Here are some top tips for dry or splitting nails.

A combination of factors could cause your nails to be dry and start splitting. Some dryness can be caused by diet; some by medication, outside factors such as your working environment, the types of soaps, detergents and cleaning products you use can also affect the nails.

We always look to the health within first. Ensure you are getting enough ‘good fats’ in your diet, essential fatty acids from nuts, avocado’s, linseed, hempseed oil, olive oil. If you keep your nails trim with a glass nail file, maintaining a short neat length you’ll be less likely to catch the nails as you go about everyday life.

For our top tip, you’ll be amazed by the difference in your nails if you apply a cuticle and nail oil at night, rub a drop into and around each nail, rub firmly and get the blood flowing into the finger to nourish it from the inside. Green Hands have just won best nail oil in the 2009 Green Beauty Bible Awards.

The testers gave the product 8.61/10 and here is what they said:

Pleasant smell: my splitting nails are stronger, more flexible and less brittle I would buy this again’ : ‘nails stronger and did not split or flake once, more flexible and seemed much longer than usual; cuticles softer – I was surprised by how much difference this made’ : ‘I am a nurse and the cleaning products we use are so strong my nails suffer terribly; they now look better, are stronger and a lot smoother, and don’t break so easily – I would recommend this product to everyone’ : ‘improved condition of my nails, particularly cuticles’ : ‘my yellow nails are now white, with less ridging; it’s also cleared up the red, itchy skin at the base of each nail; nails now look lovely with no polish – it looks as though I have a French manicure’

More tips for rescuing and growing your own nails are:

• Re-apply cuticle oil during the day after particularly drying jobs.
• Avoid paint on nail strengtheners; they can make your natural nails more brittle.
• Try a gentler nail polish remover such as Suncoat Remover available from Green Hands 60ml for £12.95 made from Soy and Maize crops, it leaves your nails conditioned.
• Wear gloves and apply a good rich hand cream before household chores and gardening.

Green Hands are experts in natural products for hands and feet; you’ll find the products and more tips and articles on www.greenhands.co.uk

Article by Naomi Andersson

Vegans all around the world will be celebrating in style on Sunday 1 November as they join forces to enjoy the annual World Vegan Day.  Our friends at The Lucy Rose Organic Beauty Boutique, www.lucyrose.biz are celebrating too as they launch a brand new section dedicated to the vegan lifestyle.  All of the beautiful organic and natural ranges have been either accredited by The Vegan Society, or are vegan-friendly and totally natural and organic.

And the celebrations don’t just stop there.  Lucy Rose is offering a free vegan-friendly travel hand cream and an exclusive 10% discount off their naturally gorgeous collections right through to 30 November.

You can be confident of the best pure, chemical free beauty brands at www.lucyrose.biz and the new vegan section will guarantee that the products, or their ingredients, have not at any stage been tested on animals.

The new section is growing fast, but you can expect to find:

The Purest Skin Care: The Natural Elements range is a professional certified organic skin care range which is produced in the UK and is Vegan and Vegetarian Society approved. This collection has unique products specifically for dry, oily or combination skin, as well as anti-ageing solutions and eye care.  It is renowned for its effectiveness resulting in being voted ‘The World’s Most Natural Effective Skin Care’ by Today’s Therapist.  The new 100% botanical range from Dr Wendy’s has been created by a vegan, for vegans, and uses the purest natural and organic ingredients sourced from the land that is 100% in touch with nature – New Zealand.

Fashion Forward Makeup:  Lavera Trend is a natural vegan-friendly make up range for all skin types, even those with sensitive or hyper-allergenic skin, which offers co-ordinated natural colours and an extensive suite of products. Inika mineral make up promises great application and a beautiful finish, and has a loyal following among vegans.

The Body Beautiful:  Green People has an extensive range of natural and organic treatments for the whole body, which are Vegan Society, Soil Association and Organic Food Federation approved.   Or try the reinvigorating body collection from Essentially Yours which blends essential oils to create bathing and hair products which are set to stimulate all the senses.

Let Your Hair Down: You won’t have to with the extensive vegan-friendly  collection from Essentially Yours.

Nail It:  Spoil your hands with SpaRitual hand and nail care, and finish off with a formaldehyde-free polish from Zoya.
Lucy Rose provides an inspiring on-line experience for vegans who genuinely care about good quality natural ingredients, what they put on their bodies, where it comes from and how it has been produced.  Postage and packing is free on all UK orders received, regardless of the size, with most deliveries arriving within 1-2 days.

To claim your exclusive World Vegan Day discount, use code VEGAN at the www.lucyrose.biz checkout.  Offer eligible until 30 November 2009.

Article by Kristine Nudds

Wow, its September already! Let’s see what the autumn ECW will bring…

Fashion, Evolved
Interviews Fabulous (and Glamorous!) Fitness Guru, Lisa Johnson.

Ecco*Eco
Are all eyes on Ada Zanditon

Eco-Chick
Has had a make-over and is looking good!

Eco Diva
Dr. Alkaitis holistic organic skincare giveaway

Ethical Style
Vogue editor Anna Wintour and why she doesn’t really shop much.

Feelgood Style
Vapour Organic Beauty: Weightless make-up

Girlie Girl Army
Must-have boots for fall / winter 2009

Green Grechen
Tells us how to buy vintage shoes.

Green Lashes and Fashion
Eco fashion finds for a sweet soiree.

Greenopia
Extend your sun-kissed look into fall

Inhabitat
Top 7 Favorite Eco Shoes for this fall

Planet Green
Flea Queen’s Guide to Thrift Shopping.

