Rethink Your Skin Care Routine :: Beauty

Rethink Your Skin Care Routine
by author Erin Kobayashi

Just like your body and the foods you put in it, your skin absorbs up to 64 percent of what you put on it. Putting your largest organ on a nutritious, organic, and natural skin care diet helps to prevent the absorption of toxins through your skin.

Smell as Sweet

Fragrance often dictates your choice of skin cleansers, soaps, and shower gels. But botanical and organic ingredients are just as important as scent. Choose gentle cleansers containing organic essential oils that are free of synthetic fragrances and drying emulsifiers. Avoid sodium laureth sulphate, a drying detergent that adds a foaming effect, and little else, to cleansers. Weleda’s aroma-therapeutic Wild Rose Cleansing Lotion gets its sweet scent from its organic rose ingredients.

Dos and Don’ts

There are definite dos to obtaining a dewy youthful complexion with serums and moisturizers. Washing can dry your skin and strip it of its natural oils. To combat this, rehydrate skin with petroleum-free oils. Steer clear of mineral oils, a cheap petroleum byproduct. Instead, try John Masters Organics Pomegranate Facial Nourishing Oil, which has a blend of 12 certified organic plant and essential oils. Although products containing certified organic ingredients are marginally pricier, paying your dues today will result in healthier, hydrated skin well beyond tomorrow.

From Outer Layer to Ozone Layer

Choose an ethical skincare line that is cruelty-free, environmentally safe, and biodegradable. Vegan-friendly brand Earth Science offers Apricot Gentle Facial Scrub that delicately removes impurities with a paraben-free, biodegradable formula that makes earth-friendly skincare a breeze.

Lip and Social Service

PeaceKeeper Cause-Metics’ Eco-Sensual Balm is made of certified organic ingredients such as skin-smoothing jojoba oil and virgin olive oil. PeaceKeeper donates its after-tax distributable profits to women’s health advocacy and human rights issues.

Eco Lips’ Eco Tints line offers three natural shades of lip moisturizer with a base of organic beeswax and aloe vera. A corporate do-gooder, Eco Lips donates one percent of its profits to nonprofit environmental initiatives.

Follow a natural, organic skincare routine to notice a change in your skin within 28 days–the time it takes skin to renew itself.

Pangea Organics Japanese Matcha Tea with Acai & Goji Berry Facial Mask
Refines and soothes pores

Suki Velvet Facial Creme
Controls excess oil while moisturizing dry areas

Aubrey Organics Rosa Mosqueta Rose Hip Seed Oil
Rehydrates and retains texture and tone

Burt’s Bees Peach & Willowbark Deep Pore Scrub
Clears pores and evens tone

Lavera Sun Block SPF 30 Neutral
Nurtures and cools while SPF creme protects

Avalon Organics CoQ10 Wrinkle Defense Serum
Smooths and tightens mature skin

Kiss My Face Break Out Botanical Acne Gel
Controls breakouts and inflammation

Erin Kobayashi is a Toronto-based journalist who writes the â€œEco Logicâ€ column in the Toronto Star and the â€œEverything Mattersâ€ column in Good Life Living Green magazine.

Source: alive #311, September 2008

Stories Skin Can Tell
Some of us might blame our bathroom lighting for the dark circles under our eyes and our pale faces. But eczema, psoriasis, blemishes, blackheads, acne and scarring can't be so easily dismissed.

Papaya Skin Care
And you thought this beautiful tropical fruit was just for eating! Perk up your skin and eliminate the day's worries with papaya. It's beneficial for skin care and repair.

The Spa Tree
Is your holiday gift list challenging? Why not treat everyone on your list to a little home spa decadence. Pick one or more of the products on the tree to give to your loved and dear ones-and wait for the "oooos and ahaaas" of appreciation.

Look Good While Fighting Cancer
Cancer occurs when the immune system is down and normal protective measures are insufficient. Cells within the body are defective or damaged. Most cases of cancer are preventable.

