What's in your nail polish? Is it TOXIC?/ Cuán tóxico es tu esmalte?

Ok...you asked for it, here it is. One of my natural beauty secrets: natural and nontoxic beauty doesn’t have to be “blah”! Yes, I spend most of my time traveling to eco-friendly hotels completely immersed in nature which means I barely put makeup on and use an organic aloe gloss on my nails, but there are also those occasions when I want some extra spark without harming my health or the planet. The right type of conscious balance, you know? So, here’s my tip for nail polishes. Handmade Beauty nail polishes! This is a brand I’ve been using for three years and LOVE! Their polishes are 5 and 7-free, which means they lack 5-7 of the most harmful and poisonous chemicals other nail polishes have. Why is this important? Because your nails absorb everything you put on them, just like your skin. If it’s full of toxic ingredients, your health will take the fall. Below is a list of the 7 toxic ingredients in regular polishes, their effects on your health, and why you should avoid them.

Lastly, the Handmade Beauty nail products I recommend (my favorites) are these:

-Top Coat Sun Dry: Yes, it’s a coat that dries in seconds with sunrays!

-Hydrating Base with Aloe: I always use this one. Underneath color, or sometimes by itself.

-Nourishing oil for cuticles: smells like vanilla! I apply it on my cuticles every night.

-Top colors I use: pomegranate (red), papaya (coral), tofu (white).

Toxic ingredients to avoid in polishes:
❌Toluene: Used as a solvent, most usually as a paint thinner. Inhaling high levels of it can be harmful to your nervous system, cause birth defects and developmental problems.
❌Dibutyl Phtalate: Commonly used as a plasticizer. It is linked to cancer, birth defects (such as malformation in the embryo)
❌Formaldehyde: Commonly used to preserve dead bodies. It is irritating, triggers asthma, carcinogen.
❌Formaldehyde Resin: Used in the production of adhesives. It is also an allergen.
❌Camphor: Used as cover in nails. Poison that can cause seizures and disorientation in large doses, also dyes nails yellow.
❌Triphenyl Phosphate (TPHP): Chemical used in plastics to improve flexibility. It can be an endocrine disrupter, affecting hormones and reproductive health.
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ESPAÑOL

Ok ... lo pidieron y aquí está. Uno de mis secretos de belleza natural: la belleza natural y no tóxica no tiene que ser aburrida! Sí, paso la mayor parte del tiempo viajando a hoteles ecológicos completamente inmersos en la naturaleza, lo que significa que apenas me pongo maquillaje y uso un brillo de aloe orgánico en las uñas, pero también hay ocasiones en las que quiero una chispa extra sin dañar mi la salud o el planeta. El tipo de balance consciente correcto, saben? Entonces, aquí les dejo mi tip para los esmaltes de uñas. Una marca que adoro y uso hace tres años es Handmade Beauty. Sus esmaltes son 5 y 7-free, lo que significa que carecen de 5 a 7 de los químicos más dañinos y venenosos que tienen otros esmaltes de uñas. ¿Por qué es importante esto? Porque tus uñas absorben todo lo que les pones, al igual que tu piel. Si está lleno de ingredientes tóxicos, tu salud estará en riesgo. Aquí abajo también les dejo una lista de los 7 ingredientes tóxicos en los esmaltes comunes, sus efectos en la salud y por qué deben evitarlos.

Y por si se preguntan, estos son mis productos favorites de Handmade Beauty:

-Top Coat Sun Dry: Sí! Este top coat sella el color y se seca en segundos con los rayos del sol!

-Base Hidratante con Aloe: Esta la utilizo todos los dias. Abajo del color o sola.

-Aceite Bifásico: huele delicioso! A vainilla. Lo utilizo en mis cutículas todas las noches.

-Colores que uso: pomegranate (rojo), papaya (coral), tofu (blanco).

