TreeHugger.com (by Jasmin Malik Chua)                                                                                     

1. Badger Cocoa Butter Lip Balm
Pucker up for your daily java fix with this extra-creamy balm made from organic cocoa butter, organic extra-virgin olive oil, and golden yellow beeswax, as well as extracts of organic dark roasted Arabica coffee beans, rose hip, and seabuckthorn berry. Organic aloe vera melts away cold-weather dryness with lipsmacking aplomb. ($5, Badger Balm)

2. Perfect Organics Hazelnut Coffee Ultimate Body Scrub
For an invigorating, skin-toning buzz, slough away with this heady brew of finely ground coffee beans, moisturizing organic plant oils, and gentle botanical extracts. Allow to percolate on skin before rinsing for best results. ($24.99, Perfect Organics)

3. BodyCoffee Energizing Body Bar
Supercharged, silky smooth skin is just a lather away with this sense-stimulating body bar that exfoliates while it cleanses. Ground Coffea Arabica—with a touch of peppermint extract—gets circulation pumping for that natural glow, while moisture-locking hemp and olive oils relieve parched winter skin. ($8, BodyCoffee)

4. Three Ravens Atomic Cafe Amaretto Bath Salts
Scoop a few spoonfuls of these Cafe Amaretto-inspired salts into your bathtub for a pampering, espresso-infused pick-me-up. With a cuppa that is both organic and fair trade, social responsibility has never felt this indulgent. (From $3, Etsy)

Now that summer’s here it’s important to have [and keep] smooth and beautiful feet.  This is the season our feet get to shine.  I know– for most that’s wishful thinking, but here’s an easy at-home way to turn those feet from dull and dry to smooth and sexy.  These simple ingredients make the perfect at-home foot bath:

First, mix 1 cup lemon juice, a dash cinnamon (for smell), and 2 tablespoons olive oil into a large bowl.  Then, add 1/4 cup of milk, and water– mix well (the amount of water depends on how potent you’d like your wash, more water–less potent).  Soak your feet [or body] for 15 minutes.  This bath will leave the skin refreshed and fragrant.

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Colore Science has introduced new ways to protect yourself from the sun.  The Sunforgettable range is an SPF 30 translucent mineral powder which comes in three application forms:  the Retractable Brush, the Rock and Roller Ball and the Shaker Jar.  Sunforgettable could make your daily SPF application a breeze!  The active ingredients zinc oxide and titanium dioxide "guard against the damaging effects of ultraviolet rays, while giving the skin a natural looking, flawless complexion." (from ColoreScience.com)  The product is water proof and will not absorb into the skin so it provides longer lasting protection.  Recently the line launched Sunforgettable with Sparkles which offers the same benefits plus a slight shimmer.  It’s available with or without bronzer, for a glowing complexion — minus the sun.

Note: This product has been approved by the Skin Cancer Foundation

Considering we’re all hooked, are there any added benefits to caffeine besides our daily fix?  As a stimulant, studies have shown that caffeine can help with weight loss, but the plethora of cellulite creams claim caffeine fights against cellulite when used topically.  Like other ingredients that do in fact work well within the body to protect or replenish cells, caffeine does have proven benefits as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, but rubbing it all over your thighs may have different results, if any.  According to Paula Beguon, “there are only two studies showing caffeine to have benefit for reducing cellulite. One was conducted by Johnson & Johnson, which owns the RoC and Neutrogena brands, both of which sell cellulite creams that contain caffeine. The other was conducted by cosmetics ingredients manufacturers that sell anti-cellulite compounds (Source: Journal of Cosmetic Science, July-August 2002, pages 209–218).”  If you have issues with cellulite, depending on a healthy diet may be more realistic than looking for the quick fix from a cellulite cream.

We all love the sun, but it’s more of a love/hate relationship.  We love the golden tan the sun provides, but we hate the wrinkles and age spots.  Even worse, excessive sun exposure can be life threatening.  It’s responsible for over a million new cases of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers every year.

Aside from a healthy snack, grape seed has been used as an anti-aging ingredient [against free radicals] in many beauty products, but a recent study has shown chemicals found in grape seeds may also help prevent skin cancer.  Researchers at the University of Alabama exposed hairless mice to ultraviolet rays in order to determine whether the presence of grape seed proanthocyanidins (GSP) in the diet affects the skin’s reaction to sunlight.

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Sagging cheeks aren’t the only thing we have to worry about; gravity takes its toll on all our delicate body parts.  Well don’t worry, Mama Mio will take care of you.  While their products typically focus on strengthening the skin’s elasticity, the Boob Tube is uniquely designed to prevent [and repair] a saggy bust!  The Boob Tube’s natural ingredients are prefect for the expecting, and the un-expecting [of saggy boobs and stretch marks].  With avocado and primrose your skin cope with the stress of stretching and shrinking from pregnancy and/or age.  The Boob Tube is dedicated to giving you a “perkier profile” by improving elasticity and firmness.  If your more concerned with other parts of your body, check out ER Stretch Mark Minimser, which will help minimize the visibility and texture of stretch marks during and after pregnancy, and it’s suitable for all skin types, at anytime.

MamaMio.com    [ Via NewBeauty.com ]

Smoking is a dreadful habit.  It makes your teeth yellow, your fingers smell, and your face tired and dull.  If you’re a smoker, here’s one more reason to kick the habit.  A recent study has shown smoking not only causes facial wrinkles but body wrinkles as well.  The parts of your body that never see the light of day may become wrinkled and coarse due to smoking.  Non-facial skin [protected from sun] was examined for damage.  The study determined the damage to be directly related to the amount and time (in years) a person smokes.  Previous smoking related skincare studies have linked facial skin damage to smoking but have not focused on the rest of the body, this study however, did observed the direct relationship between damaged body skin and regular smoking.

Click here for info on smoking and how to quit.

[ Via Medicinenet.com ]