I wanted to start this blog post by sending my heartfelt prayers to the people of Japan following their recent horrific catastrophe.  Living in Los Angeles, I have been receiving many articles lately on how we can protect ourselves against radioactive contamination following the destruction of the nuclear facilities in Japan.   Once radioactive material is released into the atmosphere it can travel many miles along wind patterns.  I don’t know how serious or plausible a threat is to the United States, but many people on the West Coast are buying out potassium iodide and kelp supplements from stores, such as Whole Foods and Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacies, as these supplements are thought to help combat radiation in the body.

Since radioactivity is in the news, I wanted to dedicate this blog to those who may be going through your own personal crisis and undergoing chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. I would like to offer a few tips on the best way to care for your skin during this difficult period in your life.

Finding a safe and effective skin care routine during treatment can be challenging due to the side effects of radiation on the body and skin. The skin is your largest organ and often reflects what is going on inside your body via symptoms on your skin.  Managing the reactions and side effects of chemotherapy/radiation on your skin ensures a comfortable recovery.

Since chemotherapy and radiation weaken your immune system, your skin’s ability to protect itself from the elements also diminishes greatly.  In addition, dehydration and photosensitization of your skin is a common side effect.   Here are the 5 tips for keeping your skin healthy and safe during treatment:

1. Keep your skin as moist as possible at all times.
2. All products that come into contact with your skin MUST be free of toxins, dyes, and synthetic fragrances
3. Purchase products that soothe your skin with gentle ingredients such as chamomile, passion flower and sunflower oil
4. Use essential oils to replace your skin’s natural oils, which get depleted during treatment.  Cypress Oil has been known to be beneficial since it builds blood corpuscles, especially the white cells. In addition, apply skincare containing oils such as olive oil and argan oil, that are rich in Vitamin E (argan oil has twice the vitamin E content of olive oil)
5. Use mineral make-up and protect the skin with a safe, natural SPF with broad spectrum protection to block UV rays

Products you should avoid:

• Drying alcohols
• Perfumes and synthetic fragrances
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (everyone should be avoiding this ingredient anyway)
• Harsh and abrasive cleansers and household cleaning products

As we reflect upon our blessings in the light of the difficulties and challenges of today, I would encourage each of you to send a prayer up for all those affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and for those who are fighting cancer.    Here are two links that provide an opportunity for you to help those affected. :

http://www.cancer.org/ and http://www.redcross.org/

There is so much buzz and confusion about natural and organic skincare and whether certified is better than non-certified that, consequentially, I believe we are missing the bigger picture.  I thought of writing this blog after picking up one of my favorite books written by a good friend, Christina Avaness.  Christina and I met a couple of years ago when I attended her book tour.  Her book, aptly named Living Beyond Organic, presents a different approach to nutrition based on Christina’s own experience healing her husband from advanced heart disease and a multitude of other illnesses.  Christina came up with the title of the book based on a notion that people were making their purchasing decisions based on the term organic as a gauge for good or bad nutrition.  Christina noticed that not all organic food is good for you and started her journey educating others on the difference in what makes a good nutritional regimen versus a poor one.

If you believe in the axiom that ‘you are what you eat’, then it would only make sense that it also applies to what you put on your skin.     The skin is the largest organ in your body.  It is a living organism and absorbs around 70% of what you apply on it.  If you want  beautiful radiant skin, you must feed your skin cells the most nutritious food (ingredients) possible.

This brings me back to the title of Christina’s book and the title of this blog.  Purchasing certified organic, completely natural skin care should be the base of your purchasing decision; however, it’s not the end all.  Just because the label states organic or natural, does not mean that it will be effective or even good for you.  Skin care is very personal just like eating.  You would never (or at least you shouldn’t) just eat something without inquiring about the ingredients and the same goes for what you put on your skin.

