I admit it: I'm a sucker for packaging. Despite having a journalist's quizzical mind, anything that will sit pretty in the shower or medicine cabinet raises the thought, "If the company's design taste is this lovely, then the product's performance must be!"
Though this shallow thinking has misled me many times when choosing wine, fortunately the book matches the cover with Elemental Herbology's Facial Detox Purifying Mask. Its whimsically floral packaging lured me in but its results have stamped it a skincare staple this summer.
Pretty factor: The $58 price sticker elicits an "ouch," but you're paying for excellent ingredients. To name some: Oat flour and white Amazonian clay (rich in minerals and purifying salts) gently exfoliate and absorb excess oil. An anti-inflammatory trio of aloe, calendula and manuka honey soothe redness and help heal sunburn. And lavender, rosemary, eucalyptus and tea tree essential oils kill acne-causing bacteria and enliven the senses.
Tip: Makes a great overnight spot treatment
Eco factor: Elemental Herbology products contain no parabens, sulfates, mineral oil, synthetic fragrance or dyes, or animal testing.
To buy: $58 at spacenk.com (Space NK is an upscale British apothecary with a few New York outposts that I frequently visited when living in Manhattan.)
May 8, 2009
Elemental Herbology Facial Detox Purifying Mask
April 30, 2009
NEW Suki Resurfacing Enzyme Peel Review
Say "chemical peel" and many women shrink back in horror, imaging the Sex and the City episode when Samantha gets a peel and emerges looking like "beef carpaccio" according to Carrie.
There are many levels of peels, however. (Samantha probably had a phenol peel). And lighter amounts of glycolic, lactic or salicylic acid in at-home products do wonders for the skin.
Alpha hydroxy and beta hydroxy acids boost cellular turnover, keep pores clean and promote collagen production, benefiting almost every skin condition: acneic, sun-damaged, scarred, wrinkled. Suki's Resurfacing Enzyme Peel—and enzyme, AHA and BHA peel—smashes the myth that natural isn't potent.
Pretty factor: Pumpkin enzyme, malic acid from apple extract, glycolic acid, and willow bark (a natural source of salicylic acid and an anti-inflammatory) deeply exfoliate to reduce pore size and breakouts, smooth fine lines, even skin tone, and lighten dark spots. And fortunately, efficacy doesn't come with an odorous smell: steam-distilled essential oils of chamomile, calendula and rose lend fresh floral aroma.
Tip: Use only at night. Keep on for 10 minutes, then rinse with cool water. Press a few drops of a pH-restoring oil serum into the skin. I love Juice Beauty's USDA Organic Facial Moisture Concentrate and Naturopathica's Geranium Regenerating Serum. Always use sunscreen or makeup with SPF during the day.
Eco factor: Suki products are made with organic natural ingredients. They're packaged in eco-friendly materials like recycled stock, vegetable ink and glass (never plastic). The company supports fair trade, organic and biodynamic processing and local suppliers. It's an active member of the Organic Consumer's Association, Breast Cancer Action and the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics for Responsible Medicine. No animal testing.
To buy: $75 at sukipure.com and at select spas nationwide.
April 14, 2009
Evan Healy Review: The Skin Breathes
Evan Healy is a licensed esthetician who has worked in the skincare industry for 25 years and extensively studied aromatherapy, Ayurveda and botany. Her unique guiding beauty principles are "less is more" and "the skin breathes."
Like Dr. Hauschka, she believes that you shouldn't moisturize at night—only in the a.m.—because you don't want to suppress the skin's own moisture-regulating and regenerating abilities that are active during sleep. If you must hydrate before bed, apply a few drops of a light plant oil-based serum. This practice is especially beneficial for people with acneic skin, whose sebum-rich pores tend to clog easily. (Can you ever imagine sales associates at department stores saying you don't need a nighttime moisturizer?!)
As a continually curious beauty writer, I'm constantly slapping product on my face. But recently, a combo of testing a thicker foundation for this blog plus experimenting with too many products at night, broke me out in tiny bumps on both cheeks. Time to pare down and give my face a breather!
