As we know, the skin is the largest elimination organ of our bodies, responsible for 1/4 of our bodies daily detoxification. Generally, toxins and waste are released through our skin’s pores during perspiration. However, there is a simple and effective way to greatly assist the process, called dry brushing. Used for centuries by Russians and Scandinavians, dry brushing helps by removing dead skin cells so that the skin can properly eliminate waste. This technique has a myriad of other benefits and can be done daily from the comfort of your home!

For the deets, we caught up with New York City detox expert, Tracy Piper, a well known Acupuncturist, Massage and Colon Therapist, to get the goods on how dry brushing really works. Tracy explained that the skin is known as the ‘third kidney’ and as a person’s body becomes toxic, one of the first places it will show up, is in the skin.  However, “The skin is the last organ to receive nutrients from the body. With dry brushing, you are able to open the pores and allow the release of toxic material.” In addition, gently brushing the skin stimulates the lymphatic system, encouraging blood circulation and cell regeneration.

The skin is the last organ to receive nutrients from the body. With dry brushing, you’re able to open the pores and allow the release of toxic material.

-Tracy Piper

Not only is dry brushing great for your health, but it also has plenty of beauty benefits. Regular brushing tightens your skin by increasing blood flow, stimulating nerve endings and removing the dead skin cells, making way for smoother skin to surface. It is also one of the only (if not the only) effective treatments for reducing cellulite.

Along with daily dry brushing, Piper recommends drinking two liters of water with lemon each day. The lemon water helps activate the liver to liquefy fat trapped within the connective tissue, which is the cause of cellulite. For a real beauty boost Tracy adds, “Pay attention to good alkaline water, wholesome organic food and getting chlorophyll in the diet.”

Okay, now that you’re convinced that dry brushing should be introduced in your daily routine, let’s talk about how to dry brush! First, you will need to pick up one of these lovely Hydrea London FSC Certified Body Brushes. Dry brushing should take place once a day, before you get into the shower, so that you can wash away the impurities from the skin. Piper emphasizes the importance of following specific techniques, as haphazard brushing could actually do more harm than good.  But don’t be alarmed, just remember the general rule is to brush from the extremities towards the core of the body.

How To Dry Brush:

- Begin with your feet and brush in circular motions

- Continue brushing up your legs

- Proceed to your hands and arm, towards armpit

- Brush your entire back and abdomen area, moving towards the heart

- Use circular counter-clockwise strokes on the abdomen

- Lightly brush the breast

- Brush upwards on the back and down from the neck

At first, your skin may feel sensitive to the brush, but as you get used to it, you will find it very invigorating and enjoyable. Remember to start off gently, especially around sensitive areas, and increase pressure with time and practice. This amazingly beneficial technique should only take about 3-5 minutes of your time, although you may want to spend 5-10 extra minutes on cellulite areas.

If you would like to learn dry brushing from a pro, we recommend Tracy Piper’s 30 Minute Skin Brushing, offered at M.A.R.C. Holistic Center in Soho. Enjoy the multitude of beauty and health benefits from this simple, yet powerful practice!

Face serums are becoming increasingly popular but many of us are still wondering…

What Are They? Just like an antioxidant rich diet is great for your skin and health, topical antioxidants too are incredibly beneficial in preventing and reversing signs of aging and dullness. These extracts and oils are most potent when they are undiluted and applied directly to clean, dry skin. Many of the ingredients in moisturizers that are meant to hydrate and protect your skin, can dilute or buffer the effectiveness of the active ingredients. That is why many dermatologists now recommend that we apply antioxidant concentrates, known as serums, before putting on makeup, moisturizer or sunscreen.

Why Organic? Using a natural face serum versus a conventional synthetic serum is like eating fruit and vegetables instead of popping a vitamin. Your body loves the real thing! We beleive that real vitamins and nutrients from plant life are better absorbed and synthesised by the skin than synthetic ones. Many serums on the market today are silicone based. Silicones are plastic-based polymers that basically form a plastic film over your skin, making it appear and feel temporarily smoother. Over time, with this invisible waterproof film over the skin cells, your skin begins to suffocate and may become inflamed, dehydrated and congested which ironically, may trick you into using even more product to get a better result.  Spirit Beauty Lounge beleives that organic facial serums are the safest way to deliver the most bio-available nutrients to your skin.

