Making the decision to go vegan is a different path for everyone. The reasons behind the choice may range from healthy living to animal rights. Whatever they are, making the decision to be vegan is one of the biggest gifts you can give yourself, animals and the planet.
I was chatting with Be Genki‘s Sam Sample last week and she mentioned she’d recently made the transition to veganism, after years of flirting with it. I asked if she would be happy to share her journey in the hope of inspiring others who are thinking about becoming cruelty-free. Here is her story…
There’s a high chance that you may be toying with the idea of choosing to be vegan. The reason for writing this particular article is that you may find that it touches a part of you, just as living it has touched all parts of me, and that it may help inspire you to take the final step. ~ Sam Sample
Last month I finally chose to walk the vegan road. I use the word ‘finally’ because I feel it has been a slow and gradual progression over the last 15 years.
In 1995 I read the book Fit for Life
Over the next five years my taste for meat declined. Correction, not so much the taste of it, but more so the flesh component. Have you ever bitten in to a piece of meat and visualized biting in to the arm, leg or torso of an animal, and that the chewy bits of meat is too closely associated with chewing your way through the flesh of that animal? Those type of visualizations also grossed me out and ended my meat eating days, with exception to mince meat in lasagna, spaghetti bolognese and carpaccio (the paper thin raw beef), as these styles of meat required no tough chewing and melted in my mouth.
My fascination for food, health and wellbeing led me to study a 3 year Diploma of Nutrition and it was during those classes that I was exposed to the horrifying documentaries about chickens in battery farms, their ghastly diet, abnormally unhealthy living conditions and outrageous cruelty and suffering. Add to that, the accounts of negative health effects that the consumption of these chickens and eggs were having on the human population. I was so appalled by this information that I have never eaten a piece of chicken since, but somehow I remained an egg eater, as long as they were the biodynamic organic free-range variety.
As time went by and my love of food and good nutrition grew, so did my love and respect for mother earth. Each day I was inspired to learn a little more about the “truth” of the type of world we live in, how my choices can have an effect on the future of the world based on the simple fact that every time I buy a product I am saying to that company, ‘keep on doing what you are doing.’ I am supporting everything that company does: every source of raw material, every packaging solution, every environmental standard that they are undertaking, every form of employee relations and every marketing choice.
When creating Be Genki, the range of bath, body and home care products, I was adamant that the brand had to be certifiably “animal cruelty free”, not containing any animal derived ingredients and certainly not allowing any of the products or ingredients to be tested on animals. Yet, I still was consuming eggs, cheese and a portion of meat once every few months. Hmmm… I wasn’t wanting to use animal products in my skincare products but was happy to eat them. Interesting inconsistency don’t you think?!
Being an advocate for holistic health and wellbeing, and possessing the inclination to think about what consequence my choices are having on my life, my loved ones’ lives, the community, the planet, and future beliefs, standards and ideals, choosing vegan seemed like the natural thing to do that would honor everything that I believe in, (that is, to help improve my awareness, consciousness and communion with mother earth.)
The tipping point for making the choice, however, was watching the short clip VEGAN For the People. For the Planet. For the Animals. (see below). Quite simply, the short film clip makes sense. Choosing to be vegan not only nurtures myself, but my loved ones, future generations and the world in which we share. Oh… and I look and feel so much healthier since making the change. Love those extra perks!
Photo courtesy JelleS
Guest post by celebrity nutritionist Kimberly Snyder
Low-level radiation is a silent killer, because we can’t see it, feel I, hear it, taste it, or smell it. I am not talking about just nuclear weapons, but rather the low levels of exposure we are continuously exposed to on an every day basis. This post is dedicated to a friend of mine, and was born out of my concern for her, as she flies often.
Firstly, what is radiation? In the broadest definition, it is the process in which the energy in the form of, for instance, light or heat, is sent out through space. The different types of radiation are classified according to the electromagnetic spectrum by their wavelength and frequency. One end of the spectrum is the “low energy” forms of radiation, which include radio and television waves. These forms have long wavelengths and low frequencies. As we go up the spectrum and the wavelengths become shorter and the frequencies higher, the spectrum expands to include microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultra-violet light, x-rays, and gamma rays. When me move towards this high end of the spectrum, the radiation energies have a special power known as ionization. X-rays and gamma rays, when they pass through a cell, can separate electrons from their atoms and endow these runaway electrons with higher amounts of energy. The result may be tissue damage in many different forms—from cancer to genetic and birth defects.
