Nothing is better than finding the best sulfate free shampoo for your hair. Suddenly, it’s like your hair takes on its own persona. It’s a shiny, happy person bouncing around your scalp, so much so that this article deserves its own soundtrack. So let’s give it one. 




This song is clearly about how happy Kate Pierson’s hair is.

What is it about natural, organic, and non-toxic shampoos that make our hair so awesome? First off, they generally don’t contain ammonium lauryl sulfate of the notorious sulfate family, which also includes ammonium laureth sulfate and sodium lauryl sulfate. These are the surfactants, or sudsing agents that make your traditional shampoo foam up. They are also quite drying to both your hair and scalp.

Sulfate free shampoos typically use decyl glucoside as their surfactant of choice. This ingredient, which rates a zero from the Environmental Working Group, is plant-derived and biodegradable. It’s not known to have any adverse health effects.

So what’s the best sulfate free shampoo for your hair type?

1. Best for All Hair—Harmonic Shampoo by Intelligent Nutrients ($22.00 for 15 oz.)

Intelligent Nutrients was founded by Horst Rechelbacher, who also created Aveda. Consider it Aveda’s bigger and better younger sister. This shampoo is formulated without sulfates, ethoxylates, PEG, phthalates, parabens, silicones, and synthetic fragrances.

More importantly, it performs like a champ. Using only a quarter-size cap full, you get a through wash which leaves your hair feeling like it’s had a makeover. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

2. Best for Color Treated—John Masters Organics Bare ($14.50)

When you’ve already put your hair through a color treatment, you want a shampoo that’s light on harsh ingredients. This sulfate free shampoo uses organic white tea and chamomile to detoxify hair, with jojoba oil to moisturize it. Fragrance free, it also include evening primrose for an added moisturizing effect.

3. Best Medicinal Shampoo—African Black Soap Deep Cleansing by Shea Moisture ($9.99)

Excellent for regulating sebum production, this shampoo treats psoriasis, dandruff, and eczema. Containing tea tree and willow bark extract to help detoxify the scalp, it is free of sulfates, parabens, phthalates, paraffin, gluten, propylene glycol, mineral oil, synthetic fragrance and more.

It also is highly recommended for African-American hair.

4. Best Clarifying Shampoo—Lemon Myrtle by Miessence ($24.00)

A good clarifying shampoo is a great trick to have up your hair arsenal. Regular build-up from pollution, product, chlorine, and that bad shampoo you used at your cousin’s house can leave residue on your hair that weighs it down. But washing with a clarifying shampoo removes this gunk, leaving your hair lighter. You should always follow up with a good conditioner.

This product from Miessence uses moisturizing, certified organic aloe vera as well as certified organic rosemary, burdock and sage extracts to balance hair. It leaves your hair with a lovely lemon scent, and is also great for treating oily hair.

5. Best for Sensitive Scalps—Baby Shampoo by Erbaviva ($18.00)

Our scalps can be very sensitive to product, especially when exposed to pollutants and the drying agents of winter. This light, ultra mild shampoo from natural experts Erbaviva offers up a USDA organic cleansing made with gentle, nourishing lavender and chamomile oils.

6. Best for Volume—Rahua ($32.00)

Containing both organic and 100% natural ingredients, this product best serves fine, damaged hair to add a healthy bounce. Containing quinoa, coconut and shea butter, it is formulate to cleanse with minimal sudsing, leaving hair stripped of oil and bacteria but replenished with moisturizing agents.

7. Best Treatment for Dry Scalp and Hair—Neem Oil by Dr. Haushcka ($29.95)

Sure, this isn’t a shampoo. But a good scalp and hair treatment can leave your hair feeling like you just invested in a spa day. This oil from natural skincare experts Dr. Haushcka contains neem leaf and chamomile extracts for a dry, itchy scalp.

It also adds shine to your hair while encouraging healthy hair growth. Massage this into your hair and scalp to strength brittle or damaged hair. Your hair will feel light and silky for days to come.

photo credit: eflon via photopin cc

For further reading:

7 Tips to Combat Dry Hair

Why Vinegar Is So Great for Your Hair

The post A Sulfate Free Shampoo for All Tress Types: 7 Best Shampoos for Dry to Oily Hair appeared first on EcoSalon.

Critics and audiences are buzzing about Fox Searchlight’s “12 Years a Slave,” which opens October 18th. Here are five reasons why you should see it.

“I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, sons of former slaves and sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood,” Dr. Martin Luther King expounded on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963. “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

King’s iconic speech has become the cultural cornerstone for racial equality in the United States. But are we there yet? It’s what we aim towards, but at times seems like nothing more than an inspirational dream. After the 2008 election of the nation’s first African-American president, it seemed like you could sail away on the optimistic stream of hope about a colorless society.

“The post-racial era, as embodied by Obama, is the era where civil rights veterans of the past century are consigned to history and Americans begin to make race-free judgments on who should lead them,” Daniel Schorr of NPR wrote in 2008. But then Schorr cautioned that “the nation may have a way to go yet to reach colorblindness.”

Five years later, I’m sure Trayvon Martin’s family would agree.

The United States is currently in a crisis of confidence when it comes to race. King’s dream seems just over the horizon, but still frustratingly out of reach. Why? The reasons make up a multitude of arguments and are endlessly debatable. But we can do without contest is to look backwards to examine the earliest origins of race in this country.

By understand where we’ve been, it is possible to see where we are going—and to maintain the growth towards King’s vision of an egalitarian world where people aren’t judged by race. If we face the most terrible parts of our history, we can begin to understand where we are today. And this way, perhaps we can steer the course to where we need to go and where so many of us deeply want to be.

“12 Years a Slave” is the movie to help us do that.

This movie is why cinema matters. It’s the true story of the life of Solomon Northup, a 19th-century free black man and musician from upstate New York who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in 1841. From acclaimed director Steve McQueen and writer John Ridley, “12 Years a Slave” conveys an eloquence and horror which has critics in a frenzy, calling it “extraordinary” and “surreal in its evil.”

Why, specifically, should we invest our time and money into it?

