I am not only a natural skin care advocate; I am also an advocate of good nutrition and nobody can deny the connection between nutrition and health. It may have started with my quest for natural skin products or more likely when I started watching The Biggest Loser. There is no greater proof than seeing these amazing transformations and the fact that most of them no longer need medication to keep them alive.

There are no health and nutrition secrets. The “big secret” is a proper diet.

Did anyone notice that with every generation, disease has continued to grow? Heart disease, cancer, ADHD, autism, diabetes? Why?

Why is our population so diseased? Why is unemployment so high? Why can’t our kids learn well in school? Why is America losing its leadership position in the world? Why are so many jobs being offshored to other countries?

What if there were a single underlying reason that answered all these questions? There is:

Nutrition.

Poor nutrition destroys any nation. Good nutrition saves it. And in this Natural News special report, you’ll learn why nutrition plays such a powerful role in society and the impact it has on health, happiness, productivity and even freedom.

Learn what a bad diet is, learn about junk food and consequences, a good diet benefits, and the problem with medications. A must read for your health, for your skin, for the future health of your children.

I will never forget this young woman that I worked with for many years who refused to remove her facial hair. This was not soft, light, barely visible hair that most of us have and hate.  We’re talking hairs coming out of her chin and cheeks, at least a half inch long. Help me out here….why would anyone insist on carrying around this female facial hair when there are so many inexpensive female facial hair removal options? I don’t get it.

So many facial hair removal options….

Tweezing: Ouch. If this were the only way to remove it, I would do it, wouldn’t you?

Depilatory creams: they work however they often burn your skin and leave it raw for days.

Bleaching : can lighten the hair but contain harsh chemicals.

Waxing: always my choice hair remover however I eventually tired of the messy residue. When I introduced waxing to my sister, she was in so much pain, she started to cry. Waxing is not for the weak.

Permanent hair removal through electrolysis: becoming very popular. It electrically shocks the hair follicles and destroys them for good. It will cost you.

Laser hair removal: destroys the hair follicles and must be performed by a licensed practitioner. Also not cheap and not everyone responds to the treatment.

My interest in natural skin products got me thinking about these nasty smelling depilatory creams and bleaching creams that make you gag and laser removal or electrolysis is far too expensive. At my age, I would rather purchase a few new outfits and resort to tweezing. An unexpected email and my daughter’s complaints about burning her skin, led me to some other natural options.

Natural facial hair removal for women:

Sugaring: Sugaring has just come to the forefront over the last several years as many women are searching for chemical free options in skin care products. You can purchase ready made sugaring products such as Moom Organic Hair Removal.

Most hair hair removal products have concentrated on removing unwanted hair without regard to the damage it causes to the skin underneath. After using MOOM, however, the skin feels and looks smoother, younger and moisturized. It is pure and contains nothing but chamomile, sugar, lemon, essential oils and water. Moom removes hair from the root and will not remove your skin.

If you have lots of time on your hands you can also whip up your own sugaring solution at home:

Mix ¼ cup of water, 2 cups sugar and ¼ cup lemon juice in a pan and heat (or Microwave) on a medium heat until it bubbles up into a smooth consistency. Let the solution cool down so that it is warm to the touch.

Dust hair with cornstarch. Spread a thin layer of the sugaring solution on your skin in the direction of the hair growth. Then press 1 to 1¼ inch wide cotton cloth strips, rub your hand on the strip and wait. When the solution cools down and hardens, pull the cloth away quickly in the opposite direction of your hair growth. Repeat it 2-3 times.

Just as painful as waxing? For some maybe, but the fact that it is all natural and leaves your skin soft, smooth and moisturized is well worth it. If you’re already waxing, then what the hey?

Threading: Threading is an ancient form of hair removal that continues to be practiced by many in the Eastern part of the world. Unwanted hair is removed from the roots with the use of a cotton thread by trained practitioners. Today, threading hair removal is the hottest method of facial hair removal and continues to grow in popularity in the U.S. and worldwide.

With Bellabe Facial Hair Removal, however based on threading, threading hair removal expertise is not required, since no thread is involved and no risk of cuts and nicks. How does it work? Basically you bend the bar downward, place against your upper lip, roll the handles inward and outward in a continuous motion and voila! The hair is removed by the root.

So with the above chemical free facial hair removal options, you will not be ripping a layer of skin off of your face and you will never have a rough red patch over your lip for days on end.

There is absolutely nothing that will make you feel better than having soft, silky, sexy skin. Nothing. Except maybe losing ten pounds and fitting into that tight skirt that you wore five years ago.

There is an extremely cheap way to get silky, smooth skin…really, really smooth. It’s called exfoliating gloves. I discovered these from a friend. Yes, I have become a stalker of other people’s natural skin products and secrets. Do I open drawers and closets? No, but if I happen to see something interesting lying around, I will certainly start asking questions. “What the heck do you use these gloves for?”

These exfoliation gloves, I was told at the time are used to gently exfoliate the dead layers of skin and impurities from the body’s surface. They unclog pores and stimulate blood circulation. Of course, I had to try them. That was 6 months ago and I don’t know how I lived without them.

