Category: ‘skincare’

According to today’s Daily Mail, the price for beauty is much higher than some of us may have thought.

Research shows that during the average woman’s daily grooming process she puts about 515 harmful, synthetic chemicals onto her body. Yuck is right. This isn’t quite a revelation, but to have it put so bluntly is making our foundation and blush covered skin crawl.  Apparently, perfume is the biggest culprit – it contains a whopping 250 baddies and could be linked to kidney damage. Eeek.

While we definitely don’t advocate for spending your life worrying about every little product, an easy way to decrease risk without sacrificing quality is by using paraben-free makeup. Josie Maran’s cream blush and Korres’ luscious lip gloss have no parabens, sulfates or petro-chemicals and will provide you with a fresh-faced, natural look.

For more safe choices, check out our guides to the best in paraben-free beauty and eco-friendly shopping.

As soon as the weather turns gray, my complexion immediately gets all dull and wan, too. This fall, I want to brighten things up without having to resort to brushing body glitter all over my face. I’m going to invest in a rosy, lit-from-within complexion by starting on an intensive serum regimen—and when I say “invest,” I really mean it (try typing “skincare” and “serum” into any beauty retailer’s search field and let me know if you find anything less than $15). It’s worth a hefty price tag if I can maintain my dewy summer complexion, though. Here are three serums I’m counting on to counteract the pasty factor:

Aveeno’s Positively Ageless Rejuvenating Serum ($20) has a natural shiitake complex that’s designed to accelerate skin’s natural renewal process. While getting rid of dull, dead skin cells faster, I can definitely live with the fact that my skin might be eating better than I am for a while.

Vitamin C is a staple around my apartment. I pop a tab every time I think about it just to fend off icky public transportation germs. Turns out it’s good for skin, too—it boosts radiance and minimizes minor discolorations. Korres’ Wild Rose Brightening Serum ($38) is so chock full of Vitamin C, there’s no room for petrochemicals, parabens or anything else unnatural.

Think of the difference between a freshly picked tomato and one that’s been sitting in the veggie crisper a few days too long. Reneé Rouleau’s Intensive Firming Serum ($72) is packed with peptides to keep skin taut, firm and glowy, just like that bouncy, young tomato.

Pair that glowing skin with bright eyes by trying out some of the best eye cream on the market.  Then work on the rest of your look with dry hair repair and the best foot cream.