What are sources of radiation in our lives? Nuclear weapons and nuclear waste is one obvious source. Radon is another. But what I want to really talk about today is everyday, low-level forms of radiation, which emanate from such devices as microwaves, high-voltage power lines, radio transmitters, and cell phones. For years, our society has maintained that exposure to low levels of electromagnetic waves are harmless, but evidence is mounting that all this exposure to low-level radiation is indeed much more harmful that previously thought.
There is no safe level of exposure and there is no dose of radiation so low that the risk of malignancy is zero… the genetic risks, and especially those associated with recessive mutations, may be as harmful and debilitating to the human race as the increases of cancer.
What is also a major source of radiation exposure? Flying in an airplane. The higher up the plane goes in the atmosphere the more radiation we are exposed to. In a flight from (only!) Los Angeles to San Fancisco there is said to be a tenfold increase in radiation (as measured by a mini-Geiger counter) that jumps from 12 to 125 radiations per minute when the plan is leveled off at the maximum flight pattern.
What does this really mean? An airplane flying coast to coast will expose the flyer to several hundred milliards (1/1000 of a rad). The average dose for medical X-rays is 300-500 millirads for pelvic X-rays, 100-1000 millirads for a full facial dental X-ray, and 10-500 millirads for chest X-rays. That means that one single flight may expose us to the same or possibly more radiation than a full chest X-ray(!).
This is a big problem because as we know, continual exposure to low-level radiation produces free radicals, a major cause of premature aging and health problems. Free radicals can cause cross-linking among tissue proteins (wrinkles!), inflammation, disrupt and/or deplete the immune system, and can produce mutations. Many researchers in the field of aging agree that free-radical destruction is the basis of aging, or at least always goes along with the aging process.
Dr. Abram Petkau stated (reported from the Radiological Physics Dept. at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine) that the free-radical effect from chronic low radiation exposure to be 1,000 times greater than a single large exposure (!). John Gofman, Ph.D., M.D writes in Radiation and Human Health, “Harm in the form of excess human cancer occurs at all doses of ionizing radiation, down to the lowest conceivable dose and dose rate.” Perhaps the most succinct summary is given by Dr. Karl Z. Morgan, who was the director of the Health Physics Division a the Oak Ridge National Laboratory for 30 years:
“There is no safe level of exposure and there is no dose of radiation so low that the risk of malignancy is zero… the genetic risks, and especially those associated with recessive mutations, may be as harmful and debilitating to the human race as the increases of cancer.”
THERE IS SOMETHING WE CAN DO
Okay, sorry for all the doom and gloom! But I say these things as we should at least be aware of radiation exposure.
And I am happy to say that there are things we can do in our diet to help minimize the effect of radiation. How can food help? Firstly, if we have enough minerals in our system, the cells become saturated with minerals and there may be less opportunity for the radioactive minerals to be absorbed into our systems. Second, there are certain specific foods which can actively help draw the radioactive materials to them and pull them out of the body (chelation). Thirdly, if we eat foods very high in antioxidant nutrients and enzymes, it will help squash out the free radicals created by radiation exposure.
Anti-Radiation Foods that Fit into Our Above Criteria
• Swiss chard
• Turnip greens
• Watercress
• Mustard greens
• Kale
• Spinach (no surprise here, all greens!)
• Kelp
• Dulse
• Chlorella
• Nori
• Beets
• Bee pollen (note: non-vegan)
• Garlic
• Apples
• Chaparral
• Siberian ginseng
What else can we do besides loading up on these foods? Don’t smoke! Don’t live near nuclear plants, avoid unnecessary diagnostic X-rays, and use infrared saunas whenever possible. Check out my post on cell phones, and wear that wired (not Bluetooth) headset.
It is critical if you fly often that you eat only the best food while flying on the day. You want to give your body the best to help combat the radiation as much as possible.
Diet Tips to Help Minimize Radiation Effects by Kimberley Snyder. Photo courtesy of Stewart.
