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Handcrafted Ayurvedic Oils for Natural Beauty

By: Natasha Uspensky, CHHC

Organic Beauty Arya Essentials Oils

If you’ve been reading The Organic Beauty for awhile, you know that my number one secret for gorgeous skin and hair is oil.  I use it to wash my face, moisturize my skin, and condition my hair (among many other beauty tricks).  Being a slightly lazy organic beauty, I opt for simplicity — pure jojoba, argan, and coconut oils.  But simple can definitely get a little boring.

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Green Tea for Maximizing Health and Beauty

 

By: Stephanie Heino

Green Tea for Maximizing Health and Beauty | The Organic Beauty BlogTea (Camellia Sinensis) refers to Black, Green, White and Oolong teas. The teas differ by the fermentation process where the black tea is fully fermented (oxidized), oolong is partially fermented, white is minimally processed and green is unfermented, which makes green tea the healthiest. This article will focus on the health benefits of green tea, but in general all teas are similar due to similar bioactive health substances, like bioflavonoids (super-antioxidants found in many natural foods), for example.

Green tea, made from a bioflavonoid-containing plant – has been enjoyed as a hot (and cold!) beverage and an herbal remedy in China and Japan for thousands of years. Recently, researchers have investigated green tea’s healing properties and have discovered some interesting health benefits which include protection against certain infections; improved cardiovascular health; better dental hygiene; clearer, healthier skin; and protection from developing some types of cancer.

There are many different types of teas available these days.  Some are sold as herbal teas to distinguish them from black tea. Green tea and regular tea come from the same plant – the Camellia sinensis shrub, which is native to Asia.  The leaves of Camellia sinensis are dried and cured in different ways to yield different types of tea. Instead of fermenting the green tea, the leaves are steamed, dried, and ready for use. The steaming deactivates enzymes present in the tea leaves that can slowly break down the bioflavonoids. Therefore, the green tea process preserves much of the beneficial nutrient content found in the fresh tea leaves. Many people are confused about green tea containing caffeine –it does, but only half as much as a cup of coffee (6-ounce cup of green tea can contain 15 to 60 mg of caffeine). There are also decaffeinated green tea beverages and supplements available for people who want to avoid caffeine intake while experiencing the health benefits.

Some of the major beneficial effects of green tea include a reduced risk of many diseases such as heart disease; a reduction of dental problems; a reduced cancer risk, especially gastrointestinal cancer; the maintenance of healthy cholesterol levels; and anti-hypertensive effects. According to Japanese researchers there is a reduced risk of gastric cancers in populations drinking several cups of green tea per day.  According to vital health statistics, the death rate from cancer in both men and women in the Shizuoka region of Japan was found to be much lower than the national average. After conducting animal experiments to see if feeding green tea leaves to mice would suppress cancer cell growth they found that tumor growth in experimental mice fed green tea was indeed suppressed. There is also some evidence that consumption of green tea can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attack and stroke. This can be accomplished by keeping the levels of cholesterol in the blood within a normal range and promoting good blood flow.

There is a great amount of other health benefits of green tea. Due to the naturally occurring amount of fluoride in green tea, as well as the anti-bacterial property, studies have confirmed the positive effect green tea has on teeth. Therefore green tea may be used to prevent dental cavities. Other benefits of drinking green tea before, during, and after meals includes antibacterial action, antioxidant effects, reduction of blood-glucose levels, as well as increased longevity.

The best way to get the benefits from the green tea, take green tea supplements before or with your meals and enjoy a cup of green tea often, in particular with meals. When selecting dietary supplements, look for brands with green-tea extracts standardized to 25-percent or more polyphenols. As part of a total dietary supplement plan, green-tea extract intake of 50 mg or higher will be beneficial.

As for the beauty aspect of drinking green tea, specialists found out that green tea has a special effect on our skinGreen Tea for Maximizing Health and Beauty 3 | The Organic Beauty Blog especially for eczema and acne sufferers. If you suffer from eczema, drinking green tea regularly can be a remedy for reducing the symptoms since green tea plays the role of a moisturizer with its powerful antioxidant properties that are 20 times stronger the vitamin E. Some say that 3 cups a day is enough for a guaranteed result!

Green tea is also good for preventing and fighting existing acne and a much better method that is far less harmful than the chemicals in all products you usually are recommended. You can find several cosmetic products containing green tea extracts, but consuming it is the simplest and best method to receive all possible benefits. It is said that this miracle beverage contains more antioxidants than any of the beauty products rich in chemical antioxidants and vitamins like E, C, and A. Green tea is an amazing antioxidant beauty food for skin and glow, as well as your general health!

Drink it up!

Best Natural Treatments for Rosacea

By: Natasha Uspensky, CHHC

Rosacea is one of those pesky, mysterious conditions that can often be rooted in the mind-body connection.  A frustration a lot of people with rosacea have is that nothing seems to consistently help them manage their breakouts.  A new face wash or magic serum may work for a month or two, but those red blotches just keep coming back.

So what’s the trick?  A less is more approach to skincare, and a holistic approach to self-care and eating that nips those triggers in the bud.  Read on for some natural rosacea treatment facts you may not know!

