In Cabo San Lucas, the Esperanza Resort’s new Tequila Soother organic body treatment ($335 for 120 minutes with tequila tasting) begins with a salt and lime body exfoliation that makes me want to do body shots. Prepped by Exec Chef Gonzalo Cerda, he marinates citrus with pure local sea salts. Your journey continues with an aloe vera and honey mask (with mashed mint leaves) followed by a tequila agave body wrap, then onto a lusciously light yogurt-based facial and oat mask. Your therapist removes organic ingredients with 100% all-natural cantaloupe and cucumber juices to enhance skin tone.

After a full body rubdown with agave-enriched massage oil, head to the outdoor relaxation lounge for that signature cocktail made with white tequila, grapefruit and fresh lime juice. If you can lift your relaxed noggin afterwards, Chef Cerda leads complimentary vegetarian cooking classes at The Spa. www.Esperanza.com

“Like” Esperanza Resort on Facebook for a chance to win a three-night stay! Click here to enter.

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Sprawled 1,000 feet above Jackson Hole, Wyoming, surrounded by Teton Mountain views and lush wildflower fields, the Spring Creek Ranch resort provides luxury with a sense of place. Comfortable accommodations, gourmet dining and attentive service are sprinkled with cowboy charm and local flavor, down to the wood-burning fireplaces and Cowboy Coffee in every room. At the cozy Wilderness Adventure Spa, locally harvested pine, evergreen and juniper are used in treatments and arnica is available for sore post-skiing or horseback-riding muscles. For a truly memorable experience, have your massage in the teepee just outside the spa building. As instrumental music echoes around the conical space, candlelight flickers off the soft walls and mountain air wafts in through the flap door, you’ll be transported into a state of deep relaxation—while never forgetting you’re in the Wild West. springcreekranch.com

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We can all use a little help to ease the transition into spring and slough off our winter beauty baggage. “Spring is the season of renewal, when we look to rid ourselves of dry winter skin and prepare for summer,” says Libby Staples, executive spa director for the Omni Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. Here are some of our top picks for your spring beauty re-boot!

BACNE BUSTER

Suki Exfoliate Foaming Body Cleanser  $34.95; sukiskincare.com 

A whiff of heady lemongrass essential oil will take you on an olfactory journey to Thailand. Lemongrass, an antibacterial and antimicrobial, also helps decongest pores, clears up breakouts, and softens elbows and knees.

POST-WAXING WONDER

Dr. Alkaitis Organic Soothing Gel $60; alkaitis.com

Anti-inflammatory and antibacterial, this go-to gel soothes irritated, itchy, rashy skin. It’s great after waxing or shaving; removes the itch from insect bites; and takes down blemishes virtually overnight.

FRIZZ FREE

Acure Organics Leave-In Conditioner Argan Oil + Argan Stem Cell $9.99; acureorganics.com 

When the weather warms up, or you’re traveling through time zones, even straight hair can frizz. A spray of this weightless, argan-enriched, leave-in conditioner once a day keeps hair full of body without frizz.

LUBRICIOUS LIPS

Bite Beauty Superfruit Butter $18; sephora.com 

A pretty little pot of organic plant butters and oils–shea, jojoba–with a dollop of superfruits such as pomegranate and blueberry keeps lips looking good. No smell, no color, just the idea that whatever you put on your lips should be good enough to eat.

SKIN SOOTHER

Shir-Organic Pure Green Tea Toner $28; shiraesthetics.com

Few ingredients calm blemish-prone skin and take down inflammation like green tea. This new antioxidant toner removes sweat and surface oil, soothes dehydrated skin, and leaves your face feeling 100 percent refreshed!

JUICY SKIN

Naturopathica Sicilian Bergamot Body Lotion $26; naturopathica.com 

Lightweight and loaded with nourishing aloe to bind in moisture while channeling the Sicilian countryside with its fragrant blend of Italian bergamot and clementine.

GLOW GETTER 

True Natural All Natural Self Tanner $17.99; lovetruenatural.com 

Jump-start your tan with the first USDA 100 Percent Certified Bio-based self-tanner on the market. Ingredients from fruit and vegetable sugars work with amino acids in your skin for natural color.

