GRAPE-SEED	OIL
This	is	a	great	natural	moisturizer	that	helps	strengthen	cell	membranes. It
contains	antioxidants,	vitamins,	minerals,	and	other	nutrients. There	are	many
other	great	natural	plant	oils,	including	black	cumin	seed,	hemp	seed,	tamanu,
almond,	and	so	on.RADICAL	BEAUTY	SKIN	TEXTURE	SMOOTHING	MASK
Coconut	yogurt	is	a	great	source	of	amino	acids	and	probiotics,	carrot	is	high	in	skin-brightening
beta-carotene	and	antioxidants,	and	avocado	is	a	rich	source	of	nourishing	beauty	fats,	vitamins,	and
lecithin	to	nourish	dry	skin,	leaving	it	feeling	soft	and	smooth. Try	applying	this	mask	on	a	regular
basis	(ideally	once	a	week)	to	see	your	skin	become	smoother	with	diminished	age	spots. ½	cup	coconut	yogurt	(now	commonly	found	at	local
health	markets)
1	avocado,	peeled	and	pitted
3	tablespoons	raw,	organic	honey
1	organic	carrot
In	a	food	processor	or	blender,	combine	the	ingredients	and	process	until	you	reach	a	smooth
consistency. Spread	over	your	face	and	neck	and	relax	for	15	to	20	minutes	before	rinsing. Red	Patchiness
According	to	
Ayurveda,	red	patches	are	caused	by	too	much	
Pitta
	fire	present,
which	may	be	generated	from	within	by	foods	that	are	allergenic	or
inflammatory. Try	eliminating	common	allergens,	such	as	dairy	and	
gluten,	for
two	weeks	and	see	if	symptoms	subside. Here	are	some	additional	tips	for
cutting	down	on	this	common	skin	ailment:
•
Avoid	spicy	and	pungent	foods	and	spices	such	as	chilies	and	chili	powder
to	cut	down	on	internal	“fire.”
•
Take	probiotics	and	eat	probiotic-rich	foods,	such	as	raw	sauerkraut	(known
in	the	Beauty	Detox	community	as	Probiotic	&	Enzyme	Salad). •
To	ensure	your	digestion	is	efficient	and	regular,	try	adding	a	magnesium-
oxygen	supplement	(such	as	Detoxy	+)	in	the	evenings. •
Try	adding	some	turmeric,	which	has	cleansing	properties,	to	your	soups
and	when	cooking	veggies. •
Sip	warm	herbal	teas	during	the	day	to	help	keep	the	microcirculatory
channels	flowing	and	free	of	toxins. •
Drink	coconut	water,	which	is	cooling. •
Incorporate	lots	of	raw	greens	into	your	diet,	since	raw	greens	are	considered
cooling. •
Eat	sweet,	watery	fruits	such	as	pineapples	and	mangoes	to	help	balance	the
internal	“fire.”•
Avoid	full	body	saunas	and	spa	treatments	that	saturate	your	face	in	heat. The	half	infrared	sauna	is	a	great	option	(see	Kimberly’s	website	for
recommendations	at	
kimberlysnyder. com
). •
Avoid	fragrances,	dyes,	and	acids,	which	can	all	be	irritating	to	the	skin. Here	are	a	few	great	skin-care	ingredients	to	incorporate	for	red,	patchy	skin:
•
Chamomile	and	aloe	are	soothing	ingredients	for	your	skin. •
Green	tea	acts	as	a	natural	anti-inflammatory	and	helps	neutralize	aging	and
irritating	free	radicals. RADICAL	SOOTHER	MASK
Cucumber,	green	tea,	and	chamomile	are	all	cooling,	anti-inflammatory	ingredients	that	are	fantastic
for	soothing	inflamed	skin. You	do	not	necessarily	have	to	peel	an	organic	cuke,	as	there	is	lots	of	
zinc
and	other	minerals	in	the	skin. As	with	all	recipes	in	this	book	and	in	general,	use	organic	products	as
much	as	possible. 2	tablespoons	cucumber,	peeled	and	seeded
1	teaspoon	brewed	and	cooled	green	tea	(preferably
loose	leaf)
1	teaspoon	brewed	and	cooled	chamomile	tea
(preferably	loose	leaf)
1	tablespoon	aloe	vera	gel
1	tablespoon	arrowroot	flour	(also	known	as	starch)
Blend	the	cucumber,	green	tea,	and	chamomile	tea	together	(if	you	have	trouble	blending	such	a	small
amount,	just	mash	the	cucumber	in	a	mortar	and	pestle	with	the	teas). Mix	in	the	aloe	vera	gel	and
arrowroot	flour	until	the	mixture	starts	to	thicken. Place	in	the	refrigerator	for	about	30	minutes	to
cool. Spread	over	face	and	neck	in	an	even	layer	and	relax	for	about	20	minutes	before	rinsing	it	off. Spider	Veins
You	can	blame	your	grandmother	for	these	beauties. Poor	Granny	is	sweet	and
innocent,	and	you	sure	do	love	that	great	lady,	but	the	fact	is	that	vein	issues	are
largely	linked	to	heredity. Most	of	us	never	think	about	our	veins	and	take
them	completely	for	granted. That	is,	until	they	start	rearing	their	bluish,
unwanted	heads	up	to	the	surface! There	are	two	main	types	of	cosmetically
unfortunate	vein	issues. The	first	is	varicose	veins,	which	can	be	a	more	serious
form	of	venous	insufficiency. These	can	lead	to	pain	and	soreness,	as	well	as
restless	legs. If	these	issues	have	become	a	problem	for	you,	get	them	checked
out	by	your	doctor.On	the	other	hand,	telangiectasia,	commonly	known	as	spider	veins,	can
indicate	a	much	more	mild	form	of	venous	insufficiency. They	are	cosmetically
a	doozy,	but	are	not	health-	or	life-threatening. So	what	causes	these
unfortunate	blue	malfunctions? Broken-down	valves	in	the	veins	cause	venous
insufficiency. These	malfunctioning	valves	prevent	blood	flow	back	to	the
arteries,	which	can	cause	blood	to	accumulate	and	pool	up. Such	vein	issues	can
become	more	pronounced	if	one	is	sedentary	or	has	reduced	circulation,	and
they	can	even	be	aggravated	by	hormonal	issues	like	hormone	replacement
therapy,	pregnancy,	or	birth	control. 4
	Here	are	some	things	you	can	do	about
them:
•
Walk	around	often	to	keep	circulation	flowing. •
If	you	stand	still	often,	look	into	compression	hose	to	help	with	support. Some	are	more	visually	appealing	than	others,	and	you	might	not	want	to
wear	some	of	them	on	your	bare	legs	(at	least	out	in	public),	but	you	can
certainly	wear	them	under	a	long	skirt	or	pants. •
When	showering,	massage	the	area	around	the	broken	veins	first	in	a	gentle
circular	motion	and	then	in	an	upward	motion	to	help	improve	circulation. (Avoid	this	with	painful	varicose	veins.) •
Dry	brush	your	skin,	as	discussed	earlier	on	
this	page
,	which	helps	stimulate
the	growth	and	repair	of	the	tissues	and	underlying	veins	by	increasing
blood	flow	to	the	area. It	also	helps	remove	the	blood	that	has	leaked	out	of
the	capillaries	by	diffusing	it	into	the	interstitial	fluids	for	removal. Brushing	the	spider	veins	very	gently	in	a	circular	motion	then	upward
toward	the	heart	several	times	per	day	can	improve	their	appearance. •
Vitamins	A,	B	complex,	C,	D,	and	E	are	all	great	nutrients	to	help	with
tissue	repair,	optimal	circulation,	and	strong	veins. Great	sources	include
carrots,	nutritional	yeast,	mushrooms,	almonds,	lemons,	and	bell	peppers. •
Avoid	inflammatory	vegetable	oils,	especially	when	cooked,	which	can
become	rancid	in	your	body	and	increase	free	radicals	and	cellular	damage. •
Make	sure	you	eat	the	right	beauty	
fats,	such	as	avocados,	coconut	oil,	and
olive	oil	(best	taken	raw	and	lightly	on	certain	dishes	such	as	salads). This
can	help	you	build	nice	strong	cell	walls. •
Eat	
pineapple! It	contains	a	dietary	enzyme	called	bromelain,	which	can
improve	overall	circulation	by	reducing	the	buildup	of	fibrin	along	the	walls
of	the	blood	vessels. •
Spider	veins	are	often	associated	with	the	use	of	hormone	replacementtherapy	(HRT)	and	birth	control	pills. High	levels	of	estrogen	from	these
medications	seem	to	aggravate	venous	insufficiency. If	you	are	using	birth
control	pills,	you	may	want	to	ask	your	doctor	for	a	lower-estrogen-dose
formula. If	you	are	on	HRT,	you	may	want	to	consider	switching	to	a	lower
dose,	adding	progesterone,	or	using	a	weaker	formula,	such	as	an	estrone
cream. •
Try	to	elevate	your	legs	to	hip	level	for	a	few	minutes	several	times	a	day. Frequency	is	more	important	than	the	amount	of	time	in	this	case. Get	out
of	the	habit	of	crossing	your	legs,	knees,	and	ankles	when	seated. If	you	have
a	desk	job,	try	to	spend	a	few	minutes	walking	around	every	hour. If	you
have	a	job	that	requires	standing	for	hours	on	end,	try	to	sit	and	elevate	your
feet	to	hip	level	once	every	hour. CIRCULATION	AND	REJUVENATION	MASK
Chickpea	flour	has	been	used	in	some	
Ayurvedic	recipe	preparations	for	the	skin	and	is	believed	to
help	exfoliate	and	soften	it	as	well	as	stimulate	circulation	and	rejuvenate	tissues. Bananas	are	a	rich,
incredible	beauty	food	high	in	B	vitamins,	vitamin	A,	and	minerals	such	as	potassium. Try	this	simple
mask	on	your	face—or	even	on	the	spider-vein	areas	of	your	legs—when	you	want	to	give	your	skin	a
revitalization	and	glow	boost. ¼	cup	mashed	ripe	banana
1	tablespoon	organic	chickpea	flour
2	teaspoons	sesame	oil	(or	a	little	more	or	less,
depending	on	the	size	of	the	banana)
Stir	the	banana	into	the	chickpea	flour	and	mix	in	the	sesame	oil. Apply	an	even	layer	to	your	face
and	neck,	leaving	it	on	for	15	to	20	minutes	while	you	relax,	before	rinsing	off.SHIFT	9:
Nourish	Strong,	Healthy	
Hair	and
Nails
All	of	the	changes	you’ve	made	so	far	to	your	diet	and	self-care	routine	will
result	in	stronger,	more	naturally	beautiful	hair	and	nails. Like	your	skin,	the
strength	and	vitality	of	your	hair	and	nails	is	a	reflection	of	all	that	is
happening	inside	your	body,	and	there	are	many	ways	to	nourish	them	both
internally	and	externally. How	to	Grow	Healthy	Hair	from	the	Outside	In
If	you	want	strong,	healthy	hair,	it’s	essential	to	nourish	the	hair	follicles	that
grow	your	actual	hair	strands. Go	ahead	right	now	and	touch	your	scalp	with
your	fingers. Give	yourself	a	little	head	massage. It	feels	good,	right? Your	scalp
is	rich	in	nerves	and	blood	vessels. Get	familiar	with	touching	your	scalp	more
than	just	when	you	are	shampooing. It	likes	it	and	will	respond! Every	part	of
your	body	needs	love	and	attention	to	flourish,	and	that	includes	your	scalp. If
you	want	lovely	hair,	you	have	to	give	some	love	to	your	hair. This	includes
attention	from	your	hands,	not	just	from	products	you	buy. In	all	areas	of	life,
love	can’t	just	be	bought. Fluctuations	in	hormones	and	nutrition,	as	well	as	your	good	old	genes,	can
influence	the	quality	and	thickness	of	your	hair. The	dietary	advice	in	
Pillar	1
,
Internal	Nourishment,	will	help	you	grow	more	beautiful	hair	over	time. However,	there	are	also	manual,	external	methods	that	you	can	combine	with
your	dietary	shifts	to	help	create	beautifully	healthy,	shiny	hair. Incorporating
these	methods	from	the	outside	and	the	inside	will	help	you	grow	the	beautiful
hair	that	is	your	birthright. Here	are	some	of	the	most	effective	ways	to	externally	nourish	your	hair. WASH	LESS	OFTENUnless	your	hair	is	incredibly	oily,	it	doesn’t	need	to	be	washed	every	day. Washing	a	few	times	a	week	will	keep	your	hair	clean	but	prevent	overdrying,
allowing	more	time	for	the	natural	oils	in	your	hair	to	moisturize	down	to	the
tips	of	your	strands. SCALP	MASSAGE
This	is	a	fantastic	and	highly	effective	way	to	stimulate	your	hair	follicles	and
foster	healthy	new	growth. This	can	be	incorporated	easily	into	your	daily
routine	as	part	of	your	
abhyanga
	practice	(see	
this	page
). When	you	are	doing
your	daily	oil	massage,	be	sure	to	take	a	few	minutes	to	massage	the	coconut	oil,
sesame	oil,	or	specialized	herbal	formula	oil	into	all	areas	of	your	scalp	to	help
stimulate	circulation	to	your	hair	follicles. If	you	want	to	add	a	few	drops	of
essential	oil	specifically	for	the	scalp-massage	part	of	your	treatment,	a	few	that
are	extra	stimulating	to	your	hair	follicles	include	lemon,	peppermint,	lavender,
basil,	and	rosemary	pure	essential	oils. Just	adding	a	few	drops	into	the	oil	will
suffice. (If	you	are	new	to	these	oils,	and	especially	if	you	have	sensitive	skin,	be
sure	to	check	with	your	dermatologist	or	test	a	tiny	area	to	see	if	they	irritate
your	skin.) SOFTENING	HAIR	SCALP	TREATMENT
This	is	a	great	treatment	to	do	once	a	week	to	help	heal	and	nourish	your	hair. It’s	easy	to	make	and
use	as	part	of	your	hair-care	routine. Lavender	is	healing	and	nourishing	and	has	been	known	to
relieve	tension	and	headaches	when	massaged	directly	into	your	scalp. Olive	oil	makes	your	hair
incredibly	soft	and	will	improve	the	elasticity	of	your	hair	shaft	and	protect	against	breakage. ⅓	cup	cold-pressed	olive	oil
10	to	12	drops	lavender	essential	oil
Warm	the	olive	oil	in	a	pan	over	the	lowest	setting	possible. Turn	off	and	remove	from	heat	and	then
add	the	lavender	oil. Combine	well	and	massage	the	warm	mixture	into	your	scalp. Twist	your	hair
into	a	bun,	cover	with	a	shower	cap,	and	relax	for	20	to	30	minutes	before	shampooing. Use	Natural	Bristles
Brushing	your	hair	with	a	natural	bristle	brush	can	help	stimulate	your	hair
follicles	and	produce	more	natural	oils	that	lubricate	your	entire	head	and	all
your	beautiful	hair	strands. Start	from	the	top	of	your	head	and	work
systematically	down	the	length	of	your	hair. Gently	work	out	tangles	rather
than	being	aggressive;	you’re	not	plowing	through	an	overgrown	hiking	trail. Avoid	breakage	by	being	patient	and	using	even	strokes.Deep	Clean
It’s	important	to	occasionally	deep	clean	your	scalp	from	any	dirt	and	oils	that
can	build	up	and	block	your	hair	follicles. Try	periodically	using	a	cleansing
shampoo	made	from	natural	ingredients	or	applying	an	apple	cider	vinegar
rinse. Apple	cider	vinegar	is	an	excellent	rinse	to	use	occasionally	to	remove
impurities	from	hard	water,	accumulated	sebum,	and	waxy	buildup	from
products. Pour	the	apple	cider	vinegar	over	your	moistened	scalp	in	the	shower,
massage	it	in	for	a	couple	of	minutes,	and	rinse	very	well. Then	proceed	to
shampooing	and	conditioning. You	
are
	rinsing	it	out	fairly	quickly,	but	as	your
scalp	can	absorb	so	much,	it’s	a	great	idea	to	try	to	source	organic	vinegar. Vinegar	can	also	help	balance	the	pH	of	your	hair,	which	affects	the
appearance	and	overall	health	of	your	hair. The	strands	of	your	hair	are	made
up	of	keratin	protein. When	the	pH	of	your	hair	is	properly	balanced,	your	hair
will	be	a	sealed,	flat	cuticle	layer	on	the	outside	of	the	strand,	which	makes	your
hair	more	shiny	and	bouncy. If	your	hair’s	pH	is	imbalanced	from	lots	of	heat
or	chemical	treatments,	your	hair	will	look	dull	and	frizzy	and	become	brittle
and	susceptible	to	more	breakage. Try	the	following	
pH-Balancing	Hair	Rinse
once	every	six	to	eight	weeks	or	so	(depending	on	your	hair	type),	or	whenever
you	feel	excessive	buildup	in	your	hair. Don’t	do	it	too	often,	however,	or	it
will	dry	out	your	hair. PH-BALANCING	HAIR	RINSE
Apple	cider	vinegar	is	fantastic	for	restoring	your	hair’s	pH	balance	as	well	as	helping	remove	any
product	residue. Rosemary	helps	stimulate	the	scalp	and	promote	hair	growth. 1	cup	organic	apple	cider	vinegar
15	drops	rosemary	oil
¾	cup	warm	water
Combine	the	ingredients	and	pour	over	damp	hair,	being	careful	not	to	get	the	rinse	into	your	eyes	or
on	your	face. Massage	for	a	few	moments	and	rinse	out. Top	Ingredients	for	Hair	Care
To	pinpoint	the	best	possible	ingredients	in	shampoos	and	conditioners	to	help
nourish	your	hair,	it’s	important	to	look	beyond	the	slogans	and	pretty
packaging	devised	by	marketing	companies. Of	course,	the	products	you	choose
must	match	your	individual	hair	type,	but	there	are	some	ingredients	that	are
known	to	work	universally	well	for	different	types	of	hair. Products	includingthese	ingredients	can	be	sourced	at	health	stores,	but	they	also	are	increasingly
common	and	easy	to	find	at	your	local	grocery	store	or	pharmacy. SHEA	BUTTER
This	is	a	great	natural	emollient. It	coats	the	surface	of	your	hair	strands	with
oil,	reducing	the	amount	of	water	that	is	lost	so	that	your	hair	stays	
hydrated
and	luscious. COCONUT	OIL
This	is	a	perfect	fatty	emollient	to	seal	moisture	into	your	hair. Coconut	oil
helps	make	your	hair	shiny	and	healthier. PURE	
ALOE	VERA	GEL
Great	for	soothing	your	scalp	and	hair	follicles,	aloe	vera	is	said	to	also	contain
an	enzyme	that	stimulates	hair	follicles,	helping	to	promote	healthy	hair
growth. VEGETABLE	GLYCERIN
This	acts	as	a	natural	humectant,	meaning	it	attracts	water	and	acts	as	a
protective	moisture	layer,	which	will	help	your	hair	stay	moisturized	while
avoiding	frizziness. JOJOBA
This	is	a	great	natural	hair	oil,	which	can	soothe	damaged	ends	and	make	your
hair	look	shiny	but	not	greasy	by	balancing	your	hair’s	oil	production. CASTOR	OIL
This	is	a	humectant	and	an	antifungal	that	helps	prepare	the	hair	for	better
growth. CERAMIDES
Ceramides	mend	damaged	and	broken	hair	fibers	by	“gluing”	them	back
together	and	reinforcing	your	hair’s	structure. They	also	help	to	smooth	out
frizzy	or	unmanageable	hair. ANTIOXIDANTS
Antioxidants	work	great	inside	your	body	and	also	help	to	nourish	your	hairfrom	the	outside. Applied	topically,	antioxidants	can	help	protect	your	hair
from	free	radicals	and	even	protect	the	integrity	of	your	hair’s	vital	color. HYALURONIC	ACID
Popularly	used	in	skin	care	(see	
this	page
),	hyaluronic	acid	is	also	useful	for
beautiful	hair,	as	it	helps	to	lock	
hydration	into	your	hair	strands. ACIDIC	
INGREDIENTS
In	this	case,	acidity	can	be	a	good	thing! Just	as	applying	apple	cider	vinegar	can
cleanse	your	hair	follicles	of	debris	and	balance	your	hair’s	natural	pH,	other
natural	acids	in	shampoo,	such	as	sodium	citrate	or	citric	acid,	perform	the
same	functions	on	a	milder,	more	regular	basis. PANTHENOL
Panthenol	is	a	form	of	vitamin	B	that	treats	and	prevents	damage	to	your	hair
from	pollution,	free	radicals,	and	sun	exposure. It’s	water	soluble,	penetrating
the	hair	and	acting	as	a	great	moisturizer	that	locks	moisture	into	your	hair
after	cleansing. ZINC
You	can	ingest	the	essential	trace	element	zinc	from	eating	nuts	and	seeds,	such
as	pumpkin	seeds. In	shampoo,	zinc	can	soothe	the	scalp,	fight	chronic
dandruff,	and	regulate	excess	sebum,	thereby	preventing	excessively	oily	hair
and	even	hair	loss	that	results	from	clogged	hair	follicles. RADICAL	BEAUTY	TIP:	KEEP	YOUR	TRESSES	SHINY
Everyone	loves	hot	showers. That’s	all	good,	but	be	sure	to	end	your	shower	with	a
cool	rinse. (See	
this	page
	to	read	why	alternating	temperatures	in	the	shower	is	a
great	beauty	practice	in	general.) The	cool	water	will	tighten	up	your	hair	follicles
and	cuticle,	keeping	your	hair	shinier. Plus,	you	will	feel	refreshed! Hair	Ingredients	to	Avoid
Your	hair	follicles	are	very	vacuolated,	meaning	they	are	rich	in	blood	vessels
that	are	close	to	the	surface	of	your	scalp. Therefore,	whatever	is	in	your	
hair
products	is	quickly	absorbed	into	your	bloodstream	and	into	your	system. Being	aware	of	the	toxic	additives	in	many	common	hair	products	and	avoiding
them	goes	hand	in	hand	with	eating	organic	foods. It’s	important	to	avoidtoxins	from	entering	and	circulating	around	your	precious	body	from	any
source	so	they	do	not	in	any	way,	shape,	or	form	detract	from	your	natural
beauty. Unfortunately,	there	are	thousands	of	chemicals	used	in	different	hair-
care	products,	so	it’s	up	to	you	to	scan	ingredient	labels	and	be	on	the	lookout. Here	are	some	of	the	most	common	harmful	ingredients	that	are	important	to
avoid. SULFATES
Ugh. These	nasty,	cheaply	produced	chemicals,	which	include	sodium	lauryl
sulfate	(SLS),	sodium	laureth	sulfate	(SLES),	and	other	forms	of	sulfate,	are	used
in	shampoos	(as	well	as	floor	cleaners,	engine	degreasers,	and	kitchen	degreasers
like	dishwasher	soaps)	to	create	foam. It’s	easy	to	love	a	foamy	shampoo	and
feel	like	you’re	really	cleaning	your	hair,	right? But	sulfates	can	be	considered	a
toxin	that	creates	irritation	and	itching,	as	well	as	more	serious	issues. A	report
from	the	
Journal	of	the	American	College	of	Toxicology
	notes	that	this	ingredient
has	a	“degenerative	effect	on	the	cell	membranes	because	of	its	protein
denaturing	properties,”
1
	and	that	“high	levels	of	skin	penetration	may	occur	at
even	low	use	concentration.”
