All posts filed under: Skincare

How To Cool Off This Summer: Take a Cold Plunge In Style And Beat The Heat

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It’s a heat wave! No matter how you choose to celebrate the longer hours of summer, do it with the right tools in hand. Presenting ways to stay cool and safe this summer. At-Home Cold Plunge Don’t have access to a pool? On a particular hot day, cool down with a cold bath. Yes, a cold bath is a real way to bring the temperature down, improve circulation, relieve depression, and improve deep breathing. If you are afraid to take the plunge, cold showers are a great way to help you ease into a cold bath. When it’s truly hot and humid, you likely won’t mind getting in. Limit your time until you cool down, physically and mentally. The trick to tolerating a cold shower or bath is to take deep breaths, with slow exhales. If that still seems like too much for you, try the contrast shower. First shower as normal, then at the end switch between cool and warm, 20 seconds each. End your shower with cool. This therapeutic shower will improve your …

10 Best Natural & Organic Sunscreens for Healthy Summer 2021

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Today’s sunscreen is not your grandmother’s sunscreen, which likely meant not using any. When I first started writing about natural and organic products the options for better sunscreen were limited. Then brands like COOLA came along. Those in-the-know already used organic and natural brands, but you had seek them out in stores that carried green beauty. Today we have many options to choose from, and I hope you choose well. Our tip to understanding skincare is learning to read labels and knowing what ingredients have all the benefits you look for. In the US the word natural has no concrete definition but when it comes to sunscreens the good news is that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has updated its definition of what is deemed safe and effective sun protection. Elizabeth Mullans, M.D., Board-Certified Dermatologist at Uptown Dermatology provides helpful summer skincare tips for all skin types. The sun’s peak UV hours are between 10am to 4pm, so make sure to avoid extended time in the sun during this window. If you find yourself out …

Earth Day 2021: This Year’s Winners of Best Sustainable Skincare Products On The Market

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Earth Day began in 1970, but the ways which we celebrate, appreciate and look at planet health has changed. Big brands and publications are starting to pay a lot more attention to what we consume and how we consume it. Consumers demand transparency and healthier ways to live, not just for themselves, but for Mother Earth as well. With that said, there is a lot more work to do. Celebrate Earth by being a conscious consumer – buy less, and when you do buy, do it with planet health in mind. Love Your Mother With Brands That Care Aveda’s Limited-edition Shampure™ Nurturing Shampoo Bar is just the latest example of the brand’s initiative to give us quality products but no unnecessary waste. If you need more of a push to fall in love with this gentle hair cleanser — $5 from each purchase helps charity bringing water to those in need. It is safe to say that Aveda has their finger on the pulse of sustainability in beauty, especially the state of packaging and its impact. Weleda …

5 Ways to Add Cryotherapy, or Cold Therapy, To Your Beauty Routine

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Is Cold The Secret To Beautiful Skin? Waking up with a splash of cold water is a universal beauty and hygiene ritual, but would you ever put ice on your face? Using cold as a treatment is not new. Performers and entertainers are known to use ice in order to take down inflammation. Any spa goer will tell you how invigorated they feel after cold therapy, and they always making sure to use the ice bucket in the spa shower. Cryofacials and CoolSculpting are among the most well known innovative cosmetic treatments that use cold to their advantage. This is no trend, using cold treatments will likely get more interesting. While we would not recommend that you start applying ice directly on your face (at least not until you mentally prepare yourself, do a patch test, and/or talk to your dermatologist) there are quite a few ways you can use cold therapy as a beauty hack. We foresee lots of icing this spring/summer season. THE BENEFITS: An icy treatment can help stimulate collagen production, reduce …

Water Is Life: 10 Powerful Benefits of a Bath Soak

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Water is a precious resource. Treat it with respect and take a bath like you mean it. Whether you call it self-care, spa life, time-out or me time, bath soaks are real medicine for the soul. We consider ourselves quite the bath aficionados and firmly believe in using baths as spa therapy for all types of ailments. While balneotherapy deserves more studies, the evidence that baths have powerful benefits has been there for years. In fact, studies have shown that being near water is good for our mental health because it helps soothe anxiety and boost our mood. The father of medicine himself, Hippocrates, prescribed and documented hydrotherapy as a powerful treatment. When you enjoy meditating to the sound of waves, swimming in the lake, drinking water, or playing a water sport, you are taking part in healing and nurturing yourself with the powerful force that is water. Think a bout it, in times of stress, we are often offered water as a calming antidote. Water is a life source, and bathing in water helps …

Understanding How Your Skin Works & The Importance Of It’s Wellness

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Our skin never seems to get enough credit for its fascinating abilities to be there for us. It is our largest organ, one that holds everything together, yet we often neglect to think of its importance. Here are some examples of what skin does: our skin acts as a protective barrier, regulates our body temperature, shows off our overall well-being, and sends information to the brain through a network of nerve endings. How incredible is that? Since we spend a good chunk of our money on skincare and depend on our skin for its functions, I think educating ourselves on this organ is vital. HOW SKIN WORKS You might already know that skin is complex and greatly affected by our lifestyles. By understanding how skin works, you too can decode its complexity. Every day our skin absorbs and reacts to what we eat, how we feel and what products we see. The products you choose to put on your skin get absorbed into your body, and might end up in your bloodstream. In fact, one …

