Clean Beauty Update

It’s been a minute since I’ve talked here about my clean beauty journey. This pregnancy has brought out major skin issues, my psoriasis has flared to a level far beyond any flares that I have experienced in the past. I continue to use my topical steroid, but want to limit the use as much as possible because I am growing a little one. One option to combat psoriasis during pregnancy is called light therapy. Essentially you go into a tanning-type chamber, without the harmful rays. You start off going for 1 minute and build up to a few minutes and the UV rays are good for healing the skin. I avoided this treatment because I found out my insurance would charge me a a $40 copay each visit (twice/week). I got some new info that in fact they would not charge me a copay. So I began going to light therapy twice a week. It was true that my insurance company did not charge a copay, but to my dismay they did not cover the treatment in full, thus I received a bill for over $500 and promptly stopped this treatment.

All that to say, I had to find other, less costly methods, to offer relief for my skin problems. I had already switched most of my shower products, but so previously I had been looking for great clean make-up options. Because of my skin issues, I shifted focus to finding products that could help heal my skin. Currently, my psoriasis is still flared compared to pre-pregnancy, however the products below have offered some relief.

Clean Beauty Favorites

Koki Eczema Cream - I found this locally made cream at a market a few weeks back. Normally in the summer I just use a light body oil, as opposed to a heavy skin cream, but since my psoriasis has been flaring, I have been altering between this eczema cream and the Psoriasis Honey Serum, and so far it’s working great.

Maple Holistic Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo - This clarifying shampoo naturally gets rid of build up. Because my scalp is a place where I have particularly bad skin issues this shampoo has really helped. I was hesitant to make the switch because I love the smell and feel of the other Maple Holistic, Silk 18, shampoo I use, . But now I have converted to mixing it up and using the Apple Cider shampoo once or twice a week.

Dr. Bronner’s Organic Shave Soap - I didn’t start using this product to help improve my skin, but rather for the sake of my plumbing. For years I have used coconut oil to shave my legs. It works great and smells great, but leaves my shower a mess! Once I used up my latest jar of coconut oil, I set out on a quest to find a clean shaving product. I already love Dr. Bronner’s soap, so I gave this shave soap a try. I love it! My shower is so much cleaner and my legs feel fresh on the daily. My biggest complaint is that it is tough to squeeze out of the bottle.

Psoriasis Honey Skin Serum - I have been using this product for a little more than a week, in lieu of my argon or coconut oil I regularly use post shower in the summer months. As I mentioned above I rotate between this light oil and the heavier eczema cream. Out of the gate is a great combination. The oil has a lovely, light honey-sweet smell and leaves my skin hydrated without feeling oily at all.


One Room Challenge Spring 2019 Favorites

The One Room Challenge is kind of like a marathon (I ran one way back 2008), you work really really hard, feel so accomplished when it’s over and come away with feel a real sense of community with your fellow runners at the end. Everyone’s walking around with their medals and you just want to hug them all and tell them they did a great job. So here is my hug to my fellow One Room Challenge participants, a round-up of my very favorite rooms from this season's crop of amazing reveals. Check out my favorite and go take a look at the rest of the rooms here.


MOODY DINING ROOM


SHARED GIRLS’ ROOM


PARLOR UPDATE


RUSTIC INDUSTRIAL KITCHENETTE


MODERN FARMHOUSE LAUNDRY


MID MOD PATIO


MODERN DEN MAKE-OVER


ECLECTIC SIDE PORCH


BLACK AND WHITE STUDIO


COLOR BLOCK BATHROOM


WALK IN PANTRY


Latest Clean Beauty Favorites

I’ve been slowly making the shift to clean beauty products for sometime. Currently, all of my shower and body products are clean and still working through some make-up stragglers. You can find my other clean beauty posts here and here.

A few months back I was in Chicago and visited the Credo Beauty store. I am obsessed with this place! It’s like being a vegan and going out to a specialty vegan restaurant. You don’t have to ask the waiter a million questions, you know you can eat it, so the whole menu is available to you! That is how I feel about Credo. I don’t have to read every line of the label, because I know they’ve vetted their products and brands. Anyhow I discovered several new products on that visit and have picked up a few others along the way and I want to share my new favorites with you.

Latest Clean Beauty Favorites

Maple Holistics Silk 18 Shampoo - I have used a few Maple Holistic shampoos, mostly specialty ones for my dry scalp needs. The Silk 18 shampoo is a new product, the packaging is so clean and simple and it smells amazing. I love how it leaves my hair silky and smooth.

Weleda Skin Food - this stuff is amazing! It’s thick, delicious smelling cream for your body, face and hands. I have been putting it on my psoriasis spots along with my prescription and it really seems to be helping. I also used it nightly on my hands and when my face is feeling dry, I even put it there.

