Hate soap scum in your shower? You can beat it!

Have you stopped using bar soap because of it's faults? Or do you put up with them?

Here's how to salvage your soap and eliminate the shower scum and other negative side effects hard soap has on your shower.

I absolutely hate when soap builds up on my shower walls. I stopped using bar soap just to avoid it. I found liquid body washes don't leave the same residue behind so I switched.

I also hate that cold clammy feeling when you first pick your bar of soap up. And what is up with that gross goop that is left where the bar was sitting all day? Yuck!

As I was cleaning out my drawers the other day I came across some fabulously scented bar soap samples that I never used. They smelled wonderful and I wanted to use them but didn't want to deal with the mess.

Then I remembered a gift a friend had given me. It was called a leafa which is basically a loufa built to hold a bar of soap. It has a pocket for the bar to go in so the bar is self contained inside the leafa.

I tried it out and it worked great. I highly recommend finding one if you want to resurrect your hard soap collection. Using the leafa made the soap lather up just like a body wash and the best part is it came with a rope to hang over your shower handle.

No more cold clammy bars. No more messy soap dishes...and no soap scum.

The problem now is choosing between my favorite body washes and my favorite scented soaps!

I am so excited that I can again use my hard soap that I am offering a free bar of my Cassia Clove soap to all my Beauty with a Cause customers who place an order of $50 or more in the month of June. Happy Showering!

Magic Cream vs. Night Cream

Today I got the question, "Which is better for aging skin - Magic Cream or Night Cream?"

I recommend going with Magic Cream. You get a denser product to carry nutrients to your skin. Olive oil and jojoba oil are the main ingredients which hydrate your skin's surface. Jojoba oil is very close to the natural oils produced by your skin. Olive oil is a wonderful friend to your skin. It contains antioxidants which help trap free radicals.

Free radicals are those nasty molecules that damage your good cells.

If you want more of a testimony for olive oil based products, consider this, Jeanne Calment, who holds the record for the longest confirmed lifespan, reportedly attributed her longevity and relatively youthful appearance to olive oil, which she said she poured on all her food and rubbed into her skin.

So in addition to using olive oil based products, look for ways to add extra virgin olive oil into your diet. As always, drink plenty of water and strive for 8 hours of sleep to give your skin the fighting chance it needs to repair itself.

You can find Magic Cream at www.BeautyWithACause.com.

What's in a brand

What is in a brand?

Last night I was flicking channels. As I did, I came across several skin product commercials. The more I watched the angrier I became.

The deception and sneaky marketing targeted at young adults, teens and aging women was blatant. It was all smoke and mirrors.

When it comes to skin and beauty products you really have to look beyond the brand and the flashy ads. The giant cosmetic companies spend millions on establishing their brand. They show you beautiful airbrushed models and hire big named Hollywood stars to endorse their products.

That is what is in their brand. Fluff and false beauty. Do you really think someone like Drew Barrymore really wears CoverGirl make-up? I highly doubt it.

The claims are equally outrageous. "Use our products and your acne will go away." You can substitute the word "acne" for "wrinkles," "blemishes," or "fine lines."

A little truth here ladies...acne and blemishes are related to what you are eating or not eating, how much sleep you are getting and how toxic the products you use every day are. No skin care product is going to "cure" your sleep habit or dietary problems. If you want acne to go away, eat nutritious food, drink lots of water and get enough sleep on a regular basis. Ditch high sugar beverages like soda and those wonderful flavored waters.

If you have wrinkles - news flash - you are aging. I have yet to see a product that stops you from getting older. You want less wrinkles - avoid long exposure to the sun, drink water and don't use harsh skin care products. Take good care of your body with an active fitness program and balanced nutrition.

Look behind the brand. The ingredients in the department store brands are doing more harm to your body than good. Just check out the Dirty Dozen (REFERENCING YOUR SITE HERE). There are carcinogens, irritants, and ingredients that cause birth defects in those products.

So, my advice to you, use the "big" brands sparingly. Shop the small boutique and hand made brands. These companies are much more likely to spend their dollars on high quality ingredients. A test of a good product is if you can read the label and pronounce all the ingredients listed.

A trustworthy brand is one which identifies which ingredients are organic and what percentage of the entire product is organic. You might not get a splashly label and their website might not be the most professional looking site. Most handcrafters are specialists in their product and not marketers or webdesigners.

Look behind the glitz for good ingredients. After all, only the product is what comes into contact with your skin. So next time you are looking for a good cleanser or a great lotion, skip the department store and go online. That is where you will find the best variety of non-toxic skin care products that are made with care by actual people who wear the products themselves.

Visit www.beautywithacause.com for a diversified selection of non-toxic products for skin, hair, teeth and body.

National Donut Day

Put the donut down

Don't panic - just step carefully away from the doughnut.

Did you know that Dunkin Donuts Boston Creme donut has 280 calories. Almost half of them are from fat. You get 1/4 of your entire day's fat allowance in that one doughnut.

In addition you get 16 grams of sugar.

Combine that with a small coffee with cream and sugar and you now have 1/2 your day's fat allowance. Let's be real here - how many of you get the SMALL coffee?

Now I know just how good a doughnut can be. Today is national doughnut day so it is tempting to make the exception and have just one...

If you do break down and have one, make sure the rest of your day is squeaky clean. Eat at least two pieces of fruit, have a big salad and avoid soda.

Sometimes it is ok to cheat. If this is the only time during the year that you have a doughnut, you are probably a saint. If you are a regular doughnut eater, however, it is time to make a change.

Take our 500 pound gorilla challenge and get a buddy system to help take the fat off.

If you ate the donut, then you have to do the "time" now. Take the challenge and take off the weight!