Químicos que hay que evitar en productos de uñas:
❌Toluene: se usa como solvente, generalmente como diluyente de pintura. Inhalar altos niveles de este puede ser dañino para el sistema nervioso, o causar defectos de embarazo y problemas de desarrollo.
❌Dibutyl Phtalate: comúnmente utilizado como plastificante. Está relacionado con cáncer, defectos de embarazo (como malformación en el embrión)
❌Formaldehyde: comúnmente utilizado para preservar los cadáveres. Es irritante, intensifica el asma, y es carcinógeno.
❌Formaldehyde Resin: utilizada en la producción de adhesivos. Produce alergias.
❌Camphor: se usa como cobertura en las uñas. Un químico que puede causar convulsiones y desorientación en grandes dosis, también tiñe las uñas de amarillo.
❌Triphenyl Phosphate (TPHP): Producto químico utilizado en plásticos para mejorar la flexibilidad. Puede ser un disruptor endocrino, afectando las hormonas y la salud reproductiva.

Sponsored by Handmade Beauty.

Simple & Natural Beauty Rituals!

Here is a simple and non-toxic beauty ritual I want to share with you. I apply this clay mask 1 to 2 times per week, and the other beauty products (melt and oil) every single day. Morning and night!

I know I’ve talked about natural beauty many times before but, in short, the reason why we should all choose organic, vegan and non-toxic products is because whatever we put on our skins gets absorbed by our bodies and transported into our bloodstream. What does this mean exactly? Very simple. Just like our diet, products can poison us or heal us. For that reason, you should always perform your research, read labels and choose brands consciously! Here are a few I recommend:

1)   Detox: Bentonite Clay mask. In case you haven’t read about bentonite clay, here is a link to powerful info that will make your jaw drop! Betonite clay has many health benefits and, when used as a mask, helps detoxify your skin and heal wounds or any skin diseases. I decided to give this brand a try and, so far, I love it! You can get it at Whole Foods!

Ritual:

            -Add 1 tbsp of clay, 2 tbsps of water, 1 drop of your favorite essential oil. I used wild orange this time but normally use Lavender.

            -Apply on your face with a brush

            -Let it dry for 10 minutes and wash it off with warm water

2)   Hydrate: To hydtrate, I use two products I ADORE!

a.   LXMI Nilotica Melt: vegan, no-animal testing, organic, fair-trade (LXMI pays 3 times the local wages to African harvesters) and has only ONE ingredient: Nilotica (a rare relative of Shea butter). This melt nourishes and hydrates your skin, removing wrinkles and little pimples.

                                               i.     I apply a thick amount of it at night  (like a melt mask) and a pearl size of it in the morning, especially around delicate areas like my eyes and forehead.

                                              ii.     Ps: you can get it at Sephora! And they also have a travel size!

b.     OSEA hydrating oil: this little roll-on does not only smell DELICIOUS but is also the perfect travel-buddy to carry in your bag. I carry mine 24/7 and apply it every time my skin asks for nourishment. It is natural, vegan, cruelty-free and made with essential oils.

Easy and convenient baby steps to a better, healthier and wiser you! I hope you enjoy them! Xo

Natural non-toxic Beauty & a major SALE!

Natural and nontoxic beauty. Good for the planet and your health! You have heard me talk about this topic dozens of times before. That’s how important it is! As consumers we tend to trust all beauty brands blindly without analyzing what exactly goes behind those bottles. We forget that our bodies absorb whatever we put on/in them. Hair, skin, teeth, lips. Whatever product we put on them will be absorbed by our body and will go directly into our bloodstream. If these products contain harmful and toxic ingredients (like petroleum, parabens, etc), they will poison our cells slowly. The solution? Become a wiser consumer, perform our research, READ labels, and choose brands consciously! A place that makes shopping easier for me because of their strict mission-driven focus on selling brands that are natural, non-toxic, fair-trade and cruelty-free (no animal testing) is WholeFoods. I shop there for my veggies, fruits, superfoods, AND beauty and hygienge products! I’ve partnered with them to give you guys an intro to natural beauty and show you some of the new products I’ve chosen to try this month based on your recommendations! Another tip? WholeFoods is having a Beauty SALE Oct 6-8! You can save 25% on all body care, hair care, deodorants, facial lotions, cosmetics, soaps, and oils!! Don't miss this chance to stock up on your favorite brands!

Acure: Acure's products are made from plants, essential oils and other natural and organic ingredients without the use of parabens, artificial colors, sulfates, and harmful preservatives. They are vegan and not tested on animals! I love their chlorella cell stimulating facial mask and use it once per week. 