1. Because “there hasn’t been a filmed project that engages with the subject of slavery this deeply since the television miniseries Roots.”

Or so writes Kyle Buchanan over at Vulture, who believe the film will win Best Picture. This film offers us a time portal into the brutality of living as an enslaved African American like few have ever done before.

Peter Howell of the Toronto Star gushes “Believe the Oscar buzz. Britain’s Steve McQueen (Hunger, Shame) nails the horror of America’s slavery shame but also finds humanity in one man’s determination to free himself and return to his family.”

William Goss of Film.com rhapsodizes “Northup’s story was a true, terrible thing, and by virtue of telling it, the burdens of all American slaves are unflinchingly realized by Ejiofor and McQueen alike.”

2. Because director Steve McQueen is brilliant.

Coming off his win at of the People’s Choice award at the recent Toronto Film Festival for “12 Years a Slave,” Steve McQueen is said to be “deeply grateful” for the accolades his film is receiving. But this is not the first time the British director has wowed audiences.

In 2008, he received the first-time director, or Caméra d’Or Award at Cannes for “Hunger,” his depiction of the 1981 Irish hunger strike. His second major theatrical release, “Shame,” featuring “12 Years” star Michael Fassbender as a sex addict, also received likewise high praise in 2011 and 2012.

3. Because the performances will become iconic.

Chiwetel Ejiofor, who plays Solomon Northup in “12 Years a Slave,” gives a career-defining performance. As he told CBS News, “It sort of drifts away from being this complicated tale of these terrible times into really a story about the human spirit and I think everybody can connect to it.”

Brad Pitt, who also produced the film, plays a Canadian abolitionist. Michael Fassbender and Sarah Paulson are haunting as the Epps, a couple of impossibly cruel slave owners. Paul Giamatti, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Alfre Woodard and Paul Dano also have key roles.

Lupita Nyong’o, who plays horrifically-abused slave Patsey on the Epps plantation, has been called the break-out star of the film. As the native Kenyan actress told CTV News, “At the end of the day, Patsey was my reward and everything else is welcome and overwhelming and beautiful.”

4. Because it continues the dialogue on race in our society.

“12 Years a Slave” offers up an unflinching view of the atrocities committed in the name of commerce and culture from the African-American perspective. But acknowledging this horror bridges our understanding from all angles.

So where to go from here?

A national best-seller and winner of the National Book Award, Edward Ball’s “Slaves in the Family” continues the vital conversation. Written by the descendant of slave owners and traders in South Carolina, Edward Ball embarked on a quest to understand the intertwined history of his family and the black people they enslaved. What emerges is an incredibly insightful look at how race has shaped one family—and in turn, our country at large. This book is a fantastic companion piece to McQueen’s film.

5. Because it’s a true story.

“Twelve Years a Slave,” Northup’s real-life narrative detailing his abduction and life while enslaved, was published in 1853 in the United States to wide acclaim. Abolitionists and sympathizers rallied to the book, which sold 30,000 copies throughout the north on the eve of the Civil War.

Considered one of the best accounts of American slavery ever written by a slave, it was Northup’s “shrewd observations” which catapulted the narrative into the consciousness of the American public. It described the day-to-day life of a slave as never before seen, which helped fuel the atmosphere which eventually led to the destruction of this American institution.

Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” had this to say of the memoir: “It is a singular coincidence, that Solomon Northup was carried to a plantation in the Red River country—that same region where the scene of Uncle Tom’s captivity was laid—and his account of this plantation, and the mode of life there, and some incidents which he describes, form a striking parallel to that history.”

“12 Years a Slave” will be commercially released by Fox Searchlight in the United States on October 18th.

Related on Ecosalon:

Coming this Fall: 6 Female Characters We Can Hardly Wait For

Hollywood Philanthropist Sam Simon Dedicates Fortune to Charity

Photos courtesy of Fox Searchlight

The post Top 5 Reasons to See ‘12 Years A Slave’ appeared first on EcoSalon.

I can usually tell the weather by my skin. Who needs moisturizers when there’s summer humidity to be had? When it is warm and muggy, I’m a sleek as a newborn babe. But the second the temperature drops, my skin looks like old, recycled paper that’s been run through a shredder.

There’s a reason dry, itchy, or cracked skin goes hand-in-hand with autumnal pumpkin lattes and spiced donuts. Aside from the weather, central heating, space heaters and fire places all contribute to displacing the moisture of out of the air— and your skin. Further, the hot showers of cooler nights go far in siphoning out the moisture of your epidermis. One would think that surrounding yourself in steam would be helpful—but as the Mayo Clinic shares, you’re actually breaking down the lipid barriers in your skin with too-hot temperatures.

So what moisturizers can take us through the cooling winds and drying factors of fall and winter? Check out these seven fantastic moisturizers, all of which replace toxic ingredients with high-quality moisturizing agents.

Best for All Skin Types: Farmaesthetics Nourishing Lavender Milk ($34.50)

Herbal skincare powerhouse Farmaesthetics does it again with this fantastic all-around body moisturizer. Formulated for use on both your face and your body, this 100% natural product is made with the simplest, purest ingredients. Containing certified organic soy oil, as well as calendula, witch hazel, and lavender essential oil, it offers up a light, nourishing moisturizer with a delicate lavender scent.

Best for Mature Skin: Weleda Pomegranate Regeneration Body Lotion ($16.50)

This biodynamic body lotion from Weleda is specifically designed with antioxidant-rich ingredients to help combat the signs of aging in mature skin. (Which—aren’t we all?) Containing organic pomegranate seed oil, apricot kernel oil and shea butter derived from fair trade practices, this fruity product keeps your skin extremely well-hydrated.

Best for Sensitive Skin: Erbaviva Baby Lotion ($17.00)

What better for sensitive skin than a moisturizer specifically formulated for babies? From USDA organic line Erbaviva, this lotion uses 100% natural emulsifiers and organic moisturizing oils. Containing sunflower and jojoba oils, it also utilizes shea butter coupled with organic mandarin and chamomile oils. Yes, it smells amazing.

