Beauty can be lethal…and we are not talking about drop-dead looks! Controversial chemicals in your beauty products can be responsible for different forms of cancer and other health conditions. Did you know that 60% of what you apply on your skin gets directly absorbed by the body? Most of us, men and women alike, expose ourselves to personal and beauty care products at least 6-8 times within a 24-hour period. So you are more likely to be exposed to toxic pollutants and carcinogens through your daily personal care regimen, than any other activity in a given day.

You are probably aware of the evils of paraben and lead, and make it a point to look out for products free of these. But it is not just these better-known controversial pollutants that are a cause of concern now, with the recent media attention that certain beauty procedures have drawn.

Reading labels carefully is the only prudent way to go. Anyway, given the lack of regulations in beauty industry labeling, you can never be too sure that your beauty product is not secretly corroding away your health.  Watch out for anything that has synthetic coloring ingredients, emulsifiers, copolymer, triclosan, and forms of urea as a preservative. Although there are close to 800 potentially carcinogenic ingredients in beauty products, here’s listing out a few that are commonly found:

• Alcohol (Isopropyl): Commonly found in hair colorants, body lotion, hand lotion, after-shave, perfume and fragrance. It can cause depression, headaches, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting.
• Artificial fragrances: Most beauty products contain fragrance and this includes shampoo, conditioners, facial skincare products, soap, bath products, and sunscreen. Many of the properties in fragrance are potentially carcinogenic and toxic, and can affect the central nervous system.
• Sodium lauryl sulphate or (SLS): Present in 90 per cent of all shampoos and really anything that foams. Research has shown it is damaging to the immune system, the eyes and skin and can also be carcinogenic.
• Polyethelene glycol (PEG): Found widely in facial cleansers to dissolve the oil and grease on our skin and makes the product creamy. They disrupt the immune system by stripping our skin of it’s natural moisture and are also potentially carcinogenic.

A lot of these ingredients are not as toxic by itself but become very dangerous in combination with other chemicals, like SLS.  You can find more on the dangers of toxic ingredients in your beauty cabinet here.

Wishing you looked like the flawless skinned model on a centre-fold? Even the most rational of us find ourselves guilty of this wishful thinking. Years of being exposed to glossy magazine covers and crafty marketing ploys has programmed us to believe that we could just airbrush our blemishes and wrinkles away, but everyone is seemingly waking up to the reality of ‘unreal’ beauty images that infiltrate our lives every single day.

We are not yet in an era of un-photoshoped beauty role models but it is worth observing the recent critique of heavily airbrushed celebrity images in advertisements. It is this conception of immaculate beauty that drives women to spend a fortune on their vanity every year…sometimes to the extent of offsetting a personal financial misfortune. The 30-billion-dollar-a-year cosmetic surgery industry in the United States is built on women’s insecurities and their devotion to these unrealistic beauty ideals. As much as we love to feast our eyes on flawless cover girls and skip over the fine print on the ‘digitally enhanced’ disclaimer, it is time to wake up to realistic conceptions of beauty and a media that buzzes with tangible beauty achievables.

We as a beauty brand are party to the beauty marketing bandwagon too but at Zinn we promote natural radiance that comes from pure and healthy treatment of your hair, skin and body…glow that emanates from sound and healthy treatment of the inner wells of beauty… and that philosophy is reflected in each creation of our all-natural and organic line. So let’s embrace au-natural beauty and say no to chasing photoshoped illusions!

Guess what dazzled everyone at the star-studded NYC Dance Alliance Foundation Bright Lights! Shining Stars! gala? It was our exotic Zinn Beauty line that made the red-carpet heavy weights and beauty pageant winners like Cassandra Seidenfeld Lyster, Robin Cofer, Adriane Lenox, Miss NY Kaitlin Monte, Lin-Mauel Miranda, AC Ciulla, Brenda Braxton, Deb Lyons et al, shine brighter totting off their gift bags. The celebs attending this night of song and dance honoring the legendary musician Roberta Flack, walked away impressed with their unique natural beauty giveaways from Zinn…and the buzz is that they can’t wait to shine with more Zinn beauty at their next event.

In the world of natural beauty, a bevy of foods are pitted against each other for the next most coveted “skin superfood” title. We decided to make you aware of the latest that rules the roost. So move over green tea and tomato, and make way for….

