This post is part of a campaign with Mom It Forward Influencer Network - all my opinions are my own.

If I had to give you the top two questions I get asked most as a nutritionist and natural living advocate they would be...

1. What does your weekly meal plan look like? 
and
2. What do you put on your skin? 

Just like what we put IN our bodies, what we put ON our bodies is vitally important to our health. Toxic, unnatural ingredients can cause an array of health problems, both short term and long term, which is why it's important to be educated on what goes into what you're putting on your body. This is a message I convey to all my clients. 

I have a few top favorite brands that I go to when it comes to hair, beauty and skin products and you've seen me touch on the topic from time to time. But there's a new kid on the block that is making waves in the organic beauty world and I wanted to introduce you all to one of my very new favorites. 
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With over 8 Collections to choose from to create your own specialized regiment, Organic Doctor utilizes organic ingredients from around the world. My personal regiment uses products from four of the collections which I will outline for you below. 

The award-winning line offers both skincare and haircare products and is new to the U.S. The company, founded in Britain, scours the planet for the finest botanical and naturally inspired ingredients to ensure that the bioactive properties of the organic ingredients in each product are truly captured.

The products are now available in CVS throughout the United States, as well as on Amazon for easy online ordering. 

I use a four-step skin care process that combines products from their Tea Tea, Rose Otto, Snail Gel and Coconut Oil collections. Living in a dry desert state, it helps with moisture retention, as well as anti-aging and deep cleansing. All of which I need. 

My morning routine includes their Organic Tea Tree Face Wash and Virgin Coconut Oil Hydrating Radiance Elixir, to keep my skin feeling light and revitalized all day. The face wash  is a gentle yet deeply penetrating facial cleanser, formulated with a proprietary blend of pure Tea Tree Oil, Mandarin Oil, Lemon Oil and Witch Hazel. I love its mildness and fresh, clean smell. While the elixir is light, fast absorbing and hydrating, it instantly penetrates my skin with and gives a subtle glow to this busy mama. 

At night, I use the face wash once more, this time finishing with the Snail Gel Cream instead of the elixir. I like having something a little more decadent to put on a night, that can quickly absorb and restore the natural moisture levels of my skin. It also helps my skin feel firmer and more toned when I wake up in the morning. 

And once or twice a week, or when I feel like I need a deep cleansing boost, I use the Rose Otto Face Mask. It makes me feel like I'm taking "me" time to pamper and take care of myself, which is so important during this season of motherhood. The bio active organic Rose Otto Oil is a hydrating and moisturizing essential oil blended with a mineral rich clay and offers renowned skin toning and healthy aging properties.

​If you're curious as to what products would be right for you, check out their website or comment below and I can help point you towards the products that would fit your specific skincare needs. 

Always remember, nosh clean and nurture your skin. It will thank you. 

For more on Organic Doctor and to join the conversation:
www.instagram.com/OrganicDoctorBeauty
​www.facebook.com/OrganicDoctor 

I've tried to get better about my shopping, I really have, and I've done very well since the days of my early twenties. I am now more methodical about what I need for our home, for my business, for my beauty cabinet and for my fashion wardrobe. (ok, so that last one may still cause problems, haha, but I am trying to do better.)

Taking inventory of what I needed for the New Year I headed to one of my favorite stores on the planet, Target. Of course it's Target, what girl doesn't adore getting lost in the aisles and filling her cart with a million things you don't need piled in on top of the few you do?

So, I was on a mission for a planner for 2016. And of course I found the cutest set by Sugar Paper. The neutral design matches my brand and my office and I fell in love. I had used their products last year and loved that it had exactly what I needed on a daily, weekly and monthly basis for how I work. 

After I got what I needed for the office to kick off the year right, I headed over to the beauty department, you know, just to look, and to my pleasant surprise, (OK, I was ECSTATIC), Target started carrying Derma E! My FAVORITE skincare line that I rave about ALL. THE. TIME. Having it at Target means I don't have to wait on shipping times and get my beloved Eye Life Creme anytime I need it! Seriously, through the holidays, we didn't get much sleep and it was a God send for my puffy, tired eyes. 

For those of you new to Derma E, it's 100% vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, sulfate-free, mineral oil-free, lanolin-free, gluten-free, GMO-free, and it WORKS. My best friend was here over Christmas and she even stocked up after using it at my house. She has super sensitive skin and loved the night cream and day cream. Neither being too heavy for her. 
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​After I stocked up on my Derma E goodies and some new mineral make-up pretties that I didn't get in my stocking from my Santa this year, I of course, headed to clothes where I got a couple of cute wintery tops while we are still enjoying chillier temps. 

What are YOUR favorite Target finds? #NoticeTheLotus at Target and try Derma E. I'd love to hear your favorite product from the line. I love spreading the word on healthy options that don't damage our bodies, but instead enhance it's beauty and health. Isn't that how it's supposed to work?

