Green Options

It seems the moment cooler weather arrives our skin and hair feel the affects; dry, rough hands, tight skin and fly-aways.  Not to worry, there are remedies for these problems.  By adding a few products or ingredients to your existing regimen, you will be flake and fly-away free in no time.

In a story seemingly ripped from the pages of the National Enquirer, the UK’s Daily Mail reports that a Nepalese teenager has invented a solar panel that uses human hair instead of silicone as the conductor in solar panels. According to 18 year old Milan Karki, his solar panel design can be produced for as little as $38.

Malie Organics Jasmine Rose Beautify Facial Tonic is so simple, yet feels so indulgent.  This pure floral water purifies skin for that extra clean feeling, while providing light hydration. 

Made from distilled flower hydrosols and pure spring water from the slopes of Hawaii’s Haleakala volcano, this refreshing tonic encourages cell growth and collagen production. Healing jasmine (often used as a mood elevator) and rose (a natural anti-inflammatory that helps to soothe and calm dry, sensitive skin) provide gentle moisture and balance to tired, irritated skin. 

Hi, you might recognize that beautiful smiling face before you. That is my face, well it was my face over the last couple of years. I am not here to talk about my face or my smile, which some have called “winning.” I am not even here to talk about myself, although I could do that all day, and I will relate to you my personal experience because that is the only experience I have. The real reason I am writing you today is to point out my hair.

These pictures happen to be in chronological order, so as you may see, my hair has grown a tad longer in the last couple of years. I would like to say that my reasons were always altruistic, but the fact is I just happen to like my hair a little longer.

My daughter is blessed with very thick hair. She used to wear her locks very long, but now it is shoulder length. Even with shorter hair, it likes to tangle, and we often use a detangler.  We’ve tried California Baby’s hair detangler, which we love, and Kiss My Face’s detangler, which doesn’t work so well. Now, we can add a new line of natural beauty care designed just for girls to our repertoire of hair detanglers:  Sparklehearts!

One thing I love about Sparklehearts is they give full disclosure of their ingredients (they have not been evaluated by the Environmental Working Group yet), as well as actual percentages of organic and natural ingredients. The hair detangler, which really works by the way, is 99.6% organic and is paraben, phthalate, and sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate free!

Like many of the companies we feature on Eco Child’s Play, Sparklehearts was started by moms searching for safer products for their children:

Most girls would wince in disgust if you told them their favorite body wash contained a chemical that is produced by boiling bugs (called carmine.) And, most parents would wince in disgust if you told them their daughter’s body lotion contained sulfates, phthalates and dozens of toxins and chemicals. Enter Sparklehearts, a line of natural, safe and fun beauty products that are girl- and parent-approved.

If you’re like most women, the aisle lined with attractive cartons of hair colorant has caught your eye at least once.  It’s human nature, after all — we want what we don’t have.  The allure of all those appealing shades and tints can be mesmerizing. The ingredient list tends to have a mesmerizing effect as well, but not exactly in a good way.  Chlorhexidine dihydrochloride and 2-methyl-5-hydroxyethylaminophenol, anyone?

Even the huge corporations don’t completely hide the hazards of the product.  Right there on oustide of the package, in plain view, the manufacturers warn us of the risks – severe allergic reaction and blindness. Of course, they leave out the dirtier details, like the association between hair dye and cancer. How bad is the situation? Well, even the FDA has admitted that “consumers will need to consider the lack of demonstrated safety when they choose to use hair dyes.”

Given the evidence, what’s a girl to do? Go green, of course — but preferably without literally green results. Fortunately, there is a solution.  I’m delighted to introduce a safe hair dye that actually works!  Advanced Cosmetic Technology’s permanent hair color is 100% vegan and plant-based, and is free from paraphenylene diamine (PPD), ammonia, parabens, resorcinol, bleach, and peroxide.

If you have yet to try Argan oil, the beauty secret of Moroccan women, here is the scoop.

Argan oil is produced from the kernels of the argan tree which grows only in southwestern Morocco where it has been used by the women there for centuries.  It is valued for its nutritive, cosmetic and medicinal properties and holds anti-aging benefits when used as skin care.  This is because Argan oil is rich in antioxidants, essential fatty acids and contains high levels of vitamin E.

See that profile pic of me? The hair? Yeah, my tresses are long.  Long as in, close to touching the pronounced rump.

That must take a whole lot of time to care for, right? Wrong.

I have a hair confession: I shampoo less than the average American.

We all know it makes a delicious dip, but this tropical fruit is beneficial to skin and hair, too.    Rich in potassium and vitamins B, E, and K, avocados, and the oil they provide, are regenerative and moisturizing.  The oil is pressed from the pulp that surrounds the avocado pit and is very emollient.

Now that we are just past the autumnal equinox, it is time to shake up your beauty routine to adjust for the cooler months coming. The fall is a time of change. Making small and subtle changes now will help you look and feel your best this season. Here are some Fall beauty tips that are easy to incorporate into your routine.

Testing eight washed and eight unwashed hair samples, the University of Missouri’s Lakshmi Pandrangi and Glenn Morrison found that, on average, unwashed hair absorbs around seven times as much ozone as freshly washed hair. “Ozone is probably reacting with components of hair oil,” says Morrison.

Read Green Option: Shampoo Skipping

Source: New Scientist

Photo: shaaditimes.com