Kimberly Snyder’s work as a clinical nutritionist is rooted in a holistic approach that works to heal the body from the cellular level up, increase energy, and achieve overall balance naturally. Her main protocols include increasing the body’s alkalinity, consuming an individualized diet largely consisting of natural foods, increasing efficient digestion, and intelligent, guided and ongoing cleansing. Snyder’s philosophy is that Outer Beauty is a Reflection of Inner Health.
I’m extremely picky when it comes to what I put on my skin, and even more picky when it comes to suggesting brands to use, whether they’re vegan or not. Just because a product is vegan doesn’t mean it’s good idea to put it on your skin. Enter beauty buff and holistic entrepreneur Sam Sample and her 100% vegan and natural skincare line Be Genki. This is one range I’m happy to give some blog love to.
Sam follows a simple philosophy when it comes to beauty and believes you can ‘be’ it, rather than ‘achieve’ it.
“Beauty comes from within,” she says. “Being happy and healthy on the physical, emotional and spiritual level is what I believe makes a woman truly beautiful.”
With her natural approach and holistic know-how, Sydney-based Sam (pictured left) developed her beauty range, Be Genki. The collection brings together her deep interest in aromatherapy, well-being, meditation, and beauty care into a holistic synthesis to “promote optimum inner health and harmony amidst the fast pace of contemporary life”.
Each element of Be Genki, she says, has been carefully and thoughtfully selected for its excellence in design, quality, healing benefits, and ability to capture the senses.
“Be Genki is the only bath and body care brand to offer a complete 360 degree approach to holistic well-being, identifying four key areas that contribute to an individual’s well-being and providing products that help create balance with a lifestyle approach,” Sam says.
The product line includes bath and shower oils, body oils, body creams, hand creams, face mists, oil blends, herbal teas and candles.
Sam studied make-up artistry and image training, nutrition, physical education, access energy transformation, aromatherapy, and skin care, and is also an avid proponent of Vipassana meditation. She says the peace and tranquility she found in meditation greatly influenced her products and their simplicity of use in daily life.
I caught up with Sam to get an overview of the ranges — Vitality, Tranquility, Serenity and Sensuality — each attracting a huge following in Australia and abroad.
SHANNON: What’s the Be Genki story?
SAM SAMPLE: For the past 10 years I have been studying various disciplines of health and wellbeing – make-up artistry and image training, nutrition, fitness, meditation, access energy transformation, skin care, and aromatherapy.
Whilst I was finishing up my Diploma of Nutrition and experimenting with aromatherapy one of my girlfriends was suffering from anxiety and depression and was taking anti-depressants. It upset me that a young woman in her mid-20s could be prescribed pharmaceutical drugs without her lifestyle being taken in to consideration first. No-one sat down with her to address what she was doing on a daily basis.
So I made her a blend of essential oils (the Serenity blend) and we chatted about taking time out at the end of each day to have a bath with the essential oil blend, shutting the bathroom door, turning the mobile phone off and creating a spa like experience in the comfort of her own home. We also spoke about nutrition, exercise and lifestyle choices.
Two months passed and she came to me one day to tell me how much better she was feeling within herself and that she was thinking of going off her medication. Whether it was the act of running a bath and watching the water flow, having that half-hour by herself to relax and inhale the oil blend, or exercising, or eliminating processed foods from her diet it didn’t matter to me. What mattered was that she was feeling more confident and happy. I believe it was a combination of all the new wellbeing rituals that she had started to implement in to her daily life. You can only imagine how happy this made me feel. Whatever it was that gave her the confidence to take control of her anxiety and depression and ultimately her life, was enough to inspire me to think of other areas of our lives that we need help with improving in today’s fast paced world.
Whether it’s reaching for that third cup of coffee during the day to get a burst of energy, tossing and turning in bed at night or relying on sleeping tablets to get to sleep, suffering from anxiety and depression, freaking out at the “little things” or losing your temper at those that you love most because you haven’t dealt with the issue appropriately, or simply “beating yourself up” and criticising yourself over something that really isn’t that big a deal in the scheme of things; that is not what life is all about! So, I developed Be Genki – to help inspire and bring about holistic happiness by focusing on four key areas of wellbeing:
- Vitality to help improve our energy levels.
- Tranquility to help prepare for a peaceful night’s sleep.
