{GIVEAWAY} Elysian Organics

I’m a good girl. I recycle, participate in a local food share, and creatively reuse. But there’s an itty bitty teensy weensy skeleton  in my closet. Not all of my beauty products are toxin free. 

Day at the Spa, $19.50

Lucky for me, I recently discovered the husband and wife team of Elysian Organics, who vow to help me {and you!} clean up our acts.  

Pumpkin Pie Spice Lotion, $8.50

In their own words: Elysian Organics is dedicated to offering you a wide variety of superior boutique & spa grade healing, handmade, certified organic, vegan, all-natural bath & beauty products for your entire family to cherish and enjoy. 

Mens Organic Moisturizing Soap, $4.50

We focus on what is healthy for you and your skin, and also good for the mind & spirit when we create each of our products. We want to give you healthier skin and a healthier outlook on life! 

Treat yourself and your family to the healthy goodness that is Elysian Organics. The friendly, reasonably-priced Etsy shop has everything you could possibly need for your skin's health and vitality — in addition to exquisite packaging.

"Enrich your life with a quality product and treat yourself well!"

Elysian Organics has generously offered a 3-pack sampler of their body butter to one lucky WelltoDoer!

Body Butter Sampler

FOR ENTRY:

Fan BOTH Elysian Organics and WelltoDo on Facebook, and leave a comment below letting us know you did so! 

Elysian Organics: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Elysian-Organics/176251175767582

WelltoDo: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Well-to-Do/139741692720639

Contest is open Saturday, October 15th through Saturday, October 22nd.  Good luck!

Giveaway is now closed

xx WelltoDo

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For more green goodness, check out our {31 Days of Going Green} series HERE

{GIVEAWAY} Glide & Glow 3-in-1

Making the switch to all-natural makeup is great for your skin, your health, the earth, and surprisingly easy on the budget!  The most cost-effective way to re-stock your beauty bag is by replacing your current products with green counterparts as they run out.

For starters, try a MODE Glide & Glow 3-in-1 Highlighter Stick. Price tag: $4.25. Glide & Glow is superblendable, lightweight, non-streaking, and contains 0% fragrance. Use as blush, lipstick or eye makeup, the organic ingredients and mineral pearlescents will give your skin a just-kissed healthy glow.

We're thrilled to announce that MODE has offered Glide & Glows {in Gusto — their most popular color} to FIVE lucky winners. 

Here's how to enter:

{Please leave a separate comment here on the blog for each action. If you're already a fan of WelltoDo on Facebook then just let us know, thanks!}

MANDATORY

1)  Fan MODE on Facebook

2) Fan WelltoDo on Facebook

EXTRA ENTRIES

1) For 1 extra entry: Follow MODE on Twitter {@MODEcosmetics}

2) For 1 extra entry: Follow WelltoDo on Twitter {@WellToDoYou}

Contest is open Friday, October 14th through Saturday, October 22nd. Good luck!

Giveaway is now closed

xx WelltoDo

{31 Days of Going Green} Day 6: Reflections On Beauty

Though this week of my 31 Days series is focused on suggesting an easier, greener beauty regime, I wanted to stop and reflect a little. Hope you enjoy these sayings as much as I do!

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xx WelltoDo

For the entire 31 Days series!, click here!

For fun, fabulous & *free* printables from Creative Kristi, click here. Print them out and you'll have instant artwork!

And for 600+ links to additional 31 Days themes, click here!

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{TIPS+TRICKS} PIMPLE 911

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It has come to our attention that a little Visine will help take the red out of a pimple {for most, that is}. Perhaps you already know this, but we thought it was only fair to share. Also and equally worth mentioning, before going to bed, dab a bit of toothpaste on the pimple to reduce redness and swelling.

Just say no to pimples.

xx WelltoDo

{DIY} DO THIS AT HOME

Let’s face it: A keratin treatment isn’t in the cards these days. You really just need to fill your gas tank. Or save up for a Sea Bag. Or start planning a Fiji vacation next year in 2020.

