Olive Oil: The Essential Natural Beauty Product

Non-believers, back away slowly. If the last post about giving up shampoo made you cringe, you might want to skip over this one. If you're crazy committed to going all-natural, saving money, and getting the most out of minimizing, read on. Besides baking soda and apple cider vinegar (I'll be covering those more later), the multi-tasking beauty product I'm most excited about is something else all great chefs have in their kitchen: oil.  I'm not talking about just any oil; I'm talking about cold-pressed, pure extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) that's super great for your body, inside and out. As a Mediterranean girl myself, I'm familiar with the super health benefits you get from using EVOO while you're cooking and eating. What I wasn't familiar with was the way it could help my skin and hair from the outside in.

Hair

Just about every girl serious about great hair has heard about hot oil treatments. What you may not know is that you can save big money by giving yourself a homemade treatment using only EVOO. If you're going all-natural but miss the silky feeling of your hair after conditioning, EVOO will give you back all that and more. Even if you're still using store-bought shampoos and conditioners, you can get huge benefits out of one of these treatments. EVOO will seriously condition your hair, help with dandruff control by moisturizing your scalp, and leave your hair more lustrous than you've ever seen it before.

There are many different ways to make olive oil hair treatments, but as a minimalist I prefer not to add any extra ingredients. My EVOO hair mask method (modified and tweaked from many online sources) is as follows:

1) Jump in the shower so your hair gets nice and wet. Towel or air dry until damp.

2) Stick 1/2 cup (adjust based on the length of your hair) of EVOO in the microwave for about 20 seconds or until warm. (Warning: it can get HOT, so use caution and don't burn yourself)

3) When the EVOO is still warm but cool enough to apply to your scalp, massage your scalp with the oil. Apply some to the ends of your hair as well.

4) Comb through your hair with the EVOO and throw it in a warm, damp towel or shower cap. (It's important to keep the oil and your hair warm enough. Use a blow drier if it starts cooling too much)

5) After thirty minutes, rise the EVOO out of your hair and shampoo as normal if desired. If your hair is extremely dry, a lot of the EVOO will be absorbed. (Warning: the shower floor will be slippery if you don't use a mat, so if you don't have one, it's best to rinse hair out in the sink to avoid danger)

Skin

This is where you might get a little grossed out, but I promise it's worthwhile. For centuries, olive oil has been used as a moisturizer, as it is extremely effective for dry skin. Contrary to (very) popular belief, EVOO won't cause you to break out; in fact, you can actually use it to clear up your skin and replace all those expensive lotions! I've found that rubbing a few drops on my face at night leaves my skin feeling smoother than ever in the morning. More importantly, it has not once caused my acne to flare up, so I totally trust it! Some people use it as their moisturizer twice daily, but I prefer to only use it at night-- it feels a little too heavy under my makeup. To avoid getting oil all over your pillow case, be sure to continue to rub the oil in every few minutes until your skin stops looking greasy. If my super-sensitive skin can take it, I can almost guarantee that yours can!

If you're not ready to take such a leap of faith, EVOO can be used as a mask to draw nasty dirt and oils out of your pores. Just rub a little bit on your face, place a warm, damp towel over it, and relax for five minutes. Your skin will be instantly fresher and cleaner when you rinse it off with warm water!

Oh, and if you think that olive oil's uses stops there, think again. I've only scratched the surface of its uses-- it's actually a minimalist's dream! Check out this cool article I found that gives 25 practical uses for olive oil:  http://www.curbly.com/users/chrisjob/posts/1799-25-alternative-uses-for-olive-oil

Get some of your own!

Milk: Which Do You Choose?

"Milk: it does the body good!" Got it? Not so fast. While decades of advertisement and scientific study have told us that dairy is a cornerstone of good health, recent scholarship has began to shed doubt on these long-standing claims. And we shouldn't be surprised: the average gallon of milk sold today is packed with antibiotics, hormones, and pesticides that cows and their food are treated with. Organic milk isn't necessarily safe from these; there is a lot of debate as to what qualifies as organic, and food labels like "natural" can be extremely misleading. The milk sold today just isn't the same milk our grandparents drank: it is commercially produced at a high volume that makes use of excessive processing. Of course, it isn't just these chemicals that make milk a questionable nutritional option. Think practically: as infants, we drink the milk of our mother until we reach about eighteen months. After that, our bodies (and the bodies of our mothers) instinctively wean us off this milk, just like dogs, cats, or cows. Our bodies were only built to drink milk at a young age-- hence the high rate of lactose intolerance developed in adults. As one of my high school biology teachers told me, "it's just unnatural for one animal to drink the milk of another! Can you imagine feeding your dog human breast milk?"

