Okay, so the economy is bad.  And, yes, we have all had to make changes and/or sacrifices in the name of saving a buck.  But can this whole mess be put to good use?  Yes it can!  While you are already watching your spending closely, try keeping an eye on what you buy and not just how much it costs.

We can blame the big corporations for getting us into this economic mess and much of it may be deserved, but we the people are out there buying stuff up, so let’s make it count.  We are still a capitalist country and true to this is supply and demand.  We buy it, they keep making it.  If we buy cheaply made, toxic-laden products, that is what the big companies will make.  If we purchase nontoxic, safe products made with pure ingredients, the makers of these products will keep making them.  Not only that, but the producers of organic, wild-crafted and natural ingredients will have to make more of them which is not only good for us but for the planet as a whole.

Our disposable way of living is a big part of what has gotten us into trouble, so not all of this can be blamed on the big corporations.  They are simply providing what we have asked for.  As Joshua Onysko of Pangea Organics put it:

The great thing about this mess we are in is that it started with us; therefore, it can end with us. “How?” you ask. Well now is the time to raise our consumeristic conscientiousness. I’m sure many of you reading this are already on the path, but there’s no time for walking it: start jogging.

Tell the corporations what you want and how you want it. Trust me; they will start doing it right.

Joshua has it right.  Now is the time to make every cent count.

It is definitely time to get the sunscreen out, but with so many chemical and not-so-natural versions on the market it can be very difficult to choose one that is safe.  In the past natural sunscreen product manufacturers used zinc oxide to provide UV protection.  And though it is safe and effective, it leaves behind that ghostly white skin we all wish to avoid.  So the next scientific breakthrough was the use of nanotechnology, the creation of incredibly small particles — measured in nanometers (nm), or one-billionth of a meter. This took care of the white film, but recent evidence shows that these nanoparticles may pose risks to the environment.  Not a great trade-off.

Not to despair, there are some terrific sunscreen products on the market that are safe, effective, free from nanos and leave your skin, well – skin colored.  Vivesana is a new product line that presents major breakthroughs in organic sun care.  The products are free from harmful synthetic ingredients, nanoparticles and even water, providing a stronger sun product.

Vivesana (which means “live healthy” in Italian) products are at least 40 SPF, hypoallergenic, packaged in BPA-free containers and boast the highest organic content of any sun care products on the market.  Those at Vivesana take your health and sun protection very seriously.

The line includes three sun care products:

• Solar to Polar Ultra – Chock full of hydrating botanicals (jojoba and apricot) and powerful antioxidants (green tea and raspberry seed) this sunscreen provides 40 SPF and really stays put.  $29
• Solar to Polar Baby – SPF 42 to protect the most delicate skin Solar to Polar Baby is gentle and safe enough for little ones, but provides the strongest protection.  $32
• Dopo Elements – Dopo (meaning “after”) is for, you guessed it, after your day in the sun, water and dry air.  Jojoba, olive and avocado oils help to re-hydrate and nourish parched skin, while green tea extract gives it a healthy boost of antioxidants.  Coming soon.

Want to try Vivesana sun care products?  Use code orgbeauty&vive25 at www.vivesana.com and receive a 25% discount.

Image credit:  Vivesana

Aromatherapy is one truly beneficial indulgence most of us don’t make time for.  Afterall, you do have to know what you are doing, like which essential oils work  for what ailment, how to mix and use them and which to stay away from.  Essentials oils are very potent and it is not wise to throw caution to the wind when using them, as some are skin irritants and over doing it can be toxic.  That said, the right ones can go a long way toward good physical and mental health.

Nuworld Botanicals has come to our aromatherapy rescue with Aromatherapy Personals, little rollerball vials that combine aromatherapy and acupressure, along with health benefits of antioxidants, vitamins and 100% certified organic essential oils.  Nuworld Botanicals uses a base of 100% certified organic Jojoba oil to dilute the essential oils for safe use.

The perfectly stash-able roll-ons can be tossed in your purse, gym bag or desk drawer and with 11 scent combinations to choose from, can come to your aid for everything from anxiety relief and craving control to a sweet dreamy night’s sleep.  Simply massage the rollerball onto pulse points, like wrists, temples, insides of elbows and back of neck.