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Years of searching for natural beauty products with less-than-luxurious results led Spirit Demerson to take matters into her own hands. Longing for a virtual “candy store” of environmentally friendly beauty products in which quality wasn’t sacrificed for ingredients, she used her passion and self-taught expertise to pioneer Spirit Beauty Lounge, the industry’s leading online natural beauty boutique. With a strict criterion used to evaluate every item on the site, Demerson does the dirty work to find the purest products so you don’t have to.

How did your childhood influence your passion for natural and organic beauty? 

I feel lucky that I was raised with a reverence for everything natural. My Bay Area upbringing was very humanitarian, environmentalist and holistic. We were definitely the only kids in our neighborhood drinking chlorella smoothies and doing yoga every morning before school! My dad would make mud masks with bentonite clay and apple cider vinegar that I still use to this day. He’d show me how to use fresh watermelon rind as a toner or make a hair and scalp treatment with coconut oil. I was programmed to be eco, but not chic. That was something I had to bring together on my own. Once I got hold of my first fashion magazine at age nine, I was fascinated by image and glamour. I had to reconcile my lifestyle of natural wellness and sustainability with my love of luxury, beauty and fashion, and it has taken many years for me to finally bring that into balance.

You went from beauty school dropout to organic beauty expert turned entrepreneur. How did you get to where you are and what motivated you to do so?

Beauty itself has been a lifelong muse. I realized while in cosmetology school that it wasn’t giving services and treatments that I loved, it was the products. I went on to spend countless hours searching the world for products that were just as beautiful inside as they were outside – with clean, pure ingredients, high performance efficacy and glamorous packaging. I even spent a few years hand-formulating my own lotions, soaps and fragrances when I couldn’t find exactly what I wanted. There wasn’t one place where you could shop in a luxury environment for products that were as clean and green as they were beautiful, so I created one.

Unfortunately, shopping for truly “clean and green” products can be a struggle. Why is it so hard for consumers to know if a product is authentic? 

When it comes to everyday chemicals, such as those used in cosmetics, there’s a lack of data, research, regulation, agreement, enforcement and funding for any of the above. I’ve always been skeptical of claims that a cream can “erase dark circles” or “get rid of cellulite”, and now we have to take “natural” and “organic” claims and labels with the same grain of salt. This is why I prefer to buy only from companies I trust and believe in, even if there are less authentically clean and green companies making just as clean and green products.

What are some of the biggest challenges you face on a day-to-day basis?

There’s a lot of pressure that comes with being not just a beauty store, but a trusted resource. There are ups and downs with the “thin line” ingredients – the ones that stand between being perceived as safe or unsafe, natural or synthetic. I have to take all of the information available and make tough editing decisions from the heart and the head, which not everyone will agree with, and accept those differences, while knowing that a lot of women have put their trust in me.

You were previously in the modeling industry. How did style and fashion influence your beauty repertoire?

All those years working in fashion gave me a strong sense of the importance of presentation. I’m drawn to product packaging that photographs well and think of the site more like an art director than a web designer. Sadly, I’m often sent products with ingredients that pass the test, and packaging that does not. I think that, person or product, the exterior should be a reflection of the goodness inside, not just an afterthought.

What makes your job – and working in this industry – truly worthwhile?

Sometimes I feel out of balance – devoting so much of my life to an industry that’s all about the external, the superficial. Then I get that message from a woman in a town I’ve never heard of, saying “thank you” for bringing so many safer, more natural products together—ones that she couldn’t buy anywhere within a 100-mile radius—and making shopping responsibly and healthfully a treat instead of a headache. It’s all I need to keep going.

Six for Spring

Must-have products, from spiritbeautylounge.com, to give you a jump into spring.