Of course you wouldn't.

Now, it's still important to recognize that the wealth of health benefits derived from milk are absolutely real. Many nutrients are derived from the drink: vitamins D, A, protein, and-- most notably-- calcium. While we have been raised to consider milk the most convenient way to get these nutrients, the fact is that many more natural, healthy alternatives exist... and some are even inspired by our favorite drink!

While there are a variety of ways to go about getting your milk fix-- cereal can be hard to give up, right?-- for now we will cover four of the most popular non-dairy "milk" products: soy, rice almond, and coconut milk. Each comes in a variety of brands and flavors, so in the sake of fairness we will examine the "regular" version of the most popular brands. The milks will be judged for nutrition, cost, other flavors, and taste (which is admittedly highly subjective). Here goes!

For a comparison point, we will use 2% Dairy Milk. Its nutrients of note (in 8 oz):
122 cal (43 from fat), 5 g fat, 12 g carbohydrates (0 g fiber, 12 g sugar), 8 g protein, 9% of your daily Vitamin A intake, and 29% of your daily calcium intake

Soy milk (Silk)

When I ventured away from dairy milk, the first type of milk I tried was soy milk. Obviously, it was tasty enough to lure me away from conventional milk for good.

Silk Original comes in two forms. Like many non-dairy milks, there is a shelf-stable variety that can be stored up to twelve months (translation: if it's on sale or you find a great coupon, you can buy it even if you don't need it yet!) While the vanilla flavor is Silk's most popular (and delicious), the original packs a tasty punch that won't leave you missing dairy.

Nutrients: 90 cal (30 from fat), 3.5 g fat, 8 g carbohydrates (1 g fiber, 6 g sugar), 6 g protein, 10% of your daily vitamin A intake, and 45% of your daily calcium.

...So what? With six grams of soy protein in every eight ounces, you're getting 2g less protein than you would in 2% dairy milk. However, Silk Soy milk is clearly superior to dairy in caloric, fat, carbohydrate, and calcium content.

Cost: $0.11/oz for a six pack of the shelf stable variety on amazon.

Taste: With a slightly nutty aftertaste (apparently a new development), Silk feels slightly thicker than dairy milk but goes down much more smoothly. As far as milk varieties go, the taste gets a 6/10. For a delicious taste with only a few more calories, try the vanilla-- it goes perfectly with cereal!

Flavors: Vanilla, Chocolate, Very Vanilla, DHA-Omega 3 (Plain), Organic Vanilla, Organic Original, Organic Unsweetened, Light Vanilla, Light Chocolate, and Light Original 

(Note: all light favors are sweetened with Stevia)

Rice milk (Rice Dream) 

Rice Dream is the overwhelmingly popular variety of rice milk made from organic brown rice. It can be found in both shelf stable and refrigerated forms.

Nutrients: 120 cal (20 from fat), 2.5 g fat, 23 g carbohydrates (0 g fiber, 10 g sugar), 1 g protein, 10% of your daily vitamin A intake, and 30% of your daily calcium. Also a significant source of Vitamin B12 (25%), Vitamin D (25%), and Phosphorous (15%).

...So what? Rice milk trumps dairy milk in its vitamin and mineral content. However, the low protein and high sugar value make it less appealing than other milk varieties.

Cost: $0.09/oz for a twelve pack of the shelf stable variety on amazon.

Taste: Definitely does not taste like dairy. It's thin, watery, and has a taste reminiscent of oat and something else I can't put my finger on. Closer to water than milk, but some may enjoy the lighter taste. A 4/10.

Flavors: Vanilla is available in both refrigerated and self stable form, but the rest are shelf stable form only: Enriched Chocolate, Heartwise Original, Heartwise Vanilla, Supreme Chocolate Chai, and Supreme Vanilla Hazelnut.

