Eco-Chick · The modern girl's guide to living green & fabulous.

Stephanie Rogers is a freelance writer and graphic designer living in the eco-mecca of the South, Asheville, North Carolina.

http://stephanie-rogers.com

This author has contributed 97 posts.

AUTHOR FEED

Red Raspberry Leaf: Herbal Tonic for Pregnancy and Reproductive Health

9 Comments

06/02/08

When you think about consuming parts of a raspberry plant, naturally you think of the raspberries themselves – but the leaves are just as nutritious and have great medicinal value. An alkaloid called fragrine that’s found in high concentration within these leaves tones the muscles of the pelvic region, including the uterus. It’s an excellent tonic to prepare a woman for childbirth, and can be enjoyed while pregnant as well as while trying to conceive or for general reproductive health.

Red raspberry leaves are most often prepared as an infusion or tea. You can find it in health food stores on its own or mixed with other beneficial herbs such as dandelion and nettle. Red raspberry leaves contain significant amounts of calcium, vitamins C, A and E as well as the entire B-complex, magnesium, manganese, potassium, zinc and chromium.

Famed herbalist Susun Weed recommends red raspberry leaf not just to strengthen the uterus and pelvic wall, but for its many beneficial effects, which include increased fertility, miscarriage and hemorrhage prevention, easing morning sickness, reducing pain during and after labor and birth, helping the uterus return more quickly to its pre-pregnancy size after birth and assisting in the production of plentiful breastmilk. Contrary to some misinformation found occasionally on the web, red raspberry leaf is not oxytocic or an emmenagogue – it will not start labor or promote contractions.

Red raspberry leaves are also beneficial for women of all ages, not just of childbearing age. They’re used to treat upper respiratory disorders, sore throats, wounds, colic pain and gastrointestinal upset. They’re rich in tannins, which have an astringent affect, reducing inflammation.

Drinking red raspberry leaf is widely considered to be acceptable during pregnancy by herbalists, naturopaths and midwives, but of course you should consult your medical professional before use. The general consensus is to use it during the second and third trimesters only just to be safe, since some midwives claim that it can cause spotting in the first trimester – follow the recommendation of your health care provider.

Just keep in mind that many ob-gyns aren’t trained in the use of herbs and are highly skeptical of their benefits. If you’re interested in using herbal medicine during pregnancy, you may want to seek out a practitioner who has some experience with herbalism.

Herbal Remedies, Pregnancy, Reproductive Health

Natural Homemade Face Mask for Combination/Oily Skin

1 Comment

05/26/08

French green clay is a completely natural alternative to prepackaged face masks full of preservatives and synthetic ingredients. This stuff will really work some magic on oily and acne-prone skin, absorbing tons of oil and leaving your skin feeling soft and smooth. It’s gentle enough to be used on sensitive skin, too.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp French Green Clay
1/2 tbsp grapefruit juice (or carrot juice, if you have dry patches)
1 tsp honey
Drop of your favorite essential oil (optional)

Instructions:

Mix the clay with the grapefruit juice and then add the honey and the essential oil, if using. Smooth the mixture onto your face and leave it on for about 15 minutes, or until it dries completely. Gently remove it with a warm wet washcloth.

You can use this face mask up to twice a week; avoid using it more often than that or you may experience some dryness and irritation. If your skin is extra sensitive, use water instead of grapefruit juice. You can add a little extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil to the mixture if you need some extra moisture. The great thing about getting pure French green clay is you can experiment a bit and find a formula that’s just right for your skin. Some ideas for additions include eggs, banana, shea butter, rosewater, yogurt, avocado and green tea.

French green clay can typically be found at health food stores and can be purchased online, or you can just use the Burt’s Bees Pore Refining Mask powder, which contains some extra ingredients but can be substituted for pure French green clay in the recipe above.

