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As you've seen from my previous posts, I am passionate about taking "green" into the next millennium by finding effortless ways to incorporate radical new ideas for a better and healthier lifestyle into our daily routine in ways that are actually so simple, it makes you say, "Duh, that was really obvious and easy!" Well, in that vein of thinking, I have to share with you an exciting discovery that I made for myself the other night.
I had the great pleasure of meeting Sophie Uliano, green lifestyle expert and author of Gorgeously Green, 8 Simple Steps to an Earth-Friendly Life and The Gorgeously Green Diet. From her body of work, it's obvious that she's been at this for quite some time, and all I can say is that this green pioneer really walks her talk! For starters, when it comes to the title of her website, book and brand, she truly is absolutely GORGEOUS and indeed very green.
She also has the cutest and most audibly-pleasing English accent, which makes listening to her speak that much more pleasurable. And to round out the great green package that she offers, she has some of the most straight-forward, high-impact green living tips that I had ever heard. She is exceedingly well-informed about all of the subjects about which she speaks, and she's also sweet, engaging and a ton of fun to be around!
On this night, she was speaking to a private group of us who had gathered at the Evolue Green Beauty Boutique on Robertson in Beverly Hills. I found this especially amazing because normally she speaks to thousands of people at a time at green conferences across the country or is seen chatting it up with Julia Roberts and Oprah on The Oprah Winfrey Show. But that night, she was equally as engaging and personable as she taught our small group how to make something that would change our natural skin care routine forever.
One of her signature health and beauty tips is to give women – and men too – the ability to make their own super-effective vitamin C anti-aging serum that she says rivals or beats the results of any other high-ticket luxury cream on the market. Although this sounds almost fantastical, she had the most down-to-earth way of scientifically explaining why other less natural creams and serums simply can't deliver on their promises, and why this "Duh, that was really obvious and easy!" homemade serum can.
From having unwittingly received a lot of sun damage to my skin as a child, I recently became aware of how important having vitamin C in my skin care products is for healing and anti-aging, so I was ALL ears. Ironically, I had just purchased a $150 highly-recommended Hollywood spa product for this very issue, but I was much more interested in finding an all-natural, low-cost and more effective alternative.
First, Sophie explained in simple, no nonsense terms how the bio-chemical reality of capturing an element like vitamin C makes it impossible to bottle it without it breaking down and oxidizing shortly thereafter. Product manufacturers try to cover this fact up with preservatives and fragrances, but it's virtually impossible to stop the oxidation process. As a result, you may very well be rubbing the oxidation INTO your skin with these "luxury" products! She also went on to explain that their preservatives and perfumes are often made from cancer-causing phthalates and that none of that should be coming anywhere close to our bodies.
So, I guess I shouldn't touch my $150 bottle again, huh?! That's a bummer, but she made my trip to the Evolue Green Beauty Boutique very worth it when she taught us the recipe for our new super anti-aging all-natural alternative that we were able to make and walk away with THAT NIGHT. And now you can too:
- Take 1/4 tsp of vitamin C powder from a place like Trader Joe's (costs about $5 and it will last you for over a year)
- Add 1 tsp of distilled water and mix together for one minute
- Add 1 tsp of vegetable glycerin oil ($8 from "Now" brand at Whole Foods or online and that will last you over a year, too)
And THAT'S IT! You're done!
You mix this simple formula once each week and pour it in a small glass dropper. That magic potion will cost you no more than 15 cents per bottle, and if you do the math, a year's supply will put you out for only $7.80 Heck, for that cost, I'm thinking about making up a larger bottle and using it all over my body! Sophie recommended using the serum on your face, neck, shoulders, arms, hands and chest. Given the fact that up close she didn't have a wrinkle in sight and her face looked as fresh and plump as a 16-year-old's, personally, I'm all in! I can't wait to try some of her other all-natural beauty recipes this weekend!
Rebekah Green is a Green Expert, Green Builder, Green Designer, and Green Lifestyle enthusiast who is an avid believer that social consciousness and environmental responsibility should be 'business as usual.'
