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.

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.

Your phone starts ringing loud enough to wake the dead. Despite the intense collection of rocks stationed on your forehead, you reach out and silence the noise. Sure, you silence it by throwing your phone into a laundry pile which you will frantically tear into later, searching for your phone. Then you turn your aching eyeballs to your nightstand, where a full glass of water sits within reach. It mocks you like the vodka you kicked back just a few hours before. That’s when you realize with the regret of a thousand tequila shots: the hangover has cometh.

From the occasional imbiber to the hard-partying, most of us who partake in the spirits have gone a tad overboard at one point or another. And what comes next is, shall we say, not pretty. Putting all unpleasant bodily feelings and functions aside for Web MD, let’s talk about what our face is doing. (Besides vomiting. Thanks, Web MD.)

Hangover face, like ex-boyfriends or bedbugs, manifests in different ways. Some of us have dry, papery, wrinkly skin around the eyes which are simultaneously puffy and dark-ringed. Others wake up coated in a grease slick to rival a mechanic’s garage floor. How best to fix hangover face? Here are a five solutions to feel better.

1. Puffy eyes and dark circles, ahoy!
For some, a night of drinking results in a curious morning mask, and I’m not talking about the one you wish you were wearing during your walk of shame. Puffy eyes or dark circles make an appearance, sometimes delightfully conspiring to do so at the same time.

For puffy eyes, or fluid trapped under your eyeballs, consider this home remedy. Grab two organic tea bags, steep in hot water, and let them cool. (If you know thyself and thy drinking habits, consider having steeped tea bags on standby.)

Then spend a few minutes relaxing with them over your eyes. Black tea is great for caffeine, which can reduce redness by restricting blood vessels. Herbal tea, like chamomile, works well to sooth redness and inflammation. Both often contain tannins, which help get the blood flowing.

You can also considering a product like Yon-Ka Phyto-Contour ($47.00), containing 94 percent natural ingredients. It offers rosemary extracts to help reduces puffiness and dark circles. Gently massage this fragrant cream below your eyes with your fingertips.

2. When your morning glow outshines the sun.
Hangover face can involve waking up with skin so oily it looks like it should have a congressional hearing to determine who is at fault. (Also see: sleeping in your makeup.) With sebum production in overdrive, consider a gentle, natural cleanser to restore your face to normal. Avoid harsh exfoliates or anything too stripping, as your body is already focused on hydrating and healing.

A great gentle cleanser to consider is John Master Organics Linden Blossom Face Cream ($22). Made with some certified organic ingredients, it contains soothing aloe vera and rose water.

3. Your skin is red and blotchy.
Another unfortunate side effect of alcohol can be red and/or blotchy skin, similar to the look of rosacea. Since alcohol causes the blood to flow closer to the skin, expanding small capillaries and already-visible veins, you make look as if your lipstick has traveled up over your nose and cheeks. It’s especially common in the fair-hued, which is why the Irish call it “drinker’s nose.”

Aloe vera is a great soother for red and inflamed skin. If you have some pure aloe vera, massage some into your face. You can also consider this Soothing Serum from Juice Beauty ($36.00). Containing organic aloe vera and white grape juice, this product contains certified organic ingredients.

4. Water, water everywhere—especially on your face.
Your parched throat isn’t the only part of your body screaming for water after a night of drinking. Your dry skin might look like it has been hanging out on a clothes line in the dead of winter. Hopefully you remember to down at least one glass of water before you collapsed into bed the night before. If not, drink up. You need to rehydrate on every level, and the free stuff coming out of your faucet is your best bet.

Also, be sure to spritz. I’m an established groupie of Thayer’s Rose Petal Alcohol-Free Toner ($9.95), which I keep in a water spritzer by my sink. This product contains tannins of witch hazel and offers an immediate, protective layer on your skin. And the best part? You don’t even have to raise your head if you have it stashed by your bedside. Which is a plus when your brain feels like it’s made of bowling balls.

5. Moisturize and moisturize.
Last, but certain not least, be sure to treat your face to a repairing moisturizer. Yes, you aptly tended to your insides with many glasses of H20. But once you’re up and about, previous drinks now a fading memory, remember to thank your skin for putting up with your shenanigans.

Take this time to indulge in your favorite moisturizer. You can also consider the Herbal Hydration Complex ($47.00) from Farmaesthetics. Made with organic shea butter and witch hazel, it’s a cooling mask designed to quench your skin in moisture while calming irritated skin.

photo credit: sidewalk flying via photopin cc,  Svadilfari via photopin cc

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No one sets out to age poorly. Cigarettes are smoked from youthful hands, complexions are baked in an unforgiving sun—40 is forever and a day away, so why worry? Until you turn 40. Or 35. Or in certain parts of the country, at a sprightly 22 after a night of hard drinking.

