2015 Healthy Holiday Gift Guide

The holiday season is well under way. If you haven’t started shopping, there’s still time to buy online or run to the mall to beat the crowds and out-of-stock shelves. Knowing many parents start shopping first with kids in mind, we premiered our 2015 Healthy Holiday Gift Guide for Kids last week. Now, we’re releasing the grown-up version, the 2015 Healthy Holiday Gift Guide. As I mentioned in last year’s feature, since I’ve embraced an organic, low-toxin lifestyle, I always investigate and experiment with new products and services that focus on health and wellness. I’ve attended seminars, events, and researched the latest guides in search of unique gift ideas that won’t break the bank. Here are some of my favorite items that focus on wellness.

Six Non-Toxic Green Beauty Products for Fall

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always loved make-up and playing dress up. Even as a young adult, I was fortunate to sample different new products often because my roommate worked for a leading New York City beauty company. I even helped brainstorm color names for the next season’s glamorous lipsticks and nail polishes. Now that I focus on living a healthy lifestyle, I use products that are free of most chemicals ranging from household cleaners to personal care items. There’s a lot of media coverage on all the hormone disrupting chemicals in beauty products that can lead to various diseases, which is why I decided to change my habits and buy all-green beauty products. In doing this, I’ve found a few helpful healthy living resources to make investigating clean and green, non-toxic products easier. Continuing this series of my non-toxic green beauty picks for each season, “What’s in My Bag Now,” here are some of my favorite products this for fall.

Non-Toxic Beauty: What’s in My Bag Now

Late spring makes me happy. Seeing all the radiant flowers in bloom and bright colors of nature everywhere excites me for summer. It’s also a time that I revamp my beauty bag. I love buying new seasonal products. I’m outside more, so like skincare items with sun protection. Spring also reminds me to rid my everyday items and refresh with newer ones. I still use products that are largely organic, vegan and rate low in toxicity in the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database. Here’s what’s in my bag for late spring.

Green Beauty Drugstore Cosmetics

Do you know how many products you use in a day, from toothpaste and shaving cream to fragrances and hair gels? I used to own a variety of cleansers and makeup and fooled myself thinking I used quality beauty items. I assumed since I often bought cosmetics and hair products from high-end salons that I didn’t have to worry about toxic chemicals.

I was wrong.

Like many, I believed if a product was for sale at a drugstore, supermarket or boutique cosmetics counter, it must be safe. And even worse, I didn’t understand that every product I put on my body soaked into my skin and was absorbed into my bloodstream within minutes. I’ve read that women use between 10-20 cosmetic items daily. This is equal to absorbing about five pounds of makeup per year that includes carcinogens, pesticides and hormone disrupters. 

All-Natural Beauty: DIY Deep Hair Conditioner

I’ve enjoyed playing with make-up and hair since I was a little girl. I still love beauty products, so made an event out of throwing out my old school cosmetics for new clean and green ones. Since I’ve changed my lifestyle to eliminate toxins, I’ve come to appreciate all the many organic and natural products with few ingredients. At first, I scrutinized ingredients myself, then looked to well-credentialed sources like the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database. This is a fun adventure, but also can be time consuming and pricey. So, I set out to create some of my own. This short video demonstrates how to make a deep hair conditioner using only three ingredients.

All-Natural Beauty: DIY Deep Hair Conditioner

Have you ever created your own beauty products? If so, please share. If not, what is stopping you?

Natural Beauty Routine: Oil Pulling

Over the past few years, I’ve noticed oil pulling trending within health and wellness publications. Since I’m all about investigating healthy practices that promote a clean lifestyle, I jumped at the chance to try this ancient practice. In this video, I discuss what oil pulling is and the presumed benefits of adding it to my natural beauty routine.