Wild Wind Soap Company believes one of life's simple luxuries is bathing with a soothing bar of natural soap. That's why all of their products are free of synthetic fragrances and preservatives.

The company offers a line of bath and body products that are deeply scented (naturally of course) and provide specific purposes such as moisturizing or exfoliating. The collection of bar soaps include Honey Oats & Almond, Lavender, Patchouli & Walnut and Prairie Mint, all of which contain essential oils. A liquid soap is also available that will not dry out skin as some products that contain harsh chemicals might do. Spa and body treats feature an olive oil lotion and a face cleanser, as well as Shea Butter Cream. The lip balms provide moisture with ingredients such as sweet almond oil, cocoa butter and aloe oil. There are also sample packs and gift sets which make the perfect present for someone special, including yourself!

As part of their ongoing efforts to be eco and socially responsible, Wild Wind Soap Company wastes as little as possible by re-using all boxes and packaging materials. Company print materials use 100 percent recycled, post-consumer waste paper and the soap wrappers are made of recycled paper and free of chlorine, acid and lignin. The products are never tested on animals and are biodegradable.

Visit the Wild Wind website to begin shopping for natural products that will leave you feeling clean and green!

» Wild Wind Soap Company

The debate is still raging about the amount of sun exposure that is safe and healthy for your skin, though the general consensus from health professionals seems to be that any exposure to the sun requires sunscreen (hence the everyday facial moisturizers and foundations that now contain varying levels of SPF).

You always want to be especially careful if you'll be outdoors for a significant amount of time, such as when you're on the golf course. There's nothing worse than having to applying ice packs and aloe to severely sunburned skin, which will often still blister or peel. You may think you're covered up enough in a golf shirt, shorts and a hat, but Mr. Pinky Bean has made that mistake several times in the past, only to return home with a lobster-red face and legs, bemoaning the resulting pain and dehydration. 

While most people probably don't think they need a tutorial to apply sunscreen, it's amazing how many places you may accidentally forget, such as the back of your legs (which can make crouching to see how your ball lines up with the hole extremely painful). Watch and learn so you don't have to learn that painful lesson.

Try Alba Organic Lavender Sunscreen SPF 30, available at major retailers. Ingredients such as organic lavender, aloe vera, chammomile, ginko biloba and green tea protect even sensitive skin. It's also water-resistant, protecting you even as you sweat while swinging in the sun, and may even offer you some protection from pesky mosquitos, as lavender naturally repels bus.

» Video Jug

Let's face it, depending where you live, the winter can be painfully long and dreary. The sky is usually just starting to lighten when you arrive at work and by the time you leave, it's pitch-black, or pretty darn close at the least. The lack of sunlight is attributed to many problems, most completely depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), however there is so much in the news about the harmful effect the sun can have on your skin, that people are starting to develop "sun phobia," which is especially problematic now that the days are (finally!) getting longer.

The fact is, humans needs some exposure to the sun. It is an important source of vitamin D, which helps fight diseases such as cancer. Exposure to sun that contains UVB for fifteen minutes is significant enough to stimulate vitamin D synthesis. And though the exact cause of SAD is disputed, exposure to the sun (or other bright lights that mimic it) is known to boost the mood and help fight depression.

That being said, exposure to the sun needs to be controlled and safe. Tanning beds mostly have UVA and little to no UVB, which means the only thing you'll likely gain from them is premature wrinkles, or in a worst-case scenario, skin cancer. All exposure to the sun warrants protection by the way of SPF, the level of which required is determined by how long you'll spend in the sun and how sensitive your skin in. Many people end up with a nasty sunburn because they wrongly assume a high SPF level in sunscreen will protect them all day and do not re-apply. Sunscreens should always be re-applied according to bottle instructions and for any prolonged time spent in water.

So don't hide from the sun, especially now that you have long, gorgeous days to enjoy the warmth. At a minimum, 10 to 15 minutes per day is recommended to get the vitamin D benefits. Just make sure to put on that sunscreen (use a facial moisturizer in the morning that contains SPF), wear a hat and take any other necessary protection to prevent a burn.

» Scotsman.com

Scientists have rained on the parade of health nuts everywhere by announcing that the old wive's tale saying eight glasses of water a day is better for your health may be just one big old myth. In fact, researchers say they don't even know where the rumor originated.

