The PRODUCT Blog - Pure Ingredients for Gorgeous Hair

Keep it Beautiful

Earth Day is here again - 43 years and counting of celebration and activism to honor and protect the planet we call home. 

Did you know? ...

Earth travels through space at 66,700 miles per hour.  Its orbit around the sun is nearly 600,000,000 miles.  (So, we travel that distance, too, as passengers!)

In its orbit, the earth is tipped at 23.4 degrees; this axis is responsible for our seasons. 

Earth is the only planet in the solar system with plate tectonics. 

Breeze carries about 100 milllion tons of sand particles around the earth yearly. 

About two-thirds of the earth's surface is beneath the ocean. And Google is setting out to map it ...

PRODUCT is keeping it beautiful this Earth Day with a discount in the PRODUCT store - save 22% on any order by using promo code OURPLANET (ends 5/15/12).

HAPPY EARTH DAY 2012!

Deck the Halls, and Stuff Some Stockings

Happy holidays!  We're in the thick of gift-giving season and Ecobold has some "green" suggestions to shrink your shopping list's carbon footprint.  Welcome to the Ecobold Holiday Gift Guide ...

Steffany, Ecobold's fearless leader in planet-friendly commerce, gives a glimpse of seven clean, non-toxic gift ideas for the season - and even manages to mix in some eco-education!

Natural products are a nice way to show someone you care - about them and about important issues like resource conservation and sustainability ...

So check out Ecobold for today's special holiday offers, and give the gift that keeps on giving - a healthy planet!

 

 

 

Portland Gets a Lucas

Nylon Magazine is the first to scoop the opening of Lucas Portland - before the new salon even has a phone number it's been included in the pages of the July Music Issue (on newstands now). 

The reason being:  Taylor Lucas, owner and stylist, has a gift for fostering good vibes that act as a magnet to creative types, musicians included.  Nylon mentions some notable ones as frequent guests at the  original Lucas, in L.A.'s Echo Park.  And as Lucas herself states, her mission with the Portland space is to make everyone feel at home.  "I just want it to be welcoming," she says, "Like come-in-and-take-a-nap welcoming." 

Amenities will include freshly brewed Stumptown coffee, and special events and curated shopping are in development.  We miss having Taylor all to ourselves here in L.A., but are thrilled to congratulate her on the opening of Lucas Portland. 

UPDATE:

Lucas Portland is officially open as of August!  You can find info online at http://lucas--lucas.com or call 503-894-8169. 

Happiness, and Mother's Day

 

What about the "happy" in Happy Mother's Day? Philosophers have pondered the nature and necessity of happiness for thousands of years now; and what constitutes human happiness has certainly changed in superficial ways over time.  But are there core beliefs or practices that foster happiness?

 

Nic Marks, "a recognized expert in the field of well-being research," developed the Happy Planet Index (HPI) at his "think-and-do tank," the New Economics Foundation.  In this TED Talk, Marks describes the HPI and poses the question, "What five positive actions can you do to improve well-being in your life?"  He and his collaborators narrowed it down to these:

1. Connect.  Marks says, "Your social relationships are the most important cornerstone of your life."  Invest the time and energy to strengthen your connection to others.
2. Be active.  Marks points out that getting active is the "fastest way out of a bad mood.  Step outside for a walk, turn on the radio and dance."  Generate some positive energy.
3. Take notice.  Marks asks, "How aware are you of things going on around the world, the seasons changing, people around you ...?"  Mindfulness keeps you present, aware and available to wonder.
4. Keep learning.  Marks stresses that the key is "learning throughout your whole life course," and that it need not be formal education.  Cultivate a lifetime habit of curiosity.
5. Give.  Marks jokes that this is "the most anti-economic of activities," but says, "Generosity, altruism and compassion are all hard-wired to the reward mechanism in our brain."  

It's worth a shot, right?  Happy Mother's Day to all ...

Image:  Constant Contact

Cheers!

Here's to the start of a new year, and a new decade! 

May many wishes be realized in 2011 ...

Photo:  aussiegall/Flickr

Sock It to Me

Photo: Urban Outfitters

Just a friendly reminder, PRODUCT 100% natural pomade makes a perfect stocking stuffer or holiday gift basket addition. 

Not only does PRODUCT work as a unisex hair styling aid, it multi-tasks as a lip balm, cuticle conditioner and skin softener - superb for this time of year, when dry, chapped skin can be an issue ...

Wishing you a green and happy holiday season!

Holidays, from A to Zen

As we head into the holiday season, of course we're thinking about looking stunning at all those soirees and gatherings.  Sometimes, though, what's going on inside your head can have more of an impact on your appearance than any external condition.  It's the ultimate irony that sharing "tidings of comfort and joy" can lead to stress and frustration.

So, in the interest of avoiding a holiday meltdown, take a look at some thoughts on simple living from Zen Habits.  The complete list is longer, but here are five essentials that might help you through the coming weeks (and beyond) ...

