Looking to make the switch to an all-natural skincare and beauty routine? Wondering where to start and which products actually perform!? Take a peek inside my super simple routine, targeted to prevent blemishes and fight the signs of aging… naturally of course! A lot of readers ask me for all the details on all the things I put on my…
Is green tea healthier than coffee? Oh you betcha! Here are 8 reasons to ditch coffee for green tea or matcha and never EVER look back… I get it: you want your morning caffeine kick. But what if you could get that energy boost AND so much more? We’re talking: Clearer skin Increased metabolism and weight loss Protection from damaging,…
The holidays are just around the corner! … the tree lightings and eggnog and parties AND GIFTS! Call me crazy, but I actually like giving gifts more than I like receiving them (though that’s by no means the only reason you can call me crazy). And I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but I’ve always had a real…
Unwind and do your body good with this relaxing detox bath recipe! It’s a simple way to rev up your body’s detox pathways while letting stress melt away. Wouldn’t it be great if something as pleasurable as a nice, long soak in the tub could also be healthy? Well have I got news for you: it absolutely is with a…
Bentonite clay belongs in every natural medicine cabinet AND natural beauty routine! But what is bentonite clay? And how exactly do you use it? In my bathroom I have about 7 small paper bags filled with an identical substance. Bentonite clay. They’re basically… everywhere. (Note to self: consolidate their contents into a single glass jar.) Needless to say, I’m kind…
So you need a new mascara… You run to the local drugstore or big cosmetics store or department store beauty counter. You look for the product that will work the best because, well, no one wants mascara flaked under her eyes by noon! But most of us don’t ever consider the ingredients in our cosmetic products. I for one always thought that…
Looking for a safe, natural deodorant that works? This DIY All-Natural Detoxifying Deodorant is a tried-and-true favorite among Body Unburdened readers. Not only does it stop odor naturally, but it contains an ingredient that actually helps to draw impurities from the skin. Plus, it’s so easy to make with just a few simple ingredients! I’m a multitasker… A check-my-email-while-brushing-my-teeth, cook-dinner-while-catching-up-on-Downton-Abbey type of…
Have you heard that lime can be used as a single ingredient, natural deodorant? Let’s put this rumor to the test and see if it works! So I recently embarked on a little week-long self-experiment: for a week straight, I used lime juice as a deodorant. Man oh man, this was a risky experiment to conduct in the mid-summer…
I feel like Oprah and it feels fabulous. “And you get a free tinted lip balm! And YOU get a free tinted lip balm! EVERYBODY GETS A FREE TINTED LIP BALM!” Because Renee over at MadeOn Skin Care is offering a free tinted lip balm to every Body Unburdened reader! Best yet, these balms are 100% natural and so beautiful….
At long last… it feels like summer is just around the bend! The days are getting longer, the trees are budding, and I’ve even been shaving my legs fairly regularly. (Oops, maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned that last bit.) To distract myself and help move the waiting game on a little more quickly (if you live in the North East,…
Many people associate roses with beauty and romance. But me? Roses make me think of my grandfather. Specifically his nose. You see, my grandfather’s honker was a bit bulbous, and my dad had this joke: “Before Pop-Pop was born, God asked him what type of nose he wanted, but he thought God said ‘rose’ so he asked for a big red one.” Good…
I’ve recently rekindled my passion for the tub. Or really, my toddler niece did. She LOVES baths. She begs for them. She starts stripping right in the middle of the living room or kitchen or front yard as soon as you give into that ridiculously adorable little face and say “OK!” And why not? She has so many fun little…
Want to know a super-crunchy secret? I bring my own hand soap to work. I’m telling you this because I figure if there’s anyone out there who won’t judge me, it’ll be someone looking for a DIY all-natural hand soap recipe 🙂 Sup, sister? Now, it’s not just about triclosan and body burden. I mean, yes, it’s 95% about those…
You’re pregnant! You’re growing a tiny little human inside of your body (in other words: you’re amazing, mama!) and you want that little human to be as healthy as possible. And you know that your baby’s health begins far before he/she arrives in this world, screaming his/her cute little head off — your baby’s health starts with you and your health….
My skin does not like the changing seasons. Uh uh, no way. It gets all irritable and cranky and begs for me to scratch it furiously. So I need to give it a little extra attention to calm it down. This DIY all-natural lavender and lemon sugar scrub is the perfect antidote. The sugar exfoliates the skin, sloughing off dead…
Hand soap is something we all use everyday… hopefully multiple times a day. Unfortunately, many hand soaps nowadays are chock-full-o’-nasties. As an endocrine disruptor (also referred to as an E.D.C., endocrine disrupting chemical), triclosan can disrupt hormone regulation at even low-level exposure. The World Health Organization and United Nations this year concluded: Exposure to E.D.C.s during fetal development and puberty plays…
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And we’re about to see pink wherever we go. But no sparkly pin, embellished wine glass, or pink sports jersey is going to make us more aware of the fact that 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. We’re already aware because we’ve all been effected by it,…
It’s all fun and games until someone has to go ahead and ruin it all. Yeah, we’re looking at you, nasty-filled sunscreen. Fun in the sun suddenly ain’t so much fun when you take a closer look at your sunscreen ingredient label: we’ve got chemicals that are known endocrine disruptors (i.e. mess with your hormones), possible or probable carcinogens, and…
Me asking if natural deodorant really works is like Popeye asking if spinach makes you strong. The answer is unhesitatingly “YES!” The right natural deodorant keeps you odor-free without any harsh chemical ingredients adding to your body burden. But here’s the thing that most people fail to understand when it comes to “natural deodorant” and the question “does natural deodorant…
My relationship with natural hair care has been rocky to say the least. I *thought* I’d found the perfect natural alternative to my nasty-filled shampoo and conditioner, only to learn I was the victim of some very skillful green-washing (gosh darn it!). Then I decided I was going to get really crunchy. You know what I’m talking about… No poo:…
Green-washing: it’s happened to the best of us. Because, gosh darn it, we live in a confusing world. A world where companies can use terms like “natural” and “pure” when their products are in fact chock-full-o’-nasties. It’s downright infuriating. So how does green-washing happen? The Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act prohibits the distribution of “misbranded” cosmetics. So we’d think that the…
Ooh that excitement that comes from a new piece of clothing! I just want to bring it home, rip of the tag, and wear it… around the house while I await some more exciting plans. But not so fast! New clothes are often covered in chemicals that can rub off on your skin. Greenpeace has conducted a number of studies…
I’ve got the winter itch… And no, I’m not just talking about being sick and tired of the winter and ready for the spring! I’m talking about my skin. Ooh the dry winter air is just so harsh and sometimes it feels like no amount of coconut oil can help! The worst for me has always been my hands. When I…
Last week I got a case of the sniffles. So I took some shots… of ACV followed by a large mug of echinacea tea loaded with cinnamon, ginger, and raw honey three times a day. This is how I typically cure a cold naturally and quickly, often within a couple of days. So by day four I knew I had…