I tossed the oily foundation and began simply cleansing and applying a small amount of Evan Healy's Pomegranate Repair Serum at night. The breakouts immediately stopped and my skin looked smoother and more even-toned. I haven't seen such quick results since I quit milk and ice cream last year!
January 1, 2009
Detox from the Holidays: The Republic of Tea Be Well Get Clean Tea
Happy New Year everyone. I hope this post finds you wide-eyed and well and not lying on your living room floor moaning. I'm feeling pretty good. "It's a new dawn, a new day, a new life." (fabulous Nina Simone song)
But for those who are reeling from the effects of drinking too much or consuming mostly sugar since Thanksgiving, drag yourself to the store and buy some Republic of Tea Get Clean. When I feel icky, I do two things: one, exercise more. Two, forgo caffeine and alcohol for three days and instead drink two cups of this Get Clean tea daily. And I always feel better.
"Pretty" factor: Get Clean tea contains a base of organic rooibos (red tea from South Africa), which is caffeine-free, has more antioxidants than green tea, and is rich in vitamin C. Its earthy, mildly nutty flavor makes it a good coffee substitution. Milk thistle, dandelion root, burdock root, and red clover help purify the blood and aid the liver and kidneys in processing toxins. As a result, the tea should also help clear acne!
Eco factor: Organic rooibos, certified kosher, and no synthetic fragrance or flavoring
To buy: $10 at Whole Foods and republicoftea.com
November 7, 2008
The Best Non-Drying Foaming Cleansers
It's a widely known fact in the beauty industry that Americans are obsessed with foam: foamy cleansers, foamy shampoos, foamy body washes. European and Asian women traditionally have used cleansing creams and oils, which don't strip skin like our detergent-packed washes. Not us. If it don't lather, it don't work!
I've read the articles that say that lather doesn't equal clean, it just equals lather, and that the best way to combat oil is with oil. I've tried best-selling oil cleansers, like Lavantine's and Shu Uemura's. But the heavy, un-clean feeling I was left with plus break-outs a few days later made me run for my Aveeno Ultra Calming Cleanser (a sudser that I used in my pre-green days).
Luckily, there are now lovely soap-free foaming cleansers that thoroughly remove makeup and dirt without drying. Here are the best natural ones on the market in my opinion.
For Dry/Normal Skin: John Masters Organics Rose Foaming Face Wash. This light latherer employs mild surfactants to gently cleanse, aloe and linden flower (an antioxidant) to soothe, and steam-distilled essential rose oil to rejuvenate. $19 at Whole Foods and beauty.com
For Oily/Acneic: Aveda Outer Peace Foaming Cleanser. InStyle recently named it the best cleanser for acne-prone skin, and I concur. Oat amino acids exfoliate without harshness, salicylic acid treats blemishes, saw palmetto extract reduces DHT-thus-oil production, and tamanu oil moisturizes and heals. Has a refreshing herbal-medicinal scent. $25 at Aveda concept salons and aveda.com
Runner-up: Clinique's Acne Solutions Foaming Cleanser
For Combo Skin: Evan Healy Tea Tree Gel Cleanser (click for review). I've gone through three bottles the past year. It's my all-time favorite cleanser.
October 27, 2008
The Benefits of Exercise on Skin and Hair
Hi everyone. I apologize for the lack of posts this month. I've been rapidly preparing for a move from New York to Chicago (happening this weekend), and my mind has been OCD-fixated on the presidential race. I've developed a need to refresh CNN.com every 15 minutes and Gallup.com every few hours, even though they only update their polls once a day....
But for 30 min this past weekend, I re-commenced beauty research. Specifically: the benefit of exercise on skin. We know that aerobic exercise reduces stress and flushes toxins from the body. But I was fascinated to learn in this article from WebMD that exercise can also:
• declog oil from pores
• regulate the production of DHEA and DHT, the male-associated hormones that cause acne and hair loss
• increase collagen production in the skin—leading to a plumper, more youthful visage (in addition to giving that rosy flush, of course)
Now my experience: I'd been so busy with the Chicago move and having goodbye meet-ups with friends that, completely pooped, I had traded in my twice-weekly evening jogs for half-awake Netflix movies. By the end of last week, I was blah and sluggish, and my skin was looking too sallow for comfort. I forced myself to fit in a 25-minute run on Thursday and Sunday. And crazy enough, my complexion has looked much healthier, and I swear I've lost less hair in the shower.