Banish Bumpy Thighs
Around this time of year many women are pulling their bathing suits out of winter storage and standing in front of the mirror to examine their thighs for the dreaded cellulit.

See Ya Later Alligator
Beautiful soft skin starts with good nutrition. That means a healthy diet of whole, (not processed) foods and lots of fresh vegetables, fruits, grains and beans.

Simple Steps to Beautiful Skin
Healthy skin glows from within! It's a product of proper nutrition--a whole food diet with a strong emphasis on raw fruit and vegetables. But don't stop at diet! A three-step routine of cleansing, toning and moisturizing twice a day also plays a vital role.

Beauty Treatments in a Travel Pouch
Keep it simple. That's the key to skin care when travelling. Bear in mind that when travelling, your skin may be exposed to heat, sun, salt water and humidity. All have an impact on your skin and hair, even over a short period of time.

Want the Buzz on Bee-Autiful Skin Care?
Isn't Mother Nature grand? Consider, for instance, the miracle of the common North American honeybee (Apis mellifera). This productive creature accomplishes more in its brief lifespan of a few months than you and I are likely to accomplish in the same number of years.

Nutrients for Nourished Skin
If you eat well to feel good, you'll be happy to learn that the benefits of a balanced diet are also visible in the mirror! Skin requires a variety of vitamins and nutrients to keep it healthy, glowing and youthfu.

Edible Summer Beauty
Who can resist the rainbow array of summer fruits at the market? Rich pink watermelon and raspberries, shiny bright oranges, polished yellow lemons, plump green grapes and sapphire blueberries--in this time of artificially taste-enhanced foods, it .

Basic Beauty Essentials
Hair, Skin, Nails and More It's a big day tomorrow--a job interview, a date, a friend's wedding, your wedding--and you're relaxing for the evening.

Skin
Your skin is amazing. It protects your body against injury and infections, helps maintain your body temperature, prevents dehydration and even acts as a storehouse for nutrients and water.

Give Your Skin the Brush Off!
Beautiful skin reflects our overall health and general well-being--and rightly so. The skin is the largest organ of the human body, renewing some of its cells every 24 hours.

Universal Skin Care
Most people are born with good, healthy skin, so why-for the majority of us-is skin care confusing and frustrating? It's easy to become confused by the concept of "skin types.

The Young and the Wrinkleless
Proper skin care should start at an early age.

Five Skin-Care Myths and Miracles
Sunscreens give a false sense of security. Designed to block sunrays for short periods of time to prevent burning, they cannot extend the duration of your exposure to the sun. Protecting the skin from burns inflicted by the sun takes more than just sunscreen.

Beautiful Beginnings
In the months ahead, resolve to give some thought to your skin and your beauty routin.

Homeopathy and Skin Problems
My daughter comes bounding in, friend in tow, and I'm called on to help remedy an insufferable skin ras.

Beautiful Skin-Injection-Free
Many fashion trends come and go over the years but have you heard of the latest trend-cocktail botox parties? People go to a party and pay hundreds of dollars to have botulinum toxin injected into their faces.

Complexion Perfection
Wouldn't it be great if solving skin dilemmas was as simple as slapping on a fancy face cream or visiting a swanky spa? Too often people resort to expensive, superficial skin treatments without considering the underlying cause of their beauty concerns..

Natural Beauty
Do you ever wonder how celebrities get their skin so smooth, flawless, and wrinkle-free? Do you wonder what beauty treatments might help you achieve that same youthful glow? Well, truth be told, no beauty treatment can be truly successful without a good bas.

Reduce Cellulite Naturally
I have always been jealous of my friend, who is naturally petite, eats all she wants, and never seems to gain a pound. But despite how skinny she is, she still complains of cellulite.