Primal Pit Paste Deodorant: We all know how difficult it is to find a natural and nontoxic deodorant that actually works! I've tried over ten different brands already and haven't been able to find one I truly adore. This month, I'm giving Primal Pit a try. It is made with pure ingredients. Please note it is not 100% vegan since it contains beeswax. 

Juice Beauty: I've heard about this brand a lot in the past few months and have finally decided to give it a try. All products are made with natural, organic, plant-based ingredients and without Parabens, petroleum, pesticides, propylene or butylene glycols, phthalates, sulfates, PEGs, TEA, DEA, GMO, silicones, gluten, artificial dyes, or synthetic fragrances. They are also cruelty-free (no animal testing). I've been using the SPF 30 Oil Free Moisturizer every morning for the past week and love it so far. 

You can read more about Whole Foods beauty care values and quality standards by clicking here

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Beauty brand that helps humanity!

Here's a beauty brand I've been wanting to share for a while. It encompasses everything I've been talking about on my blog and social media channels for the past two years. It is a brand that does not only focus on introducing natural, vegan, fair-trade, cruelty-free and organic beauty products into the world but is also reshaping the way companies work with women in the supply chain by providing them with work, fair wages, support, and stable working conditions rather than handouts. They pay three times the local wages for women in the Nile Valley, in their hopes of alleviating global poverty! Each product is also made with the highest, rarest and purest ingredients found around the world. The one I've been using on a daily basis is LXMI's Nilotica Melt. You guys know how serious I am about natural beauty and how picky I can get when it comes to putting beauty products on my skin. I always make sure they are as natural and organic as possible, in order to feed my cells with pure ingredients. LXMI's Nilotica Melt offers all that! Its texture looks and feels like a butter but it later melts and becomes oily when in touch with warm skin. I apply it under my eyes and forehead (delicate places where wrinkles form easily) at night and in the morning, before I apply my makeup. I've been using it for the past two weeks and have started to notice the difference in my skin. The little wrinkles around my eyes have diminished and so have the dark circles. It honestly feels great to use a natural product that does not only benefit my skin and health but also our planet as a whole. Best part? You can get it at Sephora! Easy to use, convenient, and eco-friendly. Need I say more?!

ps: LXMI is having a Mother's Day promotion! Get your natural glow at a discount by using code Mom30.  

Morning, and everyday, natural rituals!

Have you guys ever taken 5 minutes of your busy schedule to sit down and analyze what you are doing to your body? How you're nurturing it? How you're feeding your cells? Or even how you're slowly poisoning them? As you guys might've seen on snapchat, I attended a documentary screening at Dr Smood in Miami last night. This was yet another reminder of the importance of a natural, organic and at least 51% raw diet in our lives. And above all, about performing our research. Food can seriously be our medicine or slowest form of suicide! And this applies to a vegan or vegetarian diet as well! I know a lot of people who went vegan and thought they could survive just on eating pasta and bread and processed vegan junk food (yes, we have that too!) but later found themselves borderline heart-attack in their late 20s and 30s. Going vegetarian and later vegan was a decision I made years ago based on my values and compassion but has now transformed into the best decision I could've made for my health. I've stopped consuming toxic pills and have even been able to balance my Thyroid disease with my diet choices and overloads of superfoods. I honestly can't remember when was the last time I had a headache or took a pill for it! Superfoods like Turmeric, hemp oil, diatomaceous earth, Moringa and many others have become rulers of my kingdom now. BUT, I wouldn't have been able to achieve any of this if I hadn't read as many books as I could and watched as many documentaries out there on how to eat healthy and feed my body with the right nutrients, vitamins and protein from plants! I also changed my entire lifestyle. From the products I put on my skin, to the clothes I use and brands I choose to support. Everything is connected guys! It's a way of living! A conscious way of living! And, to make it easier for you, I've added a search box on the blog at the bottom of the home page where if you type "documentaries" or "natural beauty" or whatever it is your looking for, you'll find articles I've written with helpful tips and summaries on how to live your best life! Are you ready to make the change? The most amazing part about life is that everyday is our new change to start living better, wiser and healthier, and we've been blessed with bodies that have the power of gettting rid of all our toxins if we provide them with the right nutrition. 

