Make Up Beauty Tips

I am so honored to be celebrating Earth Day with a feature on mōksa organics.  The first thing you need to know about mōksa organics is they are so much more than soap!  Allow me to delight your senses and inform your mind.

I have to admit it's really kind of hard to find a starting point.  Founder Melanie Martin has created such a rich melange of goodness with mōksa that one wonders whether a feature about the brand should begin with the products or the philosophy and non-profits they hold dear to the heart.  Melanie exudes so much passion and energy about her company one can actually feel it warming the heart and soul through everything she seems to touch.

Melanie and Haskell, her husband, Owners/Founders of mōksa organics, sum it up this way:

"We make soap. But not just any soap. Because regular soap is plain ol' boring. We've created a clean revolution."

There's no bulk packaging, wasted materials or lists of ingredients a mile long or that contribute to environmental hazards here.  Their products contain ingredients you recognize as pure, simple, natural.  They are certified organic. They also use fair-trade whenever possible.  Melanie is quick to point out that their products never include palm oils.  Why? Commercial harvesting of palms for their oil is the leading cause of ecosystem's loss of habitat and deforestation.  mōksa organics' ingredients are chosen with the least amount of environmental impact.  Their packaging is tree free.  They use post consumer waste, recycled materials and no virgin plastics.

mōksa organics has received federally recognized certification as a carbon neutral company.  All of their offsets are used locally to purchase trees for Alachua Conservation Fund.  mōksa's mission is to be an active part of solutions for a sustainable future.  Let me reiterate, when they say they intend to play an "active" part, they mean it.  When I first contacted Melanie she was dashing off to a local Sierra Club meeting (she's a board member), where they were busily planning for a campaign launch about Bottled Water awareness.



Melanie at the lake behind her house

 Melanie couldn't have been more gracious about supplying me with information (and product) to showcase mōksa for Earth Day, a month/day she shares is her favorite.  As I've gotten to learn more about her, I can't think of anyone or any brand better to feature on Earth Day than Melanie and mōksa organics.  They are the epitome of Earth Day celebration.  And as you might expect, giving back is a huge part of what they do through mōksa. More on that in a little bit.

"Our products allow us to do what we love and it allows us to work with progressive people and groups that help minimize our (society's) impact on nature and our eco-system.  Our mission focuses on habitat preservation and conservation...soap helps us accomplish that.  That's why we call it soapy love."

Allow me to introduce you to some of mōksa's gorgeous products.  Let me set the scene for these by telling you when I opened the package of soaps, my office filled with the delicious scents of essential oils, as if it had been transformed into my own little mini spa.  The chemical reaction between us (soaps and me) had ignited.  It was destiny ... I was falling in love ... quickly.



Bohemian Forest
A blend of wintergreen and woodsy aromas for that Bohemian experience. Check out this ingredient list (and note the shortness): Organic oils of olive, coconut, soybean, castor, hemp, babassu, shea butter; blend of pure essentail oils; organic rosemary extract.

It's named after the beautiful Bohemian Forest, which has a beautiful, diverse eco-system (all mōksa soaps are named after a cool spot on the planet).  The environmental advocacy group that it's dedicated to:  Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment  (ATREE).  Based in India, ATREE does much in the field of research, outreach and conservation. Melanie says, "They are one of those hard working organizations that few people know about and they fly under the radar.  They have a huge emphasis on EDUCATION.  They need support."



Abbey Road
A blend of sweet orange, clove, vanilla and English tea blends will transport you without moving from your shower to the green fields and quaint villages of Britian. Abbey Road body bar is the perfect remedy for fighting off the blue meanies or just getting the grit of the man off your back!  No environmental significance, other than "peace and love" that is associated with the musicians that frequent Abbey Road Studios.

It's dedicated to Aaranyak, another small organization Melanie says flies under the radar and is in need of support for its wonderful contributions. Aaranyak's mission is to foster conservation of biodiversity in Northeast India through research, environmental education, capacity building and advocacy for legal and policy reform to usher a new era of ecological security.



Lavender Avignon
One small whiff of the perfectly balanced blend of lavender and vanilla and you're headed straight to France.  Sometimes you've just got to keep it pure and simple. Take a break from your daily routine, slow down, and enjoy the simplest of organic pleasures.

