Archive for the ‘Beauty’ Category

A Nighttime Beauty Ritual for Moms-to-Be

It’s the end of another long day and you’ve been busy growing a brand new person—you’ve officially earned the right to be exhausted. But resist the urge to fall into bed without a proper nighttime beauty routine.

Devoting a little bit of time to a few extra steps and the right safe, all-natural products, will help ensure a better night’s sleep – which can be elusive during pregnancy. You’ll wake up looking and feeling gorgeous.

Enjoy A Calming Shower: A warm shower is a wonderful way to wash away daily stresses and relax your body for sleep. Your body temperature also drops upon entering a cooler bedroom after a warm shower –signaling your brain that it’s time to sleep. Nine Naturals Citrus + Mint Nourishing Pregnancy Shampoo and Conditioner are the perfect choice for keeping your hair healthy and shiny during pregnancy. Follow up with the Citrus + Geranium Soothing Pregnancy BodyWash to naturally nourish dry, itchy skin.

Follow With Facetime! (Hah, Not That Kind): If a glance in the mirror has you flashing back to the eighth-grade dance where you sported your very first pimple, you’re not alone! 1 in 2 women can develop acne during her pregnancy. Thus, it’s more important than ever to remove all traces of makeup before you hit the hay each night. Use a gentle all natural cleanser that’s oil-free, alcohol-free and non-abrasive. During the day, steer clear of touching your face or trying to squeeze or pop blemishes. If acne persists, find a dermatologist or esthetician who is familiar with prenatal skincare.

Lie Down & Moisturize: Hydration is particularly important during pregnancy! It helps minimize itchiness and maximizes your belly’s recovery from all that growing! Nine Naturals Vanilla + Geranium Belly Butter is a great way to show your belly some extra love. It’s formulated especially for pregnancy, with capuaçu butter to help regulate your skin’s health and shea butter to heal skin and restores its supple nature. Be sure to do this every night to replenish your skin’s moisture. Don’t forget to moisturize your feet as well, as cracked heels are a common pregnancy plight.

Hydrate From The Inside Out: Chance are, your ankles are pretty swollen, especially during your final trimester. Drinking plenty of water and keeping your body hydrated can help reduce some of the swelling. Keep a keep a glass of water on your nightstand (Hey, you’ll probably be getting up four times in the night to pee anyway).

Relax: It’s called beauty sleep for a reason. Power down your phone, tablet and computer. Take some deep breaths, meditate, or read a book to help you peacefully drift off to sleep.

Our 5 Favorite Facial Oils

If you thought facial oils were only used to heal extremely stressed skin, think again! Facial oils are all the rage in the beauty industry and have been used for years to hydrate skin, prevent blemishes and even fight fine lines and wrinkles. In fact, our very own CEO & Founder Grace swears by facial oils and considers them to be an essential part of her beauty routine.

So what’s to love about facial oils? Your skin has a natural balance of both water and oil. Cream moisturizers are helpful, but they are usually water based (or a mix of oil and water) and don’t do much to restore the oils in your skin that get stripped when you wash your face. Using facial oils provides your skin directly with the oils it needs to stay properly hydrated and your body can’t produce on its own. Facial oils help restore to your skin its natural balance of oil and also locks in hydration better than water-based creams. A beauty treatment that combines both facial oils & creams is your best bet for perfectly healthy, glowing skin. We rounded up our favorite natural (and pregnancy safe) facials oils to solve all of your beauty problems:

Eminence Organics Yarrow Oil ($24): This oil is great for sensitive non-oily skin and designed as a soothing + healing agent. Yarrow oil nourishes, balances, and moisturizes while wheat germ oil enriches and nourishes the skin.
Stark Skincare Neroli Midnight Oil ($68): This nighttime treatment is worth falling for. Made for dry, dehydrated skin than can be acne prone, Neroli Midnight Oil is made from precious seed oils such as antioxidant-rich raspberry. Evening primrose treats hormonal skin issues such as acne and oat and cucumber seed oils calm and soothes skin.
Vered Organic Botanicals Therapeutic Balancing Face Oil ($68): This is the oil to use if you have acne prone skin. Master esthetician & herbalist Vered Back has been curing her clients of blemishes & acne with her secret formula for years. The oil balances sebum production with anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial ingredients and is actually a little miracle for "bad skin." You'll wish you had started using it sooner.
RMS Beauty Beauty Oil ($74): One of our favorite oils, RMS Beauty Oil goes on smooth and gives your skin that perfect glow (with or without makeup). Antioxidant, brightening, and rejuvenating botanicals are infused in luxurious vanilla scented oil making it a powerful anti-aging treatment that also happens to be the perfect makeup primer. Excellent for combination, oily, and blemish prone skin types.
RODIN Olio Lusso Face Oil ($150): This wonderful facial oil is made from a blend of 11 essential oils derived from flowers and botanicals. It's perfect for anyone seeking hydrated skin and a luminous complexion.