This post sponsored by Derma E and Brand Backer. All opinions are my own. 

As stated in my last Beauty Routine post on my teeth and body care post, I am just as careful as to what I put ON my body as to what I put IN my body. I can't stress enough that investing in high quality products that are gentle on your skin, hair, body, face & nails will help preserve the quality and health you are trying to obtain through diet, rest and exercise. 

When Derma E approached me about their line, I fell in love with their concept and their line has since become my line. It's a 100% vegan & gluten-free beauty & skincare line that is approved safe for Celiacs, and upon their launch of their #ICANTWHEAT campaign I knew it was time to share what I love about them. You can read all about their formulations here to see all the goodness that's in there and all the nasty that's not. 

While most products start in labs, Derma E started in a health food shop in Southern California, and as a resident beach girl, I love products that start in little shops seaside. It speaks to the entrepreneur in me who dreams of a nutrition office near the shore. 

Their skin, hair and nail oil is one of my FAVORITE products because I love being able to get multiple uses out of a product for the best value. I use it primarily for my nails, because I adore soft, silky cuticles, but in the winter months I also add a drop with my lotion or moisturizer as well as a drop of my favorite essential oil for the richest and deepest moisturizing action when the weather is particularly dry and harsh on my skin. It's also comprised of three clean ingredients: argan oil, kukui oil & jojoba oil. 

Though I am careful to use it on my hair (my hair is quite fine and too much oil of any kind makes me look like I need to shower & a good shampooing), I do use it in a mister with a little water to tame fly-aways when I travel to humid climates. As I'm heading to Texas in a week, it will accompany me for frizz defense. 

Another MUST have in ANY girls beauty arsenal is a GOOD dark circle eye creme. I don't care how much sleep you get (and I ALWAYS get 8-9 hours) as we age our sensitive skin around our eyes take harsh punishment from makeup, washing, the elements, the sun and its better to invest in a good eye cream now.

And when it comes to my eyes, I am SUPER careful about what I put on them. In changing and cleaning my diet I started reacting to EVERYTHING I put on my eyes. From mascara, to moisturizer, eye shadow to cleanser, if its not pure my eyes will develop styes (I know, ew) or get red & itchy. When I find something that is gluten-free & gentle I embrace it. I hug it. I use it regularly and I recommend it to others who I know struggle with finding products for their sensitive skin. 

In addition to being gluten-free and paraben-free, it is also GMO Free and full of beauty rockstar awesomeness. 

And I saved the best for last. Well, ok, anything that is gentle and healthy and makes me feel pretty is the best. But as our skin is the largest organ, it makes sense to give it extra loving care. LOTION is one of my favorite things in this world. It's just something that has always made me feel pampered & pretty and it lets me know I'm taking care of my skin.

I travel, a lot. And plane rides, road trips, constant climate changes and varying weather BEATS UP my skin. Finding a gentle, vegan, gluten-free lotion is CRUCIAL when I'm applying it daily, sometimes multiple times a day. Derma E's Vitamin E lotion is such a Godsend. It's buttery soft and comes in Fragrance Free or a scented variation with natural oils. It's also gentle enough to use on YOUR FACE. Which totally blew my mind because I never in a million years put a traditional lotion on my face in fear of harsh chemicals or crazy breakouts. 

If you have any questions, feel free to ask! I'd be happy to answer questions about any ingredients, practices or usage. Derma E did sponsor my post with product, but all photographs & opinions are my own. I'd been seeking a gluten-free & vegan beauty and skin line for so long and I am so happy to have found, and embraced, this beautiful company. The line offers an abundance of products from haircare to skincare, nail care to beauty. I was just highlighting the top three in my beauty cabinet because I don't use a ton of product. I know my go-to's and what has worked best to keep my skin balanced, healthy & glowing. 

OK. I know I said that was the best part, but this next part is the BEST BEST part. YOU can save 25% of anything in the line using the promo code ICANTWHEAT in celebration of the #ICANTWHEAT campaign & they are doing an AMAZING giveaway.

Enter for you chance to win $150 of Gluten Free Natural Skincare by derma e. 

One winner will receive a $150 gift certificate to shop at www.dermae.com 

1,000 Runner Up winners win a Gluten Free Sampler kit (3 foil packs) + insert with coupon code 

You can also head over and take the evaluation to find what's best for YOU and your skincare regiment. This is what I did originally to get started and I was matched with the PERFECT products missing from my beauty cabinet. You can put in your preferences and allergies to make the recommendations super tailored to your uniqueness. 

I would love to know your favorite gluten free skincare products, and if you've tried Derma E, what's your favorite from the line? 

I choose to use 1 Tablespoon of coconut oil daily, as I use it in everything already and had it on hand - plus I believe the health benefits of coconut oil outweighed the other oils in this case. Also, I get my coconut oil from Trader Joes. 

