Curly haired girls rejoice! Now is your time to shine. A big, full head of curls is totally in. Not so texturally blessed? Straight haired gals can get in on this look too. But first, the difference between a faux fro and a twist out.

Haven’t you always wanted to sport an Afro? To those of us with straight or mildly wavy hair, this look may have seemed an impossible dream. Well get ready to go big, because the faux fro is currently on trend and here to help those with limp, straight or otherwise uninspired locks.

Here’s the deal though. The ‘fro may not be new, but is news as a possibility for women with straight hair. An article in the August issue of Allure magazine features actress Marissa Neitling with a faux fro created by celebrity hair stylist, Chris McMillan. The look is cool, modern and … controversial?

After the issue ran, a backlash soon broke out over cultural appropriation. Many readers felt offended over the idea of teaching white women how to create this traditionally black hairstyle.

While there are many natural versions of this hairstyle roaming around out there on people of all races (looking at you, Seth Rogen), the same goes for straightened hair and many other style. So  maybe the style needs a different name when worn on white women. The coil? The twist? The big bounce? One reader on Twitter claims the look is actually called a “twist out” when done this way. Kinda love it!

We certainly are not intent on offending anyone, and admire and accept women and hairstyles of all kinds. Whether you are natural or do some styling to get your locks straight, curly or somewhere in between, do your thing.

How to Rock a Twist Out (aka, Faux Fro)

Heat Styling: If you want to get the look in less than a few hours time, go for the heat method. This method works best on wavy hair. Blow dry with a diffuser attachment until hair is completely dry. Now use a tiny barreled curling iron on tiny sections of hair. Didn’t say the process was fast, but quicker than the air dry method.

No Heat Styling: If you have the day off or are spending the night in, this is the method for you. Remember rag curls? Same idea only you’ll be using smaller sections of hair. Rip an old, soft Tshirt into skinny strips and roll from roots to scalp. The tinier the sections, the better your curls will look. Let air dry completely and remove the cloth strips.

Now gently loosen curls with your fingers and *voila* you are ready to go. For either method use an ample amount of sturdy mousse or styling product before drying or rolling. Try Rahua Hair Wax for long hair, Yarok Feed Your Curls Defining Crème for wavy hair, or Yarok Feed Your Roots Volume Enhancing Mousse.

*Disclaimer: Help support EcoSalon! Our site is dedicated to helping people live a conscious lifestyle. We’ve provided some affiliate links above in case you wish to purchase any of these products.

Related on EcoSalon

Hair Styles that Flatter 6 Different Face Shapes

Tame Your Tresses This Summer with These 5 Simple Hairdos

Best Braid Hairstyles for Grown-Up Girls (How-To Video Instructions Galore!)

Image of girl with curly hair via Shutterstock

The post Faux Fro or Twist Out? Choose Wisely appeared first on EcoSalon.

We all know how hard it is to find all natural or organic hair salons.

Strip malls and plazas are littered with the typical, run of the mill chemical infested hair salons. “Oh great, I’d love to dye my hair a shade of Crayola blonde or get some cancer-curls while I’m here, totally!” SAID NO ONE EVER. Lucky for you, here’s a round-up of five fabulous organic hair salons throughout the nation!

1. Los Angeles, CA- Primrose Organics Salon and Boutique

This cute little place is full service, all organic, and odorless (no stinky chemical stench!)–from the products used to the actual structure of the space. Founded in April 2009 by celebrity hair stylist, Felicia Howe, Primrose Organics Salon and Boutique set the standards high with sustainable integrity ever present from the moment you walk through the doors. With her honorable and eco-friendly skills and expertise, Howe’s dream was to make each and every client not only feel beautiful, but to also assist in educating and guiding them in a more health conscious direction. Aside from the toxin-free, all organic product lines used and carried here, Primrose Organics uses recycled foil for treatments and is also equipped with energy-saving blow dryers! The furniture inside is all second-hand and was sourced from Craigslist while the drywall has been stabilized with formaldehyde-free compound and VOC-free paint was used to color the walls. Doesn’t get more sustainable than that, does it?

