#AskYU: What Natural Beauty Products Do YU Use?

Since the Make Your Own Eyeshadow and Eye Liner post, I have received a ton of questions about what I use on a daily basis for deodorant, mascara, shampoo, hair products, blush, body lotion, face moisturizer for a.m. and p.m., shaving cream, hand cream, lipstick, makeup remover, you name it. I typed a lot of those answers up for our contributor Rea Frey in an email a few weeks ago—she just read No More Dirty Looks and purged all beauty products right after and was wondering “what next?” The list I compiled for her was extensive and I thought immediately after I hit “send” that I should share with YU, too.

It’s important to note that I am not on the payroll for any of these products. These are just all the beauty products that I have found to be the cleanest that work for me (I tell you why after the jump). Not everything is perfect, but I do my best. There are a ton of clean, lovely products out there that I still would like to try, so I’m just gonna share with you what you’d find in my purse and bathroom if you were to take a look right now. Today. Ok, here goes… Read more…

La Bella Figura Co-Founder Victoria Fantauzzi Brings YU Plant-Based Eco-Luxury Skincare

If you put in on your skin it’s absorbed into your skin and bloodstream—think about nicotine patches or patch-birth control. Why would lotions, lipsticks or shampoos be any different? Once you learn about the carcinogenic dangers involved with most cosmetics, body care and toiletries, you are often left wondering “what can I use?”

Well, for radiant skin, lips and hair, La Bella Figura has your plant-based and fair-trade secret weapons and they are working not just to produce beautiful quality skincare made from nature, but to educate folks on why plant-based beauty is better. Read more…

Sophie Uliano’s Natural Papaya Pineapple Alpha Hydroxy Mask and Do It Gorgeously Book Giveaway!

 

Geeeeenius = Sophie Uliano.

About a year ago, I picked up her book “Do It Gorgeously: How to Make Less Toxic, Less Expensive, and More Beautiful Products” and you should see the dogears and post-it notes that decorate my copy. I have had a ton of fun making natural mouthwash, face balms, foot scrubs and more, naturally and inexpensively. Read more…

The Benefits of Non-Dairy Coconut Kefir

I can’t quite remember where I first heard about coconut kefir, but I do remember what made me look into it enough to try it. Donna Gate’s important book about controlling candida, The Body Ecology Diet: Recovering Your Health and Rebuilding Your Immunity, was my catalyst.

For 21 days so far, I have followed her guidelines. I have suspected for quite a while that I have a Candida Albicans overgrowth. I have experienced many of the symptoms, and if they weren’t enough to prove it to me, actually experiencing the drug-addiction-like withdrawl from sugar the first week, did. See, sugar is the food for yeast and without it, yeast will die off and the yeast doesn’t want to die so the cravings are off the charts. Read more…

Eco DIY Holiday Gift Idea: 100% Natural Scented Laundry Soap

Homemade gifts are the best kind in my opinion. It means that someone took the time to think about you in this busy, disconnected-from-others, day and age. Homemade gifts make you slow down and create, which is rewarding, inspiring and stress relieving. And when that gift is unique, useful, easy-to-make, eco-friendly, cost-effective and adorable, you have a complete winner on your hands. This gift is great not only for vegans and eco-friendly folks, but for new moms and people with allergies or skin sensitivities like eczema and psoriasis. Read more…

YUclean Soap Nuts Laundry Kit Giveaway

Wahoo, I am super excited to announce the launch of the YUclean line of 100% natural cleaning products with a giveaway of our first product—natural soap nut laundry kits!

I think I just heard a thousand cries of “what the heck are soap nuts?” Well, in short, they are a miracle fruit that works hard to clean, brighten and freshen laundry better than chemical-based detergents. Eco-conscious, green moms and folks with eczema, psoriasis, and other skin sensitivities should listen up. This soap from Mother Nature is fun, inexpensive, environmentally-friendly and allergen-free, since it’s chemical-free, naturally. Read more…

Easy DIY Beet Blush and Lip Gloss: 3 Ways

The color of fresh, organic beets is unmatched. After making Raw Veggie Bacon, I would often look at my stained hands and wonder if beets could be made into chemical-free cosmetics. Then this summer, I read a super article in ReadyMade magazine about the book No More Dirty Looks, and it shared a simple recipe using beets for lips and cheeks as well as a tip for easy lip stain—slice a beet, kiss and go!

So, I conducted some research that turned up many blush and lip gloss possibilities using a variety of oils and combinations, even including strawberries. In the end, I whipped up my own simple mixtures with 3 simple ingredients that I already had in the house. Read more…