Pregnancy Safe Perfumes: A Mom’s Story Behind Her Creation Of Pour le Monde Parfums

Many women consider putting on perfume as an essential beauty step to add a spring in their step and start the day. But what if that beloved fragrance is actually toxic and harmful to use during pregnancy? That’s precisely the dilemma that Wendi Berger, who was then an executive in the beauty and fashion magazine industry, found herself in when she was pregnant. Inspired by her love of fragrances, Wendi created Pour le Monde Parfums, a collection of certified 100% natural, fine fragrances that smell luxurious and are safe to use.

Wendi shares her story:

I Didn’t Know Fragrance Can Be Toxic

“What do you mean I shouldn’t be wearing fragrance?” I said to my health editor. “How could smelling gorgeous be bad for me and my baby?” I knew I was going to be eliminating a lot from my daily routine now that I was pregnant, but perfume? Seriously?

Seriously. I had no idea I was breathing in and putting on fragrant, toxic chemicals all those years, such as:

  • Parabens: A commonly used synthetic preservatives in many fragrances, they can interfere with the production and release of hormones.
  • Phthalates: This popular fragrance preservative is usually highly concentrated in most commercial perfumes. A known carcinogen, health effects may include damage to liver/kidneys, birth defects, decreased sperm counts and early breast development in girls and boys.
  • Synthetic Musks: Studies have shown that several types of synthetic musks not only may disrupt hormones, but traces have been found in: fat tissue, breast milk, body fat, umbilical cord blood, both fresh and marine water samples, air, wastewater and sludge.

Did heavy perfume usage cause my fertility issues? Synthetic musk, an endocrine disrupter, is found in almost every commercial fragrance on the market. Then there are the chemical extenders that can activate allergies. Were these the true source of my migraines? Fragrance also is a big source of indoor pollution and can trigger asthma in young children. Why would I want my baby to breathe this in while growing up?

I Learned That There Was No Legislation For The Word NATURAL

I knew that I had to stop using my favorite scents, but to not finish my wardrobe with a spritz of scent was the equivalent to my leaving the apartment naked. I tried essential oils but the scent reminded me of ground or grass and the application was too oily. Eventually I found a nicely scented body lotion with the words “natural” on the label that got me through the rest of my pregnancy. Afterwards, I learned that it too was synthetic and filled with other toxic ingredients as companies are able to use the word, “natural” on packaging even if the product only contains less than 1% natural ingredients.

It Takes A Mom To Do Something About It. It Took A Fragrance Lover To Make It.

Frustrated by my search for a wonderfully scented, but truly 100% all natural product, I created Pour le Monde Parfums. The collection is certified by the prestigious Natural Products Association, is certified by Vegan.org and is animal-cruelty free by Leaping Bunny.

The Pour le Monde Parfums (meaning “for the world”) collection took over two years to develop. Our formulas are free of absolutes—a form of essential oil that is extracted by using petroleum ether or hexane—which are considered natural, but not at the 100% level. In addition to being luxurious and safe to use, all three Pour Le Monde fragrances benefit a different charity. 10% of the proceeds from each bottle sold benefits the following charities:

  • Empower: a unisex citrus scent helps Guiding Eyes for the Blind/Heeling Autism.
  • Envision: a sensual lavender, spicy mix benefits National MS Society.
  • Together: a classic woodsy floral supports Cancer Support Community (Gilda’s Club).

As a mom who missed out on that special scent during my pregnancy, I want all moms to make a new fragrance memory around this important time in their lives. We are offering Nine Naturals customers $13 off each bottle of Pour le Monde Parfums Collection. Just use this special code: NATURAL (Hurry! Expires 10.15.14).

Here’s to a safe and healthy pregnancy and smelling beautiful, naturally!

Wendi Berger is a former beauty and fashion magazine executive (ELLE, InStyle, Vanity Fair). When she was pregnant, Wendi discovered that the chemicals in perfume could have an adverse effect on her health and her unborn child’s health. Seeing a hole in the marketplace, Wendi was inspired to develop a luxurious collection of safe, all natural spray eau de parfums. After two years of development, Pour le Monde (for the world) the first certified 100% natural fine fragrances was launched.

 

 

 

Shedding Light on Postnatal Hair Loss

During pregnancy you may notice that your hair has become thicker and more lustrous than ever before. But fast forward to 3 months after the baby’s arrival and you notice the opposite – hair starting to fall out faster than ever before, sometimes even in clumps!

No, you’re not going bald.

Postnatal hair loss, or postpartum alopecia, is actually very common and can affect up to 50% of all new mothers. It involves a general thinning of the hair as well as a more dramatic thinning at the hairline. It is a temporary phase that begins two to five months after birth and can persist for up to a year in many cases.

