Hey Stretch!

Exercise is good for you, of course. But we're not going to tell you to do it. It's a personal choice and we'll leave it at that.

However, if you're pregnant (or otherwise), we will say that stretching feels good. And yoga feels better. It's not going to give you a Hollywood Body, but it will give you the ability to walk down the block or up a flight of stairs without painful waddling (or at least not as much).

We found this video really helpful: Yoga Journal's Prenatal Yoga (put out by GAIAM, it can be found on Amazon.com). Instructor Shiva Rea, and demonstrator Poppy, are human-looking pregnant women and so are the other participants. No one in here is going to make you feel bad about yourself for not looking more lean, mean or put together... just the opposite... they make you feel like you look exactly how you should... beautifully, humanly pregnant.

And the routine is easy - again, this video is to get you more flexible - to stretch - not to sweat. If you're looking for a hardcore workout, this is not it. But if you are looking for some peaceful time, just for you, and the ability to touch your toes again, even for just a second, well - check it out.

xoxo Amalou Skin

What's Your Score?

Did you know that benzoyl peroxide scores a 7 and so does salicylic acid? Even Willow Bark scores a 7.

What is this score business you ask? It's the scoring system created by the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Database. The scoring goes from 0-10, 0 being the least hazardous, 10 being the most toxic.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a non-profit organization that specializes in environmental research in many areas of advocacy including toxic chemicals and agricultural subsidies. As stated on their website, the mission of the Environmental Working Group (EWG) is "to use the power of public information to protect public health and the environment." www.ewg.org/about

What is the Skin Deep Database you ask? The Skin Deep Cosmetics Safety Database is a safety guide to cosmetics and personal care products, created by EWG researchers. The Database looks at thousands of products and their toxicity levels (or lack thereof). It is a great consumer resource.  Research a product name or just an ingredient--to help determine whether you want to use it.    (See: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/)

When we heard rumors about benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid being unsafe to use during pregnancy, we hit the Skin Deep Database just to check it out, and that's what we found.

But what's a girl to do now that pretty much ALL of the products previously used in the arsenal to combat blemishes is now ruled out? Well, create our own of course.

And that's what we did. We created the Amalou Skin line using some star ingredients: Azelaic acid scores a 1; Tea-tree oil scores a 1, Hydrogen Peroxide scores a 3, Chamomile scores a 0.

Amalou Skin--Expecting Beautifully.

And Away We Go....

We are on this journey together..

It started during our pregnancies, when we were frustrated with feeling... well honestly, ...ugly--blemished like a teenager and just as self-conscious-- and at THE time when everyone wants to glow.

That got our curious minds churning: why aren't there more options out there in skincare (and everything else) for pregnant women --or just the woman who is generally conscious (health and otherwise)?

So we created Amalou Skin for us and for you. We hope you will join us on this road to seeking the best balance for our skin, health, minds -- four ourselves, for our families and for our lives.