Beauty, Real Talk, Wellness

If you know me you know I love to do my research – this means really digging, understanding biases, agendas, you know the drill. 

WAY back in 2009 I wrote a blog post about sunscreen. That is when I learned that not all sunscreens are created equal and wrote about the benefits of using a physical sunscreen vs. a chemical sunscreen. But now, I’ve learned that there is a lot more to the picture and a lot more to consider even buying physical sunscreens, because some are still filled with toxic chemicals. 

Almost every health and/or women’s magazine will advise you to wear daily sunscreen in an effort to protect us from skin damage and skin cancer. Until a few months ago, I followed this advice. Once I learned about the toxic chemicals in most sunscreens and humans’ need for unprotected sun every day, I now only wear sunblock (and yeah, there is a difference between sunscreen and sunblock) when I will be out in the sun in the middle of the day for an extended period of time. 

Ok, now back to sunscreen vs. sunblock. The difference is simply that a sunSCREEN will screen out the sun with chemicals. Chemical UV filters penetrate the skin, enter the bloodstream, and can wreak havoc on our bodies. 500 of the most popular sunscreens actually increase the speed at which malignant cells develop and spread skin cancer. {via} SCARY SHIT, right?! {via} SunBLOCK is a physical block, such as Zinc Oxide or Titanium Dioxide. You will need to work a little harder to blend sunblock into your skin, but it’s SO WORTH IT. 

Not only is sunscreen (the ones with toxic ingredients)  mostly just not great for you, but we actually need to be able to produce Vitman D naturally for optimal health. {via}

So what’s a girl to do? How can we protect ourselves from sun damage?

  1. Eat a nutrient-dense diet and avoid polyunsaturated fats which will help your body protect itself from disease. {via}
  2. Dress well – A hat and longer sleeves protect the body without any chemicals.
  3. Use a natural, non-toxic sunblock when you will be exposed to the sun for an extended period of time. My favorite is Juice Beauty’s Sport Sunscreen. The only ingredient is Zinc and it blends into my skin really well. No breakouts, either. I apply it anywhere and everywhere that I need it. 
  4. Use coconut oil as a backup – I just learned that coconut oil has a natural SPF of 4, and I’ve put it on my arms for early morning hikes and no burns here. 

Since most of us are working from home right now, I feel like we should make it a mission to get outside for at least 30 minutes each day and get that Vitamin D! Being in the sun also just puts me in a good mood.

Off to do some sunning…

xx, Lynn

Uncategorized

Hi! Happy Monday! Calling everyone who color treats their hair…

BECAUSE we need talk about how to maintain that gorgeous color from the second you leave the salon until your next visit.

We can throw this back to my history of brassy hair…from the time I was 13 and that fun journey went on and off until I finally GOT IT. If you’re a blonde, the struggle can be real. But even if you’re not and you’re trying to maintain darker hair, I have tips for you. There really is nothing worse than spending a lot of money on color only to have it turn orange quickly after.

So BELOW are all the details you need to know:

1.) Go to a colorist who specializes in color – and if you can get even more specific, that’s great. Like finding a colorist who specializes in blonding, or balayage, you get it. So many brassy moments can be thoroughly avoided by going to the right colorist. If you are in the Bay Are in California, I highly recommend Noelle at ash salon. She has taken me from fucked up blonde to dimensional blonde to dark brown, back to blonde again, platinum, and now BRONDE. She’s the best.

2.) WAIT at least 24 hours to wash your hair after you’ve had it colored. Professionals will tell you to wait 72 hours and from experience, this is even better. Why? It takes up to three days for the cuticle layer to fully close, which traps the color molecule, allowing for longer lasting hair color. {via}

3.) When you do wash your hair, use a high quality shampoo and conditioner. My tried and true products are from Oribe and I’ve been using the line for 10 years. Not only are the ingredients high quality, the products are all salon-grade.

My picks are:

GOLD LUST REPAIR AND RESTORE SHAMPOO

Okay…if you’re looking for the most luxurious shampoo experience, this is your shampoo! What I love is that it reinforces the inner strength of each strand and I can FEEL it.

CONDITONER FOR BRILLIANCE AND SHINE

This fortifying polishing treatment magnifies shine and unteases tangles without making hair dull in any way. 

4.) Just as face masks are crucial for your skincare routine, the same goes for color treated hair. I use Oribe’s Moisture Masque every other day (I wash my hair every day) which may seem excessive but my hair is very dry and the color doesn’t help. It’s like giving your hair a huge drink of water and once you rinse it out, your hair will feel so soft. This mask is loaded with nutritious ingredients for your hair and mine soaks it up. Hot tip: if you want to feel extra boujee, create a little spa night at home and apply the mask, put your hair up and wrap a towel around your hair, apply a face mask, light a candle, turn on your salt rock night light and drink a little red wine.