Named after the lavender fields in Avignon, France, this soap is dedicated to The Sierra Club: Suwannee-St. Johns Group. This is an organization very close to Melanie's heart.  Hear her passion as she elaborates here:

 "I'd like to try and explain. The Sierra Club has a very well known national name. What people don't know is that communities around the country have LOCAL chapters within the Sierra Club. This is HUGE! We (mōksa) believe in local first and foremost. Local is the base where change happens. These local chapters around the 50 states are comprised of Board Members that lobby, attend state meetings at capital headquarters, and are an environmental voice for their community with regards to city and county laws, development, preservation of state parks, etc. I proudly serve on the Executive Committee here in Florida. Our group covers 15 counties and our members have done so much to protect and preserve Florida's local and state environmental gems."

The theme Melanie most wants to convey is that Sierra Club functions as a whole because of all the hard work of thousands of local groups around the country. Local Sierra Club chapters need support. Hence, the dedication and proceed/profit dedication to the organization she hold near and dear to her heart through sales of Lavender Avignon.



But Are They Any Good?
All this looks and sounds great, right, but what of the products themselves ... are they lovely to use?
I'm not sure I can fully express in a blog post just how incredibly gorgeous these products are.  These are substantial, big bars of soap, not slivers of product.  They are 6.5 oz in weight and much more in essence.  The bars provide a rich, luxuriously creamy lather.  They all smell divine.  You know how generally you'll smell a few bars of soap on display somewhere and be able to come up with a favorite from the line?  Yeah, you can't do that with these - they're all amazing. The blends of the essential oils in each bar are spot on ... not too much of one or the other to overpower the senses.  It may sound cliche', but using these bars truly does lend the experience of washing in nature. 

I mentioned to Melanie that my face never felt cleaner than after using her soap (I tried Abbey Road first).  I had a healthy glow to my skin I haven't seen since I was in my 20's - shocking!  I hesitate to even call the bars soap as that conjures up thoughts of something drying to skin.  There is nothing in mōksa soap bars that are drying to skin.  I'm telling you, I can't wait to jump out of bed in the morning to wash my face.  When a bar of soap can do that for a mood (especially for a mood of one who is in NO way a morning person), that's saying something.


Don't think mōksa's soaps are their only product worth salivating over.  I had the good fortume to also try their body butter in Lavender Bergamot. Omgosh!! The consistency is a firm yet somehow whipped texture of deliciousness.  Ya know, lab produced, synthetic, amalgamations of chemically infused products just cannot give you these same results: simple, pure, healthy.

Well, clearly you see I am completely enamored with mōksa organics and its founder, Melanie. But really, who wouldn't be?  Honest, pure, back-to-nature (literally) goodness handcrafted from a place of integrity and heart.  It's just a winning combination all around.

mōksa soaps retail for $6.50 a bar and body butters for $14 a jar.  You may also seek out their body oils, bath salts, t-shirts and totes (they are "revolutionary" he he!).  Please do yourself a favor and check out mōksa organics online; your skin and conscience will thank you!  Products by mōksa organics are also available online at nimli.com, bellafloria.com and other boutique retailers.  Enjoy! xo

Can you think of a fashion designer cum beauty mogul more committed to Earth-consciousness than Stella McCartney? I dare say, I think we'd be hard pressed to find another in this category so committed to the cause of respecting the environment.


"The natural environment around me is a huge inspiration. I try to design in harmony with that. We take the environment into account and are developing this area on a daily basis throughout the company. Not killing fellow creatures helps."


Yes, Stella has been very vocal about her stance against animal cruelty. She's also hugely pro-organic; this is true of her fragrance and skincare collection as well as fashion. Proudly participating in this year's Earth Pledge FutureFashion, Bette Franke strutted Stella's sustainable-clothing with a fabulous looking white number on the catwalk.

You may also recall she designed an all organic collection for Barney's last year (the store is famous for its eco-initiatives), and soon she will unveil the Eco-Collection in Great Britain.

Elle UK reports the collection will consist of 20-pieces made up of loose tunics, slouchy suits, knits and versatile coats - all exuding Stella's signature, laid-back look, in her favourite colour palette of muted tones, taupe, blush pink, grey and stone.


Keep in mind, Stella was a vegetarian and organic way before it became cool to be so. She's a trailblazer, a woman ahead of her time. She brings environmental awareness to the masses while cultivating her own little fashion/beauty empire in its midst - courageous and admirable. And in so doing, she has forged ahead by creating her own fragrance and skincare collection with the same eco-sensitive spirit.

"Care is an extension of our brand but it is also a responsible product. It’s for a person who wants to take responsibility and enables someone to make a first step in that direction. It’s also a natural product with sexiness to it in its packaging, smell, and texture. It’s also a very modern product in both philosophy and aesthetic."


