’re at a spa.
—Dab a few drops on the corner of your pillowcase at bedtime.
Have you ever tried rose essential oils?
Good morning everybody–meet Alex! She tries to steer clear of perfumes, and is a pro with body oils. Right now she’s diggin’ the Yes To line, but she’s also interested in finding other brands, too. Her routine is no-fuss, but fun. Read on!
Name: Alex (la feminine)
Age: 25
Current weather: Unseasonably warm and sunny
Hair: Shoulder length and choppy, contains some lingering blue-green tones from last fall’s impulsive Manic Panic dye job, but otherwise dark brown.
Skin: Not too bad- forehead & nose tend to be slightly on the oily, break-out-y side, cheeks tend to be dry. I get those annoying zitty-things on my upper arms, but my feet/legs/hands tend to be dry.
Favorite star or icon from the past: Louise Brooks- I haven’t actually ever seen her movies, but I love her style.
In the shower…
I usually shower about midday, but I work at home so it’s really “whenever I feel like it.” I start with Giovanni shampoo (which one varies, I like to mix it up) and either Giovanni or YesTo Carrots conditioner. Sometimes I do it backwards, for a change of pace (but I can’t say I’ve noticed a real difference.) I like both brands because they work very much like conventional brands while still being pretty clean- Giovanni even smells delicious without making my head spin (I can’t really tolerate most smells.) YesTo still has a bit of fragrance but it’s so mild I don’t notice it (their shampoo has sulfates though, so watch out for that.) I later up everywhere with a soft natural sponge and Dr. Bronners (I like Eucalyptus, it really clears the sinuses…but I’ve been trying the other varieties too, lately.) For shaving, I use Alba Botanica’s Unscented Very Emollient Cream Shave. Most days I just rinse my face off in the warm water, but every few days (or if I’m broken out or feeling grimy) I use Evan Healy’s Rose Cleansing Milk. Finish off with a pumice stone to the heels.
Outside the shower…
If I used the Cleansing Milk, I skip right to the moisturizing, otherwise I use a little Kiss My Face Antioxidant Toner (I also use it on those little arm bumpies, or sometimes Witch Hazel.) If I’m going to be outside much that day, I use YesTo Blueberries Age Refresh Daily Facial Moisturizer with SPF 30 (it’s made for older folks, but it was the only variety with no artificial fragrance- unfortunately it doesn’t absorb very well, probably because of the physical sunscreens. I will probably try another brand when this runs out.) If I’m not going to be outside much, I use Acure Chamomile + Carrot Day Cream, which is great. The rest of my routine is a little greasy, so I save it for nighttime: my all-over body oil is a homemade concoction that is about two thirds grapeseed oil, one third jojoba oil, and a dash of argan oil (grapeseed and argan are Aura Cacia, jojoba is Desert Essence.) About every other night I use pure argan oil on my face and sometimes my arms in hopes of cheering up the pores and stopping breakouts, though to be honest I haven’t noticed it being much better than my body-oil concoction (and it’s expensive and stinky) so once it runs out I might try something else. Immediately before bed, my feet and hands get shea buttered (either pure, or Nubian Heritage with Goat’s Milk and Chai.) I wash my hands a lot so throughout the day I use Weleda Skin Food on them periodically- it’s a little pricy but pretty amazing.
Finishing touches…
I wear make up very, very (like, VERY) rarely, so I haven’t switched all of it over to clean brands yet. The only things I use regularly are Gabriel Color concealor and YesTo Carrots Berry lip butter. I’ve been sort of moving away from the YesTo products but I do love this stuff- it’s mostly coconut oil and it works (and smells and tastes) great. The only “perfume” I can tolerate is a little bit of vanilla mixed with jojoba oil. I haven’t found a clean deodorant that satisfies my intense desire not to sweat yet, so I’m still using an unscented conventional super-toxic brand :-( If I’m just staying at home all day, though, I’ll often skip it. I jumped on the nailpolish bandwagon last summer and have amassed quite a collection- I usually go for Zoya or OPI or another 3 (or 4)-free brand, though even then I have to paint ‘em outside because of the reek. I use Bee Naturals cuticle and nail oil to keep them from drying out. No hair products, I’m a wash & go kind of gal (on the rare occasion that I color it, I try to veer towards the less damaging semi-permanent conditioner-based stuff. Unfortunately it’s really hard to find natural colors. Henna & indigo may be in my future.)