	Kjaer Weis Cream Blush My spring/summer must-have! The right color cream blush takes five years off your face and adds an aura of wellness. $54
	Vivesana Solar to Polar Ultra This SPF 40 is the highest all-natural and organic SPF you can find and works gorgeously as a makeup primer and face moisturizer. $29
	Soapwalla Kitchen Deodorant Cream Over the years I must have tried 45 natural deodorants that didn’t work. Then one day there was Soapwalla, and now there’s no turning back. I won’t go anywhere without it. $12
	Tata Harper Hydrating Floral Essence I use this as a cleanser, toner, moisturizer or anytime-refresher as needed. It’s spring in a bottle! $65
	Vered Organic Botanicals Signature Scent Body Oil This body oil cured my winter-dry calves so that I can wear shorts and skirts, and it leaves me smelling subtly, not overwhelmingly, sexy. $90
	RMS Beauty Living Luminizer Why shouldn’t I have that “springtime glow” even when I’ve been sitting at a desk all day? $38

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The 1940s ranch house was small, dark and dated. Perched on a bluff running along Lake Austin’s southern shore and just a stone’s throw from downtown Austin, its location was sublime. Fred and Jodi Zipp bought the view.

When the Zipps’ architect, Dick Clark, visited the site and climbed to the home’s rooftop, he discovered completely untapped skyline vistas. “We just needed to go up another level,” Clark says. The small house came down to make way for a 5,000-square-foot two-story concrete and stucco home for the Zipps and their three children. And because it’s in Austin, home of the nation’s first green building program and a hot spot for environmentally friendly building, the house has serious green credentials.

Saving energy and money on utility bills was the Zipps’ main priority. “These guys didn’t care that much about a plaque on the wall,” Clark says. “They just wanted efficiency.” And he gave it to them.

A 3-kilowatt solar array on the flat roof provides enough power for the house plus a little extra to feed back into Austin’s energy grid. With incentives and tax rebates, the Zipps were able to install their solar system for about a third of the retail cost, and they paid back that investment in decreased energy bills within five years.

With vast expanses of two-story glass capturing city views, the Zipps’ home could easily have been an energy disaster. To prevent the home from overheating, Clark included wide overhangs to shield the most intense summer sun and low-e glass that blocks rays. In spring and fall, the home’s natural ventilation system makes the most of fresh, cool breezes from the river below. Miele efficient appliances and an on-demand water heater also help keep energy use low.

Along with the solar panels, the home’s flat roof holds a rainwater collection system that gathers and stores enough water for landscaping. “Water collection is so easy—it’s a no brainer,” Clark says, “especially when you have a flat roof.”

Clark’s minimalist design, with simple massing and materials, reflects the Zipps’ lifestyle while providing ample space for entertaining and socializing. A glass-enclosed living area and large sliding doors connect the living area to a deck and negative-edge pool in front, where the skyline views are sublime.

“One of the cool things about this house is that the pool is in the front,” Clark says. “The entire dining room can open onto the pool deck, so you can easily have a dinner party for 40 people. The Zipps liked to wave to friends as they were coming home and have a glass of wine on the deck while the kids played in the pool. ”

The open floor plan allows for visual connections between the living room, dining room and kitchen on the main floor, and a floating bookcase separates the public entry hall from a bedroom wing. A vent-free Ecosmart Fireplace anchors the room without touching the ceiling, adding to the sense of spaciousness.

The top floor houses the office and master bedroom suite, which opens up to the two-story living space below and can be closed off for privacy with pocket doors. “The best views in the house are up there,” Clark says. And that’s saying something.

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Introducing DO Naturals, the newest line of the Dolphin Family, and our first Mineral Sunscreen! With active ingredients Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide, we couldn’t make it at least 70% organic, but  we sure could make it 100% natural! Protect your family from sun damage with our all-natural mineral sunscreen. Like our original Dolphin Organics™ line, our sunscreen is based in certified organic  aloe, not water.  Arriving in May, just in time for summer vacation, pre-order your sunscreen today. Tested to SPF 32 by AMA our sunscreen is manufactured in the USA in a FDA approved facility.  The  sunscreen comes in a 3.0 fl oz bottle, and available for only $19.99.