We’d hate to have your hair suffer from such savings. Which is why we turned to Suz’s hair stylist {Angie the Ahmazing} and Beauty 411 for three frugal and easy at-home treatments to deep condition your locks.

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1.  Avocado Deep Conditioner Hair Mask - Use 1 small jar of mayonnaise and 1/2 avocado. Mix the ingredients, smooth into head being careful to work it to the ends. Use shower cap or plastic wrap to seal body heat in and leave on for 20 minutes.

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 2.  Mayonnaise Your Hair - Apply 1/2 cup of mayonnaise to your dry hair, work in really well, cover your head with a plastic wrap, and let it set for about 15 minutes.

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 3.  Olive Oil Hair Mask - Combine 2 tablespoons of honey and 3 tablespoons of olive oil together. Apply thoroughly and then cover with plastic wrap and set for 15 minutes.

These treatments work on any type of hair and are safe enough for those with sensitive scalps as well. 


Go on and get conditioning! 
xx Well to Do

Check back in tomorrow for a *big* Bio Mega give-a-way! Triple winners!

DON'T WORRY, BUY HAPPY

Every green goddess needs to stay beautiful on the go which is why our Goddess from Greene suggests looking for organic, recycled or upcycled beauty bags. Do work or the kids have you too busy for google researching a pretty earth-friendly pouch? Don't worry, buy happy! Happy Solez Organics, that is: hand sewn and eco-friendly goods for babies, women and home. 

Katherine Accettura, graphic designer and seamstress extraordinaire, uses sustainable materials such as bamboo, organic cotton, 100% recycled plastic bottle felt and repurposed clothing items for her products which range from bags to baby booties. Find Happy Solez on Etsy and also online (for a wider selection).

In celebration of well-to-do's green beauty series, Happy Solez is giving away a linen and lace beauty pouch to one lucky well-to-doer. Perfect for makeup, toiletries or girlie supplies. A great way to stay beautiful and eco-conscious while on the go!

Leave a comment here or on Facebook about what skin care you currently use and you'll be entered into the random drawing. The contest closes on Sunday and the winner will be announced Monday.

Wondering what to put in your organic beauty pouch? Stay tuned 'til next Monday for a green cosmetics round-up!

xx S+S

Images courtesy of Happy Solez

CLEAN UP YOUR ACT

You’d now never touch a non-safe sunscreen, but that lotion you slather on twice a day is also full of chemicals too long to pronounce. Clean up your act with Enfuselle Nutrition Therapy Skin Care from Shaklee! 


The same nutrients that help keep you healthy on the inside also play a huge role in how you look on the outside. So it only makes sense that your skin care comes not from a cosmetics company, but from a natural nutrition company. 

Three steps every morning and/or evening will keep your skin healthy looking and nourished: Cleanse, Neutralize and Repair. 3 minutes. 3 steps. Simple, simple, simple. 

Step 1: CLEANSE - Wash away impurities and brighten your skin tone. 

Hydrating Cleansing Lotion $17.10 MN/$20.10 SRP or 
Purifying Cleansing Gel $17.10 MN/$20.10 SRP

Step 2: NEUTRALIZE - Neutralize free radicals from the iron in tap water.

Hydrating Toner $13.35 MN/$15.70 SRP or 
Purifying Toner $13.35 MN/$15.70 SRP

Step 3: REPAIR - Reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles and help prevent future damage. 

Balancing Moisturizer $21.00 MN/24.70 SRP or 

Hydrating Moisturizer $21.00 MN/24.70 SRP and/or 

Time Repair A.M. SPF 15 $47.65 MN/$56.05 SRP, C&E Repair P.M. $47.65 MN/$56.05 SRP

With Shaklee, you can be sure you’re getting the best products: Nutrient based... 7 patents... pH balanced... Always hypoallergenic... Never animal tested. Formulated without: Parabens... FD&C or D&C dyes... Propylene glycol... Animal products or by-products... Mineral oils or petrolatum... Sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate... Phthalates... 1,4-dioxane.

