Natural Perfume

I LOVE perfume. I'm sure it comes from my mom, who always has at least 10 different perfumes on her dresser, and always smells amazing. Unfortunately, it turns out that perfumes contain some very hazardous chemicals, which are not regulated by any health agency. In fact, fragrances are even exempt from disclosing ingredients, as they are considered a "trade secret". To make matters worse, because perfume is usually applied directly to the skin (the largest organ), the skin ends up absorbing many of these harmful chemicals, which accumulate in the system.

To avoid the toxicity of synthetic fragrances, many people are now turning to natural fragrances. Thankfully, natural fragrances have come a long way from the hippy, patchouli-esque scents that many of us associate them with. Here are some of my favorite natural perfumes that also pay attention to being earth-friendly in their operations and packaging:

LaVanila - if you like soft, sweet, fruity perfumes, this is for you! This fragrance line is based on natural Madagascar vanilla, which they blend with other natural essential oils and topical antioxidants. They offer a full line of aromatheraphy candles, and body care, including deodorant - this happens to be my absolute favorite natural deodorant (and I've tried LOTS of brands!).

Leila Lou -if you like feminine, floral scents, you will love this natural perfume by Rosie Jane (who also makes adorable cosmetics!). This perfume is a very flirty floral, and wears beautifully throughout the day. Everything in the line is minimally packaged in 100% recyclable materials, and has a great give back program that gets

you free product!

Auric Blends - if you like more earthy, musky fragrances, you'll find just what you're looking for here! Using all natural essential oils, Auric Blends creates a wide array of roll-on fragrances, solid perfumes, and incense for both men and women. A little bit goes a long way with these products, and the price point is amazing! They also provide samples, so you can try the whole line and find your favorite.

If none of these sound like what you're looking for, you can always create your own fragrance using individual essential oils. You can find these at your local health food store, and they're usually pretty affordable, so you can experiment and create your own signature scent!

Have you found your favorite natural perfume?

Anti-aging treatment? There's an App for that

As we've all heard from the iphone commercials, there's an app for just about anything. And soon, you'll even be able to get an anti-aging treatment from your phone!

United Holdings Group will be launching a set of ten anti-aging applications for the iphone in January 2010. The apps promise to treat wrinkles, acne, skin elasticity, hair growth, and even joint pain for a mere $2.99. According to the company, the apps work by using wavelengths of light and sound to stimulate a healing response in the cells, causing them to produce collagen and elastin.

It sounds like the idea is based on LED photorejuvenation therapy, offered by dermatologists and companies like Tanda and Osmotics Cosmeceuticals. While LED therapy is proven to stimulate collagen and elastin (with red and amber light therapy) and kill acne-causing bacteria (blue light therapy), I'm not sure how well an iphone app will be able to replicate those results, but for $2.99, I'll find out for myself!

Will you be trying the anti-aging app?