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Berry & Herb Coconut Ice Cream Pops

July 14, 2015 by Jillian Leave a Comment

With all of the rain in central Texas these past few months, I ALMOST forgot it was summer. It hasn’t been it’s usual scorching self. And then my mom sent me some popsicle molds in my birthday package a few weeks ago and I finally got to use them this weekend – and oh yeah, it’s summer! Nothing screams summer like nice cold popsicles. But these are special popsicles. They are magical raw vegan popsicles. The coconut base is rich and creamy paired with frozen berries and fresh herbs. Toss in a little raw sugar to sweeten the deal and you’ve got homemade popsicles that are way better than anything store bought!

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Be Beautiful Inside & Out, Part 3

January 21, 2015 by Jillian Leave a Comment

Hello there all you lovely ladies! This is the last blog post of a three part series on finding cruelty-free beauty products that are void of dangerous ingredients. Check out Part 1 and Part 2 if you haven’t already. And if you want to know more about going cruelty free, I wrote this article about picking humane beauty products that describes why it’s important.

Okay, let’s get started! Here’s why it’s so important to actually read the ingredients lists before buying beauty products (or any product for that matter):

Moisturizer – Since skin is the biggest organ, it’s sort of a big deal what we put on it because it absorbs everything and enters our bloodstream – and eventually – our body tissues. If we’re using moisturizers with harmful chemicals in it, those chemicals essentially become a part of us. Yikes! Look for organic products, and definitely stay away from the 4 P’s: parabens (they mimic estrogen and disrupt hormonal processes, and have been linked to cancer), propylene glycol (causes skin irritation and kidney/liver abnormalities), phenol carbolic acid (suspected to cause respiratory failure and circulatory collapse), and petroleum products such as mineral oil, paraffin and petrolatum (they create a plastic coating over the skin that clogs pores and allows for the build up of toxins, and can result in early aging signs and cancer). Also be aware of acrylamide (linked to mammary tumors), dioxane (carcinogenic), sodium laurel sulfates (also called SLS or SLES, it breaks down the moisture barrier of the skin with possible cause of hair loss. Will sometimes be sneakily described on the label as “coconut derived” or “comes from coconut.” Don’t be fooled!)

Instead of using products with these ingredients, here are some suggestions. You’re best bet is to use organic oils that are safe for the skin. I personally use oil of oregano (mixed with a little organic sunflower oil) because it’s moisturizing but also helps with acne and dermatitis. I buy it off Etsy.com from Hippiecrap (technically it’s called Hippieshit but gotta keep it PG for Etsy lol); it’s handmade by a lovely woman who grows her own oregano. You can find oil of oregano in most health and natural food stores, just make sure it’s not 100% oil of oregano, it’s too potent to be put on the skin that way. It should be infused with another oil like sunflower or olive. If the directions specifically tell you how to use it externally, then you’re probably good. You can also use other oils as moisturizers, such as coconut oil or argan oil. Sea buckthorn berry is great for the face and chock full of anti-oxidants. Oils can be used in moderation, just a few drops is usually good.

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Be Beautiful Inside and Out, Part 2

October 6, 2014 by Jillian Leave a Comment

This is part 2 of my series about the little known toxins lurking in your everyday beauty products, and the safer alternatives to buying the cheap, big brands that are harmful to your body. If you missed it, here’s Be Beautiful Inside & Out, Part 1.

And here’s a quick reminder of why it’s important to buy cruelty-free products.

Toothpaste – Most people use toothpaste multiple times every day and never think there may be some serious toxins in a paste this is supposed to keep teeth healthy. Unfortunately, all the big brands contains a plethora of chemicals that do harm to the body. For years fluoride was touted as the end-all-be-all for strong pearly whites. I remember getting the fluoride foam treatment every time I went for a check up at the dentist. New studies show that sodium fluoride may be a possible neurotoxin, and the Food & Drug Administration now requires all toothpaste containing fluoride to label this warning on their product:

WARNING: Keep out of reach of children under 6 years of age. If you accidentally swallow more than used for brushing, seek professional help or contact a poison control center immediately.”

