But what I love most about this mask is that it leaves my skin is super bright and smooth as soon as I wash it off. It also has some subtle exfoliation properties, which I suspect is what helps create the glow-y effect that I’ve come to depend on. It’s also weirdly fun to use – it initially comes out like any other lotion but as soon as you rub it around your face and neck, it instantly turns into a foam. Two minutes and a quick rinse later, you’re good to go. No muss, no fuss.

My only criticism? While the label proudly proclaims that the entire M-61 Skincare line is paraben, sulfate, phthalate and synthetic fragrance / dye free, I wish it was a bit more forthcoming about all the ingredients. I went to their website, hoping to find a full ingredient list for this specific product but alas, could not find it. Skincare companies – please be more transparent about your ingredients, it will make my job much, much easier! Despite this oversight, I’m pretty intrigued by the philosophy behind the M-61 skincare line. Started by Bluemercury’s co-founders, Marla and Barry Beck, M-61 seeks to marry the best of holistic beauty with science. While I have yet to try most of the product line, I think it’s fair to say that they’re definitely on the right path with this mask.

Full disclosure: this product was sent to me by M-61 Skincare for review. However, I definitely plan on repurchasing this when I run out! Available on M-61 Skincare.

Speaking of my wonderful readers, someone recently suggested that I share my weekly grocery list, which I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of myself. I love grocery shopping! I’m very, very fortunate to live a few blocks away from an amazing grocery store called Westerly Natural Market. It’s tiny and cramped but has the most wonderful selection of organic foods and natural care products. Best of all, the same items are usually cheaper than Whole Foods. Speaking of WF, I also live across the street from one, so I’m very partial to stopping in there for my precious kombucha and eggs (I’m surprised to say that I haven’t seen GT’s Kombucha cheaper anywhere else).

When it comes to my proteins, I generally buy from the  local farmers’ market or order online.  Since I eat so much animal protein, I insist on buying the highest quality I can afford. I’m a firm believer in the slightly updated adage: You are what you eat ate. For seafood, I love Vital Choice and for meat, I prefer US Wellness Meats. If I had to pick between organic produce or wild fish / grass-fed meat, the latter would win every time. You will also find that overall, I spend a lot of money on food and groceries, which I’m fine with because I barely shop. I’d rather sacrifice unnecessary clothing or shoe purchases to make sure I’m putting the best food and drink I can afford into my body. Of course in a perfect world I wouldn’t have to make that choice but it is what it is.

This is a sample of my weekly grocery list. Obviously this changes from week to week, this week in particular is a little ambitious as I’m not only cooking dinners but also making a daily green juice. And as a side note –  I don’t need to buy staples like coconut oil and supplements that often so it’s not included here. Otherwise I think this is a good representation of how I shop for myself. Enjoy!

1. Fjallraven Kanken Mini – This is an amazingly lightweight backpack, making it the perfect bag to carry your hiking necessities without weighing you down. And best of all, it comes in a ton of fun colors to coordinate with any hiking outfit. It’s also super durable so you don’t have to feel like babying it when you’re out and about.

2. Badger Anti-Bug Spray - There are some people who just attract mosquitoes no matter what. I’m one of them. Because of that, it is absolutely imperative that I use a strong anti-bug spray. Of course I don’t want to avoid bugs by dousing myself in chemicals and DEET. I’ve tried them all and I think this is a great natural alternative that is filled with ingredients like castor oil and essential oils like cedar, citronella and rosemary.

3. The Honest Company SPF 30 Sunscreen – This one is obvious. I’ve only mentioned this sunscreen about eight thousand times. Please use a (chemical free) sunscreen unless you’re one of those people interested in wrinkles and sun spots. (no one)

4. La Vanila SPF 30 Healthy Lip Screen – People always seem to forget about their lips when it comes to sun exposure. Having a built in sunscreen with your lip balm makes it so much easier to protect your lips. As a warning, this lip balm is on the thicker side so make sure you rub it in really well!

5. Go Hunza Take a Hike trail mix - This appropriately named snack is my favorite trail mix ever. Filled with amazing superfoods like mulberries, cacao nibs and goji berries, it is the perfect source of clean energy for a long hike. It’s also super delicious so you’ll want to eat the whole bag all at once!