Which One is Best For My Skin? We’ve included Face Oils, Gels and more “serum-like” serums. We put them all in the serum category because they are concentrates of active ingredients which are meant to be applied drectly to the skin, before anything else.

Best for Giving Dull Skin Glow: Ila Face Oil for Rejuvenating Radiance.
Key Actives: Argan oil and Rosehip Seed oil which are high in anti-oxidants and fatty acids to fight wrinkles and help skin cells regenerate. Damascena Rose Otto which is regenerative and nourishing to the skin’s cells.
Why We Love It: This is a product that literally makes your skin glow. People will notice and comment on your skin when you’re using Ila Face Oil!

Best on a Budget: Acure Organic Seriously Firming Face Serum
Key Actives: Argan Oil restores moisture to the skin’s lipid layer. Borage Oil soothes inflammation and Cranberry works to neutralize free radicals.
Why We Love It: A certified organic anti-aging concentrate for under $25.  What’s not to love?!

Best for Mature Skin: Amala Rejuvenating Serum
Key Actives: Vitamin C-rich Acerola, brightening Sea Algae and wrinkle-fighting Cocoa Bean naturally repair skin.
Why We Love It: We love facts & stats – in independent clinical trials, after just four weeks, 100% of users reported reduced fine lines, restored firmness.  Real, noticeable results from a natural product! That’s what we live for.
Also See: For extra dry mature skin, layer or alternate with Amala Rejuvenating Treatment Oil.

Best Aging Prevention: Intelligent Nutrients Organic Anti-Aging Serum
Key Actives: Antioxidant Acai, Pomegranate, Cranberry, Raspberry & Pumpkin seed oils
Why We Love It: They say that 25 is the age at which you should start your preventative anti-aging skin care regimen.  This serum makes your skin feel and look great and is just the right price and potency for the average 25-35 year old woman.

Best for  Dry and Best for Acne-Scarred Skin: Kahina Giving Beauty Serum
Key Actives: Balancing Argan Oil and Sea Buckhorn oil for accelerated skin healing.
Why We Love It: Acneic and acne-scarred skin needs love too!  Too often it’s over-treated with harsh acne products which leave the skin in a ravaged state.  This serum will speed up healing, balancing and resurfacing.

Best for Oily/Active Skin: Dr. Alkaitis Soothing Gel
Key Actives: Anti-inflammatory, calming Aloe Vera Gel and essential fatty acid and nutrient-rich seaweed and herbs.
Why We Love It: Natural serums are usually oil-based, this aloe & witch hazel based gel delivers all of the nutrients skin needs, without the unneeded oil.

Best for Sensitive Skin: Pai Rosehip BioRegenerate Fruit & Seed Oil Blend
Key Actives: Regenerative Co2 extracted Rosehip Fruit Oil
Why We Love It: If you have reactive, sensitive skin, you know that the more active ingredients there are in a serum, the higher your chances are of having a reaction to one of them!  Pai uses just one super-potent and effective yet non-irritating source active ingredient in this gem of a serum.

Best Multi-Purpose: Patyka Huile Absolue Serum
Key Actives: Silky, luxurious Squalane and Vitamin C rich Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Why We Love It: The incredibly silky texture of this serum is perfect for softening, smoothing and rejuvenating not just the face, but the hair, body too!  We’d also name this serum: Best for Uneven Skin Texture

Best for Prematurely Aging Skin: Ila Rainforest Renew Face Serum
Key Actives: Acmella Extract – a fast acting fine line and wrinkle reducer, and skin brightening Brazilian Ginseng
Why We Love It: If you’re 25-35 and already seeing creeping crows feet, new “freckles” that won’t fade, forehead wrinkles or enlarged pores, but don’t feel you’re ready for a mature skin regimen, this serum will erase the premature (and mature) signs of aging without causing an imbalance in younger skin.

