Natural Beauty

    I haven't really mentioned it before, but I believe that part of living a happier, healthier life is making choices in your everyday to live a little cleaner and a little greener.  I am no expert.  There is a quote from Saint Augustine that "Complete abstinence is easier than perfect moderation."  It's probably true.  Achieving perfect moderation in life is tough.  Between healthy food and fast food, work and family life-- balance is hard.  Some of my favorite recipes to share are those that aren't so healthy for you, but I try to limit my portions and eat healthy whenever I can.  I'm also a make from scratch fanatic.  I think that even less healthy dishes can be balanced by the fact that they don't contain a lot of processed junk.  

    When it comes to cosmetics, I have been slowly switching over some of my beauty products to their more natural, fewer chemical-containing counterparts.  If you're interested in things of this nature, I have gotten a lot out of Jessica Alba's new book The Honest Life.  For those of you who haven't seen it, she has a company that specializes in organic products.  The idea was sparked from the lack of options she came across while preparing for her first baby.  While I haven't fully switched over to all organic everything and realize that claiming "natural" is totally different from a product being "organic," for the purposes of keeping it real on this blog, I can say that I am trying.  And I think becoming more informed is a great start.

    
    My focus so far has been getting undesirable things out of my products rather than making sure that what is in my product is from only organic sources.  For example I've tried to stop using items that contain loads of sulfates, parabens, and dyes.  As I get older my skin has become more sensitive and dry, and I don't think that these additives were doing me any favors. 

    Admittedly, I can be a marketing push-over.  These products aren't perfect, but they are the first step that I've made in getting away from harsh chemicals.  Included in my daily routine these days: Mrs Meyer's Clean Day Hand Soap, Bio-Oil (CVS brand), Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Facial Cleanser, CoverGirl NatureLuxe Gloss, Bare Minerals Foundation, and Burt's Bees cuticle cream.

    I can't wait to do a more in depth post later on down the road, but for today, I just wanted to share some of my recent purchases and thoughts on the subject.  Happy Friday!

    

*Note that I have received no compensation from any of these brands