Pumpkin Spice season approaches…

The yearly Culinary Thrill Seeking Pumpkin Updates begin with a mud mask. Then get a peek at plant-filled products, with a little style thrown in. Thanks readers, for indulging me here, but remember to keep indulging yourselves.  

There’s “food” in my beauty routine: Food, maybe not, but most of these have edibles thrown in. Don’t eat things mentioned here. Zionhealth’s Pumpkin Mud Mask with French Red Clay and turmeric curcumin opens the season for me. www.zionhealth.com gets you to good-smelling nourishment for use 2-3 times a week, when the pumpkin isn’t in your coffee.

OSD – Don’t eat the OSD Beauty Coconut Body Scrub… it smells so good and feels so silky you’ll be tempted. A woven exfoliating cloth makes your experience nearly “too good,” but you can handle it. You deserve it. A blueberry scub is also in the line of new vegan products from OSD, meaning Only Skin Deep. www.osdbeauty.com

Luxaderme New York – Acai berry, sea kelp, safflower, camellia japonica… pick from plant or pick where you want to nourish and restore. Sheet masks, gloves and booties for your challenged spots get deep care with a luxury feel. Natural art work puts you in the botanical mood as you relax with these treatments. They are plastic negative in that they remove two ounces of plastic from the environment for every ounce used. Very cool. www.luxaderme.com

Listen – FactorFive is for those serious about their skin care and a video at www.factorfiveskin.com fills you in on how our skin can be trained to “listen” for what it needs.

Dr. Nigma – If you believe healthy skin starts in your gut, Dr. N. could have your back, and science for your skin in the form of a resurface/hydrating cleanser. Supplements and other products are made in Switzerland. I’m resurfaced for sure and feel pretty good about it. www.healthydoc.com

Activate Yourself – And here’s something manufactured in the U.S.A.  ActivatedYou has aminos, green and citrus stuff to make your morning, day and body better. I’m trying Essential Skin Food, with 6 plant-based skin nourishing compounds. A capsule a day can support “plumpness” and encourage healthy cell-turnover. With collogen support, it’s any easy   way to feel and look better. I’m trying it, and I do. To both. www.activatedyou.com

It Works – Plantifique uses peach, avocado and strawberry to improve your feet. The less I say about this foot peel mask the better. Looks gross, feels great. I’m not alone. Read the reviews. This is trending. www.plantifique.com

Other fancy things:

And when you dine out get festive with a billowy dress that protects from the sun’s rays from Constant Sol, the softest vegan leather bag from Urban Originals and Famolare sandals for walking on waves. The Constant Sol people are using fabrics from Japan and Italy to style sun protection into dresses and cover ups that look great on models and real people. Maybe you haven’t been thinking of your skin, but we know more about protecting ourselves now. The Solana dress is pretty perfect for a day at the beach and I’ll let you see the photo my sister tried to sneak of me in the Desert Taupe color as the satiny dress billows in the wind. Urban Originals asks shoppers to choose kindness as they shop for just so many styles of vegan leather bags, backpacks, etc. Each and every one is cool and I feel I’m rocking an East West black bag that goes from crossbody to shoulder. It’s just big enough to fill with coupons and paperwork to look fashionable on errand day. It’s the Famolare shoes that are knocking me out. Remember the wavy soles from the ‘70s? They’re sooooo back and for every nostalgic fan there’s a new-to-the-shoe lover digging those wedgies and sandals. Summer Daze is flatter wavy-soled look made with a low-carbon footprint. You can get “high” like you used to with the big waves.

Get the look from www.constantsol.com; www.uobags.com; www.famolare.com

Minty Fresh – Therapeutic Grade Peppermint is the first ingredient listed in Migrastil Migraine Stick, a roll-on to pop in your purse. Spearmint, lavender and coconut oil also roll out to sooth the wearer. These area already my go-to scents and the roll could not be more convenient. I go for the temples and neck. www.migrainestick.com

Stop the Stink with Purggo. A hemp case holding bamboo charcoal will absorb odors a whole year with a main ingredient you could eat but I’m good with slicing open the sleek hemp casing to use those sustainable charcoal bits in my garden. That’s also in the video. It looks like a fancy pillow but you attach it to the back of your headrest. It’s fancy and it has been a working conversation piece in my car.

 

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who believes a little greenery can boost everything. Share your plant cuttings and eat your greens. darraghcastillo@icloud.com