I have very dry skin in the winter and these exfoliating gloves are an easy way to slough off the nasty dry skin prior to applying my lotion. The dead skin that was removed the first time was shocking. These gloves truly rejuvenate your skin and you will see results immediately.

Exfoliating gloves are cheap and effective. I use them on my legs, arms and butt. They are a little abrasive so I wouldn’t recommend using them on your face. They are especially effective if used with a body wash in the shower.

Use these gloves for natural exfoliation only once or twice a week and of course on special nights out. Throw on a natural skin care oil after your shower and your skin will be shiny, silky, soft and oh so smooth. Believe me he will notice.

My favorite exfoliating glove

Eden Allure Pure Moroccan Argan oil is now located in Trade Secrets /Glamour Secrets stores across Canada, and in a few select locations here in the US. No need to pay shipping costs to Canada to buy Argan oil anymore. Please go to the “Locations” section of the Edan Allure Organic Argan Oil website for addresses and contact information for the salons. While you’re there, don’t forget to sign up for Eden Allure’s free monthly giveaway. Register and you may win a free bottle of pure Argan oil and two organic beauty bars worth $46.

Over the course of the next four to five months Eden Allure will be adding new products to thier line, so stay on the lookout.

Because of the new growing  interest in everything natural, including skin care, many of us are duped by pseudonatural products. You know, nice smelling, beautifully packaged products you must have, sometimes marketed by “echo-conscious” companies. These products may look and smell pretty, however they are made with synthetic ingredients that appeal to our senses and often make us look the other way when it comes to the ingredients list.

Many women would be shocked to learn how much they have been duped into believing that cheaply made, irritating skin products were actually a cutting edge product. Some companies are offering great new breakthrough ingredients however most only use a very small amount of these active ingredients in a mixture of chemical irritants. They can still go on and on and advertise the effectiveness of this ingredient.

Bottom line is that you must not let your senses rule. You will never be able to tell the difference between a pure essential oil and scented solvents unless you read the ingredient list. You will never know how much of an effective active ingredient is added to the newest skin care miracle unless you read the ingredient list. Don’t let the advertising get the best of you.

Dirt cheap synthetic ingredients=higher profits=more money for beautiful ads and beautiful packaging=useless to the consumer.

Every woman should add an organic skin cream to her daily skin care regimen. Over time, using the wrong skin cream, over exfoliating and using products that contain toxic ingredients could very well change your skin type for the worse. Some ingredients found in skin creams purchased at your local store, can dry the skin and some chemicals can actually create sensitive skin.

If you haven’t yet tried truly natural skin products because you’re not sure where to buy them, this site can help point you in the right direction. If you haven’t tried organic skin products because you think they are expensive, this site will show you that this is not necessarily the case.

There are hundreds of natural skin care companies and hundreds of organic skin creams available today. Unfortunately for now, most of the best are only sold through the internet. As more and more people are learning about the benefits of natural and organic, more and more companies are introducing new natural products to their skin care lines.

A good organic skin cream will:

• Replenish the natural moisture of your outermost layer of skin
• Not be heavy,oily, or greasy
• Contain essential oils to enhance oil production
• Contain the most potent anti-aging antioxidants
• Be free of all chemicals

As for price? There are definitely expensive organic skin products on the market however, there are hundreds sold for far less than the average price you are paying now. In addition, how many of these so called anti-aging products are you buying and how often? How many are still sitting on your dresser half used because you did not see results and went on to the next big product? Yes, we’ve all been there.

Organic skin cream is produced with natural oils, flowers, herbs and fruits and free of parabens, mineral oil, petroleum and other harmful chemicals. Most importantly, organic works!

OK. I am on my last bit of organic Argan oil so I decided to cut back and only use it on nights that I must look good. You know, those nights you make an extra effort to look good to go out with friends, hubby, etc? Why, why, why did I do this?

I decided not to buy Argan oil right now because I am trying to purchase other natural skin products that I can review on this site and I only have so much money to go around. I can’t wait to try this all natural firming serum and rejuvinating mist from Mychelle, or get my four free samples from Naturopathica with my next product order, and OMG, the new line of natural skin products from Omega5 made with you guessed it, pomegranate! This all took priority over ordering my $30 bottle of organic Argan oil.

What a friggen mistake that was. Don’t do it. If you have been using Argan oil for any length of time, don’t stop using it! After only 2 weeks of using it only on those occasions to look hot, I can already see a drastic difference in my skin. I am not going to go into details here…all I will say is that my skin is looking like crap. I was obviously used to my skin looking great while using Argan oil and had a slight set back. Never, ever again.

Ahhhh…pure skin. All of the baby boomers covet it. Most of the twenty somethings abuse it. I wish I had known back then what I know now and that is “to make sure your outer layer remains healthy and pure.”

Why is pure natural skin so important?

I don’t care how many of you will argue this point, when your skin looks good, it changes everything about your life. People look twice when you walk by, they open doors for you, they let you go ahead of them in the grocery line, people smile at you and most importantly you are noticed. It makes us feel good.

We are now a society obsessed with looking younger. Bombarded with messages and on radio, television, magazines and the internet, we spend fortunes on products to eliminate acne, wrinkles, dry skin and eczema. One report states that we spend more on skin care products than education.

