Friday, December 30, 2011

Start the New Year off Healthy!

From our friends at the Environmental Working Group

Here are some tips to help you make 2012 a safe and healthy year:
  • Choose products with simpler ingredient lists and fewer chemicals. Avoid synthetic fragrance and use fewer products overall.
  • Since the beauty industry is largely unregulated, it’s up to all of us to do our own research to find the safest products. Find out what’s in your favorite products by using the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database.
  • While it’s possible – and relatively easy – to reduce toxic exposures in your home by buying safer products, we can’t just shop our way out of this problem. The solution: help us change the rules of the game! We're working to pass new laws that protect our health and give consumers better information to make smart choices. Please stay informed, speak up, and spread the word.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

The Benefits of Sleep for the Skin

If you are woman in your  30's like me. Sleep is entity that can be lacking.  Yet sleep is essential to maintain your balance, your energy level while also managing your stress and weight. It is also important to use your more expensive organic/natural night creams and serums because when you sleep your skin is repairing itself while your body restores and renews itself. 

Sleep helps to repair your body.
Your body produces extra protein molecules while you're sleeping that helps strengthen your ability to fight infection and stay healthy. These molecules help your immune system mend your body at a cellular level when you are stressed or have been exposed to compromising elements such as pollutants and infectious bacteria.

Sleep reduces stress.
A good night's sleep can help lower blood pressure and elevated levels of stress hormones, which are a natural result of today's fast paced lifestyle. High blood pressure can be life threatening and the physical effects of stress can produce "'wear and tear" on your body and degenerate cells, which propel the aging process. Sleep helps to slow these effects and encourages a state of relaxation.

 The chart below shows the approximate amount of hours of sleep needed by age.

If you don't sleep or get enough of it, your body will shut down or release the toxins through your skin.

Sleep Requirements by Age
Newborns (0-2 months old) 12-18 hours
Infants (3-11 months old) 14-15 Hours
Toddlers (1-3 years old)l 12-14 Hours
Pre-schoolers (3-5 years old) 11-13 Hours
School-aged Children (5-10 years old) 10-11 Hours
Teens (11-17 years old) 8-9 Hours
Adults 7-9 Hours

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

The Benefits of Exercise for the Skin

It's no secret that I love to exercise to reduce my stress!  I love running, bike riding, Zumba, you name it I've probably tried it.  Exercise isn't just good to manage your stress and weight but it's also great for your skin too. Exercise promotes healthy circulation in your skin that gives you a glow. By increasing blood flow, exercise helps nourish skin cells and keep them vital. "Blood carries oxygen and nutrients to working cells throughout the body, including the skin, says dermatologist Dr. Ellen Marmur. Contrary to some claims, exercise doesn't detoxify the skin. The job of neutralizing toxins belongs mostly to the liver. "But by increasing blood flow, a bout of exercise helps flush cellular debris out of the system," says Dr. Marmur ." Keep in mind with any toxins in your body, they need to be released so that toxicity may come out as a breakout in your skin & swelling.

When you do exercise you should also take care to drink 1-2 glasses of water.Drinking lots of water flushes the liver and lymphatic system. It's important to release those toxins and to keep your body hydrated. Keep in mind if you are exercising outside to take care to wear sunscreen a great organic option is 100% Pure Pomegranate SPF 20 http://www.edenorganix.com/100-PURE-ORGANIC-POMEGRANATE-ANTIOXIDANT-HYDRATION-SPF-15_p_302-139.html. Coola Suncare http://www.coolasuncare.com/ also some great options for organic suncare.

Skin conditions that can improve when stress is reduced include acne and eczema. Although researchers are still investigating the link between stress and skin, studies show that the sebaceous glands, which produce oil in the skin, are influenced by stress hormones.

Mascara Safe for Sensitive Eyes!

We have so many clients who come into Eden Organix who have such sensitive eyes that can't wear mascara.  What is a girl to do?  Not wearing mascara is not realistic.  Two brands that I love are Jane Iredale's mascara & 100% Pure Fruit Pigmented mascara.  The New York Times has rated Jane Iredale's Mascara (score of 1 on the www.cosmeticdatabase.com) the most eco-friendly mascara on the market http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/22/style/tmagazine/22samurai.html. I've been using Jane Iredale's lengthing mascara is black for years with their Lash conditioner ( score of 1 on the www.cosmeticdatabase.com) and I love it.  But recently, I decided to check out 100% Pure's Fruit Pigmented mascara.  I have to say I really like it.  It actually smells like blueberries and it also has a low toxicity rating on the Cosmetic Safety Database http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/company/100%25_Pure/products/ which is a huge plus! By the way on the Cosmetic Safety Database things are rated 1-10 anything that is 1-3 is SAFE! Both companies are signers of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and their ingredients are fully disclosed so you really can't go wrong.

The Benefits of Exfoliation

Many people come into my store complaining about their skin. But the #1 product I find that people don't use is an exfoliant!  A very common exfoliant that people use is St.Ives Apricot Scrub.  St.Ives Apricot Scrub is one of the worst exfoliants on the market, and it has high toxicity rating on the Cosmetic Safety Database. Please check it for yourself here http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/product/233907/St._Ives_Apricot_Scrub%2C_Renew_%26_Firm/  The cosmetic safety database allows you to see the toxicity rating and safety of the products you are using on your body. In regards, to exfoliants there several organic options to choose from including 100% Pure Pineapple Scrub, Carrot Scrub, Superfruits scrub, Brightening Scrub, and Red Wine Reservatrol Scrub. Each of these scrubs are gentle yet effective and they are made with organic and natural ingredients.  Pangea Organics also makes a facial scrub it is a Egyptian Geranium with Adzuki Bean & Cranberry.  Physical exfoliants that you scrub on your skin are great to smooth out the texture of your skin and get rid of dead skin cells. But if you are having consistent breakouts then you should consider a at home peel. Peels are effective because they go below the surface of your skin to the subcutaneous layer to really kill the bacteria in your skin from the inside out. Two of my favorites are Juice Beauty's Green Apple Peel & Ilike Organic's Yogurt Power Peel.  Juice Beauty offers one for sensitive skin & full strength. Ilike's Organic yogurt power peel is focused on mild acne while also lightening and evening out the skin tone. Exfoliating has so many benefits! When you exfoliate you increase the cellular turnover rate for your skin to reveal that new fresh skin. It also sloughs off dead skin cells while helping with age spots, sun spots or skin discoloration. If you have never exfoliated then you should definitely start today. Your skin will love you.