Product Beauty: Body Scrubs

Not only is this great in the shower, it has the most refreshing scent I've smelled in awhile. Most body scrubs leave a weird residue on your skin after you use them. I really don't like that because it feels like it never totally comes off. This will scrub away dead skin and rinse clean. I really love it.

The only con: It comes in a tub, which can be difficult to use when showering. If that doesn't bother you, give it a try.

Picture from: www.bathandbodyworks.com

Natural Beauty: Nature's Gate Shampoo and Conditioner

I just bought these today at WholeFoods ($7.99 each). They smell amazing. I got the Chamomile and Lemon one.

I will give them try soon. In the meantime, has anyone tried it before? Leave me a comment and let me know what you thought!

Brain Beauty: A Good Read

Want to laugh out loud?  Try reading the books below...or anything by Laurie Notaro.  Her stories are so funny...and so easy to relate to.  I guarantee that when you read these you will stop and go, 'That's happened to me too!'.

    

Source for photos: www.randomhouse.com

  

Inner Beauty: Cardio Yoga

One of the best ways to feel good on the inside is to be active.  It doesn't even have to be vigorous exercise.   It can be a walk in the park with your dog, or friends.  One of my favorite ways to work out is Gaiam's Cardio Burn Sculpt DVD.  The woman who instructs the workout is really good and actually makes you laugh.  They use moves from yoga, pilates, and aerobics.  It gets your whole body involved, but never feels like you're straining, even though you are working every muscle in your body.  The video finishes with an ab workout.  This gets a little intense, but you can go at your pace, until your ready to become more advanced.  If I'm in a bad mood, sometimes I'll pop this in and an hour later I feel better about myself.  It gets you moving and gets your blood flowing.  Have a healthy breakfast afterwards and you'll be ready to start your day.  Eating breakfast in the morning is one of the best ways to feel more energetic throughout your day.

Here's some examples of what I usually have:

1/2 cup of plain Quaker Oats oatmeal

Add strawberries, blackberries, red grapes to it.  Choose whatever fruits you like the best.  

Have a cup of coffee with it, with skim milk and Splenda and you will be full through the morning.  Oatmeal has a great way of filling you up.

Eggo whole grain, or Special K's blueberry waffles.  

Kashi makes some yummy waffles as well. 

Top with sliced banana's or strawberries and a small amount of syrup.

Omelets are also good.

Add tons of fresh veggies and mushrooms.  Throw in some low-fat cheese and you're good to go.  I know a lot of people losing weight only eat egg whites, but the yolk is a great form of protein.  Just make sure you use a light fat free cooking spray and NOT butter.  Adding just a tab of butter can add 100 calories.  I promise you won't miss it!

Whole grain Pancakes.

Recipes for these are popping up all over the place.  They taste delicious too.  If you find a good recipe, you won't even be able to tell the difference.

If you like a smaller breakfast, try these:

Half a grapefruit

Mixed fruit cup

Whole grain toast with a bit of natural peanut butter or jam

Greek Yogurt.  It's got less sugar and most brands contain 0 fat.  It's a lot creamier then regular yogurt too

Enjoy :]

Product Beauty Blurb: Origins Clear Head Mint Shampoo

The shampoo is very refreshing.  It makes your whole scalp tingle while filling your bathroom with the fresh clean scent of mint.  It gets rid of build up as it cleans.  It's not cheap at $13.00, but sometimes it's nice to splurge. 

Natural Beauty: Honey

Honey is very good for your skin.  It acts as a natural moisturizer and kills bacteria at the same time.  What does it work best on?  Blemishes.  It will not take a blemish away over night, but it will help make it smaller, without over drying your skin.  Whenever I would get a breakout, I thought harsh drugstore creams were the only way to get rid of it.  Sometimes those creams, full of benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid, would make the breakout more painful, and noticeable.  

I've used honey in all sorts of different homemade face masks, including mixing it with oatmeal; however, nothing works as well as using the honey on it's own.  After you wash your face at night, take a Q-tip and dip it in the honey.  Spread it over the pimple, then place a band-aid over it.  The band-aid will help keep it directly on the pimple and will also help keep your pillow clean while you sleep.

Again, it won't make the pimple magically disappear, but you will see a difference in the morning.  The area will be less red, less swollen, and a lot less sore.  The best part is, you can put it on as often as you want, without damaging your skin.  

Natural Beauty: Coconut Oil

I always wonder why people choose to put chemicals in or on their body, when they can do it naturally, and get the same desired effect.  Next time you’re in the shower, turn your conditioner bottle around and check out the ingredients.  The list is pretty long, and most of it is impossible to pronounce.  Don’t get me wrong, I love hair products.  I’ve tried alot of them since I first started caring about what my hair looks like.  I keep coming back to coconut oil.  The best part?  It’s cheap!  At GNC, I picked up 16 ounces for around $12.00.  That amount will last a few months.  Another thing I love about it is when you look at the ingredients, the only one listed is ‘fresh coconut meat’.  It even has listed, ‘Other Ingredients: None”.  Make sure it says ‘Extra Virgin Certified Organic’ on the label, and you’re all set.  

It comes in a tub and the consistency is a milky-white solid paste.  The texture is creamy at first, but it does not take much to warm it up.  Just rub it between your palms and it will go from white paste to clear coconut oil.  All you have to do is rub it into your hair.  Use on the roots, the ends, or all over and put a shower cap on.  I usually use it when I go to sleep and leave it on all night.  In the morning, just shampoo it out in the shower.  It’s the best thing for nourishing damaged hair, and it’s an all natural conditioner.  

You probably only need to use it two or three times a month to deep condition your hair, but if you want to use it more often, go for it.  Just be careful when you rinse it out in the shower, it is oil and can be slippery.

Other great uses for coconut oil?

1. Shaving: Coconut oil is a great moisturizer and can nourish your skin while your shave.  After a few uses, I’ve noticed it helps reduce those pesky shaving bumps that razor burn can cause.
2. Dry Skin:  Slather it on your hands after you do your hair, put on some moisture gloves, and get in bed.  When you wake up your skin will be moisturized.  Another product great for this?  Petroleum Jelly with Shea Butter.  It’s less messy than the oil and you can get it at CVS for around $4.00.  Use it with, or without the gloves, as it easily blends into skin.