Nature’s Best: Beauty Products That Are Also Good For You

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By Mia Bolaris-Forget

Summer is the prime season for most of us “expose” ourselves more than in any other season. From flip-flop revealing our funky feet and toes, to open back tops and short shorts revealing some of our imperfections and flaws, including our pasty “white” winter skin.

But, getting you glam on for summer may mean compromising on honing in on health since many products contain harmful chemicals that may leave you looking good, but not feeling so good in the long run.

And, with people putting more and more emphasis on natural beauty, natural beauty products are gaining in popularity. Here are just some of the hottest trends in natural haute couture.

Formaldehyde and Toluene-Free Nail Polish: Formaldehyde and toluene often result in brittle nails due to dryness. Formaldehyde is actually a colorless, odorless chemical preservative and bonding agent that is fairly common in some lipsticks, toothpastes, and typically used in corpse preservation. Together with toluene, they draw moisture away form the body, skin, and nails, drying them out and removing their protective layer, causing stress and breakage. With that said, experts suggest formaldehyde and toluene-free polishes, which you can ask for or can fin in local health food stores.

Not So Hairy Hair Care: Natural hair care products won’t lather up as much as other (traditional) products you may be use to, but that’s only because they are devoid of ammonium lauryl sulfate or sodium lauryl sulfate, both chemical foaming agents that generate lavish lather.

Pure Pucker Power: Go ahead pucker up with some natural lip savvy products on the market. Containing no synthetic fragrances, preservatives or dyes and all plant extracts and ingredients they are safe not only for all day wear but also won’t harm you if you happen to lick them off.

The White Idea: Whiten and brighten your teeth with natural toothpastes. Remember, while some fluoride, such as the amount found in drinking water is good, the amount often contained in toothpaste can be toxic if swallowed regularly. In fact, too much fluoride can damage our teeth and our bones resulting in a decline in their strength.

Face The World Beautifully And Naturally: Keep skin beautiful, youthful, supple, sexy and healthy by avoiding products that contain sulfates, solvents or detergents that frequently irritate skin. Instead look for products infused with all natural ingredients such as citrus, sunflower, soy, jojoba, beeswax and glycerin.