If I had compiled a list of types of products that I still am not happy with- meaning that I have yet to find the one that is right for me – deodorant would be on the top of the list.

Being a very active person, and living in Florida, often makes me sweat profusely; not just while working out but simply by crossing the parking lot of a shopping mall. Besides the fact that wet underarms completely freak me out anyway; I also am very self-conscious about smelling good – or not… Fragrance-free deodorants never seemed to work for me, and the ones that are scented either smell weird and powdery, or they leave a white residue on my clothes.

At one of my recent trips to Whole Foods, where I always browse the skincare aisle for about an hour (yeah…so what…it takes time reading every ingredient list..!!), I found Alba Botanica’s Clear Enzyme Deodorant Stick in Aloe unscented (also available in Lavender and Tea Tree). The claims on the packaging promise the following:

-          Crystal clear
-          Safe, long-lasting protection
-          No aluminum
-          Preservative and P.G. free

I bought the deodorant with a mix of excited anticipation and the feeling that I just spent $7 on a product that will go right in the garbage after its first use.

I applied the deodorant after my shower the next morning, and I immediately hated the way it smelled. Despite the claim of this product being unscented; the coriander oil listed on the ingredient list should have given it away… I passionately dislike anything that smells (or tastes) like anise or licorice, and there I was – standing in my bathroom with cardamom armpits, and 5 minutes left to get ready for work…

To keep this story short:  When I arrived at the office, at 9:00am and 85 F already, I went straight for the ladies’ room to make a “smell check” without being watched.  To my surprise, the detestable cardamom scent had completely disappeared, and all I could smell was  – well… nothing…! Absolutely, wonderfully, incredibly, nothing…  And this clean, non-residue nothingness lasted ALL day.

Needless to say; I am convinced, won over, swayed, converted… And I think you should give that one a try.  http://www.albabotanica.com/?id=67&pid=125

Love…to you and your skin,
G-gal

Mine is, and has been for years, Gwyneth Paltrow.

What am I talking about..?? Well, celebrity skin, of course…!!  Those beautiful women who seem to have the most gorgeous, flawless, velvety looking skin. Women who are blessed with skin like that can only be successful in life, right…!?? They were born with it, and that makes them destined for happiness, fame, and VOGUE cover shoots.

Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret… While as a woman, I admire beauty and seemingly perfect skin; as a licensed esthetician, I can tell you that while good skin can be hereditary (just like strong white teeth, or a big bank account), there is quite a lot you can do if you struggle with less than perfect skin.

The skin you were born with is the skin you have to live with. Although the upper skin layer renews itself every month, you can’t change your skin type. However, what you CAN do is keeping your skin balanced, and harmonize it by treating it with lots of TLC and good skincare products.

Skin is the biggest organ of your body, and whatever you do…your skin usually shows it first. Remember the big, red zit on the nose that showed up just before you had a big date? I found a nasty pimple on my chin the morning of a professional photo shoot. And do you know why? Because I didn’t treat my skin the way I should have.

There are 3 basic steps to healthy and beautiful skin:

1. Cleanse
2. Exfoliate
3. Moisturize

The products you choose for your daily skincare regimen are extremely important. In addition to buying products that are appropriate for your skin type, you should also make sure that the products are actually good for skin. I hear all the time that women try a new product, and their faces break out. And NO…skin does not “get used” to that new product. If your skin breaks out in hives, gets red, or starts burning, it is clearly communicating that it doesn’t like what you put on it.

Sometimes it could be an allergic reaction to an otherwise great ingredient but usually red, hot, bumpy skin is the result of such nasty ingredients as: alcohol, fragrance, dyes, or certain preservatives.

Always read the ingredient list and make an educated choice when buying a skincare product. That is what the celebrity dermatologists do for their celebrity clients..!! (Oh, Gwyneth…)

…and just FYI: Skindred Soul® products are made without sulfates, parabens, dyes, fragrance, and irritating preservatives.

Love, to you and your skin,
G-Gal

Look for it available soon in the Skindred Soul online store.

Many of you have asked us and now we can finally reveal our little secret!…

Nourish & Care Anti-aging cream has been reformulated utilizing the latest anti-aging technologies available and Skindred Soul’s proprietary skin rejuvenating formula, Neutroxy 16™, offering the ultimate in protection from free radical damage and nature’s own skin rebuilding technology.

