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Pitta Ayurvedic Skin Type Guide

Pitta Ayurvedic Skin Type Guide

Not sure what Ayurvedic type (dosha) is? Take our quiz to find out!

As a Pitta dosha, your body and skin match your fiery personality.  You run hot, both physically and emotionally, which means you are the most productive, organized, and Type A of all the types.  You like things to get done, and to get them done your way.  You are passionate about the things that matter to you, and never shy away from a heated debate.  When out of balance (eating the wrong foods, overheating, not managing your stress and perfectionism), you are quite literally inflamed — prone to irritability, digestive issues (IBS, colitis, loose stool), breakouts, rashes, and inflammation of the skin and organs (pretty much anything with an -itis suffix).  Download your Pitta Dosha Guide to learn more about your type and get more tips to bring your body into balance!

PITTA SKIN TYPE

Just like a Pitta-type body, Pitta skin is characterized by inflammation and sensitivity. Combination (in terms of oiliness), fair, and prone to rashes, redness, breakouts and other reactions, Pitta skin needs cooling, calming, and gentle treatments to balance it out and keep it happy.  When in balance, Pitta skin is radiant and seems to glow from within. Other Pitta skin characteristics are:

  • a congested T-zone, often with large pores
  • oily skin
  • reddish skin or blushing easily
  • sensitive to the sun and harsh chemicals
  • lots of freckles, moles, and sun damage
  • sweat easily
  • prone to eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, and pimples

The number one best treatment for Pitta skin is cooling ingredients and foods like cucumber, aloe, and rose, internally and externally. Keeping cool helps balance Pitta both inside and out, and since Pitta skin is very sensitive to diet and lifestyle changes, keeping cool and soothed needs to be a lifelong mantra as well as a skincare prescription.

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2016 #skingoals: Get Clear

5 Steps to Clearer Skin  |  The Organic Beauty Blog

Be it pimples, rosacea, eczema or other kinds of bumps, redness and inflammation that ail you, getting clear skin get feel like an elusive #skingoal.  The problem is that most people try to deal with these skin issues topically, which will only get you part way there.  Great skin starts on the inside, and the only way to truly clear up redness, inflammation, and breakouts is to take a holistic approach.  What you eat and what supplements you take are just as important as how you wash your skin and what products you use.  Follow these 5 steps to get clearer, happier skin, free from breakouts, redness, and bumps!

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Get Perfect Youthful Skin with Earthwise Beauty

Perfect Skin by Earthwise Beauty

The quest for effective, skin perfecting beauty products is tough enough as it is, but throw in some stringent criteria for natural ingredients, and you’ve got yourself a doozy.

Enter: Earthwise Beauty, a potent and effective skincare line made from food-grade quality organic, natural ingredients, herbs, and essential oils.  And I have to say, I’m pretty obsessed.

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Argan Oil: Your All-Purpose Beauty Workhorse

By: Natasha Uspensky, CHHC

Argan oil has been having its heyday for a few years now, and due to the endless number of beauty benefits it boasts, we don’t think it’s going anywhere. At The Organic Beauty, we’re all about simplicity. Nature provides us with some of the most potent and effective (not to mention safe and non-toxic) beauty ingredients that totally eliminate the need for the synthetic, harmful products found on the shelves of pharmacies and department stores. And Argan oil is quickly topping our list of the most effective and versatile ingredients out there.

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Extreme Skin Nourishment from Biao Beauty

By: Natasha Uspensky, CHHC

Biao’s Beauty Rejuvenation Collection

It’s no secret that dry, winter skin is something that plagues many of us, and is yet another reason to dread the coming of  these darker months.  Well, I am happy to report that you can cross this winter bummer of your list!  Introducing the Beauty Rejuvenation Collection from Biao Beauty.  This line of hyper moisturizing, extremely nourishing products are your key to dewy, glowing, soft skin all winter long, no matter what mother nature throws your way!

The secret to this amazing line of products is a potent one-two punch of Epicalmin TCM and babassu oil.  Epicalmin TCM is a synergistic blend of three plants traditionally used in Chinese Medicine which have amazing protective and anti-aging effects on the skin.  When combined with babassu oil, which improves skin’s elasticity, suppleness, and moisture, the result is an amazing combo for youthful, glowing skin!

I’ve been using the Rejuvenating Night Creme, which leaves my skin feeling like absolute silk.  Loaded with other powerful skincare ingredients like olive oil, vitamin E, lavender and honeysuckle, the cream is also intensely healing for sensitive skin or skin prone to eczema or psoriasis.  The rose scent, which is absolutely heavenly, comes from palma rosa oil, which is not only yummy smelling, but has powerful oil regulating and cell regenerating effects, making it perfect for reducing the appearance of wrinkles or scars.  I wake up in the morning with glowing, supple skin, that, I kid you not, barely even needs a brush of powder to look flawless!  This is definitely my new favorite night cream.

