In a giving mood today! So I figure it’s high time for another product giveaway. This month it is for a FREE bottle of Break Free fruit acid gel. This product can be used safely on all skin types and it is a fantastic “at home peel”. Break Free is comprised of glycolic, pyruvic and lactic acids which basically eat away at the glue that is hanging on to the dead skin cells on your face. Sounds a little icky I know, but the results are amazing. Your skin looks fresh and renewed.

The best part about Break Free is that it is a serious product – it’s far superior to many of the typical glycolic or other chemical peels you’ll find in a store. Break Free has a 7.5% concentration, with a pH between 1 and 2 it is unbuffered. Why does all of this matter? Well most of the products you’ll find are buffered and have higher pH levels which means they are less effective. Break Free is the perfect combination of having just the right levels so that it is incredibly effective, but also safe to use at home.

So you can use Break Free and save zillions of dollars (ok that might be a slight exaggeration) over dermatologist peel treatments, and get fantastic results right at home. Peels not only help your skin look smoother and younger but with continued use they also help to even skin tone, unclog pores and reduce any pigmentation issues you might have. And if you suffer from breakouts? It’s one of the best solutions for maintaining clear skin.

We typically suggest that if you have normal to oily skin you should use Break Free 1 to 3 times per week and leave it on for 1 to 3 minutes each time (depending on your tolerance). If your skin is dry or sensitive you can start by using it once per week or once every other week and build up from there.

It is vital to remember, however, if you use any kind of exfoliator, that you are extra careful with your sun exposure. You need to be fully protected because you are exposing the more sensitive layers of skin to the sun. So just be sure to be deligent with your sun screen!

Now for the good part - one lucky winner will get a full sized 4 oz bottle of Break Free for FREE. HURRY – the contest ends Tuesday, August 4th.

Here’s what you need to do to enter:

Go to www.gardengirlskincare.com an answer these questions, then email the answers to contest@gardengirlskincare.com:

1) What is the name of the customer who said “I want to tell you how much I love your products. I do have very sensitive skin and many “natural” products, like Aveda tend to irritate. I have been using my Oasis for Faces, plus toner since I received them and my skin looks and feels wonderful.”

2) What is Garden Girl’s mission? (you can cut/paste)

3) Name 2 beauty blogs or magazines that have featured Garden Girl reviews

Have FUN!!! And don’t forget to submit your entry by Tuesday August 4th!

This week you can save $5 on all orders under $50, and $10 on orders of $50 or more. Sounds sweet, eh? Find out how to get in on the savings by signing up for our email list on the home page – www.gardengirlskincare.com. And you’ll even get another $5 coupon for your next order! Such a deal!

Understanding your skin type is very important for keeping your skin healthy – and therefore reducing the impact of your skin’s aging process. There are 3 types of skin: normal, oily and dry. And each skin type has a range within it – for example very oily or very dry. Additionally, you can have a combination of the skin types – like normal on your cheeks but oily on your “t-zone”.

Below is a brief description of the 3 skin types and how to take care of them. Much of the “technical” information I have here is from textbooks.

Normal Skin
Normal skin is what we all hope to have but few actually do have. The best way to describe “normal” skin is that it is what most children have (before they hit puberty). In normal skin, hydration is perfect and the oil glands secrete just enough oil to keep skin soft and supple. It looks healthy, with good color, a smooth texture and it’s free of large pores and wrinkles.

Lots of things can deteriorate the quality of normal skin – with the biggest being the natural aging process. Additionally, lack of proper hydration and the lack of a healthy diet with vitamins, minerals, and amino acids to provide proper cell reproduction also play a big role. Lastly, how you take care of your skin plays a role – use of harsh soaps and scrubs, the climate you live in and sun exposure through lack of proper use of sun protection.

The best way to take care of normal skin is to wash twice daily – morning and (most importantly) evening. Washing should be followed by use of a toner and a moisturizer – along with any additional anti-aging products you are using (serums, eye creams etc.). Normal skin will also benefit from weekly exfoliation. Lastly, and always most importantly, proper use of sun protection is vital.

Dry Skin
Dry skin is a common occurrence among people who are over 40, as our skin naturally slows its production of oils which cause it to look dried out and dehydrated. Additionally, many people simply have dry skin that they have had all of their lives. Dry skin is the result of sebaceous glands that are underactive – so they are not producing sufficient oils to keep skin moist and dewey. Because of the lack of oil, it is less able to maintain proper levels of hydration because the oils typically act as a barrier to prevent loss of moisture. Without the oils, the moisture is free to leave the skin layers and then the skin begins to appear dry and dehydrated.