Overall I haven't seen drastic changes except that my teeth feel REALLY clean 

ALL the time. 

Which in itself is worth it to me. You know that feeling after you come from the dentist and your mouth feels slick and super fresh? Oil pulling does that for me. My gum health seems to have improved slightly, though they were generally pretty healthy to begin with. 

My second favorite perk is my teeth have become whiter, which is always a big plus!

Have you tried oil pulling? I would love to know what it did for you. And also, if you haven't what's your biggest question or why are you holding back? 

A lot of people ask me about my beauty routine. Since I use all natural products from head to toe (it's not just what I put IN my body that's important) people are curious as to how my beauty routines differ from theirs.

So, I decided to do a short series that will start with my Body Skincare & Teeth and I'll work through my facial skincare, makeup and hair care routines as well. 

5.) I finish by applying an all natural-deoderant (Honest makes a spray, or I use a aluminum-free roll on from Sprouts that works really well. Then I do a mani/pedi with safe nail polishes and Burts Bees cuticle creme. I find my nail colors at Sprouts or Whole Foods, the ones that are safe & approved for pregnancy are the ones I usually go for and they come in a wide array of vibrant colors! 

3.) After oil pulling I brush really well. My hubs gets great deals on electric toothbrushes at dental conventions and I love how easy they make the tooth cleaning process. My top picks for healthy toothpastes are the Honest Company Toothpaste and Toms of Maine. I'm unfortunately allergic to something in Tom's, and my mouth gets tingly, and not in the good way. So I stick with Honest or the baking soda plain version of Colgate. As that one is always easiest to find when I'm traveling. I would like to try the natural clays or plain baking soda - but I'm working my way up to being that earthy, haha. 

4.) I also steer clear of sugar, I only drink water and natural herbal teas, I don't ever consume tap water and I schedule my regular dental cleanings. 

I would LOVE to hear your skin & teeth care routines. Do you have any special tips on staying clean & natural? I'd love to hear it i the comments below.

Or if you have any questions regarding my routine or products I use, leave those too! 

Ah, winter. The time of family, holiday cheer, delicious warm yummy-tummy food (as Mr. Charming and I like to call it) and severely dry lips & limbs. 

Even as we head into Spring, I still find my lips to be crackly and not-so-sexy when I'm not exfoliating them properly.

I stumbled on to this super-cute blog, Honestly WTF and the writer shared a lip scrub that has become my new go-to. (Click the blog title to be taken to the page). I swapped out the brown sugar for organic sugar, but it yielded the same fabulous results. After scrubbing my lips just twice I noticed a noticeable difference in the smoothness of my pucker! It's become a 3x a week staple in my bathroom. 

Now my lips are kissably soft. Take that Winter!

Each year I like to make a list of my goals to moving toward more healthy, whole, organic living. I did a Natural Goals post in 2013 for home, food and body.  And this year, I am doing the same.  My beauty routine has gotten quite the overhaul and I've met some amazing beauty experts and make-up creators along the way. 

What I've Accomplished:
Full make-up overhaul. I adore my new makeup routine.  I got rid of SO many of my chemical products and it's so much simpler to find things.  I use all mineral, no chemical eye shadow, mascara, lip products, and blush.  I will be doing a product review on all soon!

Using all natural products. From my body scrub, to my natural tangerine vanilla soap, my organic plant-based shampoo and conditioner and my essential oil perfume, I try to keep as much artificial fragrance out of my routine as possible.  I also smell like a coco-nutty-hawaiian fruit. 

Yoga and meditation on the regular.  This has been so crucial in my over-all calm and well-being.  Being so susceptible to anxiety and worry through my not-so-great gut health and hormone imbalances, taking time to just pray, talk to God, do devotionals, do yoga, stretch and meditate on the Word has been so important for finding balance and handling stress on the daily better. 

My hair is SO much healthier.  So, I know last post I was very sad I was no longer a blonde. And, ok, some days I still struggle, and Mr. Charming and I find this to be a touchy subject because he knows how much I love being blonde, but I will say my hair hasn't been this long in a LONG time, and though it's still pretty thin, its definitely in a better state than its been in years. So I'll stay chest-nutty brown for a while longer. 

Detox.  I found out this year I have a genetic mutation that hinders my detox pathways.  I'm saving up to see another Dr. about this too, because, quite frankly, it sounds like something that totally sucks, but in the meantime I'm trying to do as much healthy stuff as I can.  I take coconut oil and kale in my smoothies everyday, I dry brush before shows and I try to work-out when I'm not exhausted.  This can def. be an area I improve.  But I am trying to make small steps to improve. 