Best Vegan Product: Malibu C Vital-Crème ($40.00)

This light moisturizer, formulated for all parts of the body, is an oil and fragrance-free hydrator. Containing shea butter and sandalwood, it is formulated to prevent redness and flare-ups in problem skin. Great for sensitive types, this 100% vegan product is also free of sulfates, parabens, DEA and gluten.

Best for Dry Skin: Dr. Hauschka Quince Moisturizer ($39.95)

Feeling exceptionally dry? This moisturizer from the old-school skin experts at Dr. Hauschka is made with 100% natural ingredients and free of synthetic preservatives, fragrances, and dyes. It contains quince seed extract, which restores moisture to irritated skin. Containing jojoba and olive oils, it absorbs quickly for an excellent hydration.

Best for Damaged Skin: SpaRitual Body Serum ($59.99)

Made with 80% certified organic ingredients, this intense moisturizing serum is made with ECOCert certified Sunflower Shoots. SpaRitual claims these shoots does no less than “rejuvenate and energize skin cells to stimulate collagen and elastin growth for firmer looking skin.” It also contains organic peppermint oil for a fresh scent.

Best for Hair: Neuma Beauty NeuRepair Argan Treatment ($22.00)

Your skin isn’t the only part of your body susceptible to dryness. Hot showers and blow driers can turn your hair into a brittle mess before the first orange fall leaf hits the sidewalk.

Made with argan oil, rose hips and green tea, this hair treatment is designed to restore your dry hair to its natural moisture balance. Light and virtually scentless, it doesn’t leave your hair feeling heavy or sticky.

This product contains USDA certified organic ingredients. It is also 100% vegan and is made using certified wind power. You can find it at select salons near you.

photo credit: Www.CourtneyCarmody.com/ via photopin cc

For further reading:

A Cleanser for All Skin Types

How Not to Eat Your Moisturizer

The post From Dry to Sensitive to Mature Skin: 7 Best Non-Toxic Moisturizers for Fall appeared first on EcoSalon.

You don’t have to be a corporate CEO or a rockstar to find strength in your own beauty. Here are five ways to feel strong and confident about your authentic, beautiful self.

“Marissa Mayer has many enemies,” blared a recent headline from Slate. Undeniably, the 38-year-old Yahoo CEO, engineer, wife, and mother is a formidable example of female power (as is Michelle Obama, above). Critics note that the former techie is “robotic” and “stuck-up” with the aforementioned enemies, while others point out that this just makes Mayer a regular Joe CEO. This character dissection might make some women melt.

But with a recent Vogue shoot, Mayer flaunted her powerful beauty, she didn’t hide it. In the piece, she poses like an inverted pin-up, flaxen hair splayed behind her, pale-blue eyes staring side-eyed at the camera, arm cocked to showcase her curves.

The Internet basically tripped over itself criticizing the CEO, called her a “tech princess” in “house-arrest stilettos.” Some even wondered if powerful women were even allowed to be beautiful, an idea as outdated as Diane Keaton’s shoulder pads in 1987’s “Baby Boom.”

That’s seriously outdated.

Lucky for the rest of us non-billionaire normals, you don’t have to be a corporate CEO, first lady (or anything else except you), to find your own power in beauty. Check out five real actions any woman can do to feel strong and confident about your beautiful selves.

1. Beautiful Body
Ultimately, there is nothing more beautiful than a strong woman who feels good in her own skin. Yoga is an outstanding way to improve circulation, digestion, and even brighten your skin—because what part of your body doesn’t look better when you’re breathing deeply and funneling oxygen straight to your organs?

If yoga isn’t your cup of kukicha, any exercise will do—Pilates, kickboxing, running, walking are all great ways to strengthen your body. Empowering your physical self—no matter your weight, height, age or skin color—can’t help but make you feel calmer and stronger (and what is more beautiful than relaxed power?).

2. Beautiful Soul

Does beauty really equal happiness in our world? Yes—but not exactly how you might think. A recent study from the University of Texas, Austin, showed that better-looking people are 10% happier than others. This was true of men and women in any country.

But the reason these people are happier is because they feel successful in what they do. At the same time, they are more successful because they project beauty. Beauty is confidence, and its confidence that will get you through life.

The so-called beautiful people instinctively tell the world they are confident and capable. People follow along and viola—a beautiful person is happier. How can anyone achieve this beauty? When we make an effort to feel good about the work, actions, and deeds we do, we’re improving our inner perceptions of ourselves—naturally, how we are perceived in the world follows, and we are seen as we see ourselves.

3. Beautiful Fashion

Shopping ethically results in feeling good about what you put on your body. EcoSalon fashion expert Rowena Ritchie weighs in: “Being curious about where your clothes come from, who makes them and the impact their production has on our environment can be empowering,” she shares. She points out that a thoughtful approach to style and looking at design from a position of interconnectedness is the heart of the ethical fashion movement.

But how does ethical fashion make us beautiful? “As the great Diane von Furstenberg said, ‘Confidence is beauty,’” Ritchie tells me. “And refining the art of the blend is what makes fashion fun. So pairing a vintage find with a piece from an under-the-radar local designer to create a look that’s all mine is a massive confidence booster.” Creating your own style that expresses who you are and works for your body and life means comfort in—and with—the world around you.

4. Beautiful Skin

There are as many ideas on achieving beautiful skin as there are beauty experts. Drink eight glasses of water a day. Moisturize with an organic, wholesome product. Wash your face with cleansers. Wash your face with water. Stay out of the sun. But get your vitamin D!

The most important? Accept the path and ditch the scalpel. If we’re lucky, we’re all aging, and nothing is more beautiful than a confident, powerful, and sexy woman who embraces the march of experience on her skin.

5. Beautiful Hair

Color us superficial, but there’s nothing like a good hair day to change the shade of your atmosphere. Think I’m wrong? Does Connie Britton’s amazing hair have its own Tumblr and Twitter? As with our skins, there’s a myriad of ways to treat your tresses.

Consider washing your hair at least every other day, as over-washing can strip important oils from your scalp. Invest in a shampoo made with clean ingredients—this one from Intelligent Nutrients is about as awesome as they come.

Want more great hair care tips? Check out several more ways to give your beautiful hair the care it deserves.