Postnatal hair loss is caused by the normalization of your hormone cycles after pregnancy. During pregnancy there is a sustained high level of estrogen that prevents normal hair shedding. This is what leads to the apparent thickening of your hair. When your estrogen levels drop off after giving birth, all the hair follicles that had put shedding on pause during pregnancy start up again at the same time. This synchronization is why many women report clumps of hair coming out. While this can certainly be startling it’s not cause for concern. It’s just your body getting back on track.

The good news is that postnatal hair loss isn’t dangerous or permanent. Unfortunately it can take a while for your body to get back to a normal growth cycle and there isn’t anything you can do to prevent the initial disruption. A recent study found that there really aren’t any medical ways to prevent postnatal hair loss, but there are some ways to manage it. Here are our favorite tips to manage postnatal hair loss:

  1. Get A Good Trim: Keeping you hair healthy can minimize the loss. Plus you’ll find some hairstyles, such as volume boosting layers, work better than others when your hair is thinner.
  2. Use A Gentle Shampoo: As a rule of thumb, shampoo your hair using products with natural, plant-based surfactants, which are much less harsh than sulfate-laden shampoos. Nine Naturals Citrus + Mint Nourishing Shampoo will help keep your hair healthy and boost the appearance of thinner hair.
  3. Stick To Low Stress Hair Styles: Tight hairdos can pull on your hair and exacerbate shedding so it’s better to stick to loose hairstyles.
  4. Avoid Deep Conditioning Shampoos: These products will weigh down your hair making it look even thinner. Instead choose a light conditioner that will work on fine hair. Try Nine Naturals Citrus + Mint Nourishing Conditioner, which uses moisturizing plant-based emollients like broccoli seed oil and shea butter and natural hair strengthening ingredients like vitamin B5 and flax seed oil.
  5. Stay Away From High Stress Styling Tools: When you can, avoid using blow dryers, irons and straighteners– they will dry out and damage your hair.

Remember, postnatal hair loss happens to lots of women. Your hair cycle will get back on track eventually and in the mean time Nine Naturals is here to help!

9Bliss Features Nine Naturals Unscented Natural Deodorant!

Nine Naturals is excited to have our Unscented Natural Deodorant featured in 9Bliss’ “Maternity Essentials for Labor Day Weekend”:

“Rock a sleeveless cover-up without worry using Nine Naturals Unscented Pregnancy Deodorant - you’ll thank us later.”

Nine Naturals Featured On Oh Joy!

Nine Naturals is thrilled to be featured as part of Oh Joy’s Organic Pregnancy Beauty Essentials: “I love the fresh scent of Nine Naturals shampoo and conditioner…the mint seriously wakes me up!”

Busting Pregnancy Beauty Myths

Navigating the 40 weeks of pregnancy can feel daunting, especially for first-time mothers who are simply trying to safely enjoy what is supposed to be the most beautiful experience of their lives. When you’re not figuring out what food to eat and how much (or how little) exercise is appropriate, you’re questioning your beauty routines, based on old wives’ tales and the, at times unwanted, advice of friends, family and perfect strangers. Look no further, for we’ve unveiled the truth behind three common pregnancy beauty myths.

Myth: All Expectant Women Get The Pregnancy “Glow”

Thanks to those powerful hormones, your skin will produce excess oil during your pregnancy, which can cause breakouts and acne, or, in some cases, a beautiful glow. Skin changes are common during pregnancy and can include: the mask of pregnancy (dark patches of pigmentation on the face), itchy palms and soles (redness and irritation caused by increased estrogen) and skin tags (painless, flesh colored growths). While there is no guarantee that you will get that pregnancy glow, you can combat some of your skin woes with Nine Naturals Repairing Body Balm, which can be applied from head to toe, or you can try the Vanilla + Geranium Regenerative Belly Butter to soothe dry itchy skin.

Myth: Perfume and Sunscreen Are A No-No

Research suggests that any product placed on the skin can potentially be absorbed into the bloodstream, so it’s best to use caution during pregnancy; however that doesn’t mean that you have to forgo spritzing your skin with a luscious scent. Rather, you should look for a fragrance that is crafted from essential oils and doesn’t contain parabens, phthalates, synthetics, propylene glycol, and dyes. We can’t get enough of the natural scents from Pour le Monde.

Sun protection during pregnancy is vital, as hormones cause your skin to become more sensitive, thus putting it at greater risk for damage. Switching to a non-chemical sunscreen, such as Nine Naturals Natural Sunscreen SPF 32, will coat your skin with nourishing oils, while offering broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection. In addition to using a zinc oxide-based sunscreen, always wear a hat and invest in a few pieces of clothing with sunscreen built into the fabrication.

