Tag Archives: health

Eco-Chic Tip of the Week: DIY Beauty Masks

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Try making hair and facial masks using whole foods—it will limit your exposure to harsh chemicals and treat your skin and hair to the nutrients they need. Be sure to buy organically and locally whenever possible! Here are a couple DIY beauty recipes to nourish your body, inside and out:

DIY beauty recipe

Coconut Avocado Hair Mask

1 ripe avocado, mashed completely
1/2 cup coconut milk
3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

Combine the coconut milk and olive oil—stirring rapidly to mix well—and add the mashed avocado. Warm the mixture on the stovetop until it’s slightly warm. Apply the mask from roots to ends, massaging it into your scalp. Leave on for at least 30 minutes or as long as you can, and then wash your hair with a gentle cleanser.

DIY beauty face mask

Honey Banana Facial Mask

1 teaspoon honey
2 teaspoons plain yogurt
1 banana, mashed well

Smooth mixture over clean skin and allow to dry for 10-15 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with cold water. It’s that easy!

(images: Life Martini and Derby City Naturals)

When concocting DIY beauty masks, remember to recycle or reuse coconut milk cans, honey jars, and yogurt containers. Composting is great too—for the avocado skins and banana peels!

Refill. Reuse. Repeat.

Tired Of Dealing With Frizzy Hair? Learn How To Solve The Problem For Good

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One of the most common hair complaints is frizz, but to solve the problem, we must first understand it. Although it does not seem like it, your hair is complex. The strand itself is made up of three layers, composed of thousands of cells. The outermost layer is called the cuticle. The cells that make up this layer can be thought of as roof shingles. When hair is smooth, those shingles lie flat. People with frizz tend to have dry hair, which absorbs moisture from the air and causes the “shingles”, or cells in the cuticle, to lift. Similarly, if you suffer from excess frizz and brush your dry hair, the friction causes the same lifting effect. The cuticle cells become separated, creating the dreaded Ms. Frizzle look.

So, the main culprit of frizz is dry hair, but how do we combat dryness? The industry’s current methods seem to treat symptoms, but there is a way to solve the problem. We think the solution can be summed up in a quote:

“The healthy of your body shows up in your hair.”

In the modern world, we put our bodies through countless stressors that come at us from all angles. Processed foods, harsh chemicals, environmental pollutants, and even emotional stress all takes a toll on our body. Basically, an unhappy body produces unhappy hair. So what should you do, move to the mountains and become a hermit while you restore your frizzy strands? You could, but we’ve got better ideas.

Firstly, know what’s in your products and know what to avoid. If you shower with natural, healthy products, it will reward you with beautiful, shimmering, frizz-less hair. One of the main causes of frizzy hair is SLS, or sodium lauryl sulfate. SLS is a cheap chemical that is present in many shampoos and is used as a surfactant. The harsh chemical strips off all of the dirt, grime, and grease that collects in your hair, but it also strips off the good, natural oils your body produces to nourish and protect your scalp and hair. This stresses your body and dries out your hair, opening the door for frizz.

Second, many people think their frizzy hair is natural and that it’s something they need to cope with. Au contraire! In fact, a few simple lifestyle changes could drastically improve the health of your hair. Your body has natural ways of moisturizing and protecting your skin and hair, and you need to work with these processes, rather than replace them. By simply switching to a sulfate-free shampoo you will notice a markable difference in shine and consistency.

And lastly, your diet can either be beneficial or detrimental to the health of your hair. To improve your hair shine and reduce dryness, here are a few tips from Daily Glow:

Get your protein. Your hair is built of protein, so make sure you include plenty of it in your diet to help your hair grow thick and strong. Look for lean proteins that feature large amounts of two nutrients, biotin and omega-3 fatty acids, which will help your hair shine. Some excellent choices include salmon, flaxseed, soy, eggs, and beans.

Get your vitamins. Vitamin A, found in vegetables like carrots and in many fruits, has been shown to prevent hair loss. Vitamins C and E are antioxidants, which can help keep your skin vibrant and your hair shiny and healthy. You’ll find these nutrients in many fruits and vegetables, including pomegranates, blueberries, and spinach. Consider starting your day with a vitamin-enriched cereal or a multivitamin to make sure you’re getting all the vitamins you need.

Load up on dark green, leafy vegetables. These healthy superfoods do more than promote overall health — they are chock-full of vitamins A and C (necessary for your body to produce shine-inducing oils for your hair) and also have heavy doses of iron and selenium.

Drink your milk. Low-fat dairy products are abundant in necessary proteins — and they include calcium, an important building block for hair growth.

Go a little nuts. Many tree nuts are rich in selenium, an important mineral for improving the health of your hair and scalp — especially Brazil nuts. And walnuts are full of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E.