For further reading:
25 Inspirational Quotes on the Power of Women

American Beauty Redefined

Photos courtesy of WhiteHouse.gov, Vogue and MGM.

photo credit: Ivan McClellan Photography via photopin cc

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photo credit: Helga Weber via photopin cc

photo credit: tokyos via photopin cc

photo credit: DioBurto via photopin cc

photo credit: Pauline♡ via photopin cc

The post Powerful Beauty: 5 Ways to Rock Your Strengths appeared first on EcoSalon.

It’s a golden age of television, and these are the 7 of the best TV shows to prove it.

I love TV. I also enjoy NPR, macrobiotic teas, and Instragramming the ingredients on natural beauty products. By all accounts, shouldn’t my TV stand now be a planter for my indoor organic herbal garden? Instead, a large flat-screen remains. Except it now streams more TV than the East River floats Doritos bags.

So when people tell me they don’t watch TV, I want to drag them to my herbal-planter-TV-stand and sit them down until they understand. What exactly? That we’re living in the Golden Age of best TV shows. That Tony Soprano is more than just a thug. That Walter White’s ambiguous morality matters. That Carrie Mathison’s cryface really is epic.

Really, what I want to do is to introduce them to binge watching.

With the advent of Netflix streaming, Hulu, and multiple seasonal DVD releases of shows, binge watching has inevitably taken up a spot in our cultural lexicon. Sure, some people frown on the act of mass-consuming a TV show all at once. In the most first-world, fin de siècle fashion, Slate recently bemoaned that “we’re ruining TV.” They sniffed that the binge-watching bandwagon destroys the integrity of a single episode, alongside other horrible, unnamed, possibly kitten-murdering deeds.

But I’d argue that binge watching a brilliantly-written or entertaining show is no different from going to the movies. For the movies, factor in travel, popcorn pit stops and the time it takes to glare at the person texting right in front of you, you’re looking at a minimum three hour investment. All the while, you’re (hopefully) not thinking about work, not checking your phone, not worried about the state of all things.

Stay in for an evening and indulge in two or three episodes of any hour-long drama, and it’s the same experience. And best of all, you don’t have to deal with travel, popcorn pit stops and the time it takes to glare at the person texting right in front of you. Are they trying to land a plane with their cell phone light beacons? Who is really to say.

Binge watching has, in fact, become so popular that the more recent television shows are starting to structure their entire seasons around this undertaking. “Arrested Development”, “Orange is the New Black”, and “House of Cards” were all released new seasons this year on Netflix streaming—and “House of Cards” recently received nine Emmy nominations, which Netflix trumpeted as a “win” for all Internet television.

But not every television show out there is worthy of a binge. You need stellar characters, engaging episodic arches, and a general ability to glue an audience to his or her seats. So what to watch?

1. “Breaking Bad”

Set in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Walter White is a high school chemistry teacher recently diagnosed with cancer. He turns to producing and selling methamphetamines to provide a financial legacy for his family. Currently airing its fifth and final season, “Breaking Bad” is available online on Amazon Prime. 

2. “Orange is the New Black”

Piper Chapman is a wasp-y New Yorker who once, years ago, transported a suitcase filled with drugs for an ex-girlfriend. Now she’s sent to prison for 15 months in Litchfield, New York. Based on a true story, the show is hailed as a “barrier-breaking” dramedy which incorporates the narratives of black, white, and transgendered women. Produced by Netflix, it’s available through the site.

3. “Game of Thrones”

Winter might be coming, but HBO’s critically-acclaimed “Game of Thrones” shows no signs of cooling. Based on George R.R. Martin’s fantasy novels, the show incorporates multiple story lines roughly set in the kingdoms of Westeros and Essos at the end of a decade-long summer. Sex, violence, and mythical creatures combine to make this a standing hit for the cable network, now three seasons in. You can watch it online at HBO Go.

4. “Downton Abbey”

This Masterpiece Theatre phenom for PBS relays the saga of the post-Edwardian Crawley family and their staff at their Yorkshire country estate. The Titanic sinks, World War I rages, and the Spanish Flu decimates, while romance and tragedy throw around more suds around than a washing machine in this soapy classic. The series is gearing up for its fourth season. You can watch it online at Hulu.com.

5. “Orphan Black”

The BBC scores another hit with this sci-fi Canadian import depicting the lives of several identical women, who all turn out to be clones in (what else?) a deadly illegal cloning conspiracy. The show is centered on Sarah Manning, a tough British con-artist who assumes the life of fellow clone (and cop) Elizabeth Childs after Childs commits suicide. The first season, which recently wrapped, is currently available on DVD from Netflix.

6. “Homeland”

This series for Showtime takes us through the life of Carrie Mathison, a bipolar Central Intelligence Officer on a quest to capture Sergeant Nicolas Brody. Carries believes that Brody is a former prisoner-of-war for al-Qaeda who is now brainwashed and threatening national security. What could go wrong? The series, which is two seasons in, is available on Amazon Prime.

7. “Portlandia”

Why should you watch IFC’s sketch comedy show “Portlandia,” which is also available streaming on Netflix? See above.

Do you binge watch? Follow Katherine on Twitter and tell her what shows she missed. 

photo credit: Alba Soler Photography via photopin cc

For further reading:
5 Happy Endings We’d Like to See for Breaking Bad

The 5 Best Beauty Products for a Downton Abbey Look

The post The 7 Best TV Shows to Binge Watch appeared first on EcoSalon.

In a world of twerk, let us focus on more handsome and amiable interests. Here are five of the best heroes of the BBC, chosen for maximum swoonage.

Get out your best lace-pointe handkerchiefs and ready your impeccable posture. We are in some serious need of congenial sensibility, especially after the most unfortunate recent viewings of a certain young lady’s (draw the blinds and whispers) wagging tongue. Or shall we instead focus on politics, from which it is always an easy step to silence? We shall (in this case) not.

So what’s a high-spirited, independent woman of good company to do?

We shall focus on the heroic gentlemen of the BBC! Superheroes be damned. CGI-enhanced actors, go to your corners. Is there anything more amiable then a British gentlemen of a certain age smoldering from a period-piece frock coat?

