(and How to Instantly Feel More Beautiful)

Take inventory as to how many beauty products you use a single day. Many of us have accumulated a small arsenal of products that promise results for every square inch of our body! We have multiple products we use on our face and others we use for the rest of our body. We acquire specialized eye, hand and foot creams. We collect hair products to cleanse, moisturize, and style. We have daytime and nighttime products. We have products to target “problem areas” and others for enhancements. These products also come with a lot of manufacturing, packaging, and ingredients we often don’t understand. What if there was a simplified and much kinder way to approach our beautifying?

One of the easiest ways to simplify your beauty routine is to reduce the number of products you’re using!

Start by choosing single, natural ingredients that have multiple uses and benefits. 

For example, coconut oil can be used as a facial cleanser, make-up remover, head-to-toe moisturizer, hair mask and pomade, made into toothpaste, and lots more. Lavender essential oil can be used as a spot treatment for many skin ailments and is a helpful nerve tonic in our baths and on our pillows. Baking soda can be used as a shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, and as a gentle cleaning product. Apple cider vinegar can be used in a variety of skin care applications including first aid and can also be used as a hair rinse for soft shiny hair. These are just a few examples and there are plenty more. *See my book recommendation below as a resource for creating your own natural beauty recipes.

Natural ingredients are also economical because you often only need a small amount and they have a much longer shelf life than most commercially made products on the market. They also tend to have far less packaging and don’t leave pollutants on our skin and in our water supply.

Nature’s bounty of plants, flowers, and mineral-rich soils offer an abundant apothecary for all our beauty and wellness desires. Natural beauty is something we all have. It’s a radiance that emanates from within when we are at ease with ourselves and in harmony with nature. It resources a beauty from a place much deeper than our physical appearance.

Here are some additional tips to add into your daily beauty routine to instantly feel more Beautiful….

Be Kind

Start with yourself. Soften your gaze when you look at yourself in the mirror. Smile and speak kind words to yourself. Be gentle and offer a compliment as you would to someone that you deeply care about. Accept yourself with loving kindness and embrace being YOU. With some practice, this simple act of kindness invites a healthier relationship with our reflection and allows your inner beauty to radiate. 

Laugh More

Prioritize some fun and engage in feeling playful. Get yourself and others smiling and laughing! Notice how a face instantly transforms when smiling 🙂 🙂 🙂 

Dress to Impress – yourself! 

Get dressed in clothes that elevate your mood. Choose fabrics that feel good on your skin and that allow movement. Choose colors that make you feel happy. Explore what clothes make you feel free and more beautiful.

Go Slow 

At times, allow yourself the space to move slower and more mindfully. Try eating slower, savoring each flavor unfolding. Try walking at a slower pace to take in more of your surroundings and notice more details. The more present we are, the more at ease we feel and this beauty shines through our faces and body language.  

Be in Nature

Clean water, fresh air, and gentle sunshine provide essential nourishments that we need to thrive and look our best. Being in nature, barefoot, gazing up at starlight and moonlight are simple moments we can take to reconnect to where we come from and it just feels good! Bathing yourself in the riches of nature will always offer healthful benefits that will lead to more feelings of wellness and glowing inner beauty. In urban areas, accessing nature can be as simple as going out onto a balcony to see the sky or finding a patch of grass in a park nearby. 

Breathe

Take moments in your day to pause and feel your breath coming into your body giving you life. Acknowledge this now…”I AM ALIVE!” This claiming of life will spark a radiance of true beauty. 

MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE BEAUTY BOOK RECOMMENDATION

One of my favorite discoveries for a natural beauty resource is a book called Renegade Beauty, by Nadine Artemis. It is a refreshing and insightful approach to beauty and self-care. It is packed full of in-depth research that will educate and inspire you towards naturally glowing skin but also guide you toward a lifestyle that feels deeply in sync with nature. There is a wellspring of beauty secrets and recipes that are simple yet potent. 

I would also highly recommend Nadine’s natural beauty line Living Libations, that sources only organic botanicals and are some of the most luxurious natural products I’ve ever used. LivingLibations.com  (This is not an affiliate, btw. It’s just pure awesomeness that I want to share with everyone 😉 Check out all the other stellar reviews! xo

I have been surprised to find that so many products that call themselves organic or natural still contain ingredients that are known to be toxic.  Known, that is, to the scientific community researching them, but obviously not known to the consumers who support and perpetuate these practices with their almighty dollar. What I have found is that when I scrutinize a product label that is labeled organic or natural, I find at least one and usually more highly toxic ingredients sandwiched in between the natural ones.