On the contrary, the review published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, indicates that no one study has conclusively proven that the average healthy human needs to down this much water every day. Reserch has not postively indicated that increased amounts of water benefit organs or curbs the appetite, thus assisting in keeping off excess weight. There is also no data to prove that dehydration can lead to headaches. The researchers say a lack of water can lead to stiffness of the skin, but no evidence has confirmed it will improve skin tone, another popular notion attributed to high water consumption.

Don't toss your (reusable) water bottle yet though; there is still evidence that people in warm, dry climates and athletes may need more water than the average person. According to evidence, salt and urea are also cleared from the body more easily by drinking water.

Dr. Dan Negoianu and Dr. Stanley Goldfarb are the researchers from the Renal, Electrolyte and Hyptertension Division at the University of Pennsylvania who made these conclusions, based on several studies conducted over an extended period of time. They don't say that drinking the typically-recommended eight glasses of water is definitely without benefits, but explain, "There is simply a lack of evidence in general."

So really what the doctors are saying is that drinking a lot of water might still be really good for you or it may provide no real benefits your health, but it could go either way. With recent reports that the U.S. water supply is contaminated with pharmaceuticals, the discovery that eight glasses of water per day may not be necessary might be like Christmas come early for concerned Americans.

» Telegraph

In the spirit of finding non-conventional uses for baking soda, I found this skin care tip from Amy Fontinelle, the writer of Two Pennies Earned. Apparently you can create an inexpensive concoction of baking soda and Cetaphil to exfoliate your face that won't irritate dry, flaky skin during these cold months. Read on for Amy's advice.

Exfoliating your face occasionally will help prevent breakouts and remove the unsightly flaking that can plague skin during dry winter weather. Instead of paying extra money for a facial exfoliant that is probably too harsh for the delicate skin on your face (despite what the manufacturer would have you believe), just add a little bit of baking soda to some Cetaphil (an excellent mild face wash that I use twice a day), mix with your fingertips, massage in circles all over your face, and rinse. For a gentler exfoliant, simply use more Cetaphil and less baking soda in your mixture. If you already use Cetaphil (you should!) and you already have baking soda in your home, using this recipe is like getting a beauty product for free and will save you $3 - $30, depending on how much you typically spend on facial cleansers. And if you don't normally buy exfoliating products, now you have a new skin solution you can try risk-free.

(If you don't already use Cetaphil, you can get a large 16 ounce bottle for about $9 at Target. You can decrease the cost by buying a smaller bottle (although that will cost you more per ounce) or buying a store brand, which in my experience is just as good.)

After taking Jolie in NYC's advice, I recently starting using Cetaphil myself during my nightly skincare routine and love how moisturizing it is, especially given that I'm one of the unlucky ones prone to start looking like a scaly amphibian around this time of year if I'm not using a decent product. I'm eager to see how this works, so I can potentially toss the harsh product I'm currently using and get multi-uses out of my cleanser and the box of baking soda currently sitting on my pantry shelf. Is there anything aside from triple bypass surgery that baking soda can't do?

» Two Pennies Earned

I’m admittedly somewhat of a beauty junkie. A peek underneath my bathroom sink attests to this obsession: Cosmetics, cleansers, almost every body or facial moisturizer known to mankind and a literal arsenal of hair products - you name it, you’ll find it. There are few products I won’t try at least once, which has led to this small community that has cropped up where normal people stock towels and extra toilet paper.

A couple of years ago, I attended a conference where every attendee happened to be female. Knowing their audience, the organizers supplied gift bags filled with products from Lush Life. The first time I tried the Smitten hand lotion it lived up to its name and a new love affair began. I will forewarn you that walking into a Lush store can be an overwhelming experience until your nose adjusts as the combination of multiple scents is powerful.

Lush specializes in handmade products that contain natural, organic ingredients.  All of the products are vegetarian and over half are vegan and/or preservative free. The best part is, you can find specialty products in almost every major personal hygiene category:  soap, shower gel, body and facial cleansers and moisturizers, and haircare for almost any conundrum you experience during your daily regimen. Whether it be dry skin, fine hair or overworked feet, you will likely discover a product catered to your unique needs here.

Almost everything you find at Lush is unisex, which means there are great Christmas gift ideas for everyone. From Aunt Sally -  who swears she’ll be sticking to “just cards” this year, but who you know will show up with a brightly wrapped gift that is meant to bring joy, but instead produces panic and guilt – to that inarticulate spouse who mumbled something that sounded like “mphmph” when you inquired as to what was on their wish list this year.

» Lush (Official Site)