What's my personal go-to store for natural beauty and personal care needs? Pharmaca!

Pharmaca physical store locations are a natural beauty lover's playground!

I often get asked by people who would like to switch to less toxic beauty and personal care options, “Where do I start? How do I know if a natural brand will actually work for me? How do I know whether I will have an allergic reaction?” Well, trial and error is one way to go about it. But what if you could sample and try various natural beauty products, so that you could commit to buy the right ones for you? What if you could talk directly to a licensed esthetician and / or herbalist with whom you could consult, and who could help you choose the best and most effective products for you? Pharmaca stores offer these services, and more!

As a long-time online shopper with Pharmaca.com, where I personally find most of my natural beauty and non-toxic personal care products, I was always interested in the physical locations that Pharmaca offers around the country. So I ventured out to the La Jolla Pharmaca location, located near San Diego California, earlier this month to find out what this company offers in their stores that might attract local customers in the San Diego area. I am always a fan of online discounts and the convenience of ordering at the computer (hence my love of Pharmaca.com), but there are many attractions to visiting a Pharmaca store in person, and it’s well worth a trip if you have a physical Pharmaca location near you.

Pharmaca is an integrative pharmacy that offers the typical pharmaceutical prescription-filling services, but the company is also a retailer of natural and homeopathic products – everything from raw foods, to herbal supplements, to the best natural beauty and natural personal care brands on the market. Of course my favorite Pharmaca offering is the natural beauty and non-toxic personal care selection! And here is where the fun part of an in-person visit comes in: much like Sephora, visitors are free to sample the various natural beauty brands, including makeup, natural perfumes, creams, hair products, and various other natural brand goodies. There are also licensed estheticians and herbalists on premise to help customers with whatever questions they may have about beauty products, skincare and herbal supplements.

I met with one of Pharmaca’s La-Jolla-based senior estheticians, Amy Rellstab, who assists customers in finding the right makeup, skincare and personal care products. She emphasized that an in-person visit is beneficial for anyone who would like expert consultations on color matching, makeup application, and product information. A licensed esthetician may also offer you samples of some products, such as facial creams (which are often culprits when it comes to facial allergic reactions), so that you can try out a product in a few applications, before buying a full-size tube.

Although Pharmaca does not yet offer daily spa service (and I’m hoping they one day will!), the stores do offer spa days every month, where customers can enjoy beauty treatments, makeovers, presentations from visiting brand representatives, and other fun beauty-related offerings. Attending one of these spa days is another great way to familiarize oneself with various amazing natural brands on the market! Advertisements for these spa days are available in-store, but you can also give your local Pharmaca a call to see when the next spa day will be.

I asked Pharmaca’s esthetician Amy Rellstab why it is beneficial to consider less toxic brands, such as are available at Pharmaca, over popular brand-name personal care products that contain more chemicals and synthetics. Afterall, most people tend to assume that since a product is on a store's shelf, it must be safe to use. Amy explained that although many of those popular brand name personal care products appear to be effective, they will contain chemicals that are known to be carcinogenic. There just is not enough government regulation currently for the cosmetic market that would ban corporations from adding potentially dangerous substances into their cosmetic products. Amy also mentioned that the list of ingredients for many of these popular brand name products are so extensive and chemical-ridden that she will often have to look up the complicated names of various chemicals present in products, even though she has been working with beauty products for years!

One rule I go for is: if there are more than two or three incomprehensible ingredients in a product, it’s probably too chemical-ridden to be honestly safe for my skin. And if it has parabens and other obvious culprits in it – forget it! Esthetician Amy Rellstab also highlighted parabens as one of the worst toxic culprits she finds in popular brand name products.

Pharmaca, as a company, is very selective in the brands they choose to represent and to sell, and I certainly feel much safer purchasing from them than from most other stores. The brands that Pharmaca represents do not contain any of the worst carcinogenic ingredients found in most popular brand name products.

So, take a drive over to a Pharmaca store and start trying some less toxic options for your skincare, beauty and personal care needs! Your body, both externally and internally, deserves the safer options, with fewer chemicals and fewer synthetics. Check out the Pharmaca store locator to see if you have a location near you!

Just one of many isles of non-toxic, delicious, effective, natural beauty selections offered at Pharmaca's La Jolla location. A tester for sampling is available for most products!

Chamomile tea works great as a natural remedy against blemishes and breakouts!

Try chamomile tea as a natural remedy against acne, blemishes, and breakouts:

Chamomile tea works great as a natural remedy for blemishes and acne

When it comes to the occasional blemish or breakout, many of us are quick to run to the nearest drugstore to purchase chemical-laden face washes that actually do more harm than good. But there is an ancient natural remedy that most people are not aware of, that most of us can find in our kitchens, and that is readily available in every grocery store's tea section!