What I Still Want To Do:
A Better Cardio Routine.  Since finding out about my MTHFR mutation, it explains why when I vigorously workout I get sick.  Which sucks.  I LOVE running and dancing, but I also need to respect my body.  I would like to get into a better habit of taking walks with Mr. Charming and my girlfriends, just to try to sweat a little, de-stress and get some cardio in. 

DETOX, DETOX, DETOX. Like I said above, I found out this year I have a genetic mutation that hinders my detox pathways. So I'm trying to find  more healthful ways to detox without my body getting sick in the process.  In addition to what I'm doing above. 

Toothpaste and Deodorant.  I'm awaiting my next Honest Co. shipment that includes toothpaste, and I'm still on the hunt for an aluminum-free deodorant that lasts all day. Or at least half a day. Or at least a half of a half of a day. 

I've been using the Juice Beauty products for just about a year now.  It started when I found their foundation and from there purchased a starter kit of all of their other available products.  Below are my reviews on whats a hit, whats a miss, and what I can't get enough of. 

Nutrient Moisturizer - This was a product I did not buy more of once my initial supply was gone.  It could be because I don't have dry skin to begin with, I'm more combo/normal, so this moisturizer felt a little thick.  And although its all natural, I didn't care for the scent. 

Cleansing Milk - I. Love. This. Face. Wash. This cleansing milk cleanses and tones and removes dirt and makeup wonderfully.  My face feels tighter and cleaner and the scent is very light, almost lemony.  I can't see myself using another face wash.  I've found a winner with this one. 

Green Apple Peel Sensitive Skin Mask - Tightens my pores and is fun. I love using this for Girl's Nights.  Put on my Apple Peel mask, bake some gluten-free cookies and pop in a chick flick.  Though I don't think I necessarily need this mask, per say, as my face feels just as tight and cleansed when I use just the milk alone, I do it periodically to clean a little deeper and like I said before, face masks are just fun and feel luxurious. Pamper away, ladies! 

Hydrating Mist - Feels a little sticky.  I like to hydrate my skin when I travel, but I will stick to the spritz can of Evian. Works just as well and doesn't have the balminess or scent. 

Antioxidant Serum - Cool and soothing on my tired eyes at the end of the day.  I haven't noticed an improvement on what my eyes or under eyes look like, but it does soothe. 

I also love their exfoliating face wash, lip moisturizers and their vegan bamboo makeup brushes.  I am excited to try their oil free moisturizer in hopes it will compliment my skin type better.  Let us know if you've tried any Juice Beauty products and which are your favorite!

For more information on these and a vast array of other products visit: http://www.juicebeauty.com/

So. It's true. I miss being a blonde. Since the age of 14 I've been a platinum blonde. (except for this one summer, when I was on tour and my hair was red, brown and blonde. You know, when I was off being fabulous and "finding myself). Not sure what was going on but it was fun at the time... haha... 

When all of my symptoms started around fall 2011 and I started cleaning up my food and my home, I had to wonder if all of that toxic hair dye had something to do with it. We'll never know I guess, however I did know that I didn't want to keep sending chemicals into my body when I was trying so hard to detox. For a while I let my hair grow out, because I didn't know what to do.

It was all kinds of a mess, dirty blonde roots, with blonde hair. Luckily, (I guess) this new "ombre" trend EXPLODED around that time and everyone thought I looked like that on purpose. I didn't. But I went with it while I was in a funk about what I was going to do about the ever growing two-toned mop of hair. 

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not totally vain. But I am a girl. A girl who comes from the music industry and it's engrained in me to feel good about myself. What HAS changed is that I was taking a stand to put my health first, hence the ombre do'. 

I searched, and searched, and SEARCHED for hair color that wouldn't give me cancer, hormonal disruption a rash or a third leg... and not shockingly every organic, fancy-shmancy salon within 50 miles that claims to have "healthier, safer" hair dye still carried color that was full of PPD and other harmful, harsh chemicals. They were ammonia free, but PPD is the one you have to look out for.

So, I continued my quest until I stumbled upon a review of Palette By Nature. A hair color made from minerals and I decided to give it a try. My hair stylist told me she would put it in for me, so I decided to order a box and take it to her. The first color I chose however came out a little too ashy and my hair ended up looking a little gray, fading to an odd dark bluish hue, then finally to brown. 

The smell is pleasant, fruity. Your hair will feel a little grainy until you've shampooed a few times... and if you are going to apply it yourself, its dark and will get everywhere... so I suggest using a professional stylist who will apply it for you.

I've used it three times and am pleasantly surprised. Although I miss being blonde, I like knowing that I am making a better decision for my body. And I know that when its time to start a family I can keep up with my hair while I keep the little nuggets environment safer.

Will I one day go back to blonde? I don't know. Sometimes I get the impulse to just do it. But then I take my supplements, and eat my organic salad and I go back to being content as a brunette for now, in this season of my life.

Plus, it's fall! Warmer, richer colors just work darling! ;)