Slather your dry skin with Soothing Touch Ayurveda Island Coconut Body Lotion

Formulated without GMOs, parabens, petroleum, propylene glycol, TEA, DEA, PEG and phthalates, the products from Soothing Touch are a fantastic addition to anyone’s green beauty cabinet. Check out a review of Soothing Touch Ayurveda Island Coconut Body Lotion below!

Based on Ayurveda principles, Soothing Touch is a green beauty brand that was actually founded by a yogi! The family-owned and cruelty-free brand is dedicated to formulating personal care and massage products that are healthier for your insides and beneficial for the appearance of your outsides! Formulated without GMOs, parabens, petroleum, propylene glycol, TEA, DEA, PEG and phthalates, the products from Soothing Touch are a fantastic addition to anyone’s green beauty cabinet.

Soothing Touch Ayurveda Island Coconut Body Lotion is packed with skin-balancing and nourishing oils that will leave your dry skin supple, smooth and hydrated. This lotion is almost as thick as a body butter, and is therefore extremely luxurious, but it also sinks in faster than body butter, so it’s a convenient product for use even during a busy day. The body lotion has a natural coconut fragrance, which is amazing if you love coconut scent!

Soothing Touch is definitely worth a try for anyone looking to detoxify their skincare products. Check out the Soothing Touch website for information on all the company’s amazing green beauty products. There is a lot to choose from, so keep in touch with this column for more upcoming honest reviews of Soothing Touch products and products from other wonderful green beauty brands!

A simply scrumptious sugar scrub by SpaRitual

SpaRitual’s limited edition Yuzu Rose Sugar Scrub is a delicious treat for the skin. The ingredients in this sugar scrub are 77% organic, vegan, biodegradable, and free of synthetic dyes, parabens and petrochemicals. Check out the review below!

SpaRitual’s limited edition Yuzu Rose Sugar Scrub: 77% organic, vegan, biodegradable, and free of synthetic dyes, parabens and petrochemicals.

SpaRitual’s limited edition Yuzu Rose Sugar Scrub is a delicious treat for the skin. Formulated with organic sugar crystals, and exuding an uplifting scent with notes of sugar, rose and citrus, this body scrub looks and smells almost good enough to eat! SpaRitual is a green beauty brand that formulates all products with social and environmental responsibility. The ingredients in this sugar scrub are 77% organic, vegan, biodegradable, and free of synthetic dyes, parabens and petrochemicals.

SpaRitual’s sugar scrub blends the exfoliating powers of sugar crystals with the moisturizing and nourishing powers of several skin-loving organic oils. When applied to the body’s skin in gentle circular motions, old skin cells are removed, while the new ones underneath get pampered with oils that leave the skin silky-soft after washing the scrub away. This is a true luxury spa product that will leave your skin velvety for days after a scrub treatment.

More information about SpaRitual’s limited edition Yuzu Rose collection, and SpaRitual’s other amazing products, can be found on the SpaRitual Website. SpaRitual is perhaps most well known for their healthier, alternative, 5-free nail polish, but the vegan and green beauty brand formulates excellent body care products as well, which are well worth a try for any green beauty lover! Stay tuned to this column for more upcoming articles featuring SpaRitual and other green beauty products!

The happiest turquoise shade of nail polish you ever did see by SpaRitual

SpaRitual Nail Lacquer in 'Tender' is 5-free (formulated without DBP, toluene, camphor, parabens, formaldehyde or formaldehyde resin). Check out the full review below!

SpaRitual 5-Free Nail Lacquer in ‘Tender’: The happiest turquoise shade of nail polish you ever did see!

SpaRitual's 'Tender' nail polish, pictured above, is a brand new nail color released by SpaRitual for the green beauty brand's Spring 2016 collection Nurture. SpaRitual is a brand that always produces their bath, nail and skincare products with vegan, Fair Trade and responsibly sourced ingredients. The brand's nail lacquer, ever-growing in popularity amongst nail enthusiasts and nail spas, is formulated without DBP, toluene, camphor, parabens, formaldehyde or formaldehyde resin. So, we can feel much safer about painting our nails when using SpaRitual nail polishes, that are free of carcinogenic and unnecessary toxins!

'Tender' is a lovely, bright turquoise nail color with a muted cream finish. It's still shiny when the light hits it, but it's definitely not a super glossy nail polish. The muted cream finish really makes for a lovely subdued effect for this particularly bright color. This color will stay put for a few days when applied in three coats, but the life of the nail job will definitely be extended when used in conjunction with SpaRitual’s convenient Multi-tasker® Base & Topcoat.

