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

Eco-Beauty Consultant Jessa Blade's Recommendations for Dry Winter Skin

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by Danelle Brown · 01/28/09

During Eco-Chick’s 3rd birthday party last month, I had the chance to meet eco-beauty consultant and make-up artist, Jessa Blades.

Jessa is the founder of Blades Natural Beauty and is a vessel of information regarding all things organic beauty and skincare.  Shortly after learning about the breast cancer and body lotion connection, I had noticed I was almost out of face moisturizer. I had been sampling various brands over the last few months, and since old man winter has stepped up his game, I realized I needed to try a different moisture rich face cream. I contacted Jessa to ask for her expert opinion on the best eco & body friendly facial moisturizers out there for the winter season. Here recommendations are a perfect follow up to my body lotion post last week. 

Mod.Skin Créme Nutri-functional #1 $48.00

This rich and lightly scented cream can either be used during the day or night use. It leaves a moisturized glisten to the skin without feeling heavy. It can be used for all skin types.(Can purchase on-line, specialty beauty stores/section or pick it up at Whole Foods)

Dr. Hauschka Toned Day Cream $39.95

This is Jessa’s favorite. It is a tinted moisturizer that contains therapeutic oils which reduce the appearance of irritation and irregular skin tones for a variety of complexions. It is ideal for normal skin types, but can also be used over-top of a moisturizer in the winter for extra dry skin. Plus, it has a great scent. (Can purchase on-line, specialty beauty stores/section or pick it up at Whole Foods)

Aubrey Organics $16.28

These facial moisturizers come in 5 different varieties according to skin type. The products are available at a wide variety of stores and being that the company was founded in 1967, their heritage is respected within the industry. (Can purchase on-line, at major retailers or pick it up at Whole Foods)

Lip & Skin Balm by makeup artist Rose-Marie Swift $30

Another one of Jessa’s favorite is this dual balm. You can use it on your lips, face or apply it around the eyes at night time. The balm hydrates and protects the skin with food grade, biologically active ingredients and comes in either-Simply Vanilla or Simply Cacao.

Beauty, Body Lotion, book, breast cancer, Cancer, car, Eco-Chick, Food, lotion, makeup, Moisturizer, Natural Beauty, oil, oils, opinion, Organic, organic beauty, party, rape, reduce, skin, skincare

Top 5 Fave Natural Beauty Products for Winter

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by Stephanie Rogers · 01/23/09

During the winter, I use more products than at any other time of year out of pure necessity. In order to avoid dry, scaly skin and lips, I do a lot of scrubbing and moisturizing. This winter, I became even more of a purist (or what some may call a control freak) than ever in terms of the ingredients of the products I’m using – I wanted them all to be super simple, healthy and natural. These 5 products didn’t just live up to my expectations, they were so great I just had to spread the word about them.

Vintage Body Spa Ginger Cardamom Cream Body Bar – This ultra-moisturizing body butter smells absolutely heavenly and it was the only thing that has managed to keep the soles of my feet soft and smooth.  Cocoa butter, shea butter, mango butter, jojoba oil, and sweet almond oil lightly scented with clove, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, orange and mint.

Mountain Rose Herbs Restorative Skin Oil – For the rest of my body, especially my hands, elbows and legs, this moisturizing and healing skin oil has kept dryness and that unpleasant itchy, tight feeling at bay. Organic calendula oil, rosehip seed oil, vitamin E and a blend of essential oils including Neroli and Helichrysium.

Aubrey Organics Blue Green Algae Rescue Conditioning Mask – Finally, a vegan protein treatment for hair that really works. Aubrey Organics combines blue-green algae and red algae extract with coconut, shea butter, aloe, and lavender water in a deep hair treatment that keeps my hair glossy and healthy looking despite harsh winds and drying indoor heat.

Josie Maran Lipstick in Rumi Joon – This might just be the ultimate flattering nude lipstick shade for practically every skin tone. It’s also ultra-moisturizing, long lasting and free of toxic ingredients, petrochemicals, parabens and artificial fragrances. The tube is recyclable, too.

