I recently had the great pleasure of speaking with the founder of nude skincare, Bryan Meehan from his offices in London.  Nude skincare according to Harpers Bazaar UK’s beauty editor, Newby Hands, is “the first natural skincare range with visibly anti-aging results…”  And that, my friends, is why I had to investigate and now am hooked.  Here are some highlights from our wonderful chat.

Michelle Barge, beYOU.tv:
I like that you’ve brought luxury to natural beauty products for the eco-conscious woman.  This speaks to me completely:  I shouldn’t have to sacrifice elegance in my bathroom, for natural products that are free of parabens, sulphates, PEGs, propylene glycol, TEA, DEA, phthalates, mineral oil, silicones, GM and potential carcinogens. I write a lot about this. So how did this line come about?  What was the evolution and development of the line? (more…)

OK readers, you know how passionate I am about organic and natural skincare and beauty.  I’ve written on Suki, waxed on about Dr. Hauschka, praised Jurlique, and lavished love on Neal’s Yard.  My biggest need in skin care products is for them to be free of all the “nasties” I’ve written about ad nauseum as well — parabens, SLS, petroleates, etc.

Well in these harsh economic times, how thrilled am I to have found and tested over the last 2 weeks a fabulous, affordable vegan skin care line, Be Fine Food Skin Care.  All of my world’s have converged.  This line, sold nation wide in drugstore chains like CVS, Rite Aid (in-store) and Duane Reade (in-store), was developed and inspired by food products and the importance of food-grade natural products in skincare.  This beauty company sticks to the premise that I believe in:  one shouldn’t smear and wash their bodies with products that are chock full of chemicals that are just going into the blood stream.  Well Be Fine is banking that the mid-level shopper will feel the same way. (more…)

With the advent of the green movement, we have seen everything from green beer to solar powered homes. There are environmentally friendly options for most things now, including homes. Prefabricated houses, or prefabhomes, are homes that are built off site in a modular fashion and and may be shipped and assembled at their desired location. It is much more efficient to produce these homes - they are mass produced on an assembly line. This means that the manufacturer knows exactly what is required to build the home, which cuts down on waste. Because they are manufactured indoors, these prefab units are sheltered from the weather, which reduces the chance of weather damaged materials. (more…)

In our busy tech savvy lives it can be easy to forget about the Earth we should honor. No matter if it is Earth Day or not it is easy to care for the planet any day of the year. Eco-living year round starts with these simple points:

Go Paperless
Reduce the waste you create by going paperless. Be selective of the printing you do at home or on the job. Make folders in your email account to stay organized and limit printing.

Plant a Tree
Planet a tree and create green. Update your home landscape and plant a few trees or bushes. The trees’ leaves can shade your home and cool it in the summer, and save on your air conditioning bill. (more…)

In Florida, when Mother Nature and commerce intersect, you have the Everglades on one side and the U.S Sugar Corp on the other. The biggest sugar cane producer in the United States is closing its doors within the next six years, which means for the State of Florida, it is time to buy.

Florida has bought the land for $1.7 billion and is planning to preserve it.

It is an agreement that will be the largest conservation purchase in the history of the state of Florida. The wetlands of the Everglades are the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States, where you can find endangered species such as the Florida panther and the American crocodile.

Although the 187,000 acres of South Florida that are being bought and restored, the domestic sugar cane producers might lose their lobbying efforts to reshape a national sugar policy. During the next six years the company will keep producing sugar on the land. The U.S Sugar Corp produces 700,000 tons of raw sugar annually. They will also provide a severance package for their 1,900 employees during this changeover.

Written by: Isobella Jade

The following is the final installment of a four-part series of one man’s personal journey to salvage a 1910 barn in Southwest Michigan while keeping it as green as possible.
Catch up on last past installments here.

A very important part of any home building project, in my opinion, is hot water for personal use. Think about how much you use on a daily basis: showers, laundry, dishwashing, cleaning, etc. Now think about how that water is stored. Usually in one of those big cumbersome tanks in which water is kept heated at a constant temperature. That takes a lot of energy. I’m going to be installing an on demand system, also known as a tankless water heater. As opposed to having the water sit in a tank, when needed the water is super heated through a system of coils. The water travels to the shower, sink, and washer while you’re using it. When you’re done it shuts down. People I know who have these systems LOVE them. They are pricey compared to standard water heaters, but again, the savings comes down the road and much energy is saved. (more…)

During fashion week I was lucky enough to attend the Ports 1961 show at Bryant Park. It was amazing, not only did Cowboy Junkies perform during the runway show, but the collection was designed with organic living and the great outdoors in mind. It inspired me to think of some eco-friendly clothing, for all budgets, that might be great for a night out on the town.

Couple an environmentally friendly dance club with these eco-fashion ideas: (more…)

The following is the third of a four-part installment of one man’s personal journey to salvage a 1910 barn in Southwest Michigan while keeping it as green as possible.
Catch up on past installments here.

By December, the foundation was poured and we were ready to move the timber frame from its location onto its new site. The original foundation of the barn was loose fieldstone so I needed to re-site the barn. I also wanted it turned 180 degrees to take full advantage of the sun’s path and prevailing winds. Rather than saying that it was impossible, or that it would be too much work, we took the challenge and found a way to lift the entire frame (by some estimates several tons) in one piece, turn it, and place it on a new foundation six feet away without incident. Granted, we were all holding our collective breath when the crane began to lift the frame off the ground, but everything they said would happen – happened. (more…)

If living your life totally green, even in the bedroom, is your plan then you should consider green condoms. French Letter condoms are made by Fair Deal Trading, a green way to have safe sex.

Another way to get your groove on in a green way is eco-friendly clubs and eco friendly clubbing. London’s eco-friendly dance club Bar Surya generates it’s own electricity when dancers’ feet hit the floor. The club has an atmosphere that inspires ethical and green fashions which go with this eco-club. (more…)

Planning a party is half the fun. If you’re going green, like me, planning an eco-friendly party is natural. Here are some ways to make your next party green or greener. The first step is making sure your party materials do not end up in the landfill.

Decorations
While decorations and streamers can make a room feel more vibrant and themed, or more purposeful, you should choose to skip them. Most of these items can not be recycled and end up in the landfill. Instead, tweak your lights to get the desired effect. (more…)