After a good workout, you always feel a bit buzzed. You also feel a bit gross. Whether it’s a weekly spin class or a quick sesh on the treadmill, if you haven’t broken a sweat, then either you’re cheating (sorry) or you’re a medical marvel. 

But we have some good news for all of you natural beauties out there. Just because you want to avoid the industrial strength antiperspirants out there doesn’t mean you can’t keep fit and stay fresh. Check out these natural beauty buys that make for the perfect workout partners.

5 Natural Beauty Buys to Stay Fresh at the Gym

1. R.L Linden Close To Me Uplifting Deodorant Spray
Low and high maintenance gym bunnies alike will all have one thing in common in their bags: deodorant. If you like to stick to a nasties-free solution for sweat busting (just the odor, because you definitely should sweat), then most of the time the only choices are creams. They’re more often than not the best option, but in warm bags where they can melt? Not so much. This spray not only takes this problem away, but works just as well for keeping your pits stink-free. In fact, we think after a few refreshing spritzes of this rose geranium number, they’re going to smell pretty good. Grab the 15ml travel size for the perfect gym buddy.

2. Kaia Naturals Juicy Bamboo Natural Facial Cleansing Cloths
Face wipes are a no-go when it comes to good skincare practice, but these are an exception to the rules. Rather than the usual harsh alcohols and questionable preservatives, these are brimming with skin loving honey, sunflower oil and glycerin. The result? Your face will feel both cleansed and moisturized. Don’t fret too much about the waste either, as the cloths themselves are made fully of biodegradable bamboo. Yep, Kaia Naturals thought of everything. Whether you need to remove makeup before hitting class, or want a quick refresh after, you’ll be thankful you slipped these into your gym bag.

3. John Masters Organics Essential Travel Kit

One person’s travel kit is another person’s workout recovery kit! You can’t argue with four gym beauty essentials in one convenient zip-up bag, and the fact they are all vegan and full of organic ingredients is the cherry on top. Inside you’ll find the best-selling Lavender Rosemary Shampoo and Citrus & Neroli Detangler to cleanse and replenish locks, and the Grapefruit & Geranium Body Wash and Body Lotion duo for a deliciously gentle addition to your shower.

4. Captain Blankenship Mermaid Dry Shampoo 
No time for a shower? It happens. We all need those quick fixes every now and then, and making sure they’re au natural lessens the guilt factor. This simple but sweetly scented dry shampoo will give post-workout hair back its bounce by absorbing excess oil and moisture (that’s code for sweat, of course), without leaving any tell-tale traces.

5. RMS Beauty ‘Un’ Powder
One of the biggest beauty benefits of an intense session in the gym is the immediate, healthy glow that follows. After the slightly flustered look subsides, your complexion is left looking perky from the blood flow boost you’ve given it (lucky skin). This cult translucent powder is a master at reducing any unwanted shine you might have, without masking that gorgeous glow you worked so hard for. Pure, high-quality silica is its only trick, and it will keep working as long as you need it without the hassle of reapplying.

Related on EcoSalon
8 Badass Pieces of Workout Gear That are Both Ethical and Warm
How to Not Sweat (or Stink) With Natural Deodorant
The 7 Best Beauty Products for a Post-Workout Glow

The post 5 Natural Beauty Gym Bag Essentials to Work Up a Sweat Over 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.

Was it really that bad? You be the judge. As one commenter wrote, “And these same filth mongers wonder why disease’s are so abundant, you that dang important or special you can’t take three to five minutes to scrub your…” Others used the forum to discuss their own bathing habits, ranging from showering twice a day, to every other day, to lathering up with baby wipes after a strong run. Opinions and tempers ran high. It seems that people take their bathing habits with a defense that might have rivaled what the Japanese threw down at Iwo Jima.

Why? Well, because bathing is personal. People take it as a sign of class, culture, and identity. But as the NY Times pointed out, letting go of a daily shower is no longer for just people who like to chain themselves to trees. So as a shout out for the people who live among, who drive a Prius or a Hummer – here are five practical reasons not to wash daily.