The Alternative Consumer
Defy – Recycled billboard bags with killer style

The Thrifty Chicks
Say faux (vintage) is foe!

Treehugger
Features 7 Hot Models Who Are Also Environmentalists!

This week’s round up of everything stylish and green…

Eco-Chick
Check out the 2009 Collection by Samantha Pleet

Ecco*Eco
Leblas collection Filigree Chic.

Eco Fashion World
5 Cheap & Easy Ways to Green Your Wardrobe

Eco Diva
Review of Flip & Tumble shopping bag.

Girlie Girl Army
Pinups for Pitbulls. An original way to raise awareness and funds for pitbulls!

Ethical Style
iWood Sustainable Sunglasses is on their wishlist.

Green Grechen
Vintage Week: How to Shop for Vintage Clothing.

Green Lashes and Fashion
Looking for the Best Vintage Skirts!

Greenopia
Natural make-up by Suki.

Organic Beauty View
Introducing Sabon NYC new organic skincare line.

Feelgood Style
Osea, new organic skincare from the sea

Eco Chic Weekly is coordinated by the fantastic ADQ of Fashion Evolved.

A Product Review By, Aaron Bradshaw

How many of you out there reading this review has used a loofah before? Better question, how many of you know what a loofah is? I’m sure plenty of you use them daily, but that’s not what I’m talking about. I know you know what a loofah is, it’s a scrubber that you use to rid yourself of dead, dry skin. They’re a staple in any woman’s bathroom or shower. But what is a loofah really? Is it an animal like a sponge?

My mother always said you learn something new everyday. Well, here is your opportunity, a loofah is a plant. Yes a plant.

I’ve recently had the opportunity to review one of the most original green products I’ve seen all year. Loofah-Art® Scrubbers from ECOBAGS® are naturally grown and processed. They are completely eco-friendly, 100% biodegradable and fabricated from a sustainable agricultural crop.

In the kitchen, Loofah-Art® is gentle enough to scrub your fruits and vegetables and strong enough to clean your dirty dishes and stubborn pots and pans.  It is delicate enough to use on your non-stick surfaces, it won’t wreck or damage your beloved collection of kitchenware.

For bath & body, Loofah-Art® will safely exfoliate and polish your sensitive skin while encouraging new cell growth – giving you a nice, healthy glow.  Using a loofah while in the shower offers an overall sense of well-being and the true feeling of clean & fresh.

Loofah-Art® Scrubbers from ECOBAGS® are available in a wide variety of fun designs.  Ducks, crabs, fish, penguins and other animals; grapes, pineapples, watermelons and other fruits and vegetables; sailboats, martini glasses, seashells and many, many more fun shapes & sizes!

All of the Loofah-Art® Scrubbers are available at www.ecobags.com for just $3.99!

I highly suggest checking out their website, its chock full of fantastic products that every Green Girl is sure to enjoy. From their “Totes With Quotes” to Classic String Bags, there is sure to be an item for everyone!

I’m a yo-yo organic skincare products user, fluctuating between just not being able to afford it and then feeling after all that its well worth the extra cost. Every time I go back to organic moisturisers and face creams I remember the difference they make to your skin and how it feels – lighter, fresher and cleaner.

This week I’ve been trying out a few of Beyond Organic Skincare’s products and not been disappointed at all.

Beyond Organic Skincare is a family-run business based Cornwall and seeing the beautiful view they have from their workshop you can see why they’re so committed to caring for what’s natural. Impressively 90% of the ingredients of their skincare products are sourced from the West Country in the UK which must be no mean feat plus all of their ingredients are certified organic by the Biodynamic Agricultural Association (BDAA). They take care to ensure they provide a healthy working environment for staff and inform us that they’re committed to various environmental and fair trade issues.

A good start isn’t it? And that’s before we’ve tried their creams.

The Beyond Organic Skincare products I’ve been using are the:

• Moisturising Day Cream
• Rescue Salve
• Rejuvenating Serum
• Regenerating Night Cream

First of all I need to point out that when the pretty little bottle & pots of lotions arrived they were contained in simple packaging of tissue paper and a card box with an information leaflet, all of which could be recycled or composted.

These products have a very similar smell which is subtle, fresh and non-perfumey and the information sheet goes into detail about the qualities of the natural ingredients in each of them.

I’ve used the Moisturising Day Cream more than any of the others which worked well either with our without make-up. It has a lovely consistency a little bit like a mousse and at this time of year where our faces are being battered by cold wind and dry central heating it moisturised my skin well without being heavy.

The Rescue Salve is the serious cream of the bunch designed to help with skin irritations and inflammation and although I don’t have any of those problems I found it acted as a great lip balm and eye cream for that bit of extra protection.

Similarly the Rejuvenating Serum seems to provide that deeper hydration and again feels good to use around your eyes (especially if you have a few laughter – ahem – lines like me!) because it’s like an oil which according to Beyond Organic Skincare’s information is very similar to human sebum in the skin.

At night time the Regenerating Night Cream is soothing and I think that’s the marshmallow ingredient. Again this one especially good for these winter months that are so harsh and drying but I imagine would work just as well after a day in the sun.

I wouldn’t say that the price of Beyond Organic Skincare’s products are that different to their organic counterparts and you only seem to need to use a little at a time so it should go a long way.

You can buy online too so those of us who aren’t lucky enough to live in beautiful Cornwall can still enjoy them. There are several more products available aside from the 4 I’ve tried, including the intriguingly named ‘Boob & Butt Pick Me Up’.

Check out their website at www.beyondskincare.co.uk.