How would you like to save hundreds of dollars in beauty products every year? Many expensive salon products are made out of the same fruits, vegetables, and oils that you use to prepare your favorite dishes. If you are looking to improve the appearance of your hair, nails, face, and skin, The Beauty Cookbook: 200 Recipes to Make Your Kitchen Your Spa – For Your Face, Your Body, and Your Hair by Kym Douglas and Cindy Pearlman may be your next “must read.”

This every day at-home spa guide features inexpensive recipes, beauty treatments, and tips for head-to-toe beauty. Douglas and Pearlman are the best selling authors of The Black Book of Hollywood Beauty Secrets; in this new book they offer beauty tips to adhere to in these eco-conscious, economically challenged times. More »

I have to admit that I am not the most ecologically friendly person; even with all this talk of going green, the most I have done is recycle my cans and bottles. But since today is Earth Day, it got me thinking – I really need to start caring about the environment.

In honor of this revolutionary day, I have come up with a list of actions to take to be a little more eco-friendly.

Walk more, drive less: Instead of driving short trips around the corner, such as to pick up milk and bread, take a stroll instead. Not only are you saving on gas and not polluting the environment, you’re also getting a mini work-out in the course of it. A few days ago, my roommate and I had to return a movie to the video store and we walked there instead – it only took us 20 minutes and it felt great to get some fresh air. More »

For as long as I can recall, I have had an obsession with lip balm, lip-gloss, and anything else related to my lips. As an avid Carmex and Chapstick user, I’m always up for trying out new items. Which is why I was thrilled to check out the Kiss My Face SOS products, Sheer Organic Shine gloss and Sheer Organic Shimmer tints.

Coming in six shades in both the glosses and tints – Pear, Opal, Amethyst, Topaz, Ruby, Garnet – Sheer Organic Shimmer and Sheer Organic Shine are a great addition to your makeup bag.

These products are environmentally friendly; they’re 100% natural/91% organic, contain no parabens, SLS, phthalates, synthetic colors or flavors, and are not tested on animals. Plus, they contain vitamins A and E to repair and protect your lips. What more could you ask for?

My fellow Beauty Chatters also tried these awesome new glosses and tints, here’s what they had to say about them: More »

As I get older, I notice more and more that I need to have a daily routine to keep my skin looking healthy, clean and wrinkle free.  I prefer the organic, natural products.  There are enough pollutants in the air, so why add more with your toner or moisturizer?

Purely Clear offers a line that works for all skin types.

I don’t get too many blemishes a just a few here and there.  I do have blackheads, a bad T-Zone, and very dry cheeks.  This combo makes it difficult to finding products that will not send my pores into overload.

Purely Clear is different; it cleans without over drying or leaving an oily feeling.  The toner is a blend of oils that don’t dry out your skin and the Intensive Repair and Wrinkle Serum help to balance and moisturize. More »

I found these handy-dandy, little solid perfumes by Pacifica in a magazine.  I was intrigued by how cute and convenient they seemed and just had to try them out.

According to the packaging, the perfume is comprised of 100% organic and vegan soy and coconut wax base, and are made with natural grain alcohol. They are in a super cute, convenient carrying case and are easy to apply…anywhere…anytime. They are also TSA approved, so there is no need for that pesky zip lock baggie.  Just throw it in your bag and go!

I recently had the opportunity to try 4 of Pacifica’s popular scents.  Here is what the Web site says about them: More »

If you’re looking for a young, hip, natural cosmetics, let me introduce you to J.Lynne Cosmetics. This mineral makeup line uses only high-quality, natural ingredients in order to let the “purely beautiful, naturally you” shine through. They’re also proud to say that they are cruelty free, so no testing on animals here!

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Every woman is concerned about breast cancer, I know it is a huge fear of mine.  Cancer does not run in my family, but that does not mean I am immune to it.  I am sure most of you have heard about antiperspirants being linked to cancer. It makes sense to me since I can tell the difference in my armpits when I use an antiperspirant, as opposed to deodorant (in emergencies only). My underarms break out and I develop ingrown hairs. Gross, I know! More »

Interesting name, wouldn’t you say? Well, it is more than just a name; it is the philosophy behind Nude skin care. This company creates its products to be biocompatible by using high performance bioavailable ingredients. The focus is that it works with your body’s own biology, so it recognizes it and helps it deliver the intended results.

One question and answer I found particularly interesting on the Nude web site was:

Why do we feed our skin chemicals we would never consider eating?
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I know it’s been awhile since I vowed to keep our readers abreast of the trends in natural skin and personal care. The unfortunate truth is, there hasn’t been much news for me to share with you – until now. As it turns out, the Natural Products Association revealed a new “seal of approval” program for natural certification on May 1, 2008 – and I missed it! Finally, there’s a standard definition for companies that boast natural and holistic claims to abide by. So, with my sincerest apologies for letting this go unnoticed, I give you a few of the association’s stringent criteria for products that wish to be legitimately placed in the natural category:

• The product must be made up of at least 95 percent truly natural ingredients (or ingredients that are derived from natural sources)
• No ingredients with any potential suspected human health risks
• No processes that significantly or adversely alter the purity/effect of the natural ingredients
• Ingredients must come from a purposeful, renewable/plentiful source found in nature (flora, fauna, mineral)
• Processes must be minimal, and without synthetic/harsh chemicals or other dilution of purity
• Non-natural ingredients are acceptable only when a viable, natural alternative ingredient is unavailable, and only when there are absolutely no suspected potential human health risks

And it doesn’t stop there! The association, which is partially made up of experts from natural product manufacturers (including consumer faves like Burt’s Bees and Farmaesthetics), provides the full criteria at: www.naturalproductsassoc.org/certifiednatural. Because this group is the nation’s largest natural products, non-profit organization, representing more than 10,000 retailers and distributors, I think we can be confident that this program is an effective way of determining who’s natural – and who’s not. Start looking for the Natural Products Association Seal of Approval on the shelves within the coming year (keep in mind that it may take a while for every qualified product to receive its seal).

Who’s excited? I know I am! Let me know if this announcement will make a difference in the way you shop for personal care products.

Photo credits: Natural Products Association and Tractenberg & Co.

As I dive further and further into this world of beauty, I am learning more than I ever could imagine. Two years ago, I could never tell you what a paraben was, or that it had the potential of being harmful to your body. Now that I am a little more educated, I have started researching my products before buying them. I would like to think I am becoming some what of a beauty expert!

I have started to apply sunscreen every morning in these warmer months (I know this is something I should already be doing to avoid sun damage and skin cancer, and I am working on it!). In my quest for the perfect sunscreen, I found this company called Juice Beauty. I had actually seen a product by them in a Sephora sample kit and decided to look into them a little more.

Upon researching Juice Beauty, I found that they produce organic products. The one I zoned in on was the Mineral Medium Moisturizer with SPF 20. This is a tinted moisturizer made from a patent pending organic juice base. The formula uses over 60 active organic ingredients to create the 100% organic juice base. The total organic content of the product is 95%. That is amazing, seeing that most products that claim to be organic are really on about 5%. More »