Anybody else thinking henna this summer?
Image via
Yep, Sunday is Mother’s Day which means it’s time show the moms some love. I’m looking forward to a girls weekend with my mother and sister-in-law, but since I wont be seeing my mom mom (or mummy, as she goes by), I want to get her something extra special.
Luckily I know exactly what that is. Last week when we launched on Open Sky I opted to cash in on the deal and finally get the Lotus Wei Infinite Love perfume. I knew it would be amazing—the mist is my favorite, and Siobhan told us all about the powers of the perfume.
And yet, nothing prepared me for just how much I would love it. I’m still loyal to my smoky Chaman’s Party, but this is a new obsession!
When I was home with the mist my mum fell for it hard too, so I know the perfume will be a hit. She was none too thrilled when I told her she had to give up her perfume—nor did she entirely—so I’m extra eager to have a superior and super-clean alternative.
What are you planning for your mom? Or better yet, if you’re a mom, what are you longing for? Hopefully there’s some batch beauty on the list!
We’re full of ideas over here. For one, there’s this book we hear is pretty good at helping people clean up their acts. And we know (from experience) that moms can be a little stuck in their ways!
Last holiday season I got my mum and sister Hope Gillerman’s stress remedy, and let me tell you, it’s a big crowd pleaser.
Chic brands like Kahina, Tata, Tammy and RMS are also perfect for glam moms (ours both happen to be beautiful, low-maintenance hippie-types). And as many of you know any package from NuboNau and Spirit Beauty make a woman feel like, well, a woman.
And we think that’s a pretty nice feeling, especially for those moms who often forget to pamper themselves. We know some of those.
The days are growing longer, and with summer weather comes one of my favorite ways to eat more veggies: salad! Sure, you may eat salad all year long, some greens playing sideshow to something warm and yummy. But when temperatures rise, and local veggies are in season, a great salad can become a show stealer.
If there’s one thing that kills me—and I’m sorry if this sounds snotty—it’s when someone pulls out a bottle of store-bought dressing. I get the convenience, but a delicious homemade salad dressing can be so easy that it feels wrong to douse fresh veggies with the often high-sodium and sugary processed stuff.
I also happen to consider salads my culinary strength. But I’m always looking for new tricks, so pleasepleaseplease share your favorite recipes in the comments!
In my humble opinion, the key to a great dressing is the right hit of salt—though trust, even if you salt yours heavily it won’t add up to the sodium found in the processed ones—and balancing the acid (vinegar, lemon, lime etc) with the fat (olive oil, vegenaise, mayo etc). I tend to enjoy a one-to-one, or one-and-a-half-to-one, fat to acid.
These four recipes are sooooo simple, and clearly a variation on a theme (one that always starts with olive oil), so you can totally play around and find the fat-to-acid ratio that most pleases you.
Simple Italian Classic
The recipe: 1 tablespoon olive oil, juice of a lemon, 1 crushed garlic clove, salt and pepper to taste
Use this on: Just about anything, from a simple green salad to a veggie-loaded, tomato, cucumber, artichoke heart, and chickpea bonanza. Add Italian parsley for extra freshness.
Creamy Vegan Cesear
The recipe: 1-2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp vegenaise, 1 tsp dijon, 1 tsp juice from capers (this counts as the salt), capers (if you like them), juice of 1/2 a juicy lemon
Use it on: Romaine or leafy greens, feel free to add parmesan, nutritional yeast, croutons, bacon or facon bits, and pretty much anything else you fancy.
Asian Inspiration
The recipe: 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar (get the light one for less sodium and sugar), chopped green onion (optional), pepper to taste
Use it on: Greens, raw kale, cucumbers. It’s also yummy with a touch of of tamari/soy sauce and a 1/2 tsp of roasted sesame oil.