The reason why it is imperative to present this information is because mostly everything that is put on your skin is absorbed directly into your bloodstream.  Often what your blood receives can be up to ten times more concentrated than the original ingredients and even higher than that for ingredients applied to the face (because there are more surface capillaries there).  So what this means is that you are in essence eating whatever you put on your skin. Once in your bloodstream, the ingredients must make their way through the liver to be processed the same as if you would have eaten them.  However, products put on your skin can actually be more toxic to you than if you would have eaten with your mouth because the normal digestion process starts in the mouth and the digestive enzymes start to break things down so that by the time they get it into the blood, it’s already changing form/potency.  

Some common ingredients to look for and avoid along with the reasons for avoidance:

1.    Methyl, Propyl, Butyl, and Ethyl Paraben – these are known skin irritants but more importantly, there is a growing awareness about them because they have been found in samples of breast tumors.  While the significance of this is still not known, avoidance of them makes sense.

2.    Diethanolamine (DEA) & Triethanolamine (TEA) – Both of these have been shown in 40% of products tested to be contaminated with nitrosamines, which are powerful carcinogenics. There is an association between DEA and cancer in laboratory rats.  These along with Monoethanolamine (MEA) have already been restricted in Europe due to known carcinogenic effects. Dr. Samuel Epstein (Professor of Environmental Health at the University of Illinois) says that “repeated skin applications . . . of DEA-based detergents resulted in a major increase in the incidence of liver and kidney cancer”.

3.    Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate- also form nitrosamines, see above.

4.    Diazolidinyl Urea- established as a primary cause of contact dermatitis (American Academy of Dermatology). It contains formaldehyde, a carcinogenic chemical, and is toxic by inhalation.

       Imidazolidinyl Urea- releases formaldehyde into cosmetics above 10 degrees Celsius.

5.    Propylene Glycol or Butylene Glycol, Polyethylene Glycol (PEG), Polypropelene Glycol (PPG) – Propylene glycol (PG) is a petroleum derivative. It penetrates the skin and can weaken protein and cellular structure. PG is strong enough to remove barnacles from boats! The EPA considers PG so toxic that it requires workers to wear protective gloves, clothing and goggles and to dispose of any PG solutions by burying them in the ground. Because PG penetrates the skin so quickly, the EPA warns against skin contact to prevent consequences such as brain, liver, and kidney abnormalities. But there isn’t even a warning label on products such as stick deodorants, where the concentration is greater than in most industrial applications.

For more info on these and other potentially toxic ingredients go towww.health-report.co.uk/ingredients-directory.htm orwww.cosmeticsdatabase.com

A good rule of thumb is if you can’t pronounce it, then reconsider putting on your skin.  

So what can you use in place of products that contain questionable ingredients?  For moisturizer the best thing you can use is pure, organic oils. My favorite for the colder/dryer months is macadamia nut oil, and for the summer, sesame oil.  For the face, year-round, I like jojoba or sweet almond oil.  You can also use oil in place of Vaseline/petroleum jelly or regular make-up remover to remove make-up.  Organic oils are great for your nails and cuticles, as deep conditioner for hair, and for preventing stretch marks during and after pregnancy and other weight-gain or loss.

The best soap for hands and body that I have found is Dr. Bronner’s.  Some also use this for shampoo and countless other uses (see back of bottle).

If you feel creatively inclined you can also make your own products using truly “natural and organic” ingredients.

**published November 2008- Sedona Verde-Valley Times and a version of it printed in the Tucson Green Times 2009

I love to find and share simple, natural, and inexpensive beauty tips to honor your sacred body temple and look your best. In this blog I will share one such tip for gorgeous hair.

Millions of dollars are spent on hair conditioning and treatments while in the meantime our bodies make the best hair conditioner through the oil secreted by the scalp.

By brushing hair regularly we can distribute the oil that gathers near the scalp down to the ends of the hair where most split ends show up.

Many years ago, I heard an old wives tale recommending 100 strokes of brushing your hair a day as a secret for beautiful hair.