Dry skin tends to look thin, very delicate and often flaky. Pores tend to be almost invisible and the skin shows wrinkles and lines very easily. Obviously exposure to the sun will exacerbate the situation. Dry skin should be taken care of carefully, using non-drying face cleansers as well as moisturizers that provide a sufficient barrier to trap moisture such as hyaluronic acid. Careful use of additional anti-aging products is also recommended (eye creams, serums etc.) Periodic (gentle!) exfoliation is helpful to rid skin of the flaking and peeling, but most importantly the weekly use of a hydrating masque is crucial. It is key for people with dry skin to use products specifically formulated for dry skin.

Oily Skin

Oily skin is obviously the opposite of dry skin. Oily skin results from sebaceous glands that are over-active. It is easily recognized as it has a shiny, thick and firm appearance – and it tends to have large pores. People with oily skin often suffer from blemishes, typically on the forehead, chin and nose areas. The good news is that people that suffer from oily skin when they are young, tend to have fewer wrinkles and younger looking skin as they age. This is due to the fact that the sebaceous glands slow their production as we age, so people with oily skin typically end up with more “normal” oil production resulting in younger looking skin!

Oily skin is one of the most challenging to take care of properly. Common myths are that you want to dry skin out and that you should not use any products with oils in them so it won’t get even more oily. However, these tactics can get you into some worse trouble! If you have oily skin, you should thoroughly but gently (not harshly) cleanse your skin morning and evening with products designed specifically for oily or problematic skin. Toners again can help maintain proper skin balance and maximize the effects of the moisturizer. And yes – you definitely want to use a moisturizer, as well as anti-aging serums and eye creams. Any moisturizing product should be one that helps to regulate oil gland secretion. And most importantly, a bi-weekly use of an exfoliator is key – to keep skin soft and smooth and reduce the appearance of thickening skin.

It’s interesting because I hear from many clients that they sometimes have oily skin and sometimes dry skin. But more likely what is happening is that they have oily skin and are using products or doing something that is dehydrating their skin. It’s important to remember that your skin has layers that hold a lot of water and layers with oil. So it is important to keep it hydrated as well as maintain the proper levels of oil. So if you have oily skin that gets dry in spots it’s likely that you have used astringents, scrubs or soaps either excessively or you have chosen ones that are simply too harsh. Again, seek out products with hyaluronic acid as it can help to trap the moisture in the skin.

I just was reading someone’s Twitter posting and I found this great link to the Local Harvest website. This site is an amazing resource for finding CSA’s (community supported agriculture farms) where you can buy “shares” of the farm and then every week you get your share of the “loot”.

The site also lists local farmer’s markets, restaurants that use local produce, and local food co-ops. It’s a huge wealth of information – and it is all done by zip code so you can find what’s closest to you.

Have fun!

This week’s special is a big 15% savings on all of our travel sized products. Want to get in on the savings? Sign up for our email list on the homepage – www.gardengirlskincare.com and we’ll send you this week’s coupon code.

Have you ever noticed how many products there are to freshen the air in your home, make rooms smell nice, and make your laundry smell good? Candles, sprays, plug-ins, weird gel crystal thingies, potpourri – the list is endless. So much money is spent on these products – but the worst part of it is not the wasted money, it’s the fact that most of them are actually harmful to your health. Just think about it – you spray these products all around your home and then breathe the chemicals. Not great!

Do you love those scented candles? I admit – I used to be addicted. I had Yankee Candles all over my house. Until I learned more about what burning the candles does – emitting soot and other airborne micro-particles in the air that can cause long term harm. Not to mention the phthalates from the artificial fragrances used to scent the candles.

But I think the room sprays are even more of a concern. I just read that Americans are expected to spend 1.72 billion on air fresheners this year. Yep – 1.72 BILLION dollars! Crazy. Are our houses that stinky? Yipes. But again – it’s not just the money wasted, but the health impact. A study done at the University of Bristol found that “frequent use of air fresheners and
aerosols during pregnancy and early childhood was associated with higher levels of diarrhea, earache and other symptoms in infants,as well as headaches and depression in mothers.” Uh oh.