Almond milk (Silk)  

While Almond Dream sells another popular variety, we will review Silk in the interest of control. In the interest of full disclosure, this is my absolute favorite after sampling all three.

Nutrients: 60 cal (25 from fat), 2.5 g fat, 8 g carbohydrates (1 g fiber, 7 g sugar), 1 g protein, 10% of your daily vitamin A intake, and 45% of your daily calcium. Also a significant source of Vitamin B12 (50%), Vitamin D (25%), and Riboflavin (25%). 

...So what? As low calorie as milk substitutes get (the unsweetened flavor has just 35 calories!), the taste is unbeatable and the nutrition is impossibly good for those watching their weight.

Cost: $0.08/oz for a six pack of the shelf stable variety on amazon.

Taste: While the taste is undeniably nutty-- it takes a bit to get used to-- it tastes much more indulgent than its 60 calories without being too thick. Surprisingly good with cereal and coffee (although not as good as Silk Vanilla Soy Milk). On its own, though, nothing is better. 8.5/10

Flavors: Vanilla, Dark Chocolate, and Unsweetened.

Coconut milk (Silk)  

One of the newest nondairy milks, PureCoconut lets you buy into the current craze for coconut in our drinks.

Nutrients: 80 cal (50 from fat), 5 g fat, 7 g carbohydrates (0 g fiber, 6 g sugar), 1 g protein, 10% of your daily vitamin A intake, and 45% of your daily calcium. Also a significant source of Vitamin B12 (50%) and Vitamin D (25%).. 

...So what? The nutrients and calories have regular milk beat, although Coconut milk doesn't compare to almond or soy milk.

Cost: Not yet listed (will update soon!)

Taste: Despite the expected richness, Silk's coconut milk is surprisingly watery, with a strong aftertaste that is difficult to get used to. I love coconut, but coconut milk is like coconut water in its distinct taste. If you LOVE coconut water you might like this; otherwise, expect it to be an acquired taste. I give it a 5/10 here.

Flavors: Original and Vanilla (pictured)

Free Target Summer Beauty Bag!

We love how Target does their beauty bag giveaways-- they offer sweet samples for high-quality products and provide coupons to match! You even get a cute little clutch bag, perfect for makeup or other toiletries. Hurry to their Facebook page to score one of the 477,500 they are giving away RIGHT NOW... they go FAST!

Why Pale Skin is SO In.

I've got a lot of Mediterranean genes in me, so growing up I'd start my summers pale white and end them impossibly dark. As I grew into my late teenage years, I grew to love my end-of-the summer tan, because my olive-tinged skin is impossible to find light foundation for. I worked at a pool, yet the hours I wasn't spending in my guard suit were spent tanning in my back yard. I'd get dozens of compliments on my tan, and sometimes the lines would stick around year-round. It made me look fit, unique, and healthy.

So, why am I pale as a ghost now? The simple answer is that I've spent the last four years ferociously avoiding any sort of sun exposure. I work at the pool and now I wear long sleeves and 50 SPF instead of 15. I began doing so reluctantly-- the antibiotics I was taking for my acne made my once burn-proof skin as sensitive as a baby's. After doing a lot of research--and becoming a biochemistry major--I came to completely and totally reject my old tanning ways and realized that pale is in.

Why Pale Is In: Let's Get Real.
Here's the bottom line: a tan is an absolute indicator that you have obtained skin cell damage. Yes, a TAN, not a sunburn. Tanning is your body's mechanism for defense against UV radiation. I mean, did you think it was an evolutionary development to make you look super cute in this season's hot color? To attract a mate, maybe? No, I didn't think so. So why do so many girls keep insisting on ravaging their long-term looks and their health just for a few months of glow?

Tanning Beds: This Way to Skin Cancer
We all know the obvious cosmetic reason to avoid tanning beds: no matter what your skin tone, you will always come out with an unnatural orange tinge. Let's face it: you know which girls have a real tan and which have a fake. But did you know, really know, the cold hard facts about why tanning beds are not for us educated beauties?

Picture by Adem Kaya

According to The Skin Cancer Foundation, people who tan indoors are 74% more likely to develop melanoma than those who have never stepped in a booth. And do you think tanning before vacation is worth your while to avoid a sunburn? I know I once did, you you might want to check this out.