Chamomile, used as an anti-inflammation and anti-fever herb since ancient Egyptian and ancient Greek times, is made into a pleasant tea beverage when the dried flowers of the chamomile plant are infused in hot water. Based on numerous studies about the consumption of chamomile tea, there are amazing benefits for the insides of our bodies, including reduction in cancer risk and reduction in thyroid issues.

Chamomile tea is also very effective as an anti-inflammatory and calming remedy when rubbed onto our skin. For many people, simply rubbing chamomile on a blemish or breakout will reduce the redness and the severity of the breakout. Working both as a healing agent and as a anti-inflammatory, chamomile will help battle acne naturally! Many chemically-laden acne washes will actually worsen redness in a breakout because of the harsh ingredients, that we would never want to ingest.

With chamomile tea, one may prepare a cup and drink it for all of the internal benefit of ingesting chamomile; and then, one may actually use the tea bag itself, instead of using a "cotton pad", to apply the soaked up chamomile liquid to the problem areas on the face or body. One or two gentle swipes is enough to let the skin absorb the healing benefits of chamomile tea. For best results, keep some chamomile tea in a jar (but be sure to drink it before the day is out as tea does go bad), and apply the tea to problem skin areas in the morning, at mid-day, and at night.

So, give chamomile tea a try next time you experience a blemish, and see if this natural remedy works for you!

Who says we can't wear bright-colored lipstick during fall and winter seasons???

Check out Silk Naturals’ Velvet Matte Lipstick in the coral shade ‘Bauble’ and other amazing bright lipstick shades - all free of parabens and nasty additives!

Above: Silk Naturals Velvet Matte Lipstick in 'Bauble'

Above: Silk Naturals Velvet Matte Lipstick in 'Bauble'

‘Bauble’ (pictured with this article) is just one lipstick shade available in Silk Naturals’ most recent lip formula – the velvet matte formula. This lipstick is moisturizing, natural, and free of carcinogens and other toxic additives. This particular velvet matte lipstick formula is also one of the very few matte lipstick formulas on the market that is truly hydrating for the lips and doesn’t leave them looking parched or cracked! And I’ll tell you – I, for one, am not leaving this puppy in the bathroom drawer until spring arrives!

Though I do love the deep, sultry and dark colors most often preferred during the colder fall and winter months (and I do wear them myself too), I can’t help but get annoyed when I hear criticism over someone deciding to wear a bright pop of color on their lips – just because someone somewhere had decided that bright colors should only be worn in the spring and summer! So, all you ladies who stand with me as lovers of corals, neons, and all things vibrant, wear your bright lipsticks in protest! Flowers can bloom in winter too after all!

Check out the photos below for some wonderful ideas for non-toxic, green beauty brand lipsticks in fantastic bright shades! Remember to strongly consider natural brands for your makeup needs. With all of the amazing green beauty brands out there today, offering affordable, effective, luxurious and vibrantly pigmented makeup items, there is no need to go for the more popular brand name companies, who opt to pack their products with carcinogenic and toxic additives, choosing immense profit over quality ingredients. The photos in the slideshow below are proof that natural brands make awesome, vibrant, long-lasting lipstick products that are also healthy for our precious mouths!

Above: Honeybee Gardens Lipstick in 'Queen Bee'

Above: Silk Naturals Vegan Lipstick in 'Zing'

Above: Zuzu Luxe lip gloss in 'Pitaya'

Above: Bite Beauty Luminous Créme Lipstick in 'Violet'

Above: Bite Beauty Luminous Créme Lipstick in 'Palomino'

Above: Another view of Silk Naturals Velvet Matte Lipstick in 'Bauble'

A convenient, all-natural sunscreen for the outdoor athlete by Babo Botanicals

Babo Botanicals Clear Zinc Sport Stick Sunscreen:

All natural sun protection: Babo Botanicals Clear Zinc Sport Stick Sunscreen, SPF 30

Tired of coating your skin in petrochemicals and synthetic ingredients to protect yourself from the sun? Well, that’s certainly not necessary when you have companies like Babo Botanicals creating fantastic and effective natural sunscreens out of nature’s purest ingredients. Zinc has long been known as a natural sun barrier, and Babo Botanicals uses clear zinc and other ingredients that are healthy for your skin in their sunscreen products. Not only are Babo Botanicals’ products effective and healthy, but the brand also makes them available in stick format – so you can apply sunscreen super easily while on a run, surfing or hiking.