So hurray for exercise: free, multi-beneficial, and without a carbon footprint!
October 1, 2008
The Best Natural Acne Treatment
I've tried an impressive number of skin care products for this blog over the past year. But few have done more for my complexion than Quixtar/Amway's clear.now™Acne Treatment Lotion. Since using it a few weeks ago, my oily skin (which has become more finicky since living in gritty NYC) has been uncommonly and consistently clear and even-toned.
Beauty buffs migh know Quixtar/Amway as the Avon-like (but-bigger) company behind Artistry® cosmetics (which recently announced Sandra Bullock as its spokesperson). A friend who sells the line enticed me first to the company's best-selling Nutrilite® Women's Supplements. They're packed with high-quality ingredients from organic farms in California, Washington, Mexico, and Brazil, and the fish oil in their omega-3 capsules is mercury-free. But back to the lotion.
Pretty factor: Toss the Proactiv in the recycling bin! Clear.now™ contains an ingredient called sodium chlorite—whose particle size is 200,000 times smaller than benzoyl peroxide's, allowing it to thoroughly penetrate pores and kill bacteria. While it's debacterializing, .7% salicylic acid breaks down pore-clogging oil and a bevy of botanicals—aloe, lavender, willowherb to name a few—heal, moisturize, and calm redness. The skin is left clear and decongested without the slightest dryness or ruddiness.
Eco factor: No petrochemicals, parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrance or colors, T.E.A., D.E.A., propylene glycol, silicones, PEGS, animal ingredients
July 1, 2008
The Body Deli Skincare: Raw, Fresh and Food-Based
Many natural beauty companies boast that their products are "so pure you can eat them." I recently discovered a line in which that is almost the case.
The Body Deli, based in Palm Springs, uses so many fresh food ingredients that some of their goods actually ship with an ice pack and require fridge storage. Equally cool: The brand's fans include Goldie Hawn, Kate Hudson and Alicia Silverstone.
I’ve been using the best-selling Cucumber Juice Elixir daily for the past month. Kept in the frig, it's perfect for summer—an anti-inflammatory cocktail of organic aloe vera, cucumber juice and chamomile soothe the skin while barley grass and spirulina feed it a wealth of nutrients.
Another delectable top seller: the Blueberry Fusion Scrub, which
Eco factor: Body Deli products contain fresh, organic plant, fruit and veggie extracts. No sulfates, parabens, silicones, petrochemicals, or synthetic colors and fragrances
June 19, 2008
Clinque Acne Solutions Cleansing Foam: No Sulfates or Parabens Plus Botanicals!
Well, the cows have come home: This eco gal is using and loving a Clinique product.
I've been anti-Clinique for years. I've watched girlfriends stick with the line despite it doing nada for them—or causing more break outs. That puke yellow "Dramatically Different" Moisturizing Lotion? It's an outdated formulation of petrolatum, mineral oil and yellow dye. Might as well slather Vaseline-brand lotion on your face!
However, there's always room for redemption. During a recent visit to Chicago, I noticed Clinique's Acne Solutions Cleansing Foam in my friend's shower. It belonged to her roommate, who has flawless skin. I skimmed its ingredient list, ready to shake my head. Instead, I did a double-take: no harsh detergents or paraben preservatives, 2% salicylic acid plus tons of botanicals.
Due to job and relationship stress the past two months, I was breaking out around my chin. So, in a moment weakness, I decided to "bring in the big guns" and headed to Sephora to buy this cleanser.
I've been using it every night for 2 weeks—and my skin has completely cleared with no dryness. As a result, I have vowed to use a cleanser or moisturizer with salicylic acid until I'm 40. And to Clinique: congrats on a great product.
Pretty factor: 2% salicylic acid thoroughly cleans oil and grim from pores to prevent and clear zits. Peppermint extract further purifies while algae extract provides nutrients to the skin. Caffeine perks up skin and reduces inflammation, and glycerin and sodium hyaluronate inject light moisture.
Eco factor: No sulfates, parabens, or petrolatum. Lots of skin-friendly botanical extracts.