Here are some points to look out for when purchasing skin care:

• As we discussed above, try to purchase products that are certified organic or, at the very least, 100% natural
• Play spin the bottle and look at the label to make sure no synthetic preservatives or yucky ingredients are present (yes, a product can be certified organic and still have synthetic or harmful ingredients present in the formula)
• Make sure that all the ingredients are as minimally processed as possible.  Inquire with the company about how the oils and extracts are processed.  First cold pressed or steam distilled oils and extracts are best and ensure the highest enzyme and nutritional content.  When you heat or process oils or plant extracts they lose most of their notional density making them ineffective
• Look for natural vitamin A, C, E found in the extracts and plants.  In addition, other nutrients such as vitamin K, potassium, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties are very desirable.
• Make sure you don’t have any allergies to the ingredients.  When trying out new skin care, I always recommend testing a small area of your skin (patch test) for 24 hours before applying generously… safety first!
• I usually suggest purchasing products that feel luxurious and pampering when applied.  Also make sure that the scent is to your liking.  There is nothing worse than having to apply lotions and potions on your face and disliking the scent and texture.
• Create a ritual out of taking care of your skin.  Now that you are using organic, natural, safe, luxurious skin care that smells divine, take those few minutes to ‘LUV’ yourself and enjoy the process.  Be in the moment!!!

I believe anyone can stay young looking for as long as they want. My dear aunty is going to be 87 in March, and she has never had even a stitch of plastic surgery. She not only glows, but is truly stunning.

Everywhere, people continue to look outside of themselves for the answers. I think it’s a wise person who knows instinctively, that good health and real beauty come from within. I feel so lucky and ageless to have been blessed with the realization that if you go within you will never go without! And, you won’t need plastic surgery.

To avoid the knife, put foods like kale and salmon on your fork (and buy a good mattress). From what I can see, anyone, regardless of their age, who does some form of exercise daily, avoids alcohol, or uses it only in moderation, enjoys their work, gets along with their family, feels a sense of connection to others, drinks plenty of fresh water, eats an abundance of green foods, a colorful, balanced diet, is grateful for what they have, and gets at least seven hours sleep, will glow! Generally speaking, a person who nurtures him or herself like this should not need plastic surgery. Also, doing things that boost your confidence, and helping others, is a much safer way to feel better about yourself, and yields longer lasting results then any “procedure.”

My guru is renowned Kundalini Yoga teacher, Gurmukh. She is Ageless, and I know why. She is a perfect example of everything I mention, and then some. She gets up before dawn every morning in praise and thanksgiving. Due to the joy of movement, many yoga teachers and dance instructors look much younger than they are. Happy People look better, and those in good relationships ooze youth. Julia Roberts had a good take on this when she said, “The secret to beauty is to always be looking at someone who loves you.”

Next time you think you might want to consider any plastic surgery, try changing your job, what’s on your plate, how you move your feet, and what you put on your face.  A good quality skin care regime can go a long way too, like a good multi-vitamin. High quality natural products, with soothing aromas, do something for the senses that I believe has a cumulative effect. Investing in a good face cream is worth it. And sip plenty of green tea…

* We would like to thank our guest blogger Renee Gold for writing this post.  You can check out her blog Ageless at www.reneegold.com

For 2 solid years now I have been meeting customers in Natural/Organic stores on a daily basis.  I typically meet and speak with about 10-20 customers a day.  Last week I met a woman whose mother had died of breast cancer in which she felt parabens had played a role.  The link between parabens and breast cancer was no longer simply a statistic that I had read in an article or seen on the internet, it was a real person standing right before me.  This woman was still visibly shaken up about the loss of her mother, even though 3 years had passed.  Perhaps it was still SO painful because she LOVED her mother so much.  Perhaps it was difficult because her mother fought the good fight for 15 years and lost the battle on her very own 60^th birthday.  Or could it be the horror and deep regret of the knowledge that this cancer might possibly have been prevented if parabens were not in the personal care products that her mother had been ingesting over the course of her life.

Unfortunately, so few women and men today are privy to this information … after all the natural/organic movement has only been picking up steam recently.  So many customers are purchasing more organic produce these days, but still going to the non-natural stores for their body and face care needs.  I was doing just that until I learned about ‘SKIN DEEP’ by EWG (Environmental Working Group).   At that point I began to research the ingredients in my department store brands and fell upon ‘The Al arming Truth’ about many toxins, carcinogens, hormone disruptors and different kinds of parabens that were in the very pricey products that adorned my girly room - all in the name of Beauty and Profit.  Wow!  I just didn’t want to be that Guinea Pig.  Since my skin is my largest organ and absorbs up to 67% of what I put ON to it INTO my blood stream, it’s probably a good idea to start reading the labels on my personal care products and avoid these potentially harmful ingredients when shopping for my stuff.  In fact, I made a nice little copy of my ‘NO LIST’ and threw it in my wallet until I had stored them in my head.  You can get your copy of the ‘NO LIST’ to carry in your wallet too.  Just click on the ‘Get Report’ button in the PROTECT YOURSELF module on the right and we will send one to you for free.