Babo Botanicals Clear Zinc Sport Stick Sunscreen is a convenient and healthy option for a stick sunscreen. The sunscreen formula is non-nano, paraben free, petrochemical free, phthalate free, and vegan. It applies clear on the skin, and protects and moisturizes our body’s largest organ (the skin) using only natural ingredients. This sunscreen stick also smells delicious, with the inclusion of all-natural nourishing apple oil in the ingredients. I’ll take green apple scent and healthy sun protection any day!

Just check out the skin-loving and skin-protecting ingredients in this fantastic sunscreen stick – it really doesn’t get any more natural than this: Zinc Oxide 20% (non-nano particles), Apple (Malus) Fruit Oil, Avocado (Persea Americana) Oil*, Beeswax (Cera Alba)*, Buriti (Mauritia Flexuosa) Fruit Oil*, Carnauba (Copernicia Cerifera) Wax*, Cocoa (Theobroma Cacao) Seed Butter*, Coconut (Cocos Nucifera) Oil*, Jojoba (Simmondsia Chinensis) Seed Oil*, Non-GMO Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Sesame (Sesame Indicum) Seed Oil*, Shea (Butyrospermum Parkii) Butter*, Tapioca Starch*. *Certified Organic to USDA/NOP Standards.

Babo Botanicals is a favorite brand for new mothers, since all the ingredients are baby safe and natural. It is funny how it often takes the arrival of a baby for parents to all of a sudden become aware of dangerous and carcinogenic chemicals present in everyday brand name personal care products. But shouldn’t it be important to protect ourselves from chemicals not only as infants, but throughout our entire lives? Join the green beauty movement now and make the decision to only buy non-toxic, paraben free, and petrochemical free personal care products!

A volumizing, toxin-free and paraben-free styling mousse by Peter Lamas!

Peter Lamas Volumize Me Styling Mousse:

Peter Lamas "Volumize Me" Styling Mousse

Peter Lamas is a luxury natural brand that boasts healthy, paraben-free, vegan, sulfate-free, petrochemical-free, and gluten-free products. The company’s newest additions are a series of natural hair styling and repairing products that are also environmentally safe and biodegradable.

Peter Lamas’ Volumize Me Styling Mousse is a marvelous concoction of natural ingredients that work just as well as the traditional synthetic ingredients found in most hair mousses. But instead of using synthetic ingredients, Peter Lamas’ hair mousse uses sea silk and rice protein to give your precious strands a good hold. The ingredients also include chamomile, burdock root, panthenol and sea algae – all of which are known to increase strength, volume and moisture in individual hair strands.

Peter Lamas’ styling mousse lasts all day, with a consistent light hold. It’s an ideal mousse to apply after washing the hair, when it is still damp. If you want to keep your hair down throughout the day, applying this mousse to damp hair will allow it to dry without too many fly-away hairs or frizziness. This is especially helpful for anyone with curly or wavy hair.

People are often wary of using all-natural or green hair styling products because the products that lack synthetic and unhealthy ingredients in their mix often fail to perform the way that the popular, toxin-rich brand-name products perform. Personally, I never understand why someone would still opt for a product that contains carcinogenic ingredients, just because it performs better. I mean, honestly, I would rather just stop styling my hair entirely than to style it with something that could contribute to toxin accumulation in my body. But, luckily, there are luxury, fantastic natural and green products available for those of us who like a good hold in our hair, without a toxic hold on our bodies! Be sure to check out the Peter Lamas website for more information about this natural brand's amazing, toxin free, and effective offerings!

The perfect natural toothpaste to bring in Thanksgiving season!

Check out Tom’s of Maine Whole Care® Natural Fluoride Toothpaste in the seasonally appropriate flavor ‘Cinnamon Clove’:

Tom’s of Maine is a natural personal care product brand that is committed to producing personal care items that are free of artificial colors, animal testing, artificial fragrances, artificial flavors and preservatives. They offer a wide range of toothpaste with various options (such as with fluoride, or fluoride-free), and various natural flavors. Today’s spotlight is on Tom of Maine’s Whole Care® Natural Fluoride Toothpaste in the seasonally appropriate flavor ‘Cinnamon Clove’ because… well – it’s simply awesome!

‘Cinnamon Clove’ is a fantastic toothpaste for fall! With the coming of Thanksgiving and the Holidays, it’s the perfect treat for the teeth, leaving those chompers clean, the breath fresh, and the taste buds delighted! Using this toothpaste is literally like rubbing pumpkin pie spices all over your teeth, but the toothpaste keeps the teeth healthy and clean. And, naturally, as with all Tom’s of Maine products, the flavors in this toothpaste come from natural cinnamon and clove sources!