To buy: $17.50 at department stores and Sephora (It's about 6 bucks cheaper than the Whole Foods cleansers I've been using!)
April 23, 2008
Bare Escentuals new RareMinerals Blemish Therapy
Bare Escentuals', in their quest to take over the beauty world, has unveiled an anti-acne product: RareMinerals Blemish Therapy. Let's talk about what it won't do and what it will do.
What it probably won't do: Don't bet money on this powder to zap medium to severe acne—or even minor pimples. For 3 nights after cleansing, I dabbed it around two stress zits near my chin. They didn't decrease in size at all. However, they did become visibly less red.
Blemish Therapy contains willow bark extract—the natural form of salicylic acid—but I doubt its effectiveness in powder form. Also, mineral powders tend to be drying; this one wasn't an exception.
What it will do: I stopped using this powder as a pimple treatment and instead have been employing it as an oil-minimizing veil. And it's awesome. I apply it around 3 p.m. every day, when my T-zone is shinier than a bald man's head. Active ingredients 3% sulfur and kaolin soak up shininess, while tea tree leaf extract and tea tree oil kill bacteria that has accumulated on the face during the day. It's translucent in color, so you can't tell it's on.
Eco factor: No drying talc, petrochemicals, parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrance or colors, animal ingredients or animal testing.
To buy: $28 at sephora.com
Ingredients
April 7, 2008
Suki Concentrated Balancing Toner with White Willow Salicins
I recently gushed about Suki's Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser, which has quickly become my favorite face wash. I'd like to now wax enthusiastic about its Concentrated Balancing Toner, which I've also been using the past month. These two products have transformed my skin from acneic-oily to combo-normal. Here's why the toner is amazing:
Pretty factor: First, Suki products are ultra pure and free of all these irritating and potentially pore-clogging ingredients. This toner's star ingredient is white willow bark—a natural form of salicylic acid—which exfoliates and cleans out pores without irritation or dryness. It additionally contains organic chamomile and aloe vera to reduce inflammation and redness, and vitamin C to repair via boosting new collagen production.
Eco factor: Suki products contain organic ingredients and are packaged in eco-friendly materials like recycled stock, vegetable ink and glass (never plastic). The company supports fair trade, organic and biodynamic processing and local suppliers. It's an active member of numerous organizations including the Organic Consumer's Association, Breast Cancer Action and the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics for Responsible Medicine. Absolutely no animal testing.
To buy: $24 at Whole Foods, sukipure.com and futurenatural.com
Ingredients
March 27, 2008
Suki Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser
I recently bought Suki's Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser due to its rave reviews on Makeup.com—where it's 5-star rated and the No. 1-selling skin care product on the entire site. But I didn't buy confidently: Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser contains saponified olive oil (soap), and soap is often drying.
But not this cleanser. Like many reviewers, it left my face surprisingly soft and fresh-looking, and the pores on my nose were visibly smaller. In the two weeks I've used this cleanser-scrub, my skin has been smoother, more even-toned and blemish-free. Here's why:
Pretty factor: Suki products are 100% natural—there isn't one synthetic ingredient in them. As a result, there is a decreased risk of irritation/reaction. Rice flour and cane sugar, a natural alpha hydroxy acid, gently remove dead skin cells and increase cellular turnover to reduce zits, fine lines and acne scars. Fresh herbs like soothing chamomile and pure, steam-distilled essential oils help to rejuvenate and heal the skin.
The cleanser comes in solid form. To get it to foam up nicely, rub a quarter-size amount between your palms with a little warm water. Then gently massage it onto your face. It's smells like fresh-squeezed lemonade and will leave your bathroom reminiscent of an organic juice bar!
Eco factor: Suki products are packaged in eco-friendly materials like recycled stock, vegetable ink and glass (never plastic). Suki supports fair trade, organic and biodynamic processing and local suppliers. Suki is also a member of numerous organizations including the Organic Consumer's Association, Breast Cancer Action and the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics for Responsible Medicine. All products are free of these these ingredients. No animal testing.
