Interview with Dr. Cristine Thorpe, founder of www.Crissimone.com.

Describe what your site is about.

Cris Simone is an online beauty and health resource targeting busy women of color. We want to inspire women to enjoy the best of health, wellness and beauty in their lives each day.  We interview experts and feature women who share insight on how they are living life to the fullest.  We also keep our readers in-the-know by highlighting some effective products and services.

How is beauty and health important to you?

Beauty and health is extremely important because I believe that the two go hand in hand.  If we are not taking care of ourselves, it comes out in our appearance and in our behavior.  Beauty is just a reflection of what is going on within. If you love your life, your smile is brighter and your walk exudes confidence.  If you eat properly, your skin has a glow and your hair is radiant. If you have an active lifestyle, you body rewards you with a great figure and tons of energy.  With so many health issues disproportionately affecting women of color, I believe it is important that we become a voice of encouragement for each other to live a life of self-care and self-love.

Cris Simone beauty and health recommendation: Aromandina aromatherapy oils for their healing properties, and meditate for 5 minutes daily to center your hearts and minds.

Aromandina Aromatherapy Seven Solutions

]]> http://www.mybeautybunny.com/2010/women_of_color_crissimone/feed/ 7 http://www.mybeautybunny.com/2009/lather/ http://www.mybeautybunny.com/2009/lather/#comments Mon, 31 Aug 2009 04:54:56 +0000 chiefbunny http://www.mybeautybunny.com/?p=2090 There’s this really cute little boutique in Old Town Pasadena that I’ve driven past.  I distinctly remember seeing it while on some important errand with a friend.  As my friend drove past, I pressed my face to the window and said, “Ohhhhh – what’s that? We have to come back here!”

Turns out that cute little company, called Lather, has been around since 1999, and is on PETA’s compassionate company list – they have a strict policy against animal testing.  Right up my alley!  I finally got a chance to check out their products, and I was quite pleased.

Lather founder and skin care expert Emilie Davidson Hoyt was a serious migraine sufferer since childhood, and she was/is ultra-sensitive to the synthetic ingredients and fragrances found in most cosmetics. When she was a child her father brought her back a lavender soap from a business trip and she found that it relieved much of her pain, so she began placing it under her pillow at night to help her relax.

This is what started her passion for natural healing products and the desire to use her experience to help others.  There’s a great list of essential oils and their properties on the Lather website, as well as skin care advice from Emilie.

I like the way they separate different types of products by package color.  I tried their Blemish Control Cleansing Gel, which is an oil-free gel cleanser with wasabi (a natural antibacterial agent), aloe, witch hazel and nettle extract.  It’s paraben and sulfate-free, and it’s pH balanced so it doesn’t dry out your skin.  I love that it rinses clean – no residue – but still manages to keep my skin soft.  Very highly recommended!

I also tried the Ultra Light Face Lotion, which as the name implies, is well…ultra light!  The cool thing is that it actually has a nice, moisturizing thickness to it – it’s not a serum or a gel – but it dries quickly with no greasy or heavy feel.  Great for my combination skin.  It’s got rose and ylang ylang essential oils to soothe the skin, and the scent is quite nice.

I tried the AHA Facial Therapy with Copper and Borage Extract – which I used as a night cream.  It’s very light, and has lactic acid, copper and borage seed oil to renew dull, tired skin and increase cell turnover.

The Bamboo Creme Hair Wash has bamboo extract of course – and panthenol, jojoba oil and oat amino acids to prevent split ends and encourage moisture.  It’s got essential oils which give it a nice, fresh scent.

The Avocado Mint Hair Repair is wonderfully thick and leaves a fresh, minty cooling sensation.  It’s got nourishing shea butter, macadamia seed oil and jojoba oil to condition the hair.  I like to use it on weekends along with a nice facial mask for a great “I’m pampering myself” feeling.

I definitely recommend checking out the Lather store if you’re in Pasadena, Scottsdale or Atlanta.  You can also buy their products online.  And the best part?  The prices are more than reasonable!