Best for Skin Discoloration/Melasma: Organic Apoteke Rasayana Rejuvenating Serum
Key Actives: Vitamin B, C, D, E and beta-carotene-rich Carrot Seed Oil.
Why We Love It: Most effective actives that can break up melanin are also highly toxic.  This potent serum proves you can do it naturally, while nourishing the skin.

Best All Around: Tata Harper Rejuvenating Serum
Key Actives: There are 29 actives in this serum, including anti-aging Narcissus Bulb Extract and Date Extract
Why We Love It: Tata Harper pulls out all the stops, sparing no luxury in this hero product. It smells amazing, feels succulent, absorbs easily, and within only a week gets results: brighter, softer, smoother and more toned skin.

Spirit Beauty Lounge order fulfillment fairy extraordinaire, Katie Turner,  is lucky enough to share her beautiful porcelain coloring with the magnificent Anne Hathaway.  When our friend, natural makeup artist and wellness consultant, Rebecca Casciano stopped by to stock up on supplies, we talked her into making this transformation!

What She Used:

On Face: Vapour Organic Beauty Stratus Soft Focus Instant Skin Perfector 902, Nvey Eco Erase in Medium & Atmosphere Soft Focus Foundation in S100
On Cheeks: RMS Beauty Lip2Cheek in Smile and Modest
On Eyes: Nvey Eco Cake Eyeliner in Brown (also on brows) with Nvey Eco Organic Mascara in Black, RMS Beauty Cream Eyeshadow in Solar, Vapour Trick Stick in Star and Nvey Eco Blush in 956 (on eyes!)
On Lips: RMS Beauty Lip 2 Cheek in Modest & Vapoour Elixir Plumping Gloss in Tease

Brushes: All Alima Pure and Nvey Eco

For expert natural makeup application instruction and color consultations, contact Rebecca Casciano today!

We here at SBL  can get so obsessed with beauty at times that we forget how much we also love eco-fashion. That changed when we got our hands on Scotch Naturals new line of non-toxic, water-based nail color. With colors so “now” and fashion-forward, the first thing we thought about was what to wear with them! These nail polish inspired looks are 100% ECO Fashion; made with organic cotton, recycled leather, vegan recycled plastic and/or Fair Trade materials.  Let us know what you think on our Facebook Page!

Casual Khaki Green: (clockwise) Loomstate Kai Anorak, $395; Scotch Naturals Ceasefire, $15; Gaiam Cap Sleeve Vest, $25; Matt & Nat Santogold, $195; OTBT Ashland Boot, $90; Nine in the Morning Skin Sensation Jeans, $180.

Mauvey Taupe Sophisticated Chic: (clockwise) Nvey Eco Eco Chic Eyeshadow Duo, $48; Loomstate Tallulah Sweater Dress, $250; Scotch Naturals Heathered Blush, $15; Cri de Coeur Scout Ankle Bootie, $150; Cri de Couer Tilly Crossbody Bag in Merlot, $280.

Mad, Mad Woman (clockwise) Vintage Lady Coat ; People Tree Sash Prom Dress, £90; Nvey Eco Lipstick, $28; Neuaura Senegal Pump, $99; Scotch Naturals Kiltlifter, $15.

La Petite Coquette (clockwise) Laura Langley Eco Sleep Mask, $20; Scotch Naturals Tartan Swizzle, $15; G-9.8 Thigh High Stockings, £15; Aromatherapy Personals Aphrodisiac, $17; Vivienne Westwood by Melissa 3 Straps Elevated, $170;  Enamore Peek a Book Set, £100.

Think you can’t get an edgy evening using only pure, natural mineral makeup?  Think again! Spirit is mortified by pictures of herself but we convinced her to share this look because it really rocks!

What she used:
On Face: Alima Satin Matte Foundation in  Tawny and Almond
On Cheeks: Alima Satin Matte Blush in Antique Rose
On Eyes: Alima Luminous Shimmer Eyeshadow in Aubergine and Chai.
On Lips:Vapour Organic Beauty Elixir Plumping Gloss in Coax