So, what happens? Women and men start to seek out a little ‘tox there, a little filler here. “It’s just a light touch,” they say. “No one will be able to tell.” And yes, some people are able to pull this off without looking like a wax model. At the same time, others refashion their faces into silicone masks ready to burst forth like a Vegas fountain.

Welcome to aging in the first world. On one end of the spectrum, there are the blissful Botoxers who insist that constant injection of onabotulinumtoxinA into their skin is the best way to look young, God bless. On the opposite end, there are the consumers who insist that wrinkles are a badge of honor and the only moisturizer they need is their great-grandmother’s olive oil dabbed behind their ears at night, thank you very much.

The rest of us? We fall somewhere in between. We spend a lot of time and money flopping around on the spectrum, hoping to find that magical product made entirely by gossamer organic elves who know just what to do. Our faces will be graced with a health glow, not reshaped into funhouse masks.

As a woman approaching the big four one this year, I’m striving to age as gracefully as, say, Naomi Watts, who says she’s avoided the ‘tox and yet still looks like a personal lighting crew travels with her at all times. Personally, my anti-aging regime will never involve injections. But hella if I don’t moisturize. Or tone. Or invest in large crates of safe sunscreen.

Sure, I’m not using a biological weapon to plump up my face, but I’m still trying to slow the progress of an indentured groove that’s taken up residence between my brows. Does this mean I’m not aging gracefully? To some, yes. But that’s okay. I enjoy olive oil too, especially in delicious, delicious lemon cakes.

So for my comrades out there who care about safe ingredients, yet still want to retain a healthy glow—here are five fantastic anti-aging products that won’t kill you in large doses.

1. Complexion Conserve Remedy Reserve Serum by Farmaesthetics ($48.00)
This serum may be better known as youth via glass dropper. Containing certified organic oils and the all-powerful vitamin E, I found it to be one of the most quickly hydrating moisturizers I have ever encountered. If you invest in one new product this year, you can’t go wrong with this one.

2. Pumpkin Enzyme Masque by Shamanuti ($32.00)
Skin that is congested and pavement-radiant inevitably looks dull and tired. Made with pumpkin and bilberry fruit extracts, this organic enzyme face masque offers up the same rejuvenating effects of alpha hydroxyl acids. Shamanuti’s products are specifically formulated with nutrients to nurture your skin, enhancing its natural beauty via vitamin-rich and anti-inflammatory ingredients.

3. Stimulastine Jour and Stimulastine Nuit by Yon-Ka Paris ($110.00 per bottle)
Okay, yes, these products come at prices that are not for the faint of heart. However, this day-and-night duo from long-time botanical giant Yon-Ka promises, among others, to “fight the deterioration of elastin, reduce the span and depth of wrinkles, and smooth skin.” A French company dating back to 1954, this would be the product your fashionable grandmother used to maintain her youthful glow. It is made with 94 percent natural ingredients, including shea butter, coconut oil and good old vitamin E.

4. Supreme Polypeptide Cream by MyChelle Dermaceuticals ($54.00)
This product promises you a world of rejuvenation—and claims to have the science to back it up. Formulated with an ingredient called Proteasly TP Pea Peptide, it promises to improve skin’s elasticity and increase overall firmness by 35 percent in just six weeks. Vegetarian-friendly and gluten-free, it offers up a more “refined” appearance for mature skin.

5. Thayers Alcohol-Free Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner ($9.95)
Sticker shock on the price of natural youth? Check out one of my all-time favorite products, this Whole Foods-available toner from Thayers. Spritz it on your face after every shower and you’ll tone, moisturize, and sooth your complexion, highlighting your natural beauty at any age.

photo credit: LatinaPower2009 via photopin cc

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Prepare yourself for cold and flu season with these immune boosting products.

Many people may watch Mad Men for the human-interest stories, intense character arcs, and glimpses of history. I watch for the women’s gloves. Gloves to this germaphobe means never having to open another public bathroom door with my sleeve. Or successfully touching my nose after riding the Metro. Or pushing a grocery cart without fear. Oh, what a world it would be.

So what’s a glove-lusting germ-hater to do at the advent of cold and flu season? Green beauty has a nice selection of immunity boosters free of toxic ingredients. Check out our favorite picks to boost your immune system and see you through the winter.

(None of these products are meant to be consumed internally, nor has their effectiveness been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. They are not intended as a substitute for a doctor’s care, so see your doctor if you are sick. Embrace hand washing. This announcement is courtesy of the common sense side of everything.)

I-Booster Salve by Buddha Nose ($24.00)
The last severe cold I (heroically) endured, I heavily employed this salve from Buddha Nose. As creator Amy Galper writes of her product, its intention is “to wake us up when we feel fatigued and to activate and protect us when we feel run down.” By rubbing it on your neck and shoulders, you are said to receive a natural boost to your energy. Made with USDA certified ingredients, this lemon, clove, and cinnamon blend brings a pleasant scent up to your aching head.