5.) Use a purple or blue shampoo if you have blonde or brunette, or anything in between the two hair color. If you look at a color wheel, you’ll notice that orange and yellow are complimentary to blue and purple. Everyone talks about purple shampoo, and yes, it can work wonders to cancel out brass but I actually like blue shampoo even more. Maybe because blue’s complimentary color is orange? It just does it for me. There are two products that I have to recommend to you:

FANOLA NO ORANGE SHAMPOO: You’ve probably heard of the no yellow shampoo, but this one is to kick orange tones and red tones. It’s incredible AND it’s cruelty free. I’ve been using this shampoo about twice a week on my Bronde hair.

IGK MIXED FEELINGS LEAVE-IN BRUNETTE TONING DROPS: I use these drops to my Oribe shampoo when my hair needs a little bit more toner – like when I feel that I just want that extra, extra boost of anti-brass. These drops instantly tone out orange and red brass, increase luster, and prevent the look of color fading in brunette hair.

Off to my own little spa night!

xx, Lynn

Real Talk

As you are reading this blog post you are getting zapped. Hate to be a Debbie Downer here…but things will look up near the end of this post! I feel that this is such an important topic to discuss because EMF exposure can hurt your health but you can take action to defend exposure. 

I had no idea what EMFs were until 6 months ago when I dove into learning about 5G. There is SO MUCH INFORMATION available to us but I am going to give you the info in a digestible way. 

So…wtf are EMFs? 

EMFs (electromagnetic radiation or frequency), simply put, are invisible lines of energy that are put out by an electrical or wireless source. They can be beneficial, harmless or extremely dangerous to humans, depending on the source, level of radiation, and duration of exposure.

Don’t be fooled by low frequencies either. Both low and high frequencies can be dangerous. Low would be classified as appliances or electricity and high would be things like radio frequency (RDR or RF) from wireless devices.

Dangers of exposure

Most EMFs are harmful to our health. We are surrounded by man-made invisible radiation every single day. Well known culprits include public wifi, Bluetooth, radio, cell phones, computers, microwaves and cell phone towers (ahem, 5G).

On a cellular level, EMFs remove ions from our cells and interfere with the metabolism within those cells. Recent studies show direct links between EMF exposure and brain cancer, MS, neurological diseases and nutritional deficiencies such as Alzheimer’s, depression, schizophrenia, MS, and more. Electrical currents from A/C power outlets) create biological currents that affect our brain and nervous systems resulting in issues such as brain fog, fatigue, and low energy. Before learning about EMFs, I thought it was weird that when the microwave was running, I could feel little zaps in my head…now I know why. Some people are more sensitive than others but I have met other people who experience this as well. I’m pleased to tell you that I haven’t used my microwave in months and encourage you to do the same.

Symptoms of overexposure include, but are not limited to:

  • Headaches
  • Fatigue
  • Sleep issues
  • Weight gain
  • Digestive disorders
  • Immune disorders
  • Anxiety
  • Adrenal fatigue
  • Depression
  • Cancer
  • Brain fog
  • ADHD 

{sources listed at the bottom of this post}

…NO THANK YOU. 

EMF exposure does not act alone when it comes to these symptoms since they are almost always in cahoots with your body having too much involvement with GMOs, pollution, pesticides, toxic tap water, low air quality and processed foods. They are a silent but evil combination.

5 Ways to Protect Yourself

Enough of the bad news…now on to how to say ‘fuck no’ to EMFs. Fortunately, there are some amazing companies out there that have been making it their mission come up with products and services to shield and protect us from EMFs. Here is a list of everything I am using and doing to shield myself – use it as a guide if you’re looking for a place to start!

  1. BE AWARE of using your phone up to your ear/head, and really anywhere up to your body. Side note: did you ever hear advice NOT to put your phone in your sports bra/pockets while exercising? I did too, and some people say it’s a myth that the radiation causes issues, some don’t…however current science points to the fact that it DOES negatively affect our health. Always use airplane mode when you can and do not sleep next to your phone. You can hear your alarm from the kitchen – I promise! Take it from the gal who slept with her phone 2 feet away for years. Be mindful when you’re talking on the phone, too. Use headphones or put your phone on speaker instead of holding it to your head.
  2. Turn your wi-fi off at night. You can even put an outlet timer on and have it go off automatically.
  3. Make sure that you do not have a smart meter near your home. It’s actually illegal.
  4. Use a shield when using your laptop. I have been using the laptop shield from Defendershield for two months and absolutely love it. It’s comfortable to use on my lap and I don’t have to worry as much about nasty radiation near my lady parts.
  5. Use a phone case that shields EMFs and/or use a bag that defends you while your phone is inside. I’ve been wearing this fanny pack – yeah I said FANNY PACK (!!) while hiking and it’s so comfortable. No more sticking my phone in my pocket.
  6. Wear blue light blocking glasses while you’re working, at your computer, or using your phone. This pair has daytime and night-time lenses in 1. I use the yellow tint during the day and snap on the orange tinted lenses at night if I am laying in bed on my phone – ya know you do it too!