2. East Village, NY- Salon Eco Chic

Located in the East Village of the ever so chaotic NYC, is Salon Eco Chic. Welcoming clients in from the fast-paced streets of the city, Salon Eco Chic’s goal is to provide the most serene atmosphere accompanied by the best quality hair care. You can expect to come in and receive on-trend European inspired styling while being pampered with certified organic products. Everything used is plant-based and sulphate, ammonia, and chemical-free! Salon Eco Chic believes in sustainable beauty without sacrificing ones wellness. This is the place to go when you really want to take care of yourself and get away from the city madness.

3. Seattle, WA- Hazel Salon and Organics

A salon that not only is an advocate for organic hair care, but also gives back to its community?! That’s a double doozy of pure goodness right there. Seattle-based hair salon, Hazel Salon and Organics, specializes in outstanding style and highly reputable, cruelty-free products that are also free from ammonia, sulphates, parabens, petrochemicals, and formaldehyde. This salon bears an extensive line of organic products such as Organic Color Systems, LOMA, and Osea, to name a few. The other very respectable aspect to this salon that sets it apart from a lot of other organic hair salons is that it believes in supporting its community by participating in different charities. Doesn’t that just give you the warm fuzzies all over? Hair care is not their only forte either. Feel free to go there to get your lashes done up, get some hair removed (by means of sugaring or threading- no waxy gunk), or some rejuvenating organic skin treatments.

4. Chicago, IL- Splendor Salon and Spa

“Find a better way to beauty” is the motto of Chicago-based organic salon, Splendor Salon and Spa. This fume-free no-ammonia salon doesn’t play games. Aside from the plethora of organic, cruelty-free, and biodegradable products used, their packaging is also majorly eco-friendly! “Synthetic,” “toxic,” and “non-renewable” are not in this salon’s vocabulary. All product packaging is completely sustainable by utilizing recycled and plant-based materials. They even use soy ink on the labels! Splendor Salon and Spa offers a multitude of beauty related services without punishing the earth in the process. Why go anywhere else?!

5. Fort Lauderdale, FL- John Bruno Hair Salon

This is one salon you actually do want to tangle with. (See what I did there?) John Bruno Hair Salon located in Fort Lauderdale is an environmentally friendly force to be reckoned with. Recognized for outstanding customer service and eco-friendly products, they actually received a huge shout out in The New Times for being the Best Hair Salon in Fort Lauderdale/Broward County! Their popularity is understandable. All of their products are organic, vegan, and cruelty-free. Have no fear, you can trust your tresses to this remarkably health conscious salon.

So there you have it! If you live in or near any of these areas, stop wasting your time, money, and health in toxic hair salons and treat your body (and the earth) to a little guilt-free TLC!

Related on EcoSalon

3 Celeb-Endorsed Eco-Friendly Natural Beauty Products Worth the Hype

The Hair Makeover that Changes Your Entire Look (And Doesn’t Cost a Thing)

Shailene Woodley’s Lipstick is a Roasted Beet

Images via André Batista and Mainstream

The post 5 Awesomely Hair-Raising Organic Hair Salons in the U.S. appeared first on EcoSalon.

I will admit, when it comes to natural beauty products, I often resort to celebrities for my knowledge fix. While they do have the reputation of promoting not-so-natural beauty techniques (ahem, cosmetic surgery), many stars are staunch advocates of going au naturel. Hence, the following list of finds for the latest and greatest natural beauty products.

1. David Babaii for WildAid

Kate Hudson led me to WildAid. The actress has teamed up with hairstylist David Babaii to create DAVID BABAII FOR WILDAID haircare products and styling tools. The products are free of sulfates, parabens, animal products and animal testing and include exotic ingredients, such as volcanic ash from the Vanuatu Islands in the South Pacific, mango extracts, rosemary leaves, blue algae, wild orchid, cupuacu butter and white ginger. A portion of sales from the products go to benefit the global wildlife conservation non-profit organization WildAid, which seeks to preserve wildlife by working with governments and local communities. The 10-piece set contains shampoos, conditioners, pomades, mousses, hairsprays, hair dryer and flat iron. Products are between $12 and $15, while the tools are about $120 each.