(images: A Curly Girl’s Journey)

How To Wash Your Hair: using Use Me products to achieve sustainable beauty

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An important step on the road to natural, sustainable beauty is how you use your products correctly. At Use Me we are not only concerned with providing the best, healthiest products, but also with education people and often changing their perception of cleanliness. I must say corporate marketing teams have done a great job convincing consumers what it means to be “clean”. If you watch any shampoo commercial online, you will undoubtedly see copious amounts of foam and suds, followed by a swish of the head and voila – beautiful shine from root to end. Little do you know, all that lather is really doing is stripping away your natural oils. These oils are a necessity and help nourish our hair while protecting our scalp. If you follow the ads, then once your hair is “clean”, you lather on moisturizer while your body rushes to produce extra oils because SOMEHOW they just got stripped away. What you are left with is an unnatural cycle that is slowly taking you down the road of premature aging hair. I would now like to outline the correct way to wash your hair to start you on the path towards natural hair.

First Rule: Cleanser is for the scalp, moisturizer is for the hair. 

When shampooing your hair, all you should be doing is cleansing your scalp. The cleanser (shampoo) is meant to remove excess oils and any dirt or grime that has accumulated on your scalp. Do not worry about lathering cleanser all throughout your hair. This will only lead you to use too much product and it will dry out your hair. If you are thinking “well my hair is dirty too so how do I get it clean”, do not worry. When you rinse, the cleanser will move down through your hair, removing any lingering dirt or grime. This process is more than enough to clean your scalp and hair, and it will leave your natural oils atop your head.

Now its time for moisturizer, to strengthen your hair and protect from the elements. Remember, you already have natural oils on your scalp that do the same thing. So, when applying moisturizer, focus on the hair and ends. This way, you will help repair your hair, reduce frizz, and enhance your natural shine without getting unnecessary buildup on your scalp that could clog pores and may even stress your body.

Second Rule: Wash once a day or every two days.

By washing your hair too many times, you run the risk of stripping away your natural oils. These oils make up a protective layer on your scalp called your sebum. Your sebum has many roles on your head and I recommend looking it up. Three important functions are protecting and moisturizing the skin, assisting your immune system, and nourishing your hair follicle. When the sebum is diminished or depleted, your skin is exposed and your body becomes stressed trying to replace it. Often times your body produce excess oils to repair the damage and prevent this from happening again. This will lead to an oily scalp, clogged pores, and cause you to wash more frequently, hence the unnatural, downwards spiral.

Final Rule: A little goes a long way. 

Everyone is different and it will take some experimentation to find the right amount of product, but trust me when I say “more is not better”. Not only are you running the risk of stripping away more good oils and drying out your hair, but you are wasting product, and product is money! All you really need is a teaspoon sized amount (usually even less) to get the job done. Remember, your hair is not a kitchen floor, it should not be “squeaky clean”. There are natural process that control your hair and you need to synchronize with and enhance them, not replace them, in order to achieve natural, sustainable beauty.

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Check Out Our Amazing Review From Maria Organica

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We are always looking for accomplished beauty and eco-friendly professionals to try our products. While we know that we have one of the most comprehensive and effective lines on the market, it is important to hear what other experts have to say.

We recently sent some product to Maria Organica, a self-proclaimed “vegan/vegetarian, animal activist, environmentalist and healthy educated consumer who understands the importance of buying power in health and the impact of the world”. I think the title of her review speaks for itself and rather than try to rewrite what she has written, I will only offer a small excerpt.

“After I used their “Cleanser” my curly hair felt deep clean, but once I tried their “moisturizer”, I knew what their product was all about. Those two need to be used together to have the full effect; and I felt it right the way after my very first use. I also saved this review for a few weeks later after I dyed my hair to see how it would react to these products and it still worked great! My biggest surprise was yet to come. My husband, who has very thick and straight hair, (completely different than mine), used this product one day without asking me, and I was shocked to hear his testimony about it. I honestly thought it was only for curly hair, but it turns out that it did work with his hair type as well! So I think regardless of what type of hair you have, this product will work for you. It will help balance the structure and find it’s right level of moisturizer.”

I recommend reading the entire article to hear about Maria’s complete Use Me experience.

Check out Maria’s Use Me Review Here (http://www.mariaorganica.com/my-life-before-and-after-use-me-hair-product-the-best-hair-products-i-have-ever-used-in-my-life/)

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5 Reasons Why Use Me Products Is The Most Eco-Conscious Professional Hair Care Brand Available

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Use Me Products was created to right the many wrongs in the the beauty industry. One of our biggest concerns was creating a brand that could be synonymous with healthy living, sustainability, and eco-consciousness. As a consumer, it is difficult to discern the most environmentally friendly brands because the definition of eco-consciousness varies from person to person. I recently read a blog post that listed the top ten environmentally friendly celebrities, one of whom his only claim to eco-consciousness was buying a prius… There are many companies that claim to be eco-friendly, yet often fail to encompass the big picture by only focusing by a few small pieces of the puzzle. With Use Me, we did our best to examine every aspect of our brand, from ingredients to production, in order to create the most comprehensively eco-conscious products available. This way, our customers can be confident that by choosing Use Me they are making the best decision for themselves and the planet.

