November 12th, 2009 - Barbara Feiner
Pick up any beauty magazine, and you’ll likely find an article on buying the right hairbrush. Unfortunately, the information is often wrong.
Let’s start with basic physiology. Hair is a fiber—one whose structure and integrity must be protected if you want lush locks. Our follicles produce these fibers, which are composed of hair keratins: fine, tightly packed structures covered by a protective cuticle.
Think of the cuticle as the shingles on a roof, which form a barrier atop the underlying structure, suggests Paradi Mirmirani, MD, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the University of California, San Francisco. When damaged, the cuticle will break apart, exposing those inner fibers. You’re probably familiar with the result: frizzy, flyaway or dull hair.
Choosing the right hairbrush helps you protect the cuticle. While some hairstylists promote boar-bristle brushes (organic and nonorganic) as the best option, Dr. Mirmirani says they’re a bad idea.
“Boar-bristle brushes, which are quite expensive, put a lot of friction on the hair because the bristles come into contact with hair against its natural grain,” she says. “This can cause a considerable amount of damage.”
Dr. Mirmirani recommends using inexpensive plastic brushes with wide-spaced needles. Plastic, however, often contains PVC, so I avoid the animal bristle/plastic problem with my eco-friendly Earth Therapeutics Natural Wooden Pin Brush (see photo, above).
Suggested Reading
Tags: green beauty, hair care
Posted in green beauty | 2 Comments »
September 24th, 2009 - Barbara Feiner
For me, autumn-proofing my skin focuses on the driest parts of my body: feet, elbows and knees.
There’s no need to buy fancy and expensive products to treat these areas, according to Sarah Callard, author of The Little Green Book of Beauty: 250 Tips for an Eco Lifestyle.
“For dry skin, use olive oil, organic if possible,” she writes. “It has excellent moisturizing properties and has been traditionally used as an intensive conditioning and moisturizing treatment for areas prone to dry skin.”
Callard recommends applying it at bedtime so you can wake up with smoother skin.
Also by Sarah Callard
Tags: dry skin, green beauty, Green Living, olive oil, organic remedies, skin care
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September 23rd, 2009 - Barbara Feiner
As summer yields to fall, temperature changes will require you to alter your organic skin-care regimen.
“While the autumn weather may encourage outdoor activities, your skin will retain less moisture because of the cooler, drier air,” says Joshua Fox, MD, founder of Advanced Dermatology in New York and a spokesperson for the American Academy of Dermatology.
“The same happens indoors as the heat goes on and up,” he continues. “Key symptoms of ‘autumn skin’ include dryness, fine lines, dull and sallow skin tone, sun and age spots, flaking and irritation, as well as the flare-up of some chronic conditions.”
There’s no need to completely overhaul your daily routine. Simply make some minor adjustments.
“Three things that everyone should do to protect their skin in the autumn include drinking lots of water to remain hydrated, applying moisturizer before going outside to give it time to be absorbed and, importantly, continuing to use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15.”
Stores like Whole Foods Market have a wide array of natural and organic skin-care lines.
Tags: green beauty, Health, skin care
Posted in Health, green beauty | 1 Comment »
June 15th, 2009 - Barbara Feiner
The mass media have trained us to recoil at the thought of eating dietary fat. In reality, the body requires “good fats” (unsaturated) to do its job. You want to avoid polluting your circulatory system with “bad” fats (saturated and trans fats).
Unsaturated fats provide energy and nourish our skin and hair. They’re also an excellent source of antioxidants like vitamins A, C and E, which slow the aging process.
When we’re deprived of essential fats, our skin can become dry, scaly and wrinkled, according to Apostolos Pappas, PhD, a research chemist with Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products in Skillman, NJ, and coauthor of The Saint Tropez Diet: The Delicious and Healthy Weight Loss Plan Presenting the Best Scientific Principles of the French and Mediterranean Omega-3 Diets.
In his book, Dr. Pappas encourages readers to:
- Eat more foods that contain healthful unsaturated fats, especially omega-3 essential fatty acids.
- Combine them with foods rich in vitamin A.
- Eliminate foods with unhealthful ratios of omega-6 to omega-3 essential fatty acids (This is why I’ve eliminated tilapia from my diet, even though it’s a sustainable fish.)
- Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables to boost consumption of nutrients with antioxidant activity.
As dermatologist Rebecca A. Kazin, MD, pointed out in Winterize Your Skin to Prevent Damage:
When shopping at your local natural and organic food store, remember your skin. Choose foods that are rich in antioxidants, including strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and green tea. Also opt for foods with essential fatty acids, such as salmon, walnuts and canola oil.
Green Beauty Prediction: Expect to see more skin- and body-care products that contain vegetable oils and fruit extracts to treat and prevent dryness.
5 Salmon Recipes
- Maple Wasabi Glazed Salmon
- Spring Thyme Salmon
- Salmon Niçoise Salad
- Salmon Burgers With Dill Sauce
- Slow-Roasted Copper River Salmon With Organic Fava Bean Sauce
Tags: green beauty, Health, Organic Food
Posted in Health, Organic Food, green beauty | 3 Comments »
January 12th, 2009 - Leslie Billera
 Organic Beauty Magazine Rona Berg, the new editor-in-chief of the just-launched Organic Beauty magazine wants to help you live green – and look great doing it.
A one-time beauty editor of the New York Times Magazine and former editorial director of Elle, she says that “going green is no longer just a trend, it’s a lifestyle.” As for her fresh-faced new mag, she says it will “provide a smart, sophisticated resource for women who want to cut through the confusion and find more natural alternatives.”
Editorial coverage in every issue will include some of OrganicAuthority.com’s favorite topics, including natural and organic skin, hair, nail and oral-care products; organic foods, herbs, supplements, elixirs and fitness strategies; natural alternatives to cosmetic surgery and injectables; sustainable beauty, fashion and style trends, as well as beauty bargains, up-to-the-minute news and breakthroughs.
Via: Ecorazzi
Tags: green beauty, magazine, organic beauty, sustainable beauty
Posted in Green Living, Health, Organic, green beauty | 2 Comments »
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