Today we have the opportunity to live longer, healthier lives.  I know in my heart that the more knowledge and information we pass on to each other, the better our collective chances will be to have the best life possible.   Who wants to be sick with health issues that don’t allow us to enjoy each day fully?  After all, life is a present and the world is our oyster.  Let’s not harm our best chances to live the best life possible.  Please send this BLOG to whomever you love that may not know have this information yet!  Perhaps you may save a life because just like the ripples in water ... it all starts from just one stone!

With luxurious cosmetic counters and beautiful stylists seducing us to receive a free application of the latest and greatest lotions and potions, it’s not surprising that most of us shop for our cosmetics and skin care products in Department stores.   Mega beauty brands have spent billions in advertising dollars trying to make you, the consumers, believe that their synthetically formulated products will erase the lines and reverse the aging process.

The skin is the largest organ of the body and absorbs almost 70% of what is applied.  And the fact is that over 90% of all ingredients in commercially available cosmetics are of synthetic origin.  Most commercial brands still use ingredients such as Diazolidinyl urea (contains formaldehyde, a toxic carcinogen), FD&C Color Pigments (made from coal tar, and contain heavy metal salts), Parabens (cause allergic reactions, and have been linked to cancer) among many others.  Remember the old adage ‘you vote with your money’.  Here are 7 easy steps to making the transition to natural and organic skin care products.  Making the change will be healthier for you and the environment and save you a lot of money in the process.

Step 1 – Safety First: Find out if your current skin care line is safe.  Flip It!!! (the jar I mean). Read the ingredients and do the research.  A good place to start is the Cosmetic Safety Review website by the Environmental Working Group.  They rate brands and ingredients on a scale of 0 – 10, zero being extremely safe, and 10 highly toxic.  Just do a search for your favorite products or ingredients.  I’m sure your research will prove to be eye opening for you, as it was for me.

Step 2 – Stop the Bleeding: If you’ve researched your favorite brand and found icky stuff inside, STOP using it NOW!!! I can’t tell you how many people I speak to that realize how harmful their products are, yet will not stop using their brand until the entire jar is finished.  If you found out that the takeout in your fridge will cause nausea, allergic reactions, or cancer, will you finish eating it?  I think not.  If you just purchased your products and have the receipt, perhaps you can return it to the store for a refund.

Step 3 – Have Reasonable Expectations: It could take a little longer to see results when using natural and organic skincare vs. synthetic brands (but it’s worth it!)  We are so accustomed to expecting immediate gratification and want to see results yesterday; however, understanding the process is actually the first step towards educating yourself.  Your cells are living organisms that require nourishment to perform at their peak.  When you nourish your cells with wonderful nutrients, your cells will react and become stronger and healthier. However, if you feed your cells poison, toxins, and preservatives, the health of your cells will ultimately deteriorate.  Just think about it, feeding your skin cells is the same as feeding your body with food.  Would you expect someone who eats fast food and processed food every day to be as healthy as someone who eats a well balanced nutritious diet?

Step 4 – Look for the Certification: The cosmetic industry is an unregulated industry in the United States.  Cosmetic companies could label products as natural or even organic without the approval of the FDA or other government agencies.  In the United States, the term ‘natural’ or ‘organic’ does not have a standard definition as it pertains to cosmetics.  With fancy packaging and just the right words, the consumer could be fooled into believing that the products they purchase are safe and healthy.  Always look for a reputable 3rd party certification to ensure that the company is being monitored for natural and organic claims.  Here are a few certification agencies that certify cosmetics to get you started - Cosmebio (EU standards), BDIH (EU standards), and USDA (U.S. Standards).  Remember, that not all certifications certify organic claims, and some that certify organic claims do not certify natural claims.