Oysters: Has oodles of zinc and maybe the best fix for your zapped zit. Zinc deficiency is linked to acne, rough and dry skin, and slow skin wound repair.

Swiss chard: rich in biotin and B-complex this green in essential for skin health and prevention of hair-loss.

Grapefruit: rich source of Vitamin C that promotes collagen production for skin renewal and firmness. Also has lycopene and bioflavonoids for overall skin health.

P.S. More about foods with proven results for gorgeous and glowing skin!

Take a hard look at your beauty cabinet. You may not know it, but chances are you have products that use harmful ingredients, increasing your exposure to possible toxins and parabens that can possibly lead to health problems down the road. Deodorants, soaps, toothpaste, face wash, lotion… The list of products you use daily that can carry harmful ingredients goes on and on.

Take toothpaste, for example. Some are filled with synthetic colors, fragrances, preservatives, and artificial sweeteners. Do you really want toothpaste that may clean your teeth but also delivers harsh ingredients, polluting your body?

Get educated about your natural options and live a cleaner, healthier lifestyle! We love natural grooming and beauty options that leave us naturally fresh and clean. Here’s how to revamp your daily grooming routine with natural products:

Toothpaste: Brighten your pearly whites with toothpaste free of harsh chemicals and preservatives, to limit your body’s exposure to chemicals. There are a number of natural toothpastes in the market today that replace synthetic chemicals like sodium laurel sulfate (SLS) with natural abrasives like calcium carbonate. What’s the plus side? No unnecessary side effects! Natural cleaning agents are less likely to irritate your gums and disrupt the natural order of moisture, acidity and other elements inside your mouth, which can lead to bad breath, cavities and gum infections.

Deodorant: Can a deodorant effectively work without aluminium compounds or chemical antiperspirants? Yes it can! Based on the traditional remedies of bicarbonate of soda, natural mineral salts, ammonia alum and similar compounds to eliminate odours, and natural herbs and fragrances such as rosemary, clove, sage, patchouli and lavendar, natural deodorants work just as well. These are a must have for the summers especially for those with weather and chemical related sensitivities.

Soaps: Beware of soap labels because unlike other skincare products, the FDA does not regulate soap labeling. Organic soaps are made from plant based natural hydrating ingredients like coconut milk and retain higher levels of glycerin making the soap more gentle and skin-friendly. One of the basic and most important advantages is that organically produced soaps do not contain chemicals that get absorbed into your bloodstream through your skin. Look for natural soaps that leave little residue.

Skincare: Enhance your skin’s natural radiance with products that do not unleash harmful chemicals on you. Most fragrances used in skincare products are known to be carcinogenic and mineral oils, once applied, prevent the skin from “breathing”, and alcohols dry out skin. Instead switch to natural products that leverage the hydrating properties of natural oils such as argan, jojoba, walnut and avocado. These natural oils will moisturize the skin and provide vitamins, which operate as antioxidants and eliminate those free radicals, which cause skin to age.

Beauty is defined as a unique quality in a person or thing that brings visual pleasure. Whatever supposed ‘flaws’ you think nature cursed upon you, can actually be your mark of beauty, so instead of trying to hide or disguise flaws, how about you flaunt them. The very feature you have been covering up for years is what makes you individualistic and sets you apart from being another cookie cutter barbie. After all would the sexy supermodel Lara Stone be as alluring without her natural gap? Giselle Bundchen as approachable without her freckles? Or SJP as relatable without her prominent nose. With 50% of men preferring a barer, less made- up you, ladies, it’s so time to drop those little insecurities, and embrace your natural beauty, with these few tips that turn your worst flaws into your best assets!

Flaw #1 Freckles can make you look young, sporty and sun-kissed in a very natural way. Gone are the days when every supermodel had porcelain fine skin; now all shades of beauty, and speckles of color like freckles, are totally in. Instead of hiding them behind layers of make-up, wear a little tinted moisturizer for sheer coverage and let your freckles show through. To get a little more cheeky with it, spotlight on your freckly cheeks with a bronzy highlighter.

