eco skincare
Manly Skincare – Shield For Men
Now that everyone is living longer and looking to stay as young as possible in their later years, modern men are beginning to take notice of their skin. Yep guys, I’m talking skincare, shudder. The truth is, we probably already use (or need) many types already- shaving cream, aftershave lotion, sunscreen, hair products and soap. The problem is most of these products are made with harsh chemicals, and many can be a bit on the flowery side of fragrance. Worry no more, Shield For Men has a guys solution to all of these problems.
Shield For Men, provides fresh, hand made to order, all natural/organic skincare products to men with a masculine twist. I was lucky enough to receive a sample to try, and I was quite impressed. Not only did the cleanser and moisturizers work brilliantly, they also had a distinctly masculine scent to them. › Continue reading
Craving the Green Life – CRAVEGreen Seattle
Last night I had a major craving for all the eco-friendly indulgences of Seattle, and I knew just the way to satisfy my craving.
In the heart of SODO tucked under the first avenue bridge in the awesome location of URBAN enoteca, CRAVESeattle hosted their 2011 green event. Which much to my delight was this eco-friendly girls dream come true.
Seattle’s Elaia Spa at Olive8
Many spa’s are trying to green up their image, but Elaia Spa is just naturally that way. Housed in Hyatt’s Olive 8 building in Downtown Seattle, it is part of Seattle’s first LEED certified hotel. As a part of a green building, certain requirements for water conservation, construction materials and energy savings are already part of the package. You can see these details throughout the Spa, although none of it distracts from the experience, in fact, it does more to enhance it.
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Coconut Oil Skincare – Just Coco
The smell of coconut oil always transports me to tropical island paradise, and for good reason- coconut oil has been used as a skin moisturizer, hair conditioner and healing agent by Pacific Islander and tropical natives for centuries.
Just Coco is a sustainable, community empowering business started by my world traveling friend Sara Krosch, and uses all natural cold pressed virgin coconut oil in their products. Based out of her home on tropical island paradise in the Philippines, she runs Just Coco.
Using only all-natural and, whenever possible, organic ingredients combined with virgin coconut oil, they create skin, hair and nail care products. All of Just Coco’s products are vegetarian or vegan.
Their cold pressed, preservative free pure virgin coconut oil contains 50% lauric acid (the highest content possible) with natural antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. › Continue reading
Top 5 Winter Skin Picks
When I first started changing my lifestyle to reflect my environmentally conscious goals, I had a very difficult time finding products that fit my spring and summer routines AND my fall and winter routines while still avoiding harmful skincare ingredients . The harsh winds, the freezing temperatures, and still having to deal with all the normal things that go wrong with my skin! Winter wreaks havoc on most people’s skin, and your regular routine usually does not pack enough moisture. I stock up on a myriad of products to get me through the winter, but I’ll share with you my favorites for this season.
This stuff smells sweet like Calendula and goes on thick. It has enough moisture to solve any trouble area. I like to keep some in purse for emergencies. It works miracles on knees, arms, heels, legs, elbows, and the occasional severe chapped lips. This stuff works on anything! It’s seriously amazing. My girlfriend uses it on her face as well and swears by it, but it is a little too intense for my own and causes breakouts.
If you’re more into oil, like me, I’d go with Dr. Hauschka. My favorite of their scents is the Arnica scent. My husband says that’s what ‘organic’ smells like and if so, that’s fine by me. I love body oils because they seem to lock in the moisture throughout the day. I crave hot showers in the cold winter months, but that strips the moisture even more from your skin. Throughout the winter I use this oil after every shower and before bed. I always wake up in the morning feeling silky smooth and supple! I love them!
3. Lavera Wild Rose Liposome Cream
This is hands down my favorite night cream. While it’s not technically a night cream, and I do use it for daytime use too, I love how well it works overnight. I didn’t really understand having a day cream and a night cream before, but now I get it. The hydraulic acid in this cream is the key. I swear it clears up my skin too, but it doesn’t claim to do that anywhere. Either way, you’ll wake up with noticeably smoother skin.
