The Green Beauty Guide

If spring is not really here, it’s certainly on its way. So what’s better time to make your beauty routine greener? Here’s my modest round up of beauty must-haves for March.

Healthy looking skin is essential, especially after we start peeling off those layers of winter clothing. Moor Lavender
Body Oil by Dr. Hauschka is absolutely great [...]

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If there is something that could make me hit the keyboard and start writing a post before I had my morning latte is another set of misconceptions spread by members of traditional science.
As I was idly browsing BabyCenter.com waiting for my emails to download, I found this question: “Are safe-tanners safe during pregnancy?”
Here’s a cheery [...]

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Is it my post-pregnancy hormones staging a riot or does the idea of smearing faces with sludge made of squished postpartum material is repulsive, revolting, and plain dangerous? Apparently, placenta was just about to become a hot ingredient in skincare, if not for some troubling scientific research.
Purified extracts of cow and human placenta, it [...]

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It’s impossible – and actually harmful - to avoid the sun completely. A light tan is more than enough to maintain healthy levels of vital vitamin D, but sun protection today is more important than ever. Sunburns are directly linked to a higher risk of developing the most disastrous skin cancer, melanoma, and it’s much [...]

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Men don’t fear wrinkles as much as women do. Our society is much more tolerant to men’s signs of aging, such as thinning hair, wrinkled, leathery skin, and less-than-flawless physique. But men, too, suffer from dry skin, acne, eczema, allergies and sun damage, and it doesn’t make them any happier. 
            Good gentle grooming routines [...]

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Taking a shower is perhaps the least green experience in your beauty routine. No, wait, hair dying is worse. But consider this: you are wasting 20 gallons of water, rinsing down the drain about three tablespoons of petrochemicals, endocrine disruptors, fragrance compounds, and detergents, and end up with skin and hair that were washed squeaky [...]

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I am reconsidering my love for mineral makeup. I am now looking for mineral makeup in pressed or fluid form because many studies released in 2008 show that micronized titanium oxide and other minerals can penetrate into bloodstream and be carried around the body, accumulating in lungs, brain, and kidneys. If you use mineral powder makeup, avoid bismuth oxychloride and silica. Bare Escentuals has launched an anti-acne makeup with barium and silica. So far, scientific studies failed to show any benefits of using topical barium on inflamed skin, but both ingredients have a proven track record of toxicity.

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Nail polish without toxins? It’s quite possible today. I was updating the chapter on nail polishes for my upcoming book, and amidst gloomy reports about toxic effects of phthalates, toluene, and formaldehyde I saw a ray of hope.
While nail polish manufacturers say it’s impossible to create a vibrant, long-lasting color that doesn’t contain at least [...]

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          So you may now suspect that synthetic fragrances aren’t exactly the healthiest thing to put on your skin and allow into your lungs. Are there any alternatives? Consider green, all-natural fragrances that are not that boring or bland. Think Creed, Serge Lutens, Annick Goutal, or Lavanila. What’s different about them?
Botanical perfumes are created from raw and rare plants. The aromatic [...]

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When I wear sunscreen, I hope it’s blocking harmful UV rays, so is there any difference between sunblock and sunscreen? Apparently, there is.
            True to its name, sunblock reflects the sun’s rays, thereby blocking them from reaching your skin. Sunscreen absorbs rather than reflects ultraviolet (UV) radiation, explains Harvard Medical School report.
            Sunblocks, such [...]

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