- Serenity to help us cope with everyday stress (the blend that I gave to my girlfriend).
- Sensuality to help nurture the loving relationships that we have with our partner, and more importantly our Self.
In my opinion, these are the four key areas that bring about holistic happiness.
The Japanese word “genki” means to be happy, healthy, and in harmony with oneself. It suggests wellbeing is achieved by balancing physical, emotional and spiritual elements equally to create an integrated and tranquil Self.
SD: What are the core ingredients?
SS: There are four Be Genki ranges – Vitality, Tranquility, Serenity and Sensuality – each contain a blend of 100% pure essential oils to specifically target four key areas that contribute to your well-being.
Vitality: Lemon, Peppermint, Eucalyptus and Rosemary, renowned for their uplifting properties.
Tranquility: Lavender, Roman Chamomile, Sweet Orange and Sandalwood, renowned for their sleep-inducing properties.
Serenity: Neroli, Rose Otto, Rosewood, Palmarosa and Bergamot, renowned for their calming properties.
Sensuality: Rose Otto, Ylang Ylang, Jasmine, Lavender, Bergamot and Melissa, renowned for their nurturing properties.
Obtaining optimal health, eating living foods and detoxifying isn’t as difficult as it may seem, says New York-based clinical nutritionist and yoga instructor to the stars, Kimberly Snyder. It’s all about knowing how and having fun with it. The result—radiant beauty that glows from within—is well worth the effort.
I was fortunate to meet with Kimberly while she was in LA last year. During our chat (and snack of delish homemade raw cacao balls she brought with her) Kimberly shared all sorts of great tips about veganism and the raw food lifestyle.
Below are some of her top tips for staying young and healthy. For more fabulous vegan and living food insights head to Kimberly’s blog at www.kimberlysnyder.net. Enjoy!
1. Max out on raw greens. Uncooked greens and vegetables are a powerful beauty secret. The living enzymes in uncooked greens and vegetables contribute to skin health by acting as catalysts that assist body processes like digestion, detoxification, and rebuilding. For example, by assisting the body’s energy-intensive digestive process, enzymes free up energy for other tasks, like repairing and rebuilding the skin- the largest organ of all. Unfortunately, the valuable enzymes, proteins and vitamins found in plants are heat sensitive and can be damaged or destroyed by normal cooking temperatures. In fact, cooking can easily destroy a food’s entire enzyme reserve. So pack as many completely raw greens, salads, veggies, sprouts and fresh herbs into your diet as you can! An easy way to get a large amount of easily digestible greens is from a green smoothie. The simple recipe is available online at www.kimberlysnyder.net.
2. Add açai to your diet. Açai is loaded with beneficial nutrients and antioxidants, including Omega 3 fatty acids, amino acids, minerals, key vitamins and fiber. The Omega 3 fatty acids found in Açai maintain the structure and fluidity of cell membranes, facilitating the inflow of nutrients and the outflow of waste products, promoting youthful, smooth and radiant skin by keeping skin cells hydrated and strong. Acai is a key component of The Solution, as it is also extremely beneficial when applied topically.
4. Drink detox tea. Our bodies are constantly exposed to toxins from the environment, our diet and chemicals from products we put on ourselves. Over time, these toxins promote illness and can accelerate skin aging. The liver is the blood’s filtering system, and when it becomes overloaded, the liver stops effectively filtering and neutralizing the toxins that enter the body. These excess toxins continue circulating and are deposited in fatty tissue, building up over time. The long-term effects of toxic overload are manifested externally in the form of wrinkles and spotted, leathery skin. One of the easiest and tastiest ways to promote healthy liver function is to drink detox tea 2-3 times per week. The recipe is available online.
3. Switch to Celtic sea salt. Celtic sea salt is unique among salts because it is a sun-dried – a process that allows 70 minerals and trace elements, enzymes and even marine microorganisms to remain intact. Other sea salts are kiln-dried, which causes valuable magnesium and most other minerals to evaporate. Normal table salt is the worst of all, being irradiated and denatured sodium chloride. It not only has no nutritional benefit, it depletes the skin’s natural hydration. So make the switch to Celtic sea salt!
