Since the word "natural" has become as ubiquitous as it is mishandled (ahem, euphemism...) in a sea of unregulated beauty products, it's up to us – the savvy consumers – to do our own homework. And certainly to never fall into the trap of equating something that's touted as natural to have any organic ingredients (or more than one or two natural ingredients for that matter).

When it comes to transforming your natural – albeit drab – locks into unnatural – albeit gorgeous – shades of rich flowing color, be wary of companies that advertise "natural" on their boxes, for the process is anything but.

The day has had her way with you: the seemingly endless parade of rubbernecking, power tripping, inconsiderate and needy people to have crossed your path has left you feeling cold, stiff, negative and wound up like a toy soldier. Well, I've done the research personally, as have many before me, and nothing soothes the soul like a warm, nurturing bath. Pampering yourself with one of these homemade, DIY bath recipes will remind you; one very important person loves and cares for you, ultimately the only one who matters.

Forget the apple; an avocado a day will really keep the doctor away. Nutritionally speaking, avocados are rife with monounsaturated fat – the kind of fat that helps lower LDL (bad) and helps increase HDL (good) cholesterol. Prevention Magazine’s Flat Belly Diet names the avocado as one of the five all-star fats you should incorporate into your diet (yes, for a flat stomach!), providing nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid. They also help the body absorb nutrients, such as alpha and beta-carotene and lutein, in foods that are eaten in tandem. So, yes, go for the guac, but perhaps it's time to put the avocado on the pedestal it deserves and incorporate into your daily life in a myriad of ways (as I wouldn't eat guac every day...). Here are five ways to use an awesome avocado.

Okay, so maybe sprinkles won't exactly do the trick, but when it comes to unsightly, painful and just downright annoying canker sores of the mouth, they're not too far off. Kitchen cabinets just might hold the key - or the spice rack anyhow - to a natural treatment for home remedying these oral interruptions. 

Sure, we can thank Rachael Ray for the now ubiquitous “EVOO” (extra virgin olive oil) dub. But it was Athena herself, the Greek goddess of wisdom, with whom the olive originated. It was her gift to the people in hopes of winning Greece’s greatest city, and alas, Athens was born. Her offering of the olive tree, providing shade, oil and a little round fruit (yes, olives are fruit) wooed the ancient Greeks, and continues to create culinary bliss thousands of years later.

I’m proselytizing that papaya often falls by the wayside in favor of its yellower, tropical counterpart - the mango - purely from lack of promotion, though I’d be remiss not to mention that, for some, papaya carries an acquired taste. But what papaya lacks… is well, nothing! In its many sunset-colored varieties, you’re sure to find one that wows the palette given proper research. And if you don’t (or won’t), papaya offers a plethora of other awesome benefits that don’t require the actual eating of it.

I tout my organic skincare as much as the next, but somehow the idea of growing my own bath & body apothecary appeals to both that inner purist and the little mad scientist, not to mention my oft frugal side. Skincare companies will charge exorbitant amounts for their proprietary concoctions of cure-all creams, but sometimes going straight for the source and tapping into the potency of a pure plant’s benefits (that you’ve cultivated and harvested yourself!) has advantages that go far beyond the fruits of mass production. These three plants will get you started, and who knows the brilliance that will gleam forth.