The best part about SpaRitual is the endless array of color and texture choices that the brand offers. SpaRitual offers high quality, always 5-free nail polish in almost every color and finish imaginable! If turquoise isn't your thing (common - it's so fun though!), don't despair - SpaRitual has various nail colors for everybody!

For more information about SpaRitual's 2016 Spring Collection, and about other fantastic collections that SpaRitual has previously released, visit the SpaRitual Website. Check out the recommended links below for other articles and reviews from this column on SpaRitual products.

Soothing Touch Lip Balm: yummy, nourishing, toxin-free, vegan and organic

Soothing Touch Lip Balm: delectable flavors; vegan and organic formulation; lip-loving goodness! Check out the review below!

Soothing Touch Lip Balm: delectable flavors; vegan and organic formulation; lip-loving goodness!

Ever tried a ‘vanilla chai’-flavored lip balm? How about ‘lemon cardamom’? Raise your hand if those sound like awesome lip balm flavors! Well, those are, in fact, two of the three Soothing Touch lip balm flavors featured today on this natural beauty blog.

These incredibly yummy-smelling lip balms are all-natural, vegan, organic (certified by the New Mexico Department of Agriculture), Fair Trade Certified, cruelty free, paraben free, gluten free, and, above-all, absolutely nourishing for your lips. The formulation includes two skin-loving favorites – shea butter and cocoa butter, but the ingredients’ list goes on and on with amazing oils and butters that sooth, nourish, protect and moisturize the lips (and cuticles too, FYI!).

Just check out the amazing natural ingredients found in these lip balms: *High Oleic Expeller Pressed Safflower Oil, *High Oleic Expeller Pressed Sunflower Seed Oil, Castor Oil, *Calendula Flower, *Olive Oil, *Grapeseed Oil, *Expeller Pressed Apricot Kernel Oil, Vitamin E, *Cocoa Butter, *Shea Butter, Candelilla Wax, Stevia, Natural Extracts for various flavors.
*Certified Organic Ingredient

Soothing Touch offers nine different lip balm flavors, all of which sound like interesting combinations, and today we are featuring the following flavors:

‘Vanilla Chai’: a delicious-smelling, relaxing balm that smells exactly like a chai latte with vanilla in it.

‘Lemon Cardamom’: a very refreshing lemony balm with just a hint of cardamom to balance the scent.

And, ‘Pomegranate’: a yummy fruity berry scent, with that lovely pomegranate tartness (less overwhelmingly sweet-smelling like, say, a cherry flavored balm).

Soothing Touch lip balms apply so smoothly, leaving just a hint of shine (so, wonderful to wear on their own without lip color!). The balms leave a comfortable, non-sticky barrier on the lips for quite some time, protecting the skin from cold or dryness, and rapidly healing irritations and cracks. This is a wonderful lip balm for layering under drying lipsticks or for applying before bed, so that you wake up with a perfectly smooth pucker!

The folks at Soothing Touch formulate all their green beauty products responsibly, without adding toxic ingredients. The brand was founded by a Kundalini Yoga teacher, the late Yogi Bhajan, who based his products’ formulations on ancient Ayurvedic formulas, and on his own holistic and healthy lifestyle and diet. Soothing Touch is fast making an impact in the green and holistic beauty market for their massage products, personal care products and bath products. Check out the Soothing Touch website for more information!

The Benefits Of A Hyaluronic Acid Supplement And My Experience With NeoCell

There has been a lot of talk about hyaluronic acid for beauty benefits lately, and many beauty enthusiasts have praised the apparent rejuvenating effects of ingesting hyaluronic acid, versus simply applying it topically. Check out my review of NeoCell's Hyaluronic Acid blueberry liquid supplement below!

There has been a lot of talk about hyaluronic acid for beauty benefits lately, and many beauty enthusiasts have praised the apparent rejuvenating effects of ingesting hyaluronic acid, versus simply applying it topically. Today’s story features this column’s conclusions about NeoCell’s Hyaluronic Acid blueberry liquid supplement. Hyaluronic acid, a type of carbohydrate molecule known as a polysaccharide, is naturally present in the human body and works as a lubricant throughout our bodies’ connective tissues.

Non-GMO and gluten free, NeoCell’s Hyaluronic Acid supplement is a delicious (it really tastes great!) blueberry-flavored liquid that users are instructed to ingest once daily, in a one-tablespoon measurement. This supplement claims to offer cellular hydration and lubrication for skin, joints and eyes. Many of these apparent benefits are probably visible after months of use, but after only one month, some of my personal observations are quite interesting.

