Green Beauty

Organic Ways to Prevent Stretch Marks

For any new mom that is pregnant, one big concern happens to be stretch marks.  The great thing is that you don't have to go out and start paying big time for products that contain chemicals.  There are many natural organic ways that you can prevent the stretch marks while you are pregnant. When you are growing quickly and the collagen and elastin production just can't keep up, then stretch marks tend to happen.  Usually these marks will fade eventually, but you probably would rather prevent them in the first place.  Although your genes can determine how susceptible you are to getting stretch marks, natural prevention methods can still be helpful.  Here is a look at some simple ways that you can keep the stretch marks at bay. Way #1 - Drink Plenty of Water Yes, it is really that simple.  You have to stay hydrated while you are pregnant.  If you want to keep stretch marks away, drinking more water than usual is going to help.  It helps to keep skin well hydrated.  Not only is this going to help you to prevent stretch marks but it will also help your body as it goes through so many changes.  When you keep ...

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Eco-Friendly Nail Polish

Did you know that your nail polish could be harmful to your health?  Conventional nail polish is full of solvents and other substances that are known to be neurotoxins, including amyl, butyl, and ethyl acetates and toluene.  Lead acetates may also be included, as well as formaldehyde, coal tar dyes, and other suspected carcinogens.  Plasticizers, called pthalates, which are generally believed to have a hand in disrupting hormones in the human body. Why are all these dangerous chemicals allowed in our nail polishes?  Cosmetics aren't subjected to safety testing in the United States, with harmful ingredients removed only on a voluntary basis and only after they've been proven to cause illness. The European Union has banned the use of pthalates and formaldehyde in cosmetics.  Since it has been assumed that nail polish won't pass into the body, these dangerous materials are allowed.  However, our nails are porous, so toxins can pass through them, into the nail bed, and into our blood streams.  In addition, the production of these materials is harmful to the environment. Unfortunately, these chemicals are present throughout the cosmetics industry, in everything from lotion and perfume to hair gel and nail polish.  That means that many people are using multiple ...

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Is Shampoo a Poison to Us and Environment?

We all wash our hair to clean dirt and styling products out of it and to reduce the oiliness from our scalp.  While the lovely lather and nice smelling shampoo we use might make our hair feel clean, the chemicals we use to create these effects could be harming ourselves as well as polluting and poisoning the environment. Take a look at the list of ingredients on the label of your shampoo bottle.  The list reads more like a chemistry class and that’s even for the shampoo products that claim to be ‘herbal’ or moisturizing. One of the primary ingredients in most shampoos is Sodium Laureth Sulfate, which is known to be a major skin irritant.  Studies and testing have also shown this chemical compound may also cause mutagenic effects in animals. Another chemical ingredient in many shampoos is Ammonium Chloride, which is also known to be a respiratory irritant.  This chemical cocktail is extremely harmful if swallowed and can cause serious eye irritation if you get it near your eyes. The chemical compound Methylchloroisothiazolinone is supposed to be a preservative with antibacterial and antifungal properties.  It’s also a potent immune system toxin.  If this compound is used in high concentrations, it can cause ...

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Soap - How it effects the Environment

It’s surprising that the very product we use on our bodies to keep ourselves clean could actually be causing so much damage to not only the environment and aquatic systems, but also to our own skin. When we bathe, most of us use a regular bar of soap bought from the store.  After lathering up your body and cleaning away daily grime, you rinse away the soap to run down the drain.  The object of this ritual is supposed to keep us clean and smelling nice. Unfortunately, most commercial soaps contain harsh chemical additives to make them lather properly.  They contain perfumes and fragrances that are known to cause irritation in some people.  These lovely smelling fragrances aren’t extracted from naturally aromatic pretty flowers from out in the field.  They’re produced chemically using cancer-causing chemicals so we can smell good. Soaps hold their nice bar-like shape because of ingredients like animal tallow, paraffin wax and other crude oil derivatives.  Studies have also shown that some of the chemicals used in soap fragrances can cause skin diseases, birth defects and even liver damage in animal testing. Another chemical found in commercial soaps is TCC or triclocarban, which is known to disrupt endocrine production and promote ...

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Use an Organic Honey Face Mask for Your Beauty Needs

So many people have the natural reflex to head to their local beauty shop, drug store, or department store for a fancy facemask in order to enhance their beauty.  The thing is though; you do not need to waste your time, your money, or your environment to have the fresh and smooth skin you have always wanted. When you think of honey, do you think facemask or topping for your toast?  If you think of both, then you are on the right track.  Honey is chopped full of incredible properties that allow it to be considered the best natural facemask treatment out there.  Even with the most sensitive of skin, honey works perfectly, as long as you are not allergic to the sweet nectar of course. The reason the honey, pure honey and nothing else, is good for your skin is because of the antioxidants and the fact that it is hygroscopic.  Hygroscopic means that it will naturally absorb moisture from air when it is exposed to it. While there are many different recipes for natural facemasks that use honey, using nothing but honey is said to be the best.  All you have to do is to apply the honey directly to your ...

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