Hollywood’s Egyptian Theater was recently host to the Toxies, a red carpet event honoring the year’s worst chemicals and toxic compounds found in everyday cosmetic and household products.

The annual event was organized by Californians for a Healthy and Green Economy (CHANGE), a coalition of environmental health, policy, labor, environmental justice, interfaith, and other organizations who are working to create a system for regulating toxic chemicals in California.

The initiative was remarkably creative, engaging, and such a unique way to raise awareness. Congratulations to CHANGE and everyone involved for putting it together! Be sure to follow CHANGE on Twitter, and become a fan on Facebook.

Check out the winners and a video of the event below.

Worst Breakthrough Performance and Viewer’s Choice Award for Worst Chemical of 2009: Bisphenol A (BPA), an estrogen impersonator found in polycarbonate plastics used in baby bottles, reusable food and water containers and canned food liners. Linked to breast cancer, prostate cancer and infertility.

Lifetime Achievement in Harm: Lead, used in everything from paint and lunchboxes to candy and children’s toys, can interfere with children’s intellectual and behavioral development.

Worst Viral Media Performance: Triclosan, a pesticide used in hand sanitizer, antiperspirants, household cleaners, and toothpaste that can produce other toxic compounds.

Worst Costume: Perchlorethylene, commonly used in dry cleaning but can cause dizziness, nausea and organ damage.

Worst Stripper Performance: N-methyl pyrrolidone (NMP), an industrial solvent used in chemical processing, paint stripper and graffiti remover.

Worst Special Effects: Perchlorate, an oxidizer used in fireworks, airbags, explosives and rocket fuel that can contaminate drinking water.

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It may surprise you that the average adult is exposed to over 168 synthetic chemicals each day from cosmetic products. Many of these chemicals are known to be toxic and can cause serious health problems like cancer, infertility, birth defects, and skin conditions like acne, eczema, and rosacea.

Choosing natural cosmetics are a great choice for both the environment and your skin. Read the rest of this entry »

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Stephanie Bellomo, an independent designer from Queens NY, creates fabulous handbags and accessories hand sewn from reclaimed leather. Her handbags are made from recycled leather, biodegradable faux-leather, and organic cotton.

All handbags and accessories are unique and original designs – a perfect companion to your everyday wardrobe to provide a pop of color, a deluxe adornment for your special night, or an eclectic addition to your style.

You can view all her entire eco-handbag collection in her Etsy store The Bungaloe Market.

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Enter to win 1 of 2 recycled handbags from Maggie Bags! 2 winners will be chosen at random. Good luck! xo

Contest Ends: Jan 31, 2010

Contest Prizes:

• 1 Tote (pink)
• 1 Backpack (2-tone)

To enter:

1. Tell me what you are doing to be green, ex: do you recycle? have you switched your beauty product over to organic? Leave a comment on Facebook or YouTube:

• http://facebook.com/glamology
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Umg2KkR59c

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The global demand for cars has left behind an abundance of surplus man-made materials. Each year millions of yards of seat belt webbing are rejected for the slightest defect, making the strap useless to the auto maker. The straps end up in our landfills and waste dumps.

Maggie bags has given new life to the unwanted fabric destined for a landfill – by creating a line of sophisticated and trendy handbags. The handbags are made from woven polyester strips and having been originally designed as the life saving seatbelt in your car, the material is of the highest quality and made to last.

The handbags styles range from Totes, Messenger, Hobo, Laptop Bag, Backpack, Diaper Bag, Carry-On, and come in a variety of colors and 2-tones.

I really love these handbags and even more so that they are made from recycled materials. I would like to see more green technology like this being applied to the fashion industry and divert unusable products from our landfills and create sensational products.

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There are few things more frustrating than trying to find the right products that work for your skin. There is simply too many options available and too much misleading and inaccurate product advertising. But fret not, your quest for the perfect skin care routine just got a little easier.

mySkin.com is a beauty database which gathers product reviews and ratings from real people with similar skin concerns. The website allows you to discover products that work well for your skin type. You start by entering information about your skin’s unique profile and then you are presented with a list of recommended products. There’s also a great user forum where you can ask skin care questions and discuss product experiences.