Neutroxy 16™ is comprised of 16 carefully blended certified organic ingredients including select dry seed oils, fruit, flower, tea and root extracts to offer the ultimate in skin rebuilding technology. You can read more about and purchase the newly reformulated Nourish & Care Anti-aging cream from the Skindred Soul Skincare Store.

If you are anything like me then finding the perfect face cream is like finding the perfect jeans (or even like finding Mr. Right..?). Anyway…it is a major undertaking that is not to be taken lightly.

I hadn’t shopped for face cream for a while, for obvious reasons, and I don’t really find talking to overzealous sales people at the cosmetic counter enjoyable.  So, I started my search on Sephora.com where the selection is huge, and where the ingredients for most of the products are listed.

I was looking for a natural product without fragrance, without alcohol, without parabens, and without dyes (did you ever notice how many pink and baby-blue creams are out there..???!).

Shopping for skincare products with me is my friends’ nightmare as I read the ingredient list of every single face cream in the store, and then bitch about it. When it comes to skincare, I turn into a snobby elitist.

While most people may find this habit rather annoying, it is actually not completely unjustified. Most skincare products on the market today contain at least one or two ingredients that are potentially dangerous for the skin, and I have seen many face creams that contain tons of skin irritants.

When I talk to my customers or to friends about irritating ingredients, most of them put preservatives on top of the list, followed by fragrance, then alcohol. While some creams still contain potentially harmful preservatives, most preservatives used in skincare today are mild and food-grade. (for more in-depth information go to the Skindred Soul preservatives page )

On top of my list are actually ingredients of natural origin (i.e. essential oils). Many plant extracts, herbs and fruits may smell awesome, may taste really good, or may be a heaven-sent cure for internal problems, such as stomach pain; but they have no business being on the ingredient list of a face cream, especially if the product is labeled for sensitive skin.

According to numerous clinical studies, essential oils have been found to contribute to tumor development and other harmful changes in the body. Most essential oils can be damaging to the skin, liver and other organs, even in concentrations as low as 3%. They most often include a mix of alcohols, ketones, phenols, linalool, borneol, terpenes, camphor, pinene, acids, ethers, aldehydes, and sulfur, all of which have extremely irritating and sensitizing effects on skin.

Be very careful with products that contain the following ingredients, especially if they are high up on the ingredient list:

• Essential oil blend
• Natural fragrance
• Rosemary extract
• Thyme extract
• Peppermint/ Menthol/ Spearmint
• Lavender (Research also indicates that components of lavender, specifically linalool, can be cyto-toxic, meaning that topical application causes skin-cell death (Source: Cell Proliferation, June 2004, pages 221-229).
• Lemon oil/ Mandarin/ Sweet orange oil (these oils are usually obtained as by-products of the citrus industry, and are really cheap ingredients.)
• Clove
• Linalool
• Geraniol
• Citronellol
• Cinnamon
• Camphor
• Lemon Balm
• Vetiver
• Eucalyptus
• Ginger
• Basil oil
• Myrrh

This list is not complete but it contains the essential oils and irritating plant extracts most widely used in skincare.

Many face creams are a mix of good and bad ingredients which I find very unfortunate. Too often I start getting excited about a product because it lists really amazing ingredients, such as Evening Primrose oil and White Tea extract; just to become really disappointed when I also find alcohol, essential oils and irritating plant extracts on the label.

On top of my official “Shun List” of face creams for use of irritating ingredients are the following brands:

• Jurlique
• Juice Beauty
• Lancôme
• Dr. Brandt
• Ole Henriksen
• L’Occitane
• Pangea Organics
• Clarins (their Super Restorative Serum is a Super shocker: alcohol, perfume, parabens, essential oils…)

To end this post on a positive note: YES, there are some skincare gems out there; one of them being the Repairwear line from Clinique. Also check out the moisturizers from MD skincare or Aloe Vera Eye Defense from The Body Shop which I used allover my face.

Oh, I almost forgot: Skindred Soul’s Energize & Care and Nourish & Care are chock-full of absolutely amazing ingredients, and they don’t contain ANY of the ingredients I always bitch about… LOL

Be good to your skin.