The Care by Stella McCartney skincare range is officially Eco-Certified and has been subject to strict ethical requirements. To create an organic product as complex as a skincare range, plant extracts used in the composition must come from organic crops, where the soil has been prepared over a three-year period. The methods of cultivation are strictly regulated to ensure that the environment is protected. Even the alcohol, which is essential to protect and preserve the organic ingredients and the formula, is plant derivative.



Are you thinking - blah, boring, ineffective skincare? Think again! Just get a-load of the description for CARE's star product:

CARE'S 5 Benefits Moisturizing Fluid - a refreshingly light lotion containing an optimum concentration of five potent organic extracts to provide ultimate hydration, protection, butrition, radiance and firmness - grapeseed oil, white mallow extract to improve skin's moisture; linseed oil and Musk Rose oil provide nourishing properties; green tea extract and soybean both rich in vitamin E help protect skin from exposure to environment; sweet orange extract, rich in vitamin C, leaves skin firm, fresh and radiant.


Well, that's just one of CARE'S offerings. In addition to lending her philosophy, thoughts, and products, Stella also gives visitors to her skincare website a running tickler of various eco tips - news style.

More on Stella McCartney: click here
For information or to purchase her skincare: Care by Stella, Sephora, Nordstrom

I can think of no one in the beauty industry I'd rather spend time with on Earth Day than Perianne Skincare Founder and Creator Cora Michael. You guys are in for a treat. I had the distinguished opportunity to interview Cora specifically for our feature story for Earth Day; she exceded all my expectations. Her generous spirit, personable nature and wealth of knowledge about effective skincare - organic, natural and botanical ingredients - is both refreshing and inspired. Oh, and if I've failed to already mention, her products are like nectar from the gods.


1) What inspired you to create Perianne?
I was inspired by the seasons, mainly, and by what I saw as a hole in the beauty market. I wanted to create adaptive, seasonally aware products that would answer the skin's changing needs throughout the year -- something that hadn't really been done yet. I'd always had a hard time finding the right products for my skin as the weather changed from summer to winter, and was incessantly switching around, trying new brands. It was frustrating, and my skin paid the price (irritation, imbalances, etc.). So, I decided to start my own line!


2) Did the way you grew up or your professional history have anything to do with your drive to create your own skincare company?
Yes, and no.
From a personal standpoint, I'd say growing up in West Virginia (where nature is much more accessible, and woven into daily life) made me conscious of the seasons and their effect on the body, mind, and spirit. Also, my mother was always very good about caring for her skin (she looks great for her age!) and that filtered down to me. I have always been "obsessed" with skin care, you could say. From a professional standpoint, my background is in art history -- I have a PhD and I work in the museum world, so I don't have any business training. But you could argue that there is a connection between skin care and art, in that both have to do with BEAUTY, ultimately -- whether it be art or the beauty of healthy, radiant skin.




3) How did you choose the ingredients for your skincare products?
Very carefully! I did tons of research into the properties of different botanicals and essential oils, but really the most important thing was to consciously choose SEASONAL ingredients. It's amazing, but nature really does provide what skin needs at different moments of the year. For instance, in my new Spring/Summer line, ingredients like cucumber, lavender, red raspberry seed oil, and mint -- which are all summer-seasonal -- help skin stay cool, refreshed, cleansed, and protected in the hot, humid months of the year. It's really about trying to achieve harmony and balance for your skin, but also I want to emphasize the importance of paying attention to the seasons, and to how they affect us in all ways.


4) Why is using organic and natural ingredients important to you?
To me, this is a no-brainer. There is no reason to use synthetic, artificial, harmful chemical ingredients when a natural, organic ingredient can do the same thing, and probably better. It's really about health -- for you and for the planet. I've just been reading about Ayurveda -- the ancient Indian system of health and healing -- and one of the things it emphasizes is the use of a whole plant for medicinal purposes, rather than isolating and extracting the active ingredient. The human body is similar -- we are whole -- body, mind, and spirit work together, so to me, using organic, natural products that heal and nurture (rather than harm or compromise) the skin, well, that just makes sense.



5) How is Perianne different from other skincare?
Perianne is really unique -- there is no other brand out there that "thinks" seasonally about skin care. Practically everyone has to switch their skin care routine when the weather changes, so these products answer that need. Also, the thoughtful use of botanical ingredients is unique -- with attention to the seasons and what skin needs at different times of the year in order to stay healthy, supple, and beautiful.