Cafe Gratitude – I think of Cafe Gratitude as One Lucky Duck‘s prettier, brighter LA counterpart. This raw, vegan oasis has a really varied menu, which means that it can fulfill any sort of craving you may have. I personally love their garlic-tahini kale chips (I Am Vivacious) and their almond thai kelp noodles (I Am Terrific). Yep, all of the items on their menu are actually affirmations. It just doesn’t get more hippie than Cafe Gratitude but I think that’s okay because the positive, relaxed attitude is reflected in their staff who are always super cheerful and willing to answer my millions of annoying questions!  639 Larchmont Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA

Moon Juice - Conveniently located across the street from Cafe Gratitude, you can always find me at this teeny tiny, but adorable, juice bar after getting my CG fix. They have a lot of unusual juices with amazing but rare ingredients like turmeric, fennel and honeydew (…not all in the same drink). Definitely worth a try if you’re sick of the standard green juice offerings. 507 Rose Avenue, Venice, CA.

Pressed Juicery – NYC and LA seem to have new juice bars on every corner these days, but few juice bars rival Pressed Juicery when it comes to variety. They have about 6 different kinds of green juice alone and a ton of variations on root vegetable juices – my personal favorite is their Roots 1 juice which features beets and carrots. They already have 7 locations in Southern California and 3 in the Bay Area. If you can’t make it out to LA, they now ship their cleanses nationwide. Fingers crossed they will expand their juicing empire to NYC soon! See website for locations.

Sweet Rose Creamery – Ok, you got me. Sweet Rose Creamery’s organic, homemade ice cream is not especially healthy  - it’s just the best damn ice cream in the world. I’m so obsessed that I trek to Brentwood at least twice every time in LA. I’m especially fond of their creative flavors (pea and mint anyone? it’s actually delicious, I swear) and their homemade whipped cream. I actually hate whipped cream normally but their version tastes like the nectar of the gods. 225 26th St #51  Santa Monica, CA

And speaking of LA, I’m going to be there again this week for work, so if you have any recommendations, please share. Currently on my to do list: M Cafe!

[Image Credit: RCH Studios]

+ Wait, what is activated charcoal? First things first: please don’t go digging around your grill for some charcoal. Activated charcoal is basically common charcoal that has been heated. This heat creates spaces or pores in the charcoal, increasing its surface area. By increasing its surface area, it makes it easier for the charcoal to attract any unwanted chemicals or toxins.

+ Natural Tooth Whitener: This stuff is a shockingly great tooth whitener. I was very skeptical at first, but after using it a few times, I’ve found that it’s way more effective than your conventional drug store white strips. Back in the day, I would have to use those white strips every day for at least a week to see any noticeable difference in the color of my teeth. After using activated charcoal once, my sister and I could see definite improvement. Even my sister’s boyfriend wanted to get involved with it after seeing our results. How does it work? Activated charcoal attracts tannins, which is the compound in wine, coffee and tea that can stain your teeth. It’s super easy to use too: all you have to do is break open 1 capsule, dip a wet toothbrush in the powder and brush it on to your teeth. You can leave it on for a few minutes or so (I like to do 5 minutes) and then rinse off. Just be careful to wipe your sink / counter down thoroughly when you’re done!

+ Accidental Food Poisoning: Activated charcoal is a great natural remedy for food poisoning or a really bad hangover. Ambulances are actually required to have this on hand for alcohol poisoning cases. So if you’re feeling adventurous one night and decide to ignore your better instincts by eating at that cheap sushi place, you’ll probably be pretty relieved to have this on hand. All you have to do is add a teaspoon of the AC to a glass of water, stir it up thoroughly, and drink the glass full of AC water.

During one of our lengthy email chains about natural beauty products, a dear friend of mine introduced me to this little miracle. I was immediately intrigued by its amazing ingredient list: food grade lard, lye and water. I’ve recently become fatigued by the number of supposedly natural products on the market, only to take them home and realize they are actually conventional products in greener looking packaging. So for me, a 3 ingredient list is hard to beat. I’m also charmed by the simple packaging: there are no marketing gimmicks, just the product.

My experience using the soap has been great – it keeps you clean without leaving behind any residue but it doesn’t dry you out and leave you all flaky. Overall, I’ve noticed that my skin is much softer than usual. Before using this soap, I was reaching for my hand cream multiple times a day due to my crazy usage of hand sanitizer slash insane amounts of hand washing. Now I can go by a full day without lotioning up! And as a bonus –  a quick scan on the reviews on Amazon for this soap tells me that this is a great contender if you’re looking for a soap to use if you have any skin conditions like rosacea, body acne or eczema.

One last thing – this little bar is only $5, so stock up and enjoy your newly soft, supple skin without breaking the bank.

Turmeric, an ingredient that is highly prized in Chinese and Indian medicine, is another amazing germ fighter as it is a natural anti-bacterial agent. It’s also known as a natural painkiller, which really came in handy when I was suffering from major body aches and pains! Note that I didn’t add any fruit to my juice this time around (I try to keep my diet low in sugar when I’m sick), but with a couple carrots and beets, this juice was plenty sweet for me. If you’re new to juicing, feel free to add 1/2 a green apple to lighten the flavors up a bit more! Enjoy!