Flower Power: Mother Nature’s Bounty in Beauty Products

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Welcome to May! A month when Northern Hemisphere gardeners eagerly plant their gardens – a month when earth truly laughs in flowers. From nettle, to rosemary – here are the botanical beauty and wellness products inspiring us in May. CALENDULA When it comes to natural and organic beauty, The Organic Skin Co. doesn’t mind taking the time to explain it all. They are as transparent as a skincare brand can get, and this results in truly beautiful and wholesome products. I love their impressive and environmentally-friendly line of makeup products, but beauty starts with skincare – and they provide it just as well. Whether you suffer from dry skin or have problems with acne, the moisturizing, yet antiseptic properties of the Task Force Nine Cream solve it all. It even works on my eczema. Calendula is hydrating, has antibacterial, antiseptic and antioxidant properties. Your skin will just drink it up. NETTLE Stinging nettle is a wild herb that’s near and dear to my heart. My grandmother picked it with her bare hands and swore by …

Best Non-Drying Hand Sanitizers To Help You Save The Skin On Your Hands

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The shortage of hand sanitizers and masks has sprung up a new crop of fast thinking, and charitable, entrepreneurs. Some switched to 100% hand sanitizer production, and some are offering a free hand sanitizer with purchase. The much-needed product is in no way superior to soap and cleaning your hands, but there is something to be said for feeling safe while on-the-go. Constant hand washing and hand sanitizer usage results in dry and itchy skin. When hand cream simply isn’t enough, try switching to a product that keeps you safe but moisturized. Introducing a list of our favorite non-drying hand sanitizers Naturacentric apothecary continues to impress with holistic and natural products. It only makes sense that their latest launches would include a wellness elixir, surface spray and a hand sanitizer. The Citrus Eucalyptus (in love with the scent) hand sanitizer spray smells fresh and leaves your hands feeling soft. This one is a keeper. The price is more than reasonable and Naturacentric also makes an 8oz refill. Artnaturals is a trusted brand for all your …

Medical & Wellness Experts on Healthy Living & Staying Emotionally Well During Covid-19

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We are living a stressful existence right now. Anxiety levels are high and while it can certainly feel like we are not in control, there are small ways we can all help ourselves and those around us. It is all about personal decisions and actions. Besides following common sense advice from the World Health Organization to wash your hands, practice social distancing and staying home when sick, there are other ways you can take control. Take extra care of yourself. Self-care and compassion towards others has never been needed more. Taking it one day at a time, we can boost our immune system and try to get answers to some of our pressing questions. The wellness and beauty communities have taken their own actions by putting in extra effort into either shutting doors or taking time to clean spaces more vigorously. Some have taken to social media, creating online workshops on health, exercise, even hobbies to occupy our time. Greetings at spas have changed from handshakes to Buddha greetings, but many spas and beauty shops …

Ageless Beauty: Hollywood’s Renowned Skincare Secrets With Beverly Hills Doctor, Ronald Moy

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Some Hollywood stars never seem to age and 50 year old J. Lo proved it at the Super Bowl halftime show. Her performance and flawless look prompted the age-old question: What’s her secret? When we look back at Old Hollywood and dig a little deeper, we discover all types of beauty secrets. Some were very strange, but some still apply today. For today’s Hollywood skincare tips, I went to Dr. Ronald Moy of Moy Fincher Chipps Facial Plastics and Dermatology in Beverly Hills. We often neglect the neck and hands, where signs of aging might show up first. How do you recommend we take care of our skin on these areas? Dr. Moy: People often forget that the neck should be included in your daily skin care regimen and needs as must care as the face. The neck skin becomes thinner and saggy with aging and the best ways to prevent the loose turkey neck is to use a product with epidermal growth factor (EGF). I recommend using a EGF serum on the neck twice a day. As for …

Best In Skincare: These Luxury Serums & Potions Are Worth Your Hard Earned Money

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We did the work for you! These are the skincare products that deliver the potency and effectiveness you expect after you spend your hard earned money. While self-care can mean skincare, some of us have a hard time with large price tags attached to luxury skincare. There is no guarantee that they work, which is why we tested them for you. You don’t need that expensive serum to take care of yourself, but if you happen to feel like it, treat yourself to something that reveals your best skin yet. REVITALIZE & GLOW Dr. Barbara Sturm’s products are on everyone’s radar for a reason. Before the doctor launched her skincare line, she was known for developing innovative treatments like the “blood facial”. The German doctor has a cult following in Germany and American beauties have quickly caught on. As a non-toxic beauty advocate, I find it sad, but not surprising, that most luxury skincare lines contain harmful ingredients. Not Dr. Sturm’s. I decided to give her Glow Drops a try. If you look in the …

The New Beauty Decade Will Be Cultivated & Clean

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We hope you agree! Mysterious ingredients are so last decade. If entering the new decade makes you want to clean up your act, start with a toxic-free deodorant. It’s one of the first products you reach for in the morning, making it the most cultivated, and healthiest, change. Let’s make this the year you switched to clean beauty and rid yourself of all things toxic. For those who tried and failed, we say aluminum-free deodorants have become a lot more refined and the innovation continues. These deodorants really work. While every body is different and there is room for trial and error, switching to a healthier routine will help you and your body breathe. When we talk about self-care, we mean making educated choices. Imagine treating your body with the respect it deserves. This is a resolution you will not want to break. Did you know that everything you put on your skin absorbs into the body and your bloodstream? The United States still fails to ban or regulate most toxic ingredients in beauty and …