6) In your opinion, what is the most important (or worthwhile) natural, organic or botanical skincare ingredient one may use for healthy skin?
I'm not sure I could pick just one, but right now an ingredient I am really excited about is red raspberry seed oil, which we use in the Spring/Summer Light Face Lotion. Studies have found it to be an excellent antioxidant, but more impressively, it has an SPF of at least 15 or higher -- naturally! I love that it can help heal AND protect against sun damage, and it also looks beautiful (it's a deep, rich red color).


7) How are the Perianne products made/manufactured?
Since we are a small company, I work with an organic skin care manufacturing lab on the west coast. We produce in small batches, so the products are always fresh. As far as ingredients go, we try to use organic whenever possible, and really keep synthetics down to a minimum (we do use phenoxyethanol, a paraben alternative, for preserving the products, though we are moving towards an organic preservative system, as in our Light Face Lotion).




8) Why glass packaging?
Again, it relates to health. In this case, the health of the environment most importantly, since most plastics are produced from petroleum by-products. Glass is also 100% recyclable, and since we use a fairly high percentage of essential oils, the glass doesn't interfere with their efficacy, the way that some plastics can. Plus, I think it looks and feels more elegant, more luxurious.

9) What other products do you plan to introduce over the next year?
Moving forward, we will be developing two more ranges for Perianne: the Transitional Treatments, and the Year-Round Treatments. The Transitional products are designed to help skin adjust to abrupt or drastic changes in weather and temperature, and they will include three masks: one for overactive, oily, or blemished skin; one for dry, dehydrated, sensitized skin; and an enzyme mask, to restore skin's luminosity and freshness (by exfoliating dead skin cells). The Year-Round products are intended to be used as part of your regular skin care regimen, so that will include an eye cream, a granular exfoliant, and a vitamin serum. An SPF which you can use daily over your moisturizer will also be part of the Year-Round line.


10) Name one beauty product you can't live without.
My Perianne toners!!! I love both the Fall/Winter version -- with fennel and pink grapefruit -- and the new Spring/Summer toner, with mint and cucumber. They are both delicious, and really make your skin glow.


11) Any tips on how we can best reduce signs of aging?
Sunscreen, because prevention is the best strategy. Unfortunately, Perianne doesn't make one -- YET (we plan to make a daily SPF part of our Year-Round product line). Also, I have to say I am against "anti-aging" as a marketing concept in the beauty industry. It's a fallacy, since you can't stop time, or the natural process of aging. Besides, some of the most beautiful women I know are over 60, and they have wrinkles, but they have an inner glow that comes from being healthy, happy, creative, and loving. That's really what it's about. I think that supple, glowing, healthy skin is what we should be aiming for -- not sandblasted, botoxed, artificially taut skin!



12) What is your best beauty secret?
Regular exercise and facials four times a year.

13) What other passions do you have besides your business? Dancing is the one thing that makes me most happy -- I was trained as a ballet dancer, and it's just in my bones. Doesn't matter what kind -- I love ballet, jazz, modern, or just dancing at parties with friends. I'm like that guy in "Dazed and Confused" -- when asked what he wanted to do with his life, he said, "I just wanna dance, man!"


For purchasing and more information about this wonderful line of skincare, an ingredients reference "library" or to learn more about Cora: Perianne

REN Clean Bio Active Skincare follows five principles: (click each for a better appreciation of them)

1. Right Ingredients
2. Right Science
3. Right Product Experience
4. Right Environmental Impact
5. Right Attitude

I could literally go on all day giving you what I like about their particular products, but for today's feature we'll concentrate on several of their newer items.













Glycolic Skin Renewal Peel Mask - A potent bio active peel mask designed to renew the complexion, reduce fine lines and dramatcially improve skin tone, firmness and radiance. Formulated with a fruit acid complex (lactic, glycolic, tartaric and citric) and papain inzyme to give a gentle but potent exfoliating peel that will leave skin glowing and healthy; works well on mature skin, post acne scarring, blemishes and blackheads plus sun-damaged skin. This is really fabulous and your skin feels hydrated and renewed after use. 50ml - $50

Ginger, Revivo-Tonic Two Sugar Body Scrub - A sugar body scrub formulated to exfoliate, boost cell turnover and enhance skin renewal. Muscovado and Demerara Cane Sugars combine with extracts of Paraguay Tea, Kola Nut, Ginger and Gingenosides from Ginseng to energise and boost micro-circulation and awake the senses. 330ml - $40

Revivo-Tonic Cool Comfort Leg and Foot Gel - A light and cooling gel that soothes, refreshes and reduces the discomfort of heavy and painful legs and feet. Formulated with a clinically proven venotonic blend of essential oils including extracts of Paraguay Tea and Kola Nut, it encourages fluid drainage, reduces swelling and stimulates the metabolism to improve the orange peel appearance of the skin. Trace elements (Copper, Magnesium, Zinc) help re-energise, revive and tone. 150ml - $40