Energy Boost with its minty, eucalyptus scent is refreshing and perfect for your morning wakeup call or mid-afternoon slump.  Immune Boost smells fresh and clean and is packed with Tea Tree oil which is a powerful immune stimulant.  Perfect for the late spring cold season.

With all of the social happenings and end-of-school events that May brings, it can be stressful and hard to focus.  Mental Clarity is an earthy blast of basil, lemon and grapefruit to help with mental concentration.  Stress Relief helps to ease tension and boost your mood with citrus, bergamot and just a hint of patchouli.

Jet Lag Relief, with nutmeg, ginger, peppermint and clove, smells good enough to use even when you are feeling fine and nothing beats the pure scent of lavender in Anxiety Relief.

Choose the appropriate Aromatherapy Personals roll-on for what ails you, or simply pick you favorite scent combination.  The aroma is long lasting and nontoxic.

All eleven scents are mild and wearable, even for those with scent-issues, and the convenient size and borderline addictive nature of the little bottles make Aromatherapy Personals an easy and rewarding way to incorporate aromatherapy into your daily living. 

Image credit:  Nuworld Botanicals

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.

These are not the toxin-laden tanning lotions of our youth that left our bodies (and palms) orange and streaky.  The new crop of nontoxic tanning creams leave you with a natural glow, none of the streakiness, and can be used in place of your regular moisturizer.

Top Nontoxic Tanning Lotions for Your Summer Glow

• Lavera Sunless Tan – Self Tanning Lotion – A moisturizing lotion with a fresh, pleasant scent that provides a natural looking tan in just a couple of hours.  Super easy to use and the results never disappoint.  $26.00
• Sante Self-Tanning Lotion – Use this organic tanner to build a gradual tan, once for a lighter tan or several days in a row for a darker bronze.  $18.99
• Lavera FACES Summer Glow – Face Self-Tanner – For light hydration you can use in place of your warm weather moisturizer.  Gives a very natural glow to face, absolutely no streakiness and the tan lasts a few days.  Use every other day for consistent color.   $17.85
• Dr. Hauschka Translucent Bronze Concentrate – To even out skin tone and give skin a subtle glow mix with your usual moisturizer.  Suitable for all skin types and complexions.  $40.00

These nontoxic self-tanners use Dihydroxyaceton, or DHA (found in sugar beets or sugarcane) or minerals to provide natural looking color and are packed with vitamins and flower extracts to soothe and protect the skin.  A much healthier way to get your summer glow.

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.

Toners can refresh the skin and remove oils.  Those with oily or acne prone skin types find toners especially effective but they can be too harsh or drying for dry or sensitive skin.  If you do like to use a toner be sure to keep it simple and gentle.  Witch Hazel is a gentle yet effective toner for those with acne.

As for moisturizers, an oil and a nurturing lotion or cream (depending on your skin type) should be all you need.  Rosehip Oil is an excellent choice.  It helps prevent signs of aging and breakouts, soaks into skin easily and is suitable for all skin types.  Rosehip Oil can be used on clean skin at night alone or before your moisturizer.  A thicker, creamier moisturizer may be needed in the winter when the skin is at its driest.  You may wish to stick to your lighter moisturizer (along with the use of a facial oil) if your skin is very oily.  But be sure not to confuse skin that is prone to breakouts with skin that needs less moisture.  Often skin that is not receiving enough moisture will produce more oil, causing skin to breakout.

 Experts say it is best to use sunscreen all year round.  Be sure to use a mineral based sunscreen, like those made with zinc or titanium oxide.

And remember to exfoliate too.  When the skin is drier, and more fragile, we need to use a gentler exfoliant.  Plain organic yogurt is an amazing exfoliant and leaves skin bright and glowing.  Mix with olive or grape seed oil for added hydration.  Once or twice a week is plenty.

These simple skincare staples should carry you through winter beautifully.  All you need are a mineral foundation and blush and a nontoxic mascara and you will be ready to go most any day!

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. 