2
	Some	studies	have	noted	that	sulfates	can	enter
and	maintain	residual	levels	in	the	heart,	liver,	lungs,	and	brain	from	skin
contact,	and	by	depositing	on	the	skin	surface	and	in	the	hair	follicles,	they	can
cause	damage	to	the	hair	follicle. 3
,
4
	Other	research	has	shown	that	sulfates	can
create	irritation	to	and	impair	your	
immune	system. 5
ETHYL	AND	
ISOPROPYL	ALCOHOLS
These	petroleum-based	alcohols	can	be	very	dehydrating	to	your	hair,	leaving	it
dry	and	eventually	leading	to	breakage. Certain	nonvolatile	or	fatty	alcohols,
however,	such	as	cetyl	alcohol,	are	okay,	as	they	have	a	higher	carbon	count	so
they	are	oily	and	actually	condition	hair. Be	sure	to	check	labels	for	specific
names. FORMALDEHYDE
Commonly	used	as	a	preservative	(you	might	recall	the	lab	rat	you	dissected	in
high	school	biology	was	embalmed	in	this),	it	irritates	the	skin	and	can	cause
inflammation,	joint	pain,	allergies,	chronic	fatigue,	and	dizziness. 6
	It	is	also
considered	a	potential	carcinogen. Stay	away! (Be	sure	to	avoid	nail	polishes
that	contain	formaldehyde,	too.) RADICAL	BEAUTY	TIP:	HAIR	CARE	IN	THE	
SUNJust	like	your	skin,	your	hair	needs	adequate	sun	protection	to	prevent	it	from
drying	out	and	becoming	brittle,	damaged,	and	discolored	from	overexposure	to
the	sun. There	are	some	
sunscreens	made	for	the	hair,	but	the	easiest	and	most
effective	way	to	prevent	sun	damage	to	your	hair	is	to	wear	hats! This	is	especially
important	when	you	are	out	in	the	sun	for	extended	periods	of	time. From	sun	hats
to	boleros	and	beyond,	you’ll	be	able	to	express	your	personal	style	
and
	protect
your	precious	hair,	all	at	the	same	time. IMIDAZOLIDINYL	UREA	AND	
DMDM	HYDANTOIN
On	that	note,	these	two	ingredients	are	preservatives	that	release	formaldehyde,
so	look	for	them	as	well	on	ingredient	lists. PROPYLENE	GLYCOL	(PG)
PG	is	a	form	of	mineral	oil. This	is	a	controversial	ingredient	that	some	believe
has	some	immunotoxicity	concerns. 7
	It	comes	in	different	grades,	including	an
industrial	grade	that	is	part	of	commercial	products	such	as	engine	coolants,
antifreeze,	and	various	enamels	and	varnishes. For	beauty	products,	it	helps	to
drive	ingredients	down	into	the	hair	(or	skin)	for	deeper	penetration. It	
may
break	down	the	proteins	that	make	up	your	hair	in	the	process	(obviously	the
opposite	of	what	you	want! ),	and	also	may	create	allergic	reactions	or
irritations. 8
POLYETHYLENE	GLYCOL	(PEG)
PEG	is	included	in	shampoos	to	help	dissolve	oils,	but	it	can	overstrip	your
hair,	leaving	it	vulnerable	and	weak. DIETHANOLAMINE	(DEA),	
MONOETHANOLAMINE	(MEA),	AND
TRIETHANOLAMINE	(TEA)
Does	this	remind	you	of	the	song	“Do-Re-Mi”	from	
The	Sound	of	Music
? These
rhyming	ingredients	are	not	happy	like	the	song. They	are,	in	fact,	potential
hormone	disruptors	and	irritants
9
	and	can	be	absorbed	into	your	hair	follicles
and	enter	your	body. These	ingredients	are	“foamers,”	so	they’re	not	necessarily
even	great	for	your	hair,	per	se,	but	are	included	solely	for	the	experience	of
using	them. But	really,	you	should	never	have	to	choose	between	foaming
shampoo	and	your	health. Got	a	shampoo	with	any	of	these	three-letter
acronyms? Into	the	trash	it	goes! FRAGRANCE
This	is	a	tough	one	because	we	understand	that	you	want	your	hair	to	smellawesome. But	fragrance	is	a	generic	term	for	up	to	3,100	stock	chemical
ingredients,
10
	many	of	which	are	synthetic	and	toxic. You	really	don’t	know
exactly	what	is	in	your	shampoo	or	conditioner	with	just	“fragrance”	on	the
ingredient	list,	so	you	risk	getting	headaches,	dizziness,	rashes,	and	a	number	of
allergic	reactions. Tests	of	fragrance	ingredients	have	found	an	average	of
fourteen	hidden	compounds	per	formulation,	including	ingredients	linked	to
hormone	disruption	and	sperm	damage. 11
	Exposure	to	these	types	of	chemicals
can	adversely	affect	your	central	nervous	system	and	even	affect	your	mood,
making	you	more	irritable. No	good-smelling	shampoo	is	worth	being	moody! Check	out	products	with	essential	oils,	which	smell	great	and	are	nontoxic. NATURALLY	BEAUTIFUL	
TEETH	AND	GUMS
A	beautiful	smile	stemming	from	authentic	joy	is	one	of	the	most	compelling
features	you	can	possess. Feeling	confident	about	your	teeth	can	help	you	smile
more	naturally. Oil	pulling,	or	swishing	sesame	or	another	oil	around	your	mouth	for
a	few	minutes	in	the	morning	before	spitting	it	out,	is	something	you	can
incorporate	into	your	morning	routine	to	help	keep	your	mouth	beautiful. It	is
another	increasingly	popular	ancient	
Ayurvedic	practice	that	benefits	your	mouth,
teeth,	and	gum	health. Oil	pulling	is	believed	to	encourage	detoxification	by	attracting,	binding,	and
removing	bacteria,	toxins,	and	parasites	from	your	mouth	(where	a	lot	of	bacteria
tend	to	accumulate)	and	lymph	system,	while	helping	to	clear	out	mucus	and
congestion	from	your	throat	and	sinuses. Some	even	believe	that	oil	pulling	can
help	activate	the	vagus	nerve,	which	sends	information	between	your	brain	and
the	enteric	nervous	system	in	your	gut,	which	controls	digestion. Stimulating	the
vagus	nerve	is	said	to	activate	anti-inflammatory	pathways	in	the	digestive	tract. 12
Directions	for	oil	pulling	are	simple:
1. Warm	1	to	2	teaspoons	(or	a	bit	less,	if	you	have	a	tiny	mouth!) of	pure,	cold-
pressed	sesame	oil. (You	can	do	this	by	parceling	the	sesame	oil	you	are	using
into	a	small	vial,	and	then	holding	the	vial	under	hot	water	for	a	few	seconds.) 2. Swish	the	warmed	oil	vigorously	around	all	parts	of	your	mouth	and	back	and
forth	across	your	gums	for	2	to	6	minutes. Don’t	move	it	into	your	throat,	and
resist	the	temptation	to	gargle! Although	sometimes	you	hear
recommendations	to	swish	the	oil	for	far	longer,	traditional	Ayurvedic
teachings	believe	that	is	unnecessary. When	you	are	done,	spit	out	the	oil	into
the	garbage. In	addition	to	oil	pulling,	another	component	of	the	Ayurvedic	morning	routine	is
chewing	2	or	3	teaspoons	of	black	sesame	seeds,	moving	them	around	the	entire
span	of	your	teeth,	for	1	to	3	minutes	before	spitting	them	out. This	is	believed	to
help	polish,	strengthen,	and	mineralize	the	teeth;	remove	stains;	and	also	keep	your
gums	healthy. The	black	sesame	seeds	are	extremely	high	in	calcium,	as	well	as
phosphorus,	iron,	and	magnesium.Radical	Beauty	
Nail	Care
It’s	important	to	take	care	of	your	hands	and	nails,	which	are	an	extension	of
your	beauty. They	undergo	a	great	deal	of	daily	wear	and	tear,	from	relentless
exposure	to	heat	and	cold	to	abrasive	soaps	and	excessive	water	from	hand
washing	and	detergents. RADICAL	BEAUTY	NAIL	WHITENING	TIP
To	brighten	yellowed	nails,	try	scrubbing	them	with	white	vinegar. Your	nails	are	largely	made	of	a	tough	protective	coating	called	keratin. A
proper	diet	and	excellent	circulation	are	of	utmost	importance	for	growing
healthy,	strong	nails. There	are	also	great	external	ways	to	support	nail	health:
•
Rather	than	cutting	cuticles,	soak	your	nails	in	warm	water	to	soften	cuticles
and	then	gently	push	them	back. Only	trim	off	hanging,	dead	skin	when
necessary. •
Look	for	polishes	free	of	the	“toxic	trio”:	dibutyl	phthalate	(DBP),	toluene,
and	formaldehyde,	which	have	been	associated	with	development	and
reproductive	issues	and	dizziness	and	are	potential	hormone	disruptors	and
carcinogens. 13
	Look	for	brands	labeled	“DBP-,	toluene-,	and	formaldehyde-
free”	or,	specifically,	“three-free.”	There	are	even	vegan	polishes	free	of
solvents	and	other	toxins,	including	some	that	are	“ten-free,”	and	some	that
are	water-based. (You	may	need	to	reapply	these	more	often	due	to
chipping.) •
Avoid	frequent	use	of	nail	polish	removers,	which	can	dry	your	nail	bed,
leading	to	potential	splits. Also	look	for	nail	polish	removers	that	are	free	of
acetone. •
Avoid	quick-dry	nail	polishes	that	contain	a	great	deal	of	acetone,	which	can
dry	out	your	nails. •
Use	gloves	when	washing	the	dishes,	and	otherwise	try	to	keep	your	hands
out	of	hot	water	as	much	as	possible. •
Before	going	out	into	the	cold,	always	moisturize	your	hands	and	protect
them	with	gloves. Avoid	direct	exposure	to	cold	air. •
Massage	and	moisturize	your	nails	and	cuticles	with	almond,	jojoba,	or
coconut	oil	often.Nail	Strengthening	Scrub
The	combination	of	castor	and	avocado	oils	enhances	nails’	flexibility	and	renders	them	more	pliable
and	less	prone	to	chips	and	breakage. Ground	walnuts	are	high	in	nourishing	
omega-3	fatty	
acids,
while	the	walnuts	themselves	help	to	slough	off	dead	surface	cells,	allowing	more	moisture	and
nutrients	to	be	absorbed. Honey	is	nourishing	and	softening,	and	it	also	contains	antibacterial	and
antiseptic	properties. ¼	cup	raw,	shelled	walnuts
1	tablespoon	castor	oil
1	tablespoon	first	cold-pressed	avocado	oil
1	teaspoon	raw,	organic	honey
Grind	walnuts	to	form	a	coarse	powder. Mix	in	the	oils	and	the	honey	to	make	a	thick	paste. Rub
your	entire	nails,	hands,	and	cuticles	vigorously	(but	not	in	an	overly	abrasive	way)	for	a	few	moments
before	rinsing	with	warm	water. Try	this	treatment	once	or	twice	weekly	for	best	results.On	location	at	the	Chopra	Center	in	Carlsbad,	California,	Deepak	and
Kimberly	ready	to	discuss	the	new	science	and	ancient	wisdom	contained	in	the
six	pillars	of	Radical	Beauty. Copyright	©	2016	by	Ylva	ErevallAntioxident-	and	vitamin-rich	fruits	build	and	protect	your	beauty. Foods	rich	in	omega-3	fatty	acids,	such	as	chia	seeds,	promote	excellent
circulation	that	helps	create	radiant	skin	and	glowing	health.The	Glowing	Green	Smoothie	is	a	staple	of	the	Radical	Beauty	and	Beauty
Detox	programs. Copyright	©	2016	by	mllevphoto/Shutterstock
Ayurvedic	spices	such	as	turmeric	have	now	been	shown	in	modern	research	to
have	far-reaching	beauty	and	health	benefits.Pillar	4
,	Primal	Beauty,	discusses	how	
earthing
,	or	
grounding
,	has	healing	effects
on	your	body	and	beauty. Pillar	5
	discusses	the	best	ways	to	move	your	body	to	promote	natural	grace,
tone,	and	beauty.Pillar	1
	discusses	the	essential	Radical	Beauty	ratios	to	make	eating	for	health
and	beauty	simple. Ingredients	for	the	Radical	Soother	Mask	(see	
this	page
).Syncing	with	the	natural	rhythms	of	nature	enhances	your	natural	beauty.In	
Pillar	1
,	you	will	learn	dietary	shifts	to	optimize	digestion	and	to	bolster
nutrient	circulation	and	absorption	for	beautiful	skin	and	overall	vitality. Use	the	Radical	Beauty	Liver	Tonic	(
this	page
)	to	promote	cleansing. Copyright
©	2016	by	aliasemma/ShutterstockBeauty	fats	include	avocados	and	unrefined	plant	oils. Fresh	spices	help	balance	and	enhance	your	health.Aligning	your	lifestyle	with	the	seasons	and	the	solar	and	lunar	cycles	helps	you
harness	greater	power	to	support	your	overall	energy	and	vitality. Boost	sluggish	
agni,
	or	digestive	fire,	with	spices	such	as	cumin.Ingredients	for	the	Acne-Preventing	Tonic	(
this	page
).Warming	foods	increase	your	metabolism	and	circulation. Ingredients	for	the	Radical	Beauty	Skin	Texture	Smoothing	Mask	(
this	page
). Peak	Beauty	Sleep	is	essential	for	Radical	Beauty. Some	of	the	ingredients	for	the	Radical	Enzyme	Mask	(
this	page
).Peace	and	self-love	foster	natural	beauty	from	the	inside	out. Abhyanga
	is	an	Ayurvedic	practice	of	oil	massage	that	is	believed	to	soothe	your
nervous	system	and	rejuvenate	your	body	and	mind. Copyright	©	2016	by	Valery
Kraynov/ShutterstockColorful	plant	foods	are	a	powerful	ally	to	support	your	beauty. Being	in	nature’s	elements	helps	harmonize	balance	and	beauty	within	us.Ingredients	for	the	Nail	Strengthening	Scrub	(
this	page
). Spiritual	beauty	allows	you	to	shine	with	an	inner	light	that	outer	beauty	alone
can	never	match.Fresh	foods	are	beautifying	as	they	are	healthy. Check	out	the	Radical	Beauty
Recipes	in	the	Appendix	(
this	page
). Smoothies	are	an	excellent,	easy	way	to	take	in	lots	of	energizing	and	beauty-
building	nutrition. Radical	Beauty	is	something	that	exists	universally	while	at	the	same	time	being
completely	unique	to	you.PILLAR	3:
Peak	Beauty	Sleep
Beauty	sleep
	is	most	certainly	a	term	you’ve	come	across	before,	but	you	may	not
have	a	clear	sense	of	why	sleep	is	so	essential	to	reach	your	beauty	potential	or
what	steps	you	can	take	to	start	sleeping	better. This	pillar	will	go	into	great
detail	about	how	sleep	specifically	affects	your	natural	beauty	and	how	to
harness	its	power	to	look	and	feel	radically	beautiful. The	word	
peak
	is	often
used	in	reference	to	the	highest	level	of	athletic	performance,	or	“peak
performance.”	As	we	are	referring	to	it	here	in	reference	to	beauty,	
peak
	means
experiencing	the	optimal	level	and	quality	of	sleep	to	fully	support	your	beauty. While	you	already	know	that	excellent	sleep	is	important,	you	may	still
unknowingly	employ	tactics	that	keep	you	from	getting	your	best	sleep. Many
of	us	whittle	into	our	sleeping	hours	by	going	to	bed	later	than	we	should. In
part,	this	is	because	we	tend	to	prioritize	cramming	more	activity	and	tasks	into
the	day:	cleaning	up	the	kitchen	or	e-mail	box,	catching	up	on	work,	watching
an	extra	television	show,	surfing	the	Internet,	online	shopping,	or	whatever	else
it	may	be. This	often	pushes	bedtime	later	and	later. At	the	same	time,	we	shave
our	sleep	away	on	the	other	end	by	rising	earlier	and	earlier	in	the	morning	to
tend	to	small	children,	fit	in	a	workout,	or	simply	get	to	work. No	matter	how	much	sleep	you’ve	been	getting	up	until	now,	going	forward
you	must	shift	your	priorities	in	order	to	start	getting	peak	beauty	sleep. In	this
pillar	you’ll	learn	how	creating	peak	beauty	sleep	can	help	you	lose	weight	or
maintain	your	ideal	weight,	improve	your	
metabolism	and	your	immunity,
better	repair	damaged	tissues	or	cells	(including	in	your	skin),	and	delay	disease
and	aging,	all	around	working	to	increase	your	beauty. You’ll	also	learn	the
most	effective	tips	and	tools	to	optimize	your	beauty	sleep,	which	is	key	in
allowing	your	most	beautiful	self	to	shine	through. Hopefully,	by	the	end	of
this	pillar,	your	perspective	on	sleep	will	have	radically	shifted.SHIFT	10:
Understand	the	
Sleep-Beauty-
Wellness	Connection
How	Much	Sleep	Do	You	Really	Need? No	matter	how	you	slice	it,	most	of	us	aren’t	getting	enough	sleep. The
National	Sleep	Foundation	suggests	that	on	average	adults	need	about	7	to	9
hours	of	sleep	per	night. 1
	This	is	a	general	recommendation,	and	you	may	need
more	than	that	depending	on	your	individual	constitution,	but	unfortunately
most	of	us	don’t	get	that	much. (Contrary	to	popular	belief,	only	a	small
fraction	of	the	population	can	get	by	for	extended	periods	on	less	than	7	hours
of	sleep	at	night.) Healthy	sleep	is	also	uninterrupted,	not	the	kind	where	you
wake	up	several	times	a	night. Data	from	the	
National	Health	Interview	Survey
concluded	that	at	least	30	percent	of	American	adults	don’t	get	enough	sleep. This	30	percent	reported	only	6	or	fewer	hours	of	sleep	per	night. 2
Ironically,	there’s	been	a	lot	of	talk	lately	that	
oversleeping
	can	be	harmful. In