Hell to the no. So sit back and enjoy five of the best heroes of the BBC, chosen for maximum frock coats and a proficiency to smolder.

1. Mr. John Thorton, as Portrayed by Richard Armitage

Evocative glances? Check. Scalding good looks? Double check. Playing a charismatic wealthy industrialist in need of learning what it means to love? [Pen explodes.] Mr. John Thorton of 2004’s “North and South” is so perfect as a brooding BBC hero that he should be given the Bronzed Sideburn Lifetime Achievement Award. (Note: This award exists only in the minds of Jane Austen devotees and the owners of Prince Harry Tumblrs.)

Played by Richard Armitage, John Thorton woos independent and strong-willed Margaret Hale (Daniela Denby-Ashe). Naturally, Margaret scorns the cotton mill owner, believing him representative of all she disdains in 1855 industrial England.

Armitage can currently be seen as King of the Dwarves Thorin Oakenshield in Peter Jackson’s Hobbit films. Tolkienian dwarves have never been so swoon-worthy.

2. DCI John Luther, as Portrayed by Idris Elba

John Luther is a Detective Chief Inspector working in the Serious and Serial Crime Unit in London. He’s brooding, obsessive, and leaps all over the line in his investigations. Will the intense pressure of the London streets push the genius policeman into the arms of his demons? Or will he at last find peace in the arms of comely Mary Day (Sienna Guillory)?

Idris Elba won a Golden Globe in 2011 for his work in “Luther,” a series which ran from 2010 through 2013. The actor is in talks for a “Luther” movie, to begin shooting next year.  The series has concluded in Britain, but will begin airing on BBC America on September 3rd.

3. Mr. Kemal Pamuk, as Portrayed by Theo James

Oh, Mr. Pamuk. You appeared on just one episode of “Downton Abbey” Season One, yet your magnetic appeal and blazing good looks left a plot point that carried off the series and Lady Mary’s lost virginity for two more seasons.

But can you blame the haughty Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) for tossing away her maiden status at the first burning glance from the visiting Turkish diplomat of high birth? As he’s portrayed by full-lipped British actor Theo James, there really was no other possible outcome for the heroine of Downton.

Theo James will next be seen in the highly-anticipated “Divergent” as Four, the—you guessed it—smoldering love interest of the film’s heroine.

4. Mr. Christopher Tietjens, as Portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch

“Parade’s End” is a recent BBC and HBO collaboration about Edwardian aristocrat Christopher Tietjens, who enters into a marriage with a “cruel socialite Sylvia” (Rebecca Hall). Christopher pines for the spirited young suffragette Valentine Wannop (Adelaide Clemens), but cruel Sylvia, World War I, and the rapidly fading social mores of his class get in the way.

Benedict Cumberbatch’s Christopher weeps, yearns, and gets his sexy on in some unnecessary-yet-who-is-complaining-really graphic sex scenes. All the while, he carries one of the most suggestive voices on both sides of the pond.

Cumberbatch, who recently played be-muscled super human Kahn in “Star Trek: Into Darkness,” will next be seen in “The Fifth Estate”, “12 Years a Slave”, “August: Osage County,” and as the voice of Smaug in “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.”

5. Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, as Portrayed by Colin Firth

And then there is Mr. Darcy, the wet-shirted, haughty love of Elizabeth Bennett who started it all. Or rather, it was Colin Firth’s portrayal and pecs which first launched the BBC hero into the consciousness of a million women and men. Called “the pride of Austen portrayals,” Firth’s Darcy in the 1995 BBC miniseries “Pride and Prejudice” is held up as the standard for BBC heroes.

Author Mia March recently scribed “Finding Colin Firth,” an homage to the actor. As she told USA Today, “His Darcy is what started the current Jane Austen explosion…it just continues to grow as a new generation of women discover [him]. His Mr. Darcy represents everything every woman wants. He’s ageless and timeless and gorgeous forever.”

Recently, a statue depicting Firth as the wet-shirted Mr. Darcy was erected in the Serpentine Lake, Hyde Park, London.

“You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you,” Mr. Darcy tells Elizabeth Bennett in “Pride and Prejudice.”
Only if you let us do the same, Mr. Darcy.

Photos courtesy of the BBC.

For Further Reading:
Jane Austen Responds to Royal Mania

6 Female Characters We Can Hardly Wait For This Fall

The post The 5 Best-Looking Heroes on BBC (OK, They’re Downright Hotties) appeared first on EcoSalon.

Quick! You have 20 seconds to decide which natural beauty products you can’t live without. What would they be?

You’re sailing on the South Pacific, sunning yourself on deck while Charlie Hunnam/Kerry Washington/similarly beautiful person periodically spritzes your face with purified water. Suddenly, Melville ahoy! A whale mistakes your cruiser for a play toy and you’re being flipped around deck like wind chimes in a tornado.

Charlie, regretting nothing, sacrifices himself for your safety, but not before tossing your beloved makeup bag into your arms. Just as the ship is smashed to pieces, you grasp the bag to your chest and swim to a nearby desert island. 

Collapsing onto the white sands, you open the bag and contemplate your incredible foresight in packing your essential beauty products. You’re so thrilled with yourself that you completely miss Charlie staggering to shore in a bare-chested glory.

Charlie Hunnam is psyched about your beauty products.

But back to the bag! What would you pack if you could only take a few natural beauty products with you from here to eternity? Still thinking? Here are seven products we suggest for the cut.

1. Hair Ties from Di Hair Tie ($8.99)

Your hair may be straight, curly, kinky, thick, or fine. But if it is longer than two inches, it is going to need wrangling. My fine, straight hair starts looking like something a cat slept in if I go longer than a few days without washing. The only thing to wrestle it into place? A hair elastic.

I’m a fan of the Scunci Soft No Damage Elastics, which can usually be found dangling around my wrist at all hours. Want an eco-friendly version? Check out these hair ties (pictured above) from Di Hair Tie, which are made with plant-based dyes.

