The Ban on Plastic Microbeads Is Finally Here
The ban on plastic microbreads was a long time coming. I wrote about it over a year ago and am so happy to see it has finally passed! Here’s the quick summary: a few years ago, a number of beauty brands started using plastic exfoliating beads in their facial and body scrubs instead of natural exfoliators like coffee grounds, sugar, or nuts because the costs are significantly lower. Unfortunately, as a result, billions of plastic microbeads have been polluting waterways and poisoning fish (the beads soak up toxins in the water which are then absorbed by fish who mistakenly eat the beads thinking they’re food).
Valentine’s Day Party Ideas for Tots: Cupcakes, Cards, and Kabobs
As fun as Valentine’s Day can be for adults, it’s even better for tots. Who doesn’t miss exchanging silly cards with friends and classmates? Simple Valentines are just the tip of the red and pink iceberg, though. There are thousands of craft and snack ideas out there, and I love to try new ones each year with my girls. Here are a few of my holiday favorites…
Quick Ways to Pamper Yourself Before Bed
Bedtime can be a stressful endeavor when you foresee yourself tossing and turning. Many nights I’ve found myself dead tired, but stress kept me from falling asleep; and it turned into a vicious cycle (especially when I ended up napping the next day as a result). There are, however, a few things I’ve found useful that Osmia Organics founder Sarah Villafranco has outlined for us below – even though some of them (like not checking email before bed) are way easier said than done! There’s something about a little pre-bedtime pampering that works to alleviate some of the day’s stress, and many of Villafranco’s tips take just a few seconds to put into practice!
How To Detox Your Skin with Korean Beauty Products
Getting a late start to your New Year’s resolutions? “Detox” is the buzzword of the season as people revamp their workouts, diets, relationships, and even skin care routines. With that in mind, we asked Christine Chang and Sarah Lee from Glow Recipe, a curated destination for the latest natural Korean beauty products, to share with us three detox tips.
Are Probiotics in Skin Care the New Trend?
By now, most of us know the value of loading up on probiotics, especially this time of year when many of us come down with colds or the flu (if you are prescribed antibiotics, it’s all the more important to load up on probiotics, as they will replenish the good bacteria that the antibiotics kill). What you might not know is that you can do more than load your plate with sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt, and kombucha to keep your digestive and immune systems working optimally; you can actually lather your face with skin care rich in probiotics (believe it or not, bacteria can be great for your face).
SHA Wellness Clinic: The Ultimate Detox Vacation
A detox vacation doesn’t exactly sound relaxing, much less enjoyable. I’ve been on a few in the US, including one at Canyon Ranch, and they were miserable. For lack of a better way of saying it, all my previous experiences left me feeling like I was vacationing on a fat farm; worse yet, I gained weight after leaving Canyon Ranch because the food was so horrible I spent my days overeating granola mixes, bars, and energy snacks that were high in sugar and calories. Turns out, as with many other things, Europeans do detox better.
