The Organic Beauty Expert

A skinyskinny flagship store grows in Brooklyn

2009-11-13T09:09:16-08:00

skinnyskinny, the hand-crafted, all-natural organic bath and body product line, is slated to launch their first flagship store in Williamsburg, Brooklyn today.

Adjacent to the workshop where many of the skinnyskinny goods are made, the eco-friendly storefront will offer the entire line of the company’s organic lifestyle products. The space has been customized from reclaimed wood and is powered by 100% renewable energy.

Clara Williams started skinnyskinny in 2005 with a strong belief that organic, eco-friendly bath and body products should work as well (if not better) than conventional products and are made from certified organic ingredients. They contain no synthetics, sulfates, or artificial preservatives.

One of only three beauty brands with a “Four out of Four Leaf” environmental rating from Greenopia, skinnyskinny continues its commitment to sustainability in all aspects of its business by being 100% carbon-neutral. It uses recycled, reclaimed, and sustainable materials for nearly all packaging; and with very few exceptions, makes every product in Brooklyn, NY. skinnyskinny is a member of the Organic Trade Association. Most products are vegan, and all products are cruelty-free.

skinnyskinny products are available online and at retailers across the country, as well as at the company’s new flagship store at 129 Roebling Street in Brooklyn, NY.

Wake up & win with Origins

2009-11-02T03:30:00-08:00

Wake Up & Win Sweepstakes with Origins from November 2nd until November 30th. Fabulous prizes will be awarded to one Grand Prize winner and nine additional winners!

Stop by the below Origins retail stores, and receive FREE illy espresso, a FREE sample of Origins GinZing™ Refreshing eye cream, a FREE “Eye-Opening” Mini-Facial, a FREE Makeup Application and a FREE Origins and illy gift bag!

To keep you bright-eyed and energized for weeks to come, Origins is giving away gift bags containing a three week supply of GinZing™ Refreshing eye cream and illy espresso, while supplies last.

Events will be held in the following locations:

New York, NY
Flatiron: 175 Fifth Avenue
SoHo: 402 West Broadway
Upper West Side: 2327 Broadway
Grand Central: 62 Grand Central Terminal

Los Angeles, CA
South Coast Plaza: 3333 Bristol Street

San Francisco, CA
Embarcadero Center: One Embarcadero Center
San Francisco Centre: 865 Market Street

Boca Raton, FL
Town Center at Boca Raton: 6000 Glades Road

Dallas, TX
Southlake Town Square: 1426 Civic Place

White Sands hydrating shampoo & conditioner Review

2009-10-29T06:30:00-07:00

by Gina Rafkind

OBE NOTE : This product was presented to us as "a 100% Vegan... all natural, sulfate, silicone and cruelty free cleansing duo powered by Wheat and Silk Amino Acids. The line excels at moisturizing dry, damaged hair from the inside out, while providing superior hair color protection with each use." Not so much, yet Gina used it and her review follows.

White Sands Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner is for color treated hair and is meant to clean the hair gently and also to condition without weighing the hair down. Both products do not contain organic ingredients. The shampoo is sulfate and silicone free. They do use some natural ingredients but there is coloring and synthetic fragrance added.

I loved the shape of the bottles.They are easy to squeeze and hold onto because of the shape. The scent of the shampoo is a little strong for me. The conditioner has a more subtle scent, but still stronger than I like.

Products reviewed:

White Sands hydrating shampoo, 7.6 ounces $12.00 US

White Sands hydrating conditioner, 7.6 ounces $15.00 US

Number of times used on myself: 5

Number of times used on clients: 6+

Review: I did not like this product for my own hair. I have fine hair, but a lot of it and although my hair felt clean, I felt it was too squeaky clean and I needed to use a styling product with it so my hair felt softer.

I also was not crazy how the shampoo and conditioner worked on my clients. I used it on my clients with coarse, fine, and dry hair – all of which have color-treated hair. I felt I needed to use an extra leave-in conditioner because their hair did not feel soft and moisturized, but the product did leave some shine.

Overall: I’m not the biggest fan of this product because of how it made my hair feel. My hair felt a little on the dry side and I don’t feel like it leaves the hair moisturized like it said it would.

Organic facial cleansers from HollyBeth's Natural

2009-10-29T06:30:00-07:00

from press release

HollyBeth’s Natural Luxury recently added two organic cleansers to their natural product range - Chamomile, Rosemary & Primrose Cleanser for normal to dry skin and Marigold, Sandalwood & Grapefruit Cleanser for normal to oily skin. Both cleansers are a fragrant blend of certified organic essential oils and organic castile soap, which gently cleanse the face, leaving skin refreshed and renewed.