Yes, skin cancer can affect anyone, but why disrespect your body and yourself by drastically increasing those chances? People comment on my pale skin and, occasionally, it makes me feel self-conscious. But why should it? I'm protecting my body and preventing accelerated aging to an enormous extent.

BloggerPR Kickoff Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the BloggerPR Kickoff Giveaway Hop! We are celebrating the launch of BloggerPR, which is a brand new support and media group for bloggers. Over FIFTY blogs are giving away some amazing prizes valued over $25! This even will run from May 21-27, 2012. Join us as we kick off a brand new and exciting venture for our members!

We're giving away Lip Trio Lip Gloss & Plumper from Makeover Essentials, a $32.99 value! We totally love the day-to-night color concept, and the plumper is absolutely wonderful!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: We are not responsible for the content of linked blogs, your liking of the product given away, or the products offered by other giveaways. We adhere to the terms and conditions of the BloggerPR event and Rafflecopter. We have not been compensated for this giveaway and therefore can offer no exchanges for the prize. What you see is what you'll get. One winner only and open only to US residents.

A Clarification on the BeautySage Freebie

We're just slightly annoyed with our sources. Remember our post about this? I think a lot of bloggers are steaming after this email from BeautySage:

In the past day or so, you signed up at BeautySage for a sample box offer. As we care deeply about our customers, we wanted take a moment to clarify the offer.
You are currently signed up to receive a coupon code via email after we launch, which can be redeemed for a free sample box (a $10 value) with your first purchase of $30 or more. As BeautySage currently ships solely in the United States, only U.S. mailing addresses will be eligible.
To be clear moving forward, we have updated our landing page and email confirmation to provide absolute clarity on this offer.
Of course, there is no obligation to participate in this offer, and you can always unsubscribe from our mailing list by clicking the unsubscribe link below or on any future email. With that said, if you would like us to remove you from this offer and our mailing list, please respond to this email and we will do so immediately. If you have any other concerns, we welcome your feedback.
We sincerely apologize for any confusion or inconvenience.
Thank you,The BeautySage team

We apologize if you are not interested... we don't know if we'll still be checking out the site after this. We just wanted to give you clarification as soon as we got it. Boo, it seemed like such a good deal, too.

Finding Your Best Look by Getting Real

Metaphorical show of hands: how many of us look in the mirror every other day and think "I'm too fat" or "I can't believe how awful I look today!" Yes, you do it, I do it, and almost everyone else you know does it. It's normal, right? It's too normal, really, and we all know what it does to our self-esteem. While whittling your self-image away slowly is bad enough (because even if you're saying those things in passing, that's what you're doing), you're also wasting precious time with the mirror. No, we can't stand in front of it all day, and most of us don't. We all want to look good and none of us have unlimited time to do it... so why don't we use our mirror time constructively instead of insulting ourselves half-heartedly?

I think the truth is that all of us are willing to deprecate ourselves for general, transient things like weight, hair, makeup, or skin. Very few of us are willing to give ourselves the constructive criticism necessary to take our appearance to the next level. This is because it's very hard to realistically assess our imperfections without having anyone around to defend them: for example, I'd often lament about the size of my nose, but only loud enough for my significant other to hear and refute it. I wasn't willing to look in the mirror and accept that it was better to accept my nose was large than to constantly hope my image of it was not what the rest of the world sees. Yes, it takes a lot of self-esteem and love to actually accept and embrace your flaws--it took me over two decades!--but when you do, you have a blueprint to drastically improve your look.

Here's my critical study of myself: my nose is wide and long. The length is fine, the width (often enhanced by allergies) is not fitting for the rest of my face. I know that, without makeup and with sunglasses, my cheeks lead me to be mistaken for an awkward teenage girl. What does this mean? I need to play up my brown eyes to draw attention away from the middle of my face. I may even have to break the eyes-or-lips rule to achieve that goal. And I certainly needed to learn makeup contouring.

While it sounds harsh, it's important to understand that beauty is, obviously, relative. The so-called "imperfections" of today were desired years ago, and today's standard of beauty will inevitably be replaced as society changes. We should be proud of how we look, but willing to conform our appearance to our times-- but only transiently. Beauty is transient, after all.