2. Thayer’s Rose Petal Alcohol-Free Witch Hazel ($9.95)

This product from Thayer has longed reigned at the top of my beauty regime. Besides sun block, it’s usually the only product I use on my face in the summer months. It moisturizes without leaving my face feeling greasier than it needs to feel in the heat and humidity. Throw some into a small spritzing bottle and mist your face after each shower. Your skin tone will thank you, usually by glowing.

3. EO Organics Deodorant ($5.99)

Made with certified organic ingredients, this product is free of aluminum salts, zinc, and propylene glycol, all questionable ingredients found in common deodorants. I’ve used it for five years now and would probably be my first line of defense in a zombie apocalypse—both for the odor emanating from myself and the undead.

4. Aubrey Organics Lip Balm ($2.95)

Have you ever checked out the beauty section at Whole Foods? It’s like the natural industry decided that lip balms must be as prolific as rabbits and just as diverse. The offering from Aubrey Organics is consistently as top balm. Available in an assortment of flavors, it is USDA organic. And more to the point, it works like a charm, leaving your lips moisturized and soothed.

5. Mineral Fusion Brush On Sun Defense ($24.99)

I have to wear sun block. (And here’s what I always wear.) Hats are key to existence. (Check out this ethical one from Pachacuti.)

But despite sun block and hats, I still can’t step outside for more than a few minutes without any exposed skin starting to burn. I’m not alone; regardless of skin hue, sun protection is key in our ozone-depleted world.

This is why the Mineral Fusion Brush On Sun Defense permanently lives in my bag. Usually an hour or two into my day, I’ll sweep it across my face for added protection. And the best part? It’s in powder form, so it helps with sweat and oil. Free of parabens, SLS, phthalates, artificial colors and synthetic fragrances, it is also gluten-free.

6. Skinny Skinny Rose and Black Pepper Dry Shampoo ($32.00)

Many of us don’t like to wash our hair daily. Between the excessive water use and the dubious products out there, it’s enough to make you want to shave your head and invest in the best hat collection this side of Kensington Palace. (Your move, Kate Middleton.)

This is why dry shampoo is a great alternative to daily washings—it picks up the dirt and oils in your hair, leaving you to wash another day. This vegan product from Skinny Skinny is simply made with certified organic ingredients like brown rice powder, white clay, and rose and black pepper essential oils.

7. Strawberry Hedgehog Whipped Body Crème ($22.00)

Be it the height of a humid summer or the depths of a frigid winter, moisturizer is a skin’s best friend. This vegan organic whipped body crème offers up some of the purest hydration your body can ask for. Made with ingredients like organic aloe vera juice and organic fair trade unrefined shea butter infused with herbs, it’s like buttering your skin.

Best of all, it goes on lightly without leaving a greasy residue. Which will come in handy when you’re rolling in the sand on your desert island, tearfully thanking Charlie for saving your life—and your natural beauty products.

Lest we forget.

photo credit: Andrew Bartram (WarboysSnapper) via photopin cc

Charlie Hunnam photos courtesy of Warner Bros.

For Further Reading:

Toner: Why Do We Use It?

EcoSalon Approved Beauty Guide: Bath and Body

The post 7 Natural Beauty Products To Take to a Desert Island: From Dry Shampoo to Balms and Creams appeared first on EcoSalon.

For female performers, over-sexualized, bawdy acts are held up to an extreme double standard. So when is a raunchy girl compelling and when is she horrible? Here’s how Comedy Central star Amy Schumer makes it work.

How do you solve a problem like Miley? Cyrus, that is, of twerking, tongue-thrusting fame. The Disney Princess recently caused the Internet to collapse into itself with her questionable performance at MTV’s Video Music Awards. Only now the screams of slut-shaming, culture misappropriation, and unfortunate foam finger abuse are starting to ever-so-slightly fade.

But while some seem to take issue with Mizz-Cyrus-if-you’re-nasty’s hyper-sexualized performance, an equal majority just question her execution. Gawker sums it up, writing “Cyrus’ performance was a pop rendering of clanking teeth, an elbow to the face, bodies that never quite find the right rhythm.”

Even bête noire feminist Camille Paglia emerged to cluck at Cyrus, calling her “clumsy, flat-footed and cringingly unsexy, an effect heightened by her manic grin.”

Oh right, there’s a man in this scandal, too.

Sure, Cyrus’ performance was judged through the lens of society’s expectations of feminine sexuality. Clearly, there’s a harsh double standard at play when co-performer’s Robin Thicke’s own mother said she can’t “unsee” the 20-year-old putting her butt so closely to her married, 36-year-old son.

But it’s also unquestionable that Cyrus’ spastic thrusting, twerking, and tonguing on stage was just weird, unpolished, and off-putting.

For many of us, it’s not that Cyrus did anything so shocking, it’s that she did something so shocking so badly. Own your sexuality, girl, but don’t make us think of thrusting lizard tongues and childish dancing bears while doing it. (And in case you’re just emerging from a week-long coma and missed her performance, you’re welcome.)

But had Miley come out on stage and flawlessly executed her emergence into féminité, she might have had more support from the feminist Olds like me. Trust me, there’s an instinct to support her, uh, flowering into sensuality. But truth be told, I was way too distracting desperately Googling if a tongue can really be that long and fleshy. In the end, blame the tongue. Cyrus used it to try to make a statement, but ended up tripping all over it.

So when does a female performer cross the line and get it right?

Meet Amy Schumer. Writer, star, and executive producer of “Inside Amy Schumer,” the comedienne just helmed her first season on Comedy Central. Schumer’s premiere scored the highest ratings for the network so far this year and was recently renewed for a second season.

To which we say—Brava! Critics and audiences agree, Schumer is f—ing hilarious. (Blank spelling courtesy of me not being Amy Schumer.) It’s not just Comedy Central who thinks so. Universal Pictures just optioned her script with Judd Apatow set to produce.

As Deadline Hollywood writes, “Always on the lookout for actresses with breakout potential for R-rated comedies, Judd Apatow [producer of Bridesmaids and HBO’s Girls] thinks he has found a winner in Amy Schumer.”