DIY Brown Sugar Body Scrub – This exfoliating and moisturizing body scrub is so decadent yet incredibly easy to make with stuff you’ve probably already got in your pantry. I scoop about 4 tablespoons of coconut oil into a microwaveable container, nuke it just until it softens and mix in ¼ cup of brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of honey and ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract. You could literally eat it (and I can attest that it tastes fantastic) and the brown sugar helps to gently buff away scaly skin.

bath, Beauty, beauty products, Calendula, car, Coconut Oil, cosmetics, DIY, Eco-Chick, essential oils, Hair, health, Josie Maran, Lavender, Moisturizer, mom, Natural Beauty, nude, oil, oils, Organic, rum, skin, spa, sugar, Tea, vegan, vintage, water

The Breast Cancer and Lotion Connection

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by Danelle Brown · 01/07/09

During a breast cancer symposium in San Antonio, investigators reported that women are dosing themselves in extra estrogen without even knowing it. Why is this of concern you ask? Well, when estrogen is absorbed through the skin, it is recognized as a higher more efficient concentration than that of oral digestion. Excess estrogen levels can lead to breast cancer and worsen existing cases.

The team at Breastlink conducted a study where they tested 16 common body lotions for estrogen-like compounds. Though none of the lotions/moisturizers listed estrogen in their ingredients, 6 samples revealed that they contained estrogen-like compounds. Unfortunately, none of those brands were released yet.

If you read my The Green Doula post on the pro’s and cons of essential oils for pregnancy and childcare, you may be thinking like I am. I pointed out how certain lavender strains’ effect  infant pre-adolescence boys’ hormonal levels and growth.  Maybe those brands tested in this study contained a lavender fragrant scent. Lavender has an adequate level of estrogen. ( Using too much lavender on a constant basis, especially if it is not harvested in a sustainable matter, can through off hormonal balances in pre-adolescence. Has there been enough investigation as to its effects on adult women? I am sure we will be hearing more from this investigation soon.

In the meantime, you can use simple body moisturizers such as Sunflower, Almond or Olive oil. Yes, these food items are nutrients for your skin. If you are used to buying your moisturizers from places other than a food store, check out these products:

Premium $57:

(Can purchase on-line or pick it up at Whole Foods)

 
Checkout this Morrocan Rose Otto Oil from Ren. Rose Otto Rose Otto is known to be purifying and regulating to the female reproductive system. It regulates hormones and strengthens the uterus.  It is great for all types of skin.

Mid-tier $18:

(Can purchase on-line, at the Carol’s Daughter’s Store or Sephora)

Almond Cookie Butter from Carol’s daughter is a yummy delicious body butter made free of Paraben, mineral oil, petroleum, and artificial color. It contains shea and cocoa butter, jojoba and sweet almond oil and is ideal for dry skin.

Economical $9.99:

(Can purchase on line, a convenience store or Target)

Check out Giovanni’s Grapefruit Sky Lotion. For those of you who prefer lotions to oils and butters, this organic lotion has a gentle blend of hydrating cold-pressed essential oils.

Beauty, Cancer, skin

Bring It Back! Beauty Sleep Saves Money, Energy

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by Starre Vartan · 12/09/08

Strength doesn’t lie in numbers, strength doesn’t lie in wealth, strength lies in nights of peaceful slumbers so when you wake up, WAKE UP!

-Maria von Trapp, The Sound of Music

As a blogger, author, editor, ecofashion stylist and all-around creative person, I fit the late-riser stereotype. I find it almost impossible to get out of bed before 9am (usually not until 10), because, simply, the kind of thinking needed for the work I do never happens before noon. So what’s the use in being up?

But there is another reason for late slumbering. It’s because I aim to get around nine hours of sleep a night. Which seems to be an extremely shocking thing among almost everyone I’m even vaguely acquainted with when I mention it (the greatest shock always comes from my Manhattan-based friends and colleagues, unsurprisingly).

