GO GREEN FOR EARTH DAY

Posted by L.A. 04.21.12

Expand your eco-consciousness this Earth Day with beauty products that highlight natural and organic ingredients. After all, “natural” is one of the fastest growing categories in the beauty arena. While 100% “organic” products won’t always be found at the corner drugstore, many of our favorite brands are manufacturing items without parabens, butylene glycols, petroleum, sulphates, pesticides and artificial dyes nor testing on animals. Check out our selection of natural/organic picks below.

BEST NEW ORGANIC PRODUCT

Marula Oil from The Leakey Collection ($78) is the new product all women need. The prized oil is extracted from the fruit of the East African Marula Nut. It contains high levels of antioxidents and omega 9 acids, making it ideal for protection against free radicals and leaves skin with increased elasticity and firmness. Use as a moisturizer or for sunburned or chemically peeled skin. It won the Best New Natural/Organic Product award at the N.Y. International Gift Fair 2012.

NATURAL LIPS

Tarte LipSurgence Natural Lip Tint ($24) is a natural lip infusion that increases moisture content by 6000 percent! The result is fuller lips that stay smooth and hydrated. The peppermint infused blend glides on smoothly for a natural flush and a gorgeous pop of color. Gluten and formaldehyde-free, not tested on animals, contains no synthetic fragrances.

HAVE FABULOUS HAIR

Suki Hair/Scalp Conditioning Oil ($33) is a 3-in-1 deep repair treatment. Organic lavender, organic rosemary and organic neem calms, soothes and improves your scalp and restores shine and luster. Recommended for damaged and dry hair and especially formulated to address scalp issues such as eczema, dermatitis, and dandruff. Restores shine without oiliness. Controls split ends while adding thickness and volume.

AHHH AHAVA

Ahava Bamboo & Pansy Mineral Botanic Velvet Cream Wash ($22) is part of a collection of mineral-enriched body washes infused with Dead Sea minerals. Each of the products in this collection has two organic plant extracts selected for their joint complementary effects on a specific skin type. Bamboo & Pansy has a calming effect and delivers essential moisture to very dry skin. All of these washes are paraben-free and free of SLS (sodium laureth sulfate) and SLES (sodium lauryl ether sulfate).

RENEW & REJUVENATE

Darphin Organic Aromatic Renewing Balm ($70) blends six organic aromatic essential oils for an overnight hydrating treatment for face and body. Restores radiance while soothing dry and parched skin. Contains essential organic oils of chamomile, grapefruit, orange blossom, rosewood and tangerine, plus shea butter, sunflower oil and vitamin E.

THE BARE MINIMUM

Bare Minerals Bare Escentuals Get Started Kit ($60) contains everything you need for a flawless 100 percent natural complexion. You’ll get foundation, face color, mineral veil, three brushes, concealer and more –made with an award-winning all-natural formula for impeccable coverage for every skin type and tone. A Sephora exclusive, this $174 value is available for $60.

ORGANICALLY PURE

Aubrey Organics Lumessence – Lift Firming Renewal Cream with CoQ10 Liposomes ($33.50) renews skin for a silky finish and a firmer, younger-looking complexion. Used regularly, it has a gradual tightening effect on the skin, reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and keeps the complexion soft and well-hydrated for up to eight hours. Wear it daily and, within weeks, the difference will be beautifully apparent.

MADE FROM PURE MINERALS

Look spectacular with Jane Iredale Liquid Minerals ($48). This light-reflecting, mineral foundation, in a special liquid formulation, encapsulates large amounts of active ingredients, which are then time-released into the skin. The spheres are suspended in a gel of aloe vera and vegetable glycerin. This makeup and skin care in a bottle diminishes fine lines and wrinkles, minimizes pores and evens skin tone.

THE NEXT LEVEL OF SKIN CARE

Anastasia Beverly Hills Line Erasing Crème Advanced ($65) takes you to the next level of skincare. This advanced crème features a blend of botanicals to improve skin’s overall health and appearance while fighting to reduce the signs of premature aging. Includes Tibetan Goji berry and a high-performance moisturizing blend of organic jojoba oil, rosehip oil, black currant seed oil. Dermatologist-tested and paraben-free.

AN APPLE A DAY

Green Apple Age Defy Moisturizer ($45) from Juice Beauty is clinically proven to reduce free radical damage in skin cells by up to 60 percent and boost hydration by 30 percent. This age- defying moisturizer will smooth fine lines and wrinkles with fat soluble Vitamin C and peptides, while organic fruit acids brighten the complexion.

THE ORGANIC BEAUTY GARDEN

Sothys Organic Beauty Garden products use nature’s best. Rosemary Face Care with Helianthus and Rosemary ($54) has a texture that instantly melts into the skin to leave skin glowing with vitality. The rosemary essential oil in this cream helps tone, revitalize and fight against the appearance of wrinkles. By protecting the skin, it helps to delay the first signs of aging.