If you want to pick up any Defendershield products, they are offering All Gussied Up readers 20% off your order with code LYNN20.

Sources:

Real Talk, Wellness

I started following Brittany on Instagram a long time ago and was instantly drawn to her because she offers such tangible tricks and tips to live your best life – something I stand for and you know that if you’ve been following along here. Brittany is Nutritionist, biohacker, and podcaster. She helps her clients optimize their hormones, gut, and skin.

So I was very excited that she agreed to come on the All Gussied Up podcast to discuss it all from skin to the benefits of sunning to cold baths for your face and body.

In the episode, you’ll learn how she got into nutrition and biohacking, what the top biohacks are for optimal health, and she recommends a sunscreen that is a new favorite of mine.

With that, I invite you to listen to our conversation HERE.

♡♡♡

Wellness

Wow wow wow…LIGHT is such a huge topic…especially for me recently. It all started when I listened to Matt Blackburn’s podcast episode about the changes he would make if he had cancer (edit to read: HOW TO NOT GET CANCER) <– but we know of the censorship that goes on. Zipping my lips on that now.

Anyway, in Matt’s podcast episode he spent quite awhile discussing light and how it affects our cells, our eyesight, and our circadian rhythm. Much of the information I had no idea about, such as how bad most LED lights are for humans (and animals, too), and how red light can benefit everyone. I will be writing a whole blog post on light another time, but today we are focusing in on red light.

So let’s break it down and get into specifics.

What is red light therapy?

Red light therapy is also known as RLT, photobiomodulation (PBM), low level light therapy (LLLT), biostimulation, and photonic stimulation or light box therapy.

Red light therapy uses specific wavelengths of light to accomplish various outcomes.

Studies have shown that different wavelengths affect the body in different ways, and the most effective wavelengths of red light seem to be between 650-850 nm.

How Does Red Light Therapy Work?

These specific wavelengths of red light create a biochemical affect in our cells that serves to increase mitochondrial function. This improves ATP (adenosine triphosphate) production in the body.

Why should that matter?

ATP is the source of energy for every cell in the body. Without it, we don’t function at all. Without enough of it, we don’t function well.

When your red light(s’s wavelengths range is between 650-850, the light penetrates about 8-10 millimeters into the skin which can positively affect all skin layers, blood vessels, lymphs, and hair follicles. {via}

The History of red light therapy

Red light therapy is not new, but it wasn’t really talked about in the US for a long time. In 1903, a Nobel Prize of Medicine was given to a scientist by the name of Niels Finsen for the use of light therapy; once known as photo therapy. Research progressed and by the 1960s photo therapy – was being used primarily in Eastern Europe for treatment of chronic pain, arthritis and associated conditions, joint rehabilitation, and soft-tissue injury along with other medical ailments. During this same time this therapy was being used in a small sector of the United States by equestrian practices for animals with joint and soft tissue injury. When I was researching the history of red light therapy, I saw that there are many studies done in Russian that have not been translated to English and aren’t really shared in the US.

The benefits of red light therapy

These are all evidence-based benefits:

♡ Beneficial for skin to reduce eczema, rosacea, and acne

♡ Stimulates slow healing wounds.

♡ Helps fade scars and stretch marks.

♡ Can prevent recurring cold sores, or herpes simplex.

♡ Red light activates the lymphatic system for potentially improved detoxification.

♡ It helps to repair sun damage.

♡ Helps with sleep.

Personally I have noticed that I am getting WAY better sleep and I feel more energized in the morning using red light bulbs. The only lights in our bedroom are red, so if the lights are on, they are red and we only use them at night and just allow the natural sunlight to provide light during the day.

I also feel so much more relaxed at night. Red light is so much less jarring than bright lights and I really noticed the contrast when I went in to another room after being in red light flooded bedroom. It was a JOLT, let me tell you. Since then, we have replaced all light bulbs to either red or yellow. More on that when I share more about light in general.

Where to get red lights

Red light therapy usually refers to using a panel of red light, although you can purchase red light bulbs that will provide many of the same benefits as using a panel.

There are many options for an at home red light therapy device (panel) but after doing quite a bit of research, GembaRed is superior.

If you’re looking to purchase red light bulbs, avoid LED lights and go for A19 bulbs. Unfortunately home improvement stores such as Home Depot and Lowes don’t always carry this kind of light bulb but you can find them on lightbulbs.com which is where I purchase all of our bulbs. Here are the ones that we use in the bedroom. No dirty electricity/EMFs from these lights.

Have you used red light therapy? What are your thoughts?

xo, Lynn

More sources:

  1. A Controlled Trial to Determine the Efficacy of Red and Near-Infrared Light Treatment in Patient Satisfaction, Reduction of Fine Lines, Wrinkles, Skin Roughness, and Intradermal Collagen Density Increase
  2. Red Light and the Sleep Quality and Endurance