What makes Tom’s of Maine even better is that this wonderful natural brand’s website lists all of the ingredients of each product (click this link to see the breakdown of the Cinnamon Clove toothpaste) within a chart that also explains the purpose for each ingredient. Thus, customers are never left wondering why certain strange-sounding ingredients might be sneaked into a product – which is seen far too often in brands that claim to be toxin-free and healthy!

So, check out Tom’s of Maine ‘Cinnamon Clove’ toothpaste, and bring in the Thanksgiving season with those seasonal spices delighting your mouth!

Time to bring in the fall with a deep lipstick shade by Pixi!

 Pixi by Petra Mattelustre Lipstick in 'Plum Berry':

When it comes to typical fall lipstick shades, the most popular lip colors to help bring in the changing of leaves, Halloween and Thanksgiving tend to be the deep and sultry ones! For some reason we all like to bring out our darker, vampier side in the fall. Perhaps it has to do with vampire fantasies brought about by Halloween, or perhaps we just want a contrast to the popular loud colors of spring and summer. Either way, there is no shortage of paraben free, non-toxic, beautiful, effective and moisturizing lipsticks to choose from. Today's highlight happens to be the gorgeous 'Plum Berry' shade by Pixi.

'Plum Berry' is a deep plum-purple shade that is perfect for the fall and winter seasons. It's moisturizing and long-lasting and leaves a gentle stain on the lips after hours of wear. Pixi by Petra is an economy paraben-free makeup brand that is available online and at Target. The brand is fast becoming a favorite among beauty enthusiasts for the affordable price of the cosmetics and for the carefully chosen ingredients, that do not ever include parabens. Pixi is not the most natural of the greener brands out there, but if you are just starting out at eliminating toxins in your makeup, Pixi is a good middle-ground, affordable option.

If this particular lipstick color does not strike your fancy, be sure to check out the LIPS section of this blog for other fantastic fall lipstick shades to consider on your search for natural, paraben-free lipstick! It's never too late to go green on your lipstick choices and various natural beauty brands offer tons of long-lasting options! Since we end up ingesting so much of what we put on the lips, it's very important to consider the ingredients in any lipstick before you put it on your mouth…

An eye shadow palette for a sultry eye look by Gabriel Cosmetics!

Gabriel Cosmetics Eye Shadow Trio in 'Smokey Shimmer':

Gabriel shadow trio in 'Smokey Shimmer': darkest color above lash line & blended in crease; medium-dark green-gold color on lid & blended in crease; lightest color, a pink-white shimmer, used as highlighter by brow & blended in inner eye crease.

Above: Gabriel Cosmetics Eyeshadow Trio in 'Smokey Shimmer'

Get those eyes all sultry and smoky with a fantastic, non-toxic eye shadow palette by natural cosmetics' brand Gabriel Cosmetics. Gabriel Cosmetics' eye shadow palettes are real winners in the natural eye shadow market, both for their versatility of use, excellent color combinations, and amazing staying power of the shadow formulas!

The eye shadow trio in the 'Smokey Shimmer' color combination is a perfect trio of colors to create a deep and intense eye look. The trio features a beautiful light pink highlight color with a velvety pearl finish; a deep dark grey shadow with green interference, that works wonders as both a contour shading color and as a liner; and, an opalescent gold-green color with a hint of iridescence, that would complement any eye color and is just a gorgeous shade for the eye lid.

These eye shadow trios are amazing to apply. They transfer so smoothly from the palette to the applicator brush, and apply to the eye lid almost as smoothly as butter! The colors last all day and do not create crease marks on the eye lid. Check out the photos in this post for some candid shots of the eye shadow trio applied on the eyes. These are natural, candid shots – no fake eye lashes, no foundation or prep creams, but just the honest application of the eye shadows, with the eye lashes also swiped with Gabriel’s black mascara.

Above: Gabriel Cosmetics Eyeshadow Trio in 'Smokey Shimmer'

Get your hair all sleek and shiny with GlamPalm styling iron!

Loving this fantastic GlamPalm styling iron that boasts energy saving technology, and helps keep hair healthy through its Healing Stones and ceramic coating! Looking for a sleek straightened hair look? GlamPalm SimpleTouch delivers:

Glampalm® SimpleTouch styling iron, boasting Healing Stone™ Technology, exceptional heat efficiency, and protective ceramic coating!

Having super long hair, I am wary of most heat styling tools because they have damaged my hair in the past. Almost immediately after using a typical curling iron, for example, I would feel the fry in my hair. Not so with Glampalm – probably because of the precise temperature control on the instrument, I was able to attain immediate results, without smelling the subtle burn of my locks.