Apologies, I will not be posting today – despite my best efforts, I am sick in bed, cuddling with a steaming mug of hot tea, a heating pad and green juice. Have a lovely weekend all!

Even though I shouldn’t be at all shocked, I was a little appalled by the toxins that fill our homes – and not from your typical suspects like scented candles or conventional home cleaners, but our mattresses, chairs and couches! According to Alba, most of these items are made from polyurethane foam. Apparently it is so flammable that it is always treated with toxic flame retardants which contain lovely sounding ingredients like PFCs and BFRs, known endocrine disruptors that can lead to reproductive and developmental disorders. Of course it wouldn’t be as big of a deal if we didn’t spend 1/3 of our lives sleeping…but we do, so it’s probably worth it to look into some more natural options.

A minor critique – although Jessica Alba refers to herself as an everygirl from a middle class background, some of her recommendations to green your home are a bit out of reach for someone living on a budget (me!). While I really, really appreciate the benefits of having an organic mattress and pillows, they don’t run cheap! Also, there are a few inconsistencies with some of the beauty products she recommends – some of them aren’t as clean as she purports (for example, some of the products with added sunscreen are using chemical sunscreens).

Despite these nits, I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a great introduction to a greener, cleaner lifestyle. As she mentions throughout the book, Jessica isn’t looking for a 100% clean, non-toxic life (that’s basically impossible unless you remove yourself from society completely). But opening your eyes to the realities of our food, beauty products and furniture will help us make more informed decisions, a noble effort that I definitely support!

It seems like you dealt with a lot of serious skin issues from traditional beauty products. Is that what spurred you to look for your own solutions? 

Yes! I never had skin problems growing up, and I absolutely took it for granted. After treating my face like a science project, I developed acute dermatitis on my face, lips and eyelids for over a year. I felt there had to be skincare out there that would take care of your face without those problematic ingredients.

What are the common ingredients that you feel everyone should avoid in their skincare regimen?

Ingredients are a personal preference – kind of like your diet. It’s hard for the average consumer to know which products have which ingredients, as they can often go by different names. For example, “phthalates” are often listed as “fragrance.” I personally stay away from ingredients that can sensitize the skin and are known or suspected carcinogens, immunogens or endocrine disruptors. It can make seeking out products cumbersome. As a result, our formulary promise is that we are free of parabens, mineral oil, synthetic fragrances, sulfate detergents, urea, DEA, TEA or phthalates.

What do you wish you had known before you started?

I began researching full-time in April 2008. TATCHA’s journey began with our Original Aburatorigami Beauty Papers in September 2009, and our full skincare line was released February 2012.  It is a worthy cause, but I do wish I had known then what a challenge it would be to create an efficacious skincare line free of those nasty ingredients. We have to be very diligent when it comes to sourcing ingredients and knowing our raw material suppliers.

What are your top picks for anyone who is unfamiliar with Tatcha?

Our most unique piece is the Rice Enzyme Powder, which turns into a foam when it gets wet. It’s a three-in-one cleanser, exfoliator and toner, with an instantaneous effect. I would pair that with our Deep Brightening Serum: together, they lighten scars and sun spots for an even, glowing skin tone. Plus, the Deep Brightening Serum doubles as a light moisturizer – we love multitasking around here.

I’d love to learn more about this mysterious beauty manuscript you found!  What is the most surprising or unusual beauty tip you picked up from it or your collaborations with geisha? 

We often think of Asian skincare rituals requiring countless steps. Plus, when you look at a geisha, you assume that her routine must be incredibly complicated. I was surprised by the simplicity and efficacy of the ingredients and the steps.

Your products’ packaging is absolutely gorgeous. What was the inspiration behind it?

Thank you so much! The shape of the containers comes from the natsume tin, which is used to hold matcha green tea. I chose the color, a lacquer white, because it reminded me of the purity of the geisha’s makeup. Lastly, the logo is inspired by the family crest that hangs on the door of a geisha house, or okiya.

I love the attention to detail! One last question: do you have any advice for someone who has dreams of starting their own company or skincare line?

The best thing you can do is make your products world-class. If you do, wonderful people (like you!) will help to spread the word. Big companies can cut down costs on their products because they can afford advertising and spokespeople. My best advice would be to always focus on the quality of your products, and the rest will take care of itself.

Many thanks to Victoria for participating!

[Images courtesy of Tatcha]

PS – If you have any requests for a Behind the Brand feature on your favorite skincare line, please let me know!