2. RestoreSea

Recently, it was announced that Gwyneth Paltrow would be the face for RestoreSea. The brand’s founder, Patti, creates anti-aging skincare with the use of Aquabeautine XL, a natural enzyme released by salmon into the water at birth that allows them to safely emerge from their eggshells. This enzyme helps to create products that only exfoliate dead skin cells, allowing living cells to thrive. RestoreSea boasts that it is environmentally friendly, because it collects and filters the Aquabeautine XL enzyme from the post-hatching waters of salmon, harming no fish in the process.

3. Éminence

I recently came across Éminence and soon realized I was late to the party. It seems like every celebrity and model has hit up these products at some point (at least according to the website), but for good reason. Éminence proudly derives its products from Hungary, where the company began more than 50 years ago. Like back in the day, Éminence still hand-picks and hand-mixes its ingredients in small batches and combines them with thermal hot spring waters to create potent healing and beautifying products. the company uses sustainable farming practices and creates organic products. It is active in reducing its carbon footprint, from harvest to production to packaging. The company is enlisting wind and solar power energy to make its products and additionally uses recyclable packaging, vegetable-based inks in printing, and FSC certified post-consumer recycled paper. For its Beyond Organic line, Éminence utilizes bio-dynamic farming practices.

Related on EcoSalon

Which Facial Hair Removal Technique is Best for You?

Sexy Natural Hair: Intelligent Nutrients’ Smart Science

DIY Waxing: Get Rid of Unwanted Body Hair with DIY Natural Wax

Photo Credit: Boudewijnd Berends

The post 3 Celeb-Endorsed Eco-Friendly Natural Beauty Products Worth the Hype appeared first on EcoSalon.

Facial hair removal techniques are many. But which one is right for you?

Hair removal often comes at a price – it’s expensive to maintain, it can hurt (a lot) and can wear and tear your skin beyond comfort to the point where scarring is involved. Well, the thing is, there’s no all-natural, pain-free remedy for hair removal once and for all – at least not yet – but there are ways to do it in the least harshest, safest way possible that lets your skin be clear of unwanted hair whilst preserving the youth of your skin. Your job is to filter through the options to find which one is best for you and your skin type.

1. Waxing

These days, waxing is quite safe, since there has been a shift from petroleum-based waxes to soy-based ones. It can also be inexpensive relative to other hair removal techniques and, despite the short pain spurts, it’s a one-and-done deal. You may experience slight redness on the area waxed after a session, but it goes away within a few hours. Be sure to keep the area moisturized with a natural oil. Waxing removes hair from the root but is not permanent and will require regular and frequent upkeep.  It is also important to get waxed by someone who keeps up with sanitation standards and properly disinfects the area before waxing.

Related on EcoSalon

DIY Waxing: Get Rid of Unwanted Body Hair with a Homemade All-Natural Wax

When Green Gets Silky: 6 Best Organic Hair Conditioners

Best Organic, Natural and Eco-Friendly Shampoos for All Hair Types

Image: mytudut

The post Which Facial Hair Removal Technique is Best for You? appeared first on EcoSalon.

Trimming your own bangs and even your dead ends is easier than you might think.

Stylists tend to recoil in horror when clients admit to snipping their own hair at home. But while it may not be the greatest idea to give yourself a drastic new cut, a bit of a trim here and there is quick, easy and totally indistinguishable from a pro job once you know what you’re doing. Here’s how to trim your own bangs, from blunt cuts to side-swept fringe.

How to Trim Straight-Across Bangs

It may seem like getting blunt bangs trimmed perfectly straight would be impossible to do on your own, but there are a few tricks to it. First of all, don’t cut your hair while it’s wet; it tends to shrink after drying, so you can trim more than you bargained for.

Blow dry bangs (straight, if necessary), and then comb them into place. With a pair of small, very sharp scissors (cuticle scissors work well), cut vertically into the ends of the hair starting from the middle and moving out to the sides. Use the comb to maintain a straight line. Brush your bangs into place with your fingers to style them, and trim any additional pieces as needed if they’re not even.