2002,	a	study	resurfaced	that	found	that	people	who	slept	6.5	to	7.4	hours	had
lower	rates	of	mortality	compared	with	people	who	slept	either	fewer	than	4
hours	or	greater	than	8. 3
	But	before	assuming	that	getting	more	than	8	hours	is
“bad,”	it	is	important	to	know	that	this	study	was	conducted	on	cancer	patients. This	might	have	shifted	the	results,	as	those	with	cancer	likely	have	different
sleep	needs	than	the	general	public. In	those	with	high	mortality	rates,	the	lack
of	sleep	or	excessive	amount	of	sleep	might	have	been	a	symptom	of	the
patients’	illness	and	not	the	cause. This	shows	how	important	it	is	to	look	at
studies	very	carefully	before	making	broad	assumptions,	especially	as	they	relate
to	lifestyle	shifts. Meanwhile,	a	growing	number	of	researchers	don’t	believe	there	is	such	a
thing	as	oversleeping. Dr.	
Sigrid	Veasey	of	the	University	of	Pennsylvania’s
Center	for	Sleep	and	Circadian	Neurobiology	puts	it	bluntly:	“
You	can	never	get
‘too	much’	sleep. When	you	have	had	enough	sleep,	you	will	wake	up
.”There	are	other	interesting	findings	as	well. Researchers	at	
Stanford
University	studied	the	impact	of	playing	sports	while	involved	in	academics. The	result	is	that	players	often	get	little	sleep. They	conducted	an	experiment	in
which	the	players	slept	10	hours	a	night	for	a	five-	to	seven-week	period	instead
of	their	usual	6	hours. The	results	showed	that	their	speed	and	accuracy,	as	well
as	their	physical,	mental,	and	emotional	well-being,	all	grew	measurably	better. 4
It’s	no	surprise,	then,	that	many	top	athletes,	including	
Usain	Bolt,	
Michael
Phelps,	
LeBron	James,	and	
Roger	Federer,	report	getting	upward	of	10	to	12
hours	of	sleep	a	night. You	may	be	asking	yourself,	What	does	this	have	to	do	with	beauty? Well,
athletes	need	to	allow	their	bodies	to	rest	and	rejuvenate	to	reach	peak
condition	for	their	athletic	competitions. Likewise,	rest	and	rejuvenation	is	key
for	all	of	your	body’s	functions	to	perform	at	their	peak. This	has	a	direct
impact	on	your	beauty. An	article	published	on	
Harvard	Medical	School’s
website	explains	that	major	restorative	functions,	“like	muscle	growth,	tissue
repair,	protein	synthesis,	and	growth	hormone	release	occur	mostly,	or	in	some
cases	only,	during	sleep.”
5
Ultimately,	you	must	listen	to	your	body	to	see	how	much	sleep	you
personally	need. It	might	be	8	hours	or	possibly	even	9	or	10. It	is	completely
individual. You	may	wonder	where	you	could	possibly	find	more	time	to	get
additional	sleep,	but	it	is	often	possible	to	cut	out	unnecessary	evening	activities
and	simply	go	to	bed	earlier. Television	is	one	thing	that	takes	up	so	much	time
for	most	people	but	is	completely	unproductive. It	may	sound	radical	to	suggest
giving	up	TV	entirely,	but	it	might	be	easier	than	you	think	and	could
profoundly	improve	your	life. Once	you	have	a	deeper	understanding	of	how	strongly	sleep	can	impact
your	beauty	and	overall	wellness,	you	will	likely	feel	compelled	to	really
prioritize	your	sleep. The	
Effects	of	Too	Little	Sleep
If	you	consistently	get	fewer	than	the	ideal	number	of	hours	of	sleep	for	you,
here’s	what	you	are	most	likely	dealing	with. ACCELERATED	AGING
If	you’ve	ever	wanted	actual	scientific	documentation	for	the	phenomenon	of
beauty	sleep,	here	it	is:	A	study	published	in	2015	assessed	actual	skin	aging,
and	the	subjects	whose	sleep	was	deemed	“good”	were	found	to	have	lower	skin
aging	scores. This	included	a	30	percent	higher	barrier	of	recovery	whencompared	with	poor	sleepers. 6
In	another	fascinating	clinical	trial	from	the	
University	Hospitals	Case
Medical	Center	in	
Cleveland,	Ohio,	a	direct	connection	was	found	between
poor	sleep	and	accelerating	aging,	especially	of	the	skin. 7
	Researchers	examined
sixty	premenopausal	women	between	the	ages	of	thirty	and	forty-nine
8
	who	fell
into	either	a	“poor”	or	“quality”	sleep	group,	based	on	sleep	length	and	overall
excellence. They	discovered	that	the	poor	sleepers	showed	twice	as	many	signs
of	aging	as	those	in	the	quality	sleep	group. These	measurements	included	fine
lines,	uneven	pigmentation,	slackening	of	skin,	and	reduced	elasticity. 9
	They
also	found	that	those	in	the	quality	sleep	group	recovered	more	efficiently	from
damage	and	other	stressors	like	exposure	to	the	sun. 10
	This	shows	that	sun	is
not	the	
only
	big	issue	with	skin	aging. Other	factors,	such	as	the	quality	of	your
sleep,	may	reduce	your	skin’s	ability	to	recover	from	sunlight	exposure. Need	more	proof? A	study	at	
Sweden’s	
University	of	Stockholm	found	that
sleep	deprivation	produced	visible	signs	of	aging,	including	increased	hanging
eyelids,	darker	circles	under	the	eyes,	more	wrinkles	and	fine	lines,	swollen	eyes,
and	more	pronounced	droopy	corners	of	the	mouth. 11
	Anything	that	promotes
the	use	of	the	word	
droopy
	to	describe	your	face	must	obviously	be	avoided	as
much	as	possible! WEIGHT	GAIN
In	general,	those	who	do	not	sleep	well	tend	to	weigh	more	than	those	who	get
good	levels	of	sleep. 12
	A	University	Hospitals	Case	Medical	Center	clinical	trial
found	that	poor	sleepers	were	nearly	twice	as	likely	to	be	overweight	than	those
who	slept	well. In	their	study,	23	percent	of	the	“good	quality”	sleepers	were
obese,	versus	44	percent	in	the	group	that	reported	poor	sleep	quality. 13
	A
Wisconsin	Sleep	Cohort	study	found	that	as	hours	of	sleep	per	night	went
down,	
body	mass	index	(BMI)	went	up	proportionally. 14
	This	further	disputes
the	vastly	oversimplified	approach	that	what	is	on	your	plate	and	how	much
you	work	out	are	the	only	factors	that	determine	your	weight. In	another	study	published	in	the	
American	Journal	of	Epidemiology
,	women
who	slept	5	hours	or	less	a	night	had	a	15	percent	higher	risk	of	becoming
obese	than	women	who	slept	7	hours	a	night. Over	the	course	of	the	sixteen-
year	study,	the	women	who	got	less	sleep	also	had	a	30	percent	higher	risk	of
gaining	30	pounds	than	the	women	who	got	7	hours	of	sleep	per	night. 15
You	may	be	wondering	exactly	
how
	sleep	affects	your	weight. It	turns	out	that
a	lack	of	proper	sleep	can	disrupt	the	key	hormones	that	control	appetite,
making	those	who	sleep	poorly	more	hungry	than	those	who	sleep	well	throughthe	night. 16
	A	study	published	in	the	
Journal	of	Clinical	Endocrinology	and
Metabolism
	looked	at	the	connection	between	sleep	and	the	hormone	leptin,
which	controls	appetite,	and	found	that	circulating	levels	of	leptin	in	your	body
are	influenced	by	the	quality	of	your	sleep. 17
	This	means	that	the	more	sleep
you	get,	the	better	your	body	becomes	at	sensing	when	it	is	full. The	connection	between	sleep	duration,	body	weight,	metabolism,	and
specific	hormones	was	backed	up	by	a	team	of	researchers	from	the	
Stanford
University	School	of	Medicine,	who	found	that	getting	less	sleep	can	lead	to
higher	levels	of	ghrelin,	a	hormone	that	triggers	appetite,	and	lower	levels	of
leptin,	which	tells	your	body	it’s	full,	as	well	as	an	increased	BMI. 18
	In	other
words,	the	less	you	sleep,	the	hungrier	you	will	be	and	the	more	food	it	will	take
to	make	you	feel	full! The	
Harvard	School	of	Public	Health	suggests	that	not	getting	enough	sleep
leads	to	other	factors	that	contribute	to	weight	gain. For	example,	people	who
don’t	sleep	enough	may	be	too	exhausted	to	exercise,	leading	to	weight	gain. Or
perhaps	these	people	simply	have	more	opportunities	to	eat	since	they	spend
more	hours	of	the	day	awake. And	we’ve	all	experienced	pesky	food	cravings. When	sleep	deprived,	you	may	feel	more	emotional,	fatigued,	and	susceptible	to
cravings. One	study	showed	that	the	amygdala,	a	set	of	neurons	in	the	brain
responsible	for	emotional	reactions	in	the	decision-making	process,	was	more
active	when	subjects	did	not	get	adequate	sleep. 19
Interestingly,	the	ease	with	which	you	gain	weight	or	maintain	a	healthy
weight	may	be	related	to	childhood	sleep	patterns. A	recent	study	in	the	
Archives
of	Pediatrics	and	Adolescent	Medicine
	found	that	not	getting	enough	sleep	in	early
life	(through	preschool)	can	be	a	long-term	risk	factor	for	
obesity	
throughout
life. 20
	The	study	also	found	that	napping	was	not	a	viable	substitute	for
nighttime	sleep	as	it	relates	to	obesity	prevention. 21
	If	you	are	a	parent,	you	can
rest	assured	that	your	perhaps	frequent	bedtime	battles	are	well	worth	it	for	the
sake	of	your	child’s	long-term	health. HORMONAL	IMBALANCE
Hormones	are	chemicals	that	are	produced	by	different	organs	and	glands	and
send	important	signals	to	different	parts	of	the	body. As	hormones	largely
regulate	repairs	that	take	place	in	the	body,	impacting	how	you	look	and	feel,	it
is	essential	to	balance	your	hormones	in	order	to	express	your	Radical	Beauty. Hormones	can	be	compared	to	keys	that	“unlock”	certain	cells	but	not	others. Like	keys,	different	cells	fit	with	specific	hormones. When	the	“key”	is	turned
and	the	cell	is	“unlocked,”	it	receives	a	signal	to	multiply,	make	proteins	orenzymes,	or	perform	other	vital	tasks,	including	releasing	other	hormones. There	is	a	high	level	of	intelligence	with	hormones. Some	may	fit	with	many
types	of	cells	but	have	different	effects	on	each	type	of	cell. For	example,	a
hormone	may	stimulate	one	type	of	cell	to	perform	a	task,	while	the	same
hormone	turns	off	a	different	type	of	cell. To	complicate	this	even	more,	the
way	a	cell	responds	to	a	specific	hormone	may	change	over	time. While,	thankfully,	our	bodies	and	all	their	intrinsic	parts	perform	their
duties	without	us	having	to	direct	them,	it’s	important	that	we	create	an	ideal
environment	for	our	hormones	to	function	properly. The	
National	Institute	on
Aging	teaches	us	that	hormone	production	fluctuates	during	the	day	and	also
during	different	points	in	your	life. 22
	While	some	natural	fluctuations	are
normal,	we	want	to	avoid	the	
unnatural
	variations	that	occur	if	you	don’t	get
enough	sleep	on	a	consistent	basis. Restoration	is	key	to	your	all-around	well-
being	and	for	your	natural	beauty	to	express	itself. It’s	been	well	documented	that	inadequate	sleep	can	negatively	affect	certain
hormone	levels	in	the	body. 23,
24
	In	addition	to	its	effects	on	the	hormones	that
control	appetite,	a	lack	of	sleep	causes	your	body	to	produce	excess	amounts	of
the	hormone	cortisol,	which	can	break	down	your	skin	cells	and	contribute	to
various	skin	issues. 25
	Cortisol	is	a	stress	hormone	that	tends	to	accumulate
around	the	stomach,	unfortunately	leading	to	weight	gain	specifically	in	the
belly	area,	as	stomach	fat	cells	are	sensitive	to	cortisol	and	store	excess	energy
there. 26
Another	hormone	affected	by	
sleep	is	called	HGH,	or	human	growth
hormone. This	is	an	important	hormone	for	beauty	because	it	helps	your	skin
grow	thicker,	healthier,	and	more	elastic	or	pliable	in	texture,	which	further
helps	to	protect	against	wrinkling. Natural	production	of	HGH	also	helps	with
muscle	building	and	tissue	repair. Unfortunately,	disturbed	sleep	can	inhibit
your	natural	production	of	HGH. 27
	This	can	make	it	more	difficult	for	your
body	to	build	lean	muscle	and	resilient,	youthful	skin. WEAKENED	
IMMUNE	SYSTEM
A	growing	body	of	research	is	finding	a	strong	relationship	between	sleep	and
immunity. 28
	Increasing	evidence	shows	that	inadequate	sleep	leads	to	a
weakened	immune	response. 29
	Sleep	may	help	facilitate	the	redistribution	of	T-
cells	to	lymph	nodes. 30
	T-cells	are	a	vital	part	of	our	immune	system	that	help
maintain	our	wellness	and	vitality,	and	the	more	efficiently	they	travel	through
the	lymphatic	system,	the	better. Since	our	entire	population	appears	to	be
suffering	from	a	sleep	deficit,	our	immunity	must	be	reduced	across	thepopulation	as	a	whole. Can	you	imagine	the	health	implications	for	our	entire
society	if	we	all	slept	better? The	entire	health	of	the	community	would	be
bolstered,	and	health-care	costs	might	be	dramatically	reduced! But	this	very
much	has	to	start	with	you. Getting	sick	isn’t	just	inconvenient	or	annoying;	it	can	also	be	aging. Some
theorize	that	diseases	and	routine	illnesses	like	the	common	cold	can	actually
create	free	radicals	in	your	body. 31
	When	these	sicknesses	occur,	your	immune
system	creates	free	radicals	on	purpose	to	help	neutralize	harmful	viruses	and
bacteria. But	those	free	radicals	also	create	cellular	damage	and	contribute	to
the	visible	effects	of	aging. In	other	words,	minimizing	and	avoiding	getting
sick	isn’t	just	to	benefit	your	health;	it	can	be	another	powerful	tool	in	your
anti-aging	arsenal. SLUGGISH	DETOXIFICATION
Sleep	gives	your	body	the	rest	it	needs	to	perform	its	vital	functions,	such	as
detoxification. It	is	therefore	critical	to	help	promote	optimal	detoxification
and	clear	metabolic	waste	from	your	system. 32
	As	you	know,	the	more	detoxed
and	cleansed	your	internal	body	is,	the	more	beautiful	you	will	become. POOR	PERFORMANCE
It’s	well	established	that	
sleep	improves	your	performance	and	alertness. 33
When	you	sleep	more,	you’ll	drive	more	safely,	and	your	memory	will	improve,
too. 34
	Reduced	sleep	means	you	aren’t	able	to	perform	at	your	highest	potential
for	all	tasks	in	life. If	you	aren’t	able	to	feel	as	present	and	alert	at	work,	when
working	on	your	creative	pursuits,	while	playing	with	your	children,	or	during
your	workouts,	it’s	very	frustrating	and	reflects	a	diminishing	quality	of	your
life. ANXIETY	AND	
DEPRESSION
Poor	sleep	can	also	contribute	to	worsening	anxiety. 35
	In	a	parallel	fashion,
insomnia,	the	extreme	end	of	bad	sleep,	may	be	a	risk	factor	for	full-blown
anxiety	disorders. 36
	On	the	opposite	end	of	the	spectrum,	when	you	feel	fully
rested	and	consistently	get	enough	sleep,	it’s	easier	to	feel	calm	and	present. Calmness	helps	you	deal	better	with	stressors	in	life,	and	as	we	discussed	earlier,
dealing	with	stress	better	helps	delay	aging	all	around. For	someone	suffering	from	depression,	bad	and	irregular	sleep	is	often	part
of	the	disorder. In	fact,	some	recent	therapies	focus	on	loss	of	good	sleep	as	the
first	sign	that	a	bout	of	depression	may	soon	occur. This	onset	can	be	avertedby	paying	close	attention	to	good	sleep	before	the	depression	actually	hits. Is
good	sleep	a	preventive	for	depression? That’s	not	agreed	upon,	but	it’s
definitely	worth	trying	to	incorporate. PERMANENT	
BRAIN	DAMAGE
An	aging	brain	leads	to	less	vitality	overall,	and	vitality	is	a	big	component	of
being	your	most	Radically	Beautiful. Researchers	at	
Duke-NUS	Graduate
Medical	School	Singapore	(Duke–National	University	of	Singapore)	found	a
relationship	between	the	fewer	hours	of	sleep	adults	get	and	accelerated	aging	in
the	brain. 37
Most	of	us	presume	that	a	few	nights	of	missed	sleep	are	not	a	big	deal. We
think	we	can	recover	by	getting	more	sleep	in	the	future. But	a	study	from
researchers	at	the	
University	of	Pennsylvania	found	otherwise. 38
	The	lead
researcher,	
Sigrid	Veasey,	MD,	notes,	“This	is	the	first	report	that	sleep	loss	can
actually	result	in	a	loss	of	neurons.”