Below is a link to a few of the stories I've written about the powerful documentaries that changed my life. One I wish to add to that list is "FoodMatters". It will open your eyes to the magical and miraculous wonders of food as your medicine! From curing cancer and depression to living a longer and happier life. xx

Documentaries: http://www.waterthruskin.com/blog/2015/10/22/must-see-movies-that-will-change-your-life?rq=documentaries

Natural Beauty Tips: http://www.waterthruskin.com/blog/2016/3/23/natural-organic-beauty-rituals?rq=natural%20beauty

Superfoods: http://www.waterthruskin.com/blog/2016/1/25/yummy-vegan-superfood-smoothie-tutorial?rq=superfood

 

Natural & Organic Beauty Rituals!

You must be wondering what's up with all the fuzz about natural skin care. Every day more consumers are talking about it and more companies are coming up with products to match that demand. Here's the deal and it's very simple. There are 3 main topics you should consider when shopping for beauty products:

1) Health reasons: Everything you put on your skin goes directly into your blood stream. If you use beauty products with chemicals and toxic ingredients, odds are those ingredients will end up in your blood and might cause health issues in the long run. There is nothing healthier and kinder to yourself than natural and ORGANIC (please!) beauty products. 

2) Animal testing: Unfortunately, we live in a world where most beauty and cleaning products are tested on animals before they can hit shops' shelves. As if testing on animals were not horrible enough, the practices companies use take cruelty to a different level and most animals (monkeys, bunnies, dogs, cats, mice...) become blind, sick, incapacitated or even die. Luckily, there are brands that have become the voice for the voiceless and have made it their mission to avoid animal testing. Tip: ALWAYS read labels and look for words like cruelty-free, no animal testing, not tested on animals, Peta certified, vegan. Most of these products also show the pink bunny (represents vegan and cruelty-free product) on their packaging. 

3) Planet as a whole: Natural and organic products are not only kind to your skin and animals but also to the planet as a whole. Most natural and organic beauty products are handmade, fair-trade, sustainable, and eco-friendly and come in recycled packaging. Nonetheless, please, always read labels and perform your research. You will not regret it, guys! In the end, every dollar we spend is our vote on how we want our world to be. Think about it. 

With that being said, here's my beauty ritual from morning till dawn! xx

BEFORE BEDTIME:

-Teeth whitening: take 1/2 TSP of banking soda with 1 TBSP lemon juice. Wash your teeth with the bubbles created by that combination. Repeat every night for 1 week and see the results. 

-Dark under-eye circles: mix 1/2 TSP turmeric powder with 1/2 TSP olive oil. Make a paste and place under your eyes for 10 minutes every night. BE CAREFUL because turmeric stains everything yellow so make sure you don't touch anything while applying the paste. 

-Face Cleaning, Hydrating & Anti-aging: I'm totally obsessed with Baiser Beauty. I've been using their natural and organic face cleansing oil, cucumber spritz and anti-aging serum before bedtime every night. 

 

MORNINGS:

-Face Hydration: I use Aveda's botanical skincare for my morning rituals. Aveda's mission is beautiful, guys. From not testing on animals, to taking mother earth into consideration, to creating products with only natural ingredients.

-Body Hydration:  Baiser Beauty Body Oil with 35+ SPF is THE product! Natural, organic, cruelty-free and yummy smelling. It will leave your skin soft and moist while protecting it from the sun. 

-Makeup/Blush: Another product of Basier Beauty I adore! Their natural and organic Cream Blush. It's made from beetroot powder... Do I need to say more?  

-Makeup/Bronzer: Who doesn't like a natural suntan? I highly recommend this Bronzer made from Cacao Powder and cinnamon!! 

-Makeup/Mascara: I've tried several natural mascaras but it wasn't until I discovered Tarte's Amazonian Clay Mascara that my lashes began to look beautiful naturally. Tarte does not test on animals and you can find its products at any Sephora store or online. 

-Makeup/Concealer: We've all dealt with dark circles under our eyes, haven't we? Well... Tarte's Concealer has become my soulmate! Creamy, natural, and cruelty-free. 

-Makeup/Lips: Love this brand and product. One of the only natural Lip Balms that leaves my lips smooth and moist without chapping them or becoming addictive. (Please note that this product has beeswax)

Help animals. One beauty product at a time.

