The GAIA Health Blog

“Spoil yourself naturally!!! with spa-quality products that moisturize and pamper your skin!” …says Rhonda Williams founder of “Spoiled Naturally”, a small but passionate company specializing in natural, holistic skin, beauty, and bodycare products.

I wanted to follow up on last year’s well received “In Vogue (Part 1)” article, and try to coax you ladies once again to get started with a few web based natural/holistic skin and bodycare products.

But, I’m gonna step out of the way (my job was done in finding all these photos of beautiful women), and go do the “guy thing” and check out the end of this ballgame on TV, and let Rhonda Williams of “Spoiled Naturally”  guide you ladies through this segment of “Girl Talk”…….

No time for D.I.Y.?

……….”Then no problem” !!!  says Rhonda

Rhonda says “It’s understandable many women want to go natural, but few women have the time in their busy day for making soaps, body butters, and other skin and bodycare products”.

So, Rhonda’s Advice is…… “if you don’t have time to make your own, can you purchase natural products online”.

Not just for women of color…..

….”but women of color reap double rewards from the product versatility”, so says Rhonda . (Spoiled Naturally products are perfect for all skin types).

Rhonda’s says “the best ingredients are ‘universal’, in that you will find them used by women all over the world, from Asia, to India, to Africa, to Europe, and everywhere in between”.

Hexytryceratolisotopechloride-3     is not a “natural” ingredient ……

Hexytryceratolisotopechloride-3      is a “made up” name of course,  just trying to say that if you see a crazy word like that on an ingredient list, you have probably strayed away from so called “natural” website.

I’m sure there is no Hexytryceratolisotopechloride-3   fruit or plant in nature {chuckle}

“I use the products I sell” (always a good sign……)

Rhonda says ……. “I’m committed to keeping our products as natural as possible. I use the products I sell as a part of my daily skin care, and thus could not with any good conscious put an ingredient in a product that I think is harmful, and sell it to someone, especially if I think it is toxic or bad for my own skin or hair”

Rhonda goes on to say, “it’s probably the same as with health food chefs and cooks, in that normally they eat their own food, and would never knowingly cook with anything they wouldn’t eat themselves”

What ingredients should I avoid and beware of?

Once again, a legit website should be able to guide the novice through this important question,

For example, when you peek at Spoiled Naturally’s ingredient list , Rhonda also gives you a list of ingredients you will NEVER find in their products, which include

Parabens
a preservative for shelf life, but shown to be tied to breast cancer

GMOs (genetically modified organisms)
remember just like food we eat you skin “eats” EVERYTHING you put on it, and is absorbed into the bloodstream and body

Petrochemicals
petroleum based chemicals (still used in most commercial makeup) source of a host ailments including cancer and hormonal interference

Phthalates
a broad group of chemicals said to cause Endocrine disruption, developmental and reproductive toxicity, organ system toxicity

Synthetic dyes
often labeled as FD&C or D&C, followed by a color and a number. Synthetic colors are believed to be cancer-causing agents.

Sulfates
a toxic detergent of sorts, causes organ toxicity, and biochemical or cellular changes, possible mutations, and cancer

Triclosan
a preservative and bacterial agent suspected of interfering with hormone function (endocrine disruption)

Alcohols
still being disputed back and forth, but among many concerns, said to harm the protective barrier of skin

Talc
its safety hotly disputed, but some links to cancer

Okay, I’m going “Natural”, what ingredients should I look for?

The ingredient list on Spoiled Naturally’s website  is the kind of thing you want to look for on an on-line skin and bodycare website. If you can’t find one (or at least ingredient lists on the individual products), that’s a big red flag.

A legit “Natural” Skin and Bodycare site will BOLDLY and PROUDLY list what they use in their products.

Some of the ingredients should make you hungry……

….jokes Rhonda, in that there has never been a holistic cosmetics and/or bodycare website that won’t have at least a few key plant based ingredients, or ingredients (like oils), extracted naturally from plant and superfood sources.

Looking at Spoiled Naturally’s ingredients list, we find Olive Oil, Mango Oil, Macadamia Nut Oil, Avocado Oil, all derived from edible food sources…the skin needs to eat too!!!

Trust ancient wisdom…..

….says Rhonda, in that the the many potent skin and bodycare nutrients have been known of and used for thousands of years.

“Ancient products have stood the test of time, and the ‘trial and error’ over the centuries is the best determinant of what works and what doesn’t work” says Rhonda, who recommends those “ages old” ingredients such as jojoba oil, shea butter, and many “tried and true” essential oils and nut oils.

A “sampling” of other Natural Skincare on the Web

Made From Earth
they limit their products to just the best the organic market can offer in face treatments, body lotions, hair, bath and lip balms. It has been our honor to work with the best eco-friendly, environmentally conscious and recognized people in the health and beauty industry

Mi-essence
a comprehensive range of organic home, health and beauty products under the Miessence name

Ebenenaturals
her products are made by hand using the finest ingredients available to ensure the highest quality of skin and hair care products to our customers. Mixing together nature’s best oils, butters, herbs, and essential oils

Just Natural Skin Care
and eco-friendly company catering to everyone, including and AWESOME African American product line, whose products are formulated to help live more sustainable, healthy and harmonious lives by offering environmentally-friendly alternatives for things we use and enjoy each day. Very impressive ingredients list

Nubian Heritage
The healing traditions of African Black Soap and Shea Butter led them to remix global healing traditions into modern wellness solutions,  as a now thriving company (p.s. I think I see them now at retail stores, so keep an eye out, always good to to grab a quality product at the store if needed right away!!!)

NaturOli
a great line of bodycare products form a company VERY passionate about exposing hidden toxic ingredients in skin and bodycare products

…this is just a “sampling”, there’s a lot more natural skin and body on the web than you think, once you find the right company, and the right products that work with your biochemistry, you will swear by them (your skin won’t let you go back!!!)

Spoiling yourself,  it’s a woman’s prerogative……

…..says Rhonda,  she goes on to say “but a woman shouldn’t make spoiling oneself a once a year spa thing with the girls, a woman can spoil herself a little everyday, with a little natural soap, body butter, or body oil”.

 Natural, Holistic, Eco-Friendly Skin and Body Care ….. no doubt,  its definitely “In Vogue”

~stay healthy~

below is a few extra Lupita Nyong’o photos that in no way could I leave out of the “photo shoot”. She is so beautiful to me, no “add on” adjectives to tack onto “beautiful”, just plain BEAUTIFUL…PERIOD…END OF STORY.  Just writing this in case she’s ever in Seattle and needs a guy to show her the town, though I would probably fall apart from that smile 🙂

click here or photo below for all my articles in “Girl Talk”