Step 5 – Choose the Best Company to Support: Support companies that walk their talk.  Producing effective products is expected of any good company. However great companies produce effective products AND do even more!  Is your cosmetic company looking out for the planet, the people, the animals, and your well being?  Are they vegan, animal cruelty free, using fair trade practices, recycling, using as little energy as possible producing their products and reducing the waste?  If you vote with your wallet by choosing great companies that give back, more companies that give back will be created.

Step 6 - Purchase the right products: Make sure that you buy products that are right for your skin type and buy the best quality products that you can afford.  Understand that all products are not created equally.  As in food, you have a choice in the quality of ingredients you buy.  It is a fact that the higher the quality of the ingredients used in a product, the more expensive it will be. However quality ingredients are packed with more nutritive properties and are, therefore, more effective.  Always choose products with the least amount of preservatives, highest quality oils (1st cold pressed are desirable), and highest quality plant extracts.  The higher the quality of the ingredients the more effective it will be and the less you will have to use to see results.

Step 7 – Now go tell your friends: Maya Angelou said “When you learn, teach, when you get, give.”  So with your new found knowledge, go out there and spread the word about switching to a more natural way of taking care of yourself.  There are some wonderful companies, making great products that are effective and, yes, SAFE!  What would happen if more people made the switch and supported the companies that support the health of us and the world?  When you vote with your wallet, the way business is done will change.  And you can be part of that change!

L’uvalla means to love the spirit within all things - and one of those things is YOU. Last year I was asked by Bionic Beauty to share my thoughts on powerful beauty and it begins with loving yourself and your life.

When I first thought of the expression “powerful beauty”, immediately the picture of a child came to mind. Can you count the number of times you have seen a baby or a child and said “What a beautiful baby!” or “Your son/daughter is so beautiful!”?  It’s so easy to recognize powerful beauty in a child because they are so pure and innocent. They allow their inner soul to shine through without the trappings of this world. Their minds have not been tainted by the media’s definition of beauty or the sometimes hurtful and harsh judgments of others. They don’t think that their hair is too frizzy or too curly or too thin. They don’t worry about being too tall or too short or too thin or too heavy. They have no concerns about living up to expectations or failing in business or losing in love. That’s why my definition of powerful beauty is unconditional love – for yourself and your life.

To find unconditional love for yourself, choose to view yourself through others’ eyes. Your crooked smile that you pick apart in every picture is the smile that tugs at the heart of your family and friends. Your voice, that is way too high for your liking, is the sound that stirs powerful emotions in the heart of the one you love. Your body, that you think carries too much weight in your hips and thighs, is the body that pours love and comfort into the heart of your child as they snuggle in your embrace. There is beauty in all of our imperfections and when we learn to love them as others do – that is powerful beauty.

To find unconditional love for your life, choose to view life as a beautiful work of art, the way you would view a Renoir or Van Gogh. A painting would lose its powerful beauty without all the different shadings of the colors within it. Those shades make it interesting – give it fire – give it depth and dimension – breathe life into it. When you are born, you are an empty canvas. Some experiences are happy like the bright yellow of the sun. Some are calm and peaceful like the deep blue of the ocean. Some are dull and dreary like the gray of stormy clouds. Some are heavy with loss like the black of a deep hole. Some are full of anger like the bright red of fire. Try not to judge each of these experiences separately, but to love them for their role as part of the collective masterpiece called your life – that is powerful beauty.

Practicing unconditional love for yourself and your life will make all the trappings and judgments of this world fall away and the beauty of your inner soul to shine through with the brilliance of the stars – that is Powerful Beauty!

The old adage ‘you are what you eat’ is the notion that to be fit and healthy you need to eat good food.  However, does the food you eat affect the health of your largest organ, your skin?  Can food really reverse or prolong the aging process?  And if so, can the opposite be true?  Can eating bad food accelerate aging skin?  To examine the validity of this statement, we must first look at the culprit of aging - free radical damage.  The free-radical theory of aging (FRTA) states that organisms age because cells accumulate free radical damage over time.  As the body uses oxygen, free radicals cause oxidative damage to the cells.  Free radicals come from our environment (smoking, pollution, certain types of foods), and as a by-product of normal metabolism.  Since our skin is made up of cells, free radical damage is therefore a direct correlation of aging.  When you help protect the cells from damage, you also guard against premature aging. 