To buy: $24.50 at Whole Foods and sukipure.com
Ingredients
March 17, 2008
Just Say Soy: The Dairy-Acne Connection
If you've been battling acne around your jawline and chin that just won't go away, try this simple, very cheap solution: eliminate dairy from your diet.
"Yes," I said. "Milk on cereal almost every morning and a couple servings of ice cream a week." (Dang you, Ben & Jerry's!) I also told him that I had started working at a new publishing company, whose brand of milk in the fridges (which I have on my cereal while reading email every a.m.) was different than at my former company. Would that matter? What’s dairy got to do with it anyway?
I traded in my regular milk for organic soy milk and (painfully) quit ice cream. I was stunned. Within just three days, the cysts were gone and no new ones were in their place. Even better, my face was significantly less shiny at day's end.
January 25, 2008
John Masters Organics Pomegranate Facial Nourishing Oil
Gals with oily or acneic skin like me face a frustrating wintertime challenge: hydrating and protecting our faces against the elements without clogging the holy heck out of them. Many heavy-duty moisturizers—both natural and traditional—contain potentially comedogenic ingredients in the form of emollients and thickeners. After a lengthy search, I have a surprising recommendation: John Masters Pomegranate Nourishing Facial Oil. (Don't be scared by the word "oil," we'll get to that in a minute.)
Pretty factor: The main plant oils in this serum—organic sunflower seed, evening primrose and pomegranate seed oils—are lightweight and un-problematic for pores. In fact, the natural moisture they provide can actually calms your sebaceous glands. Sunflower seed is packed with skin-plumping essential fatty acids and repairing vitamin E. Evening primrose has long been used to regenerate the skin, and pomegranate seed oil is a potent source of antioxidants and a proven cell regenerator.
If you're still leery, know this: The serum also contains lavender and ylang-ylang essential oils, which kill surface bacteria and balance oil production, warding off pimples.
To buy: $30 at Whole Foods and skinbotanica.com
Ingredients
January 11, 2008
Pangea Organics Facial Mask: Japanese Matcha Tea with Acai and Goji Berry
After reading about Pangea Organics Japanese Matcha Tea with Acai and Goji Berry Facial Mask in ELLE's green issue last May and, more recently, in the December '07 issue of Domino, I was eager to try. Here's why it's so extraordinary:
Pretty factor: This more liquid-y mask has a base of pure green clay, a superior facial clay because it contains a bevy of minerals and thoroughly absorbs oil, makeup, pollutants and other impurities. The mask is packed with youth-preserving antioxidants in the form of organic green and matcha tea, goji berry and acai—a Brazilian berry that has 33 times the antioxidants of red wine grapes.
Eco factor: Pangea products contain handcrafted, organic ingredients. They're free of petrochemicals, parabens, sulfates, and synthetic dyes and fragrances. But its packaging really sets it apart from its competitors. Cartons are made of 100% post-consumer recycled newspaper (without glues or dyes) and are embedded with seeds—moisten, plant and up will grow Genovese Sweet Basil! Now, that's recycling.
To buy: $34 at Whole Foods and pangeaorganics.com
November 27, 2007
MyChelle White Cranberry Cleanser
Updated 5/15/2008: MyChelle Dermaceuticals is an extraordinary yet reasonably priced skin care line, and if you have oily or acneic skin, you must try its recently re-formulated and renamed White Cranberry Cleanser. I'm a product switch-a-holic and have gone through three bottles. Here's why:
Pretty factor: This nicely foaming, sulfate-free cleanser contains gentle surfactants and an anti-acne combo of
• .5% salicylic acid, an exfoliator that can penetrate oil
• 5% azelaic acid, an exfoliator and skin lightener that helps reduce annoying post-zit red marks.
• Bacteria-killing cranberry fruit juice, tea tree oil, and totarol, which is even more potent than tea tree oil.
Eco factor: MyChelle products contains organic ingredients and are toxin-free, lacking phthalates, parabens, propylene glycol, ureas, EDTA, and artificial fragrances and colors. The company is actively involved with local animal rescue programs.