How to Trim Side-Swept Bangs

Trimming side-swept bangs requires just a slightly different technique, still starting with dry hair and cutting vertically into the ends. Pull one-inch sections of hair out away from your face on the opposite side from where they will fall. Avoid trimming more than half an inch at a time.

How to Cut Your Own Bangs

Do you dare to cut your own bags, without the aid of a stylist? This is definitely going a bit further than a trim, and it’s a bit risky, but if you want to try, the technique above makes it pretty simple. The twist-cut trick results in bangs that are slightly longer on either side.

How to Trim Your Own Hair

This video from Cosmopolitan explains how to trim dead ends without taking a trip to the salon.

Photo: gomainstream

Related on Ecosalon: 

Best Braid Hairstyles for Grown-up Girls

Brazilian Blowouts: Pretty Toxic, Actually 

The post DIY Hair: How to Trim Your Own Bangs from Blunt Cuts to Side-Swept Fringes (Videos) appeared first on EcoSalon.

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.

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

photo credit: lululemon athletica via photopin cc

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.

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.

Veronica Lake’s iconic 1940s Hollywood hair came about by accident, when a lock of hair fell into her eye during a promotional photo shoot. This unusual look helped skyrocket her to stardom, and women working less glamorous lifestyles clamored to channel her smoky, sauntering nightclub singer silhouette. In fact, her femme fatale hairstyle was so widely copied that the U.S. government asked her to change it, because it was seen as a health hazard to women who worked on assembly lines in factories during World War II. Lake demurred, and appeared in Life magazine demonstrating how long waves could get caught in equipment.

But there’s certainly no hazard in wearing this look to cocktail parties and on dates, unless you consider an extraordinary amount of attention dangerous. Here are three steps to the film noir look for hair, makeup and accessories.

Iconic Hair: Soft Side-Swept Waves

Veronica Lake’s ‘peekaboo’ hairstyle was achieved with pin curls and a heavy side part. You could still get this look the traditional way – The Stylist Quo has a step-by-step tutorial that’ll spell out exactly how. But if a curling iron is more your speed, check out the instructions at The Beauty Department. It’s easier than you might think.

Smooth those waves with a little glossing product like Feed Your Shine by Yarok, and hold them in place with a natural hairspray that comes out in a fine mist rather than a spritz – try Giovanni’s L.A. Hold.

Makeup: Cheekbones and Red Lips

Natural brows, enhanced cheekbones and red lips are Veronica Lake’s trademark makeup looks. Use just a little bit of brow product like Josie Maran’s Magic Brows to add definition and swipe some mascara onto your lashes. Keep your eye makeup light to balance the bold red lip.

Ilia Beauty lipstick in Wild Child has a semi-matte finish in a fiery shade of red, or you could go with the darker Femme Fatale. Finally, use a little bit of bronzer just under your cheekbones to draw them out, making sure to blend well for a natural beauty effect.

Accessories: Turban and Trenchcoat

Wearing an actual satin dress from the 1940s along with the hair and makeup might look a bit too much like a costume. Instead, choose elements from Lake’s classic look to integrate into your own. A halter-style dress or something in low-cut satin would be a subtle tribute, or you could rock a turban like Lake’s character Ellen Graham. You can find vintage ones on Etsy, or get a sleeker, more modernized version in organic cotton by REIF at Craft and Culture.

And of course, no look could epitomize film noir better than a slim-fitting trench coat. Check out the Jonano Organic Hemp Denim Mini Trench Coat for an updated option, or have some fun poring through vintage boutiques.

Images: Robert Huffstutter, Wikimedia Commons, Cliff, doctor macro

Related on Ecosalon: 

Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday: Get This Classic Hollywood Look (with Natural Products) 

Women on Film: Femme Fatale Rita Hayworth

The post Natural Beauty 1940s-Style: Get Veronica Lake’s Look (With Natural Products) appeared first on EcoSalon.

