Continuing our look at various chemicals in skin care products in our Healthy Skin Care Series, beYOUmag.com looks this week at sodium lauryl sulfates and their impact in your skin care products and some healthy alternatives.

What are Sodium Lauryl Sulfates:
Quite simply, sodium lauryl sulfates (SLS) are an inexpensive detergent commonly used in cosmetic cleansers, hair shampoos, bath and shower gels, bubble baths, etc. It’s what puts the suds in sudsy - it’s main goal is to create lather. (more…)

When I worked a serious corporate job, where I wore fitted suits and A-line skirts, dropping my expensive garments off to the dry cleaners was a normal part of my Saturday routine. I had wanted even then to try an organic dry cleaner, but you know what they say, location, location, location… Nothing worse than being told you have that unexpected early morning meeting and your organic dry cleaner is on the other side of town. However, I know when I was using a traditional dry cleaner, my clothes wore out faster, had that “chemically” smell and felt stiff. (more…)

I write often on natural and organic skin care, from healthy and realistic makeup to skin care free of fillers and harmful chemicals. The ingredient “no-nos” I always look for and religiously try to avoid are parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), propylene glycol and petroleum. Since one could write major reports on each of these chemicals and their harmful and potentially carcinogenic effects, beYOUmag.com will be bringing you a new Healthy Skin Series breaking down (more…)

I often write about the Slow Food movement and eating simple, organic, locally grown foods. But trust me, even with our farmers’ markets, I know sometimes the organic food lifestyle is a hard sell in urban communities and for low-moderate income households. Well this story so touched me, that I had to share.

The New York Times recently featured a piece showcasing urban farmers and the movement it has become. One of the families showcased had grown up in rural Jamaica and already had farming in their blood, and were affected as many poorer areas are that struggle to find fresh produce in their areas. (more…)

The second and final part of this eco-travel series takes us further away from mainland USA and North America. If you’ve got more time on your hands, have been saving for a truly exotic getaway and want the destination to be as green as possible, you’re in luck. Some of the most pristine eco-travel destinations can be found in Africa, Asia and Southeast Asia. Let’s take a look.

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With spring upon us and summer around the corner, naturally our thoughts will turn to vacations and getaways; shedding the day-to-day routine and just being free. For many of us living a conscious lifestyle, it makes sense that our vacation destinations match our lifestyle philosophy. Enter the new darling in the hospitality and lifestyle arena: eco-travel. This arena is so large, that sifting through the different interpretations took some thorough investigation. Many travel outfits state that they offer eco-friendly tours, but beware.

At beYOU.tv, (more…)

T-shirts made out of hemp, baggy pants of bamboo, loose fitting tops of organic cotton? I’m here to attest that beautiful clothing does exist in the land of organic and sustainable fibers used for apparel. But first off you may ask why bother with clothes made from those materials? Because, they are coming from sustainable sources and not filled with harmful chemicals and pesticides that could pose a threat for you and the environment. I love the beautiful and practical garments and accessories that are being made from hemp and bamboo. A primer on hemp will give you the skinny on why it’s such a great product (more…)

As beYOUmag.com’s resident Eco-Living Expert, I was thrilled to see that we now carry Green by Design TV. All of their topics are timely and informative, but I want to give you a feel for what Connie and Greg Mattison bring to the green table. First and foremost, Connie, Greg and their dog Guiness are approachable, real, and not preachy. I like that they dub themselves “newly green” versus coming off as major “treehuggers…” (Not the site, which we love, but the extremists…) (more…)

At beYOUmag.com, we’ve been counting down to Earth Day and it’s finally here! To get you started and/or motivated, we’ve created a PDF and a JPEG of our tips so you can take them with you. Print them (on recycled paper) or save them as your desktop and start going green today!

In case you missed them, here are our tips:
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Growing up in a middle-class suburb of Cleveland, I hardly considered my family progressive. I learned to drive in our shiny, new 1982 Mercury Grand Marquis. The only thing green about that gas guzzling land yatch was its metallic Jade exterior. But I suppose hybrid cars were still a far off thought for most people at that time (although I will say, I can parallel park just about anywhere now). No, that part of my childhood seemed normal. It was the other habits that struck me as odd…at the time.

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