• Make a list of your top 5 most important things.  What's most important to you?  What do you value most?  What do you most want to do in your life?  Simplicity starts with these priorities, as you make more room in your life for what matters to you.

• Evaluate your commitments.  Look at everything you’ve got going on in your life. Everything, from work to home to civic to kids’ activities to hobbies to side businesses to other projects.  Think about which of these really gives you value, which ones you love doing.  Which of these are in line with the "most important" things you listed above?  Consider cutting out those that don't fit with your priorities. 

• Evaluate your time.  How do you spend your hours?  What things do you do, from the time you wake up to the time you go to sleep?  Make a list, and evaluate whether your activities are in line with your priorities.  If not, think about how you can redesign your day.

• Learn to say no.  This is actually one of the key habits for those trying to simplify their lives.  If you can’t say no, you will take on too much.  Remember, you can say no nicely!

• Learn what “enough” is.  Sometimes it seems as though our culture today is about getting more and more, with no end in sight.  Sure, you can get the latest gadget, and more clothes and shoes.  More stuff.  But when will you have enough?  Most people don’t know, and thus they keep buying more. It’s a neverending cycle.  Get off the cycle by figuring out how much is enough.  And then stop when you get there.

Wishing you a peaceful holiday season, full of satisfaction, delight and a little Zen!   You can kick it all off with a discount* in the PRODUCT store this weekend - just enter promo code GOBBLE at checkout, and thanks for stopping by! 

*20% discount, valid 11/25/10-11/28/10.

Photo:  WTLphotos/Flickr

Fashion FAST Forward

Image is a top priority for Angelenos.  This is Hollywood, after all - the town from which style is disseminated via celebrities to be dissected by the media.  Looking put-together without appearing to try too hard is a talent at which guys & girls here in the Southland excel.  

Young adults are the engine that drives fashion innovation and experimentation, so PRODUCT was thrilled to be asked by F A S T (Fashion and Student Trends), a group of UCLA fashion afficionados and innovators, to participate in gift bags for their annual fashion show, staging May 26. 

Since 2001, F A S T has produced fresh designs and given aspiring models a chance to 'walk the walk' in their annual style extravaganzas.  2010's theme is "Catalyst" and F A S T is making that theme a reality by collecting clothing at the event to benefit the Los Angeles non-profit Food on Foot.  Helping homeless men & women transition into housing and employment, and also providing them with meals and other assistance, Food on Foot is creating change in the lives of the most vulnerable segment of our city's population. 

Because it's not just about appearances - it's also about what you do to make a difference ...

Earthly Delights

We hope everyone had a fabulous Earth Day, and that you continue to keep the planet in mind throughout the rest of the year.  While celebrations will continue worldwide over the weekend, here in Southern California things got kicked off with the first annual Green Lounge Eco-Luxury Earth Day Event - and PRODUCT was part of the festivities!

Nicole Sherwin, of Celebrity Soul, put together the debut Green Lounge Earth Day party, which was held in Santa Monica and benefited Global Green USA. Joining Nicole for the evening were such eco-luminaries as Alicia Silverstone, Sheryl Crow, Adrian Grenier and Darren Moore (of Planet Green's show 'Alter Eco'). And since these celebs like their goodies green, PRODUCT was selected to be included in the VIP gift bags!

Nicole and friends came out to celebrate sustainability and recognize producers of a variety of planet-friendly goods - technology, beauty and personal care, health and wellness and more.  In the Green Lounge it's all green, all the time - word is there were even wheatgrass martinis!

If you're wondering how you can go deeper with your green, check out this article from April''s PRODUCT email newsletter - we put together a list of 40 Earth-friendly habits you can consider adopting that will make your world a better place to live.  Enjoy!

Your Eco-Lucky Day

Tomorrow's St. Patrick's Day, and we thought it might be nice to start a new trend for the holiday - instead of just wearing green, why not do something green as well?

So, here are some ideas:

• Headed to the bar to celebrate?  Choose an establishment that serves organic lagers and the like - easy to find in some places, not so much in others.  But do a Google search for your area, you might be surprised!
• Carpool.  No major commitment, just try it for a day to see how it works and what the benefits could be if you made it a regular practice.
• Sign up to support a local farm by receiving regular shares of their crops (community supported agriculture, or CSA).  Without having to travel a long distance (and burn fossil fuels to do so), your fruits & vegetables will taste fresh and contain peak nutrition.  Does having a small carbon footprint heighten a food's deliciousness?  Possibly ...
• Conserve water & energy - make a conscious effort throughout the day & night to unplug stuff you're not using, turn off unnecessary lights and shut off the tap whenever possible.  Continue to do it for a few extra days, and you've got yourself a new green habit.
• You've definitely heard this one before, but it counts! - Bring your own beverage container (water bottle, coffee cup) to refill, or your own bags when you go shopping - every time you do, it makes a small dent in the amount of plastic in circulation and trash produced.  

We'd love to hear your ideas for doing something green on St. Patrick's Day ...