The Rejuvenating Mask is also a vital addition to your winter toolbox. Not only does it totally drench your skin with intense hydration and essential nutrients, it also detoxifies, deep cleans pores, and combats premature aging.  Ingredients like green tea, sunflower seed oil, and vitamin A add even more power to the line’s already powerful herbs and oils. The mask goes on like a thick cream, and I definitely felt something tingling under there.  When I washed it off, my skin looked like I had just gotten a facial.

Organic Beauty-Biao Skincare

Sprouting boxes! How beautiful!

These formulas are, of course, all natural, and free of parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, synthetic dyes, petrochemicals, phthalates, GMOs and Triclosan.  To boot, the boxes — which come with such warm fuzzy reminders such as “Remember to think beautiful thoughts to create positive energy during this skin beautification,” (adorbs, right?!) — are also plantable and embedded with a mix of seeds including Baby Blue Eyes, Black-Eyed Susan, and Siberian Wallflower.  How’s that for eco-friendly! (Click the photo to enlarge and see the seeds sprouting when you soak the boxes!)

To celebrate this beautiful line, we’ve got a couple goodies for you!

First, we’re holding a giveaway!  To enter, just complete the following 3 steps by this Sunday, November 24th:

  1. Follow us on Twitter!
  2. Leave a comment on Biao’s Facebook Page sharing what makes you feel beautiful, inside and out!
  3. Leave a comment here sharing that you’ve completed the two steps!  Bonus if you share your answer here too ; )  We want to know!

Second, Biao Beauty is looking for 15 women between the ages of 35 and 55 to test their product!  If you’re interested, fill out the form here to be one of their testers!

Here’s to perfect, glowing, winter skin!

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Our giveaway is now closed… Congratulations to our winner, Erica Jones!

The Power Of Dark Chocolate (and the Beauty of Cocoa!)

By: Stephanie Heino

The Power Of Dark Chocolate (and the Beauty of Cocoa!) 2 | The Organic Beauty BlogThis time of year, people take the opportunity to indulge a little (a lot!) extra in chocolate. You don’t necessarily have to say no to that delicious piece of chocolate, but make sure it is 70% or darker in order to get the maximum health benefits. In fact, if you are looking to lower your blood pressure or boost your mood, a bite of dark chocolate might be the perfect answer. The cocoa found in some of your favorite desserts contains many super powers that can help improve your health such as cardiovascular system (mainly in the form of flavonoids). You might have noticed that chocolate often gives an instant feeling of happiness—this is due to the rush of dopamine that triggers the brain’s pleasure receptors, and endorphins which provide a natural high kind of feeling. But as with any sweet treat, even this one should be eaten in modest portions because it is high in calories, but at least you can go to the dark side in a delicious, healthy way. If you, like us, don’t buy the chocolate sold in stores, try making those easy, raw and delicious desserts from Valentine’s Day!

Discover 5 reasons why you should add dark chocolate to your diet for better health:

The Power Of Dark Chocolate (and the Beauty of Cocoa!) 3 | The Organic Beauty BlogFlavonoids. Dark chocolate contains flavonoids, a type of chemical found naturally in plants. These phytochemicals are known to help fight a wide array of diseases, including heart disease and diabetes. Make sure you’re getting all of the benefits of flavonoids by buying dark chocolate that is at least 70% cocoa. If you aren’t sure, look for bars with “pure,” “dark” or “unprocessed” on the label. Flavonols (the type of flavonoid found in chocolate) help your skin look its best. Those antioxidants help your skin protect itself from UV damage (hello, fewer wrinkles) fight free radicals (so long, sun spots) as well as improving skin hydration and thickness – which both are important for young-looking skin. Read more about this later in the article!

Lowering Blood Pressure. High blood pressure can be combated with a small daily dose of dark chocolate. We now know that the flavonols found in cocoa can thin blood and relax blood vessels. If you are worried about high blood pressure, even a small amount, like a sprinkle of cocoa or raw cacao on your quinoa porridge every day, can help lower your numbers.

Mood Booster. When you’re feeling down, sometimes there’s nothing better than eating chocolate (hello, PMS!). And as it turns out, there is a scientific reason why chocolate is so often the perfect answer for a case of the blues. This miracle food contains hundreds of compounds that boost endorphins and serotonin, two of the best-known chemicals that are responsible for making us feel happy. Next time you need a quick mood boost, try making yourself a cup of organic hot cocoa (sweetened with stevia, of course), and your day is sure to turn out more delicious.