5. Eat more onions. This everyday food has a considerable amount of sulfur, which helps cleanse the skin and liver and rebuild connective tissues like collagen. Onions are also an exceptional source of usable quercetin, which works to eliminate free radicals, protects and regenerates crucial Vitamin E and decreases capillary fragility.
6. Add sea vegetables to your diet. Sea vegetables are about 12 times richer in minerals than average vegetables. They are an especially good source of iodine, which regulates the metabolism by feeding the thyroid, iron, B6, B12, and magnesium, which opens over 300 different detoxification pathways in the body. You can throw sea vegetables such as dulse, hijiki and arame in salads or make nori wraps stuffed with salad. All are available at any health store.
7. Sprout your seeds and nuts. A raw, dry nut is dense in calories and encased in inhibitor enzymes, which keep it from sprouting before it is in a safe environment. The sprouting process changes the constitution of the nut, making it more like a plant. The nutritional benefit is that the proteins in sprouted nuts are more easily assimilated by the body. Here is a simple method for spouting almonds: Cover almonds in filtered water in a bowl and place in your refrigerator for 24 hours. Rinse well several times. You should peel off the outer coating of the almond before eating. A handful is a wonderfully nutritional, filling snack. Throw a few in a bag and take them to work!
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A handy little book I recently added to my shelf is Michael DeJong’s Clean Body: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing Yourself
Why it’s great: Rather than harping on about how our toxic household cleaning and beauty products are slowly killing us, Michael DeJong offers solutions that are right there in your kitchen. Using just five pure, natural ingredients—baking soda, lemon, olive oil, salt and white vinegar—he shows you how to wash, scrub and rinse with complete peace of mind, all while saving dollars and the environment. Not a bad deal, eh?
Who’s reading it: Those who are discovering their allergies are directly caused by harsh chemicals that lurk in most mainstream cleaning and beauty products. It’s also a favourite of parents who want to give their littlies the most pure start to life, and of those who understand that what goes onto the skin gets absorbed into the body.
What you’ll learn: How to mix baking soda in varying amounts to use as a shampoo, facial scrub and foot scrub; why olive oil is a superb make-up remover and moisturiser; how lemon will get you salon-perfect streaks and why salt is great for scrubbing away dead skin on elbows and knees.
Want to know more? Head to www.zencleansing.com but not before disposing thoughtfully of all those hazardous products in your cupboards.
Also check out Michael Dejong’s Clean: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing
Main photo courtesy: AMagill
I started getting a few gray hairs in my late 20s. While it bothered me a little at first, these days, I’m a little less fussed. A little character never hurt anyone right?
Raw food pioneer Ann Wigmore says she rid her silvers by regularly drinking wheat grass juice. While I’m yet to do my own experiment with Ann’s findings, I have worked out a natural quick fix that turns my grays to a natural shade of light brown—particularly useful when I’m in between (organic) colour touch ups.
Organic black tea, in bags, is a great way to add some (brown) colour back to grays, even if it’s just for the day or until you next wash your hair.
So, here’s how you do it: once you’ve washed and towel dried your hair, simply pour a very small amount of warm water into a small bowl, dip in your organic (black) bag of tea and dab, dab, dab. Dry as usual. The less water you use, the stronger and more effective the tea will be.
While I’m not promising it will take away every gray hair on your head, it can definitely be a Godsend when you need a quick beauty pick me up or have a last minute job interview to go to.
That’s it! If you know of other vegan friendly, gray hair quick fixes from nature, feel free to share in the comments.
Photo courtesy: House Of Sims
There are so many good reasons to read the label on any cosmetic product you intend to buy. I used to think, albeit naively, that if a product was for sale then it must have been put through rigorous testing and deemed safe for human use. But alas, that wishful thought was just that—wishful.
Amongst the thousands of cosmetics brands on the market today, a good number contain chemicals toxic to our health. Just like food in the supermarket, if you can’t pronounce a word on a label, chances are it was brewed in a lab not in nature. Many of these ingredients are used as fillers; cheap additions that give the illusion of more product, without hurting the manufacturer’s bottom line.
Just because a lipstick, face cream or the like is expensive also doesn’t mean it’s any safer than the alternative $2 bottle in your local drug store or chemist. In fact, that cheap bottle may be a hundred times safer than the cream that comes in the fancy packaging.