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Featured Beauty: Elena Rubin Skincare

I get seriously excited about finding like-minded, holistic practitioners in a wide variety of different disciplines that complement the work I do as a Health & Nutrition Counselor.  And when that practitioner’s focus just happens to be looking amazing through an inside-out approach, all while using natural, environmentally friendly products, well that’s just icing on the cake.  Elena Rubin, of Elena Rubin Skincare, is a truly exceptional holistic facialist, who provides not only an amazingly effective, skin-nourishing facial, but also a wonderfully healing, whole body experience.  In addition to her practice, Elena is also the co-owner and founder of Ethos Collective Wellness, a unique collective of wellness practitioners (including yours truly!) in Soho, New York.  She shared some of her skincare secrets with us, as well as her truly fascinating path to the holistic beauty world: 



When did you decide to go into the holistic beauty industry, and what influenced the choice?

 
Over three years ago, although I thought about it on and off for two years before finally making the jump.  Basically, I was interested in doing something that would simultanously both INTEREST me and NOURISH me.  After years of the corporate grind, long hours and high stress of being a management consultant at McKinsey and working on Wall Street as an Investment Banker, I knew I was in serious need of a change.  I could no longer ignore the continual hair loss, the 15 extra pounds that wouldn’t go away, my very pale complexion and simply just feeling quite drained from my every day life.  
 
After reflecting a bit, I realized I will always going to work very hard at any job I do — I’m simply passionate about making a positive impact in the world.  So, I had better pick wisely!  I wanted a field that the more I worked, the more nourished and radiant I would be.  Essentially, I wanted to transform my life that was ever increasingly unhappy into a virtuous cycle of both giving and receiving satisfaction.  
 
I narrowed it down by focusing on the places that I felt happiest and most at ease in.  And of course, the spa was the first place to come to mind!  And, it just kept lingering there.  I liked the image of being in a serene and peaceful place dedicated to making people feel better and healthier.  So I set about finding a way to just be in a spa every day.
 
What do you love most about being a facialist?
Solving mysteries!  I feel like a skin detective…trying to always figure out what is the root of the issue with my client’s skin.  Why is that pimple there, in that exact spot?  Why does it look like this and not like that?  Why is their skin different since the last time I saw them?  What habits did they change? How is this person now versus when I saw them earlier?  It’s an endless journey for me to understand people’s skin.  I don’t have all the answers but I do know a few tricks and I’m love to just keep asking questions because I always want to understand more about that person, that day, their skin and finding a way where I can make it even better.
 
What sets your approach apart?
I am probably the world’s nerdiest facialist.  I love skin care with a passion and I throw a lot of energy, drive and love into what I do.  In fact, I had to cultivate my sense of humor just to balance out how seriously I care about doing the best job I possibly can, each and every time.  This is my craft and I’m dedicated to it in a way that most in my industry don’t try to be.
 
If you had to pick one must-have item from the Elena Rubin Skincare line, what would it be, and why?
 
My Solace cleanser.  It’s very important to get the cleanser right.  There is much focus on creams and lotions and other pretty products, but little love and glamorizing of a basic necessity like a gentle, non-irritating, dirt removing, hydrating, skin health promoting, pH balanced cleanser.  You’d think there would be more good ones out there in the marketplace but surprisingly, there aren’t.  Solace is glycerin and shea-butter base with gentle botanicals and a lovely, sulfate-free foamy texture.  It has rave reviews from my clients who try it and feel the difference — their skin simply feels healthier than with other cleansers.  And happier.
 
How do you source your ingredients?
I have a lab with a team of chemists who are just as committed as I am to creating great, effective natural products that respect the skin and the planet.
 
What are your top three tips for beautiful skin?
 
Beauty Sleep – there is no replacement for getting enough rest.  Sleep is when we do our cellular repair and regeneration.  If at all possible, try to sleep at least between the hours of 10 pm – 2 am.  I find snoozing during those hours leaves me more rested than sleeping many more hours in a during a different time of the day.
 
Eat Your Greens – specifically the dark ones.  Green vegetables are wonderful at tonifying the liver which filters out toxins in the body.  And, they provide many of the minerals and nutrients our bodies need to carry out cellular repair and heal ourselves.  My favorites to take in are kale, spirulina and broccoli.
 
Stick to a Regimen – 80% of great skin comes from the products you use every day.  The other 20% comes from what I can do in the Skin Care Studio.  It’s important for everyone to have a cleanser, hydrator, day lotion with a mineral sunscreen and a night moisturizer.  Many other people also benefit from using specific products to treat their current skin conditions like blackheads, redness or fine lines.
 
What are some misconceptions people have about skincare?
That it’s your skin’s fault for having skin conditions.  It’s not. Your skin is fundamentally, an amazing miracle and it’s doing a great job of dealing with a lot of hostile factors in today’s modern world.  I help turn people’s skin around because I teach you how to work WITH your skin to help it do it’s own job better.  Many skin care products on the market and habits in our daily lives do the opposite.
 
Are there any foods you recommend for great skin?
 
Get your fibrous vegetables every day – they really do make a difference.  And, avoid too much meat, sugar and dairy as these can contribute to more breakouts and oilier, more congested skin.
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Check out a list of Elena’s services here… I highly recommend the Signature Facial, it really is a skin-transforming experience!