To buy: $10 for 2.1 oz and $17 for a 4.4 oz. at mychelleusa.com and Whole Foods
Ingredients
November 19, 2007
Earth Science A/B Hydroxy Acid Night Rejuvenator
Before switching to all toxin-free skincare, I used products that contained skin-refining alpha and beta hydroxy acids with a nun's devotion. After months of hunting for a natural but dermatologist-worthy AHA/BHA product, I happily discovered Earth Science's A/B Hydroxy Acid Night Rejuvenator.
Pretty factor: Unlike a huge majority of cosmetics, the main ingredient in this lightweight facial lotion isn't water but skin-energizing ginseng. It also contains a 10% blend of glycolic, lactic and salicylic acids, which smooth the skin via exfoliation and diminish fine lines, acne and hyperpigmentation over time.
Finally, I commend Earth Science for listing the pH levels of all its products. Don't have a snooze fest while I wax scientific—this is important info: Most skin has a pH of 4.5 to 5.5. So, for a hydroxy acid product to be effective, its pH should range from 2.5 to 4.0. With a pH of 3.5, this lotion exfoliates without being overly harsh.
For: all skin types
Eco factor: Santa Barbara-based Earth Science is committed to making environmentally safe skin and haircare products. No petroleum derivatives, parabens, soaps, toxins, heavy metals or artificial dyes
To buy: just $19.95 at Whole Foods and shopearthessentials.com
Ingredients
November 7, 2007
Ren JoJoba Micro-Bead Purifying Facial Scrub
Okay, I'll admit: In a small percentage of cases not every natural cosmetic is the better choice. I’ve found this fact to be most true with facial scrubs. Many natural exfoliators contain ground walnut or apricot shell, whose jagged edges can micro-tear the skin, becoming a welcome mat for bacteria. No thanks. Ren’s Micro-Bead Purifying Facial Scrub employs perfectly round jojoba beads to exfoliate without aggravation. And it smells so refreshing.
Pretty factor: Non-abrasive jojoba spheres gently remove dead skin cells and refine the face without irritation. Jojoba oil, which is similar to our skin’s natural sebum, regulates oil production and cleans out pores. Organic juniper and peppermint oils help detoxify and will make your face feel and smell as fresh as an Oregon evergreen forest.
For: All skin types. Use 2 or 3 times weekly after cleansing.
Eco factor: No petrochemicals, sulfates, parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrance or colors, T.E.A., D.E.A., propylene glycol, silicones, PEGS, animal ingredients or animal testing. U.K.-based Ren donates 2.5% of its profits to environmental organizations.
To buy: $35 at Sephora stores, sephora.com and renskincare.com
October 31, 2007
Mychelle Incredible Pumpkin Peel
I couldn't think of a more appropriate product to feature today, Halloween, than Mychelle Dermaceuticals' best-seller, Incredible Pumpkin Peel.
Disappointed with the options and results of natural skincare products on the market back in 2000, Myra Michelle set out to make highly effective, toxin-free cosmetics. The result is Mychelle Dermaceuticals, a stellar, under-the-radar skincare company that spends its money on quality ingredients instead of quality advertising.
Pretty factor: Pumpkin is packed with vitamin A, which increases cell turnover. Its derivative, tretinoin, is the main ingredient in the popular prescription acne and wrinkle treatments Retin A® and Differin®. However, because pumpkin is natural, it doesn't cause the redness and dryness
Eco factor: Mychelle products are "toxin-free", lacking phthalates, parabens, propylene glycol, ureas, EDTA, and artificial fragrances and colors. The company's actively involved with a couple local animal programs.
October 8, 2007
Zia Natural Microdermabrasion Scrub
Once only available as a costly treatment in dermatologists’ offices, microdermabrasion loosens dead skin cells to give you a smoother, more luminous face. Used once or twice a week for a few months, the scrubs can reduce sun spots, fine wrinkles, those post-pimple red marks and even acne scars. My preferred one: Zia Natural Microdermabrasion Scrub.
Pretty factor: Unlike most microdermabrasion scrubs, which use aluminium oxide crystals, this one contains magnesium oxide, which is gentler and ideal for people with sensitive skin. The scrub's loaded with macadamia seed oil, which moisturizes and protects the skin against abrasion, and therapeutic-grade essential oils .
Eco factor: No harsh chemicals, artificial colors and fragrances or animal testing.
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