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I thought I had tried good aromatherapy products before this, but I was so wrong. Pharmacopia is officially my new favorite bath and body aromatherapy line, and their Citrus Organic Body Wash and Body Lotion are my favorite products.

I’ve always been a fan of citrus fragrances, so I figured this would be the same as all the others, fresh, sweet, orange-y. But it was completely different. The fragrance was so rich and invigorating I didn’t want to stop smelling it. I know you think I’m sounding a little crazy, but I’m serious, there was something about the smell that was addicting.

So, why was this line so different? Probably because this is a different kind of company. It was started by a woman with fibromyalgia who received little help from doctors. After studying a variety of healing therapies, she began making her own herbal and aromatherapy products for relief and rejuvenation.

All Pharmacopia products are made with pure essential oils as well as other natural ingredients. They are free of artificial colors, fragrances, fillers, synthetics, parabens, and sulfates.

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The Citrus Organic Body Wash is a thick, concentrated gel with a nice lather that was perfect for use in the shower or bath. Organic aloe vera gel, vegetable glycerin, certified organic extracts of comfrey root, marshmallow root, chamomile flowers, and sea algae extract gently cleanse and moisturize the skin.

The Citrus Organic Body Lotion is a thick, organic shea butter-based cream that absorbs quickly and leaves your skin feeling soft and wonderful. Certified organic avocado oil, certified organic wheat germ oil, and certified organic olive oil eliminate dryness. Certified organic aloe vera gel, algae extract, vitamin A, and vitamin C rejuvenate the skin for a younger-looking appearance.

The fragrance for both is a combination of tangerine, grapefruit, lavender, and neroli essential oils, which are perfect for those hard-to-wake up mornings.

Sleep Scentsations

The founders of Sleep Scentsations have come up with a why-didn’t-I-think-of-that product. Sleep Scentsations are scented, adhesive-backed liners that you put under your pillowcase. They come in scents such as Day at the Beach, White Tea and Lily, Fresh Cut Grass, My Boyfriend’s Shirt (my favorite!), and they even have one that is supposed to help you stop snoring.

The only problem is that these liners only last for a day or two, so you have to save them for a special evening (or stock up – they are currently $19.99 for a 30-day supply).

I’m not going to lie, these things do look like pantiliners (as I think any woman will instantly recognize), but hey – they go inside your pillowcase – no one has to know!

If you’re super-sensitive to scents (like me and Lea), you may want to put these on a bed pillow that’s not going to be right under your face all night.  Or, you can do what I did and stick one inside a couch pillow!

Oh, and one more thing – I cannot be held responsible for any dreams that involve men that are NOT your husband/boyfriend when using “My Boyfriend’s Shirt” liners!

Aromafloria Double Action Foot Scrub

Even though I’ve given many pedicures throughout my career, when it comes to taking care of my own feet, I prefer to do it myself. Sure, it’s not quite as relaxing as having someone else pamper me, but paying for something I can do myself just seems a little wasteful. I’m always trying new products to see what gives the best results.

My new favorite is Aromafloria Double Action Foot Scrub. It’s a sugar scrub, and when it comes to foot scrubs, I will always recommend a natural salt or sugar scrub. They have large granules to exfoliate the tough skin and calluses, but they dissolve easily, and the oils they’re mixed with leave you with smooth, soft, beautiful feet.

This one has certified organic cane sugar, and the delightful essential oils are certified organic tea tree, peppermint, spearmint, rosemary, and eucalyptus. Perfectly blended aromas is what Aromafloria is famous for. And it’s what sets this product apart from the other foot scrubs on the market.

When you scrub your feet with this, you actually feel like you’re in a high-end spa because the combination of scents is completely relaxing. Plus, the mint oils make your feet feel refreshed and invigorated–which is perfect after a long day.

But what makes me feel even better about this product is Aromafloria is not only dedicated to healthy skin, but also to a healthy planet. All of its ingredients come from farms that use sustainable, holistic practices. They support impoverished regions around the globe. And they use environmentally sound packaging.