Okay, full disclosure. I just woke up from a nine hour, nap? How’d that happen? It was nighttime when I went to sleep, and now it’s nearing high noon. And before the sleep police come after me waving their pitchforks spiked with espresso, here’s the one downside – I now have puffy eyes that look like I stuffed my face in a basket full of pollen-dipped cats. But there must be a way to get much-deserved (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it) sleep without looking like an inflated version of yourself. And there must be a way to do it naturally, right?

Puffy eyes are caused by a myriad of issues. Hormones can cause water retention – yes, even around your eyes. At the same time, dehydration can also puff out your eyes, be it from a hangover or just too little liquid. Medication, heredity, and allergies are also culprits. One beauty expert advises that you should treat your eyes like you would the skin of the newborn baby. Since most of my friends have puffy eyes from lack of sleep due to a newborn baby – see how it’s all cyclical? – it won’t be hard to make this connection.

The solution?

Awhile back, I wrote about some eco-friendly and/or natural products for your eyes. Click here to peruse what’s new on the natural cosmetics market. Or check out these natural tips for deflating your eyes from fatty to fab.

1. Some suggest gently (may we emphasize the gently) tapping your eyes where the fluid seems to be. This can encourage fluid to disperse and drain more easily.
2. Drink as much water as possible. Yes, it seems counter-intuitive when you are retaining water, but hydrating will reduce puffiness. So down a glass of H2O next time your notice your eyes making like a mask.
3. Get enough sleep. (Done and done!) Too little sleep will cause puffy eyes. But too much may as well. Walk the line.
4. Use an ice pack over your eyes for as long as you can stand it. This will lessen the look of fatigue and puffiness. Chilled cucumbers may achieve the same result.
5. Create a potato eye mask. Peel one small potato. Shred it, and then place it in clean gauze. Cover your eyes for ten minutes. Rinse off with water of cold chamomile tea.
6. And for the truly creative or just fall-festive – peel and seed a slice of pumpkin. Cook it in two cups of water until it is soft, and then mush it with a teaspoon of honey. Please inside clean gauze and cover your eyes for ten minutes. Go the extra green mile and make your ingredients all organic.

Image: kaleid

The post 6 Tips for Naturally Reducing Under Eye Puffiness appeared first on EcoSalon.

There is a mind-boggling array of branded waters on the market. The bottles come in all shapes and sizes, from the square Fiji option, with its dubious political connections, to the diminutive pink Evian vessel. It all adds up to a huge headache for the environment, which is why giving up bottled water should be a high priority for anyone aspiring to be green.

But not all plastic water bottles are eco-enemies. Now, a new type of container is entering the fray and it might just make tap water fashionable again. Could the so-called Water Bobble be a new superhero in the water wars?

I came across the Water Bobble via the Luxist and I must admit I’m completely smitten. It has a cute jelly-bean shape, comes in six jewel colors, and best of all, it has a carbon filter to purify the water that comes out of the tap. It launched just a few weeks ago and I can imagine it being a big hit this summer!

I’m lucky enough to live in San Francisco, where the tap water is good quality, but that’s not the case for everyone. More than 20% of the US water treatment systems have violated the Safe Drinking Water Act in the past five years, according to the New York Times. At just $9.95, the Water Bobble could be a stylish solution to satisfy both eco-concerns and fears over water quality.

These glass bottles in a colorful silicon sleeve from Lifefactory are also pretty cute, although they don’t have a nifty carbon filter attached. I’m probably less likely to carry glass around when I’m on the move but it’s an elegant solution for chilling water at home. Glass is eco-friendly and free of toxins and the wide mouth makes it easy to add ice, mint leaves or slices of lemon. Lifefactory make baby bottles as well.

Finally, if it’s fizzy water or sweet sodas that you crave, I highly recommend the Soda Stream. It is a small machine that sits on your counter top and lets you carbonate water out of the tap. There are a variety of flavors of syrup – from cola to root beer – but in our house we mainly use it for water as it’s healthier that way. It doesn’t use electricity and it comes with two reusable plastic bottles and a refillable carbon cylinder so it produces zero waste (except maybe for empty syrup containers, which can be recycled). I gave my husband one for Christmas and he declared it to be the best Christmas present he’s received since he was a kid. It’s green and definitely fun to use!

The post Bobble Up! Meet the New Eco Cutie of the Bottled Water Industry appeared first on EcoSalon.

Mmmm. CANDY! Just smell the bowl full of those darling, little bars of CANDY. Just look at those chewy bites of CANDY!

Now, walk away. That’s right. Walk away and no one will get hurt.

Halloween is really one of the hardest nights to stay disciplined, to focus on staying healthy and stick to your local, organic fare and not endorse one night a year when it’s okay for kids to rot their teeth and poison their bodies with sugar and trans fats.

We get hundreds of visitors to our suburban-esque San Francisco hood and once the bell starts ringing, it tends to get frenetic. You can’t spend the evening just bobbing for organic apples but you can make some changes in your holiday routine.

Here are some good tips for staying focused for a  healthier Halloween:

1. Plan ahead pumpkin head!

Eat a really big, healthy dinner around 5 p.m. Give your kids a good dinner, too. Usually they’re too excited to eat, so just threaten them: No green stuff, no brown stuff. Growing up, we always had chili dogs on Halloween, but no one will eat that anymore. A veggie pizza is yummy and filling, and toss a massive salad for yourself and your friends. And don’t forget, many good foods stem from the pumpkins you carve, i.e. delicious and beneficial dried seeds, soups and desserts. Pumpkin is one of the super foods!

2. Pluck fruits of the vine, Frankenstein

Here’s something novel. Buy healthy treats to give away so if you have a few it won’t hurt: Organic fruit snacks, like the new ones from Amy’s,  Fair Trade organic dark chocolate squares, Z-bars. Don’t get carried away and give out toothbrushes, though. Everybody hates neighbors who give out toothbrushes. They deserve to get tee-peed.

3. Keep a Healthy Stash, Monster Mash

Keep a healthy, beat-the-blues treat aside for yourself, such as an organic dark chocolate bar, a bowl of fresh fruit or popcorn. I don’t know who made up the rule that giving away candy means you can’t snack on healthy treats throughout the night. Popcorn is high in fiber and I like to season mine with a bit of Cayenne pepper. Look out!

4. Slurp to your heart’s desire, thirsty vampire

Drink tons of water all night (from your reusable bottle, of course). Keep a water bottle by the front door, and keep sipping. Staying hydrated is a surefire way to keep up your energy throughout this high energy night, and to keep yourself from eating unhealthy foods that will just make you feel lousy in the morning  – you know, that Halloween hangover.

5. Sit on the porch and stay present

This is a great night to interact with neighbors, neighbors we are usually isolated from during the busy work week. Pull up a chair on the front steps with your bowl of healthy giveaways and haunt your old friends. It’s good for the spirit!

Top image: Doug88888

Image One: Organic Authority

The post Halloween Hangover? 5 Tips to Avoid the Scary Stuff and Stay Healthy appeared first on EcoSalon.