So – I thought I’d share a few natural ways to make your home smell fresh and clean – naturally! Many of these options use essential oils, which can be purchased in natural food stores or online.

1) Toss some spices like cinnamon stick, nutmeg, cloves in a pot with some water and let it simmer. Or add a few drops of essential oil to simmering water. Just don’t forget about it!

2) When you are cleaning with vinegar and water – add a couple of drops of essential oils. Lavender is nice – it is calming and it also has a strong enough scent that it will linger awhile.

3) Put a few drops of essential oil on a cotton ball and put it in a small dish. Hide the dish behind something if you don’t want it to be seen. Putting it behind the radiator in the winter will help spread the scent faster.

4) When doing laundry, instead of using a dryer sheet, put a few drops of essential oil onto an old face cloth and toss it into the clothes dryer with the load of laundry. Again – lavender is a good choice, as is rose geranium.

5) Use the old tried and true box of baking soda. Remove the top of the box of baking soda and leave it in the room to absorb the odors.

6) The next time you have a cup of green tea – don’t throw away the tea. Dry the leaves – then toss some on the carpet and vacuum it up. It will refresh the carpet and also deodorize your vacuum bag. Also – toss the tried leaves into the kitty litter box – it’s a great litter deodorizer too!

7) Mix 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of baking soda and 2 cups of hot water in a spray bottle. Shake well until mixed and dissolved. This can be used as a great air freshener just like the expensive ones you can buy at the store! (just avoid spraying above wood furniture)

Those are just a few options-get creative! And toss out those harmful, chemical-laden “fresheners”.

Find out how you can get free shipping on all orders this week – thru Friday night at midnight! Just go to www.gardengirlskincare.com and sign up for our mailing list, if you haven’t done so already. Each week we’ll send you a different special offer, like this week’s free shipping!

EWG.org has posted this year’s review of sunscreens. There are quite a few interesting ones and the report is filled with interesting information. Turns out, they discovered in their research of more than 1,600 sunscreens that “3 of 5 brand-name sunscreens either don’t protect skin from sun damage or contain hazardous chemicals — or both.” Yipes!

Now I have to say, from their “top 10″ list, many of them are either incredibly expensive, very hard to find (often out of stock) or they are icky to use (the Badger brand is very very greasy/sticky). But that said – to each his own. If you are a stickler for a sunscreen that has a “0″ hazard rating, then check them out. But many of the others are just fine to use – and you can read all about them.

But best of all is this year, EWG created what I think is very smart, handy and practical – a handy guide that you can bring with you when you go to buy sunscreen. This way, you have a quick cheat sheet of the brands that you’ll find at CVS or Target or wherever – and which are the best choices within a brand (as some brands like Coppertone and Neutrogena have some of least safe/effective products but also have a couple of good ones). Plus it has a list of the ingredients to avoid!

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look as though they reviewed any of the Trader Joe’s products. I will say, however, that a personal review of the ingredients of their Face and Body SPF30 looked pretty good. Paraben-free, oxybenzone-free and it includes a mineral block. That said, I have no idea what the actual EWG safety rating would be.

So take a look at the EWG review site and print off the cheat sheet. And have a safe, and hopefully SUNNY summer.

(Northeast weather update – we are actually supposed to see the sun for multiple days in a ROW! Amazing!)

What a pleasant surprise to see another great review on one of my favorite beauty blogs – Bionic Beauty! They had reviewed Garden Girl back in January but I didn’t realize they were going to do “Part Deux” as they call it. Bonus!

In this review, Jami checks out Garden Girl’s Starting Over microderm scrub, No Worries face cream and Break Free fruit acid gel. Best part? She loved them all! It’s always a little nerve wracking to read reviews – you never know where they are going to go. The reputable beauty bloggers (like Bionic Beauty and Mythbuster Beauty) give their honest opinion. That is why they are good – you know you’re getting the real scoop – rather than just random reviews you might see posted elsewhere on the web (like in beauty chat rooms). So I was thrilled to see that she loved them. And with Bionic Beauty’s highly sensitive skin, it speaks to the fact that both Starting Over and Break Free can be used very effectively on sensitive skin.

And don’t forget – this week you can save an incredible 15% on ALL ORDERS (no minimum). Just use coupon code July7 – anytime before Saturday at midnight. If you haven’t tried Starting Over, No Worries or Break Free – now is the perfect time! And don’t forget, our products are always free of parabens, sulfates, petroleum products and phthalates!