Visit www.dolphinorganics.com to order now, and don’t forget to check out all of our other products and gifts for your family and  friends as well!

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Even though men’s skin is thicker and tends to be oilier, “sunscreens provide comparable protection for men and women if applied properly,” says Steven Q. Wang, M.D., director of dermatological surgery and dermatology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Basking Ridge, NJ, and author of Beating Melanoma: A Five-Step Survival Guide. 

That’s a big “if,” especially with men, and here’s why: According to Dr. Wang, “Men do not heed the warnings from medical professionals, and they are less compliant in applying sunscreens or wearing protective clothing.” When we do use sunscreen, most of us only apply 25 to 50 percent of the recommended amount, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. It’s important to use the equivalent of one to two ounces, or a shot glass full. (If you use SPF 30 but don’t apply enough, you actually get the effects of an SPF 10.) Don’t forget the ears, the back of the neck and the tops of your feet. Reapply every two hours at the beach, after you get out of the water, or if you are sweating.

Not applying sunscreen properly, if at all, may help explain why men have a higher rate of skin cancer than women. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, approximately 39,000 new melanoma cases occur in men each year in the United States, compared with 29,000 in women. Men also have higher rates of basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, the less serious forms of skin cancer, than women do.

This summer the FDA is putting into place new rules that will force sunscreen manufacturers to provide clearer labeling that helps consumers cut through confusion to get the protection they need. For example, to claim “broad-spectrum” protection, sunscreens must now protect against both UVA and UVB rays. For broad-spectrum, look for zinc oxide or titanium dioxide listed as active ingredients. Steer clear of octinoxate, oxybenzone, homosalate and octisalate. The first three are potential hormone disruptors–oxybenzone can lower testosterone levels and cause allergic reactions–and octisalate has been linked to dry, itchy skin. “Waterproof” and “sweatproof” claims are now banned because they are misleading and untrue. And only sunscreens with SPF 15 or higher can claim to prevent sunburn and reduce the risks of skin cancer and premature aging.

Here are our suggestions for great green sunscreens that any man will love:

	John Masters Suncare SPF 30 Natural Mineral Sunscreen $32, johnmasters.comZinc oxide and titanium dioxide are the active ingredients, and the rich organic aloe and shea butter soothe the skin.Bonus point: We love the handsome brown bottle.
	Block Island Organics Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30+ $34, blockislandorganics.comThis offers mineral-based protection, moisturizing coconut oil and a bracing whiffof grapefruit.Bonus point: Packaging is 100% biodegradable.
	Lavanila SPF 30 Body Cream $38, lavanila.comDespite a high percentage of zinc oxide protection (20 percent) this leaves no pasty-whitish cast to the skin. An antioxidant infusion of green tea extract and shea butter protect and moisturize.Bonus point: A subtly astringent cool scent from the cucumber extract.

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High in the Himalayan desert regions of India and Tibet, sea buckthorn, a thorny shrub dense with bright and bitter orange berries, grows wild like a weed. Scrappy and hard to harvest, sea buckthorn is the new “it” plant, the latest superfruit and age-defying elixir that also happens to come from the land of Shangri-La.

Under the radar until recently, the oil extracted from the luscious little berry is not only found in supplements, it’s cropping up in soaps and shampoos, moisturizers, serums, face and body oils, too. “Sea buckthorn helps with dryness, aging, and sun damage,” says Kristine Kehely, co-founder of Vapour Organic Beauty, whose new face oil, Vapour Essence Restorative Night Treatment, is a tell-tale orange color. “It’s kind of a miracle plant.”

The botanical name is Hippophae rhamnoides, which means “shining horses” in Greek. The ancient Greeks found that feeding sea buckthorn to their horses made the horses’ coats glossy. Through the centuries, Tibetan healers have used it to soothe inflammation and also noticed the remarkable effects on skin and hair—so remarkable that sea buckthorn is considered a holy fruit in the Himalayas. (Sibu, a leading sea buckthorn supplement and skincare brand, has a free-trade agreement with the Tibetan government, along with the Dalai Lama’s blessings.)