Stress Reducer. Dark chocolate also helps combat beauty’s public enemy number one: Stress. Cocoa helps reduce stress hormones, which means less collagen breakdown in the skin, and fewer wrinkles.

It helps boost your immune system. Dark chocolate may help suppress T-cell activity in your immune system, making it an amazing fighter against certain conditions such as psoriasis and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Cocoa for Beauty

When it comes to beauty; cocoa butter (the cream-colored fat that’s extracted from cocoa beans) is widely used in cosmetics, soaps, lotions, and other skincare products thanks to its moisturizing properties (the most stable, highly concentrated fats). So if you are looking for a moisturizer that’s affordable, naturally sweet-smelling and easily absorbed by the skin (melting at body temperature), make sure to pick up some beauty products containing cocoa butter next time you go shop for beauty products!

Here is 6 reasons why you should use cocoa butter in your beauty regiment:

Help Reduce Skin Conditions. Cocoa butter has been known to treat eczema and dermatitis. Thank the cocoa mass polyphenol (CMP) in cocoa butter: CMP inhibits the production of immonu globulin, which tends to worsen the symptoms of dermatitis and asthma.

It may help prevent cancer. Studies have shown that CMP helps inhibit the growth of cancer cells. CMP inhibits cancer cell and tumor growth by preventing the oxidation of good cholesterol and the production of inflammatory cells.

Prevent Stretch Marks. Ever wonder why pregnant women reach for cocoa butter-enriched products to rub on their bellies? Cocoa butter is loaded with vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C, and E. Paired with its ability to moisturize like no other, cocoa butter is said to be the best ingredient to prevent stretch marks. While cocoa butter can’t entirely erase them, it is able to reduce their appearance remarkably!

Anti-aging Properties. Cocoa butter is rich in antioxidants, which help in fighting off free radicals. Free radicals destroy healthy skin cells, damaging your skin and making it age faster. An added bonus: cocoa butter may also protect your skin from the harmful effects of the sun’s UV rays.

Skin Softener. As mentioned above cocoa contains antioxidants that work toward repairing damaged skin. This will make your skin softer, especially when paired with other homeopathic skins cures like raw honey. Next time you are giving yourself a manicure, use a homemade cocoa lotion made out of yogurt, honey and cocoa powder, works wonder for winter-dry hands!

Hair Moisturizer. The benefits of using cocoa butter on hair are increased manageability and moisture. Cocoa butter can help prevent hair loss due to breakage or extra fine texture. It can also help alleviate scalp itching and irritation. Another benefit of using cocoa butter on hair is the prevention of chemical damage.

I will make sure to invest in some beauty products containing cocoa butter next time I go shopping, you should too!

Exfoliating Homemade Sugar Scrubs

Homemade Sugar Scrubs | The Organic Beauty Blog

Ever notice how near the end of winter your skin starts looking a little dull and listless?  Dry, winter skin causes a build up of dead cells on your skin that make the outer layer look a little less than fabulous.  Though there are a lot of good facial scrubs on the market, sometimes all those added ingredients aren’t all that necessary.. I’ve found that a really effective, super easy, and decidedly cheap option is a simply at-home sugar scrub.  I did one this morning to wake up my skin a little bit, and noticed an immediate improvement in the brightness, smoothness, and moisture of my skin, not to mention a marked shrinking of a pesky zit I woke up with.

I recommend using a raw, organic sugar of a medium coarse size (a little finer than Sugar in the Raw, but not nearly as fine as table sugar).  This size gives you a really good exfoliating effect without being too harsh on the skin.

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The Magic of Apple Cider Vinegar

By: Natasha Uspensky, CHHC

Get this… what common ingredient in your kitchen cupboard can accomplish all of the following:

  • Relieve gastrointestinal discomfort
  • Help with weight loss
  • Stabilize blood sugar
  • Cure acid reflux and indigestion
  • Prevent and heal acne, eczema and dermatitis
  • Cure allergies
  • Get rid of warts
  • Improve overall immunity
  • Detoxify the body
  • Slow the aging process
  • Make hair shiny and full
  • Relieve seasonal allergies
  • Cure a sore throat

Organic Apple Cider Vinegar!!  Amazing, right?  How does it manage to be such a miraculous cure-all?  Well, the acetic acid in apple cider vinegar helps your body metabolize fat and stabilize blood sugar.  Its high content of over 50 vitamins, amino acids, enzymes, and minerals in very specific combination do wonders for your body, while its antiseptic, anti-fungal and antimicrobial qualities help heal skin problems and ward off illness.

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