39
	She	continues,	“No	one	really	thought
that	the	brain	could	be	irreversibly	injured	from	sleep	loss. In	general,	we’ve
always	assumed	full	recovery	of	cognition	following	short-	and	long-term	sleep
loss. But	some	of	the	research	in	humans	has	shown	that	attention	span	and
several	other	aspects	of	cognition	may	not	normalize	even	with	three	days	of
recovery	sleep,	raising	the	question	of	lasting	injury	in	the	brain.”
40
	Whoa…now
this	is	a	pretty	strong	reason	not	to	put	off	sleep! Sleep	deprivation	is	considered	a	constant	stressor	to	your	system	and	has
been	shown	in	some	research	to	reduce	the	capacity	for	learning	and	memory. Reducing	sleep	deprivation	is	even	hypothesized	to	help	prevent	or	slow	the
progression	of	Alzheimer’s	disease. 41
	Of	course,	the	sharper	and	more	alert	your
brain	is,	the	more	powerful	and	confident	in	your	beauty	you	will	be. All	of	these	findings	help	us	to	understand	how	the	most	basic	of	nature’s
rhythms	contributes	to	every	aspect	of	life. But	please	don’t	be	alarmed. This
shift	was	not	meant	to	frighten	you	with	the	disastrous	effects	of	getting	too
little	sleep,	but	rather	to	open	your	eyes	to	all	of	the	benefits	you’ll	soon	see
from	getting	more,	better	quality	sleep. In	the	next	shift,	you’ll	learn	how	to
tune	in	to	your	body’s	natural	rhythms	in	order	to	achieve	Peak	Beauty	Sleep.SHIFT	11:
Tune	In	to	Your	
Body’s	
Natural
Rhythms
Nature’s	Timetable
Being	more	in	tune	with	our	natural	rhythms	aligns	us	to	nature’s	power	and
beauty. It’s	easy	to	think	of	nature’s	power	in	a	dramatic	flash	of	lightning	or	in
the	heat	of	the	sun,	but	equal	to	this	power	is	the	strength	of	rejuvenation. We
need	to	harness	this	power	to	retract	and	go	inward	in	order	to	have	the	most
effective,	deep	sleep	that	fuels	our	creative	power	and	allows	our	natural	beauty
to	fully	shine	through. Radical	Beauty	is	about	living	in	harmony	with	nature’s	inherent	wisdom. From	a	sleep	perspective,	this	means	that	the	more	in	tune	you	are	with	natural
light,	the	better. This	shifts	every	season	with	the	influence	and	timing	of	the
sun	and	the	larger	bodies	of	energy	beyond	our	planet. The	sun	coordinates	the
movement	of	the	Earth	around	its	axis,	which	influences	the	larger	seasonal
shifts	as	well	as	the	daily	shifts	that	create	longer	and	shorter	days. Even	though
these	planetary	bodies	may	seem	unfathomably	far	away	from	the	average
person,	they	actually	exert	their	influence	on	our	bodies. Since	we	possess	all	of
the	main	elements	found	in	nature,	Ayurveda	believes	we	are	miniature
representations	of	the	whole	universe,	the	entire	cosmos. Circadian	rhythms	are	physical,	mental,	and	behavioral	changes	in	living
beings	(including	not	only	animals	but	also	plants	and	microbes)	that	follow	a
roughly	24-hour	cycle. These	are	produced	by	natural	factors	in	the	body	and
respond	to	signals	from	the	environment. The	main	external	signal	affecting
circadian	rhythms	is	light,	which	influences	the	turning	on	and	off	of	an
organism’s	internal	clock. Circadian	rhythms	influence	sleep	patterns,	hormone
release,	body	temperature,	and	other	important	bodily	functions,	while
abnormal	
circadian	rhythms	have	been	associated	with	sleep	disorders,	obesity,
diabetes,	depression,	bipolar	disorder,	and	seasonal	affective	disorder. 1Circadian	rhythms	are	important	for	us	to	consider	in	promoting	Peak
Beauty	Sleep. If	we	live	in	tune	with	our	natural	body	clocks	and	circadian
rhythms,	we	will	naturally	be	more	active	in	the	morning	and	wind	down	in	the
evening. An	ideal	time	to	work	out,	for	instance,	is	in	the	morning,	around	the
rising	light	and	rising	energy,	or	in	the	middle	of	the	day,	in	the	peak	of
sunlight,	as	opposed	to	late	in	the	evening,	when	the	sun	is	naturally
descending,	indicating	a	return	inward	toward	relaxation. Late	workouts	can	be
overly	stimulating	and	wake	you	up	rather	than	bring	you	closer	to	sleep. The	brain’s	electrical	response	to	rhythmic	sensory	stimulation,	such	as
pulses	of	sound	or	light,
2
	synchronizes	with	the	natural,	rhythmic	changes	in
our	environment. Our	health,	down	to	the	minute	cellular	level,	depends	on
the	degree	to	which	we	are	in	harmony	with	the	natural	cycles	of	daytime	and
nighttime. Even	basic	functions	in	our	body	that	we	often	take	for	granted,
such	as	our	blood	pressure,	
immune	system	functions,	and	cellular	growth,	all
depend	on	our	rhythmic	melatonin	cycle. This	in	turn	depends	on	syncing	up
properly	with	nature’s	rhythms. We	are,	after	all,	inseparably	one	with	nature. Artificial	Light:	Friend	or	Foe? When	you	consider	the	fact	that	
Thomas	Edison	successfully	tested	the	first
electric	lamp	in	1879,
3
	you	might	be	a	little	jolted	(pun	intended)	to	realize	that
artificial	lights	haven’t	been	around	very	long	in	the	broad	scope	of	human
evolution. While	the	benefits	of	electricity	are	enormous	and	obvious,	it	has
also	introduced	a	set	of	health	and	beauty	issues. This	is	due	to	the	fact	that
artificial	lighting	allows	us	to	experience	daytime	around	the	clock	if	we	wish,
making	us	completely	out	of	tune	with	the	natural	rhythms	of	the	planet. The	body’s	master	clock	is	made	up	of	about	20,000	neurons,	with	sleep
signals	traveling	from	the	pons,	an	area	at	the	base	of	the	brain,	to	the	thalamus
and	then	on	to	the	thinking	part	of	the	brain,	the	cortex. 4
	The	pineal	gland
produces	melatonin,	a	hormone	that	communicates	to	the	body	information
about	light	levels	in	the	outside	world. The	light	seen	by	your	eyes	influences
how	your	brain	
interprets	this	information. When	your	body	clock	senses	a
decrease	in	light,	ideally	in	the	evenings,	it	signals	your	brain	to	produce	more
melatonin	to	induce	drowsiness	and	sleep. But	now	we	are	in	an	age	where	we	are	exposed	to	numerous	new	assailants
on	our	inner	sleep	mechanism,	including	illuminated	smartphones,	tablets,	e-
readers,	and	laptops. We	use	these	devices	often	right	in	our	beds	and	directly
before	bedtime	with	increasing	frequency. The	eye	is	registering	daytime	levels
of	light	later	and	later	at	night. A	
National	Sleep	Foundation	survey	found	thatnine	out	of	ten	Americans	reported	using	a	technological	device	in	the	hours
before	bed. 5
	With	the	increased	light	stimulation	to	our	brains,	hormones,	and
entire	being,	how	can	we	expect	the	body	to	maintain	normal	sleep	patterns? The	result	is	that	we’ve	lost	the	connection	to	our	
natural	rhythms	and	the
cycles	of	the	environment	around	us. It’s	important	to	refoster	that	connection. While	your	life	might	be	extremely	busy	and	hectic,	shifting	your	schedule	as
much	as	possible	toward	going	to	bed	closer	to	sunset	and	waking	up	closer	to
sunrise	will	help	you	align	and	synergize	with	the	higher	power	of	universal
nature. Closer
	is	the	key	word	here,	as	it	might	seem	impossible	in	modern	life
to	go	to	bed	at	sunset	and	rise	right	at	sunrise. But	start	with	the	baby	step	of
going	to	bed	half	an	hour	earlier	and	waking	up	half	an	hour	earlier. Also	try	at
least	eating	dinner	earlier,	closer	to	sunset,	which	is	also	helpful	for	syncing
closer	to	natural	rhythms. Yin	and	Yang:	How	the	Day	Affects	the	Night
Exposure	to	natural	light	during	the	day	is	important	as	a	contrast	to	the	dark
cycles	of	the	night. This	helps	promote	overall	healthy	sleep	and	waking	cycles. If	you	want	to	have	a	peaceful	nightly	rhythm	of	sleeping,	you	have	to	also
balance	the	opposite,	the	daylight. It’s	important	to	have	exposure	to	natural
light	on	a	regular	basis. Just	as	our	sleep	rhythms	have	become	corrupted	by
artificial	light	exposure	long	after	daylight	has	naturally	reduced,	so	our	daily
rhythms	have	been	worn	away	by	minimized	exposure	to	natural	light. Most	of
us	spend	the	vast	majority	of	our	days	indoors	under	artificial	lights. The	neurotransmitter	in	our	brain	called	serotonin	increases	with	the	light	of
each	day. Serotonin	influences	daily	and	nightly	rhythms,	memory,	appetite,
and	so	on—in	essence,	all	the	factors	that	play	a	part	in	our	internal	rhythms. The	amount	of	melatonin	made	available	to	the	body	in	response	to	the
darkness	of	the	night	actually	depends	on	the	concentration	of	serotonin
secreted	in	response	to	the	natural	light	we	are	exposed	to	during	the	day. Serotonin	is	broken	down	into	melatonin,	so	there	is	a	beautifully	coordinated,
natural	rhythm	present	between	the	cycles	of	serotonin	and	melatonin,	which
depend	on	each	other	and	are	controlled	by	a	changing	environment. The	Importance	of	
Color
Clearly,	avoiding	artificial	light	around	bedtime	is	important	for	Peak	Beauty
Sleep,	but	interestingly,	it	turns	out	that	not	all	light	is	created	equal. In	fact,
using	light	color	strategically	might	be	helpful	in	smoothing	out	nervous-system	activity. 6
	Research	on	the	“color	temperature”	of	light	and	its	effects	on
the	brain	suggests	that	the	“temperature”	of	the	light	is	more	important	than	its
brightness. This	means	that	on	a	color	spectrum,	yellow-white	through	red
lights	(which	are	considered	low-color-temperature	lights)	have	a	far	less
detrimental	effect	on	our	systems	than	the	blue	lights	on	the	other	end	of	the
spectrum. Research	has	now	pinpointed	that	electronics	emanate	blue	light,	which
affects	the	brain	more	strongly	than	other	colors	and,	in	particular,	disturbs	our
sleep. In	other	words,	reducing	light	all	around	can	be	very	helpful,	but	it’s
critical	to	reduce	blue	light	specifically. Unfortunately,	blue	light	is	emitted
strongly	and	consistently	from	many	different	electronic	devices. Using	these
devices	near	bedtime	can	have	a	detrimental	effect	on	your	sleep	patterns	and
consequently	your	natural	beauty	expression. A	photoreceptor	in	the	eye	called	melanopsin	plays	a	role	in	establishing	our
day/night	cycles	and	is	particularly	sensitive	to	a	narrow	band	of	blue	light	in
the	460–480	nanometers	(nm)	range. 7
	Researchers	at	the	University	of
Pennsylvania	
School	of	Medicine	and	School	of	Arts	and	Sciences	studied	the
biological	effects	of	blue	light
8
	and	found	that	melanopsin	is	very	sensitive	to
blue	light,	which	is	emitted	by	digital	devices,	including	smartphones,	tablets,
and	computers. 9
This	means	that	if	you	work	on	a	tablet	or	laptop,	or	look	at	your
smartphone	before	bed,	you	might	find	your	
sleep	is	delayed. This	results	in	all
of	the	adverse	beauty	and	wellness	implications	we	mentioned	earlier,	including
accelerated	aging,	reduced	performance	in	all	your	tasks,
10
	and	suppression	of
natural	human	growth	hormone,	which	you	need	to	increase	muscle	mass	and
induce	tissue	repair. Electronics	and	Sleep	Don’t	Mix
An	alarming	51	percent	of	people	who	text	specifically	in	the	hour	before	going
to	bed	reported	they	were	less	likely	to	get	a	good	night’s	sleep,	“every/almost
every	weeknight.”
11
	In	a	similar	fashion,	up	to	77	percent	use	their	computers
or	laptops	in	the	hour	before	bed. Of	those,	50	percent	reported	they	were	less
likely	to	get	a	good	night’s	sleep,	“every/almost	every	weeknight.”
12
According	to	more	than	thirty	years	of	studies	conducted	at	the	Division	of
Sleep	Medicine	at	
Boston’s	
Brigham	and	Women’s	Hospital	and	
Harvard
Medical	School,	the	light	from	electronics	has	a	significant	effect	on	circadian
(i.e.,	daily)	rhythms	of	waking	and	sleeping. Throwing	off	your	circadianrhythm	affects	how	quickly	you	fall	asleep	as	well	as	the	quality	of	sleep	you
get. 13
	According	to	Dr.	
Charles	A.	Czeisler	of	Harvard	Medical	School,
“Artificial	light	exposure	between	dusk	and	the	time	we	go	to	bed	at	night
suppresses	release	of	the	sleep-promoting	hormone	melatonin,	enhances
alertness	and	shifts	circadian	rhythms	to	a	later	hour—making	it	more	difficult
to	fall	asleep.”