1. You will strip your skin of natural oils.

Dry skin is sometimes caused when your skin’s natural oils are stripped off it like a bad wallpaper. Your skin naturally lubricates itself with natural oil. Yes, you still want to wash your body. But washing it too much could cause problems. Dr. Richard Gallo is chief of the dermatology division at the University of California, San Diego. As he told the NY Times, over-washing can cause eczema flare ups. According to Dr. Gallo, “It’s not just removing the lipids and oils on your skin that’s drying it out,” he said. It could also be “removing some of the good bacteria that help maintain a healthy balance of skin.”

2. Dry shampoo is awesome.

So maybe you’re too busy for a daily shower. Or you want a quick rinse but not the time investment of washing your hair. Dry shampoo has been used for centuries – essentially, it’s a fine powder or corn meal that can grab dirt and excess oil from your hair. Comb it through and you’re clean. Read our review of a great dry shampoo here.

3. Most of us can live a productive, fulfilling life without antiperspirants.

Antiperspirants are tricky because they contain aluminum chloride and aluminum chlorohydrate to stop you from sweating. Some worry that this is unnatural and worse, could cause cancer. While the NY Times points out that the National Cancer Institute and the Alzheimer’s Association don’t share those concerns, some are just reluctant to stop their bodies from doing what it’s designed to do – sweat.

4. Some natural deodorants really do work.

If you use a natural deodorant, odds are that you’re going to sweat a little. But consider taking a day or two without it. See how much you really sweat. You might be surprised. Recently, a friend gave anti-perspirant the heave-ho. As she wrote to me, “maybe I’m just more mellow lately, but I’m really not sweating all that much.” We’ve already covered natural and/or organic deodorants – if you’re interested in giving natural deodorant a go, try the sprays first.

5. You can conserve water.

Okay, so yes, this is a green reason to step away from the daily shower. But is that so terrible? As the EPA reports, a full bath tub requires about 70 gallons of water, while taking a five-minute shower uses 10 to 25 gallons.” So if you’re able to sponge bath just once a week, you’re saving quite a bit of water.

Image: eelke dekker

The post 5 Reasons Not to Wash Daily appeared first on EcoSalon.

Some of us like to shower. And some of us have long hair. This often leaves us with a dire dilemma. How long is too long to get all the shampoo out? How much water does it take to get clean hair? It’s enough to make you hang up your brush, take to the woods, and live a life of transcendental solitude with fulfilled souls and really stringy hair.

I just threw a Google on how much water we waste washing our hair. (You failed me this time, Google. This time.) But it doesn’t take a Google to know we use up more moisture lathering and rinsing. And we do advocate a good hair washing if a green girl wants it. But are there ways to make it a little less wasteful?

Cue fireworks and the Rockette’s kick line – there is! Dry shampoo is an age-old product that can grab onto dirt and oils from your hair, all H20 free. It’s not a substitute for an actual hair washing, but it can help extend the times between lathering up. And consequently, it can save a little water along the way and let those natural oils build up.

Dry shampoo is easy to make at home. One of the best homemade recipes calls for one tablespoon of fine corn meal combined with one tablespoon of corn starch. This combination apparently works best for absorbing oils and grabbing dirt. You pour the mixture on top of your scalp and work it in with your fingers. Then use a comb or brush to run it through your locks. You can use less for short hair and more for long hair. Just be sure to use it in an area that is easy to sweep up, as powder under any circumstances can fly about.

Recently, I had the pleasure of checking out skinnyskinny’s Black Pepper and Rose Organic Dry Shampoo ($32.00). (And yes, this is their grammatical preference, not a typo!) This product contains certified organic ingredients and is 100 percent vegan. The packaging also gets high marks for eco-friendly biodegradable labels. Its ingredients read almost like a baked good – it is made with cornstarch, brown rice powder, white clay, horsetail powder, baking soda, orris root powder, and essential oils.

How does it work? I have long hair and work from home, which means that I try to extend my hair washings for as long as nature and politeness allows. So I was good and ready for a dry shampoo-ing when I picked up this product. It smells lovely and works like a perfume for your hair. Be careful how much you use – I went a little overboard and had a George Washington powdered wig moment. (Not to be confused with a Mary Todd Lincoln penchant for hats and temporary insanity.) But want to take a break between shampoos? This is a great product to check out.

FTC Compliance

Image: mike baird

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