5 Reasons Why Use Me Products Is The Most Eco-Conscious Professional Hair Care Brand Available:

1. The Patented Use Me Filling Station

One of the most exciting and eco-conscious aspects of the Use Me brand is our patented filling station. This 100% recycled and reclaimed fixture allows customers to refill their BPA-free cleanser and moisturizer bottles in the salon. Recycling is great, but this feature almost entirely eliminates post consumer waste by allowing Use Me patrons to use one bottle for years!

2. Sulfate-, Paraben-, BPA-Free

To the educated consumer, picking between hair care brands feels like picking between poisons. This is not the case with Use Me products. Sulfates, parabens, and BPA are all chemicals that have been receiving very negative views. Scientists have uncovered that these three are a menace in the beauty industry and are often the culprit behind many acute physical symptoms such as dry scalp, itchy eyes, and swollen hands as well as serious chronic conditions as a result of their ability to mimic certain hormones in the body and even cancer. Not only that, but these chemicals often find their way into our local ecosystems waterways, where they wreak havoc on the wildlife. By excluding all of these chemicals, we have taken a huge step in improving the health of our patrons as well as improving the earth.

3. Made In the USA

Besides the obvious economic benefits of making our products in the US, there are many environmental benefits that often go unnoticed. People fail to realize the immense carbon footprint that all foreign products produce. Not only are many of these products produced in facilities with lower quality standards, but shipping them to the US is a very costly venture. Studies show that global merchant fleets carbon emissions are somewhere around 1.12 billion tonnes (1tonne = 1000 kilograms)!

4. Vegan, Organic Ingredients

Our products are as organic and natural as they can be while still maintaining professional functionality. By selecting only the finest and most necessary ingredients for our products, we not only protect our customers from unhealthy, over-processed substances, but also support eco-conscious, sustainable practices.

5. 1% for the Planet Member

1% for the Planet exists to build and support an alliance of businesses financially committed to creating a healthy planet. At Use Me Products, we are proud to give 1% of our sales to environmental causes around the globe.

In an industry where is often hard to find effective products that coincide with your morals, we fill a niche. Our customers no longer have to sacrifice their health for their looks, or vice versa.

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Use Me Welcomes Prelude of New Hampshire To The Family

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Use Me Products is thrilled to welcome Prelude: Purveyors of Imported Soaps, Fine Jewelry, and Gifts to our growing family. We are proud to announce that our products can now be purchased at their amazing shop located on 65 Market Street in beautiful downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Prelude has been “a feast for the senses since 1983″ as a purveyor of some of the finest names in soaps, lotions, and bath and body care from around the world. They also specialize in the finest beautiful and unique international silver and gold jewelry. So, to all of our great fans in the New Hampshire area, make sure to stop by Prelude, where their amazing staff will be able to fulfill your every Use Me need.

For directions or more information, visit http://www.preludeportsmouth.com/ContactUs.htm

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The Health of Your Body… Shows Up in Your Hair: The Importance of Being Sulfate-Free

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I recently read an informative blog post by Killer Strands Hair Clinic, explaining the importance of using Sulfate-Free beauty products. This is a great post that highlights a major aspect of Use Me’s mission, touching on the silent dangers and consequences of modern beauty. The following is an excerpt from the article that is vital to reeducating beauty enthusiasts around the country…

“Unfortunately, it is not easy to tell a good shampoo from a poor one. Cost, fragrance, and lots of foam is what most people look for in shampoo products. Lather and foam does absolutely nothing to make a shampoo a good one, but they often get the most attention.This is something I am trying to re-teach America: Lots of bubbles has zero to do with the quality of shampoo – you must let that one thing ‘go’ – please.