“Inside Amy Schumer” is a mix of sketches, stand-up and interviews which showcase topics like dieting, threesomes, sexting, racism, and cancer. Sex is a frequent subject for Schumer, whose 2012 special for Comedy Central was entitled “Mostly Sex Stuff.” She often delves into so many verboten topics that she could cause the spontaneous combustion of a thousand parental advisory boards.

But here’s the deal with Schumer—when she’s crossing lines, she’s taking you with her. As EW succinctly points out, “Lately, too many of the talented funnywomen [Sarah Silverman, Chelsea Handler, et all] who’ve earned their own shows are trying a little too hard to appeal to men, always professing their love of rape jokes and threesomes and Philly cheesesteaks and openmouthed burping.”  Which is funny to….openmouthed burping men. Small lap dogs. That baby trapped in a Pack-and-Play?

As Schumer recently told Fresh Air’s Terry Gross, she’s always been a sexual girl, and sex is something she talked about with her friends. “I didn’t grow up hearing any women really delving into that side of themselves,” Schumer shares, “So I thought, ‘OK, maybe I can be this person for women and for men just to hear the women’s perspective in a less apologetic, honest way.’”

Judge for yourself. Here’s Schumer doing stand-up. (Warning: This is NSFW.)




And here’s a clip from “Inside Amy Schumer.” (Which you can watch with your trapped baby.)




Even the show’s title, “Inside Amy Schumer” immediately lends itself to a blue connotation, insinuating that the comic isn’t afraid to tread on territory traditionally held by men. But sex in comedy is almost male by default—you’d be hard-pressed to find a comedian who doesn’t address sex in some capacity. In fact, it’s even considered noteworthy when comics operate outside raunchy, as evidenced by successful comedian Jim Gaffigan’s reputation as “clean.”

So for a female performer entering traditionally male ground, she’s facing the age-old issues typical to women in all male-dominated fields. She has to be better than good—she has to be hilarious yet relatable, unapproachable yet attainable. She has to be an Amy Schumer. If she’s going to be sexual, she damn well better entertain.

And if she doesn’t? She’s tasteless, boring, or worst of all, raunchy. Then she’s just Miley Cyrus, whose tongue has to be longer than the average four inches. It has to be.

Photos courtesy of MTV and Comedy Central.

For further reading:
Tina Fey Makes the Screams Go Away

Can a New Outlook on Sex Save the World?

The post Amy Schumer of Comedy Central: Are Offensive Female Performers Ever Really Good? appeared first on EcoSalon.

Want rippling abs, heaving bodices and more sex and magic than Vegas? Here’s why you should be watching “The White Queen.”

History has been ruined by the modern age of television—and it is glorious. Sure, there’s the occasional serious historical drama with traumatizing small pox vaccinations and naked Benjamin Franklin in the bath. (Hat tip: HBO’s “John Adams.”) These productions massage our brains like an NPR-podcast, making us smarter by proxy of Laura Linney’s historically-accurate brown teeth.

Then there are other dramas that dress history in chiseled abs, heaving bodices, and more scene-chewing than a badger in a woodshop. Ladies and a few gentlemen, meet “The White Queen.”

Starz’s import from across the pond tells the story of Britain’s War of the Roses, but through the eyes of the womenfolk. A period piece set during the 30-year feud between the House of Plantagenet, there’s lots of magnificent hair, explosive acting, and impeccably-lit sex scenes where proper hygiene is never an issue.

We start off following the life of Elizabeth Woodville, a commoner who married King Edward IV in 1464. Elizabeth was a 27-year-old widow of fertile breeding who once sweet-talked the king under a tree while begging for land rights or something non-bosomy. The King, a cable TV-handsome youth who appreciated a good plea for real estate, was bewitched—possibly literally.

Elizabeth and Edward secretly married, everyone freaked, and power struggles abounded for the next two decades.

Over the ten-episode arc, we follow Elizabeth and Edward, but also Anne Neville (Faye Marsay), the daughter of the “Kingmaker” Warwick, as well Margaret Beaufort (Amanda Hale), who is the mother of the future king, Henry Tudor.

Starz, which just started airing the first episodes, crows that the “The White Queen” is told through these three “different, yet equally relentless women.” But critics haven’t exactly loved the ten-part series, which The New York Times found seriously “not-as” interesting, sharp, compelling, layered or adventurous as HBO’s wildly-successful “Game of Thrones.”

Well, yeah, if you take it seriously. But shall we compare a direwolf to a house cat? We shall not, because we’d miss out on some of the best reasons to watch “The White Queen.”

1. The hair.

Sure, “The White Queen” may not be a cinematic masterpiece to regale the senses. But check out Janet McTeer’s hair. The impeccable McTeer plays Elizabeth’s mother, Jacquetta Woodville, a character who also believes herself to be descended from a river goddess and therefore, magical.

But Jacquetta isn’t the only woman sporting elaborate braids and a bitchy attitude. “The White Queen” is ripe with characters whose lives are ones of “love and lust, seduction and deception, betrayal and murder.” Its Alexis and Krystle all over again, this time in a coronets and combs.

2. The scene chewing.

Sure, “The White Queen” boasts Oscar-nominated names like Janet McTeer and British mainstays like James Frain. McTeer in particular makes you buy what she’s selling, so much so that you feel like you’re watching a completely different production when she steps on screen.

But sans McTeer, it’s acted by lesser-knowns who would be just at home on a CW shoot or sparkling it up as a brooding vampire/wolf/elf. This means you get dialogue like “You will have to wade through blood!” uttered by gorgeous faces that are not only historically-inaccurately washed but probably steam-cleaned and pressed.

The actors are hammy, hilarious, and no one has nightmares after an unexpected red wedding or castration. Everyone wins!

3. The lads.

Beefcake, be thy muse. The White Queen and her co-horts may flash Pilates-sculpted derrieres at will, but their rugged male conspirators are the real draw. It’s like casting hung up a brooding beacon, immediately drawing in every chiseled-jaw Brit with a SAG card.

There’s Anthony Rivers (Ben Lamb), Elizabeth Woodville’s brother, keen in the ways of courtly behavior and political struggles. There’s King Edward IV (Max Irons) a “fierce solider” who follows his heart. Sprinkle in various sculpted Dukes and we have a fantastic medieval Abercrombie and Fitch catalogue.

