You will be shocked by the facts connecting our habit on social media sites and our hygiene.

Think social media is just a fun way to keep in touch with old friends and make new connections? Think again!

The infographic below, by Arjan de Raaf for Inforgraphics Lists, shows us a hard number comparison of social media sites vs. our hygiene.

Over the last decade, with the spike in global access to computers and mobile phones, coupled with the desire to create connections around the world, it’s hard to deny social networking is taking a top priority in many lives.

Okay, so we can observe and conclude this relatively easily, but the shocking infographic below shines a new spotlight on the social media craze: We are spending a lot more time hunched over social media sites than we are on keeping our bodies clean.

For example, in a single lifetime, the average person will spend thirty-eight and a half days brushing their teeth but two hundred and sixty six days on Facebook. Or, the fact that more America’s have at least one social media account rather than floss on a daily basis!

Sure, it’s fun to like, search, share, follow, tweet and comment — but let’s remind ourselves there is a lot more around us than the virtual reality. The concrete physical reality is irreplaceable, like a real smile or eye contact, there is no substitute.

Want more Infographics? Related on Ecosalon

10 Fashion Infographics To Give Us A New Style Sense

10 Infographics on Alcohol

10 Infographics on Energy

image: Infographic List

The post Turn Off Social Media Sites and Go Take a Shower [Infographic] appeared first on EcoSalon.

Should you avoid artificial food coloring?

Mmm…Nothing says homemade like Red #40, Yellow #5, and Blue #1.

If you eat any processed foods, chances are there’s some type of food coloring in it. Even stuff that’s natural might have it; oranges are often injected with dye to give them their bright orange color. Seriously, oranges.

Food dyes are regulated by government agencies around the world. In the United States it’s the FDA doing the work, and what they ban and allow doesn’t always match up.

For example, Blue #1 and Blue #2 are banned in Norway, Finland and France, but allowed in the US and included in everything from candy to pet food. The golden yellow of Kraft macaroni and cheese? Brought to you by Yellow #5 and #6, both banned in the European Union. That bright blue in Nutrigrain Blueberry bars? That’s not thanks to some wild sourced blueberries. Nope, it’s Blue #1.

To be clear, these products exist in other countries, they’re just colored naturally instead of with artificial food coloring. Fanta in the UK for example is colored with pumpkin and carrot extract, while in the US it’s Red #40 and Yellow #6. Food chains like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s refuse to sell products with artificial food coloring. If they’re not willing to sell it, are you willing to buy it?

There’s a laundry list of research out there that shows how the body reacts to these synthetic dyes. There have been reports of allergic reactions to Yellow #5 and various studies have shown links between the consumption of food dyes and hyperactivity.

Americans are eat five times more food dyes in 1955, and while there are arguments for and against the safety of food dyes, one thing is sure: they’re artificial and synthetic. If you believe in putting whole, natural food in your body, products with artificial food coloring, which are often the processed products to begin with, shouldn’t make the cut.

For a visual of food dyes, where they are banned and health-related issues that they are linked to, check out this infographic, which covers artificial food colorings and their links to everything from brain tumors to insomnia.

Infographic: Special-Education-Degree.net

The post Is Artificial Food Coloring Bad For You? appeared first on EcoSalon.

#NYFW.

With New York Fashion Week kicking off next week, we thought we’d offer a little insight as to the history of how it all got started (not to mention what it’s evolved into).

For the full sized infographic, click here.

Image: Eventup

The post Infographic: In the Spirit of (Pre)New York Fashion Week appeared first on EcoSalon.

Raise your glass.

As this year’s election approaches, EcoSalon would like to make two points in the sitting president’s favor: Mr. Obama is married to a prominent locavore, and he’s interested in craft brewing, even to the extent of traveling on the campaign trail with White House ales on the bus. Alcohol consumption hasn’t been a point of legislative contention since the start of the twentieth century. Nevertheless, here’s some data with which to toast the candidates.

Beer: You’re in the Clear: 14 things that you probably didn’t know about beer consumption.

Prohibition Did What?!: Prohibition had a huge effect on American alcohol consumption.

The Remedy: Hangover cures from all over the globe.

Alcohol vs. Marijuana: Alcohol is still a lot more popular than marijuana.

Pick Your Poison: Wine and beer are almost equally popular.

What Are Green Wines?: Are taste and sustainability mutually exclusive when it comes to wine?

The Very Many Varieties of Beer: Distinguish your milds from your browns from your lambics.

Visualizing Alcohol Use: Who imbibes the most?

Beer Saved the World: As a species, we’d be nowhere without beer.

Classic Cocktails: Recipes for all the classic cocktails, if you can divine them through the madness of this infographic.

Image: lindsey gee.

The post 10 Infographics on Alcohol appeared first on EcoSalon.

Where you live can affect your skin as much as whether or not you wear sunscreen.

If you drink plenty of water and apply moisturizer, but still battle an oily T-zone, this new infographic may help you shed some light on the problem. The Daily Glow looked at the 55 biggest cities in the United States used an algorithm to weight factors like the number of dermatologists per capita and skin cancer rates. According to the data they compiled, you are more likely to have great skin when you live in the top 10 cities, which list Portland, Oregon; San Francisco, California; and Seattle, Washington as the top three choices for glowing complexions.

The Daily Glow’s researcher drew data from a number of reputable sources, and its conclusions were approved by the editorial team as well as by a number of dermatologists. Dermatologists aren’t necessarily statisticians or anthropologists, however, and the infographic sometimes offers contradictory conclusions.

For example, you might think that having great skin might mean moving somewhere with little sun, like Portland, Oregon or Milwaukee, Wisconsin. But Honolulu, Hawaii and Austin, Texas also rank in the top 10. Why does Austin, with its over 300 sunny days a year, have low rates of skin cancer while San Diego — seemingly an equally active, wealthy population — have the highest rates of melanoma in the country? If you think that living in an area with a low rate of pollution and zero ozone days means great skin, why should New York rank in the top 10 because it’s packed with dermatologists? Shouldn’t more dermatologists signal that there are more skin problems to treat?

Still, some general rules apply. If you want to avoid melanoma and sun spots, the best advice would be to leave California and the southern United States well alone. And being active is a fail-proof way to safeguard yourself against any number of health problems. Even if you don’t live in one of the top ten lucky cities, sunscreen and a little bit of common sense also goes a long way.

The post The Best U.S. Cities for Skin—Where Does Your City Rank? appeared first on EcoSalon.

Coming soon to a town near you. 

Record droughts sear the Midwest, while the Atlantic seaboard prepares for the onslaught of hurricane season. Households on the western coastline check their earthquake supplies, while Colorado recovers from a series of catastrophic wildfires. We don’t want to encourage needless paranoia. Nevertheless, summer seems as good a time as any to look over your home insurance policies—or at least buy a fire extinguisher. Scope out these ten infographics for data that apply to the regions nearest you.

Deadliest Natural Disasters for Homeowners: How to protect your property from catastrophe.

Natural Disasters with the Worst Economic Impact: If you live in an earthquake-prone zone, watch out.

The post 10 Infographics on Natural Disasters appeared first on EcoSalon.