The way your skin looks can directly affect your mood and your self confidence. If you don’t agree, than you would not be on this site right now. So how can you get your pure skin back? I believe that using nontoxic, effective, natural skin products will give you the vibrant, healthy, younger looking skin that everyone wants and needs to feel good about themselves.

What is pure skin?

Skin that has been or will be exposed to only the purest skin care ingredients from mother nature. Skin that is exposed only to pure skin products that work with your skin and not against it. Skin that is not absorbing the chemicals from products making skin conditions worse and even instigating skin conditions that never existed before.

And in order to keep your skin pure, you must protect and support it.

• Identify unsafe chemical ingredients in your skin care products and learn how those chemicals can harm you.
• Learn which nontoxic ingredients truly work.
• Learn how to support your pure skin with supplements for skin and exercising.
• Learn how to manage or eliminate those annoying skin problems with natural skin products.

Unfortunately, we have saturated our lives with toxic chemicals. Damaging to our bodies and damaging to our skin. Many of these chemicals are used to make skin care and makeup look and smell more appealing. That’s great, we all want nice smelling products, except that the nonprofit organization, Environmental Working Group (EWG), has reported that one of every 13 women are exposed to ingredients that are known or probable human carcinogens (cancer causing agents) daily.

Why, when there are thousands of companies producing pure skin products? Why would anyone continue to use ineffective, toxic skin care products? The only answer I have is that most of the population doesn’t know they exist.

I have a list of at least 100 natural skin care products that I would love to review if I only had the time. All of these companies have eliminated chemicals and preservatives from their products. Most are no more expensive than the products you buy at your local pharmacy. Don’t let the television and magazine ads convince you that you must have their next “miracle” product. Most are full of chemicals and just don’t work. Just take a look at the products in your cabinets.

The only way to achieve pure natural skin is through proper diet, exercise and the use of natural skin products.

• Should Manufacturers Disclose Secret Chemical Ingredients? (treehugger.com)
• Women put 515 chemicals on their face and body every day in beauty regime (telegraph.co.uk)

With winter here and more people trying to combat dry skin, I think it’s important to mention a couple of big time skin care ingredients that must be avoided in order to make progress.

We all know that EFA’s are good for skin. Unfortunately most of those good oils found in skin care products are refined or tampered with. Many, many dry skin products contain mineral oil and petrolatum which are highly refined petrochemical derivatives that may leave your skin and lips dryer. Say what?

Yes, these ingredients, found in thousands of dry skin care products, make your skin and lips dryer. They interfere with the skin’s ability to generate its’ own moisture so if you use these products long term…forget about it. And even worse, both mineral oil and petrolatum have been known to cause chemically induced acne. Just broke out for the first time? Only break out in winter? Check your dry skin products ingredients and if they contain either of the above mentioned ingredients, ditch them. Yes, ditch them.

Another natural skin product that people rarely hear about, Pure Shea Butter, is a an ivory colored natural fat extracted from the seed of the African Shade Tree without the use of chemicals. A friend of mine had it on her dresser and claims it helped her sagging skin so I decided to dig a little deeper. I am shocked that I have never even heard about using this product for anti-aging as I am so involved with this natural skin stuff!

Shea Butter is widely used in cosmetics as a moisturizer and salve and, mostly used as a base for medicinal ointments, and has been claimed to have anti-inflammatory properties.

100% Pure Shea Butter is an all-natural vitamin A cream. It effectively lubricates skin improving skin’s elasticity, greatly reducing years of skin damage. Shea Butter has shown to be a superior moisturizer, with exceptional healing properties for the skin but best of all, it is known to improve eczema, burns, rashes, acne, severely dry skin, blemishes, dark spots, and skin discolorations.

In the US, some alter their Shea Butter in an attempt to give it a better fragrance and texture and others alter Shea Butter for economic reasons. Altering this Pure Shea Butter may disturb or in some cases destroy the natural integrity of the product. While the altered product may smell nice and cost less, it will have unfortunately lost the properties that people seek out for skin help and are not likely to give you the results mentioned in this article.

The following are only 20 of the benefits of Organic Shea Butter, one of the best natural skin products available today. It’s uses go far beyond this.

• Dry skin
• Skin rashes
• Peeling skin
• Blemishes
• Itchy skin
• Wrinkles
• Shaving cream
• Small skin wounds
• Skin cracks
• Tough or rough skin (on feet.)
• Cold weather
• Frost bite
• Stretch mark prevention
• Insect bites
• Glowing skin
• Muscle fatigue, aches and tension
• Before and after strenuous exercise
• Skin allergies such as poison ivy or poison oak
• Eczema
• Dermatitis

For more information and to buy Organic Shea Butter visit:
African Shea Butter Cream 16 Oz. (100% Pure & Raw) Pack of 3

100% Unrefined Certified Grade A Shea Butter 16 oz.

and for those of you who love oils, like me..

Slice Of Nature© 100% Pure Shea Butter Oil. Rare East Africa Nilotica Liquid Shea Butter. Organic 4 oz (120ml)