Cloud of Protection By Nieves ($18.00)
Perhaps one of the most fragrant spritzers I’ve ever come across, this formula contains essential oils that claim to fight bacteria and viruses. With naturally antiseptic ingredients such as juniper needle and eucalyptus, this product goes airborne to keep you in a lovely haze of scent. Its creators also recommend it to clear negative energy in your vicinity and to help with some “odor guidance” in public bathrooms and more.

Vapor Bath Elixir by Farmaesthetics ($31.00)
Another slam-dunk product from the green experts over at Farmaesthetics, this fragrant immune boosting “spa in a bottle” brings to mind evergreen forests when it’s added to the bath. Containing certified organic ingredients to open congestion and boost the immune system, its mix of menthol, clove, eucalyptus and lavender is not to be missed. I actually keep my bottle on my desk to use as an aromatherapy boost throughout the day, it’s that good.

Aromatherapy Personals Immune Boost ($17.00)
Eucalyptus and lemon make another appearance in this fragrant roll-on from Aromatherapy Personals. Made with certified organic ingredients, it contains bacteria-fighting tea tree oil. It also has lemon, frankincense, rosemary, and sweet orange to sooth your senses. You can roll it onto pulse points along your wrists and use it on your temples and the back of your neck. Aromatherapy Personals also offers a product to sooth a sinus headache.

Hand Sanitizer Spray by EO Organics ($1.99)
Anti-bacterial sprays can be controversial. Loaded with triclosan, they kill off bacteria but not all of it. The surviving bacterium gets angry. And you don’t want to see bacterium get angry. This product from EO Organics is ready to fight bacteria. What’s more, it contains certified natural ingredients such as fragrant lavender. Yes, perhaps we can’t walk around sporting Betty Draper-friendly elbow gloves. But at least we can dose our hands with some lavender-scented product to make life just a little easier during cold and flu season.

Image: Fran Ulloma

FTC Compliance

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Six products that soften and nourish our summertime feet.

Summer can be a tricky time for your feet. Unsheathed from the protective coverings of winter, our feet may react like vampires pushed into the sunlight – and not the kind that sparkle. That’s when our feet become accessories themselves, as we polish our toes and shine our heels. But what great green products to use? Here’s our picks.

Farmaesthetics Hand to Heel Softening Salve ($26.00)
Another outstanding product from Farmaesthetics, this salve offers up a deliciously minty moisture for your toughened heels. This calendula-based product provides up a soothing solution to your cracked heels, as well as burns, bruises and even eczema. It also contains beeswax, lavender, peppermint and carrot oils and is 100% natural with certified organic ingredients. And despite its hard-core moisturizing agents, it goes on rather light and absorbs quickly. Which is another way of saying we love this product.

Tade Natural Black Pumice Stone ($6.00)
Heels and tough spots are significantly softened, now how to make them go away? You pumice, I pumice, we all pumice! Sandals expose our feet to the elements, paving the way for cracked, tough skin. A pumice stone is a great weapon in the battle against big calluses. An excellent tool to help reduce the thickness of harder skin, this 100% natural volcanic stone can use used to exfoliate your heels or anywhere on the body that needs it.

Hydrea London FSC Certified Nail Brush ($5.00)

Perfect for your at-home pedicure, this ethically-sourced brush cleans your nails while exfoliating the skin around your cuticles. It has been made from wood assessed by the Forest Stewardship Council. Its short, Sisal bristles remain stiff while wet, giving you an advantage over unwanted dry skin.

Angel Face Botanicals Rock Star Detox Body Scrub ($19.00)
Want to go the extra mile for your feet? Place your tired toes in a warm soak for at least five minutes. Then treat them to this detoxifying scrub, formulated to draw out toxins and pollution from your body. This gentle, herbal detox scrub is quite moisturizing all on its own, offering up an easy solution to deal with dead skin and calluses. It has a lovely honey-citrus scent that will make you feel mini spa-angels have invaded your home. Not to mention, it’s formulated for the entire body.

Dr. Hauschka Body Silk Powder ($34.95)
Ready to dust the day off your feet? This light, talc-free powder can help deodorize feet (it happens) and can even been used as a translucent face powder. From holistic skin care pioneer Dr. Hauschka, the powder is made with finely-ground pure silk. As much as 98% of the plants in Dr. Hauschka Skin Care products are grown biodynamically, organically or have been ethically wild-harvested.

Badger Cuticle Care ($5.50)
When your toes are heading for epic dryness, this cuticle softener from Badger can help turn the tide. Made with shea butter, it contains Seabuckthorn Berry CO2 Extract which will help sooth your cracked cuticles. Badger calls it “delightfully fragranced” and we must admit that it is, carrying a light, lemony tinge to it. Badger shea butter is traditionally-processed from the seeds of wild-grown Karite Tree of Western Africa. It is also USDA certified organic.

FTC Compliance

Image: jturn

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