14
Answering	work	e-mails	late	at	night,	whether	from	your	boss	or	regarding
pending	stressful	deadlines,	might	also	stir	up	anxiety	that	is	not	so	conducive
to	sleep. You	may	be	wondering,	what	about	e-readers? These	are	one	of	the
newest	electronic	phenomena	to	have	an	effect	on	our	brains	and	biorhythms. A	report	from	the	
Proceedings	of	the	National	Academy	of	Sciences
	found	that	using
such	devices	near	bedtime	caused	users	to	take	longer	to	fall	asleep	and	led	to
disturbances	in	their	circadian	rhythm,	suppression	of	the	sleep-inducing
hormone	melatonin,	delays	in	the	timing	of	REM	sleep,	and	decreased	alertness
the	next	morning. 15
In	short,	the	bright	light	from	these	devices	stimulates	your	brain	and,
unfortunately,	makes	it	think	it’s	daytime. This	keeps	your	brain	alert	instead	of
allowing	it	to	wind	down	when	it	senses	that	it	is	night. While	there	are	some
apps	you	can	download	onto	devices	to	help	reduce	the	emission	of	blue	light,
there	is	still	some	remaining	stimulation	from	your	electronic	devices. You’d	be
better	served	turning	them	off	earlier	every	evening. Action	Steps	to	Align	Yourself	to	Nature’s
Rhythms
Here	are	some	of	the	most	important	steps	you	can	take	to	cut	down	on	sleep
disturbances	from	artificial	lights—especially	electronic	devices—to	promote
Peak	Beauty	Sleep. FOLLOW	THE	ONE-HOUR	RULE
It’s	critical	to	put	down	your	devices,	including	tablets,	cell	phones,	and	e-
readers,	at	least	an	hour	before	bed	if	you	want	to	get	that	profound	beauty
sleep	that	is	critical	to	how	you	feel	and	look. USE	AIRPLANE	MODE
While	you’re	at	it,	be	sure	to	fully	turn	off	your	cell	phone	when	you	go	to	bed
—or	at	least	put	it	in	airplane	mode. That	way	you	won’t	be	disturbed	by	the
sounds	or	lights	from	nighttime	calls,	texts,	and	e-mails. Plus,	by	cutting	off	thesignal,	you’ll	have	fewer	electromagnetic	frequencies,	or	invisible	electric	and
magnetic	fields	radiating	away	from	appliances	that	may	have	potentially
harmful	health	effects,	targeted	at	you	during	the	night. You	certainly	don’t
need	that	signal	beaming	at	you	all	night	long. FLASHLIGHT	IT	TO	THE	BATHROOM
We	all	have	to	get	up	in	the	middle	of	the	night	for	a	bathroom	break
sometimes. If	you	turn	on	the	bathroom	light,	however,	the	brightness	can
interrupt	your	
circadian	rhythms,	making	it	difficult	for	you	to	go	back	to
sleep. Instead,	try	using	a	night-light	in	the	bathroom	that	isn’t	visible	from
your	bedroom,	or	keep	a	dim	flashlight	next	to	the	bed. Avoid	drinking	large
quantities	of	fluids	before	bedtime	as	well,	in	order	to	avoid	this	problem
altogether. CHANGE	YOUR	ALARM
Unfortunately,	LED	
alarm	clocks	pose	the	same	problems	as	other	electronic
devices:	they	introduce	a	source	of	light	into	your	room	that	disrupts	your
circadian	rhythm. Your	alarm	clock	also	gives	off	an	electromagnetic	frequency
(EMF). Some	studies	link	EMF	exposure	to	melatonin	interruption	and
depletion	in	rodents	and	humans,
16
	which	is	not	good	since	melatonin	is	a
hormone	necessary	for	sound	sleep. Switch	to	a	battery-operated	alarm	clock	or
use	your	phone’s	alarm,	which	should	be	in	airplane	mode	at	bedtime	and
throughout	the	night. Avoid	placing	other	electronic	devices	such	as	radios	or
MP3	players	on	your	bedside	table	as	well. CAN’T	SLEEP? CHILL	OUT
If	you	simply	can’t	fall	asleep	for	more	than	half	an	hour	or	so	and	are	finding
yourself	getting	increasingly	agitated,	get	up	and	go	into	the	other	room	and	read
a	book	or	magazine,	listen	to	some	relaxing	music,	or	
meditate. Whatever	you	do,
don’t
	do	anything	stimulating,	such	as	go	on	your	computer	or	watch	television. The
other	thing	to	avoid	is	staring	at	the	clock	or	constantly	checking	the	time	on	your
phone. (There	goes	that	blue	light	again!) Focusing	on	the	time	can	stress	you	out
and	make	it	even	harder	to	fall	asleep. So	just	try	to	let	it	go,	and	keep	your	phone
(in	airplane	mode	of	course!) far	enough	away	that	it	takes	some	real	effort	to
reach	over	and	pick	it	up. PICK	PRINT
While	e-readers	may	be	convenient	for	your	commute	or	when	traveling,	opt
for	printed	
books	at	night. Reading	from	a	printed	book	at	night	is	actuallyrelaxing	and	can	help	promote	Peak	Beauty	Sleep. BALANCE	LIGHT	DAYS	AND	DARK	NIGHTS
To	sleep	better	at	night,	get	more	
natural	light	into	your	days. Wake	up	to	the
light	by	opening	your	curtains	and	letting	it	shine	in. If	you	have	to	be	indoors
for	much	of	your	day	because	of	your	job,	make	an	effort	to	go	for	a	walk
during	the	day,	even	if	it’s	just	briefly	to	run	errands	or	walk	around	your	local
park. Try	to	eat	lunch	outside	when	the	weather	permits. Even	in	the	winter,	get
outside	and	into	the	light	as	much	as	possible. Bundle	up	when	it’s	cold.
Radical_Beauty_from_the_inside_out_by_Deepak_Chopra.txt
Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        GRAPE-SEED	OIL
This	is	a	great	natural	moisturizer	that	helps	strengthen	cell	membranes. It
contains	antioxidants,	vitamins,	minerals,	and	other	nutrients. There	are	many
other	great	natural	plant	oils,	including	black	cumin	seed,	hemp	seed,	tamanu,
almond,	and	so	on. RADICAL	BEAUTY	SKIN	TEXTURE	SMOOTHING	MASK
Coconut	yogurt	is	a	great	source	of	amino	acids	and	probiotics,	carrot	is	high	in	skin-brightening
beta-carotene	and	antioxidants,	and	avocado	is	a	rich	source	of	nourishing	beauty	fats,	vitamins,	and
lecithin	to	nourish	dry	skin,	leaving	it	feeling	soft	and	smooth. Try	applying	this	mask	on	a	regular
basis	(ideally	once	a	week)	to	see	your	skin	become	smoother	with	diminished	age	spots. ½	cup	coconut	yogurt	(now	commonly	found	at	local
health	markets)
1	avocado,	peeled	and	pitted
3	tablespoons	raw,	organic	honey
1	organic	carrot
In	a	food	processor	or	blender,	combine	the	ingredients	and	process	until	you	reach	a	smooth
consistency. Spread	over	your	face	and	neck	and	relax	for	15	to	20	minutes	before	rinsing. Red	Patchiness
According	to	
Ayurveda,	red	patches	are	caused	by	too	much	
Pitta
	fire	present,
which	may	be	generated	from	within	by	foods	that	are	allergenic	or
inflammatory. Try	eliminating	common	allergens,	such	as	dairy	and	
gluten,	for
two	weeks	and	see	if	symptoms	subside. Here	are	some	additional	tips	for
cutting	down	on	this	common	skin	ailment:
•
Avoid	spicy	and	pungent	foods	and	spices	such	as	chilies	and	chili	powder
to	cut	down	on	internal	“fire. ”
•
Take	probiotics	and	eat	probiotic-rich	foods,	such	as	raw	sauerkraut	(known
in	the	Beauty	Detox	community	as	Probiotic	&	Enzyme	Salad). •
To	ensure	your	digestion	is	efficient	and	regular,	try	adding	a	magnesium-
oxygen	supplement	(such	as	Detoxy	+)	in	the	evenings. •
Try	adding	some	turmeric,	which	has	cleansing	properties,	to	your	soups
and	when	cooking	veggies. •
Sip	warm	herbal	teas	during	the	day	to	help	keep	the	microcirculatory
channels	flowing	and	free	of	toxins. •
Drink	coconut	water,	which	is	cooling. •
Incorporate	lots	of	raw	greens	into	your	diet,	since	raw	greens	are	considered
cooling. •
Eat	sweet,	watery	fruits	such	as	pineapples	and	mangoes	to	help	balance	the
internal	“fire. ”•
Avoid	full	body	saunas	and	spa	treatments	that	saturate	your	face	in	heat. The	half	infrared	sauna	is	a	great	option	(see	Kimberly’s	website	for
recommendations	at	
kimberlysnyder. com
). •
Avoid	fragrances,	dyes,	and	acids,	which	can	all	be	irritating	to	the	skin. Here	are	a	few	great	skin-care	ingredients	to	incorporate	for	red,	patchy	skin:
•
Chamomile	and	aloe	are	soothing	ingredients	for	your	skin. •
Green	tea	acts	as	a	natural	anti-inflammatory	and	helps	neutralize	aging	and
irritating	free	radicals. RADICAL	SOOTHER	MASK
Cucumber,	green	tea,	and	chamomile	are	all	cooling,	anti-inflammatory	ingredients	that	are	fantastic
for	soothing	inflamed	skin. You	do	not	necessarily	have	to	peel	an	organic	cuke,	as	there	is	lots	of	
zinc
and	other	minerals	in	the	skin. As	with	all	recipes	in	this	book	and	in	general,	use	organic	products	as
much	as	possible. 2	tablespoons	cucumber,	peeled	and	seeded
1	teaspoon	brewed	and	cooled	green	tea	(preferably
loose	leaf)
1	teaspoon	brewed	and	cooled	chamomile	tea
(preferably	loose	leaf)
1	tablespoon	aloe	vera	gel
1	tablespoon	arrowroot	flour	(also	known	as	starch)
Blend	the	cucumber,	green	tea,	and	chamomile	tea	together	(if	you	have	trouble	blending	such	a	small
amount,	just	mash	the	cucumber	in	a	mortar	and	pestle	with	the	teas). Mix	in	the	aloe	vera	gel	and
arrowroot	flour	until	the	mixture	starts	to	thicken. Place	in	the	refrigerator	for	about	30	minutes	to
cool. Spread	over	face	and	neck	in	an	even	layer	and	relax	for	about	20	minutes	before	rinsing	it	off. Spider	Veins
You	can	blame	your	grandmother	for	these	beauties. Poor	Granny	is	sweet	and
innocent,	and	you	sure	do	love	that	great	lady,	but	the	fact	is	that	vein	issues	are
largely	linked	to	heredity. Most	of	us	never	think	about	our	veins	and	take
them	completely	for	granted. That	is,	until	they	start	rearing	their	bluish,
unwanted	heads	up	to	the	surface. There	are	two	main	types	of	cosmetically
unfortunate	vein	issues. The	first	is	varicose	veins,	which	can	be	a	more	serious
form	of	venous	insufficiency. These	can	lead	to	pain	and	soreness,	as	well	as
restless	legs. If	these	issues	have	become	a	problem	for	you,	get	them	checked
out	by	your	doctor. On	the	other	hand,	telangiectasia,	commonly	known	as	spider	veins,	can
indicate	a	much	more	mild	form	of	venous	insufficiency. They	are	cosmetically
a	doozy,	but	are	not	health-	or	life-threatening. So	what	causes	these
unfortunate	blue	malfunctions. Broken-down	valves	in	the	veins	cause	venous
insufficiency. These	malfunctioning	valves	prevent	blood	flow	back	to	the
arteries,	which	can	cause	blood	to	accumulate	and	pool	up. Such	vein	issues	can
become	more	pronounced	if	one	is	sedentary	or	has	reduced	circulation,	and
they	can	even	be	aggravated	by	hormonal	issues	like	hormone	replacement
therapy,	pregnancy,	or	birth	control. 4
	Here	are	some	things	you	can	do	about
them:
•
Walk	around	often	to	keep	circulation	flowing. •
If	you	stand	still	often,	look	into	compression	hose	to	help	with	support. Some	are	more	visually	appealing	than	others,	and	you	might	not	want	to
wear	some	of	them	on	your	bare	legs	(at	least	out	in	public),	but	you	can
certainly	wear	them	under	a	long	skirt	or	pants. •
When	showering,	massage	the	area	around	the	broken	veins	first	in	a	gentle
circular	motion	and	then	in	an	upward	motion	to	help	improve	circulation. (Avoid	this	with	painful	varicose	veins. ) •
Dry	brush	your	skin,	as	discussed	earlier	on	
this	page
,	which	helps	stimulate
the	growth	and	repair	of	the	tissues	and	underlying	veins	by	increasing
blood	flow	to	the	area. It	also	helps	remove	the	blood	that	has	leaked	out	of
the	capillaries	by	diffusing	it	into	the	interstitial	fluids	for	removal. Brushing	the	spider	veins	very	gently	in	a	circular	motion	then	upward
toward	the	heart	several	times	per	day	can	improve	their	appearance. •
Vitamins	A,	B	complex,	C,	D,	and	E	are	all	great	nutrients	to	help	with
tissue	repair,	optimal	circulation,	and	strong	veins. Great	sources	include
carrots,	nutritional	yeast,	mushrooms,	almonds,	lemons,	and	bell	peppers. •
Avoid	inflammatory	vegetable	oils,	especially	when	cooked,	which	can
become	rancid	in	your	body	and	increase	free	radicals	and	cellular	damage. •
Make	sure	you	eat	the	right	beauty	
fats,	such	as	avocados,	coconut	oil,	and
olive	oil	(best	taken	raw	and	lightly	on	certain	dishes	such	as	salads). This
can	help	you	build	nice	strong	cell	walls. •
Eat	
pineapple. It	contains	a	dietary	enzyme	called	bromelain,	which	can
improve	overall	circulation	by	reducing	the	buildup	of	fibrin	along	the	walls
of	the	blood	vessels. •
Spider	veins	are	often	associated	with	the	use	of	hormone	replacementtherapy	(HRT)	and	birth	control	pills. High	levels	of	estrogen	from	these
medications	seem	to	aggravate	venous	insufficiency. If	you	are	using	birth
control	pills,	you	may	want	to	ask	your	doctor	for	a	lower-estrogen-dose
formula. If	you	are	on	HRT,	you	may	want	to	consider	switching	to	a	lower
dose,	adding	progesterone,	or	using	a	weaker	formula,	such	as	an	estrone
cream. •
Try	to	elevate	your	legs	to	hip	level	for	a	few	minutes	several	times	a	day. Frequency	is	more	important	than	the	amount	of	time	in	this	case. Get	out
of	the	habit	of	crossing	your	legs,	knees,	and	ankles	when	seated. If	you	have
a	desk	job,	try	to	spend	a	few	minutes	walking	around	every	hour. If	you
have	a	job	that	requires	standing	for	hours	on	end,	try	to	sit	and	elevate	your
feet	to	hip	level	once	every	hour. CIRCULATION	AND	REJUVENATION	MASK
Chickpea	flour	has	been	used	in	some	
Ayurvedic	recipe	preparations	for	the	skin	and	is	believed	to
help	exfoliate	and	soften	it	as	well	as	stimulate	circulation	and	rejuvenate	tissues. Bananas	are	a	rich,
incredible	beauty	food	high	in	B	vitamins,	vitamin	A,	and	minerals	such	as	potassium. Try	this	simple
mask	on	your	face—or	even	on	the	spider-vein	areas	of	your	legs—when	you	want	to	give	your	skin	a
revitalization	and	glow	boost. ¼	cup	mashed	ripe	banana
1	tablespoon	organic	chickpea	flour
2	teaspoons	sesame	oil	(or	a	little	more	or	less,
depending	on	the	size	of	the	banana)
Stir	the	banana	into	the	chickpea	flour	and	mix	in	the	sesame	oil. Apply	an	even	layer	to	your	face
and	neck,	leaving	it	on	for	15	to	20	minutes	while	you	relax,	before	rinsing	off. SHIFT	9:
Nourish	Strong,	Healthy	
Hair	and
Nails
All	of	the	changes	you’ve	made	so	far	to	your	diet	and	self-care	routine	will
result	in	stronger,	more	naturally	beautiful	hair	and	nails. Like	your	skin,	the
strength	and	vitality	of	your	hair	and	nails	is	a	reflection	of	all	that	is
happening	inside	your	body,	and	there	are	many	ways	to	nourish	them	both
internally	and	externally. How	to	Grow	Healthy	Hair	from	the	Outside	In
If	you	want	strong,	healthy	hair,	it’s	essential	to	nourish	the	hair	follicles	that
grow	your	actual	hair	strands. Go	ahead	right	now	and	touch	your	scalp	with
your	fingers. Give	yourself	a	little	head	massage. It	feels	good,	right. Your	scalp
is	rich	in	nerves	and	blood	vessels. Get	familiar	with	touching	your	scalp	more
than	just	when	you	are	shampooing. It	likes	it	and	will	respond. Every	part	of
your	body	needs	love	and	attention	to	flourish,	and	that	includes	your	scalp. If
you	want	lovely	hair,	you	have	to	give	some	love	to	your	hair. This	includes
attention	from	your	hands,	not	just	from	products	you	buy. In	all	areas	of	life,
love	can’t	just	be	bought. Fluctuations	in	hormones	and	nutrition,	as	well	as	your	good	old	genes,	can
influence	the	quality	and	thickness	of	your	hair. The	dietary	advice	in	
Pillar	1
,
Internal	Nourishment,	will	help	you	grow	more	beautiful	hair	over	time. However,	there	are	also	manual,	external	methods	that	you	can	combine	with
your	dietary	shifts	to	help	create	beautifully	healthy,	shiny	hair. Incorporating
these	methods	from	the	outside	and	the	inside	will	help	you	grow	the	beautiful
hair	that	is	your	birthright. Here	are	some	of	the	most	effective	ways	to	externally	nourish	your	hair. WASH	LESS	OFTENUnless	your	hair	is	incredibly	oily,	it	doesn’t	need	to	be	washed	every	day. Washing	a	few	times	a	week	will	keep	your	hair	clean	but	prevent	overdrying,
allowing	more	time	for	the	natural	oils	in	your	hair	to	moisturize	down	to	the
tips	of	your	strands. SCALP	MASSAGE
This	is	a	fantastic	and	highly	effective	way	to	stimulate	your	hair	follicles	and