With cosmetic safety regulations lacking in many countries, it’s up to ourselves to be our own judge and jury when it comes to what we’re willing to buy and then put on our skin—our body’s largest organ. Anything you slap on the outside ends up on the inside. If you’ve read this blog before today you’ll be familiar with the phrase: “if you can’t eat it, don’t wear it”.
If you’re starting to wonder exactly what chemicals are lurking in your bathroom cabinet, be sure to check out The Cosmetics Database.
In the book Natural Organic Hair and Skin Care, cosmetic chemist and herbalist Aubrey Hampton is quoted as saying: “Buyers in department, drug, discount and supermarkets don’t know anything about the chemicals that go into cosmetics, and assume their customers don’t know much either.”
These chemicals have only been proven safe with animal testing. If you put them in your product you rely on or accept those tests. Also, many of these chemicals pollute our environment because they aren’t biodegradable. This affects all species. You won’t know this if you don’t read the label.
Besides the cocktail of chemicals that make up many beauty products on the market today, there’s also the very real issue of animal testing. Just because a manufacturer didn’t test on an innocent being, doesn’t mean the manufacturer they bought their chemical ingredients from wasn’t tested on an unsuspecting monkey or rat. What it boils down to? Labels also lie.
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I was never aware of any particular recipes my grandmother held in her beauty arsenal. I recall a dusting of powder and a smattering of lippy on the odd occassion. She certainly didn’t have a bathroom cabinet full of fancy jars filled with empty promises. She lived simply and her beauty routine was no exception. If she worried about stuff like that, she never showed it.
She had few wrinkles, her skin was soft-as-soft. She never wore sunscreen or used a commercial cleanser. Her skin glowed, as she did.
I’ve often wondered what my gorgeous gran would have recommended if I’d inquired. While she’s no longer here to tell me, I’ve put together some more recipes (see earlier post here) that I’m sure she’d endorse, no animal testing or ingredients in sight.
Stretch marks — whip out the olive oil for an all-over body moisture infusion.
Pimples — mix a one half of a teaspoon of Celtic sea salt into some warm water. Soak cotton bud and dab. Repeat if necessary.
Hand & foot exfoliator — Celtic sea salt and olive oil, combined. Rub your hands together, or better yet, have someone massage them for you.
Eliminating Dandruff — rub white vinegar through your hair for about five minutes, then shampoo as usual.
Hair cleanser — baking soda and water works like a charm to rid the hair of chemical build up.
Tooth paste — toss your toxic paste in favour of the very effective, much cheaper and healthier baking soda. Who cares about taste, right?
Breath freshener — suck on a fresh, organic mint leaf. Super easy to grow in a pot!
Forget fancy packaging and golden promises of eternal youth. If your bathroom cabinet is full of half-empty creams and potions that profess to be the fountain of youth, it could be time to give those (usually poisonous) potions the ol’ heave ho.
Skin is really a portrait for what’s going on inside your bod, so no matter how much gloop we slather over ourselves in the hope for a quick fix, nothing will change unless what we’re putting in our mouth is healthy. Once the diet is under control, the oil aisle of your local supermarket may become your best beauty pal. It’s definitely mine!
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2010 has hit full force. You can feel the electricity in the air.
I ended 2009 by cleaning out, dusting, getting rid of all the old, stuck energy in preparation for the new year. And now the start of a new decade has arrived, it’s time to dig even deeper. It’s time to get knee-deep into my wardrobe.
I’ve decided to box up everything I haven’t worn in the past six months, clothes I’m not really sure about, stuff that’s too big, too small, wrong colour. Even the items I don’t wear, but am sentimental about. Yep, they’re going too. My chosen charity awaits.
The year 2010 is about giving back. Living more simply. Thinking of others less fortunate. Giving without expecting anything in return. Just thinking about living that way feels good. So to do it must feel even better—for the giver and receiver.
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Christopher Drummond is a make-up artist to the stars (and ex-model) who actually cares about what’s in the products we gloop all over ourselves.
My rules of thumb when it comes to beauty are 1) if it’s not vegan, don’t touch it and 2) if you can’t eat it, don’t wear it. I was oh-so happy to hear Christopher feels exactly the same. His cosmetics line, Christopher Drummond Beauty is 100% natural, vegan and organic.