In addition to these wonderful, you can also sample and trial their best-selling products via REN kits:



photos of kits provided by MustHave


For more information and for purchasing: REN Skincare, Sephora and MustHave

Melissa Carey, creator of Carey & Co., has combined her twenty plus years of experience as a professional, commercial make-up artist-turned-corporate cosmetic/skin care marketing executive, to develop what she says is a one-of-a-kind, natural, highly exfoliating, ultra-moisturizing, additive-free scrub formulation. It is mmm mmmm good! Not only are the scents to die for, but they do yield a surprising amount of hydration to the skin. Is this really a scrub? Yes, it is!

In fact, these scrubs are so moisturizing, they are 3-in-1 products - you do NOT need a separate cleanser or a moisturizer. We're always looking to save a step, aren't we ... you not only feel the hydration in your skin, you see it. There's a visible glow that remains after using the scrub, rinsing with water and lightly patting your face dry.

Per Carey & Co., INGREDIENTS Ultra-Moisturizing Scrubs are loaded with100% natural, safe, effective elements such as essential oils, fine spices and herbs with coarse salts, which instantly remove old skin layers while providing a protective moisture sheen that can last for days. As we've been told by beauty gurus in-the-know (click here), it's the healthy glow of skin that gives us a young looking face. Available in Citrus Spice, Lavender-Mint and Patchouli-Pine, they retail for $40 (19 oz jar - that's huge by the way), and $6 (2.5 oz travel size).

These scrubs are absolutely scrumptious. I tried the Citrus Spice. It loads the olfactory sense with the smell of cookies freshly baking in your grandmother's oven, not at all citrusy. You can see the little specks of clove, spices and herbs in the salt mixture. The scrubs may be used for face and body and they are very gentle on the skin. I will caution those who don't like the feel of oil in their skincare products, this does leave a bit of a residue behind. However, the feel is really fresh and hydrated and not oily. If you have dry skin, this is an answer to prayers.

You can learn more about Melissa Carey and Ingredients Ultra-Moisturizing Scrubs be visitng her website. Ordering is available online and at limited high-end retailers (Henri Bendel, Melange Spa, C.O. Bigelow & Co.).

UPDATE: (June 2008) I've had a number of emails questioning the use of the term "natural" for these scrubs due to the petrochemical nature of some of its elements. I appreciate these comments and this feedback immensely and feel it's important that we continue to discuss exactly these kinds of concerns. After receiving your questions and concerns, I posed the question to Melissa Carey and her response is noted in the comments section to the post. Please don't hesitate to keep providing feedback and comments to all the content featured on For the Love of Beauty. It is important to me - each one! xo

The Organic Fairy made me do it!

Ok, well maybe not the Organic Fairy, but I AM a huge fan of LoveLula.com. So what more appropriate time to share the love for this company and its creator than during Earth Month ... here's what Lula has to say about the passion she has for her company:

I’ve been in a love affair with nature all my life. As a child I’d make magic potions with berries & petals, as a teenager I began photographing wild flowers and herbs and as an adult I went on to study naturopathy and the healing power of nature. Love Lula brings together a hand picked collection of some of the world’s finest and purest natural beauty & organic products, including skincare, bath products, makeup, haircare and baby care, made by experts equally passionate about natural and organic ingredients. We’ve chosen products not only for their quality but also their effectiveness and beauty. I believe passionately that an holistic approach to beauty using naturally derived ingredients is the best care you can give your skin to help it look and be its best. Enjoy!...

(click images for information)

. . . and more

Now this is a UK company, but we're able to buy here in the states and can easily convert from pounds to USD (and/or other international currency) via a simple drop down menu near the top of the site.

LoveLula looks for natural products that really are that; beauty products that embrace the spirit of organic and natural living rather than simply play lip service to it.

This means that you won't find any products in their organic apothecary that contain parabens, artificial colours or fragrance, sodium lauryl sulphate or propylene glycol.

They only stock products made by companies that do not test products or ingredients on animals, nor pay third parties to do animal testing for them.

This site holds a plethora of information for your benefit. I'm telling you, it's like a library for organic products, beauty solutions, anti-aging guides, online consultation for skincare and other beauty woes, and what's more - she even hosts her own blog. It's an incredible treasure trove for those searching out organic beauty and skincare. She even offers trial sizes for purchase and free samples with minimal purchase.

You simply have to check out Love Lula! Enjoy ...

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