Beauty Maven Meets Eco Beauty

Whether it’s dipping into latest Sephora finds or scanning through celebrity looks, my heart has always fluttered just that much more when it comes to beauty. And with being an eco writer, I figured I pretty much knew all there was to about eco beauty.

That’s why when I heard about holistic nutritionist and eco expert, Rachel Avalon’s Lecture on Eco Beauty, I was curious to see what the green “it” girl would be discussing. Knowing there is at least one natural makeup product that meets my approval, and often putting pestle and mortar to use in my kitchen for new facial concoctions, I wondered what the eco industry’s freshest face would have to say about beauty that I didn’t already know.

I walked into the lecture room, paper and pen in hand and ready to soak up what I thought would be new beauty tips. I also got a chance to have a quick meet and greet with Rachel, who was absolutely charming and a natural host. With people pouring in, we quickly took our seats and the presentation set sail to what was going to be a revealing look at the beauty industry.

Moments in, I was capsized by own limited perceptions of beauty. Rachel began with where our beauty products are coming from, what’s in them, and how detrimental they are to our health. The virtually self-regulated cosmetic industry is saturated by politics and hazards, even though one could argue the two were never really mutually exclusive anyway. Though we all know about lobby groups, Rachel’s knowledge of what exactly comprises the beauty industry which policies so easily saunter past the red-tape (and why), and how they affect us, is absolutely horrifying. In short, I learned that just like the IRS, we should never really trust the so-called “safety” regulations.

But to learn what was actually in all those lovely pressed powders, tubes and jars left me thoroughly disgusted. So what’s in it exactly?

Think Gemma Arterton’s scene in Quantum of Solace, where she’s covered head to toe in oil, and then you’ve got a very small picture of what you’re actually spackling on yourself everyday. The trauma of what Gemma’s character goes through varies disfiguringly with our own experience – after all, with that much toxic waste on her she inevitably died. On the other hand, we go about our day with ten fold more and think we’re glamorous. Put on, rinse, and repeat.

Considering we toss ourselves into a daily beauty gauntlet with questionable (and sometimes cancer-causing agents), you can only imagine how much damage we’re doing to ourselves in the long run.

If you factor in that our skin absorbs 60% of what we put on it, and with the average girl wearing makeup at 14, by the time you’re 85 you’ve been exposing your body to harsh chemicals and toxins for over 70 years! It’s no wonder that we have such a high rate of cancer in society, with 1 in 3 women and 1 in 2 men now being diagnosed with it. The role of cancer in beauty was another interesting component of Rachel’s lecture, and got me questioning about how many chemicals I expose myself to daily without even thinking about it – all in the name of beauty.

And beauty isn’t just for women. Conscious care is definitely something both men and women need to think about (because almost everyone uses shampoo, soap, deodorant, etc.). I brought my fiancé who was absolutely astounded by what he learned from Rachel’s lecture. According to Avalon, women use over 186 chemicals a day, but men use a competitive 85 chemicals per day – and that’s not including if they’re overly metro sexual with a bathroom stash able to beat that of any beauty maven’s.

If you consider the basics, (like shampoo, body wash, toothpaste, mouthwash, etc), it’s easy to see how the average American uses about 10 products a day – which exposes them to about 125 chemicals!

This beauty maven, however, went home and started tossing products away and recycling the containers – despite their cost or how much was still left in the bottle. Applying the tips I learned from Rachel’s lecture I read the labels of all my products – getting rid of anything I knew to be toxic, cancerous, and/or made from products I wouldn’t be within range of if I saw it in its unprocessed form, such as petroleum and placenta.

The result, I took Rachel’s many fantastic tips and alternatives, and am now putting them to use as I test the market for truly eco-friendly beauty products that are both earth-friendly and fabulous. Much like every other beauty whore who hawk-eyes every new beauty product or fad on the market, my new approach is to hone in on the ingredient labels to see if products are really what they appear to be. The result – gorgeous intelligence, as Rachel would say.

Many thanks to Rachel Avalon for such a great lecture! Luckily for us, she hosts repeat lectures and is able to serve you as a holistic expert even if you’re not based in Los Angeles. Her website is www.RachelAvalon.com.

Shireen Qudosi is a freelance writer specializing in the green industry. Visit her blog, The Logical Native, or check out her writing, link building, & social media marketing services atBabel Fish Communication. To contact her directly, email babelfish@qudosi.com and keep up with her work by signing up for the newsletter.

Image source: Arizona Foothills Magazine, Image Shack

Traditional Beauty Tips that Pass the Test of Time

Everyone hates being told “I told you so”, and most women also hate thinking their mother was right. However, on stepping upon the threshold of 30, and with my mother now in her early sixties, I can’t help but notice that on a good day, she looks not more than maybe only five or ten years older.

And with each wrinkle, thinned out skin or spot I notice, I hear her quite literally echoing voice telling me “I told you so”. So what was it exactly that she used to always harp on about while growing up?

Quite simply - endless beauty tips that at that time seemed to have been written on stone tablets alongside Moses’ 10 Commandments. But these then thought of as primitive beauty routines now seem charming and simple in an age where we’re constantly fed a barrage of beauty adverts and overly photo-shopped images of perfection.

In my own desperate attempt to look great, I have ventured down every possible winding road that ultimately lead me nowhere, pick-pocketing my hard earned dollars with daylight robbery rates and empty promises of youth and beauty. I finally decided to throw in the towel and revert to the ‘old ways’ of doing things…

Best Kept Beauty Secrets

Face

• For smooth skin, crush four uncoated aspirins and mix 1 cup distilled water and ¼ cup apple cider vinegar. Use this 2-3 times a day for incredibly smooth skin and as an alternative to washing your face in the morning.
• If you have sensitive acne-prone skin, stay away from rich spicy foods, which only irritate and inflame your system.
• Sleep. Staying up too late or not getting enough sleep wreaks havoc on your skin, causing it to look dull, tired, and likely leading to breakouts.
• Use patchouli oil to quickly get rid of acne. Mix 10 drops of this strong smelling oil with 10 oz of almond oil as a nightly moisturizer and anti-wrinkle treatment.

Hair

• For soft hair, massage your head with coconut oil once a week, working it into your hair. Leave it in there for about 3 hours prior to washing it out with shampoo. Use just a dab of conditioner at the ends.
• For shiny hair, mix one egg with a mashed up banana and apply it as a thick paste to your hair. Leave it on for 10-30 minutes, depending on your hair texture. Then, wash it out as usual and use conditioner only at the ends.
• For natural hair dye, use henna and add in a bit of lemon to the paste. Leave it in your hair for about 30 minutes to one hair for a natural reddish/auburn tint.

Body

• Use a mixture of pure olive oil with 1/2 parts sea salt as an in-shower body scrub. This combo completely eliminates the need for lotion and is great for winter weather.
• Make sure you get in some sort of physical activity. Our mothers and grandmothers stayed in shape with simple stretches, and not grueling hours at the gym. Try reaping the benefits of yoga as a way to maintain your girlish figure.
• Washing your hair with boiled rice water is also a great alternative for shiny hair.

The results of my little experiment and in following these tips have been absolutely smashing. I never looked better and the extra savings from not having to splurge on beauty products is the fondant on the cake.