Here are Christopher’s hot tips on how to transition your beauty cupboard from chemical-laden to naturally wonderful (and check out the video below):
1. Pick five ingredients that you will not compromise on: You need to do your research on “bad” cosmetic ingredients, first (start with the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and the Cosmetic Safety Database, these are great starting points).
2. Be diligent: Do not use the ingredients that you have promised yourself you will not use. No matter what, stay away from those five ingredients. Christopher’s are parabens, artificial colours, artificial fragrance, phthalates, and petroleum.
3. Educate yourself: Take the cosmetics you already own, read the ingredient list, and make a small list of ingredients that you don’t know. Then, research these ingredients to see what these ingredients are, and what they do. You’ll be surprised.
4. Talk to people: Spread your new found knowledge to friends and family.
5. Continue Your Education: Some cosmetic companies thrive on keeping consumers in the dark about what they are doing with ingredients. Don’t let them succeed! Empower yourself.
It’s great that more and more companies are coming out with vegan product lines. But just because no animals were harmed in the making of these lipsticks, moisturisers and the like, does it mean they’re good for you? Not always.
Unless the ingredients are natural and organic, chances are you could be slapping man made chemicals on your bod. These chemicals are absorbed through the skin, into the bloodstream and contribute to toxicity that can lead to various dis-eases. Yikes. Whoever coined the phrase “beauty is pain” was right on more than one level.
The Environmental Working Group has a comprehensive list, called The Cosmetics Database, that’s well worth keeping handy. It features many of the products we’ve all come to know and love, complete with their toxicity/carcinogen level. You’ll never look at your mascara the same again.
Vegan Peace also has a comprehensive listing of ingredients and products that can help determine if your beauty products are indeed vegan friendly. Then it’s just a matter of determining which of those are human friendly.
A great natural beauty line worth Googling is Living Nature, which is made “of” New Zealand and is low on the scale of harm according to The Cosmetics Database.
Better yet, find beauty fixes right from your own kitchen. Here’s a handy how-to intro from The Green Dove.
Bursting the Beauty Bubble
Not that long ago, I used to work as a magazine beauty editor. A seemingly glam job to the outside world (particularly to 20-something girls who have a love affair with make-up and mascara). But for me, it was one of the most toxic gigs I could have signed up for.
A lot of these beauty products are loaded with chemicals, and some, perhaps most (depending on whether it’s listed on the label or not), are tested on animals. So it’s a no-win situation for beauty addict or animal.
When I went vegan, I stopped putting chemicals into my body and onto my body. Buh-bye beauty products. So long moisturiser, ta-ta deodorant (regarding the latter, if you’re eating a raw, organic wholefood diet and drinking fresh spring water, the need for covering up smelly pits isn’t needed, because you simply don’t smell anymore. Who knew!).
Besides the fact that what you put into your body reflects on the outside, there are some great beauty tips and tricks that I use, sourced from my very own kitchen cupboard. No animals or beauty buffs harmed in the process. Here’s just a few:
Moisturiser: Mix two parts water, one part olive oil in a spray pump. Shake and spray all over after a bath or shower for a moisture infusion.
Facial scrub: Mix a small amount of baking soda and water together to make a smooth paste. Lightly rub over the face and rinse.
Toner: Add half vinegar, half water to make a pore-tightening toner.
Bath salts: For a great detox, sprinkle a cup of epsom salts in your bath water.
Smoothing dry heels: Cut a lemon in half and apply.
The golden rule I live by? Never put anything on your body that you can’t eat.
Pic courtesy martinhoward, Flickr Creative Commons.
Glowingly-gorgeous Alicia Silverstone is sharing her beauty and health secrets, with the release of her book The Kind Diet, with a forward by fellow-veg Sir Paul McCartney.
The actress writes about the benefits of adopting a plant-based diet, from effortless weight loss to clear skin. She also spills the beans on how her vegan diet has given her boundless energy and a digestion that works how it’s supposed to.
While her name may be associated with Clueless, the health-happy celeb is anything but. While the vegan diet she recommends will be kind to your bod, Silverstone also explains why chowing down on meat, fish, milk and cheese causes permanent damage to the planet—so deleting it from the diet is a sure fire way to keep people and the planet healthy.
May The Kind Diet hit the bestseller lists everywhere!