In addition to recommendations, you also get a personalized skin assessment report which outlines detailed information about your specific skin type, what sorts of ingredients to avoid and other useful bits of information.

What I would really like to see added to mySkin is a method to exclude products based on hazardous ingredients like parabens or fragrance and a method to sort by characteristics such as eco-friendly packaging or vegan.

I liked that in addition to conventional beauty products, the database also contains organic and natural products from some of my favorite companies like 100% Pure and Eminence Organics.

mySkin is invite-only at the moment but you can register with the special code “glamology“.

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Products labeled as “green” are everywhere these days. As much as we might want to be healthier – advertisers will do whatever they can to get us to buy their product; going as far as promoting it as organic, natural, green or environmentally friendly, when it really isn’t.

The EcoLuxeLife was founded by three women on a personal quest who understand how misleading and confusing purchasing natural products can be. In an effort to impart what they’ve learned; they created an open platform for others to share what they know.

The EcoLuxeLife is an online store of green beauty, fashion, baby, pet, home, and food products. Their goal is to bring awareness and help you find and evaluate new products and services to decide what is right for you. Most people want to make efforts to use healthier products, reduce the use of chemicals and be kind to the planet, and The EcoLuxeLife makes that a much easier.

Do you like samples?
If your new to green products or just like to try new things out, you can purchase a membership with The EcoLuxeLife and you’ll receive a package four times per year stuffed with a range of fabulous eco-friendly products. Each package is season appropriate and they also pack in some extra surprises too!

Sydne, from The EcoLuxeLife, was kind enough to extend a 20% discount off their membership fee to my readers, just use the coupon code “Glamology”.

Be sure to follow them on Twitter and Facebook.

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In Summer our skin looks great but in Winter it feels dry, uncomfortably, and itchy. Here’s 10 tips to help you have healthy skin all Winter long.

1. Drink lots of water
Don’t let you skin go thirsty, hydrate it by drinking lots of water. Try carrying a metal bottle (BPA free) with you at all times. Drinking herbal teas are also great, especially when it’s really cold outside.

2. Use a humidifier
Put moisture back into the air with a humidifier which will help your skin remain supple instead of cracked and dry. Look for a cold mist humidifier and fill it with distilled water, as this will help reduce bacteria from forming.

3. Exfoliate face and body
Don’t forget to exfoliate your face and body at least once a week. Scrubs help to remove old dry skin cells and allow the body to breath and better absorb moisture.

4. Use an oil based moisturizer
This will help nourish your skin and protect it from moisture loss. I like using an oil serum at night, in particular Argan oil since it it light, very moisturizing and great for all skin types including oily and acne prone skin.

5. Wear sunscreen
Remember to wear sunscreen all year round as it will protect your skin from aging. UVA rays are strong from summer to winter, but UV rays are actually more intense in the winter due to the glare from the snow. Protect your skin from the elements by applying an SPF-30 every morning.

6. Wear gloves
Don’t expose your hands to the cold. Wear a good quality pair of gloves that doesn’t irritate the skin to keep your hands dry and warm.

7. Eat flaxseed oil
Flaxseed oil can is great to moisturize your body from the inside. It’s rich in fatty acids and can do a lot for your overall health. I like adding it to my morning smoothies – yum!

8. Take an oil bath
Add a little jojoba oil or sweet almond to your bath water to nourish you skin. You can also add some dry milk powder with a few drops of essential oils as an alternative.

9. Lower the blow dryer setting
Hot air dries out your scalp and can irritate your skin. Lower the setting on your blow dryer and hot iron or try the tousled wavy style for the winter.

10. Don’t lick your lips
Saliva is acidic and will dry out and chap your lips. Remember to keep an organic lip balm in your pocket or purse and apply it regularly. Use only lip products that don’t contain petrolatum (petroleum jelly) or other petroleum based ingredients as these nasty chemicals will actually dry your lips even more! Learn how to make organic lip balm at home with only a few ingredients.

Have a happy, safe, and hydrated Winter season!

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Jurlique Skin Care is a great organic and natural skin care line and they also have several wellness day spas. I was invited to their spa on Madison Ave in New York to experience their signature aroma therapeutic facial. If you have a chance to visit one of their day spas; I highly recommend them and if you’re in NYC, ask to book with Elizabeth – she is fantastic!