The answer to beautiful skin is Nutrition Therapy Skin Care. The question is, what are you doing for the next 28 days? Enfuselle not only most likely costs less than what you're using right now, but it will also most definitely last longer. It works or your money back. Now what cosmetics company will offer you that deal?

Shaklee believes healthy isn’t just a feeling. It’s something that shows.

xx S+S


Images courtesy of Shaklee

GODDESS FROM GREENE

The word goddess gets thrown around way too lightly these days. But before it got linked up with self-proclaimed inner and domestic goddess bloggers, the word meant something. Tempest-stirring power. Ship-launching beauty. The ability to wear a white toga fashionably post-Labor Day.

One person who deserves the title? Our dear friend Erika from - we kid you not - Greene, Maine. Not only are we in awe of her skin (it sparkles from across the room), but her beauty regime is heroic. To kick-off well-to-do's three week series on green beauty we rounded up Erika’s top tips on how to save your skin and the environment, no matter what type of earth-loving goddess you are.

GET EDUCATED. Start reading the ingredients labels of your beauty products - shampoos, conditioners, body washes, deodorants and skin care products. If they’re packed with these chemicals - toss ‘em!

THE GRASS ISN'T ALWAYS GREENER. Buy green beauty alternatives, but be careful. Sometimes products labeled “green” and “organic” are still packed with synthetics. Julie Gabriel as lots of specific recommendations in “The Green Beauty Guide”.

MAKE YOUR OWN. Polish your body to a healthly glow like Erika’s and moisturize it to softness at the same time with an easy DIY sugar body scrub. You will need plain white or brown sugar and organic extra virgin olive oil. In a bowl or a jar with a lid (that way you can save the rest for next time), pour the sugar and add the olive oil. The mixture should have a mushy consistency and not be too oily or grainy. Rinse thoroughly in the shower. The sugar will remove dead skin cells and the olive oil will nourish your skin keeping it moisturized. Erika, who has very sensitive skin, swears by the scrub as an exfoliant as well as a shaving cream (note: don't shave with the scrub; shave after you rinse it off).

KEEP IT SIMPLE. When looking for green beauty products, consider simple solutions like using coconut oil on your skin instead of mineral-oil based body creams. The health benefits of coconut oil include (but apparently not limited to!) hair care, skin care, stress relief, maintaining cholesterol levels, weight loss, increased immunity, proper digestion and metabolism, relief from kidney problems, dental care and bone strength. Yea, A LOT.

Coconut oil as hair care: Coconut oil can be natural nutrition for hair. It helps in healthy growth of hair providing a shiny complexion. Erika applies coconut oil to a pony tail about 20 minutes before showering and then rinses it out.

Coconut oil as skin care: Coconut oil is an excellent massage oil for the skin as well. It acts as an effective moisturizer on all types of skins including dry skin - a safe solution for preventing dryness. Coconut oil also helps in treating various skin problems including psoriasis, dermatitis, and eczema.

USE BAR SOAP. By dissolving entirely, bar soaps like Shaklee's Meadow Blend Soap-Free Cleansing Bar cause less junk at the landfill.

SAY SO LONG TO SYNTHETIC PERFUMES. Scented products often have the word fragrance on the ingredients list. But a fragrance can actually be dozens of synthetic ingredients, possibly including petrochemicals. FYI: companies aren't required to disclose specifics. Spelled-out ingredient lists, such as those on Aubrey Organics Eau De Parfums and Ajne Natural Fragrances ensure you know what's going on your skin.

WEAR SUNSCREEN. Always. Lots of it. Slather it on. And choose oxybenzone- and Vitamin A-free from thinkbaby or Shaklee.

USE MINERAL MAKEUP. We love a good tease... more on this next Monday!