What’s really amazing is that I stopped having joint pain in two places that normally bother me with cooler and wetter weather. El Nino has been constantly changing the San Diego (my hometown) weather in the last 2 months, making the climate much wetter and cooler than usual. A wetter and cooler climate will generally aggravate joint pain, so the timing has been perfect to try a one-month supply of this NeoCell hyaluronic acid supplement. After taking the supplement for 2 weeks or less, I stopped having joint pain in my knees and in my wrist (which I broke several years ago, and which has suffered from post-break arthritis).

Though it’s too early to tell if this supplement really makes one’s skin appear younger, I am fairly certain (in my humble opinion) that since this supplement affects my joints so clearly, that it must be affecting, and must be beneficial for the skin’s general health and appearance, and for eye health. If I am wrong about that, I am still extremely pleased with the pain-reducing results in my joints, especially in my knees. With two torn menisci, knee pain is something I am very familiar with, and so I am grateful to have discovered this hyaluronic acid supplement! 

If you want to give NeoCell’s hyaluronic acid supplement a go, the above-pictured 16 Fl. Oz. bottle will last a little over a month, and is a perfect-sized bottle and length of time to give the product a trial - to see if it does anything for you. Be sure to check out the NeoCell website to see what else this company offers. Other than hyaluronic acid supplements, NeoCell is America’s number one producer of collagen supplements, and also formulates biotin and resveratrol supplements. Most of NeoCell’s supplements contain the added benefit of Vitamin C, which is also present in the Hyaluronic Acid blueberry liquid supplement featured here today. Vitamin C is known to be helpful in anti-aging and in the prevention of illness.

Please note that this is an honest opinion piece. Anyone considering taking hyaluronic acid or other supplements should consult their doctor and do their own research before ingesting supplements. Many supplements available on the market have little research to support their claims, and should only be used if the user honestly discovers benefits to their own health, appearance and /or well-being.

SpaRitual releases a gorgeous, bright pink lip gloss to enlighten the day!

SpaRitual Yuzu Rose Lip Gloss in 'Sweet Love': vegan, biodegradable, gluten-free, and paraben-free! Check out the review below!

SpaRitual Yuzu Rose Lip Gloss in 'Sweet Love': vegan, biodegradable, gluten-free, paraben-free

SpaRitual has released a limited edition collection called Yuzu Rose, which features luxury spa body care products and four lovely lip glosses. Featured today is SpaRitual's bright pink lip gloss shade, 'Sweet Love'. This lip gloss formula is packed with nurturing fruit and nut oils. It's also vegan, biodegradable, contains organic ingredients, and is free of gluten, parabens, phenoxyethanol and petrochemicals. It's precisely the kind of green beauty product that this column strives to feature!

SpaRitual Yuzu Rose Lip Gloss in 'Sweet Love'

'Sweet Love' is a super lightweight lip gloss that is moisturizing and has a rose scent. The formula has a high-shine pay-off that eventually sinks into the lips after about an hour's wear, for a more subdued look. This lip gloss color is also very build-able, so the user has the option to create a subtle, natural look, or a dramatic, pigmented look, with more swipes on the lips. The gorgeous pink color can be seen in the photo above, in indoor lighting on the left, and in outdoor, natural lighting on the right. 

SpaRitual is a green beauty brand dedicated to formulating products that are vegan, biodegradable, ethically sourced, and free of gluten, fragrances, parabens and petrochemicals. SpaRitual is perhaps most well-known for its nail polishes, which are a favorite at green or holistic nail salons across the country. But SpaRitual’s body and lip products are also fantastic!

Stay tuned to this blog for more upcoming articles and reviews on SpaRitual’s 2016 Spring collection, Nurture, and SpaRitual’s limited edition Yuzu Rose collection! Check out the SpaRitual website for more information on this awesome natural brand!

A fantastic, paraben-free, exfoliating and nourishing lip polish by Pixi

Check out a review of newly-released Pixi Skintreats Nourishing Lip Polish below:

Pixi Skintreats Nourishing Lip Polish

Pixi has recently added a new lip product to their Skintreats line – the Nourishing Lip Polish – and it’s fantastic! Pixi is a really convenient beauty brand that is economical, readily available at Target, and always paraben and cruelty free.

As can be seen in the photo, Pixi’s lip polish has an exfoliating applicator that gives your lips a fantastic massage when you apply the product, which not only feels nice, but stimulates the lips, giving them a natural plumped appearance. And the product itself is fabulous, packed with various nourishing oils and butters that make up the yummy citrusy scent (which is all natural, without synthetic fragrance added).