CHAMOMILE, ROSEMARY & PRIMROSE CLEANSER – suitable for normal to dry skin
Chamomile essential oil is good for sensitive and dry complexions. It soothes irritated skin and helps to calm any redness or irritation. Rosemary essential oil helps decongest and improves blood circulation, stimulating cell renewal. Primrose essential oil hydrates the epidermis and keeps skin supple.

MARIGOLD, SANDALWOOD & GRAPEFRUIT CLEANSER – suitable for normal to oily skin
Marigold essential oil inhibits several medicinal attributes and is especially great for balancing acne prone. Added Sandalwood and Grapefruit essential oils help to purify and decongest and are also good for use on an oily skin. Together this purifying blend soothes irritated skin, calms redness and restores balance to the complexion.

The base of this cleanser is an organic castile soap which is a gentle cleaner made from a combination of olive, coconut and jojoba oils rather than animal fats or synthetic substances like many other traditional liquid soaps and cleansers. The simple nature of castile soap means a lesser environmental impact due to reduced waste stream during manufacture and also faster biodegradability. Castile soap is gentle on skin, hypoallergenic and completely natural. With the added benefits of organic essential oils HollyBeth has created an effective and soothing cleanser that cleans skin thoroughly without stripping it of moisture and dehydrating.

Ingredients: Cocos Nucifera (coconut) Oil*, Simmondsia Chinensis (jojoba) Seed Oil*, Olea Europaea (olive) Oil*, Aloe (vera) Barbadensis Extract*, Rosmarinus Officinalis (rosemary) Leaf Extract*, Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary)Oil*, Oenotera Biennis (evening primrose) Oil*, Chamomilla Recutita (matricaria) Flower Oil**organic

Dry hands like Weleda Sea Buckthorn Hand Cream; you might, too

2009-10-29T06:30:00-07:00

As a massage therapist, I spend half my day with lotion on my hands and the the other half washing it off. So as you can imagine, at the end of the day, my hands can feel just a little bit dry.

I never believed that one needed a hand cream; that a lotion would suffice. Lately, I've changed my mind. Lotions quench the whole body and can leave a dew behind. Hand creams, for me, are best left to simply moisturize not slick.

Therefore, if you have dry hands and are looking for a nice, reasonably-priced hand cream (about $10 bucks), take a trip to your local Target and try the tester of Weleda's Sea Buckthorn Hand Cream.

I've posted the ingredients so you can choose for yourself whether this product is natural enough for your standards.

From Weleda's website:: Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Alcohol, Hydrolyzed Beeswax, Tapioca Starch, Lysolecithin, Beeswax (Cera Flava), Glyceryl Stearate SE, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) Oil, Xanthan Gum, Fragrance (Parfum)*, Limonene*, Linalool*, Benzyl Benzoate*, Benzyl Salicylate*, Geraniol*, Citral*.
* from natural essential oils

A classic example of the non-natural, natural:: Boscia

2009-10-29T06:30:00-07:00

So, if you haven't noticed, this week I'm a little emotionally on edge. I'm sure it's TMI but I'm waiting to get confirmation on my thoughts that I'm pregnant. If I'm not, then this is an uber serious case of PMS!

But I digress...

So here's a classic example of "natural" pitches that irritate. Though I will say that at least they posted their ingredients so I didn't have to bother to reply to the email.

But here's the pitch that almost sold me::

"boscia, the well-known, preservative-free and botanical-based skincare collection entered the cosmetic arena for the FIRST time on October 23rd at Sephora on 5th Avenue with the launch of their new Sheer Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15 - a lightweight, oil-free, natural formulation that delivers a flawless finish and healthy-looking coverage to the face."

So you're thinking it's going to be a natural product, right? Or at least that the product will offer more nature than not, right? You and me both, sister. So I take a look at this product and after water, I'm hard-pressed to find these botanics of which they speak. To be fair, I should accurately say, they're there, but so far down on the ingredient listing that it falls into my "natural crap" category.

Come on, now, companies. I'm possibly the most flexible of green bloggers, but this ain't working. It's not natural if the majority of ingredients aren't natural.

I'm just saying...

Earthtonics Pure Herbal skincare review

2009-10-28T06:30:00-07:00

Handmade, natural ingredients, woman-owned and great for the skin. A perfectly delightful product line that's a natural for this blog!