4. The magic.

Magic. Sex. Seeing. “The White Queen” has it all. Sure, it may be considered (to be read in hushed tones) pagan, but the women of the War of the Roses know how to make life magical when necessary.

Usually, this happens at conveniently-plotted expository moments, like when Elizabeth stares dramatically into a mirror, while a woman covered in blood stares back at her and she thinks it is her own blood.

Or Jacquetta, armed with ominous music, mysteriously knows that the Duchess Cecily, mother of Edward IV, is a common whore who lay with an archer and cuckolded her husband. But how does she know this?

5. The sexy sex.

Want more skin and moans? Then be sure to stay on the revolutionary side of the Atlantic, because the Starz version has a lot more bang for your buck.

As Kind Edward (Max Irons) himself told the Metro via The Daily Beast, “You get a lot more arse in the Starz version—the cameras kept rolling after the BBC stopped the scene.”

(See also: “tastefully shot but historically dubious soft-core porn.”)

“The White Queen” airs Saturdays at 9pm on Starz. You can watch the first episode free online.

Photos courtesy of Starz.

For further reading:
Women on Film: Daenerys Targaryen Shows Us Strength

Best Braid Hairstyles for Grown-Up Girls

Follow Katherine on Twitter @KathieButler 

The post 5 Sexy Reasons to Watch ‘The White Queen’ appeared first on EcoSalon.

Dry, oily, or sensitive skin? Here’s a great natural cleanser for your skin type.

With most of us still sweating through our makeup—or just not wearing it, writes the woman with invisible eyelashes—it is hard to believe that fall is just around the corner. So before visions of warm pumpkins doughnuts and spicy apple cider start dancing in our head, let’s take a moment to attend to the most basic of our beauty ritual.

Let’s wash our faces! From oily to dry to sensitive to mature, here’s a natural cleanser for seven different skin types to purge the summer sweat right off your skin.

1. For All Skin Types: Organic Virgin Coconut Oil ($5.99)

The hottest trend in natural skin care will remind you of the beachy, sun-soaked days of your youth. Coconut oil is being touted from blog to shining blog as an excellent makeup remover, moisturizer, and natural cleanser all in one sweet-smelling product.

Our EIC Laura Klein is a devotee of using coconut oil to remove eye makeup, saying there was “no turning back” once she discovered the product.

Others rave that coconut oil is highly moisturizing and even an acne remedy, though some caution that its comedogenic nature can clog pores.

2. For All Skin Types, Part II: Fine Herbal Cleanser by Farmaesthetics ($34.50)

Looking for a lovely cleanser so simple that it contains only five ingredients? (Seriously, you woke up thinking this, right?) The Fine Herbal Cleanser from Farmaesthetics offers up a thorough cleaning for a product that feels as light as water.

Good for all skin types, this 100% natural offering from this top-shelf sustainable line combines geranium, witch hazel, and lavender, leaving your skin hydrated and smooth.

Further, it is designed to work with the line’s sweet milk exfoliate series, which can be added to help brighten your complexion.

3. For Dry Skin: Creamy Pumpkin Cleanser by MyChelle Dermaceuticals ($9.69)

With cooler temperatures and winter winds just a few weeks away, this Creamy Pumpkin Cleanser is a great staple for those suffering from dry skin.

Specifically formulated to moisturize and hydrate, this vitamin-rich cleanser combines the anti-oxidant effects of pumpkin with the extreme hydrating powers of blue green algae. This pleasantly-scented product is cruelty-free, vegan friendly, and also gluten-free.

MyChelle Dermaceuticals also offers a comprehensive line of natural cleansers tailored to each skin concern, including Youth-Blemish, Sensitive, Hyperpigmentation and more.

4. For Oily Skin: Cool & Clear Facial Cleanser by Elemental Herbology ($46.00)

When your skin is oily, the last thing you feel like putting on it is any product. But this oil-control offering from Elemental Herbology promises to cleanse, purify, and even “pacify” irritated skin.

Free of fragrance and soap, it works to bring balance to your sebum-clogged skin while calming and clearing out pores.

The line, which uses only premium-grade herbs, flowers, and minerals, only uses 100% biodegradable SLS-free surfactants while supporting ethical harvesting and responsible packaging.

5. For Normal/Dry Combination Skin: Rose Foaming Face Wash by John Master Organics ($22.00)

From one of the best-performing lines out there using organic ingredients comes this light, fun, foamy cleaners from John Masters Organics.

Containing no GMOs, sodium lauryl sulfate, parabens, DEAs, MEAs, or TEAs (say that three times, fast), the Rose Foaming Wash offers up a light hydration to deal with problematic dry patches.

This gluten-free product is made with seven certified organic ingredients, including hydrating aloe vera and rose water.

6. For Sensitive Skin: Ultimate Moisture Facial Cleanser by Mineral Fusion ($12.99)

For skin prone to redness, irritation and more, finding the right cleanser can be something like diffusing a bomb—you want to get in and out without causing any kind of lasting damage to the area. Using marine clay, cucumber, chamomile, and aloe vera to cleanse and detoxify the skin, this gentle cleanser does just that.

A vegetarian product, it is also free of gluten, parabens, SLS, phthalates, artificial colors and synthetic fragrances.

7. For Mature Skin: French Clay Cleanser with DMAE by Clairvoyant Beauty ($32.00)

Ready for detoxified, smooth, and toned skin? Oui oui! This French Clay Cleanser is rich in DMAE, which the makers at Clairvoyant Beauty claim “extends the life of cells.”

It also uses clay from the Vienne region of France that has been a favorite beauty tool for locals for the past 200 years.

Containing biodegradable, natural and organic Ingredients, this product is also vegan-certified.

photo credit: martinak15 via photopin cc

For further reading:

Can You Fight Sunspots Naturally?

5 Tips to Fix a Hangover Face

5 Fantastic Anti-Aging Products

The post A Natural Cleanser for All Skin Types: 7 Seriously Awesome Products for Dry to Sensitive to Oily Skin appeared first on EcoSalon.