Mexican Twist
The recipe: 1-2 tbsp olive oil, juice of 1 juicy lime, thinly sliced fresh jalapeno pepper, tsp red wine vinegar, crushed clove of garlic, chopped green onion, salt and pepper to taste
Use it on: The type of salad pictured above: cukes, tomatoes, greens, peppers if you like them, mushrooms same, and add some chopped cilantro if you’re not opposed to it.
Best Greek Ever
The recipe: Start with finely chopped red onions and let them sit in salted lemon juice of 1 juicy lemon, after 20 minutes add 1-2 tbs olive oil and pepper to taste
Use it on: Greek-style salad, greens or none, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives if you like them, and feta if you’re not vegan.
Meet lovely Luna. She has lived in both the US and China, and currently calls the latter home. She does an amazing job at keeping her beauty products green by bringing them over when she travels back to the US. Read on for her efficient but inventive routine…
Name: Luna
Age: 27
Current Weather: Beijing at its best! Warm, Spring breeze, Sunny
Hair: Black, straight, shoulder length – can’t hold a curl for longer than 10 minutes
Skin: Best defined as complicated: definitely combination, acne prone, dry on cheeks, oily around forehead and T-zones. Beijing water is very hard and the climate is dry which isn’t good for skin that is prone to breakouts since many moisturizers can clog my pores but not using any will leave my skin parched!
Favorite star/icon from the past: Anna May Wong
In China there isn’t a lot of focus on “clean” beauty products. There are some basic drug store staple brands like L’oreal and Nivea and their Chinese counterparts. On the other spectrum, the luxury skincare market is dominated by brands such as SKII, Lancome, Amorepacific, Clarins, and some Chinese ones like Yue-Sai. There’s really nothing in between and there are definitely no smaller, clean, indie labels like in the US. Sephora opened here a few years ago and some “cleaner” brands have started to trickle in such as Boscia and Ren. I grew up in the US and am now back in China working for a multinational corporation. I usually come to the US about three or four times a year for work and this is when I stock up on my beauty products. I would describe myself as loyal but adventurous – I have my “tried and true” products that I MUST restock every trip and then there are others I learn about through web research (such as your site!).
I usually start my day by just washing my face and doing my makeup, and save showering for night, so I will frame this as morning routine, makeup, night time.
Morning…
In the morning I usually just wash my face with lukewarm water. If I want to really clear my skin for a meeting at work, I will use a cleanser – my favorite is Intelligent Nutrients Anti-Aging Cleanser. It smells a little strong but it’s nothing I can’t handle. After that I use Dr.Alkaitis Organic Herbal Toner, followed by 100% Pure Argan Oil Hydration SPF 30 (which I learned about from your site!). This combination keeps my skin very balanced and prepared for whatever Beijing throws my way: pollution, smog, etc.
Makeup…
I’m not a huge makeup girl so it doesn’t take me very long in the morning to get ready. Since I don’t use that much product, I have no problem with spending more for high quality products. I use Suki tinted moisturizer and Vapour Organic Aura blush in Courtesan which really wakes up my face. I use Lancome mascara because I can’t find a natural one that doesn’t give me racoon eyes by noon. For lips I use either raw shea butter or Dr. Bronner’s Naked lip balms, the one without a scent. If I’m feeling like wearing color, I’ll rotate between any of the Kjaer Weis Lip Tints or Ilia Tinted Lip Conditioner colors I have.
Night…
Before the shower, I take my makeup off with sweet almond oil or jojoba depending on which one I have available and then I dry brush myself.
I try to take the quickest showers possible because the water is really not ideal. You can’t drink it straight from the tap so I don’t really like to marinate in it at night. I wash my face with Intelligent Nutrients Anti-Aging Cleanser and use Dr. Bronner’s baby liquid castile soap for my bits and that’s it. My showers are literally 3 minutes long and if I wash my hair that takes it to about 8 minutes. I only shampoo my hair once a week and I use Intelligent Nutrients Harmonic shampoo. No conditioner. No blow dryer. My hair is not high maintenance at all so I’m totally grateful for that.
