Happy 4th of July everyone! I’m actually celebrating it in Canada—I know, not exactly patriotic, but very enjoyable nonetheless. How are you making the most of this midweek break? We have some ideas…

1. Don’t do any work.

Says the girl writing a blog post, I know. But really, when I moved stateside I discovered that the 4th is second only to Christmas and Thanksgiving in its holiday holiness. Everybody takes today off. So whether or not you have big plans for the day, we think you should do exactly what pleases you.

2. Turn off your phone…

And maybe your computer too (when you’re done reading this post). We’re big advocates of unplugging, and most of us don’t do it nearly as much as we should. So if you’re not coordinating today, give it a whirl. And if you need extra convincing, you can revisit this WHO report.

3. Check your veggie burgers.

Grassfed hamburgers were my gateway drug into eating meat again, but I know that we have many vegetarians in the audience who just won’t go there. Good thing veggie burgers taste so darn good, but don’t just grab any brand: You may recall a study from a few years ago revealing that many popular veggie burgers contained the neurotoxin hexane. Avoid that scary stuff by making your own burgers from scratch, or find out here which are safer than others.

4. Wear a good sunscreen.

Sunscreen continues to be a hotly debated issue here on the site. But one thing we can all agree upon: If you’re planning to spend a day cooking in the sun, you need the stuff. You can revisit some of our clean favorites here.

5. Don’t get too drunk…

But if you do, remember these natural hangover remedies tomorrow morning.

And groggy girls might also want to try the 100% Pure Coffee Bean Eye Cream deal we’ve got going (review forthcoming, but we love this stuff and so do a lot of you… and it’s a sweet $18).

P.S. We’re also still running NuboNau’s special Independence Day 4 for the 4th deal. So if you’re looking to pamper yourself this holiday, hit that.

Holy allergy season Batman.

I’ve never had allergies until this year, but before you think I’m on some random non-beauty tangent… I beg differ! Incessant sneezing, red eyes, and a runny nose are all very real beauty problems. Not to mention that allergies feel like crap!

Word is they’re getting worse with climate change—something about a longer growing season, more pollination and something something. To boot, according to this NPR piece, pollen got going even earlier this year in LA, which may explain why I’ve felt like I have a cold for two months. A cold that mysteriously appears and disappears over the course of the day.

Another reason more people are suffering from allergies? We’re too clean and our immune systems are suffering for it.

I’m pretty sure that’s not my problem though: As many of you know we’re big proponents of being a little dirty (and skipping the soap sometimes). Whatever the cause, everyone seems to be suffering. Which has got me thinking about possible natural remedies.

Some quick googling lead me to peppermint tea, face steaming, and reminders to wash your pets. Oh, and don’t smoke if you have allergies, you guys. Real remedy gold here.

The Neti Pot was also mentioned on NPR as a good natural way to combat the achoos. It’s a tiny little pot that let’s you poor water through your nasal passage, known more formally as nasal irrigation. This apparently clears our allergens, which sounds like an awesome plan.

I tried a Neti pot once in ashram in India. I know, I’m embarrassed for me too. Anyways, it felt super weird, but I’d totally do it if it works.

Have you tried the Neti Pot? Know of any other good natural allergy remedies?

A relaxed face is a pretty face, right? Sure, yeah. But that’s easier said than done for a lot of us.

It’s August—a time when people go to the beach, sleep in, and show up late to work—but if my horoscope is any indication (and it usually is), this is not going to be a quiet month for me. With that in mind, I thought it would be nice to share five of my 10 favorite ways to reduce stress naturally and healthily, and I really hope you guys share yours in the comments, too.

(I’ll do another five soon, but I’m too stressed to write them all out now.)

1. Breeeeeeeeeeathe. Blah, blah, blah—but it’s true. When you slow down your breath, your nervous system gets a signal that it’s OK to relax, which then tells the rest of your body to take it down a thousand. Then, as if by magic, your mind quiets down. We all know this is true, and I think it’s just one of those things we need to hear over and over again until it clicks and we start doing it when we need it most.

2. Use the quiet moments to plan for the, um, noisier one. I know I have a hectic month ahead of me, so I’ve been trying to take the calm periods after work and on the weekend to recharge my batteries so that when the sh*t hits the fan, as it inevitably will, I’m better able to deal (or duck, as the case may be). You probably all have different ways of doing this. For me lately it’s been spending time with people who make me feel good and who I love, meditating, hanging out in nature (even when that “nature” is a litter-strewn public park) and—eeks!—making collages. I’ve been making art! The nice thing about collages is at the end, you have a thing. You made it! With your hands! Very calming, somehow.

3. Use aromatherapy. Last week I had a wonderful session with Hope Gillerman (which I will write more about soon) and she taught me about her incredibly concentrated and wonderful line of organic aromatherapy. Her collection has been a cult hit for some time, and I was delighted to finally learn about it. I gravitated naturally to the stress remedy, which smelled nothing like the little janky bottle of lavender I keep by my bed at home. I have found her blends to be incredibly effective at taking the edge off. Alexandra and I also like Hope’s tension remedy, which we find less sedating than the stress one; perfect for when you need to focus on the go but you don’t want to lose your mind.

4. Also, use flower essences. Flower essences are going to have to get their own post, too, because they’re special and widely misunderstood, but the gist is: Certain flowers contain certain properties that, when grown organically and distilled by people who know what they’re doing, can impart certain qualities to the person who ingests them. What I find especially interesting about them is that they are working on root causes. Lavender is great when you’re actually freaking out, and I’ve been using Lotus Wei flower essences to target the deeper things that make peace of mind more challenging. I learned about this just a few weeks ago, when I had a wonderful lunch with Katie Hess of Lotus Wei and Lisa Reinhardt of Wei of Chocolate. Meeting women like this is what makes my job (“job”) worthwhile, no question. I especially like Pure Energy and Infinite Love in chocolate and mist and elixir form. You can go to their sites and see which ones might work best for you, too.

5. Be a little irresponsible (but don’t hurt anyone, and don’t get arrested). This one’s as important as the others, in my opinion. Yes, it’s great to be Buddha on the mountain when things are hard, but sometimes what you really need is to take life a little less seriously and have FUN. Maybe you could lie around in bed with a bodysuit on, a bottle of something brown, and some records? I don’t know. I just liked the picture. I look at it and I think, “That looks awesome.” And very, very relaxing.

What are your favorite ways to beat stress? And have you tried the ones listed here? Your answers will help us, too, so share!

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