I decided to give this baby a go first by creating a clean, straightened, sleek hair look, since my hair is naturally quite wavy. Check out the photos in this post for some images of the Glampalm itself, and for before-and-after shots of my hair. The sleek hair “after” look you see in the photos was achieved in about 10 minutes with only one swipe on each divided hair section. I followed Glampalm’s included user manual instructions, and divided my hair into 2-inch wide sections that I swiped with the Glampalm once. For anyone who knows how much hair I have (a lot!), 10 minutes to create a look like that is pretty incredible! I really can’t get over how efficient this styling iron is and how quickly I was able to straighten my hair. And all that was achieved without using any hair product before pressing the hair with the iron! That’s the power of ceramic coating and a really well-made hair styling instrument!

The Glampalm also boasts ‘Healing Stone™ Technology’, where the plates of each iron are infused with healing stones extracted in Korea. These, along with the ceramic coating of each iron, are said to promote softness and shine in the hair follicles. Whether my hair actually becomes healthier by using this iron remains to be seen, but I do appreciate a company adding something to the irons that can help in reducing heat damage, and that hopefully promotes healthy hair. After styling my hair with the Glampalm, the hair certainly does look shiny and bouncy.

Glampalm is a producer of the number one styling irons in Korea. I can understand why it has been gaining ground in the US styling iron market, and also around the world. At $220, it’s an investment, but it’s certainly worth every penny. With its efficient use of energy and heat controls, it saves you time, and with its ceramic coating and healing stone technology, it saves your hair from damage. I, for one, am hooked. Stay tuned for some more articles about the Glampalm with more shots of looks achieved by this versatile styling iron! My next project with this puppy: to see how it curls! Scroll down below for some before and after shots.

Follow this blog to keep up to date with various natural beauty and healthy lifestyle tips and reviews. This blog is meant to be a helpful tool for people who are looking to switch to natural cosmetics, but who don't know where to start. I post reviews and articles about products that have worked well for me personally. Hopefully these articles are helpful to my readers, in helping them choose makeup and skincare that are non-toxic and all-natural!

Glampalm® SimpleTouch styling iron, boasting Healing Stone™ Technology, exceptional heat efficiency, and protective ceramic coating!

Above: "Before" shot

Above: After styling hair with GlamPalm

Above: After styling hair with GlamPalm

Another great review of a Gabriel Cosmetics eye shadow palette!

A wonderful #greenbeauty eye shadow palette by Gabriel Cosmetics - Gabriel Eye Shadow Palette in 'Lava':

 Gabriel Cosmetics Eye Shadow Palette in 'Lava': featuring a matte white, a metallic copper, a metallic sandy gold, and a deeply pigmented, matte plum-brown.

Gabriel eye shadow palettes are long lasting and can be applied with a primer for a bold and super pigmented look, or can be applied in pure powder form for a more natural look. Check out the photos in this post for shots of the eye shadow palette, shots of the colors swiped on the inside of my arm, and shots of the shadows applied on the eyelid (no primer). From one side to the other, the palette features the following colors:

1. A white matte shade that is perfect for gently highlighting under the eyebrow. As can be seen in the swipe photo, the white color perfectly conceals itself on the lightest part of my arm (the inside of the arm).

2. A gorgeous, warm, metallic copper shade that really does wonders with blue or green eyes.

3. A deep matte plum-brown, perfect for lining the lashes and for shading the lid contours.

4. A warm sandy gold that can be applied boldly with several swipes, but that also works as an amazing wash of gold highlight (as a light, natural day look, for example). This shade perfectly compliments anyone with yellow skin undertones (like myself).

Gabriel Cosmetics is a natural cosmetics brand, that is always paraben-free, cruelty-free, gluten-free and vegan. Check out the company's website for more information on all of their wonderful offerings in both makeup and skincare. Gabriel Cosmetics, along with its sister line of makeup products, Zuzu Luxe, has become a staple in the U.S. natural cosmetics market, and is a favorite and consistently well-rated brand among green beauty enthusiasts. 

Follow this blog to keep up to date with various natural beauty and healthy lifestyle tips and reviews. This blog is meant to be a helpful tool for people who are looking to switch to natural cosmetics, but who don't know where to start. I post reviews and articles about products that have worked well for me personally. Hopefully these articles are helpful to my readers, in helping them choose makeup and skincare that are toxin-free and all-natural!

 Gabriel Cosmetics Eye Shadow Palette in 'Lava': featuring a matte white, a metallic copper, a metallic sandy gold, and a deeply pigmented, matte plum-brown.