foster	healthy	new	growth. This	can	be	incorporated	easily	into	your	daily
routine	as	part	of	your	
abhyanga
	practice	(see	
this	page
). When	you	are	doing
your	daily	oil	massage,	be	sure	to	take	a	few	minutes	to	massage	the	coconut	oil,
sesame	oil,	or	specialized	herbal	formula	oil	into	all	areas	of	your	scalp	to	help
stimulate	circulation	to	your	hair	follicles. If	you	want	to	add	a	few	drops	of
essential	oil	specifically	for	the	scalp-massage	part	of	your	treatment,	a	few	that
are	extra	stimulating	to	your	hair	follicles	include	lemon,	peppermint,	lavender,
basil,	and	rosemary	pure	essential	oils. Just	adding	a	few	drops	into	the	oil	will
suffice. (If	you	are	new	to	these	oils,	and	especially	if	you	have	sensitive	skin,	be
sure	to	check	with	your	dermatologist	or	test	a	tiny	area	to	see	if	they	irritate
your	skin. ) SOFTENING	HAIR	SCALP	TREATMENT
This	is	a	great	treatment	to	do	once	a	week	to	help	heal	and	nourish	your	hair. It’s	easy	to	make	and
use	as	part	of	your	hair-care	routine. Lavender	is	healing	and	nourishing	and	has	been	known	to
relieve	tension	and	headaches	when	massaged	directly	into	your	scalp. Olive	oil	makes	your	hair
incredibly	soft	and	will	improve	the	elasticity	of	your	hair	shaft	and	protect	against	breakage. ⅓	cup	cold-pressed	olive	oil
10	to	12	drops	lavender	essential	oil
Warm	the	olive	oil	in	a	pan	over	the	lowest	setting	possible. Turn	off	and	remove	from	heat	and	then
add	the	lavender	oil. Combine	well	and	massage	the	warm	mixture	into	your	scalp. Twist	your	hair
into	a	bun,	cover	with	a	shower	cap,	and	relax	for	20	to	30	minutes	before	shampooing. Use	Natural	Bristles
Brushing	your	hair	with	a	natural	bristle	brush	can	help	stimulate	your	hair
follicles	and	produce	more	natural	oils	that	lubricate	your	entire	head	and	all
your	beautiful	hair	strands. Start	from	the	top	of	your	head	and	work
systematically	down	the	length	of	your	hair. Gently	work	out	tangles	rather
than	being	aggressive;	you’re	not	plowing	through	an	overgrown	hiking	trail. Avoid	breakage	by	being	patient	and	using	even	strokes. Deep	Clean
It’s	important	to	occasionally	deep	clean	your	scalp	from	any	dirt	and	oils	that
can	build	up	and	block	your	hair	follicles. Try	periodically	using	a	cleansing
shampoo	made	from	natural	ingredients	or	applying	an	apple	cider	vinegar
rinse. Apple	cider	vinegar	is	an	excellent	rinse	to	use	occasionally	to	remove
impurities	from	hard	water,	accumulated	sebum,	and	waxy	buildup	from
products. Pour	the	apple	cider	vinegar	over	your	moistened	scalp	in	the	shower,
massage	it	in	for	a	couple	of	minutes,	and	rinse	very	well. Then	proceed	to
shampooing	and	conditioning. You	
are
	rinsing	it	out	fairly	quickly,	but	as	your
scalp	can	absorb	so	much,	it’s	a	great	idea	to	try	to	source	organic	vinegar. Vinegar	can	also	help	balance	the	pH	of	your	hair,	which	affects	the
appearance	and	overall	health	of	your	hair. The	strands	of	your	hair	are	made
up	of	keratin	protein. When	the	pH	of	your	hair	is	properly	balanced,	your	hair
will	be	a	sealed,	flat	cuticle	layer	on	the	outside	of	the	strand,	which	makes	your
hair	more	shiny	and	bouncy. If	your	hair’s	pH	is	imbalanced	from	lots	of	heat
or	chemical	treatments,	your	hair	will	look	dull	and	frizzy	and	become	brittle
and	susceptible	to	more	breakage. Try	the	following	
pH-Balancing	Hair	Rinse
once	every	six	to	eight	weeks	or	so	(depending	on	your	hair	type),	or	whenever
you	feel	excessive	buildup	in	your	hair. Don’t	do	it	too	often,	however,	or	it
will	dry	out	your	hair. PH-BALANCING	HAIR	RINSE
Apple	cider	vinegar	is	fantastic	for	restoring	your	hair’s	pH	balance	as	well	as	helping	remove	any
product	residue. Rosemary	helps	stimulate	the	scalp	and	promote	hair	growth. 1	cup	organic	apple	cider	vinegar
15	drops	rosemary	oil
¾	cup	warm	water
Combine	the	ingredients	and	pour	over	damp	hair,	being	careful	not	to	get	the	rinse	into	your	eyes	or
on	your	face. Massage	for	a	few	moments	and	rinse	out. Top	Ingredients	for	Hair	Care
To	pinpoint	the	best	possible	ingredients	in	shampoos	and	conditioners	to	help
nourish	your	hair,	it’s	important	to	look	beyond	the	slogans	and	pretty
packaging	devised	by	marketing	companies. Of	course,	the	products	you	choose
must	match	your	individual	hair	type,	but	there	are	some	ingredients	that	are
known	to	work	universally	well	for	different	types	of	hair. Products	includingthese	ingredients	can	be	sourced	at	health	stores,	but	they	also	are	increasingly
common	and	easy	to	find	at	your	local	grocery	store	or	pharmacy. SHEA	BUTTER
This	is	a	great	natural	emollient. It	coats	the	surface	of	your	hair	strands	with
oil,	reducing	the	amount	of	water	that	is	lost	so	that	your	hair	stays	
hydrated
and	luscious. COCONUT	OIL
This	is	a	perfect	fatty	emollient	to	seal	moisture	into	your	hair. Coconut	oil
helps	make	your	hair	shiny	and	healthier. PURE	
ALOE	VERA	GEL
Great	for	soothing	your	scalp	and	hair	follicles,	aloe	vera	is	said	to	also	contain
an	enzyme	that	stimulates	hair	follicles,	helping	to	promote	healthy	hair
growth. VEGETABLE	GLYCERIN
This	acts	as	a	natural	humectant,	meaning	it	attracts	water	and	acts	as	a
protective	moisture	layer,	which	will	help	your	hair	stay	moisturized	while
avoiding	frizziness. JOJOBA
This	is	a	great	natural	hair	oil,	which	can	soothe	damaged	ends	and	make	your
hair	look	shiny	but	not	greasy	by	balancing	your	hair’s	oil	production. CASTOR	OIL
This	is	a	humectant	and	an	antifungal	that	helps	prepare	the	hair	for	better
growth. CERAMIDES
Ceramides	mend	damaged	and	broken	hair	fibers	by	“gluing”	them	back
together	and	reinforcing	your	hair’s	structure. They	also	help	to	smooth	out
frizzy	or	unmanageable	hair. ANTIOXIDANTS
Antioxidants	work	great	inside	your	body	and	also	help	to	nourish	your	hairfrom	the	outside. Applied	topically,	antioxidants	can	help	protect	your	hair
from	free	radicals	and	even	protect	the	integrity	of	your	hair’s	vital	color. HYALURONIC	ACID
Popularly	used	in	skin	care	(see	
this	page
),	hyaluronic	acid	is	also	useful	for
beautiful	hair,	as	it	helps	to	lock	
hydration	into	your	hair	strands. ACIDIC	
INGREDIENTS
In	this	case,	acidity	can	be	a	good	thing. Just	as	applying	apple	cider	vinegar	can
cleanse	your	hair	follicles	of	debris	and	balance	your	hair’s	natural	pH,	other
natural	acids	in	shampoo,	such	as	sodium	citrate	or	citric	acid,	perform	the
same	functions	on	a	milder,	more	regular	basis. PANTHENOL
Panthenol	is	a	form	of	vitamin	B	that	treats	and	prevents	damage	to	your	hair
from	pollution,	free	radicals,	and	sun	exposure. It’s	water	soluble,	penetrating
the	hair	and	acting	as	a	great	moisturizer	that	locks	moisture	into	your	hair
after	cleansing. ZINC
You	can	ingest	the	essential	trace	element	zinc	from	eating	nuts	and	seeds,	such
as	pumpkin	seeds. In	shampoo,	zinc	can	soothe	the	scalp,	fight	chronic
dandruff,	and	regulate	excess	sebum,	thereby	preventing	excessively	oily	hair
and	even	hair	loss	that	results	from	clogged	hair	follicles. RADICAL	BEAUTY	TIP:	KEEP	YOUR	TRESSES	SHINY
Everyone	loves	hot	showers. That’s	all	good,	but	be	sure	to	end	your	shower	with	a
cool	rinse. (See	
this	page
	to	read	why	alternating	temperatures	in	the	shower	is	a
great	beauty	practice	in	general. ) The	cool	water	will	tighten	up	your	hair	follicles
and	cuticle,	keeping	your	hair	shinier. Plus,	you	will	feel	refreshed. Hair	Ingredients	to	Avoid
Your	hair	follicles	are	very	vacuolated,	meaning	they	are	rich	in	blood	vessels
that	are	close	to	the	surface	of	your	scalp. Therefore,	whatever	is	in	your	
hair
products	is	quickly	absorbed	into	your	bloodstream	and	into	your	system. Being	aware	of	the	toxic	additives	in	many	common	hair	products	and	avoiding
them	goes	hand	in	hand	with	eating	organic	foods. It’s	important	to	avoidtoxins	from	entering	and	circulating	around	your	precious	body	from	any
source	so	they	do	not	in	any	way,	shape,	or	form	detract	from	your	natural
beauty. Unfortunately,	there	are	thousands	of	chemicals	used	in	different	hair-
care	products,	so	it’s	up	to	you	to	scan	ingredient	labels	and	be	on	the	lookout. Here	are	some	of	the	most	common	harmful	ingredients	that	are	important	to
avoid. SULFATES
Ugh. These	nasty,	cheaply	produced	chemicals,	which	include	sodium	lauryl
sulfate	(SLS),	sodium	laureth	sulfate	(SLES),	and	other	forms	of	sulfate,	are	used
in	shampoos	(as	well	as	floor	cleaners,	engine	degreasers,	and	kitchen	degreasers
like	dishwasher	soaps)	to	create	foam. It’s	easy	to	love	a	foamy	shampoo	and
feel	like	you’re	really	cleaning	your	hair,	right. But	sulfates	can	be	considered	a
toxin	that	creates	irritation	and	itching,	as	well	as	more	serious	issues. A	report
from	the	
Journal	of	the	American	College	of	Toxicology
	notes	that	this	ingredient
has	a	“degenerative	effect	on	the	cell	membranes	because	of	its	protein
denaturing	properties,”
1
	and	that	“high	levels	of	skin	penetration	may	occur	at
even	low	use	concentration. ”
2
	Some	studies	have	noted	that	sulfates	can	enter
and	maintain	residual	levels	in	the	heart,	liver,	lungs,	and	brain	from	skin
contact,	and	by	depositing	on	the	skin	surface	and	in	the	hair	follicles,	they	can
cause	damage	to	the	hair	follicle. 3
,
4
	Other	research	has	shown	that	sulfates	can
create	irritation	to	and	impair	your	
immune	system. 5
ETHYL	AND	
ISOPROPYL	ALCOHOLS
These	petroleum-based	alcohols	can	be	very	dehydrating	to	your	hair,	leaving	it
dry	and	eventually	leading	to	breakage. Certain	nonvolatile	or	fatty	alcohols,
however,	such	as	cetyl	alcohol,	are	okay,	as	they	have	a	higher	carbon	count	so
they	are	oily	and	actually	condition	hair. Be	sure	to	check	labels	for	specific
names. FORMALDEHYDE
Commonly	used	as	a	preservative	(you	might	recall	the	lab	rat	you	dissected	in
high	school	biology	was	embalmed	in	this),	it	irritates	the	skin	and	can	cause
inflammation,	joint	pain,	allergies,	chronic	fatigue,	and	dizziness. 6
	It	is	also
considered	a	potential	carcinogen. Stay	away. (Be	sure	to	avoid	nail	polishes
that	contain	formaldehyde,	too. ) RADICAL	BEAUTY	TIP:	HAIR	CARE	IN	THE	
SUNJust	like	your	skin,	your	hair	needs	adequate	sun	protection	to	prevent	it	from
drying	out	and	becoming	brittle,	damaged,	and	discolored	from	overexposure	to
the	sun. There	are	some	
sunscreens	made	for	the	hair,	but	the	easiest	and	most
effective	way	to	prevent	sun	damage	to	your	hair	is	to	wear	hats. This	is	especially
important	when	you	are	out	in	the	sun	for	extended	periods	of	time. From	sun	hats
to	boleros	and	beyond,	you’ll	be	able	to	express	your	personal	style	
and
	protect
your	precious	hair,	all	at	the	same	time. IMIDAZOLIDINYL	UREA	AND	
DMDM	HYDANTOIN
On	that	note,	these	two	ingredients	are	preservatives	that	release	formaldehyde,
so	look	for	them	as	well	on	ingredient	lists. PROPYLENE	GLYCOL	(PG)
PG	is	a	form	of	mineral	oil. This	is	a	controversial	ingredient	that	some	believe
has	some	immunotoxicity	concerns. 7
	It	comes	in	different	grades,	including	an
industrial	grade	that	is	part	of	commercial	products	such	as	engine	coolants,
antifreeze,	and	various	enamels	and	varnishes. For	beauty	products,	it	helps	to
drive	ingredients	down	into	the	hair	(or	skin)	for	deeper	penetration. It	
may
break	down	the	proteins	that	make	up	your	hair	in	the	process	(obviously	the
opposite	of	what	you	want. ),	and	also	may	create	allergic	reactions	or
irritations. 8
POLYETHYLENE	GLYCOL	(PEG)
PEG	is	included	in	shampoos	to	help	dissolve	oils,	but	it	can	overstrip	your
hair,	leaving	it	vulnerable	and	weak. DIETHANOLAMINE	(DEA),	
MONOETHANOLAMINE	(MEA),	AND
TRIETHANOLAMINE	(TEA)
Does	this	remind	you	of	the	song	“Do-Re-Mi”	from	
The	Sound	of	Music. These
rhyming	ingredients	are	not	happy	like	the	song. They	are,	in	fact,	potential
hormone	disruptors	and	irritants
9
	and	can	be	absorbed	into	your	hair	follicles
and	enter	your	body. These	ingredients	are	“foamers,”	so	they’re	not	necessarily
even	great	for	your	hair,	per	se,	but	are	included	solely	for	the	experience	of
using	them. But	really,	you	should	never	have	to	choose	between	foaming
shampoo	and	your	health. Got	a	shampoo	with	any	of	these	three-letter
acronyms. Into	the	trash	it	goes. FRAGRANCE
This	is	a	tough	one	because	we	understand	that	you	want	your	hair	to	smellawesome. But	fragrance	is	a	generic	term	for	up	to	3,100	stock	chemical
ingredients,
10
	many	of	which	are	synthetic	and	toxic. You	really	don’t	know
exactly	what	is	in	your	shampoo	or	conditioner	with	just	“fragrance”	on	the
ingredient	list,	so	you	risk	getting	headaches,	dizziness,	rashes,	and	a	number	of
allergic	reactions. Tests	of	fragrance	ingredients	have	found	an	average	of
fourteen	hidden	compounds	per	formulation,	including	ingredients	linked	to
hormone	disruption	and	sperm	damage. 11
	Exposure	to	these	types	of	chemicals
can	adversely	affect	your	central	nervous	system	and	even	affect	your	mood,
making	you	more	irritable. No	good-smelling	shampoo	is	worth	being	moody. Check	out	products	with	essential	oils,	which	smell	great	and	are	nontoxic. NATURALLY	BEAUTIFUL	
TEETH	AND	GUMS
A	beautiful	smile	stemming	from	authentic	joy	is	one	of	the	most	compelling
features	you	can	possess. Feeling	confident	about	your	teeth	can	help	you	smile
more	naturally. Oil	pulling,	or	swishing	sesame	or	another	oil	around	your	mouth	for
a	few	minutes	in	the	morning	before	spitting	it	out,	is	something	you	can
incorporate	into	your	morning	routine	to	help	keep	your	mouth	beautiful. It	is
another	increasingly	popular	ancient	
Ayurvedic	practice	that	benefits	your	mouth,
teeth,	and	gum	health. Oil	pulling	is	believed	to	encourage	detoxification	by	attracting,	binding,	and
removing	bacteria,	toxins,	and	parasites	from	your	mouth	(where	a	lot	of	bacteria
tend	to	accumulate)	and	lymph	system,	while	helping	to	clear	out	mucus	and
congestion	from	your	throat	and	sinuses. Some	even	believe	that	oil	pulling	can
help	activate	the	vagus	nerve,	which	sends	information	between	your	brain	and
the	enteric	nervous	system	in	your	gut,	which	controls	digestion. Stimulating	the
vagus	nerve	is	said	to	activate	anti-inflammatory	pathways	in	the	digestive	tract. 12
Directions	for	oil	pulling	are	simple:
1. Warm	1	to	2	teaspoons	(or	a	bit	less,	if	you	have	a	tiny	mouth. ) of	pure,	cold-
pressed	sesame	oil. (You	can	do	this	by	parceling	the	sesame	oil	you	are	using
into	a	small	vial,	and	then	holding	the	vial	under	hot	water	for	a	few	seconds. ) 2. Swish	the	warmed	oil	vigorously	around	all	parts	of	your	mouth	and	back	and
forth	across	your	gums	for	2	to	6	minutes. Don’t	move	it	into	your	throat,	and
resist	the	temptation	to	gargle. Although	sometimes	you	hear
recommendations	to	swish	the	oil	for	far	longer,	traditional	Ayurvedic
teachings	believe	that	is	unnecessary. When	you	are	done,	spit	out	the	oil	into
the	garbage. In	addition	to	oil	pulling,	another	component	of	the	Ayurvedic	morning	routine	is
chewing	2	or	3	teaspoons	of	black	sesame	seeds,	moving	them	around	the	entire
span	of	your	teeth,	for	1	to	3	minutes	before	spitting	them	out. This	is	believed	to
help	polish,	strengthen,	and	mineralize	the	teeth;	remove	stains;	and	also	keep	your
gums	healthy. The	black	sesame	seeds	are	extremely	high	in	calcium,	as	well	as
phosphorus,	iron,	and	magnesium. Radical	Beauty	
Nail	Care
It’s	important	to	take	care	of	your	hands	and	nails,	which	are	an	extension	of
your	beauty. They	undergo	a	great	deal	of	daily	wear	and	tear,	from	relentless