For the woman who covets the fun and funky braid hairstyles of her youth and has no idea how to pull it off, here are some great braid styles.

Short braids, long braids, loose braids, tight braids. The procession of best braids in my mind reads like a Dr. Seuss picture book, with an assortment of lovely styles on parade. Tragically, my braiding skills are about as adept as a cat diving into a pile of yarn—something happens, and it usually involves a lot of tangles. Maybe because this skill has always been completely beyond me, I’ve always loved elaborate braid hairstyles.

Or maybe my early obsession with braids is 1000% because of this.

Throughout my life, the second I had longer locks, I was asking someone to braid my hair. But as I got older, I started dialing back on the Heidi-inspired braid hairstyles. Yes, this was partially due to my own braiding skill level (see: cat/tangled/yarn), but it was also because I was working. As a woman in a TV writer’s room, you already walk in with a giant “Judge Everything about My Appearance” sign over your head. Fun and quirky hairstyle went the way of my soul, crushed under the heel of Hollywood.

And for the record, if you’re proudly sporting elaborate braids in the courtroom or under your surgeon’s cap, rock on. But for the woman who covets the fun and funky braids of her youth and has no idea how to pull it off, I am you and you are me. Because as I got older, my braids became smaller. Subtle. A wisp here, a strand there. They practically disappeared.

And then my niece Katherine was born.

Katherine, you see, is a braiding savant. If she were a chess player, she’d be Bobby Fischer. If tennis were her game, she’d be Serena Williams. Now that she’s a teenager, she can spend a few minutes in front of the mirror and emerge looking like she wandered off the set of Lord of the Rings.

In case you doubt me, I recently showed her a picture of the Khaleesi braids from Game of Thrones. She appeared a half hour later, sporting this braid hairstyle.

It is possible that she has dragon eggs hidden somewhere in her closet.

Katherine and her nimble teen fingers have become my ambassador back into Braid Land. So I recently asked her to share her thoughts on braids, her favorite styles, and to remind us why braids are completely awesome.

ES: Katherine, tell us why you think braids work so well as a hair style.

Katherine: Well, I like braids because if I’m not wearing a fun outfit, I can wear fun hair. French braids are the best because you can tweak them, making them messier, tighter, or whatever you want. You can really make them your own.

ES: Good point. How do feel when you’re doing braid hairstyles?

Katherine:  When I do them myself, I feel proud. And it’s fun when my friends like them too, because it makes me want to share them. So I really like to do my friends’ hair too. It’s something I can do to help them to feel good about themselves.

ES: That’s such a good reminder for us Olds—fun hair makes you feel good. So let’s talk style. What’s your favorite braid for long hair?

Katherine: I have pretty long hair right now, so I like to wear it up out of my face. French braids always work well, because I can wear them with a bun or a pony tail. It’s great for summer. Lately, I’ve really been into the Fishtail braid. Here’s a great video showing you how to do one.

Also, I think a really great style for longer hair is the corset braid. It’s a big more formal and subtle, and I think can work well on grown-ups. Here’s my favorite video showing how to do it.

ES: Love it! So what is your favorite braid style for short hair?

Katherine: I really like the headband braid for short hair. And you don’t even need a lot of hair to do it. Here’s a video that shows you how to do a really cool one.

ES: What about a braiding style like cornrows? Can you do that on long or short hair?

Katherine: You can do cornrows on both! Here’s a good video on how to.

ES: Say you were going to wake up 35-years-old tomorrow. What style would you choose?

Katherine: I really like the nested side braid. It’s very simple and you can wear it for any occasion.

ES: Even at the office?

Katherine: Why wouldn’t you want to feel good about yourself at work?

ES: Excellent point, Katherine. Excellent point.

photo credit: chantel beam photography via photopin cc

Related on Ecosalon:

Can Middle Aged Women Have Long Hair?

Why Vinegar Is So Great for Your Hair

What Does Our Hair Say About Our Health?

The post Best Braid Hairstyles for Grown-Up Girls (How-To Video Instructions Galore!) appeared first on EcoSalon.