G-gal

(PS: our reformulated Nourish & Care will available soon!)

Now that you have ordered the 7 day Starter Kit, we want you to get the most out of our products, so we have provided some tips below on the use of each product in the kit.

1.    Included with the kit are directions for the proper use of every product. By following these directions, you will make the most out of the kit and achieve noticeable results by the end of the 7 day period.

2.    Try to exclusively use the Skindred Soul products during the 7 day period to avoid any possible negative interactions with other products.

3.    The products are very high quality so a little bit goes a long way.  This is especially true of the Gentle Wash & Care Cleanser and the Nourish & Care Anti-Aging Cream.

4.    Since the Nourish & Care Anti-Aging Cream is very rich, we recommend starting with using a pea sized amount.  If you feel your skin demands more moisture, you can always apply more.

5.    If you have problems with dull skin or clogged pores, we recommend starting your 7 day routine by applying the Unveil & Care Exfoliant as a mask and let it remain on your skin for 5 – 10 minutes before washing off thoroughly with plenty of water.

6.    Be sure to let your skin dry completely before applying the Energize and Care Serum as this will allow for complete absorption of the product.

7.    For added benefit, the Tone & Care Calming Toner can be used in place of water to activate the Unveil & Care Exfoliant.

Have fun and please let us know what you think by either rating the products on the product page or by sending us an email through our contact page.

Skindred Soul

Yeah!

We love being around those fast cars! … oh yeah and we really enjoy interacting with the people… sorry, the fast car thing overwhelmed us for a second there

Friday, April 9th 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm – Luxury Lifestyle JetPort Reception (Invitation Only Event)

Skindred Soul will be part of a fun event for speed fanatics called “The Festivals of Speed” (www.festivalsofspeed.com). If you love fast cars, planes and boats, this is the event to attend!

Come out and see us at the Jet Port event on Friday April 9th 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm.

By April, our popular Anti-Aging product, utilizing a new and improved formula with the latest research and developments in natural skin care, will be available and we’ll be giving it away FREE exclusively at this event. Don’t miss your chance!

The event should be a great time!

Sunday April 11th 10:00am-4:00pm is open to the public with the Motorsports Collection & Luxury Lifestyle Display located at North Straub Park, St. Petersburg

If you love fast cars, boats, planes, etc. check out the site for the Festival of Speed for the St. Pete event (www.festivalsofspeed.com/schedule-stpete.htm)

See you there!

- The Skindred Soul Team

High quality Kukui Nut oil can be ordered from Mountain Rose Herbs (www.mountainroseherbs.com)(link opens in a new browser window). It is 100% pure and cold-pressed, and it comes at a very reasonable price (4oz approx. $10). Enjoy..!

All the best to you and your skin,
G-Gal

These customers have indicated that they like to refill the small spray mister bottle from the large 5.1 oz toner bottle. In order to prevent product contamination, we don’t endorse opening the product containers, however once you purchase these products they are yours and you can do what you wish with them. However if you are careful about how you open the containers, here is what our customers have told us that they do.

Carefully unscrew the pump head of the large airless container by grasping the silver band and untwisting counter-clockwise. Place the pump head on a clean surface (clean paper towel etc.). Unscrew the spray mister pump head by grasping the ridged area of the pump head and unscrewing counter-clockwise. Again, place the spray mister pump head on a clean surface.

Refill the small 1.0 oz spray mister bottle from the larger toner bottle and replace both caps.

VERY IMPORTANT – after replacing the large container pump head, you will have to pump all the remaining air out by depressing the pump a fair amount of times. We are told that this works effectively but may take a short time to get all of the air out of the container. If this is not done, the anti-oxidants can break down due to exposure to air, but this will take a little while to occur.

Please take care not to contaminate your product. We purposely do not offer a spray mister on the large container as the delicate anti- oxidants in the toner are well preserved for longer periods of time by using airless pump containers. Of course, these are your products when you purchase them and you can do what you like with them so we hope that the feedback from other customers is helpful to you.

If you find this tip helpful, we encourage you to post feedback by rating the products directly through the Skindred Soul site on the toner product page and posting your comments.

If you find this tip helpful, we encourage you to post feedback by rating the products directly through the Skindred Soul site on the exfoliant product page and posting your comments.