BOND EN AVANT

Beauty

How Jan Marini skincare revived my skin and my love for acids

When the opportunity arose to test and review Jan Marini products for a sponsored post, I was hesitant. I had heard of Jan Marini before and never associated the brand with being “green” and/or nontoxic. But after reviewing the brand’s product offerings and their ingredients to see if there was anything that would possibly meet my requirements – no endocrine disruptors, no fragrances, no harmful chemicals – to my surprise, I discovered Jan Marini offers a number of nontoxic products that are paraben-free, phthalate-free and sodium lauryl sulfate-free. So I decided to test out a variety of products for my skin concerns.…

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Beauty

Here’s what happened when I stopped using moisturizer for 4-weeks

For almost four weeks now I haven’t used moisturizer. My skincare routine involves an exfoliating cleanser with glycolic acid (gasp! – never thought I’d be able to use this during the height of my perioral dermatitis outbreak days) and a serum, which I rotate among a few different kinds nightly. That’s it, and my skin is looking good – real good. If you’ve read my blog posts on my personal dermatitis struggles, you’re probably shocked that (a) I’m not using moisturizer, (b) I’m using strong acids and (c) all it takes to keep my skin looking good is one serum at night.…

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Mom Life

Using Tantra To Reconnect With Your Partner Postpartum

When I told my Mommy & Me class my husband and I started a nightly tantra practice to help us reconnect and get through a rough postpartum period, a muffled chuckle and many uncomfortable side eye glances abounded. I’m pretty sure their first thought was – tantra/tantric sex – which is often people’s first thought when they hear tantra. But tantra, a Sanskrit word literally meaning “to loom, weave, wrap,” isn’t about sex, but rather slowing down and tuning into the self, similar to meditation. I first learned about tantra from my acupuncturist, Physician of Eastern Medicine and founder of Apothecai, Rose…

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Health

Interview: Jewel Zimmer On CBD, Cannabis, Hemp Oil & Why You May Want To Try It

It’s hard to deny CBD (and cannabis overall) is having a moment. A huge moment. As in, it’s everywhere. Wellness junkies are creating CBD health snacks and cocktails. Beauty brands are using it in skincare products to heal acne and rosacea. And pet owners now soothe separation anxiety riddled furry loved ones with CBD. The long list of healing benefits attributed to the cannabis plant keeps getting longer, and local governments are heeding the medical literature, many moving towards legalization, if they haven’t made cannabis entirely legal already. But as society opens up to the once marginalized plant and answers the questions…

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Beauty

The Best Nontoxic Products I Tested in 2018

Looking back on this past year, I can say 2018 has been one of my favorites: my acne flare ups became a distant memory (thus why the category has been removed this year); pregnancy and the birth of Chloe showed me the joys of motherhood – and the need for clean, efficacious and safe baby products; and while dry/dehydrated skin and perioral dermatitis persisted, I found a rhythm of gentle skincare products to help with both giving me my best skin to-date! Typically, I reserve this best-of list for year end, but it always seems to hit at an inopportune time after…

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