You may be wondering what the big deal is with using organic cosmetic products. There are many reasons why your body and the earth would appreciate if you opted for using natural substances for your self care. For starters, you are what you eat and that applies to anything you put on your body as well. Your face is precious, so why would you want to coat it with synthetic materials every day? They can cause micro-level damage and wear and tear to your skin, so opting for organic solutions is a better option. But one, sometimes overlooked, motivation to opt for organic make up is that it does not rely on animal testing to create its products! This is a huge positive for organic makeup and for animal safety! If you are looking for more ways to actively prevent animal testing, read this article today!

Read the full article: Taking Suffering Out of Science

Balm Superieure is an organic cleanser designed to cleanse deeply and restore lustre and softness to skin and lashes. Its fusion of fine oils is ideal for removing eye and face makeup.  Suitable for all skin types, with more than 99% certified organic content.

Balm Superieure:

• Removes all makeup including mascara
• Cleanses skin and eye-lashes
• Leaves skin and lashes moisturized and soft
• For all skin types
• Certified organic

An organic cleansing treatment you can trust – certified by Ecocert, registered in the European Union – Balm Supérieure is now available in the United States. Click here to learn more.

There is a long tradition in China of using acupuncture as a beauty treatment, based on the stimulating effects of acupuncture needles on collagen production and muscle tone, and an understanding of the impact that energetic imbalances can have on our appearance. Acupuncture’s benefits start with getting stress under control, but include reducing pimples and breakouts, and preventing signs of premature aging. The side effects of this beauty treatment include enhanced wellness, increased energy, and deeper relaxation – all of which contribute in turn to a more vibrant appearance. You can read more about acupuncture as a beauty treatment in the article: The Amazing Beauty Trick You Haven’t Tried: Acupuncture.

Our nails reveal the status of our health as much as our eyes and skin. Lack of vitamins, minerals and good oils in our diet show up as dry, brittle nails with ridges in them. Eating well and using the same quality moisturizer for your face on your nails and cuticles will help keep them looking naturally beautiful.

I began putting moisturizer from my face on my hands and nails when I modeled my hands. Presently, I give myself a weekly manicure because my nails grow so fast. Thank heaven they’re in great shape so I don’t have to depend on nail polish or acrylic nails. Is there anything as chic as healthy, clean nails that don’t cost a thing?

Meditation, good sleep, and daily downtime are well known strategies for relieving stress, highly refined in Ayurveda, which also. emphasizes digestion – keeping the inner fire burning bright – as the foundation of wellness, as well as aromatherapy – it regards the sense of smell as a primary channel for raising the spirits. This article introduces 5 Ayurveda teachings that help relieve stress and gives a flavor of this powerful ancient practice: http://ecosalon.com/5-ayurvedic-ways-to-relieve-stress/

I’ve always loved foot massage. There’s nothing quite so relaxing. If you have more pressure applied to specific parts of your feet, you move into the territory of Reflexology and can get a whole lot more from your massage – even direct benefits for the skin. These include help with acne, eczema and psoriasis. The links between the feet and different organs of the body are traditionally shown as a foot chart that makes it easy to take foot massage to a deeper level. There is a useful foot chart and case studies showing 5 specific beauty benefits of foot massage in the article: 5 Skin Conditions Foot Reflexology Can Help.

Ayurveda can show us how to replace unhealthy habits with better ones by using self-acceptance, awareness and tenderness rather than forcefulness and willpower. These energies create an inner environment within which positive change can spring naturally. There is no struggle about it and change comes about gradually and sustainably.

Ayurveda encourages us to ask basic questions about any habit that we have, such as what purpose it serves and whether there are there better ways to serve it. Could it be that sweetness can come from more nurturing companions, for example, rather than from another cookie? By putting our habits into a larger context like this, we can understand them better and respond more creatively to whatever triggers them.

You can learn more about Ayurveda’s teachings about changing habits in this post on Chopra.com.

In “The Wave In The Mind” Ursula Le Guin wrote about the different ways dogs and cats regard themselves. Dogs seem to be unaware of how they look, how big they are, the poses they strike, how we might see them. Cats are the opposite, with a highly tuned sense of appearance. She’s very funny about it.

Then she moves to how we regard ourselves and our notions of beauty: how it is a given that the young are beautiful, but how what she calls the “ the rules of beauty “ are manipulated to create ideals that people starve and abuse themselves to match up to. These rules, embodied by movie stars and models, change from time to time, and from place to place.

And then there is the beauty that comes from the confluence of body and spirit, a timeless beauty that is present at all ages, and yet somehow does not reflect in a mirror. It is a beauty that is expressed by artists, not by industry, and it lives for ever.

You can read more about Le Guin’s thoughts about beauty in the article Ursula K. Le Guin on Growing Older and What Beauty Really Means.

After water, tea is the most popular drink on earth. It is packed with antioxidants (they make up 25% of its dry weight) that make it an anti-aging superhero. Definitely a beautifying beverage! Others to consider: kefir water and kombucha. They help create healthy gut bacteria and optimize digestion, basic to our wellness and radiance.