September 24, 2012
I’ve been plagued by chronically dry lips my entire life. Look in my makeup bag anytime and you’ll find at least 3 different types of lip balms, chapsticks, lipglosses….you name it. But there are a few products you won’t find in my bag….most notably Vaseline (or any petroleum-based lip balm).
I know that a ton of women swear by Vaseline, but one of the main ingredients is mineral oil based, meaning that it is a byproduct of petroleum. Unless you aren’t too fussed about ingesting petroleum in small amounts, it may make sense to look for safer, more natural alternatives. Also, petroleum doesn’t actually heal your lips or chapped skin. Instead, it just sits on top of your skin. It creates a barrier that cuts off air circulation and winds up attracting a ton of bacteria.
Not sure what to do without your beloved Vaseline? You want a product that will actual re-hydrate your skin! Above are two natural, non-petroleum oil based lip balms that I find effective and fun to use. Waxelene is perfect for those looking for a true Vaseline substitue and RMS Lip and Skin Balm is yet another wonder product from the RMS lineup that I am head over heels in love with! Its neither overly thick nor waxy like other natural alternatives but really provides lasting moisture and protection.
Waxelene || RMS Lip and Skin Balm
Categorized Beauty
Tagged Amazon, Chapstick, Lip Balm, RMS, Spirit Beauty Lounge, Waxlene
September 23, 2012
As of this month, I haven’t (knowingly) consumed gluten in a year. In just one year, I’ve noticed much more interest in the gluten-free lifestyle. I constantly get questions about the how and why so I figured I’d share a bit about my gluten-free journey.
Why: I’ve been plagued with digestive issues my entire life. There was a period of time where I woke up feeling extremely nauseous or in pain every. single. day. Of course, I saw all sorts of doctors looking for answers, including world-renowned gastroenterologists, and the response would either be “Sorry you just have a very sensitive stomach, deal with it” or “Oh let’s try out some new drugs!” I was obviously not very pleased with either response. Last year, when I started doing more reading on health and nutrition, I quickly realized that gluten may be hurting my body. After a month of being gluten-free, my digestive issues decreased dramatically and I never looked back.
How?! The common response I hear from people when they find out that I don’t eat pasta, bread is – “Oh my god!!!! I could never. I am obsessed with carbs. How do you live?!?!” Let me tell you: I was pasta’s #1 fan. I used to eat noodles for dinner almost every night. All my favorite meals included some sort of dough or wheat. I seriously didn’t know ANYBODY in the world who loved grains more than I did. But…I really wanted to see if this gluten-free thing would work for me, so I went off gluten cold turkey. And when I discovered how much better I felt – increased energy, great-quality sleep, no more stomach pain, no mid-afternoon fogginess, I just stopped thinking about what I was missing and thought about all I was gaining. Also, the bread / pasta cravings disappeared after a month. Some studies show that the brain’s response to bread is VERY similar to that of narcotics like cocaine. In other words, its extremely additive. If you can manage to kick the addiction, the cravings will likely disappear.
When Gluten Free is NOT Healthy: If you’re interested in seeing how gluten may affect your body, and you want to try going gluten-free for a while, do NOT go on a shopping spree for a ton of gluten-free packaged foods / snacks. They are often filled with gluten substitutes like tapioca starch or potato starch that are not doing any favors for your body. More often than not, “gluten-free” foods are filled with a ton of chemical additives to try and recreate the taste of glutinous foods. Instead, when you are hankering for a snack, stick with real, whole foods like hard-boiled eggs, nuts / seeds and berries.
Want to know more? I am by no means an expert on health or nutrition and my opinions are based entirely on my own experiences. I highly, highly recommend Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis to learn more about the science behind the gluten-free lifestyle. His work on the effect of a gluten-free lifestyle blew my mind.
PS – Oh yes…all those goodies in the pic above are gluten-free.
Categorized Nutrition
Tagged Gluten, Health, Healthy Snacks
September 18, 2012
When I came across organic skin care brand, Dr. Alkaitis, I knew I had discovered something really special. Not only did I love that the line was created by a MD with a degree in physical chemistry, but I was absolutely floored when I found out his entire line is so pure that it is actually edible. Seriously – there are literally NO scary-sounding lab chemicals in his product line.
I personally judge most skin care lines by the quality of their eye cremes. It is a difficult product to truly master. Too rich and you wind up with an oil slick on your lids that messes up your eye shadow. Too dry and you are stuck with an itchy, flaky mess! That’s why I decided to sample Dr. Alkaitis’ eye cream first and figure out if these edible potions actually work.
My first impression? I love how rich and creamy the formula is, almost like a thicker whipped cream. And the scent immediately reminded me of cake batter (don’t worry about smelling too Jessica Simpson circa 2007, the foody scent fades fairly quickly). But the best part is that after just a few weeks of use, the skin around my eyes is much softer and the dark circles that have plagued me since my tween years have definitely lightened. Conclusion? Healthy AND effective. Two adjectives I haven’t used to describe an organic skincare line in a very long time.
Eye Creme available on the Dr. Alkaitis website.
Categorized Beauty
Tagged Dr. Alkaitis, Eye Cream, Tester Thursdays