Almost 90 percent of the world’s sea buckthorn forests are found in Tibet, where the high altitude, dry heat, severe cold, and hardscrabble soil combine to produce a fruit rich in antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E; fatty acids, flavonoids, and carotenes; and skin-fortifying minerals such as selenium, zinc, copper, and sulfur.

Sea buckthorn is considered a miracle fruit because it yields the highest natural concentrations of omega 7s available and is rich in omega 3s and 6s, essential fatty acids that the body cannot produce on its own. Omega 3s and 6s, which improve circulation and decrease inflammation, protect against sun damage, improve eczema and psoriasis, encourage collagen and elastin production and new cell growth, must be obtained through a diet rich in seeds, nuts, green leafy vegetables, salmon, raw cold-pressed vegetable oils—or supplements. Unlike omegas 3 and 6, omega 7 (palmitoleic acid), the new omega on the block, is not an essential fatty acid and therefore our bodies do synthesize it, says Sibu Beauty president Peter McMullin. “However, because of our modern-day diets we don’t get enough of the components to make omega 7 naturally,” he says. “Additionally, with aging, the production of omega 7 begins to decrease and the need for it in our bodies increases.”

Clinical studies have shown that omega 7, taken internally and applied topically, is an elixir for the skin: It soothes eczema and helps clear up acne; stimulates collagen, keeps skin firm, aids in elasticity; strengthens hair and nails; and promotes tissue regeneration. It also benefits cardiovascular, liver, and brain function and improves the metabolism. (The Mayo Clinic is studying how sea buckthorn reacts on fatty acid metabolism.) The oil moistens and strengthens the lining of the intestines and has been shown to coat the gastrointestinal system to prevent and heal ulcers. Dr. Mehmet Oz touts the benefits of 500 mg sea buckthorn soft gels as a daily supplement to relieve constipation and maintain healthy bowels.

Raw sea buckthorn juice will soon be on the menu in Dr. Andrew Weil’s True Food kitchens, which feature dishes in sync with Weill’s anti-inflammatory diet. Sea buckthorn tea is on the way. Even sea-buckthorn infused chocolate is hitting the shelves. If that isn’t “it” status, what is?

Where can you find it?

Sibu Beauty Sea Buckthorn Age Defying Eye Cream $24.95/.5 ounces, sibubeauty.com

Firms and plumps the delicate undereye area with nourishing pumpkin seed and sea buckthorn oil. The entire Sibu line of skincare, supplements, and food—including chocolates—is built on sea buckthorn.

Naked Organix Sea Buckthorn Body Butter $14.95 /4 ounces, organixsouth.com 

Wild-crafted sea buckthorn, coconut oil, shea butter and cocoa seed butter moisturize and nourish skin.

Vapour Organic Beauty Essence Restorative Night Treatment $90/.94 ounces, vapourbeauty.com

A neatly absorbent skin-plumping face oil formulated with sea buckthorn oil, along with pomegranate, camellia and evening primrose.

Hollybeth’s Natural Luxury Rose Geranium Face Moisturizer $35/2 ounces, hollybeth.net

Rich in sweet almond, rosehip and geranium oils, along with sea buckthorn. USDA certified organic and gentle enough for super-sensitive skin.

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Dr. Christiane Northrup introduced women to the power and possibilities of alternative and complementary medicine through her 1994 book, Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom. When hormone replacement therapy became a frightening topic, Northrup was there with The Wisdom of Menopause in 2001. That book was updated this year with scientific and research advances as well as Northrup’s own story. When she wrote the first edition, she hadn’t been through menopause yet. “I look and feel younger at 62 than I did in my 40s,” she says.

What was the genesis of The Wisdom of Menopause? 

I wanted women to have a handbook to ease the transition of menopause. I wanted to give them the tools to understand what was happening, from the standpoint of their soul – so they didn’t feel victimized by their bodies.

You’ve said that many women might not need hormones to get them through menopause. 

Yes, that’s true. The first thing women need to make sure is that they are living a healthy lifestyle: getting enough sleep – this is huge; decreasing or eliminating sugar and refined carbohydrates from their diets; eating a healthy breakfast.