Products reviewed:

Sweet Plum Face Wash, 4 oz, $22

Moonlit Facial Emollient,1 oz, one sale now for $20.40

Review:

I used this line during Summer 2009 after I had a horrendous experience with a presumably "natural acne care line." My skin was in horrible shape and I just needed a soothing, uncomplicated clean. Reading the ingredient list, I thought Earthtonics fit the bill.

I will say that some of you may not like the smell and/or feel of the face wash. As a castille-based wash, it does leave a "film" feel on the skin. But if you apply the wash to your face dry,the filmy feel is less apparent. Granted, simple ingredients offer simple results. We're not getting earthshaking results, just a clean face and pretty decent complexion, which is just what I needed. This is my go-to face wash during PMS week. Remoes the oil, keeps my face clean and doesn't strip away the good stuff. Recommended!

The facial emollient only highlights my bias. Kukui nut oil is a superb facial for acne sufferers and that's what really sold me on this oil. Daron blended this oil is a very nice way and it requires only a drop or two before bed and feel it working. Again... the perfect oil blend for that time of the month. In conjunction with the face wash, this is an awesome oil-fighting duo and highly recommended.

For a consistently fragrant clean, Mrs. Meyers is just at your local natural store

2009-10-27T06:30:00-07:00

Mrs. Meyers offers a full line of household cleaning products that are fragrant, eco-friendly and hard-working. The purists may object to the use of fragrance in the products, but a long look at the ingredients really makes that point moot, in my opinion.

I've used a good number of eco cleaning products and Mrs. Meyers performs as well as any of them, and what's better (at least for me) is that I can buy it at my local natural food store. Many of the newer eco products have not yet made it to the shelves and I'm more apt to make a drive to the store than remember to order online and pay shipping.

I'm just saying.

My picks: the Dish Soap Liquid in Basil and Geranium, the All-Purpose Cleaner in Lemon Verbana (excellent all-around cleaner; just buy a re-usable spray bottle, add some water and this works great on every surface, including stovetop!) and the Surface Scrub (as a child who grew on Comet, I never thought I'd stray. While a bit more cash, it's worth it!)

Juju Salon & Organics offers Philly natives holistics on a green scale

2009-10-27T06:30:00-07:00

For the eco diva who needs salon services, you'll need look no further than Juju Salon & Organics. Designed in a kind of shabby chic style, the salon offers uber organic service from the time you step in the door.

Here's a bit from the website that truly highlights the green commitment of owner Julie Ebner:

Reuse: most of juju’s furniture, display items and furnishings was bought second hand, trash picked and/or are Repurposed goods. Before they buy anything new, they check out Craigslist, local thrift stores and yard sales.
Their facilities are PECO Wind Powered;
All construction and re-configuration of juju’s spaces were done by Local, Certified Green Contractors. Upgrades are energy efficient and sustainable materials are used.
Use of CFL (Compact Fluorescent) Lighting throughout, which use 50 - 80% less energy than incandescent light bulbs.
All Green Cleaning Products used are natural, non-toxic and biodegradable

How can you pass this by? While I can't speak to their customer service, their eco philosophy is spot on and at least worthy of a try. If you need more convincing, take advantage of their Back to School special and/or the free community events with Qigong Sun., Nov. 1 from 9:30 -10:30 a.m. at the salon and Monday Meditation every Monday at 6 p.m. at the spa.

Vote for me! Vote for me!

2009-10-26T19:14:20-07:00

Okay, I'm snarky, opinionated, frugal and don't always drink the same environmental Kool-Aid the other kids are drinking. That's still no reason not to vote for me!

The Body Shop is running a little contest for readers to vote their favorite Natural Beauty Blogger. The winner gets interviewed on The Body Shop blog. It would be cool and I'd appreciate your vote.

If you can spare a second, just follow the link and click your pick!

DIY pumpkin tips from Kayla Fioravanti:: Honey Pumpkin Spread

2009-10-26T18:30:00-07:00

Kayla Fioravanti, ARC Registered & Certified Aromatherapist and the Co-founder and Chief Cosmetic Formulator for Essential Wholesale explains why pumpkins aren’t just for Halloween with her delicious Honey Pumpkin Spread Recipe!

Pumpkins: They're Not Just For Halloween
Canned pumpkin is on sale everywhere today! Stock up for holiday baking of course, but there are also other things you can do with pumpkin that don't include packing on the calories. Skip raiding the kids' trick or treat bags for late night treats and pamper yourself the right way with this easy to make, skin loving Honey Pumpkin Spread. It's especially nice for very dry skin types.

