Newport Beach

Spent the weekend in Newport Beach with Joe and Leo and we stayed at the Island Hotel. What I love about Newport Beach is that most stores and boutiques on Fashion Island are dog friendly so I could take Leo shopping. 

Stopped by Anthropologie and discovered that they carry some of my favorite organic makeup brands like Ilia and RMS beauty, so I decided to add a new product to my makeup bag, the Ilia tinted moisturizer. I really like this product, it doesn't give as full of a coverage as a foundation but if you want a moisturizer that revitalizes and hydrates the skin while giving a bit of color to your face, this is the perfect fit. It also has SPF 20 so it's great for hot summer days!

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DIY healthy dog treats

Most of us know that sugar and garlic is bad for dogs and it surprises me how so many store bought dog treats contain those exact ingredients, and let's not forget about all the other additives they put in there to make the treats "tastier" and cheaper to produce. Even though there are natural and organic options, they are usually more expensive, so I decided to make my own! It's actually really simple and Leo loved them!

Here's the recipe:

1 cup oat flour 

1 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup grated cheddar cheese (I used a mix of cheddar and mozzarella)

1/3 teaspoon turmeric powder (for color but also for health benefits*)

1 egg

1/2 - 1 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together except for the water. Add the water little by little until it becomes a dough. Roll out the dough and use cookie cutters to cut out the treats or form them with your hands like i did (I do not own a cookie cutter). Line a pan with baking paper or just smear some coconut oil on the pan so that the cookies don't stick. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes and then let them cool down. 

You can store them in Ziploc bags in the fridge for a couple of days or freeze them!

*Turmeric side note: Turmeric is a powerful antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory effects, which is very beneficial for senior dogs with arthritis and joint pain. Research has also shown that turmeric can lower bad cholesterol levels and support heart and liver health.

Turmeric also has a detox-effect on the liver and helps to boost the livers ability to get rid of toxins from the body. Last but not least, turmeric has anti-cancer properties!!! 

Click here if you want to read more about turmeric and it's health benefits for your dog.

Best friend pampering

Even our four legged furry friends need some chemical free pampering. Since dogs have a different Ph level than us humans, we can't use the same shampoo on them as we use for ourselves. You might think that the gentle organic shampoo you use to clean your hair would work great on your puppy too but the truth is; using a human shampoo on a dog can cause a rash, skin irritation, dull hair and flaky, itchy skin. 

I have tried a lot of different pet grooming brands and I have finally found the perfect match for my spoiled Pomeranian, Leo. I actually find this shampoo, Doggie Sudz by Austin Rose Inc, to be even better than the normal chemical filled pet shampoos. It doesn't smell a lot, it's vegan certified and is gentle enough to be used as often as you need. All i need to clean Leo's fur is a small teaspoon of shampoo and since he has long and fluffy fur that easily tangles, the fact that this shampoo conditions as well is a great time saver and leaves his fur beautiful, shiny and soft. 

... And how cute is the bottle?!?

Essential Oils and Sun Sensitivity

Essential oils are used in a lot of natural products, not only for health benefits but also as natural fragrances, however there are a few oils you have to be careful with wearing out during summer time. I recently got a request from a friend to write about essential oils and the way they react in sunshine. The reason behind the request was that after using a natural body lotion containing essential oils she noticed white spots and burns on her legs.
You might think that using a natural beauty product is safe especially since some oils, like lavender and chamomile, are known to ease sunburn, but there are in fact some oils that do the exact opposite. 

Even though essential oils are natural some of them contain components that are highly phototoxic. Phototoxicity basically means that they are sensitive to sunlight and absorb the UV rays more intensely and therefore can cause serious burns or spots in the pigmentation.

As you can see, most of the essential oils extracted from citrus fruits are phototoxic and the Bergamot is the most well known. Bergamot contains bergaptene which is a chemical able to absorb ultraviolet light, however there are bergaptene-free oils which are safe to use in the sun, just make sure the product you are using is listed bergaptene-free on the bottle.