Myth: Manicures Are Dangerous

All nail salon customers – pregnant or not – run the risk of picking up surface germs and being exposed to bacteria, unless personal tools and nail polish are used during every salon visit. However, now that baby’s on board, in addition to bringing your own tools to the salon, you should come armed with your favorite 5-free nail colors, which are formulated without formaldehyde, toluene, dibutyl phthalate (DBP), formaldehyde resin and camphor. Brands that are 5-free include: Zoya, RGB, Scotch Naturals and Ten over Ten.

Moderation is key during pregnancy; but if you still feel uncomfortable or concerned using a particular product or receiving a specific treatment, reach out to your physician for guidance.

Nine Naturals Ingredient Story: Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil

At Nine Naturals, we’re on a mission to make beauty simple, smart and safe for moms and moms-to-be. Integral to that is understanding our ingredients’ science and benefits. Today’s Nine Naturals Ingredient Story Series featuring Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil is part of on ongoing series featuring the natural, plant-based ingredients behind our high performance beauty products.

It’s an underappreciated fact that the healthy oils responsible for an avocado’s rich flavor can also be harnessed to impart some of that richness to your skin. Similar to olive oil, but containing a different profile of fatty acids, avocado oil is particularly useful in cosmetics for its moisturizing and soothing properties.

The Science & Extraction of Avocado Oil

Avocado oil is extracted from the fruit of the plant (rather than the seed), which can yield up to 35% of its weight in oil. Once the meat of the fruit has been separated from the skin and seed, it is dried and crushed into a paste. The final step in the extraction process is to separate the oil from the water by centrifugation, producing a brilliant green oil.

The green color is due to high amounts of carotenoids and chlorophyll in the purified oil. Avocado oil is also quite rich in vitamin E, particularly the alpha-tocopherol form which is preferentially absorbed by our bodies. As for the oil itself, it’s mainly comprised of moisturizing monounsaturated fats with small amounts of polyunsaturated and saturated fats rounding it out.

Avocado Oil‘s Benefits for Skin

Avocado oil has many benefits for skin health which is why it’s such a star ingredient in beauty products. The fatty acids moisturize by helping your skin retain water and have anti-inflammatory properties benefitting both dry and irritated skin that usually comes with pregnancy. Vitamin E is also present in large amounts in the oil, working to promote skin healing and regrowth and helping to minimize stretch marks. Oleic acid, the primary fatty acid in avocado oil, helps the skin to absorb the oil, which amplifies the potential benefits of all its other beneficial ingredients!

Why Nine Naturals Loves Avocado Oil

Avocado oil is packed with great active ingredients that Nine Naturals loves. Given avocado oil’s dual benefits for skin care as a moisturizer and a promoter of healing, it’s included in our Citrus + Geranium Soothing Body Wash. It’s part of a moisturizing formulation that keeps our body wash gentle enough for daily use, even on sensitive skin. Avocado oil couldn’t do it alone though, and you can learn more about all our ingredients in our Ingredient Glossary.

Damage Control For Flat, Frizzy, or Fried Summer Hair

Who doesn’t love summer? But the combination of heat + sweat + humidity can cause some serious damage to your locks. Whether your hair is flat, frizzy or fried, we have the beauty fixes you need to do some serious damage control on your hair.

If Your Hair Is Fried

Has salt water from the ocean and chlorine from the pool left you with dry, brittle hair? To restore shine and lustrous texture back to your hair:

  • Use an all-natural deep conditioner in your hair, such as Nine Naturals Mandarin + Ginger Restorative Conditioner, to tame your tresses.
  • Work a small amount of coconut oil into your hair, leave on for 20 min & wash out.
  • For added hydration and moisture, leave the coconut oil in your hair overnight and wash it it out in the morning.
  • Get a trim! Snipping off the damaged ends will help get your hair back to its normal, healthy texture.

If Your Hair Is Flat

Fine or straight hair can become limp in the summer as exposure to humidity can weigh hair down. To add some va-va-voom to your roots:

  • Avoid using deep conditioner on your roots if you are have thin hair. Instead, try only conditioning the ends of your hair. It’ll hydrate your locks without weighing down the roots.
  • This may seem counterintuitive, but ease off the heavy styling products! Products such as mouse or hairspray can buildup at the roots and, in humid weather, flatten your hair even more.
  • Blow dry your hair upside down. You may get a head rush with this simple trick, but the added volume will be worth it.

If Your Hair Is Frizzy

Hair all over the place this summer? Fight frizz by:

  • Rub a tiny bit conditioner into your hands and work it through your strands. This will help smooth the hair while slightly weighing down the top layer to prevent frizz.
  • Snip those ends! Layers, which add volume, can lead to frizz and poufiness in the summer. Ask your hairstylist for a blunter cut to help hold down the ends.

Weekend Sale! 20% Off Nine Naturals Sunscreen

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