Ingredients
5 tablespoons canned organic pumpkin
1 teaspoon agave sweetener
1 tablespoon softened organic butter

To Make
Combine everything together and mix well to make a smooth paste. Make sure your face is clean. Spread Honey Pumpkin Spread over your face in an even layer. Rest for 15 minutes. Rinse and enjoy the softened skin.

Hmmm ... Can't use it all at one time? Since it's fresh, you can refrigerate it for a few days. But I have a better idea. Why not spread it over a slice of warm toast and enjoy it with a cup of your favorite tea. Who says pumpkins are just for Halloween!

How frickin' cute! Bloume Baby Organic Yoga Set

2009-10-26T18:30:00-07:00

Ya'll know I got baby on the mind! And this super cute 100% organic cotton yoga set set my ovaries in a tizzy. Available in blue or pink for just $36 bucks.

Summer may be over, but the fruit is ripe at Zia Skincare

2009-10-25T18:30:00-07:00

Zia Natural Skincare still has fruit for your face... thankfully for your skin!

Apple Refining Mask, $24.95

Organic apple juice, plantain and firming pectin are combined in this clarifying treatment to help heal sun-damage, fine lines and clogged pores. Apple Refining Mask helps eliminate toxins and impurities, while minimizing the appearance of darkened and enlarged pores.

Organic Apple Juice, Willow Bark and Grapefruit Essential Oil encourage cellular renewal while releasing impurities in the skin.
Sugar Cane acts as a natural AHA, providing exfoliation to skin.
Lemon Juice helps promote cell turnover, minimize fine lines and correct sun damage.

Pumpkin Exfoliating Mask, $24.95

This mask is an advanced treatment that blends nourishing pumpkin puree with pineapple juice to clear away old cells and pore congestion. It rejuvenates cells with fresh fruit extracts and leaves skin feeling silky smooth.

Frankincense Essential Oil is blended with Vitamins A & E to help correct cell damage & dark patches.
Pumpkin Puree helps to improve skin texture.
Clears clogged pores & heals blemishes.

A natural scalpel-free facelift? Marie Claire UK highlights NY surgeon Dr. Yan Trokel

2009-10-25T18:30:00-07:00

Using hyaluronic acid, a substance found naturally in the body and used for years to help relieve joint pain, Dr. Yan Trokel has been "plumping up" faces and offering a no downtime alternative to facelifts.

His scalpel-free procedure is showcased in the November issue of Marie Claire UK Edition below. What do you think? Might it be in your future?

LUSH says bring on the bubbles; win bubble bars for a year!

2009-10-25T12:00:00-07:00

Bring out your best bubble beard! Nobody does bubble baths better than LUSH Cosmetics. And that’s why they are challenging you to an online bubble beard photo contest for a chance to win an entire year’s worth of solid bubble bars!

Next time you soak in suds, mold a massive beard of bubbles, snap a picture (cover all private bits please!) and send it to LUSH for your chance to win 10 bubble bars every month for an entire year – that’s 120 deliciously frothy baths!

Submit your very best bubble beard photo (or that of a loved one) online. The contest ends November 2, 2009 and the winner will be announced by November 6, 2009, so grab your rubber ducky and lather up!

Tarte Cosmetics:: As eco as it gets

2009-10-24T18:30:00-07:00

Tarte Cosmetic's 2009 Fall Collection is kicking eco booty with their innovative packaging "... made with resin-additive EcoPure. The packaging boasts indefinite shelf life, but facilitates plastic biodegradation within five years in microbial environments, i.e., landfills." (from article)

Add that to the long list of products NOT included and Tarte is on the hot must-have eco-beauty list!

Recession Proof Beauty:: Montagne Jeunesse Masques

2009-10-24T18:30:00-07:00

Usually when I get a pitch for inexpensive products I'm instantly on guard to be disappointed. Believing they highlight the natural ingredients that are just simply blended in with a bunch of crap. So how shocked was I once I hunted down the ingredients for Montagne Jeunesse to find that these products are actually mostly natural?

Now some of the masques do contain parabens, so you ultra organic divas may want to shop elsewhere. Here's the ingredients for the Chocolate masque (courtesy CVS.com):

Aqua (Purified Water), Kaolin, Illite (Mediterranean Clay), Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Bentonite, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Ceteareth-20, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Theobroma Cacao ( Cocoa) Shell Powder, Sea Salt (Dead Sea Salt), Aroma (Flavor), Glucose, Lactoperoxidase, Citric Acid, Glucose Oxidase, Cl 77491, Cl 77492, Cl 77499 (Iron Oxides).