Burt's Bees, Face Masks, French Green Clay, Homemade Beauty

Eco-Beauty Cage Match: Juice Beauty vs. Alba Moisturizer

3 Comments

05/16/08

Welcome to round one of Eco Chick’s new monthly feature, the Eco-Beauty Cage Match! Each month I will try out two beauty products and pit them against each other to see how they perform. I’ll be evaluating the ingredients, the manufacturer’s claims, the smell and texture and how well the product works. I’m choosing products that are marketed to consumers as ‘natural’, ‘organic’ or ‘eco-friendly’.

I’ve spent the last two weeks trying out oil free moisturizers with yummy ingredients like papaya extract, green tea and pomegranate juice. While I’ve been a longtime fan of many of Alba’s products, this was my first time experiencing a Juice Beauty product, and I was eager to do so considering the company’s great reputation for gentle, botanical-based beauty.

Alba Aloe and Green Tea Oil Free Moisturizer

Retail Price: $16.95

Alba says: Certified organic aloe vera, green tea antioxidants and oil-free humectants absorb instantly to replenish essential nutrients and protect skin against dehydration for a soft, healthy, luminous complexion. Light and oil-free, this moisturizer is perfect for all skin types, though it’s especially useful for people who have trouble tolerating heavier moisturizers.

Ingredients: The majority of the ingredients are natural and safe (see the list here). The only one that raises a red flag is phenoxyethanol, which is a moderate hazard, but it is included in the product in very, very tiny amounts (it’s the second to last ingredient listed). This product hasn’t yet been evaluated by Skin Deep, the cosmetic safety database.

Smell & Texture: This moisturizer has a light fragrance – sort of tropical. It’s not noticeable once you apply it. The consistency is thick and creamy, but not too heavy. A little goes a long way; a dime-sized amount will cover your whole face and neck. Surprisingly, it’s very light and seeps right in. After 5 minutes, I can’t even tell I applied anything.

Performance: After the first day, I noticed that I didn’t have any dry, scaly patches. My skin felt soft, but never got oily. After seven days, the texture of my skin appeared slightly softer and I had no remaining dry patches, even late in the day 12 hours after applying it. It didn’t seem to affect my makeup at all compared to its usual performance without moisturizer. I didn’t notice any more breakouts than usual while using it.

Juice Beauty Oil-Free Moisturizer

Retail Price: $28.99

Juice Beauty says: This lightweight organic oil-free moisturizer blends certified organic white grape and pomegranate juice with soothing aloe vera, vitamin antioxidants and nutrient-rich sea algae to hydrate and quench skin’s natural moisture balance for a beautiful matte finish.

Ingredients: Most of the ingredients are lovely botanical essences, but the red flags are the previously mentioned phenoxyethanol along with sodium hydroxide (moderate hazard), limonene (moderate hazard) and linalool (moderate hazard). They’re present in very small amounts, but Skin Deep has given this product a rating of 4 (moderate hazard).

Smell & Texture: It has a light, pleasant apple smell and a very sheer, light consistency – about what you’d expect from an oil-free product. It’s a bit slippery and very easy to apply. One little pump covers the whole face and neck. It does feel bit sticky on the skin. I was very aware that it was there, and that feeling never really went away during the day. I would describe it as a ‘film’.

Performance: After a few hours of normal activity (i.e., sitting in front of the computer mostly) I felt my skin starting to get oily. The next day, the same thing happened – and every day for the rest of the trial. My makeup stayed on beautifully for the first few hours but started to slide off once I got the oily feeling. I didn’t have any dry patches, but did have a whole lot of oil. I didn’t seem to break out any more than normal, though.

AND THE WINNER IS… ding ding ding! Alba Aloe and Green Tea Moisturizer! Cheaper and more effective, and it contains less ‘red flag’ ingredients. Works for me. This stuff has a lot going for it and will be great for those extra scaly days.

I think that the Juice Beauty Oil Free Moisturizer will probably work better for people with combination skin who need more moisture than I do. If your skin borders on dry in some areas, but you’re still prone to breakouts, this might just be the stuff for you.

As far as the ingredients go – you can read Juice Beauty’s claims about the content of their products yourself here. It’s important to realize that conventional beauty products have much higher concentrations of questionable substances in them than those made by companies like Juice Beauty, who have made a commitment to safer ingredients. But, whether or not you consider a ‘moderate hazard’ to be acceptable is for you to decide.