Ummm, great. So glad I swallowed so much of that foam treatment when I was a kid. In fact, it takes a very small amount of sodium fluoride to cause symptoms of acute fluoride toxicity. If there’s a warning label on something as simple as toothpaste, I’m going to assume I probably should find a better option. Aside from that, big brands also contain sodium hydroxide (the chemical name for lye and a toxic drain cleaner), titanium dioxide (a possible carcinogen), and PVM.MA copolymer (a highly irritating binding agent). Don’t forget about 2 chemicals I discussed in part 1 – triclosan (classified as a pesticide) and sodium lauryl sulfate or SLS (used in products like garage floor cleaners and engine degreasers). Oh, and those pesky dyes and additives, like FD & C Blue Dyes 1 & 2 are made from coal tar oil and synthesized from petroleum, and can still be absorbed into your body even if you don’t swallow your toothpaste. Scary! I currently use Xyli-White from Now Solutions. It’s free of fluoride, SLS, gluten, parabens, and all the other chemicals we just discussed.

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Be Beautiful Inside and Out, Part 1

September 12, 2014 by Jillian Leave a Comment

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about what humane beauty products are, why it’s important to choose them, and some ideas on how to go about that. I decided to do a three part series so I can go into a bit more detail about the everyday products that most of us use, include some homemade substitutes, and remind everyone how easy it is to make the switch over to humane. I mean, if it’s so easy, why wouldn’t you?!

Nail polish – I love to paint my nails. I’ve been doing my own nails since I was a small child and I always get compliments on them. However, I never stopped to think that toxic chemicals could be in my nail polish. But, oh, they are. The majority of nail polishes contain the following: toluene (which is neurotoxic), formaldehyde (cancer-causing preservative), & dibutyl phthalate (or DPT, which interferes with reproductive hormones). Yuck, right? And just like your skin, your nails absorb whatever is put on them. Plus, many nail polish brands test on animals. Yuck again. Check this link out for a list of vegan nail polishes, it contains a lot of well known, easy-to-find brands on it. However, it’s important to find out if any of the brands contain the toxic trio (I’m very happy to report that OPI does not, which is great news, because I love them!) Best way to find out? Do your research. It’s so easy these days to find information on the internet, just make sure it’s a legitimate resource. I wouldn’t necessarily go to a product’s website, because products that claim they are chemical free, actually are not. I would check out websites like EWG’s Skin Deep as well as search for studies that have been done on products outside of the company. Your nails can look fabulous without harming your health or harming animals!

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Picking Humane Beauty Products

August 17, 2014 by Jillian Leave a Comment

For nearly my entire life, I never put much thought into what beauty products I bought (cosmetics, facial & body products, perfumes, etc). That is, until I learned that reading the ingredients label isn’t just for food. Furthermore, I’d always known in the back of my head that many companies tested their products on lab animals, but I didn’t really know what that meant or what was actually going on. I’m sure some people feel relief when they know that a product is tested on animals first. But studies show that testing on animals is pretty much useless and most large companies today only test on animals because it saves their butt if they ever get sued. It may make their product seem safer, but there’s a much better way to tell if a beauty product is safe or not – look at what’s in it. If there’s a bunch of ingredients that you can barely pronounce, that means it ain’t natural and if it ain’t natural, it shouldn’t be slathered, dabbed, or rubbed into the largest organ on your body. Your skin absorbs everything you put on it. Putting chemical, unnatural, and man-made ingredients onto your skin is almost the same as eating them. The best rule of thumb is this: If you wouldn’t eat it, don’t put it on your skin.

Now that we’ve got the basics covered, why should you pick humanely made products and how do you know if a product is humane? [Read more…]

Berry & Herb Coconut Ice Cream Pops

Be Beautiful Inside & Out, Part 3

Be Beautiful Inside and Out, Part 2

Be Beautiful Inside and Out, Part 1

Picking Humane Beauty Products

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