And for under three bucks? Oh, hells yeah!

Available at Wal-Mart, CVS, Amazon and Ulta Beauty Stores.

Get your holiday shop on with H20 Plus: Sea Pure Natural Skincare

2009-10-24T18:00:00-07:00

H20 Plus recenly launched the Sea Pure Natural Skincare Collection which offers 100% natural products that are vegan and biodegradable (not sure if that's the jars & bottles, cause I'm not clear on the biodegradable-ness of beauty products). The products are made without synthetic fragrance, parabens, petrochemicals or sulfates.

For the holiday season, Sea Pure is offering The Sea Pure Natural Skincare gift kit. The kit contains a Creamy Facial Cleanser, Deep Moisture Cream and Perfecting Eye Cream. The company states that these 100% all-natural formulas are enriched with an exclusive youth-renewing science that helps boost the body’s sirtuin levels to naturally stimulate skin cell regeneration.

The one thing that bothers me about their ingredient listing is the slightly open ended description of the "youth renewing science." Other than that, looks like it could be worth trying. The holiday kit is available for $42.50.

Award-winning author Michael Pollan speaks candidly about organic; Organic Gardening magazine

2009-10-23T21:45:28-07:00

Award-winning author Michael Pollan speaks candidly about what’s truly organic, First Lady Michelle Obama, and what he sees for the future beyond organic in an exclusive interview in the November/December/January 2009-2010 issue of Organic Gardening magazine now on newsstands.

Pollan sat down with Organic Gardening Managing Editor Therese Ciesinski for an interview in his garden situated in the hills of Berkeley, California. During this controversial conversation, Pollan reveals his opinion of what’s truly organic stating that “organic is in danger of being co-opted” and that he’s been on organic factory farms and “…if most organic consumers went to those places, they would feel they were getting ripped off.” He went on to say he thinks “…organic risks a real crisis of perception if the values that they’re selling don’t accurately reflect the practices they’re engaging in. They’re organic by the letter, not organic in spirit.”

Pollan went on to praise First Lady Michelle Obama for her efforts to emphasize the importance of fresh food. “She talks about organic, but she [also] talks about fresh. Basically, getting away from processed food is key. And if you’re eating produce, and it’s not organic, it’s a big step up from eating processed food. All these partial steps are very important.”

During the interview Pollan also discusses what he sees for the future beyond organic, what’s missing from our food chain, and the question, “Can organic feed the world?.”

"Michael Pollan and essayists like him are nightlights in the hallway of the world, guiding us around the issues and controversies of our times; we may not always agree with where he is taking us, but there's no denying he makes us think and look from different angles, which is why Organic Gardening is pleased to welcome him to our pages for this exclusive interview," said Ethne Clarke, Editor in Chief of Organic Gardening.

Pollan on what’s truly organic…
“Organic is in danger of being co-opted. I’ve been on organic factory farms, and if most organic consumers went to those places, they would feel they were getting ripped off. I think organic risks a real crisis of perception if the values that they’re selling don’t accurately reflect the practices they’re engaging in. They’re organic by the letter, not organic in spirit.”

Pollan on if he prefers local foods to organic foods…
“No, I don’t. I support local, because in my experience here in California, local is organic…But if I were a supermarket shopper I would, because you can’t meet farmers face to face and you don’t really know what they’re doing, so to the extent people depend on the supermarket and are not interested in the farmers’ market, we need organic. If people are willing to put in more time and like the farmers’ market experience—because it is more than food that’s on offer there—[then] local, definitely.”

photo credit: Ken Light

Have you discovered Vapour Organic Beauty cosmetics?

2009-10-23T18:38:49-07:00

It seems like mineral cosmetics companies are popping up everyday! Can barely keep track of them all. I've not tried this line, but here's a bit info for ya'll who like discovering new lines.

According to the company:

"The Vapour difference begins with its signature therapeutic treatment base of certified organic, light, dry plant oils that are non-comedogenic. To that proprietary base, specific certified organic botanical infusions with targeted benefits are added to provide deep moisture and anti-oxidant protection.

Pure mineral pigments are dispersed in the base of the cosmetics, creating a breathable layer that moves with the skin instead of lying flat and lifeless. This movement allows for a play of light that appears completely seamless with natural skin, heightening its natural radiance. Vapour is the next generation of mineral cosmetics."

Check it out for yourself online.