UNCAPPING THE BEAUTY OF MUSHROOMS

Posted by L.A. 04.03.12

Edible, hallucinogenic or poisonous, mushrooms are enjoying first class treatment in beauty these days. Marvin Hausman, M.D., the CEO of Total Nutraceutical Solutions, explains that mushrooms are rich in vitamin D and antioxidants. Shiitake mushrooms, in particular, are known for their ability to reduce inflammation and increase elasticity of the skin, which makes them a key ingredient in numerous products for red blotchy skin. They also help exfoliate and provide an excellent source of kojic acid – a natural skin lightener that helps fade sun spots and heal acne. In addition, ‘shrooms provide an excellent resource for anti-aging and hair products.

From shiitake to the treasured truffle, fungi plays a leading role in the products below.

MUSHROOM MUSINGS

Health guru, Dr. Andrew Weil, has partnered with Origins to create Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief Advanced Face Serum ($66). Formulated to reduce irritation and redness, the serum’s key ingredients are pleurotus mushroom, sea buckthorn and spike moss. It has a slippery consistency and a slightly bitter scent that fades upon application. Not recommended for oily skin.

AVEENO AGELESS BEAUTY

Rejuvenate skin with Aveeno Active Naturals Positively Ageless Night Cream with Natural Shiitake Complex ($20). This mushroom-infused cream works in harmony with your skin’s own chemistry to help accelerate the nightly renewal process. Clinically proven to replenish surface cells, it makes your skin look fresher.

MIRACLES FROM MURAD

Reduce the appearance of medium to deep wrinkles with Murad Age-Diffusing Serum ($27). In only 10 minutes, it helps firm skin and begins to inhibit collagen breakdown. Shiitake mushroom extract firms and conditions the skin. People who use it say their skin looks smoother and tighter.

MINIMIZE PORES

Pores will appear tighter and your skin younger with Masque*ology Pore Minimizing Masque With Mushroom Extract ($24).Each unique mesh face mask is treated with a special gel that’s packed with nutrients to minimize the appearance of pores and enhance your overall complexion.

HAIR THIS

Tame frizzy, wild and coarse hair with Tela Beauty Organics ‘Reduce’ Sensational Styling Smoother ($28). This blend of wheat, organic horsetail, wolfberry and reishi mushroom penetrates follicles, creating the smooth, sleek, silky, shiny hair you’ve always dreamed of. It also helps protect hair color from fading.

MUSHROOM MAKEUP

If you suffer from facial redness, try Clinique Redness Solutions Makeup with Probiotic Technology ($26). Lightweight and gentle, it immediately camouflages redness via color-correcting principles and a multi-pronged approach including magnolia bark to prevent the spread of visible redness and mushroom extract to minimize future flare-ups. Available in 6 shades.

WHY YVES?

For dry and very dry skin, Yves Saint Laurent ‘Temps Majeur Suprême’ Set ($185) is especially rich and deeply nourishing to regenerate skin with long-lasting nutrition. Formulated with ganoderma spores, the essence of the mushroom of eternal youth, this decadently smooth treatment erases visible signs of aging while improving the skin’s surface quality. The set’s components include Eye Crème and Suprême Crème.

A IS FOR ALTERNA

Strengthen hair with the intensive reparative treatment found in Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging White Truffle Hair Elixir ($25). This unique, nutritionally supercharged treatment increases softness and shine while repairing and strengthening your tresses. It’s a daily vitamin boost that your hair will love, especially after a chemical process or time in the sun.

ONE OF THE BEST

Stress can take a toll on your skin’s appearance, making it appear dry, dull and wrinkled. La Prairie Anti-Aging Stress Cream ($195) fights back with an herbal blend enhanced with a natural mushroom complex and ultra-active plant extracts to boost natural synthesis of collagen and elastin. Improves skin’s hydration and moisture content.

IT’S A SMASH

Smashbox Photo Finish Targeted Pore & Line Primer ($32) is an ultra-concentrated pore and line primer that works to erase fine lines and other complexion imperfections to give you a flawless finish. This advanced formula helps to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and features Chinese mushroom extract for moisture.

 

THE JOYS OF JOJOBA

Posted by L.A. 03.26.12

Jojoba oil or beads seem to be in just about every skincare, body and hair care products these days. The jojoba plant, which is native to the southern USA and northern Mexico, produces seeds that are turned into a prized golden oil. Widely used in beauty products, the oil is cherished for its ability to smooth and soften the skin and hair. Other parts of the plant are used too as moisturizers and exfoliators. Rich in vitamin E, jojoba is a natural antioxidant that greatly helps in the battle against wrinkles. It is even a natural antibacterial agent, which explains its long shelf life – also a boost for beauty products. Here are a few of BITB’s favorite items featuring this versatile plant.