Flaw#2 Curls are zany and uniquely you! Sexy and exotic, curls can give you that fresh off the island feel, so instead of sweating over ironing your hair everyday, celebrate your curls. Skip shampooing and ditch the blow dryer, and instead use a lightweight conditioner to play up your natural curls. Remember to use hair oil, like Zinn 100% Argan Miracle Oil, once in a while overnight before shampoo to keep locks shiny. Forgoing all that extra processing will also help your hair stay healthy, and grow…and long, healthy, natural hair is definitely an asset!

Flaw#3 Nose: Did you know that having a prominent nose is actually beneficial to your health? I know this may get a few lol’s, but its really true. People with bigger noises inhale fewer pollutants, thus filtering out bacteria and viruses. Aside from the health benefits, larger noises add balance, substance and depth to the face, making women who own them appear, more intellectual than their button nose counterparts. Bigger noses also add structure helping you pull of a variety of longer hair styles, fashion styles, and jewelry that women with more petite noses couldn’t particularly carry off. One trick to enhance the structure of a larger nose, is to contour it. To make nose appear longer and slimmer, simply shade the side of your nose with a powder 2 shades darker than your foundation, and highlight your bridge with a creamy highlighter.

Flaw#4: Full wow brows can make your peepers stand out so instead of turning them pencil thin accentuate what you got. While tweezing only pick out the stragglers that lie below and above your natural brow and for a night-out blend a little shimmery eye shadow under the brow to highlight them in all their glory.

Flaw#5: Grin wide and bare your imperfect pearlies… gaptooth, crooked, asymmetrical and all. After all a smile with a little personality is more likely to be remembered. But remember to keep your teeth white before you flash!

For more great tips on enhancing your natural beauty stay tuned to the Zinn Beauty Blog, and remember you’re beautiful just the way you are!

We at Zinn love buzzing about natural beauty and this is what we realized… While we turn to our bathrooms and dressers for our daily beauty fix, most of what we need can be found in our pantry shelves. While you probably won’t substitute your entire beauty regime, these are some natural beauty savers to keep at home for a more healthy and gentle beauty care:

Honey: The best natural hydration you can offer your skin to keep it glowing to its max. Just apply a little to you skin after cleansing, leave it on for 5-7 minutes and then wash off.

Oatmeal: Being soothing and anti-inflammatory, oatmeal has beta glucan, a soluble fiber that creates a thin, moisture-retaining film on the surface of the skin. Try placing a handful of oatmeals in a clean washcloth and immerse in hot water for 5 minutes, then splash the water on your face. Also makes an excellent gentle exfoliator when boiled and mixed with milk and soothes irritated skin especially after sun exposure.

Argan Oil: Abundant unsaturated fatty acids help balance moisture levels for excessively dry skin and hair, and the antioxidant vitamin E protects skin from further damage, and the phytosterols repair by boosting collagen formation. Apply on your skin, face and body daily for healthy glowing skin and strong hair.

Oranges and lemons: We love the vitamins in these citruses but what we love even more is to use them for dead skin exfoliation and scar-free treatments. Make a scrub with granulated sugar, olive oil and orange juice and rub it into your elbows, knees and heels with the orange skin to slough off dead skin. Apply a few drops of lemon juice directly on your scars and pimple marks to let its natural bleaching property fade them away over a period of time.

Eggs: can do more for you than giving you your breakfast protein fix. Separate the yolk and the white and whip the egg white until it is frothy. Apply it to your face and wash off after fifteen minutes to tone down redness and tighten pores. For a hair treatment, whisk together 1 egg, 2 tablespoons coconut oil and 2 tablespoons sesame oil. Apply to your hair and wrap a hot towel around for 5 minutes.

Beer: Pump up and volumize flat hair; the yeast and hop swells the hair shaft and plumps the cuticle adding volume and the acidity removes built up product residue. Pour a can over your hair after your shampoo and rinse with water. Opt for a dark beer with more yeast content to do the trick.

Strawberries: one of the richest sources of antioxidant Vitamin C, this can be used on your skin in many forms. One of our favorites is making a strawberry cleanser. Extract some juice of strawberry and mix it with few drops of rose water and spread the mixture on your face with the help of cotton trying to rub a little. Once you have cleaned the skin just rinse it off with cold water.

Lavender oil: Sprinkle some on your pillow for a night of uninterrupted beauty sleep!!