By Liz Thompson on April 24th, 2009
It seems everyone these days is coming out with their own “natural” or “organic” beauty line. But are they truly what they claim to be? After all, when a well known company says their stuff is good for you most folks believe them.
Take Victoria’s Secret, for instance, who recently came out with Pink, their new body care line touted as “organic, natural and vegan”. Since no ingredients were listed anywhere, I set out to do a little investigating.
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By Liz Thompson on April 16th, 2009
Fresh air and sunshine (and the vitamin D it provides) are good for you. But too much sun exposure can have adverse effects on the health of your skin. Premature aging, dryness, sun spots and even skin cancer can result. But this time of year we are all itching for a bit of summer glow.
The chic and safe way to sun these days isn’t the natural way. In this case, fake is better. So, rather than laying in the sun or going to the tanning bed to get your bronze on, check out the safe, nontoxic tanning creams on the market.
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By Liz Thompson on March 20th, 2009
Though we were sad to see Plenty Magazine (and website, too) come to an end, there is good news. The Mother Nature Network (MNN) is stepping up to the plate, glad to welcome all PlentyMag.com viewers to their site. Plenty’s existing content is being merged with MNN’s information and visitors to the Plenty site will be redirected to MNN.com. Plenty reached all of their subscribers last week, notifying them to stay tuned to MNN for up to date coverage in the world of green.
MNN, a new environmental site founded by Rolling Stones keyboardist (and tree farmer) Chuck Leavell, offers up big servings of green info on everything from climate matters to beauty & fashion and the latest happenings in Ecollywood.
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By Liz Thompson on February 6th, 2009
As adults we know what is good for us. And, of course, our job as parents is to look after our kids; teach them manners and respect, make sure they get enough exercise, eat a healthy diet. But do we take as much notice of which personal care products they are using?
A study done by The Environmental Working Group (EWG) in 2008 on adolescent exposure to chemicals in cosmetics and personal care products revealed some alarming statistics. In 20 teen girls aged 14-19 16 chemicals from four chemical families were detected. These chemicals – phthalates, triclosan, parabens, and musks – are linked to potential health concerns, including hormone disruption and cancer.
Most everyone by now has heard of parabens (widely used synthetic preservatives) and the harmful effects they can have on our health, including links to breast cancer. This study by the EWG is the first to expose statistics for parabens in teens. And the results are disturbing, with two types of parabens detected in each girl tested.
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By Liz Thompson on January 14th, 2009
Advocates for safety in cosmetics have long been hoping for some good news on the regulation of cosmetics by the U.S. government. With standards in the U.S. being very loose and under regulated as compared to those of the European Union, it is about time someone step up and take a stand against all of the harmful ingredients being thrown into our cosmetics and personal care products.
Well, it looks as if Barack Obama may do just that. Cosmetics giants are sweating through their aluminum-based antiperspirants at the news of possible reforms to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which gives the EPA authority to regulate certain chemicals. As of now, the cosmetics industry is excluded from the act, but changes in the law could require increased testing and reporting of chemicals used in personal care products. (more…)
By Liz Thompson on January 5th, 2009
With the arrival of the New Year, we are in the mood to organize and clear out the clutter in our homes, offices and closets. The same needs to happen for your beauty regimen.
Most of us have way too many products in our bathroom cupboard and probably use too many of them in any given day. For freshness and effectiveness, the less you have on hand at one time, the better.
There is something very liberating about paring down on your beauty routine. In our busy, hectic days it seems we need to let go here and there, and if you can shed a few minutes off of your get-ready-time in the morning you are off to a great start.
You really only need a handful of good beauty products to keep your skin happy and healthy, starting with a good cleanser. You may need to switch to a more moisturizing cleanser in colder months, like a milk or cream cleanser. The lowest cost and most effective cleanser for dry skin is an oil. Only a small amount is needed to remove makeup, dirt and impurities and if you are especially in need of more moisture, simply forgo any toner. (more…)
By Liz Thompson on December 18th, 2008
Just when you want to look your best; dark circles, a sallow complexion and puffiness strike. It is easy to get run down this time of year, with too much of a good thing everywhere you turn. Lack of sleep and a little bit of stress don’t help things out either. And all of this takes a toll on your skin.
By taking a few extra minutes each day to pamper your skin, plus sticking with a decent exercise routine and healthy diet whenever possible, you can get your radiance back in no time.
A healthy diet is essential in keeping you and your skin in top shape. Eating organic as much as possible will help to limit your exposure to toxins and ward off acne and dryness. Flax and fish oil capsules are not only good for cardiac health but are high in fatty acids that help to keep the skin moisturized. Antioxidants fight free radicals, which cause premature aging, and can be found in green tea, pomegranate seeds and berries. And be sure to up your water intake. (more…)
By Liz Thompson on December 10th, 2008
Purchasing and using nontoxic skincare and personal care products is of the utmost importance for our health. Our skin is our largest organ and absorbs approximately 60% of what we put on it, and if that is harmful chemical/synthetic ingredients….you get the general idea.
While healthy skincare products equals better health overall, how much does it affect our appearance? After all, we all like to look good and spend a fair sum on products that we feel help us achieve this goal. But we need to take a look at the bigger (and, yes, slightly more scientific) picture.
Our toxic body burden lends a huge hand in the premature aging of our skin, more so even than sun, stress or gravity. “No matter how many anti-wrinkle serums you rub into your face, your body is crippling under the weight of the industrial toxins that have entered our food, air and personal care products in the last fifty year,” says Julie Gabriel, Registered Holistic Nutritionist, in her new book, The Green Beauty Guide. (more…)
By Liz Thompson on December 4th, 2008
‘Tis the season to be jolly! So, why does your hair so often act like Scrooge himself this time of year? Drier climates and indoor heating do not help, but more frequent going out, thus more styling, could also be to blame.
Our hair, though seemingly resilient and elastic, is fragile and should be handled with care. Frequent washing, blow drying and styling with drying products and heated tools can take a massive toll on locks and leave you looking more glum than glam.
Adding more moisture to the hair can help to keep static and flyaways in check, but since the outside of the hair strand itself is actually made up of dead layers, this will not help in the long term. Moisturizing the scalp and stimulating hair growth is what will make your hair shinier, more manageable and healthier. (more…)
By Liz Thompson on November 20th, 2008
Well, we all know that we don’t want to give our kids another pile of plastic for Christmas this year, but be careful with those stocking stuffers too. Little girls love lip gloss, lotion and bath gel, and with every teen superstar fronting a beauty brand, who could blame them. They can wear Hannah Montana lip gloss and Gabriella body glitter. But how harmful are these seemingly innocent products?
Most of these mass produced glamour girl products are made as cheaply as possible, which means petrolatum. That’s right, the ubiquitous petroleum so many cosmetics manufacturers love so well. Petrolatum is a known human carcinogen and should not even be a choice for manufacturers but, unfortunately still is at this time. Products containing this harmful ingredient often list Mineral Oil on the label.
Let’s move on to color. Those tantalizing shades of hot pink and grapey purple that no little girl can resist, especially when they are loaded with synthetic glitter, are as un-natural as their color. D&C RED, FD&C YELLOW AND FD&C BLUE are developmental and reproductive toxins, as well as neurotoxins and harmful to our organ system, as stated by The Environmental Working Group Skin Deep Database.
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