But if you’re doing all that, then my gold standard answer is, “Don’t suffer.” If you are losing sleep with hot flashes and have tried every alternative, by all means go on a low dose of hormones. I also believe it’s best to use the least hormones for the least amount of time possible.

You are a longtime believer in Traditional Chinese Medicine and herbal treatments. What would you recommend for perimenopausal or menopausal women? 

The one thing I’ve really considered a breakthrough is called Pueraria mirifica. It’s an herb that’s been used in Thailand for 700 years. Many women find that if they take this, their insomnia and mood swings go away in four days. I like Solgar PM Phytogen complex.

What other dietary and herbal supplements might we consider? 

Our bodies might need extra B vitamins – these are easily depleted by stress. Many of us are woefully deficient in Omega 3 fats. Taking a magnesium supplement at night can be very calming. And soaking in an Epsom salt bath is good for detoxing, as well as calming.

What do you know now that you didn’t know when you first wrote The Wisdom of Menopause? 

Menopause is the death of the old self. I know this personally now. The unsustainable structures in your life will start hitting you between the eyes. You might feel rage and grief. That’s not just your hormones; it’s your life talking.

–Evelyn Theiss

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Senp Kay means “simple house” in Haitian Creole, and the homes can be built using only 10 items. Rows of discarded plastic drink bottles are sandwiched between layers of galvanized mesh in a frame of two-by-fours to form tilt-up walls that are finished with straw and clay. Two years after Haiti’s 2010 earthquake, Builders Without Borders (BWB) is hoping the structures can make a dent in the country’s still-vast homeless population.

BWB is a philanthropic group founded in 1999 to help rebuild disaster zones. The national collective of architects and natural building experts works with people around the world to design and build healthy houses from locally available materials. “That,” says co-director and founder Catherine Wanek, “is a key tenant of the organization.”

Building homes of expensive imported materials—as other organizations do—gets the initial job done. Teaching residents to build from affordable local materials has greater and longer-lasting impact, Wanek says. “The objective is to transfer knowledge.”

BWB’s Haitian simple houses are earthquake- and hurricane-resistant, flexible in design, fast to construct, made of affordable and locally available materials, and can be built by residents. “Time will be the test for these structures,” Wanek says, “but they are more sensible than the concrete structures that fell in Port-au-Prince in 2010.”

Many of those buildings had concrete ceilings held in place by little more than gravity, while BWB’s homes have lighter-weight roofs that are better attached. The completed structures sit on rubble trench foundations, or “floating footings,” of compacted aggregate that allow seismic waves to flow through rather than up into the structure.

BWB has provided housing and education for local populations in New Mexico, Mexico and as far away as Siberia. “We don’t just go in and build,” Wanek says. “We work with locals to create appropriate designs. That means locally available, affordable, climatically and seismically stable, and aesthetically pleasing to the locals.”

In northern Pakistan, another earthquake-rattled region, BWB teamed up with Pakistan Straw Bale and Appropriate Building (PAKSBAB) to teach the benefits of straw bale building, BWB’s primary construction method. “Earth and straw are very available and inexpensive,” says Wanek, author of three books including The New Strawbale Home. Straw is a waste product of grain agriculture such as wheat, rice, oats, barley and rye. “And plasters of clay-based soils are dirt cheap,” Wanek adds. Together, the organizations have funded and constructed 30 buildings in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

BWB homes are less likely to fall down, cause less damage when they do, and can be rebuilt by locals using waste materials and dirt. “The goal is to build capacity within the country,” Wanek explains. builderswithoutborders.org

—Bill Giebler 

Learn to Build

Builders Without Borders founder Catherine Wanek’s Black Range Lodge in southern New Mexico, dates to the 1880s. It has a straw bale guest house, and is also a natural building demonstration site. Check out builderswithoutborders.org/workshops/ for hands-on building workshops in August.

Builders Without Borders is building houses in Haiti by recycling plentiful local resources–plastic drink bottles and straw. 

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