Considering that I’m known as a super-productive person, anyone who knows me realizes that my sleep schedule has nothing to do with laziness. Instead people are usually overtly envious, covertly jealous, disbelieving, or worst, think I’m terribly overindulgent. The ‘recommended’ 7-8 hours is, frankly, just not enough sleep for me. I’ve always slept a lot, and prefer a solid 9 hours (10-11 on weekends). Every body is different, of course- some people only NEED 5-6 hours a night, and bully for them. But for the rest of us, regular good rest comes infrequently, and not at all, and is, indeed, a badge of honor.

When the hell did it become a luxury to get a good night’s rest regularly? When I sleep my average of 60 hours a week, I am much more productive, have fewer mood swings (or at least am much less grumpy), catch fewer colds, AND use less energy. More time in bed, with house temps low, not using the computer, lights and phone mean energy savings- so sleeping in is green! Imagine all the energy we would save if Americans stayed in bed 30 minutes or an hour longer every day.

And even while most people would agree with the idea that we should all get more sleep, the idea that it’s generally healthier to get a good night’s rest is dismissed as some kind of old-fashioned idea.

I say, bring back Beauty Sleep! There is a strong, science-suppported connection between good skin and being well-rested. Good rest allows skin to repair itself naturally, rather than spending money and energy on Botox or plastic surgery. (Yes, I do have fewer wrinkles than most of my contemporaries, so there). And if you use fancy night creams, they only work when you’re getting proper rest, so don’t waste them by slapping them on and then sitting in front of the TV all night.

So how do I do it? I’m committed to sleeping (doesn’t hurt that I really enjoy it; some people don’t, which I’ve never understood), and cultivate my dreaming states. I keep a toxin-free, quiet bedroom free of electronics, and only sleep or read in bed- no email, no chatting on the phone, no eating! My bed and bedding is made of organic, natural materials (I prefer feather pillow and down comforters, organic cotton sheets and wool throws, but I’m not allergic to any of these materials, which might not work for everyone). I keep my bedroom very cool in the winter (about 55-58 degrees), air out the room at least once every two days (a fresh air flush every day is ideal) and keep the only air purifier I’ve invested in there.

Friends and family know better than to wake me early unless it’s an emergency. I don’t have kids, which obviously helps a lot- but I’ve also noticed many of my friends keeping their munchkins up much, much later than I was ever allowed, which is not going to cultivate good sleeping habits for them in the future AND cuts into parental sleeping (and nookie) time.

I was raised by my old-school rules grandma, which meant I was in bed by 7:30 each night, whether there was light in the sky or not, until I was about 8 years old. She then had the rest of the evening to herself and my grandpa, and I cemented great sleeping habits when I was very young.

Sleep is the foundation of each and every day, a secret to basic and sustained health, to recovering from the aging affects of life, to figuring out your psychological demons (our brains don’t sleep the way our bodies do, and REM sleep is the time when solutions to problems- personal, emotional, work-related, are figured out). Best yet? We get all these benefits for FREE! Sleeping doesn’t cost a darn thing, so stop reading Internet stories all night and get some rest.

Beauty, Natural Beauty, Skin Care, sleep

Dr. Alkaitis: Therapeutic Skin Food

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by Kimberly Jordan Allen · 11/17/08

The theory behind the Dr. Alkaitis skin care line is that taking good care of our skin is not just a matter of beauty, but of health and well-being. Alkaitis also believes that whatever we put on our skin, we should be able to ingest, so all of his products are biologically active and free from any synthetic materials.

Alkaitis, a highly regarded research scientist, specializes in the fields of molecular biology, ethnopharmacology (the study of traditional ways of healing with plants), and organics. The company uses 100% pure aloe vera, long revered for its healing properties, as the product base as opposed to water, and all botanicals are ethically wild-crafted. Everything is made in-house, unlike many other brands, and the company is family-owned and operated.

Wedding science and Mother Nature, the line has been praised by many, including men. After two weeks my skin is glowing. I have used many different skin care lines, and have never had people actually comment about my skin and how good it looks as they have after following this regimen. The soothing gel and nourishing oil are both very hydrating during these colder months. The prices are a bit steep, but one only needs to use a very small amount of product and each container lasts up to two months.

bath, Beauty, Organic, skin