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Natural Awakenings Westchester / Putnam / Dutchess New York

Fresh Organic Beauty on a Budget—At Home

by Maureen Toohey

Beauty is a state of mind. How you feel on the inside conveys on the outside. Guiding individuals to a more holistic way of approaching beauty and wellness has been my life’s work for more than 35 years.

Unfortunately, in the pursuit of beauty and wellness, many women subject their bodies to a multitude of toxic chemicals. It can be very stressful in itself just reading all the labels on beauty products, or trying to choose between the endless products online that claim to be organic. So many have catchy marketing that sounds believable, yet they don’t deliver. That’s where speaking to an expert in organic beauty comes in handy. A holistic personal-care provider offers services that go beyond a stunning balayage or radiant color.

I help people simplify their beauty routine through home spa treatments. I regularly recommend the following tips and products, which leave an inner and outer glow that comes from having healthy skin, hair and body.

Exfoliation

As toxins are released through the skin, exfoliating your entire body is key to releasing toxins, increasing cell renewal, improving circulation and boosting immunity. Rescue and renew your skin with a detox scrub and detox mask for the face, cuticles, hands and feet.
   
Scalp health is so important to our overall well-being. Environmental pollutants build up on the scalp, inhibiting its function of releasing toxins and chemical overload. Infrequent cleansing of the scalp, questionable ingredients in hair products, and toxic hair dyes, just to name a few stressors, can cause hair loss, dandruff and excess sebum.

Detoxification

I always recommend a 30- to 60-day detox for the entire body. Bloating, weight gain, skin that breaks out or looks dull and lifeless—for all these problems, detoxing offers one complete prescription. One to two months of good hydration and balanced meals will produce radiant skin and healthy hair and body.
   
Oway Sunway Hair & Body is the go-to product line for anyone wanting to detoxify the body and replenish vital nutrients and antioxidants for protection and moisture balance. It offers one complete system to restore a more youthful appearance.

Skin Care

Many people are experiencing overactive skin—skin that is excessively dry or breaks out, or skin sensitivity. With everyone shopping online for skin products, I’m quite concerned. A solution that’s great for everyone is Arbonne’s new SuperCalm and InnerCalm, to soothe and promote proper skin balance.
 

Hair Care

To refresh your hair color at home, here are some solutions. Try a color-enhancing shampoo to tone, brighten and condition. Blondes can use O&M’s Conquer Blonde Silver Shampoo followed by Power Plant deep-penetrating conditioner; brunettes can try a chestnut Oway Hair Mask. Or here’s a natural alternative for brunettes: Pour some coffee in a squeeze bottle with conditioner, apply it to the hair and leave it in for 20 minutes or longer.
   
To get little sun-kissed reflections in natural hair, add fresh lemon juice to prewashed damp hair, blow dry, then rinse with apple cider vinegar. Follow up with a sun-care hair mask. Leave it on for 20 minutes, rinse and squeeze dry. Do not rub aggressively or dry-brush curls; that can cause breakage. To style, apply Oway curly potion or Arbonne curling cream for softer waves or curls.
   
If you really need to hide those grays until your next salon visit, your best choice for easy color matching is Kevin Murphy root touch-up spray.
   
My in-salon treatments go deeper, but you can practice these self-care beauty rituals on a budget at home to improve your overall wellness from the inside out. If you really want to restart your personal-care routine to help your body work more efficiently, set up an appointment with me. I’ll help you choose the best treatments to achieve the perfect balance of beauty and wellness.

Maureen Toohey is a holistic beauty service provider and educator and the owner of Fresh Organic Salon, in Bedford Hills. To ask questions or schedule a virtual consultation, email her at [email protected]. To find promotions and discounts, visit FreshOrganicSalon.com. To purchase the beauty products recommended in this article, visit HolisticHairTribe.com (and enter stylist partner code HHT2533) or JuliaHerzog.Arbonne.com.