I now have a new favorite beauty store. Although, I am a little mad at myself for never having been there before. It has been open since November now, and it is right on University, a street I travel to almost daily. It is called Salud, and the majority of their products are organic and eco-friendly. How did Salud win me over and become my new favorite? You know how some stores with purely organic products can, although being great for the environment, be just a little...boring? Not this one! Salud mixes it up: they sell perfumes and essential oils, lotions, makeup, face masks, all types of skin care, and even clothing. Although the clothing is not made from purely organic cotton, Salud makes sure that they do not purchase any brands that may have used sweat shops or child labor in any way, said Lauren Stevenson, Salud's store manager.
One thing I thought was really fun at Salud was their "beauty bar". You sit up to the counter while a Salud specialist whips up organic clays to create your very own face mask. After the mask is mixed you must enjoy it in the "relaxation room". Since the ingredients are so fresh, the mask would dry out if you took it home, Stevenson explained. If you're tired of walking around all day in the Arizona sun (who can blame you?) have them make you an organic foot soak instead. You can pick from a variety of fresh herbs--for example, cloves are great if you want to soften your feet and eucalyptus helps the skin to breathe. Stevenson said that her favorite are the rose petals. "They don't really do anything, they just smell really good!", she said. 
I was also surprised to see that Salud carries a brand called Pangea. I have used Pangea many times for their organic skin care line, but today I found out a fun fact that I never knew. If you purchase any one of the Pangea products, they come in a box. The boxes are actually made from herbs such as basil, and if you plant the boxes in the ground, you can watch them grow into that particular herb. You can also find Pangea online, just click here.
If you are wondering why you should purchase organic versus generic besides the obvious environmental reasons, I actually have some answers for you. Much like organic versus generic brands of food, organic skin care does not contain a ton of preservatives like regular brands do. Non-organic brands use preservatives because in drug stores such as Target and Wal-mart, they want the product to last on the shelves for a long time. Also, many products that are for a specific purpose, such as sunblock, will not work after a long time without chemicals and preservatives added to them. This is why you see many organic products being carried in smaller, specialty stores. Along with preservatives, perabins may also be present in generic beauty brands, which have been linked to breast cancer, Stevenson explained.
Among the many perfume oils and essential oils Salud Carries, five are organic. The difference between the perfumes and the essential oils is that the perfumes are "synthetic", said Stevenson. In other words, they are man-made. One reason that organic body oils are typically colorless is that preservatives and chemicals are added in order to create color. Companies such as Victoria's Secret are known to have very brightly colored perfumes and body sprays, and this is because of the chemicals added, Stevenson said. Essential oils are simply taken straight from the plant and put into the bottle.
Another smell-good option is the home diffusers. Home diffusers, using essential plant oils to create the scent, have been very popular in the dorms, according to Stevens, because they make an area smell great and candles are not allowed. If you are partial to candles however, Salud carries a "soy candle". Soy candles are not made with lead (as most brands are) and they use a special strainer to burn the wick, Stevenson said. My favorite was the raspberry scent!
Last but not least, I loved the makeup station at Salud (always my favorite). Salud sells a brand called Franche which is a mineral makeup made from natural vitamins and minerals in the earth. I purchased one of the lip glosses in a great coral color that is all-natural and includes vitamin E to moisturize lips.
Hope you enjoyed reading about my new obsession. I'm sure I will be back there soon to pick up some more natural beauty products--hope to see you there too!
Amy
I was also surprised to see that Salud carries a brand called Pangea. I have used Pangea many times for their organic skin care line, but today I found out a fun fact that I never knew. If you purchase any one of the Pangea products, they come in a box. The boxes are actually made from herbs such as basil, and if you plant the boxes in the ground, you can watch them grow into that particular herb. You can also find Pangea online, just click here.
If you are wondering why you should purchase organic versus generic besides the obvious environmental reasons, I actually have some answers for you. Much like organic versus generic brands of food, organic skin care does not contain a ton of preservatives like regular brands do. Non-organic brands use preservatives because in drug stores such as Target and Wal-mart, they want the product to last on the shelves for a long time. Also, many products that are for a specific purpose, such as sunblock, will not work after a long time without chemicals and preservatives added to them. This is why you see many organic products being carried in smaller, specialty stores. Along with preservatives, perabins may also be present in generic beauty brands, which have been linked to breast cancer, Stevenson explained.
Among the many perfume oils and essential oils Salud Carries, five are organic. The difference between the perfumes and the essential oils is that the perfumes are "synthetic", said Stevenson. In other words, they are man-made. One reason that organic body oils are typically colorless is that preservatives and chemicals are added in order to create color. Companies such as Victoria's Secret are known to have very brightly colored perfumes and body sprays, and this is because of the chemicals added, Stevenson said. Essential oils are simply taken straight from the plant and put into the bottle.
Another smell-good option is the home diffusers. Home diffusers, using essential plant oils to create the scent, have been very popular in the dorms, according to Stevens, because they make an area smell great and candles are not allowed. If you are partial to candles however, Salud carries a "soy candle". Soy candles are not made with lead (as most brands are) and they use a special strainer to burn the wick, Stevenson said. My favorite was the raspberry scent!
Last but not least, I loved the makeup station at Salud (always my favorite). Salud sells a brand called Franche which is a mineral makeup made from natural vitamins and minerals in the earth. I purchased one of the lip glosses in a great coral color that is all-natural and includes vitamin E to moisturize lips.
Hope you enjoyed reading about my new obsession. I'm sure I will be back there soon to pick up some more natural beauty products--hope to see you there too!
Amy
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