Alba, Eco Beauty, Eco Beauty Cage Match, Juice Beauty, Moisturizer

Beat Breakouts Naturally with Lavender Oil

3 Comments

05/12/08

Lavender isn’t just a pretty, relaxing scent. It’s a great way to manage breakouts without slathering chemicals all over your skin. Many of us have memories of smearing foul-smelling creams on our faces when we were battling breakouts in high school and the kind of stuff we used then isn’t kind to our skin now. Clearasil and other ‘pimple creams’ marketed to teenagers tend to create dry, scaly patches that look even worse than the breakouts did in the first place.

Since it’s antibacterial, lavender oil helps clear up breakouts and prevent them from reoccurring when used regularly. It can also help ease redness and inflammation, reducing the need for camouflage via cakey makeup, which can make the problem worse. Through balancing the oils in the skin and purifying the pores, lavender helps the skin correct the problems that are causing breakouts to occur in the first place.

Most people can use lavender oil ‘neat’ on the skin, meaning it’s not diluted with carrier oils to make it less harsh. If you’ve got really sensitive skin, though, you might want to test a drop on your forearm before applying it to your face. If you experience irritation, try mixing it with grapeseed oil or hazelnut oil, which are both good choices for acne-prone skin.

Lavender oil can also be mixed with witch hazel for use as a toner. Add 4 drops of lavender oil to 4 ounces of witch hazel, keep it in an airtight bottle and apply it with a cotton ball before you go to bed. Stick to the oiliest parts of your face that are most prone to breakouts – avoid sensitive areas like the skin around your eyes and in the creases of your nostrils. The witch hazel will help reduce swelling and redness.

You can also purchase natural skin care products that have lavender oil as a main ingredient, such as the Organic Lavender line by Avalon Organics, which is a good choice for adult acne since it’s geared toward sensitive skin. Just make sure the products you purchase contain actual lavender essence, not synthetic fragrances which don’t have any beneficial effects.

Look for lavender oil in the essential oils section of your local natural health store, or purchase it online.

Beauty, Herbal Remedies, Lavender, Skin Care

Calendula: A Soothing Herbal Remedy for Skin Ailments

11 Comments

05/02/08

Calendula, also called the Pot Marigold, is a beautiful plant for the garden, and its edible blooms are prized for their cheerful beauty. But did you know it can also be used for a variety of health purposes? Calendula Officinalis is a great herbal treatment for all manner of skin ailments including burns, bruises, sprains, rashes, chafing and open wounds.

Calendula is antimicrobial and antiviral, and is generally prepared as an oil or salve for easy application. It’s a great alternative to Neosporin and other petroleum-based wound salves, as it will speed healing and prevent infection. It decreases swelling, kills bacteria, speeds tissue regeneration and prevents scarring. As it’s anti-inflammatory, it can also be used to get relief from itchy, irritating varicose veins.

Many women like to rub Calendula on their growing bellies when they’re pregnant to prevent stretch marks. Another great use is to soothe childbirth-related postpartum pain – you can soak cotton pads with the oil and freeze them for instant relief. Similarly, it can be safely used to treat a baby’s diaper rash naturally and effectively.

You can purchase the herbal oil or salve from an herbal supply company, or make it yourself if you grow the plant in your garden. Herbal oils generally have a base of olive or coconut oil, and salves add beeswax to give them a thicker texture.

It can be applied as massage oil, rubbed on with a cotton ball, or simply smoothed onto the affected area. Calendula is often seen in beauty treatments such as moisturizers and soaps, and its benefits can be received that way as well. It combines well with Comfrey and St. Johns Wort, two other herbal remedies for the skin.

A few great products that include Calendula are Kiss My Face Honey & Calendula Moisturizer, Kiehls Calendula Herbal Extract Alcohol-Free Toner and Weleda Calendula Baby Cream.

Baby, Beauty, Calendula, Herbal Remedies, Skin Care