Natural | Beauty and Fashion Tech

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The trend toward embracing things that are “green”; eco-friendly, and organic is extremely popular and growing every day. This is wonderful news as the more people who jump on board the effort to respect and care for our planet, the better we’ll all be in the long run. What was once viewed as a sort of a “fringe” or neo-hippy movement has become ever more mainstream, which is especially evident when we consider all of the beauty salons that are proclaiming their green, earth conscious status. But, what does that really mean? Let’s take a deeper look at the why’s and what-for’s of environmentally-conscious beauty.

A good place to start is with a few definitions. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) describes “natural ingredients” this way – “… extracted directly from plants or animal products as opposed to being produced synthetically.” Therefore, natural ingredients are:

Not produced synthetically
Grown, harvested, and processed in an ecological manner.
Free from petrochemicals
Extracted or processed using only natural ingredients as solvents
Not exposed to irradiation
Not genetically engineered and contain no GMOs.

Eco-Friendly is a term that means “not harmful to the environment.”

There are many excellent reasons to seek out all-natural products. For example, the chemicals found in most standard hair care products can be harmful to your health and also to the health of the planet. Their ingredients have been found to cause mild to severe skin irritations, allergies, autoimmune disorders and cancer. They also contribute to the toxification of our planet when they find their way into landfills, and from there go on to pollute the air and water.

These reasons are why environmentally friendly spas and salons are becoming so popular all over the world. New salons are being constructed using recycled materials such as reclaimed wood, and making use of solar/wind powered energy sources

Consumers are becoming more educated and aware of the dangers related to synthetic chemicals, and the beauty industry has responded in kind. Popular brands such as Opi nail polish are offering formulas which are free from DBP, toluene, and formaldehyde. Salons are replacing traditional treatments for coloring, straightening and perming with natural and eco-friendly processes, and all-natural shampoos and conditioners as well as all manner of styling products line the shelves for retail sale.

Exclusive salon brands can be expensive, but there are more mainstream companies who have also begun to embrace the eco-friendly movement. The popular brand, Garnier has a line of hair care products which are offered for purchase in places like Target and Walmart, and Sephora, a popular cosmetics retailer, currently offers around 1,400 different products that feature natural, organic ingredients. Keeping in mind that packaging is a large piece of the puzzle, more and more companies are providing products in containers that are made from post consumer materials.

It is inspiring to see all of the ways people are becoming more aware, and taking positive action to bring about changes that will improve humanity for now, and for future generations.

This is a guest post from April Richards, who contributes for Weddingcakes.org.uk

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About the Author: Carleen Pruess Coulter

The following is a great guest post from Juliette Samuel on skin care for women of color:

Women of color are prone to many different types of skin issues. The good news is that skin care for African-American women has come a long way.

There are a lot of natural black skin care products out on the market these days, and it can be tough to choose the right one. Today, we are going to focus on what foods to eat to get that soft, smooth, flawless skin you’ve always dreamed of.

And the best part? It’s a deliciously natural skin care regimen for African-American women.

Fighting with Food

Beautiful ethnic skin care often starts within and extends outward. With this being said, a healthy balanced diet is a key factor of skin care for women of color.

Ever heard of the phrase “you are what you eat”? If this is true, eating deep fried foods will only leave your skin with an oily appearance. Making sure you get enough fruits and vegetables in your diet is essential. A number of fruits and veggies are full of nourishments that will help to make your skin look and feel amazing!

Avocado

Avocados are packed full of all sorts of antioxidants and Vitamin E, which is important to maintain luscious and healthy skin while the antioxidants help slow the aging process.

Spinach

Spinach isn’t just for Popeye the sailor anymore. It’s loaded with a long list of important vitamins that help boost your body’s immune system and help repair damaged cells – add this to your diet to give your ethnic skin care regimen a boost!

Berries

Let’s put it this way, any fruit that ends in ‘berry’ is extremely high in antioxidants making them “berry” good for your skin. “Nuff said.

Carrots

So we have all probably heard that carrots are good for your eyesight… but your skin too? Carrots contain “beta-carotene” which helps your body form new cells. Eating carrots also acts as a mild sunscreen for your skin!

It’s all about the Treatment

Acne is a common problem among African-American women. Black skin can be dry, oily, or just normal, but when dealing with acne darker skin is found to be more sensitive to over the counter acne medications. Therefore the best things to use on your skin are natural black skin care products.

The Cleaner the Better

Clean skin means there is no build-up of oils and excess dead skin cells, leaving your pores room to breathe. The main causes of breakouts have to do with clogged pores, which directly relate to oil build up and dead skin cells.

Try natural black skin care products such as using yogurt or milk to wash your face. It may sound crazy but believe it or not, both yogurt and milk contain lactic acid, which helps remove excess oils without all the harsh chemicals. You can add green tea to that list especially in a facial cleanser. It’s a great antioxidant for your skin.

What Scars?

Black skin is sensitive! So make sure to treat it the right way. Instead of using harsh chemicals that could worsen your skins condition, try some natural black skin care products and other natural ways to remove scars first.

Coco butter and vitamin E are two ingredients to add to your ethnic skin care regimen to start helping reduce the appearance of acne related scars.

Now that you know how to take care of yourself from the inside out, and you do it, when the mirror tells you that You Look Marvelous, Believe It!

Author’s Bio

Juliette Samuel is a person who definitely knows beautiful when she sees it. Juliette has had a very eclectic career working in and around the beauty industry. She has worked as an instructor at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. She has also been a Professional Image Consultant.

Currently Juliette works as a Skin Care Therapist, acting President and Chief Nose for NYRAJU Skin Care. As such she is in charge of product formulation and development of all scents produced for the line.

Juliette is also a member of NAHA-The National Association of Holistic Aromatherapy, The Society of Cosmetic Chemist and is the Fragrance Editor for BellaOnline.

What does that do for you? It keeps Juliette on her toes when it comes to the type of information that she’ll be able to share with you as readers of her blog or articles that she publishes on and off the web.