In this last segment in our our 4-part Healthy Skin Care Series, where we’ve been reviewing various chemicals in skin care products, today beYOUmag.com looks this week at petroleum and petroleum derivatives and their impact in your skin care products while investigating some healthy alternatives.

What is petroleum?
Petroleum jelly - as it’s referred (more…)

Continuing our look at various chemicals in skin care products in our Healthy Skin Care Series, beYOUmag.com looks this week at propylene glycol and its impact in your skin care products and some healthy alternatives.

What is propylene glycol?
Propylene glycol is in the alcohol family and is a clear, viscous type compound used primarily in skin care products as a moisturizer, emulsifier, lubricant (as in personal care), and is one of the main ingredient in deodorants. (more…)

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…)

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…)

My readers know I’m a huge fan of the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a non-profit organization, founded in 1993 by Ken Cook and Richard Wiles, whose sole mission is to “…use the power of public information to protect public health and the environment…” How great is that? I cannot stress enough how much information is on this site, but organized in a user friendly and intuitive way. One subject or topic of interest can take you deeper and deeper into more information. One of my favorite tools on their site is Skin Deep, a cosmetics safety database which is a safety guide to over 25,000 products. (more…)

Rarely do I find a skin care line that moves me as much as the Suki product line. Mind you, before I became a full time yogi, I worked within the beauty industry and was lucky enough (and sometimes not-so-lucky when bad reactions occurred) to try some of the “best-of-the-best” in skin care. But when I started examining what I put in and on my body, the search for organic and natural skin care became like a quest for the holy grail. (more…)

I’ve always felt that being athletic and looking put together should go hand-in-hand. In my old corporate life, I made “day-to-night” transformations an art form. And now, working in studios, teaching several yoga classes a day, shooting to a meeting, then perhaps a dinner with friends, finding beauty products that enhance my skin, won’t clog my pores, and can hold up to sweaty yoga classes is a challenge. But I have some solutions that will make you look and feel good, without looking like you tried too hard. I have 3 must meet criteria for my “no-make-up” make-up regime: does it protect, is it multi-functional, does it travel well. (more…)