There are many scientific studies linking unhealthy behavior to aging, disease, and premature death.   And everyone knows that great health is not attainable by following one regiment.  Exercise, reducing the intake of pollutants and toxins, and meditation are a few ways of reducing the stress put on our bodies.   However quality organic and plant based food, is one of the best ways to ensure that your body has the ability to protect itself from the elements.  So what to eat to increase your chances of perfect health?  Experts say that increasing your intake of plants, fruits, super-foods, whole grains, ‘good’ oils, and herbs will provide you with a boost of essential fatty acids (omega 3 & 6), antioxidants’, and the vitamins and nutrients your body needs to repair damage, and the power to heal itself.

There are many different types of foods that will help protect cells from damage and disintegration and are best known for their antioxidant power, and healthy fatty acids:  (Below is a sampling)

Sampling of Foods associated with less wrinkling:

• Blackberries - antioxidant
• Blueberries - antioxidant
• Strawberries - antioxidant
• Plums - antioxidant
• Wild caught salmon – essential Fatty Acids
• Walnuts – essential Fatty Acids
• Flax Seeds – essential Fatty Acids
• Brazilnuts (dried, unblanched) – High in selenium which plays a role in healthy skin cells
• Green Tea – anti-inflammatory properties and protective to the cell membrane.  Also may help prevent or reduce the risk of skin cancer
• Vegetables - (especially leafy greens, spinach, eggplant, asparagus, celery, onions, leeks and garlic)

Sampling of Foods associated with more wrinkling:

• Saturated Fat
• Meat (especially fatty processed meats)
• Full fat dairy products
• Soft drinks
• Sugar
• Processed foods

Finally, water is crucial to good health.  Our body is made up of approximately 70% water and lack of water can lead to dehydration and ultimately older looking skin.  How much water you should drink is under debate, but 8 glasses per day is the standard consensus (depending on where you live).

The connection of Food and our health is undoubtedly one of the most debated topics around, however by following some simple guidelines you can ensure a healthy way of life.  As always, do your own research and remember that one formula does not work for everyone. Remember that healthy skin is a reflection of a healthy body, mind, and spirit!

Welcome to the next evolution of L’uvalla, where luxurious, premium quality French skincare collides with natural and organic purity - all with the health of you and our environment in mind. We have had an incredible journey since creating L’uvalla four years ago and that journey has been immensely enriched by each of you that we have encountered along the way. Your enthusiasm fuels us, your passion inspires us, your feedback encourages us and your loyalty humbles us. This new website, like our success, represents a relationship of mutual creation with you – our customers.

When you visit the newly re-designed L’uvalla site, you will find a website that visually reflects our hybrid brand of luxurious, premium quality with natural, organic goodness through images, colors and text. We are excited to offer you a site that is more user-friendly, has expanded services, cultivates greater interaction with you through social media and provides a wealth of information on everything from the meaning of our name, L’uvalla, to the social impact Argan Oil is having in the communities of southwest Morocco. We provide complete transparency of the ingredients we use in each L’uvalla product through our ingredient glossary and explain how our unique formulations of 100% natural and organic skincare will transform, rejuvenate, nurture and revitalize your skin, while nourishing your senses through aromatherapy. And, although the website is new, you can be assured that the very core of our convictions has not changed. Our commitment to making your skin beautiful with the highest quality, most effective natural, organic and sustainable skincare is as strong as ever, but it doesn’t stop there. Our greatest desire is to ignite the human spirit with each of you, activating visionary change through our ‘LUV’ ALL philosophy and our hope is that it will transform, rejuvenate, nurture and revitalize you – mind, body and soul.

True beauty comes from within and is projected externally. We believe each of you is uniquely beautiful and our mission is to empower you to share your beauty with the world. We appreciate your support and know that we could not succeed without you. Please continue to share your thoughts with us, write to us with your suggestions, and tell us about your experiences with L’uvalla. We are excited to have shared this journey with you up to this point and are bursting with anticipation of what we will create together in the years to come. Together, let’s celebrate our individual beauty, cultivate beauty in others and illuminate beauty to the world.

With ‘LUV’,

The L’uvalla Team


“Nature is a painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty.” ~ John Ruskin