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

Suds Up With These Healthy Soaps!

I’ve romanticized the idea of making my own all-natural soaps for a while now, even giving them out as gifts, but the problem is that I can’t seem to find the time to do it! Making our own cleansing products after work probably isn’t going to happen for most of us.

But you can’t just grab just any old soap off the shelf either. The majority of the soaps and body washes you see perusing the personal care isles don’t seem to give a hoot about your health. They’re laced with synthetic lathering agents, artificial colors, and harsh chemicals which bioaccumlate in our bodies. The chemicals get stored in our fat, and when there is enough accumulations of toxins in the body, illness can occur.

Our skin is the largest organ of the body, and it’s both porous and absorbent. What we’re sudsing ourselves up with every day matters.  What we put on our body, is as import as what we put in it.

When I was little girl, my Mother would encourage me to wash up while having fun in the bathtub by telling me to make myself into a soapy snowman. I know, it sounds strange but, it’s a fond memory. Now you can lather up and have some fun, even make yourself into a soapy snowgirl if you wish, with these healthy soaps that will leave you feeling so fresh and so clean.

Wembe’s Cleansing Blend for body, face and hands. My favorite is the mango (above), but you can choose from several different blends.

 

 

I wash my face with Dr. Bronner’s Tea Tree Liquid Soap. (Just three drops will do the trick!)

 

 

Wembe’s Loofah Acai exfoliating bar is a dream come true for your skin. The loofah comes from a plant that looks similar to a zucchini, and this bar will help remove dead skin cells and stimulate blood circulation.

 

 

 

 

Right now I have Ecover’s hand soap next to my kitchen and bathroom sinks!

 

I use this cute L’Occitane’s soap dish in my bathroom to hold my favorite soaps!

Kristen Bell and The Nature Conservancy Parter with Neutrogena Naturals to Advocate for Water Protection

(credit – Nature Conservancy site)

1 pair of jeans is the equivalent of 2,000 gallons of water. 1 glass of beer is the equivalent of 20 gallons of water. 1 steak is the equivalent of 1,000 gallons of water. If those statistics don’t put things into perspective for us I don’t know what will.

It makes the dire situation of potential water loss scary when it’s laid out in such plain language. And it should. It should make us all a little bit nervous, a little bit more willing to educate ourselves, something that Neutrogena Naturals ambassador Kristen Bell advocates.

(credit – Neutrogena Naturals site)

When I attended the Neutrogena Naturals Event this past Monday I entered the room and three life size posters stared me in the face depicting the statistics above. I knew I wanted to learn more, and not just about our current situation, but about how we can all educate ourselves better and take preventative measures. Lucky for us the Nature Conservancy has done just that.

The Conservancy has partnered up with Neutrogena to create Neutrogena’s Natural line, a line of products minus the bad chemicals with all the stuff that keeps our skin clean. Actress Kristen Bell uses the products herself and even makes it a point to mention that just because the products don’t have the chemicals in them doesn’t mean they don’t work. In fact, she says they work better!

Watch this video to educate yourself! 

Radiant Natural Beauty with Jessa Blades and Greta Eagan

Jessa Blades of Blades Natural Beauty makes up Greta Eagan
Photo by Clemens Kois

When natural beauty makeup artist Jessa Blades and eco fashionista Greta Eagan recently got together for an Eco-Chick style photo shoot, the theme of the day was radiance. Jessa, who is passionate about promoting beauty that is connected to health, aims to help women look and experience their most vital selves.

Jessa Blades
Photo by Clement Kois

Not only does she offer an amazing expertise on cosmetic safety, but her stellar makeup artistry is convincing women of all ages—from savy fashion clients to impressionable teens—that natural beauty products should absolutely be the norm.

Blades Natural Beauty
Photo by Clemens Kois
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Eco Chick Giveaway: Pamper yourself with a Spa Night from Pure Habitat

Amy Ludwigson lives green and wants to share it with the world. To that end, she founded a resourceful new site, Pure Habitat. “I just launched Pure Habitat as a way to make it easier to shop from all the amazing companies that are committed to making the world a better place. From organic personal care products to eco jewelry and home décor we have everything you need to live consciously,” says Amy.

To celebrate Pure Habitat‘s launch, one lucky Eco Chick reader will a set of Amy’s favorite home spa goods from the site!

And EVERYONE can get 10% off their next purchase using the code ecochick2010 when you order.

To win: Leave a comment on something that makes you absolutely happy. When you fill in the comment field, it will ask for you email address. This is the address I will use to contact the winner, so use a real email.

Deets and Promises: Eco Chick does not sell, lease or lend any email addresses we collect. There will be one winner of the spa package. Giveaway ends Monday, Septmber 20th at Midnight EST. Good luck!

The Giveaway:

Amadine Oil from Arghand:

This oil is beautiful in the bath or for massage. It is handcrafted in Afghanistan by a coop that is helping to liberate people from their dependence on opium. All ingredients are pure and sourced from fruits and botanicals around Kandahar.

Girl Bath Salts by Buddha Nose:

This product is one of the items I would take if I were going be stranded on a deserted island. I love it that much. It soothes the mind and the best part – the salts really do help ease cramping. It’s seriously amazing.

PeaceKeeper Natural Nail Polish:

This nail polish has been rated by the Environmental Working Group as one of the safest natural nail polishes on the market. They give all their after tax profits to women’s health advocacy and urgent human rights issues.
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Summer Skin: Smooth and Gorgeous, Naturally

Don’t let summer get you melted and messy; try some natural skin care to enhance what you’ve got and keep it simple. Nature’s Basin is a new online store for natural and organic skin care products and makeup; here’s what Kendra Smith of the site recommends for the steamy months.

Wear sunscreen: It’s the number one skin care tip all year round, but especially in summer. Even with all the recent hubbub about people being deficient in Vitamin D (which the body synthesizes with sun exposure) sunscreen is essential protection. Since there are concerns about many synthetic sunscreen ingredients as well as mineral ingredients that have been broken down into nano particles, go for a mineral brand that doesn’t contain nano-ized ingredients, like SPF 30 Sunscreen from Soleo Organics.

Fake it, don’t bake it with bronzer. A mineral powder tinted to color skin like the sun instantly wakes up the face and makes you look “done” with little effort. Apply it in double C shapes on each side of the face, from the forehead around the eye to the cheekbone, and then down and around again to the jawline. You can follow up with a bit applied to the nose, if you like, since this replicates how sun falls naturally on the face. Add blush to the apples of the cheeks to complete the look. We like Christopher Drummond Natural Makeup Bronzing Powder.

Switch to lighter daily moisturizers and makeup. Increased sweat in the summer heat can make for skin that’s more supple and moist than in winter, but sometimes more clogged and dirty as well. Lighter makeup and daily moisturizer can help skin keep its natural balance. Trade foundation for a tinted moisturizer, like Suki Tinted Active Moisturizer, and be sure to keep up with your cleansing regimen.

On the other hand, continue to use the super-emollient hand and foot creams you employed to keep your skin soft in winter. Because your hands and feet are more exposed now that summer’s here, extra-moisturizing creams will keep them looking pretty. Exfoliate hands and feet first to get them ready to receive the moisture (extra dead skin can get in the way). Products to try: Weleda Birch Body Scrub or Suzanne Aux Bains Gentle Body Scrub, Weleda Organic Foot Balm, and Suzanne Aux Bains Nourishing Hand Cream.