OH LA LA

Guerlain ‘Abeille Royale’ Day Cream ($144) contains the proprietary ingredient Pure Royal Concentrate, which pays homage to the natural healing power of bee products. Exclusive to Guerlain, it promotes the healing process for aging skin by repairing wrinkles and restoring tissue firmness. Jojoba extract provides enhanced moisturizing benefits for normal to dry skin, leaving face more firm and toned from the inside out.

DON’T LOOK YOUR AGE

Darphin Age-Defying Dermabrasion ($80) is a multi-action cream to rejuvenate and enhance natural radiance. This gentle, yet powerful, age-defying exfoliant removes dead cells and impurities while thoroughly polishing lines and wrinkles to a professional, smooth finish without damaging the skin’s surface. Developed for even the most sensitive skin types. Contains jojoba esters, silica plus pearl and lava powders.

GET RID OF FRIZZ

Philip B Vitamin E-enhanced Anti-Frizz Formula 57 ($35) conditions while smoothing, shining and revitalizing your hair. Formulated with anti-humidity barrier properties for a confident, long-lasting perfect finish, it leaves your hair with the lightweight definition and movement that you demand from a quality finishing product. With lavender, jojoba, rice bran and soybean oils for added protection from styling tools and the environment. One drop and you’ll forget you ever had a bad hair day.

BEAUTIFY WHILE YOU SLEEP

Ahava Night Replenisher ($48) will give your skin the added moisture it needs before heading to bed. Enriched with a perfectly-balanced concentrate of Dead Sea minerals and other key ingredients, it hydrates, revives and smoothes skin overnight. It even can be used as a 24-hour cream during winter time. Vitamin E helps prevent dryness and the effects of premature aging. Sweet almond extract, avocado oil and jojoba oil help preserve elasticity and promote smooth, soft skin.

MAKEUP WITH PIZZAZZ

Jane Iredale Circle/Delete ($29) is an all-in-one concealer and eye treatment available in three shade combinations. The formulation supplies the delicate eye area with conditioners like jojoba esters and avocado oil, both high in vitamins A, C, D and E, green tea extract and vitamin K to repair raccoon eyes. Circle/Delete conceals by providing two colors in each pot that can be mixed together for the exact shade needed to correct imperfections.

LOVE LAURA MERCIER

Laura Mercier Body Butter ($35), available in four good-enough-to eat scents, is packed with good-for-you ingredients like shea butter, grapeseed oil and jojoba esters. These super-rich moisturizers absorb quickly into the skin to hydrate, while honey and aloe vera help soothe. The Crème de Pistache flavor is inspired by the creamy and nutty aromas of pistachio desserts. This luscious Body Butter delivers the ultimate in hydrating luxury.

HYDRATE YOUR HAIR

De-stress your locks with Phytojoba Intense Hydrating Shampoo from Phyto ($24). This gentle moisturizing cleanser is formulated for dry, medium-to-coarse hair. The combination of jojoba oil, cornflower, mallow and coconut combine to nurture and soften distressed locks. The aromatic blend brings instant results.

DON’T NEGLECT THE NECK

Kate Somerville Neck Tissue Repair Cream ($150) contains peptides, jojoba and macadamia oils to firm the neck and smooth your décolleté. This hydrating cream helps to reduce the depth, density, and volume of wrinkles, prevent water loss, improve skin firmness, skin tone, and elasticity while providing superior skin smoothing benefits.

BRAVO FOR BOBBI B.

Olive and jojoba oils condition and soften in Bobbi Brown’s Cleansing Oil ($39). The two-in-one formula gently removes all traces of makeup and cleanses skin while maintaining natural oil levels. White ginger root extract calms skin.

REVIVE YOUR SKIN

ReVive Microdermabrasion Renewal Crème & Calming Gel ($250) is a two-part facial resurfacing treatment that retextures the skin while erasing the appearance of the small lines that make us look older. A micro-crystalline powder polishes the skin and reduces pores to give you a radiant glow. Aloe and jojoba oil soften and smooth. Follow up with Gelee Calme, which renews skin and fights environmental aggressors with a plethora of antioxidants.

POLISH & INVIGORATE

REN Jojoba Microbead Invigorating Facial Polish ($35) is just the ticket for a deep cleansing solution that leaves your face with a healthy looking complexion. The non-abrasive exfoliating polish consists of microbeads of jojoba oil that remove dead skin cells, cleanse and purify. Your skin is sure to feel cooled and refreshed.

REFRESH & CALM

Malin + Goetz Jojoba Face Scrub ($38) synthesizes calming cilantro with amino acid, and natural jojoba meal to help shred dead skin and stimulate cell renewal. Smoothes skin with cell renewal technology and soothes without irritation or drying. Rinses free to leave skin feeling like velvet.