With Erika’s tips, you’ll be raising environmental consciousness without ever lowering your standards. How green goddess of you.

xx S+S

Coming up Wednesday: More tips from Erika and - of course! - Shaklee skin care solutions.

Images courtesy of John Speirs/Erika Williams, Michelle Phan, Organic Facts, thinkbaby, Ajne Natural Fragrance and Shaklee.

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ALL LACQUERED UP

Pamper your nails with something safe... with a side of sass and a handful of fun. Meet the Ginger + Liz Colour Collection™!

Founded by model/author Sara Liz Pickett and entrepreneur H. Ginger Johnson, the Ginger + Liz collection is taking off and leaving a pretty path from Bangor to Bollywood. With a celeb-style color palette, amusing names like “Swagger,” “Hold The Drama," and “Put A Ring On It,” and a formula that's organic + vegan-friendly + toxin-free... what’s not to love and admire about this beautylicious brand? Cost is $12/bottle for this 'lil luxury.

We're such suckers for a good story. Here are three more brands that captured our hearts:

1) Priti nail polish is non-toxic with ingredients derived from organically grown sources. Promotional and marketing materials for the company are printed on 100% recyclable paper, their nail polish bottles are completely recyclable, and even their website utilizes ThinkHost, a web host that provides solar and wind powered energy. Priti nail polishes are available in over 100 colors and cost $12.50 per bottle.

2) Polished Mama water-based nail polishes were ultimately designed for moms-to-be. A true family business, Polished Mama was started by an RN, with help from her husband and his father, an organic chemist. The polish is available in twelve colors and retails for $8.50 a bottle.

3) Zoya is free of toluene, formaldehyde, DBP (phthalates) and camphor. It's the most recognized and easily found in nail salons, and was awarded as the longest wearing natural nail polish by an independent panel in Women’s Health Magazine. Zoya offers nail polishes in over 300 colors. Purchase them in packs of six for $36 for the best savings. Individually they sell for $7.

Go on. Lacquer up!
xx S+S

Photo: gingerandliz.com
Sources: gingerandliz.com, zoya.com, rachelzoe.com/The Zoe Report

KISS AND TELL

Our love for beauty products started at a young age. Sweet Bonne Bell was so colorful and tasty. Sadly, it was a downward spiral from there. Seems a majority of lip balm manufacturers not only skimp on the all-so-important moisturizing but they use ingredients such as silicone oil and salicylic acid that actively dry out our precious puckers, creating more need for their product.

Most commercial brands, including "medicated" lip balms, have a potentially toxic petroleum base used to hold moisture against the skin. Add aluminum salts, preservatives, artificial flavors to the equation and the answer is an ugly combo of chemicals.

But it doesn't stop there. As far as chapped lips go, additives like menthol, camphor, and phenol are used as counter-irritants to give lips a cool, soothing sensation as lip balm is applied. According to Paula Begoun, "The Cosmetics Cop" and author of The Beauty Bible, these ingredients are used "to make the consumer think something is happening." But she says, "If you want a cooling sensation, drink some cold water."

For our lips we choose Shaklee's Enfuselle Lip Treatment SPF 15. Simply put: it soothes and smoothes! "Drenched with vitamins C and E, calendula extract, and moisturizing plant oil," this nourishing lip treatment helps smooth the appearance of fine vertical lines while softening, firming, and protecting against the elements. Wear alone or under lipstick. Slather on as much as you want, as frequently as you want!

Think your kisser is the fairest in the land? Then tell us the location of your most favorite lip lock. Comment below or on Facebook and we'll pick TWO lucky winners to receive Enfuselle Lip Treatments!

Go on. Kiss and tell!
xx S + S

Sarah's best kiss: Old Blue (boat) on Unity Pond, Unity, Maine
Suz's best kiss: Two Lights Lobster Shack, Cape Elizabeth, Maine

Photo: suz.myshaklee.com
Sources: suz.myshaklee.com, bellasugar.com, cosmeticscop.com