Posts in “Beauty” Category

If there's one thing that can bruise a woman's ego, it's the appearance of gray hair. I noticed gray hair cropping up here and there in the past few years. It wasn't a big deal because I'd just pluck them and that would be that. Now the gray hairs are multiplying faster than I can manage with tweezers and good lighting.

Dyeing my hair would be the next logical step, but I'm pretty ambivalent about doing it. I'm not convinced there's a product out there that would look natural on hair as dark as mine. The other part of my reluctance is hair dyes can contain toxic ingredients, like ammonia and coal tar, which can harm our bodies and isn't exactly safe for the environment either. Even though a report published in a 2005 edition of The Journal of the American Medical Association found  that hair dyes do not cause cancer, I'd still rather be cautious about applying chemicals on my head on a regular basis.

So what can a prematurely graying mother of a preschooler do? There are options. Eco-friendly brands that contain few harsh chemicals are out there. The trade- off is the amount of dye the product deposits, which may mean frequent coloring. Henna, the crushed leaves of the Lawsonia inermis plant, is touted as the only natural hair color. The downside is it only comes in one color, flaming orange, and you can't really be sure how it's going to look when applied to your hair. It's also important not to get henna, mixed up with black henna, which is not really henna and contains a toxic chemical called PPD.

I think I'm ready to try a few products. I'm hoping at some point I can find something that works for me. If I can't find the right fit, I may have to tell vanity to take a hike and just live with gray hair.

I am a girly girl at heart. While I keep my daily grooming routine simple, I do make sure to put on a bit of makeup to make sure I don't scare away the kids at the park. Alright, I'm exaggerating a bit here, but I do feel better when I make the effort.

It seems eco-friendly cosmetics and skincare products are more in demand. Retailers like Sephora and Beauty.com, offer dozens of natural and organic products. From compostable packaging to preservative-free face powder, the choices are almost overwhelming. Most cosmetics companies are usually not the most Earth-conscious, nor are they forthright about exactly how they are eco-friendly. So I've been digging deeper, not only to do my part for the planet, but to protect my health as well. Six months before my wedding, I developed a painful case of dermatitis. My doctor and I were never able to pinpoint the cause. Ever since then, I have been very careful about the products I use and the products I buy for my family.

I was shopping at the grocery store last week when a line of lipsticks called Primitive caught my eye. Granted, my favorite Portland market isn't like the typical chain store, but the quality of natural cosmetics did surprise me. So did this lipstick, which had a picture of Jane Goodall. She is a personal hero of mine. The Jane Goodall Institute recognized Primitive for its environmentally conscious products, the first cosmetics company to get its seal of approval.

The product itself is great. I get really dry, flakey lips - yes, ewww - so I stick to lip balm or gloss. This lipstick has made me a convert. I also love the names of the colors, like Tahiti, Mali, and Corsica. Is it possible to be transported to a more glamorous place by a lipstick? Only in your head, but it can help create a transformation toward better health for you and the Earth.