It is recommended to break these 100 strokes up into two or three brushing sessions a day to distribute oil down to the end of the hair from the scalp throughout the day.  Do some of the brushing with your hair upright as usual and then also flip your head over to get at areas of your scalp you can’t properly brush.  Try to cover all areas of your scalp starting at scalp for each stroke and brushing all the way through to ends of hair.

Boars hair brushes are known for being great for your hair, but there are vegan options that will work well, too. The quality of brush can definitely make a difference.

Here is a perfect boars hair bristle brush:

You may find that by committing to this practice you can get away with less frequent hair washing.  Excessive hair shampooing strips natural oils and confuses the scalp to generate more oil than is necessary which can create a shampoo addiction. There are also many other benefits to this practice.

Regular hair brushing can assist in:

~ Detoxifying your body by helping to move along impurities that have been secreted through the scalp

~ Strengthening and conditioning hair

~ Promoting more lustrous hair growth, possibly even decreasing hair loss. Brushing from the scalp stimulates surface capillaries on the scalp that infuse hair strands with nutrients

~ Adding sheen and luster

~ Decreasing need for hair products, including shampoo, conditioner, and styling aids

Note that if your hair is very knotty, it would help to do some detangling before you’re brushing practice. Brushing to distribute hair oils is different than brushing to detangle your hair.

Also note that if your hair is thinning and you are losing a notable amount of hair while brushing or in the shower drain, excess brushing might not be best until you figure out and resolve the issue that is creating the hair loss.

Happy Brushing!

~ Annie

What’s scarier than ghosts and ghouls at Halloween? Or the prospect of yet another Thanksgiving with your crazy aunt Helen who drinks too much sherry while cooking? Dry and lifeless skin, of course! You are in luck though because one of our favorite fall must haves can be turned into a simple and easy to do DIY facial mask. That is right, I am talking about pumpkins!!! Pumpkins are not just great for carving and yummy pies. They are also packed full of vitamins that will brighten and soften the skin, resurface the skin by naturally exfoliating dead, flaky skin, reduce the look of fine lines, wrinkles and age spots. This mask is a great way to treat yourself to an at home spa day. As we all know, self-care is what makes up the core of our foundation. This Yummy Pumpkin Brightening Mask is the perfect mask for those cold, snowy days or even sunny, lazy days during the fall season. It is not just the awesome nutrients in pumpkin that we are getting, we are also getting the healing properties of Organic Honey and Organic plain Greek Yogurt as well. Honey acts as a binding agent it has natural antimicrobials, is a natural moisturizer, and hydrator that does not clog pores. While Plain Organic Greek Yogurt is a natural anti-inflammatory, which assists with anti-aging. Inflammation is one of the first enemies of creating aging skin. This is a great mask to do alone, or with friends or family. Now that we have discussed some awesome qualities of this fabulous DIY Yummy Pumpkin Brightening Mask, let’s get on to the recipe:

2 cups of Organic Puree Pumpkin which can be found in the baking isle. Or 2 cups fresh Pumpkin

4 TBSP of Organic Greek Yogurt

4 TBSP of Organic Honey

It is not a must that you use organic, but it definitely is better in my opinion. Also, you are free to use fresh pumpkin if you have the time and do not mind the mess! Make sure that you have clean hands, it is up to you if you would like to mix this by hand, or if you would rather use a blender, if using a blender make sure not to over blend. This will need to be a thicker consistency. Be sure to combine and mix all the ingredients thoroughly. After you have mixed all ingredients, you can apply this mask with your fingers, or a clean makeup brush of your choice. Make sure that you have cleansed your face thoroughly. If are a fan of toner, make sure to go ahead and tone the face before as well. It is a great idea to also go ahead and get into your comfy, cozy clothes too! Leave this mask on for about 10-15 minutes, and then rinse with warm water and a clean cloth. This is a great time to start that new book you have put off, or make your favorite warm drink while catching up on your favorite YouTuber. This mask is such a great mask because it is ALL organic, and it is the perfect match for all skin types! After you have washed off the mask, feel free to go ahead with your regular night-time skin routine to really lock in that hydration and moisture that you just added from the mask. Night-time is the ideal time for these masks, or as I mentioned above a lazy day where you can go ahead with night-time skin routines. So, that is it! This simple 3 ingredient mask is an awesome way to hydrate, moisturize, reduce inflammation, and fight those pesky wrinkles. I hope that everyone enjoys this mask! I will be blogging more DIY masks soon.

Written by: Chandra McDevitt