December 5, 2017

The Beauty and Health Benefits of Biotin

You may have heard of biotin supplements for hair and nail growth. But does it work? And what is it anyway? This vitamin underdog is in fact a B vitamin – B7 – and is critical for other reasons lesser known but important to the body, hair growth aside. Why do we believe biotin creates silky locks? What else is it used for? Where do we find it? Read on to learn what you need to know about biotin. Medicinally, biotin is used for: ·         Treating biotin deficiency ·         Brittle nails ·         Diabetes ·         Peripheral neuropathy Biochemically in the human […]
May 2, 2017

Nontoxic Solutions for Healthy Nails

Massage, file, moisturize, paint. Who doesn’t love a good pedi? But today, even mainstream media is calling attention to the potential dangers of conventional nail products and treatments; a May 2015 New York Times article, Perfect Nails, Poisoned Workers, reported on the health issues manicurists and other salon workers had experienced, including everything from allergies to miscarriages to cancer. As a result, more people are waking up to the risks of caustic treatments and conventional products. While the chemical-based nail salon biz is still big (and many of these treatments and products that line the shelves of conventional retailers are […]
June 3, 2014

All About Biotin

Biotin is part of the B vitamin family. Like the rest of its members, it plays a key role in the body’s metabolic processes. Mainly known for the benefits it confers to nails, biotin is needed for so much more. Deficiencies may lead to many health problems and can even be deadly. Biotin has also been called vitamin H, which stands for haar and haut – German words for hair and skin – where biotin deficiency often shows itself. Biochemist Dean Burk is credited as being one of the co-discoverers of biotin in the early 1930s. Biotin Deficiencies Happen Although biotin is made in the intestinal […]
January 21, 2014

FoodTrients: A Recipe for Beauty

We all know by now that the right foods can help us maintain a healthy weight, keep our arteries unclogged, and reduce inflammation. But antioxidant-rich foods also help us to stay beautiful and keep our skin looking youthful and glowing. Hydrating, collagen-building foods help skin remain smooth and elastic and they also strengthen hair. Foods rich in carotenoids give skin a warm glow and keep the eyes healthy. Hydrating foods, like oats, rice, cucumbers, mangoes, asparagus, and strawberries, contain silica, a mineral that helps form collagen to keep skin elastic. Silica also strengthens hair and renders it less likely to […]