This lip polish is thick, and feels thick, giving your lips a real nourishing treatment, but also a glossy look, if that’s all you want to apply. With the exfoliation and plumping action over the natural lip color, this is actually a wonderful alternative to wearing a nude or neutral lipstick shade, because this formula brings out the lips’ natural color and smooth appearance.

This lip polish is a true green beauty treat for the lips, and is not only free of parabens, but is also free of phenoxyethanol and palm oil, which is an added bonus that not every green beauty brand adheres to.

Check out SpaRitual's newly-released baby pink nail polish - 'Loving'

Introducing SpaRitual Nail Lacquer in 'Loving', from SpaRitual’s 2016 Spring collection "Nurture":

In daylight:

In darker indoor light, demonstrating the almost fluorescent quality this nail polish gets in some lighting:

SpaRitual Nail Lacquer in 'Loving', from SpaRitual’s 2016 Spring collection "Nurture"

SpaRitual 5-free nail lacquers are about as safe as nail lacquer can get, formulated without DBP, toluene, camphor, parabens, formaldehyde or formaldehyde resin. All SpaRitual products, including the green beauty brand’s skincare offerings, are vegan, Fair Trade and responsibly sourced.

Featured today is SpaRitual’s 5-free Nail Lacquer in ‘Loving’, from SpaRitual’s 2016 Spring collection Nurture. ‘Loving’ is one of six newly-released nail color shades by the green beauty brand, and it’s a gorgeous cool-toned baby pink crème-finish nail polish! This is a really amazing baby pink nail color because of the cool tones, which makes the nail polish appear slightly fluorescent in certain lighting. The picture above demonstrates that color-effect: the picture on the left shows the nail color in natural daylight, and the picture on the right shows the slight fluorescent effect in darker indoor lighting.

All SpaRitual nail polishes are long lasting, and the number of days before chipping occurs depends on the texture of the given nail lacquer. When applying two or three coats, SpaRitual nail polishes will last at least 3 days without chipping, but the life of the nail polish job can easily be doubled by also using SpaRitual’s convenient Multi-tasker® Base & Topcoat.

For more information about SpaRitual's collections, and about other fantastic products that SpaRitual has previously released, visit the SpaRitual Website. Stay tuned to this blog for other articles and reviews on SpaRitual and other green beauty products.

Tired of your dark lipstick looks smudging or bleeding beyond the lip line?

Pixi by Petra has formulated a fantastically effective remedy for that lipstick bleeding! The beauty brand's newly-released paraben-free Invisible Smudge-Stopper Lip Contour Liner effectively prevents lipstick bleeding and smudging, allowing you to get that perfect, smudge-free painted pucker with your deeper lipstick shades! Check out the full review below!

Pixi by Petra Invisible Smudge-Stopper Lip Contour Liner

Tired of your dark lipstick looks smudging or bleeding beyond the lip line? Pixi by Petra has formulated a fantastically effective remedy for that! The beauty brand's newly-released Invisible Smudge-Stopper Lip Contour Liner effectively prevents lipstick bleeding and smudging, allowing you to get that perfect, smudge-free painted pucker with your deeper lipstick shades!

No one likes the look of bleeding lipstick, and prepping the lip line with this lip liner will prevent that from happening. The best thing about using an invisible lip liner is that you don’t have to worry about matching it to your lipstick! You no longer need five different lip liner colors. You only need one liner – an invisible one!

Pixi’s paraben-free lip liner glides on silky smooth and you don’t even feel it (or see it!) on 
the contour of your lips. It comes in a convenient twist-up applicator that maintains the shape of the narrow liner in the tube. Stay tuned to this blog for more articles and reviews on other Pixi products.

Beauty and self-esteem talk with celebrity dermatologist Ava Shamban

For February’s National Self-Esteem Month I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Ava Shamban, dermatologist, famous for her appearances on CBS’ The Doctors and as the skin maven on ABC’s Extreme Makeover. Dr. Shamban is an advocate for self-esteem, and she emphasizes that it’s our most important asset for success and happiness. In the interview, we discuss minimally invasive clinical treatments for acne scars and deep wrinkles (namely Bellafill treatments), the most common complaints she receives from patients regarding their skin, the importance of a healthy diet for the skin, and the benefits of using pure oils, such as argan oil and coconut oil, to care for our skin. Click the photo below to watch the interview on Youtube:

Dr. Shamban graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University and earned her medical degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. She has practices in Santa Monica and Beverly Hills, and she serves as Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the UCLA-Geffen School of Medicine. For more information on Dr. Ava Shamban, and for more information on the various dermatological treatment options offered at her clinics, please visit her official website.