Peace Keeper Cause-Metics
If you’re like me, you love when you can contribute to a great cause just by buying things you would normally. That being said, I cannot stand buying things simply because they donate 10% of a way overpriced item to charity. I’d much rather donate that 10% myself, and buy something I actually want for a decent price. I donate regularly to my favorite causes and finding products that support good causes is just a bonus in my opinion.
Peace Keeper Cause-metics, while a still a young company isn’t shying away from donating despite the rough economic times. They’re embracing it. They continue to donate a portion of their sales, even when they are not profitable. That, I think is the mark of a great company. Putting the cause before the cash.
While Peace Keeper is committed to supporting women in harmful situations around the world, they’re not skimping on quality. Most of their formulas are mineral-based, without parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, acetone, toluene, mineral oil, synthetic fd&c colors, artificial fragrances, artificial preservatives, and they don’t test on animals. Yeah, get out your list of no-no ingredients (or check the skin care ingredients to avoid list), and that about covers all my concerns.
Last Minute Mothers Day Gifts
It’s May 8th. Mothers Day is May 9th. Time to celebrate this excellent occasion with the perfect present for your favorite Mom. Did I mention it is May 8th? Don’t worry! Here are some last minute recipes for eco-friendly gifts or even simple add-ons if you’ve already gotten something for her!
A Clean-Green Basket. Ingredients easily picked up at your local grocery or hardware store. Do your own take on a fruit basket and create a practical gift that your mom will feel proud to use.
Ingredients:
• 1 large basket
• A few leafy twigs
• Seventh Generation disinfecting wipes, multi-surface, and/or bathroom cleaner. Seventh Generation focuses on environmental sustainability and how they can provide products that reduces pollution and keeps natural toxins out of the air. They disclose all of the ingredients within their products to ensure the health of your home by producing safe and effective cleaning supplies. Check out their product coupons as well. › Continue reading
Seven Skin Care Ingredients To Avoid
Our skin covers our
entire body. Every day we have the option to apply lotion, sunscreen, make-up, or hundreds of other products to our skin. What we don’t know is that some of the ingredients lurking in our cabinet can be harmful or even deadly to us. Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start when revamping our personal care routine, so I’ve listed seven of the worst ingredients you’ll find in your cabinets.
Parabens- These are commonly seen preceded by Ethyl-, Methyl-, Propyl-, or Butyl-. Parabens are used in lotions as a preservative, but they have been connected to so many negative things that I’m amazed anyone is still comfortable using them. Parabens are known endocrine disrupters that affect the hormone balance in your body, and can interfere with fetal development. Also, they have been liked to breast cancer, and are an immuno-toxin that can cause a myriad of allergic reactions.
Polyethylene Glycol- Often shortened to PEG, Polyethylene Glycol is used in cosmetics and face washes as a cleanser or emulsifier. When given orally in large doses to rats, it can cause them to develop tumors. Some claim that this isn’t relevant because the tumors develop when it is taken orally, not when applied topically. However, the reason PEG is used in synthetic cleansers is to allow your skin to draw more moisture (or anything else it comes in contact with), into the skin. This means that whatever you come in contact with can get drawn into your skin, and eventually into your bloodstream.
Genetically Modified Organisms- Commonly seen on labels as GMO, Genetically Modified Organisms are dangerous because they have unknown risks that are just beginning to be understood by scientists. Genetically modified crops have been changed at the genetic level using E. coli or other bacteria to produce a powerful insecticide. This is supposed to kill the insects posing harm to the crop, but has been known to pose harm to any insect including Monarch butterflies and Lacewings. Due to the way crops pollinate, it is virtually impossible to contain genetically modified crops and stop them from spreading and infecting non-GMO’s. For more information on GMO’s watch the documentary The Future of Food.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate- You usually find Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) in shampoos and other cleansers. This is what gives shampoo the familiar foaming action most people associate with clean. People are often shocked by the lack of foam in organic or non-SLS shampoos, even though they contain the same level of cleaning power. SLS is small enough to easily penetrate the skin, and changes skin’s structure in such a way that allows chemicals to enter deep into the skin.