Mesotherapy
When dimples start appearing in the wrong set of cheeks, a new alternative therapy called mesotherapy might be the perfect answer. Mesotherapy is the newest cellulite solution in cosmetic and aesthetic medical circles. But what's it all about?

Cultivating Beauty
We're surrounded by the pinks, yellows, and fragrant purples of summertime - and much of this comes courtesy of a green thumb. Unfortunately, that thumb might eventually sport a painful and unsightly callus or two.

Essential Oils
Since ancient times, people have used the quintessence of plants to optimize their health, and they have done so with the help of essential oils, which are concentrated aromatic liquids extracted from various species of plants, flowers, leaves, grasses, fruits, roots, and trees.

Help Yourself Soothe Your Soles
Your pretty painted toenails match your new spring sandals, but the rear view of your foot doesn't look so appealing. Footwear can be serious fun for many women, but dry cracked heels may spoil the joy. Those discoloured and dry heels can be unsightly, uncomfortable, and even painful.

Expose Your Natural Beauty with Exfoliants
Dermatologists and cosmeticians agree (and they rarely agree) that exfoliation should be part of a beauty regimen for your skin. Exfoliation removes old dead skin cells from Irface of the skin.

All Aglow
From sunburn to psoriasis, acne to eczema, inflammation is often the common thread in most skin conditions. As nutritional medicine advances, it is becoming increasingly clear that a diet that includes omega-3 fatty acids from fish can influence inflammation and promote healthy skin.

Skin Care 101
Judging by the ads we see on television, you might think you need a Master's degree in chemistry to choose quality skin care products. While earning the degree is a fabulous accomplishment, proper skin care isn't that complicated.

Healthy Skin
A multitude of skin problems, including eczema, acne, dermatitis (inflammatory conditions of the skin), hives (raised blotchy welts) and rashes have been linked to deficiencies in vitamins and minerals.

Living Beauty
The notion that "beauty is only skin deep may no longer hold true. In the new "Living Beauty, nutrition consultant and Canadian health advocate Lisa Petty points out a surprising number of ways that our external appearance can provide insight to the state of our inner health. Simply put: with health, comes beauty.

The Natural Makeover Diet
Our faces don't lie. You can determine the state of a woman's health simply by looking at her skin, hair, and nails. Try as we might, no amount or makeup will work to change those suitcases under our eyes or the alligator skin on our hands.

Cannabis Cosmetics
Hempseed (Cannabis sativa L.) is one of the healthiest, nontoxic, and abundant sources of oil. Beauty products made from organic, cold-pressed hempseed oil are great for skin, scalp, nails, and hair because they are an excellent source of the essential fatty acids (EFAs) omega-3 and omega-6.

Maintaining that Manly Mug
Men have come a long way since the days of shaving with a cutthroat razor and bar soap. Today when the average male selects his personal care products, he knows what he is expecting from them. Here is a look at some natural personal care products including moisturizers, shave cremes, aftershave lotions, and sunscreens.

Beauty Without Injections
In their search for quick fixes to defy the signs of aging, many people turn to facial injections. The injected substances can include anything from a protein produced by the same bacteria that causes botulism, to fat, collagen, and even silicone to fill in wrinkles.

Topical Antioxidants
Skin performs many important physiological functions and is extremely susceptible to free-radical damage. To function optimally and stay healthy, your skin needs nourishing with antioxidants from the inside and outside. For our overall health, we need supplements in addition to a healthy diet. But for the health of our skin, internal nourishment is not enough: topical antioxidants are essential.

Don't Crack Under Pressure
While hiding under layers of clothing might take the bite out of winter, the dry air that comes with cold weather and the heat of the furnace can cause a different pain-in the form of dehydrated, itchy skin. Luckily, you can beat Jack Frost at his game.

Healthy Glow Food Sources
Vitamin A--fish liver oil, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables, dark green leafy vegetables

Vitamin B complex--bran, blackstrap molasses, brown rice, b.