Foaming occurs when surfactant molecules gather around air instead of oil. The result is millions of tiny bubbles. Obviously, the air bubbles are using the surfactants that should be removing dirt and oil. We have all seen shampoo advertisements showing happy, beautiful people taking showers with their heads heaped high with mounds of lather. These images have taught the public to associate lather with cleansing ability. The truth is, lots of foamy lather only means too much shampoo was used. Excess foam equals waste. Sebum and other oils quickly destroy foam. Ideally, the head should have just enough lather to lubricate the scalp and hair. This will help your fingers massage the shampoo more effectively into the hair. Fragrances and foaming qualities are not good ways to evaluate shampoos. ”

This post reiterates everything we are trying to teach our customers and beauty products users around the world. But, sometimes it takes more than one person to convince people of something. I recommend checking out the rest of the article to learn why it is so important to use Sulfate-Free hair care products.

http://killerstrands.blogspot.com/2008/01/sulfate-free-shampoo-list.html

To learn more about Use Me Products and purchase our Sulfate-Free Cleansers, visit our website at www.usemeproducts.com

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Amazing Before and After’s From America’s Beauty Show

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[slideshow]

A select few at Americas Beauty Show in Chicago were fortunate enough to feel the full effects of Use Me’s eco-chic luxury products. Our 100% recylced and recylcable booth was constructed to support two mini hair stations. It was amazing to watch as our expert stylists completely transformed these women in less than 45 minutes. All of us at the show were moved by the fact that some were even brought to tears by their new hair, achieving looks they never thought possible. Needless to say, every model bought product.

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WYSITY: Smelling Good Never Felt So Great

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http://www.holistic-guide.com/aromatherapy-romance

When we say we are the most comprehensive hair care line, we mean it. First, we wanted Use Me Products to be the best functioning, most professional hare care brand available. Next, we scoured the globe to find ingredients that would make our formulas some of the safest and most environmentally friendly on the planet. The third step, oft overlooked by brands and customers alike, was finding the right aroma (I say aroma and not fragrance because as I have stated before, the word FRAGRANCE has become tainted by the beauty products industry). Of course everyone wants their products to smell good, but few really explore the intricate power of sense of smell.

People often forget how important your sense of smell really is. It can affect the way your food tastes, is directly connected with your emotions, and I am willing to bet that all of you reading this article have an arsenal of memories linked with smells locked away just waiting to be released. Aromatherapy is an underrated form of alternative medicine that uses natural aromas to alter a persons mind, mood, and health. Essential oils, extracted from natural sources, trigger chemical responses in the brain to achieve any number of affects. You may not realize it, but this happens to you almost every day. You may be calmed by the familiar smell of your house, aroused by the distinct scent of your lover, and most certainly physically sickened by the smell of whatever repulsed you. There are naturally, everyday scents that can unleash these feelings, and this is the power of auromatherapy.

We at Use Me have done our homework. If you are going to wash your hair with product and smell it all day, that is a something that will affect the way you feel, ALL DAY. So, when we were picking the natural, essential oils to add to our products, we thought of how we wanted to feel all day. Each Use Me product, with the exception of the odorless Sea Salt Matte Paste, has a unique blend of essential oils and botanical extracts to not only smell good, but make you feel great all day. Our aromas include Lavender, Lemon Grass, Night Jasmine, Violet, which evoke sensuality, relaxation, relief from depression and even form powerful love sachets;)

This is just one more way in which we have explored every little detail to create the most comprehensive professional hair care line. We have brought back the power of Natural Frangrance so you can look good, feel good, and do good for yourself and the planet. Checkout your local salon to purchase our products and if they do not yet carry Use Me, tell them to give us a call. Also, you can purchase online at www.usemeproducts.com.

Check out http://www.holistic-guide.com/aromatherapy for more info on what our essential oils and botanical extracts can do.

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Why Use ME?

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Why Use Me?

We are a line of hair care products that is all about natural ingredients, eco-smart packaging and giving back to create a better, cleaner world. The product line was developed by salon entrepreneurs because they were tired of companies promising and selling one thing and, after experiencing a few years of success, changing the game by becoming part of a larger concern.

Additionally, the founders set out to create a line that was/is good enough to eat… these vegan products are sulfate free and are harmless on all fronts – body and earth. They work incredibly well and are the definition of sustainability because once the initial bottle is purchased, the packaging can be re-used at a specially and consciously constructed salon-based Filling Station (See Here).

The products:

  • contain organic ingredients.
  • are created for all types of hair.
  • are pleasantly scented and not overly perfumed.
  • were created by salon professionals.
  • work.
  • come in eco-friendly reusable packaging.

For the salon owner:

“Use Me is the coolest line I’ve seen in years… their natural products really work and I love the reaction my customers have when they find out that they don’t cost an arm and a leg to use (beauty in this case does not have its price) and that the shampoos, conditioners and styling products can be re-filled right here. Oh, and the fact that I can sell the re-fill bar as furniture to my clients is kinda cool, too.”

  • 100% natural & organic, vegan ingredients, not overly scented, eco-friendly great scented products that work.
  • Tested and used at a salon on humans, no animal testing ever.
  • 100% post-consumer waste packaging that is re-useable, re-filled at salon-based enviro-friendly re-fill bar.
  • Created by salon professionals who care as much about beauty as they do about mother earth.
  • Use Me products work, they are smart and mark the beginning of a revolution in hair care that considers, profits, the environment and your clients’ budgets.

Need I say more?

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