RMS Beauty Lip Shine in Content - This is my favorite lip product I’ve bought in a long time! FYI, this color “content” is red with a slightly pink hue. It’s not completely opaque and it has a lot of shine, the photo on the website looks much darker than it is in real life.

Lily Lolo Mascara - I have tried several clean mascara options, and this is by far my favorite. It goes on smooth, stays on and washes off fairly easily.


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10 Bridal Ponytails we Love!

Last week I styled a shoot and my bride wore a ponytail. I have always loved the versatility of this traditionally laid back hairstyle. A ponytail can be casual, it can be effortlessly chic, it can be polished and it can be glam. No matter the vibe, it's low maintenance and I think it commands confidence. We wholeheartedly approve this bridal hairstyle. Without further ado, here are 10 bridal ponytails we love! 










Easy Summer Hair

While adhering to a capsule wardrobe, I find I want to change up and experiment with my hair. Playing with hair accessories is a fun way to change up an outfit. However, hair accessories can become juvenile pretty fast if you're not careful. I love this idea of a casual summer vacation look of a loose pony tied with a scarf. These cool girls have serious hair game with minimal effort. 

ponytail with bandana
Bandana with Ponytail
Bandana hairstyles
bandana hairstyles

photos: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4


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Winter Beauty Essentials

Do you have a different winter and summer skincare routine? I can't stand how dry my skin is right now, even my little's little buns are rough. These are my staples getting me through the dry season. 

Winter Beauty Essentials

COLD SPRING APOTHECARY LOTION - During spring and summer I love to lather on the Argan oil post shower, but when it's dry, lotion is my go-to, this natural, delicious smelling lotion from a local shop.

MAPLE HOLISTICS ARGAN SHAMPOO - This shampoo has six of the most effective oils for hair and scalp health, so good for my winter hair. For every bottle sold, Maple Holistics donates $1 to The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Click here to order your free samples.

L'OCCITANE IMMORTELLE DIVINE CREME - as with my lotion, in warmer months I reach for face oil, but during dry skin season, I like something with a little more moisture power, I am obsessed with how my face feels after applying this creme, so soft and smooth, but not oily at all. 

BURT'S BEES' MEDICATED LIP BALM -  I have to admit, I am a lip-balm-a-holic. I have this Burt's Bees' balm on Amazon Prime subscription, I now have a tube in every room of the house, one in my bag, one in my car, and one at the office, I am prepared for dry lips at any given moment.  

My Latest Clean Beauty Routine

About two years ago I started making the switch to clean beauty products. After reading about the harmful chemicals in our favorite products, I decided to explore all the clean options there are on the market these days. I suffer from psoriasis, which requires topical products that are anything but natural, so I try to balance my prescription medications with a natural regimen. Prescriptions aside, I am proud to say about 85% of my beauty and skin routine is "clean" and just as good and effective as the chemical-filled products I used to put on my body. 

Clean Beauty
  1. Argan Oil - In this summer months I don't use lotion, only body oil, and Argan oil is my favorite. After stocking in up while in Morocco last year, I was hooked! I also use Argan oil on my face as my night time moisturizer. I am currently using Majestic Pure, because you get a lot for a little, it only contains one ingredient and it's sold on Amazon for ease of ordering. 
  2. Maple Holistics Tea Tree Shampoo - As I mentioned, I suffer from psoriasis, and one of the the places it is worst is my scalp. I have to rotate shampoos between the more harsh T-gel and a tea tree based shampoo. I love this shampoo because it is effective, yet gentle and it smells fresh and clean. Click here to find out about Maple Holistic's free samples program!
  3. Luminositie Apple Stem Cell Face Serum - I gotta admit, Goop got me on this one. But as a woman in her mid-30s I'm all about exploring the anti-aging products, but with the steep price point many of them command, if it says "anti-aging," is clean and is recently priced, I'm adding it to my cart. This product does smell very appley, but I have noticed brighter skin since adding it to my regimen. I always apply before I moisturize at night and if I remember I also apply before lotion in the morning.
  4. Suntegrity Tinted Natural Moisturizing Face Sunscreen - at $45 (for a much bigger tube than pictured here) this product is a little pricier than most of my other choices, but totally worth it in my book. Until discovering this product I didn't heed my dermatologist's recommendation to apply sunscreen daily. I didn't like how oily sunscreen usually made my face feel, and frankly, I was too lazy to apply another layer in the morning. Suntegrity solved all my problems. It feels great on my skin, contains SPF 30 AND is tinted for a little base coverage. 
  5. Cold Spring Apothecary Vanilla Oak Body Lotion - This last product is not only natural, but it is locally made and sold at the most beautiful boutique up state New York. It is defintely my splurge-worthy product because it smells amazing and it leaves my skin buttery soft. This is my go-to lotion for the winter months. 

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