Healthy and Green Living » Healthy Beauty Basics

Easy Greening: Hair Removal

Annie B. Bond — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:00:25 +0000

By the Care2 Staff.

It's bathing suit season and that means unsightly-hair awareness. Unfortunately most salon waxes are petroleum-based, store-bought depilatories contain ingredients thought to be possible carcinogens, and disposable razors clutter up the planet. Try these eco-friendly solutions instead! We include a super-sweet DIY body-sugaring formula, and links to some great new products to try.

Do You Get Enough Sleep? Quiz

Annie B. Bond — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:00:08 +0000

Sleep is the physiological function that helps nourish our mind, body, and soul, essential for good health and upbeat spirits. Better sleep gives you more energy, improves your mood, makes you less prone to accidents and less irritable, and increases your life span.

Hairbrushes: Easy Greening

Melissa Breyer — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 21:00:08 +0000

Did you know that the earliest hairbrushes were made of materials such as porcupine quills? Although we have clearly refined the equipment used for our grooming needs, do any of us really know what our hairbrushes are made of? Here we take a quick look at hairbrushes and offer up some great green and vegan alternatives to mass-manufactured hairbrushes.

Surprise Foods Rich in Flavonoids

Annie B. Bond — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 19:00:16 +0000

Flavonoids provide powerful protection against cancer and other diseases. Flavonoids are plant pigments responsible for the color of flowers, fruits, and sometimes leaves. Researchers believe that it is in the flavonoids that plants supply us with the natural, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant magic bullets so important for our health.

13 Symptoms of Chronic Dehydration

Annie B. Bond — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 12:00:12 +0000

Most people don't think they need to worry about dehydration. To them, dehydration is something that happens to travelers in the desert when they run out of water. But there is a chronic form of dehydration that does not have the sudden and intense nature of the acute form. Chronic dehydration is widespread in the present day and affects everyone who is not drinking enough liquid.

Save the Fish, Harm the Animals?

Jana Ballinger — Tue, 27 May 2008 19:00:47 +0000

Label-conscious is not generally a label I’d stick on myself, but in the context of reading the labels of my cleaning products, my shampoo, the lotions and makeup I apply to my skin and lips, well if the label fits then I’ll wear it. In college, lo so many years ago, my main criteria was to [...]

Guide to Essential Oils

Melissa Breyer — Thu, 08 May 2008 17:00:38 +0000

Aromatherapy, the use of scents from the essential oils of plants to alter mood and promote healing, is an ancient art currently enjoying a resounding revival. While many common garden plants are used in essential oils�peppermint, basil, and lavender, to name just a few�the quantities of flowers or leaves needed to produce the oil (1,000 [...]

A Fragrant Way to Detox

Melissa Breyer — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:00:21 +0000

Aromatherapy has been used to increase physical and emotional well-being at least since the time of the ancient Egyptians. While this therapy has a wide variety of uses, including relieving pain, nausea, colds, skin problems and other conditions, its stress-relieving qualities are also used in detoxification. Aromatherapy uses plants’ essential oils, which have been chemically extracted [...]

I’m Gonna Wash Those Parabens Right Outta My Hair

Jana Ballinger — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:17:56 +0000

Since I have been working at Care2, I have read many articles about these things called parabens. In my local health food store, and in magazine ads as well, I have seen claims of things having no parabens. Suddenly, parabens�or the lack thereof�were everywhere. So what’s the deal? Here’s the full scoop. In short, they are [...]

Good Scents: Natural Perfumes

Melissa Breyer — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:00:40 +0000

Perfume must be the most ironic of gifts: Perfect pretty little bottles with perfect pretty little names, filled with sweet smelling petrochemicals. Did you know that 95 percent of the chemicals used in perfume are derived from petroleum, many of them quite toxic? Ick. This year give a gift that triggers delight, not rashes and asthma. Read on for more about the synthetic ingredients commonly used in perfumes and see our picks for all-natural alternatives.