Out of the shower…
I tone again with Dr. Alkaitis and then do a few drops of YULI Skincare’s M.E. Skin Fuel serum on my face which is light but still hydrating. I never do anything thick or creme-like at night because I feel like that hinders with my skin’s ability to renew and push out impurities overnight. If I’ve washed my hair than I rub a few drops of the Skin Fuel over my head and comb through.
That’s it!
Thanks, Luna! Is there anyone who has any experience with naturals in China or elsewhere in Asia? If so, maybe you can suggest some new local brands?
It’s Friday, woot! And we have a deal, wootwoot! But first, the week in quick review (it was kind of a big one!): We launched on Open Sky and Siobhan went to the party in New York; Juice Beauty and Alicia Silverstone partnered on a new clean line and Alexandra went to the party in LA; and Nick Kristof wrote this piece about hormone disruptors (more to come on that). Now cherry on the sundae, we have an amazing deal from one of our favorite sites: nos amis de NuboNau!
NuboNau is offering a super fun dealski: Order products from any of the five brands listed below, in any combination that pleases you, and receive 20% off all of them. That’s 20% off Juice Beauty, John Masters, Absolution, Living Nature, and Dr Hauschka!
Just add the items you would like to your basket, use the code NMDL and a 20% discount will be applied to the order value! You can also mix in non-offer items too—the discount will be still be applied to all brands featured.
Don’t forget to share: Which of these brands do you use, and what products do you love? We actually have favorites from all of them—we’ll share ours in the comments too!
Some added info from NuboNau:
You will also receive 5 loyalty points for every dollar you spend plus free shipping on orders over $95.00 (USA) and $150 (Canada) and a lovely sample set is included with every order! And and you can request FREE, gorgeous gift boxes and a handwritten card for Mothers Day, simply request it at the checkout.
And the deal runs all the way through May 11th!!
Have a wonderful Friday and a shiny, happy weekend everyone!
You know the ones. With bright colors and pictures of cucumbers, berries, carrots and tomatoes, Yes To is one of the more widely available natural(ish) brands on the market.
While we did mention this line in the book as a cleaner option at the drugstore, the presence of fragrance in certain of their products and a few other borderlines has kept us largely away. But we’re often asked about them. Are any of you Yes To users?
I noticed today that our trusted friends at Well+Good have a review up of their new acne lotion (you can read it here), and this ingredient list looks pretty good, so maybe this brand deserves a closer look.
While we love being able to endorse naturals that are less expensive and widely available, it just drives us right up a wall when brands are almost clean, or totally clean on some products and not on others. Feel me? It just makes it harder for the consumer. To boot, they don’t feature their full ingredients list on their site. Another major pet peeve!
What’s the big deal about fragrance? Well in case you’re new to the party, fragrance is a serious red flag for us because we never know what is used in these formulations.
The fragrance industry is protected under business friendly trade laws that allow them to keep their potions secret, favoring their bottom line over our health (rarara!).
Results from labs show time and again that fragrance formulations contain really sketchy ingredients, notably phthalates—those pesky hormone disruptors—among many others.
Anyhoo, have you had any experience with this brand? And if so, which are your favorite products?
That’s us! We’re among the new beauty insiders, repping naturals of course, on a popular curated site called OpenSky. Are you familiar with it?
OpenSky works with celebs—of the Padma Lakshmi and Martha Stewart variety, no less—and experts (the more “regular” folk like us), to offer vetted and loved products to its many members.
Every week we will feature new products that we love, and there’s usually some sort of limited-time discount or freebie with them. It’s a membership site, so if you want to support us in this new venture, you have to be a joiner! (Meaning, like, put in an email address and password.) No worries if you’re not, we won’t hold it against you.
But if you are, this is a special link that leads to a today-only presale—with free shipping.
We attended a launch party for it this morning in New York and met all kinds of lovely people. Even better? We got to gush about the stuff we talk about all the time over here, too. (But since it was all new people, we didn’t feel like a broken record. Heh.)
Here’s why we’re super excited about this new venture:
- It brings natural beauty to a whole new audience.
- We get to, as always, only recommend things that are truly clean and actually work
- It helps these companies grow!
- It means great deals on great products.
Oh, and our first featured products are, appropriately, from Lotus Wei. And everything we picked is on sale. Boom! Who’s in?