The products that are used during treatments are all available for purchase for home applications. These were some favorite products used during my facial:

Daily Exfoliating Cream
A daily non-granular exfoliating cream, rich in oats, almonds and honey to loosen and lift away dead skin cells. Leaves the skin deeply cleansed, smooth and radiant.

Balancing Cleansing Lotion
A balancing cleansing lotion, rich in the living energy of rosewood and lavender to gently lift away surface impurities. Leaves the skin balanced and hydrated. Ideal for maintaining balance.

Intense Recovery Mask
A hydrating mask, rich in the living energy of herbs and precious plant oils to clarify and revitalize the skin, leaving the skin smooth, glowing and refreshed. Ideal for maintaining balance.A hydrating mask, rich in the living energy of herbs and precious plant oils to clarify and revitalise the skin, leaving the skin smooth, glowing and refreshed. Ideal for maintaining balance.

Balancing Day Care Cream
A light, absorbing moisturising cream infused with the living energy of daisy, chamomile and rose, and precious plant oils to minimise the visible signs of ageing. Leaves the skin with a smooth, healthy-looking glow. Ideal for maintaining balance.

Why are facials important?

Our skin is our largest organ and performs several key functions, such as protecting us from foreign substances and assisting in the release of toxins from our bodies. Facials are deep skin treatments that cleanse, rehydrate, rebalance, rejuvenate the skin.

Professional facials involve a cleansing procedure, massage, steam, and the application of a mask. Cleansing removes the dead, dull outer layer of cells along with pollutants. The massage helps blood circulation, which aids the removal of toxins from the body. Steam softens blackheads and whiteheads so that they can be removed easily. And the face mask tones and clarifies the skin as well as treating conditions such as dry or blemish-prone skin.

It is recommended to book a professional facial at least 4 times a year, as the seasons change. Estheticians are trained specifically to help identify your unique skin type and help treat and improve skin conditions.

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Over time, if lips are constantly dry, the area surrounding the lips will lose its elasticity and this will lead to the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. However, you can prevent this sign of aging by simply keeping your lips well moisturized with natural ingredients.

Badger Lip Balm are a safe and comforting blend of fresh, whole, organic, extra-virgin oils, waxes, exotic butters, herbal extracts & pure essential oils. Unlike most conventional lip care products, Badger does not contain chemicals, synthetics, parabens, GMOs or petroleum based  ingredients.

I tried out their Cocoa Butter Lip Balms and Certified Organic Lip Balm Sticks.

Cocoa Butter Lip Balm
A selection of cocoa butter lip balms in a larger .25oz stick. These balms feature a rich base of organic cocoa butter, organic extra virgin olive oil, golden yellow beeswax and extracts of seabuckthorn berry and rose hip (anti-oxidants). They also contain organic Aloe Vera extract for added dry weather protection.

I loved the size of these lip balms and the unique selection of flavors. I found the lip balms to be very creamy, thick, and smooth to apply. They also felt very long lasting and didn’t require constant applications. All these lip balms also have a light sent of cocoa flavor.

Base Ingredients: *Extra Virgin Olive Oil, *Cocoa Butter, *Golden Yellow Beeswax, *Castor Bean Oil, Extract of *Aloe Vera, and CO2 Extracts of Rosehip, *Seabuckthorn Berry. * = Certified Organic

Certified Organic Lip Balm Sticks
A selection of fair trade and 99% organic lip balms in standard 0.15oz sticks. Flavors range from unscented, subtle natural flavors, to more fragrant blends. They also have antioxidants from Seabuckthorn Berry and Rose Hip extracts, as well as organic Aloe Vera extract for added dry weather soothing.

You can use these on dry lips or to refresh dry skin anywhere on the body. These lip balms are much lighter textured than the Cocoa Butter balms but still were creamy and very hydrating. My favorite lip balm sticks are the Tangerine Breeze and the Highland Mint, yum!

Base Ingredients: *Extra Virgin Olive Oil, *Golden Yellow Beeswax, *Castor Bean Oil. * = Certified Organic

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