Cellulite Solutions

Refined Starches Behind Pimple Problem

Duct Tape Banishes Warts

MMA Alert!

Nature's Own Skin-care Technology

Cut Long Hair for a Cause

DBP and birth defects

Natural sunscreens

Derma E®
You're looking for healthy beauty products. Would you choose an expensive fancy jar containing seven-syllable ingredients promising overnight beauty, or would you rather trust a natural product that incorporates antioxidants, vitamins, and herbal remedies to produce therapeutic results?

Refresh Your Flesh

Skin Detoxifying Juice

Face Cleansing Juice

Hold on...to Your Hair!

Make Moisturizers Your Best Friends

Slough It Off
Mother Nature knew her stuff when she designed cell replacement. Skin cells created in the dermis layer push up to replace old cells on the skin's surface, causing the dead cells to flake off or exfoliate. This is nature's way of replenishing the skin.

Au Naturel?
There's nothing more refreshing than the nighttime ritual of removing the grime, stale makeup, and leftover traces of the day from your face and body. Your bid to freshen up, however, could leave you with more than dirt on your skin if your cleansing products aren't natural.

Cold Sores
Ouch! You've got a tingling, itching, or burning sensation around your lips that can mean only one thing: your skin is about to erupt in an unsightly cold sore. Here's what to do.

A Close Shave
Over his lifetime, the average man spends 9,000 hours shaving. Shaving creme and aftershave were designed to make the process easier and more pleasurable, but conventional products may be doing more harm than good.

The Perfect Spaaah!
There are thousands of spas across Canada. Every year millions of people flock to these havens for a little pampering. But how do you go about choosing the one best suited for your needs? With some guidance, the choices won't be overwhelming.

Unwrap Your Beauty
All that glistens this time of year isn't necessarily found under the tree or on a holiday table. Even with your busy schedule, your skin can also sparkle if you try these three easy beauty tips.

Face Winter Head On
We do a lot of things to prepare for the winter months-install storm windows, mount the car's snow tires, dig out the snow shovel. Why not extend that same care to your skin?

Your New Beau-Tea Secret
Green tea is best known as a healthy drink, a wise alternative to coffee, and a superb choice for the daily dieter. You know it as a "power tea.

Under the Spell
In the rush of daily life, the ritual of the spa flourishes. A distinctive trend toward using local natural resources makes falling under the spell of the spa even more magical. These four enchanting spa treatments will soothe, cleanse, rejuvenate, and beautify you.

Expose Yourself
After hiding in wool and dark colours all winter, it's almost time to break out the pastels, slide into shorts, and pop on a T-shirt.

Deeper Beauty
If you're like most women, you have a cabinet full of squeeze bottles and pump-tops whose contents attempt to mimic an ocean breeze or a vast field of lavender. Are all those different kinds of lotions really necessary, or will one type fit all your needs?

Do-It-Yourself Spa
While nothing beats spending a day at the spa, sometimes it involves a little too much spending-straining the pocketbook and leaving you more stressed than when you arrived. Instead, try these affordable homemade spa treatments.

Bathing Beauly
Lather up with these aromatherapeutic and healing bath time benefits.

Jojoba
The cosmetic properties of jojoba (pronounced ho-ho-ba) are amazing. Jojoba can bring body and shine to dull, lifeless hair. It's also great for skin care, offering simple, speedy, and surprising results.

Diet for Clear & Glowing Skin
In recent years it has become clear that lifestyle factors are playing an underappreciated role in the day-to-day maintenance of healthy skin, as well as the long-term prevention of the visible signs of aging.

Twinkle toes
Winter is a thing of the past and the promise of rising temperatures makes me want to throw off my socks and bare it all. I can't wait to feel the breeze caressing my soft feet and the warm sun kissing my shiny toes.

Give Dry Skin the Brush Off
Dry brushing helps the body detoxify by removing excess dead cells that hinder our natural ability to eliminate waste through the skin.