exposure	to	heat	and	cold	to	abrasive	soaps	and	excessive	water	from	hand
washing	and	detergents. RADICAL	BEAUTY	NAIL	WHITENING	TIP
To	brighten	yellowed	nails,	try	scrubbing	them	with	white	vinegar. Your	nails	are	largely	made	of	a	tough	protective	coating	called	keratin. A
proper	diet	and	excellent	circulation	are	of	utmost	importance	for	growing
healthy,	strong	nails. There	are	also	great	external	ways	to	support	nail	health:
•
Rather	than	cutting	cuticles,	soak	your	nails	in	warm	water	to	soften	cuticles
and	then	gently	push	them	back. Only	trim	off	hanging,	dead	skin	when
necessary. •
Look	for	polishes	free	of	the	“toxic	trio”:	dibutyl	phthalate	(DBP),	toluene,
and	formaldehyde,	which	have	been	associated	with	development	and
reproductive	issues	and	dizziness	and	are	potential	hormone	disruptors	and
carcinogens. 13
	Look	for	brands	labeled	“DBP-,	toluene-,	and	formaldehyde-
free”	or,	specifically,	“three-free. ”	There	are	even	vegan	polishes	free	of
solvents	and	other	toxins,	including	some	that	are	“ten-free,”	and	some	that
are	water-based. (You	may	need	to	reapply	these	more	often	due	to
chipping. ) •
Avoid	frequent	use	of	nail	polish	removers,	which	can	dry	your	nail	bed,
leading	to	potential	splits. Also	look	for	nail	polish	removers	that	are	free	of
acetone. •
Avoid	quick-dry	nail	polishes	that	contain	a	great	deal	of	acetone,	which	can
dry	out	your	nails. •
Use	gloves	when	washing	the	dishes,	and	otherwise	try	to	keep	your	hands
out	of	hot	water	as	much	as	possible. •
Before	going	out	into	the	cold,	always	moisturize	your	hands	and	protect
them	with	gloves. Avoid	direct	exposure	to	cold	air. •
Massage	and	moisturize	your	nails	and	cuticles	with	almond,	jojoba,	or
coconut	oil	often. Nail	Strengthening	Scrub
The	combination	of	castor	and	avocado	oils	enhances	nails’	flexibility	and	renders	them	more	pliable
and	less	prone	to	chips	and	breakage. Ground	walnuts	are	high	in	nourishing	
omega-3	fatty	
acids,
while	the	walnuts	themselves	help	to	slough	off	dead	surface	cells,	allowing	more	moisture	and
nutrients	to	be	absorbed. Honey	is	nourishing	and	softening,	and	it	also	contains	antibacterial	and
antiseptic	properties. ¼	cup	raw,	shelled	walnuts
1	tablespoon	castor	oil
1	tablespoon	first	cold-pressed	avocado	oil
1	teaspoon	raw,	organic	honey
Grind	walnuts	to	form	a	coarse	powder. Mix	in	the	oils	and	the	honey	to	make	a	thick	paste. Rub
your	entire	nails,	hands,	and	cuticles	vigorously	(but	not	in	an	overly	abrasive	way)	for	a	few	moments
before	rinsing	with	warm	water. Try	this	treatment	once	or	twice	weekly	for	best	results. On	location	at	the	Chopra	Center	in	Carlsbad,	California,	Deepak	and
Kimberly	ready	to	discuss	the	new	science	and	ancient	wisdom	contained	in	the
six	pillars	of	Radical	Beauty. Copyright	©	2016	by	Ylva	ErevallAntioxident-	and	vitamin-rich	fruits	build	and	protect	your	beauty. Foods	rich	in	omega-3	fatty	acids,	such	as	chia	seeds,	promote	excellent
circulation	that	helps	create	radiant	skin	and	glowing	health. The	Glowing	Green	Smoothie	is	a	staple	of	the	Radical	Beauty	and	Beauty
Detox	programs. Copyright	©	2016	by	mllevphoto/Shutterstock
Ayurvedic	spices	such	as	turmeric	have	now	been	shown	in	modern	research	to
have	far-reaching	beauty	and	health	benefits. Pillar	4
,	Primal	Beauty,	discusses	how	
earthing
,	or	
grounding
,	has	healing	effects
on	your	body	and	beauty. Pillar	5
	discusses	the	best	ways	to	move	your	body	to	promote	natural	grace,
tone,	and	beauty. Pillar	1
	discusses	the	essential	Radical	Beauty	ratios	to	make	eating	for	health
and	beauty	simple. Ingredients	for	the	Radical	Soother	Mask	(see	
this	page
). Syncing	with	the	natural	rhythms	of	nature	enhances	your	natural	beauty. In	
Pillar	1
,	you	will	learn	dietary	shifts	to	optimize	digestion	and	to	bolster
nutrient	circulation	and	absorption	for	beautiful	skin	and	overall	vitality. Use	the	Radical	Beauty	Liver	Tonic	(
this	page
)	to	promote	cleansing. Copyright
©	2016	by	aliasemma/ShutterstockBeauty	fats	include	avocados	and	unrefined	plant	oils. Fresh	spices	help	balance	and	enhance	your	health. Aligning	your	lifestyle	with	the	seasons	and	the	solar	and	lunar	cycles	helps	you
harness	greater	power	to	support	your	overall	energy	and	vitality. Boost	sluggish	
agni,
	or	digestive	fire,	with	spices	such	as	cumin. Ingredients	for	the	Acne-Preventing	Tonic	(
this	page
). Warming	foods	increase	your	metabolism	and	circulation. Ingredients	for	the	Radical	Beauty	Skin	Texture	Smoothing	Mask	(
this	page
). Peak	Beauty	Sleep	is	essential	for	Radical	Beauty. Some	of	the	ingredients	for	the	Radical	Enzyme	Mask	(
this	page
). Peace	and	self-love	foster	natural	beauty	from	the	inside	out. Abhyanga
	is	an	Ayurvedic	practice	of	oil	massage	that	is	believed	to	soothe	your
nervous	system	and	rejuvenate	your	body	and	mind. Copyright	©	2016	by	Valery
Kraynov/ShutterstockColorful	plant	foods	are	a	powerful	ally	to	support	your	beauty. Being	in	nature’s	elements	helps	harmonize	balance	and	beauty	within	us. Ingredients	for	the	Nail	Strengthening	Scrub	(
this	page
). Spiritual	beauty	allows	you	to	shine	with	an	inner	light	that	outer	beauty	alone
can	never	match. Fresh	foods	are	beautifying	as	they	are	healthy. Check	out	the	Radical	Beauty
Recipes	in	the	Appendix	(
this	page
). Smoothies	are	an	excellent,	easy	way	to	take	in	lots	of	energizing	and	beauty-
building	nutrition. Radical	Beauty	is	something	that	exists	universally	while	at	the	same	time	being
completely	unique	to	you. PILLAR	3:
Peak	Beauty	Sleep
Beauty	sleep
	is	most	certainly	a	term	you’ve	come	across	before,	but	you	may	not
have	a	clear	sense	of	why	sleep	is	so	essential	to	reach	your	beauty	potential	or
what	steps	you	can	take	to	start	sleeping	better. This	pillar	will	go	into	great
detail	about	how	sleep	specifically	affects	your	natural	beauty	and	how	to
harness	its	power	to	look	and	feel	radically	beautiful. The	word	
peak
	is	often
used	in	reference	to	the	highest	level	of	athletic	performance,	or	“peak
performance. ”	As	we	are	referring	to	it	here	in	reference	to	beauty,	
peak
	means
experiencing	the	optimal	level	and	quality	of	sleep	to	fully	support	your	beauty. While	you	already	know	that	excellent	sleep	is	important,	you	may	still
unknowingly	employ	tactics	that	keep	you	from	getting	your	best	sleep. Many
of	us	whittle	into	our	sleeping	hours	by	going	to	bed	later	than	we	should. In
part,	this	is	because	we	tend	to	prioritize	cramming	more	activity	and	tasks	into
the	day:	cleaning	up	the	kitchen	or	e-mail	box,	catching	up	on	work,	watching
an	extra	television	show,	surfing	the	Internet,	online	shopping,	or	whatever	else
it	may	be. This	often	pushes	bedtime	later	and	later. At	the	same	time,	we	shave
our	sleep	away	on	the	other	end	by	rising	earlier	and	earlier	in	the	morning	to
tend	to	small	children,	fit	in	a	workout,	or	simply	get	to	work. No	matter	how	much	sleep	you’ve	been	getting	up	until	now,	going	forward
you	must	shift	your	priorities	in	order	to	start	getting	peak	beauty	sleep. In	this
pillar	you’ll	learn	how	creating	peak	beauty	sleep	can	help	you	lose	weight	or
maintain	your	ideal	weight,	improve	your	
metabolism	and	your	immunity,
better	repair	damaged	tissues	or	cells	(including	in	your	skin),	and	delay	disease
and	aging,	all	around	working	to	increase	your	beauty. You’ll	also	learn	the
most	effective	tips	and	tools	to	optimize	your	beauty	sleep,	which	is	key	in
allowing	your	most	beautiful	self	to	shine	through. Hopefully,	by	the	end	of
this	pillar,	your	perspective	on	sleep	will	have	radically	shifted. SHIFT	10:
Understand	the	
Sleep-Beauty-
Wellness	Connection
How	Much	Sleep	Do	You	Really	Need. No	matter	how	you	slice	it,	most	of	us	aren’t	getting	enough	sleep. The
National	Sleep	Foundation	suggests	that	on	average	adults	need	about	7	to	9
hours	of	sleep	per	night. 1
	This	is	a	general	recommendation,	and	you	may	need
more	than	that	depending	on	your	individual	constitution,	but	unfortunately
most	of	us	don’t	get	that	much. (Contrary	to	popular	belief,	only	a	small
fraction	of	the	population	can	get	by	for	extended	periods	on	less	than	7	hours
of	sleep	at	night. ) Healthy	sleep	is	also	uninterrupted,	not	the	kind	where	you
wake	up	several	times	a	night. Data	from	the	
National	Health	Interview	Survey
concluded	that	at	least	30	percent	of	American	adults	don’t	get	enough	sleep. This	30	percent	reported	only	6	or	fewer	hours	of	sleep	per	night. 2
Ironically,	there’s	been	a	lot	of	talk	lately	that	
oversleeping
	can	be	harmful. In
2002,	a	study	resurfaced	that	found	that	people	who	slept	6. 5	to	7. 4	hours	had
lower	rates	of	mortality	compared	with	people	who	slept	either	fewer	than	4
hours	or	greater	than	8. 3
	But	before	assuming	that	getting	more	than	8	hours	is
“bad,”	it	is	important	to	know	that	this	study	was	conducted	on	cancer	patients. This	might	have	shifted	the	results,	as	those	with	cancer	likely	have	different
sleep	needs	than	the	general	public. In	those	with	high	mortality	rates,	the	lack
of	sleep	or	excessive	amount	of	sleep	might	have	been	a	symptom	of	the
patients’	illness	and	not	the	cause. This	shows	how	important	it	is	to	look	at
studies	very	carefully	before	making	broad	assumptions,	especially	as	they	relate
to	lifestyle	shifts. Meanwhile,	a	growing	number	of	researchers	don’t	believe	there	is	such	a
thing	as	oversleeping. Dr. Sigrid	Veasey	of	the	University	of	Pennsylvania’s
Center	for	Sleep	and	Circadian	Neurobiology	puts	it	bluntly:	“
You	can	never	get
‘too	much’	sleep. When	you	have	had	enough	sleep,	you	will	wake	up. ”There	are	other	interesting	findings	as	well. Researchers	at	
Stanford
University	studied	the	impact	of	playing	sports	while	involved	in	academics. The	result	is	that	players	often	get	little	sleep. They	conducted	an	experiment	in
which	the	players	slept	10	hours	a	night	for	a	five-	to	seven-week	period	instead
of	their	usual	6	hours. The	results	showed	that	their	speed	and	accuracy,	as	well
as	their	physical,	mental,	and	emotional	well-being,	all	grew	measurably	better. 4
It’s	no	surprise,	then,	that	many	top	athletes,	including	
Usain	Bolt,	
Michael
Phelps,	
LeBron	James,	and	
Roger	Federer,	report	getting	upward	of	10	to	12
hours	of	sleep	a	night. You	may	be	asking	yourself,	What	does	this	have	to	do	with	beauty. Well,
athletes	need	to	allow	their	bodies	to	rest	and	rejuvenate	to	reach	peak
condition	for	their	athletic	competitions. Likewise,	rest	and	rejuvenation	is	key
for	all	of	your	body’s	functions	to	perform	at	their	peak. This	has	a	direct
impact	on	your	beauty. An	article	published	on	
Harvard	Medical	School’s
website	explains	that	major	restorative	functions,	“like	muscle	growth,	tissue
repair,	protein	synthesis,	and	growth	hormone	release	occur	mostly,	or	in	some
cases	only,	during	sleep. ”
5
Ultimately,	you	must	listen	to	your	body	to	see	how	much	sleep	you
personally	need. It	might	be	8	hours	or	possibly	even	9	or	10. It	is	completely
individual. You	may	wonder	where	you	could	possibly	find	more	time	to	get
additional	sleep,	but	it	is	often	possible	to	cut	out	unnecessary	evening	activities
and	simply	go	to	bed	earlier. Television	is	one	thing	that	takes	up	so	much	time
for	most	people	but	is	completely	unproductive. It	may	sound	radical	to	suggest
giving	up	TV	entirely,	but	it	might	be	easier	than	you	think	and	could
profoundly	improve	your	life. Once	you	have	a	deeper	understanding	of	how	strongly	sleep	can	impact
your	beauty	and	overall	wellness,	you	will	likely	feel	compelled	to	really
prioritize	your	sleep. The	
Effects	of	Too	Little	Sleep
If	you	consistently	get	fewer	than	the	ideal	number	of	hours	of	sleep	for	you,
here’s	what	you	are	most	likely	dealing	with. ACCELERATED	AGING
If	you’ve	ever	wanted	actual	scientific	documentation	for	the	phenomenon	of
beauty	sleep,	here	it	is:	A	study	published	in	2015	assessed	actual	skin	aging,
and	the	subjects	whose	sleep	was	deemed	“good”	were	found	to	have	lower	skin
aging	scores. This	included	a	30	percent	higher	barrier	of	recovery	whencompared	with	poor	sleepers. 6
In	another	fascinating	clinical	trial	from	the	
University	Hospitals	Case
Medical	Center	in	
Cleveland,	Ohio,	a	direct	connection	was	found	between
poor	sleep	and	accelerating	aging,	especially	of	the	skin. 7
	Researchers	examined
sixty	premenopausal	women	between	the	ages	of	thirty	and	forty-nine
8
	who	fell
into	either	a	“poor”	or	“quality”	sleep	group,	based	on	sleep	length	and	overall
excellence. They	discovered	that	the	poor	sleepers	showed	twice	as	many	signs
of	aging	as	those	in	the	quality	sleep	group. These	measurements	included	fine
lines,	uneven	pigmentation,	slackening	of	skin,	and	reduced	elasticity. 9
	They
also	found	that	those	in	the	quality	sleep	group	recovered	more	efficiently	from
damage	and	other	stressors	like	exposure	to	the	sun. 10
	This	shows	that	sun	is
not	the	
only
	big	issue	with	skin	aging. Other	factors,	such	as	the	quality	of	your
sleep,	may	reduce	your	skin’s	ability	to	recover	from	sunlight	exposure. Need	more	proof. A	study	at	
Sweden’s	
University	of	Stockholm	found	that
sleep	deprivation	produced	visible	signs	of	aging,	including	increased	hanging
eyelids,	darker	circles	under	the	eyes,	more	wrinkles	and	fine	lines,	swollen	eyes,
and	more	pronounced	droopy	corners	of	the	mouth. 11
	Anything	that	promotes
the	use	of	the	word	
droopy
	to	describe	your	face	must	obviously	be	avoided	as
much	as	possible. WEIGHT	GAIN
In	general,	those	who	do	not	sleep	well	tend	to	weigh	more	than	those	who	get
good	levels	of	sleep. 12
	A	University	Hospitals	Case	Medical	Center	clinical	trial
found	that	poor	sleepers	were	nearly	twice	as	likely	to	be	overweight	than	those
who	slept	well. In	their	study,	23	percent	of	the	“good	quality”	sleepers	were
obese,	versus	44	percent	in	the	group	that	reported	poor	sleep	quality. 13
	A
Wisconsin	Sleep	Cohort	study	found	that	as	hours	of	sleep	per	night	went
down,	
body	mass	index	(BMI)	went	up	proportionally. 14
	This	further	disputes
the	vastly	oversimplified	approach	that	what	is	on	your	plate	and	how	much
you	work	out	are	the	only	factors	that	determine	your	weight. In	another	study	published	in	the	
American	Journal	of	Epidemiology
,	women
who	slept	5	hours	or	less	a	night	had	a	15	percent	higher	risk	of	becoming
obese	than	women	who	slept	7	hours	a	night. Over	the	course	of	the	sixteen-
year	study,	the	women	who	got	less	sleep	also	had	a	30	percent	higher	risk	of
gaining	30	pounds	than	the	women	who	got	7	hours	of	sleep	per	night. 15
You	may	be	wondering	exactly	
how
	sleep	affects	your	weight. It	turns	out	that
a	lack	of	proper	sleep	can	disrupt	the	key	hormones	that	control	appetite,
making	those	who	sleep	poorly	more	hungry	than	those	who	sleep	well	throughthe	night. 16
	A	study	published	in	the	
Journal	of	Clinical	Endocrinology	and
Metabolism
	looked	at	the	connection	between	sleep	and	the	hormone	leptin,
which	controls	appetite,	and	found	that	circulating	levels	of	leptin	in	your	body
are	influenced	by	the	quality	of	your	sleep. 17
	This	means	that	the	more	sleep
you	get,	the	better	your	body	becomes	at	sensing	when	it	is	full. The	connection	between	sleep	duration,	body	weight,	metabolism,	and
specific	hormones	was	backed	up	by	a	team	of	researchers	from	the	
Stanford
University	School	of	Medicine,	who	found	that	getting	less	sleep	can	lead	to
higher	levels	of	ghrelin,	a	hormone	that	triggers	appetite,	and	lower	levels	of