“It’s a well-known fact that vitamin A supplementation is very helpful for acne, and drinking green tea can prevent skin cancer. The opposite – that certain chemicals can trigger DNA changes in our skin – can be true for many artificial ingredients in food and cosmetics that we ingest daily,” says Julie.

Since most of us cannot afford to completely revamp our grocery spending, start by taking a look at your produce, meat and dairy.  The Environmental Working Group (EWG) lists which produce absorbs more toxins and are therefore most important to purchase organically grown.  Most conventionally produced meat and dairy products contain added hormones, so be sure to check the labels on these, as well.

What goes in shows up on your skin, so drink lots of pure water, eat a healthy mostly organic diet and use nontoxic skincare products.  It will show.

‘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. 

The best place to start is to shampoo less often and make sure the product you are using to cleanse your hair is safe and gentle.  Most conventional shampoos are made up of harsh detergents, petroleum-derived silicones and synthetic preservatives.  Other ingredients to avoid are sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, cocoamide diethanolamine (DEA) and ammonium laureth sulfate.

On to product usage.  If you are shampooing less frequently you won’t be needing styling products as often either.  When you do use them be sure the product moisturizes and nourishes, as well as provides hold for your style.  Ever notice how products claiming they will add volume to fine, limp hair often do the exact opposite?  This is because most of these products are filled with silicones that simply coat the hair, weighing it down and leaving it greasy-looking and lifeless.  If you are conditioning hair with the proper product you shouldn’t need much more product for styling.

Now, about those heated styling tools.  Blow dryers, curling irons and the super popular flat iron create breakage and dry the hair.  These should be used infrequently and on the lowest heat setting that will work for your hair.  There are other styling options.  If you have wavy hair add a light styling aid and try scrunching or twisting damp hair and let air dry.  The set is also making a comeback, as sited in the latest issue of Vogue magazine.  Simply set almost dry hair on rollers and allow to dry fully.  This is said to produce a full, smooth style without the use of heat, though you can’t do this version in a hurry.  If you must use your blow dryer or flat iron, do so on a limited basis and try to make it last another day or two (ponytails are an easy and stylish alternative).  The bonus to this plan is; precious minutes shed from your get-ready time most mornings and, even more importantly, healthier, more gorgeous locks.  You and your hair will be much happier.

Though nontoxic hair care has not come as far as safe organic skincare and body products in performance, there are those making great strides.  Listed below are some products to get you off to a good start:

• John Masters Organics Zinc & Sage Shampoo – Super gentle cleansing, leaves hair soft and shiny.
• John Masters Organics Citrus & Neroli Detangler – Can be used as a conditioner and a leave-in, leaving hair soft and manageable with light control.
• Hamadi Shea Hair Cream - The best for controlling frizz and enhancing curls and wave.
• Hamadi Shea Pomade  - For shorter styles, adds extra hold and texture.

The current economy is forcing most of us to cut spending anywhere we can. But it looks like we are still willing to fork over a little green when it comes to green cosmetics.

I have recently spoken with a few organic cosmetics retailers on this subject and was surprised to find out that sales have actually been up since Election Day. There are two schools of thought on why this may be.

People want to feel good, and nontoxic organic beauty products are an affordable way to obtain this optimistic state of mind. While most of us are watching our dollars very closely these days, a vacation or even a massage may be out of the question. But a new lip shimmer or deliciously scented body oil is something that we can allow ourselves. And when that product is also free from toxic ingredients, it not only glams us up on the outside but also makes us feel better about what we are doing for our health.

Ellen Holder of Caren believes their consistent growth in sales is due to a more natural response to healthier choices. “Most of [our customers] aren’t buying organic beauty products from us. They are buying skin care solutions. Period. Our sales keep growing because many of our customers, both men and women, have no other choice. Synthetic chemicals in other products, whether mainstream or the health food stores’ “green washed” line up, have failed them.”

This is good news not only for those who are using safe organic skincare and beauty products but for the larger picture, as well. Simply put, the more organic products purchased, the more organic ingredients needed, which is good for our communities and our earth. Our purchasing power at work!

Whether a small pleasure or an absolute necessity, it seems nontoxic skincare and beauty products are securing their place in the mainstream.