This weekend I went to visit a 30 acre primate rehab center in Florida that got me inspired to write a blog post about this subject once again. Over the two hours I spent there I couldn't stop myself from laughing and smiling at all the little monkeys jumping around the trees (or on my head and shoulders once they saw I had nuts) FREE. This rehab center has rescued primates from circuses and people who just didn't know how to treat animals with a little humanity. Watching these 150 capuchin monkeys run in freedom made me appreciate even more my decision to go fully vegan and motivated me to write more about animal testing on the blog so I get to open as many eyes as possible. I've talked about this subject many times before but I wouldn't be surprised if it still left some of you in awe. It wasn't until a few years ago that I found out about this and couldn't believe my eyes either. But sadly, we live in a world where humans have gotten used to using and exploiting animals for our their own profit, success or pleasure. Animal testing is one of those horrible practices. Most beauty products test on animals to make sure the ingredients (chemicals, if you ask me!) they are using won't cause any harmful reactions on us, humans. Why do I say chemicals? Well, I'm no doctor or chemist but I've done my extensive research in the past 4 years I've stopped consuming or using products that hurt animals. Something that got to be pretty clear to me was that almost all beauty brands that use 100% natural and organic ingredients have NO NEED to test on animals. Why? Because most of their products are made from fruits, minerals, vegetables, and any oils made from fruits and vegetables. What does this mean? They don't hurt our bodies or add toxins to our system in any way. Therefore, they won't harm us. My point being, ALWAYS (for animals sake and your health) buy vegan and organic products to use on your skin. From make up to body lotions and shampoo. Avoid all ingredients that are hard to pronounce and stick to products that are PURELY made out of things like avocado, or beets, or coconut oil, or aloe vera or sunflower oil, or lavender, etc. 

Secondly, look for the BUNNY in all labels. What does this mean? It means that no monkey, or cat, or dog, or bunny was hurt in the making of that product. Thus, no brain or body was opened and injected with chemicals and no innocent animal was tortured and left to die. Click here to watch a 60 second video summarizing animal testing practices.

That being said, join me in the fight to end animal testing by supporting brands that are vegan and cruelty-free and have the cute little bunny logo on all of their products. Here are a few of my favorite products I just can’t live without. Products every girl should have in their cosmetic bag. It’s time to shop smart, kindly and natural, ladies! Xoxo PS: scroll down for pictures of the primate rehab center I visited this weekend.

For Lips

Tarte’s Amazonian Butter Lipstick- Angelic Nude. It’s infused with precious Amazonian butters that hydrate your lips while also coating them with a coral-nude color. Does not get more natural than this. And it comes in the most adorable eco-friendly packaging. (inside and out!) And what I love the most? The box is labeled with all things green and kind and beautiful! See the pictures.

Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie- Trail Blazer: I used it every day! Just pure nude glitter. It’s naturally derived from Shea, Avocado and Murumuru butters that help hydrate your lips.

For Cheeks

Tarte’s Blissful Cheek Stain.

This is like my prayer answered. Small roll one that you can use on your cheeks and lips to get that natural pink color. Plus…it smells delicious! I take it everywhere with me.

For eyes

Something I can’t live without is a good concealer. Tarte’s Waterproof Amazonian Clay Concealer is my newly found lover. Waterproof, silky, natural, and cruelty-free. It’s not sticky and does not create any line marks (those horrible wrinkle lines, you know). It leaves my eyes looking young, no dark circles, no puffiness.

Mascaras. I have a bipolar relationship with them. The waterproof ones act like plastic on my lashes and it takes me hours to get rid of every drop I put on. The non-waterproof ones… let’s just say I’m an emotional human being who crie during sad movies on dates. Yeap. It happened and I looked like a human-size raccoon! Lesson learned, new mascara, and I chose Josie Maran’s Agan Black Oil Mascara. No parabens, no sulfates. It curls and nourishes my lashes in a delicate way AND it’s cruelty-free! 

Tarte's "Brow Architect". An eyebrow liner, shaper and definer all in one! I’ve always believed in natural and beautifully shaped eyebrows and Tarte’s Brow Architect does the work. Incredibly easy to use and its pencil shape is thin and light enough to take it with you everywhere.

For body

And last but not least, SpaRitual’s Handprint Hand Salve lotion. I don’t know about you babes but it took a very long time for me to find the perfect hand lotion. One that is not greasy and leaves my hands moist for hours. This one was like love at first touch. Organic, vegan and cruelty-free.