leptin,	which	tells	your	body	it’s	full,	as	well	as	an	increased	BMI. 18
	In	other
words,	the	less	you	sleep,	the	hungrier	you	will	be	and	the	more	food	it	will	take
to	make	you	feel	full. The	
Harvard	School	of	Public	Health	suggests	that	not	getting	enough	sleep
leads	to	other	factors	that	contribute	to	weight	gain. For	example,	people	who
don’t	sleep	enough	may	be	too	exhausted	to	exercise,	leading	to	weight	gain. Or
perhaps	these	people	simply	have	more	opportunities	to	eat	since	they	spend
more	hours	of	the	day	awake. And	we’ve	all	experienced	pesky	food	cravings. When	sleep	deprived,	you	may	feel	more	emotional,	fatigued,	and	susceptible	to
cravings. One	study	showed	that	the	amygdala,	a	set	of	neurons	in	the	brain
responsible	for	emotional	reactions	in	the	decision-making	process,	was	more
active	when	subjects	did	not	get	adequate	sleep. 19
Interestingly,	the	ease	with	which	you	gain	weight	or	maintain	a	healthy
weight	may	be	related	to	childhood	sleep	patterns. A	recent	study	in	the	
Archives
of	Pediatrics	and	Adolescent	Medicine
	found	that	not	getting	enough	sleep	in	early
life	(through	preschool)	can	be	a	long-term	risk	factor	for	
obesity	
throughout
life. 20
	The	study	also	found	that	napping	was	not	a	viable	substitute	for
nighttime	sleep	as	it	relates	to	obesity	prevention. 21
	If	you	are	a	parent,	you	can
rest	assured	that	your	perhaps	frequent	bedtime	battles	are	well	worth	it	for	the
sake	of	your	child’s	long-term	health. HORMONAL	IMBALANCE
Hormones	are	chemicals	that	are	produced	by	different	organs	and	glands	and
send	important	signals	to	different	parts	of	the	body. As	hormones	largely
regulate	repairs	that	take	place	in	the	body,	impacting	how	you	look	and	feel,	it
is	essential	to	balance	your	hormones	in	order	to	express	your	Radical	Beauty. Hormones	can	be	compared	to	keys	that	“unlock”	certain	cells	but	not	others. Like	keys,	different	cells	fit	with	specific	hormones. When	the	“key”	is	turned
and	the	cell	is	“unlocked,”	it	receives	a	signal	to	multiply,	make	proteins	orenzymes,	or	perform	other	vital	tasks,	including	releasing	other	hormones. There	is	a	high	level	of	intelligence	with	hormones. Some	may	fit	with	many
types	of	cells	but	have	different	effects	on	each	type	of	cell. For	example,	a
hormone	may	stimulate	one	type	of	cell	to	perform	a	task,	while	the	same
hormone	turns	off	a	different	type	of	cell. To	complicate	this	even	more,	the
way	a	cell	responds	to	a	specific	hormone	may	change	over	time. While,	thankfully,	our	bodies	and	all	their	intrinsic	parts	perform	their
duties	without	us	having	to	direct	them,	it’s	important	that	we	create	an	ideal
environment	for	our	hormones	to	function	properly. The	
National	Institute	on
Aging	teaches	us	that	hormone	production	fluctuates	during	the	day	and	also
during	different	points	in	your	life. 22
	While	some	natural	fluctuations	are
normal,	we	want	to	avoid	the	
unnatural
	variations	that	occur	if	you	don’t	get
enough	sleep	on	a	consistent	basis. Restoration	is	key	to	your	all-around	well-
being	and	for	your	natural	beauty	to	express	itself. It’s	been	well	documented	that	inadequate	sleep	can	negatively	affect	certain
hormone	levels	in	the	body. 23,
24
	In	addition	to	its	effects	on	the	hormones	that
control	appetite,	a	lack	of	sleep	causes	your	body	to	produce	excess	amounts	of
the	hormone	cortisol,	which	can	break	down	your	skin	cells	and	contribute	to
various	skin	issues. 25
	Cortisol	is	a	stress	hormone	that	tends	to	accumulate
around	the	stomach,	unfortunately	leading	to	weight	gain	specifically	in	the
belly	area,	as	stomach	fat	cells	are	sensitive	to	cortisol	and	store	excess	energy
there. 26
Another	hormone	affected	by	
sleep	is	called	HGH,	or	human	growth
hormone. This	is	an	important	hormone	for	beauty	because	it	helps	your	skin
grow	thicker,	healthier,	and	more	elastic	or	pliable	in	texture,	which	further
helps	to	protect	against	wrinkling. Natural	production	of	HGH	also	helps	with
muscle	building	and	tissue	repair. Unfortunately,	disturbed	sleep	can	inhibit
your	natural	production	of	HGH. 27
	This	can	make	it	more	difficult	for	your
body	to	build	lean	muscle	and	resilient,	youthful	skin. WEAKENED	
IMMUNE	SYSTEM
A	growing	body	of	research	is	finding	a	strong	relationship	between	sleep	and
immunity. 28
	Increasing	evidence	shows	that	inadequate	sleep	leads	to	a
weakened	immune	response. 29
	Sleep	may	help	facilitate	the	redistribution	of	T-
cells	to	lymph	nodes. 30
	T-cells	are	a	vital	part	of	our	immune	system	that	help
maintain	our	wellness	and	vitality,	and	the	more	efficiently	they	travel	through
the	lymphatic	system,	the	better. Since	our	entire	population	appears	to	be
suffering	from	a	sleep	deficit,	our	immunity	must	be	reduced	across	thepopulation	as	a	whole. Can	you	imagine	the	health	implications	for	our	entire
society	if	we	all	slept	better. The	entire	health	of	the	community	would	be
bolstered,	and	health-care	costs	might	be	dramatically	reduced. But	this	very
much	has	to	start	with	you. Getting	sick	isn’t	just	inconvenient	or	annoying;	it	can	also	be	aging. Some
theorize	that	diseases	and	routine	illnesses	like	the	common	cold	can	actually
create	free	radicals	in	your	body. 31
	When	these	sicknesses	occur,	your	immune
system	creates	free	radicals	on	purpose	to	help	neutralize	harmful	viruses	and
bacteria. But	those	free	radicals	also	create	cellular	damage	and	contribute	to
the	visible	effects	of	aging. In	other	words,	minimizing	and	avoiding	getting
sick	isn’t	just	to	benefit	your	health;	it	can	be	another	powerful	tool	in	your
anti-aging	arsenal. SLUGGISH	DETOXIFICATION
Sleep	gives	your	body	the	rest	it	needs	to	perform	its	vital	functions,	such	as
detoxification. It	is	therefore	critical	to	help	promote	optimal	detoxification
and	clear	metabolic	waste	from	your	system. 32
	As	you	know,	the	more	detoxed
and	cleansed	your	internal	body	is,	the	more	beautiful	you	will	become. POOR	PERFORMANCE
It’s	well	established	that	
sleep	improves	your	performance	and	alertness. 33
When	you	sleep	more,	you’ll	drive	more	safely,	and	your	memory	will	improve,
too. 34
	Reduced	sleep	means	you	aren’t	able	to	perform	at	your	highest	potential
for	all	tasks	in	life. If	you	aren’t	able	to	feel	as	present	and	alert	at	work,	when
working	on	your	creative	pursuits,	while	playing	with	your	children,	or	during
your	workouts,	it’s	very	frustrating	and	reflects	a	diminishing	quality	of	your
life. ANXIETY	AND	
DEPRESSION
Poor	sleep	can	also	contribute	to	worsening	anxiety. 35
	In	a	parallel	fashion,
insomnia,	the	extreme	end	of	bad	sleep,	may	be	a	risk	factor	for	full-blown
anxiety	disorders. 36
	On	the	opposite	end	of	the	spectrum,	when	you	feel	fully
rested	and	consistently	get	enough	sleep,	it’s	easier	to	feel	calm	and	present. Calmness	helps	you	deal	better	with	stressors	in	life,	and	as	we	discussed	earlier,
dealing	with	stress	better	helps	delay	aging	all	around. For	someone	suffering	from	depression,	bad	and	irregular	sleep	is	often	part
of	the	disorder. In	fact,	some	recent	therapies	focus	on	loss	of	good	sleep	as	the
first	sign	that	a	bout	of	depression	may	soon	occur. This	onset	can	be	avertedby	paying	close	attention	to	good	sleep	before	the	depression	actually	hits. Is
good	sleep	a	preventive	for	depression. That’s	not	agreed	upon,	but	it’s
definitely	worth	trying	to	incorporate. PERMANENT	
BRAIN	DAMAGE
An	aging	brain	leads	to	less	vitality	overall,	and	vitality	is	a	big	component	of
being	your	most	Radically	Beautiful. Researchers	at	
Duke-NUS	Graduate
Medical	School	Singapore	(Duke–National	University	of	Singapore)	found	a
relationship	between	the	fewer	hours	of	sleep	adults	get	and	accelerated	aging	in
the	brain. 37
Most	of	us	presume	that	a	few	nights	of	missed	sleep	are	not	a	big	deal. We
think	we	can	recover	by	getting	more	sleep	in	the	future. But	a	study	from
researchers	at	the	
University	of	Pennsylvania	found	otherwise. 38
	The	lead
researcher,	
Sigrid	Veasey,	MD,	notes,	“This	is	the	first	report	that	sleep	loss	can
actually	result	in	a	loss	of	neurons. ”
39
	She	continues,	“No	one	really	thought
that	the	brain	could	be	irreversibly	injured	from	sleep	loss. In	general,	we’ve
always	assumed	full	recovery	of	cognition	following	short-	and	long-term	sleep
loss. But	some	of	the	research	in	humans	has	shown	that	attention	span	and
several	other	aspects	of	cognition	may	not	normalize	even	with	three	days	of
recovery	sleep,	raising	the	question	of	lasting	injury	in	the	brain. ”
40
	Whoa…now
this	is	a	pretty	strong	reason	not	to	put	off	sleep. Sleep	deprivation	is	considered	a	constant	stressor	to	your	system	and	has
been	shown	in	some	research	to	reduce	the	capacity	for	learning	and	memory. Reducing	sleep	deprivation	is	even	hypothesized	to	help	prevent	or	slow	the
progression	of	Alzheimer’s	disease. 41
	Of	course,	the	sharper	and	more	alert	your
brain	is,	the	more	powerful	and	confident	in	your	beauty	you	will	be. All	of	these	findings	help	us	to	understand	how	the	most	basic	of	nature’s
rhythms	contributes	to	every	aspect	of	life. But	please	don’t	be	alarmed. This
shift	was	not	meant	to	frighten	you	with	the	disastrous	effects	of	getting	too
little	sleep,	but	rather	to	open	your	eyes	to	all	of	the	benefits	you’ll	soon	see
from	getting	more,	better	quality	sleep. In	the	next	shift,	you’ll	learn	how	to
tune	in	to	your	body’s	natural	rhythms	in	order	to	achieve	Peak	Beauty	Sleep. SHIFT	11:
Tune	In	to	Your	
Body’s	
Natural
Rhythms
Nature’s	Timetable
Being	more	in	tune	with	our	natural	rhythms	aligns	us	to	nature’s	power	and
beauty. It’s	easy	to	think	of	nature’s	power	in	a	dramatic	flash	of	lightning	or	in
the	heat	of	the	sun,	but	equal	to	this	power	is	the	strength	of	rejuvenation. We
need	to	harness	this	power	to	retract	and	go	inward	in	order	to	have	the	most
effective,	deep	sleep	that	fuels	our	creative	power	and	allows	our	natural	beauty
to	fully	shine	through. Radical	Beauty	is	about	living	in	harmony	with	nature’s	inherent	wisdom. From	a	sleep	perspective,	this	means	that	the	more	in	tune	you	are	with	natural
light,	the	better. This	shifts	every	season	with	the	influence	and	timing	of	the
sun	and	the	larger	bodies	of	energy	beyond	our	planet. The	sun	coordinates	the
movement	of	the	Earth	around	its	axis,	which	influences	the	larger	seasonal
shifts	as	well	as	the	daily	shifts	that	create	longer	and	shorter	days. Even	though
these	planetary	bodies	may	seem	unfathomably	far	away	from	the	average
person,	they	actually	exert	their	influence	on	our	bodies. Since	we	possess	all	of
the	main	elements	found	in	nature,	Ayurveda	believes	we	are	miniature
representations	of	the	whole	universe,	the	entire	cosmos. Circadian	rhythms	are	physical,	mental,	and	behavioral	changes	in	living
beings	(including	not	only	animals	but	also	plants	and	microbes)	that	follow	a
roughly	24-hour	cycle. These	are	produced	by	natural	factors	in	the	body	and
respond	to	signals	from	the	environment. The	main	external	signal	affecting
circadian	rhythms	is	light,	which	influences	the	turning	on	and	off	of	an
organism’s	internal	clock. Circadian	rhythms	influence	sleep	patterns,	hormone
release,	body	temperature,	and	other	important	bodily	functions,	while
abnormal	
circadian	rhythms	have	been	associated	with	sleep	disorders,	obesity,
diabetes,	depression,	bipolar	disorder,	and	seasonal	affective	disorder. 1Circadian	rhythms	are	important	for	us	to	consider	in	promoting	Peak
Beauty	Sleep. If	we	live	in	tune	with	our	natural	body	clocks	and	circadian
rhythms,	we	will	naturally	be	more	active	in	the	morning	and	wind	down	in	the
evening. An	ideal	time	to	work	out,	for	instance,	is	in	the	morning,	around	the
rising	light	and	rising	energy,	or	in	the	middle	of	the	day,	in	the	peak	of
sunlight,	as	opposed	to	late	in	the	evening,	when	the	sun	is	naturally
descending,	indicating	a	return	inward	toward	relaxation. Late	workouts	can	be
overly	stimulating	and	wake	you	up	rather	than	bring	you	closer	to	sleep. The	brain’s	electrical	response	to	rhythmic	sensory	stimulation,	such	as
pulses	of	sound	or	light,
2
	synchronizes	with	the	natural,	rhythmic	changes	in
our	environment. Our	health,	down	to	the	minute	cellular	level,	depends	on
the	degree	to	which	we	are	in	harmony	with	the	natural	cycles	of	daytime	and
nighttime. Even	basic	functions	in	our	body	that	we	often	take	for	granted,
such	as	our	blood	pressure,	
immune	system	functions,	and	cellular	growth,	all
depend	on	our	rhythmic	melatonin	cycle. This	in	turn	depends	on	syncing	up
properly	with	nature’s	rhythms. We	are,	after	all,	inseparably	one	with	nature. Artificial	Light:	Friend	or	Foe. When	you	consider	the	fact	that	
Thomas	Edison	successfully	tested	the	first
electric	lamp	in	1879,
3
	you	might	be	a	little	jolted	(pun	intended)	to	realize	that
artificial	lights	haven’t	been	around	very	long	in	the	broad	scope	of	human
evolution. While	the	benefits	of	electricity	are	enormous	and	obvious,	it	has
also	introduced	a	set	of	health	and	beauty	issues. This	is	due	to	the	fact	that
artificial	lighting	allows	us	to	experience	daytime	around	the	clock	if	we	wish,
making	us	completely	out	of	tune	with	the	natural	rhythms	of	the	planet. The	body’s	master	clock	is	made	up	of	about	20,000	neurons,	with	sleep
signals	traveling	from	the	pons,	an	area	at	the	base	of	the	brain,	to	the	thalamus
and	then	on	to	the	thinking	part	of	the	brain,	the	cortex. 4
	The	pineal	gland
produces	melatonin,	a	hormone	that	communicates	to	the	body	information
about	light	levels	in	the	outside	world. The	light	seen	by	your	eyes	influences
how	your	brain	
interprets	this	information. When	your	body	clock	senses	a
decrease	in	light,	ideally	in	the	evenings,	it	signals	your	brain	to	produce	more
melatonin	to	induce	drowsiness	and	sleep. But	now	we	are	in	an	age	where	we	are	exposed	to	numerous	new	assailants
on	our	inner	sleep	mechanism,	including	illuminated	smartphones,	tablets,	e-
readers,	and	laptops. We	use	these	devices	often	right	in	our	beds	and	directly
before	bedtime	with	increasing	frequency. The	eye	is	registering	daytime	levels
of	light	later	and	later	at	night. A	
National	Sleep	Foundation	survey	found	thatnine	out	of	ten	Americans	reported	using	a	technological	device	in	the	hours
before	bed. 5
	With	the	increased	light	stimulation	to	our	brains,	hormones,	and
entire	being,	how	can	we	expect	the	body	to	maintain	normal	sleep	patterns. The	result	is	that	we’ve	lost	the	connection	to	our	
natural	rhythms	and	the
cycles	of	the	environment	around	us. It’s	important	to	refoster	that	connection. While	your	life	might	be	extremely	busy	and	hectic,	shifting	your	schedule	as
much	as	possible	toward	going	to	bed	closer	to	sunset	and	waking	up	closer	to
sunrise	will	help	you	align	and	synergize	with	the	higher	power	of	universal
nature. Closer
	is	the	key	word	here,	as	it	might	seem	impossible	in	modern	life
to	go	to	bed	at	sunset	and	rise	right	at	sunrise. But	start	with	the	baby	step	of
going	to	bed	half	an	hour	earlier	and	waking	up	half	an	hour	earlier. Also	try	at
least	eating	dinner	earlier,	closer	to	sunset,	which	is	also	helpful	for	syncing
closer	to	natural	rhythms. Yin	and	Yang:	How	the	Day	Affects	the	Night
Exposure	to	natural	light	during	the	day	is	important	as	a	contrast	to	the	dark
cycles	of	the	night. This	helps	promote	overall	healthy	sleep	and	waking	cycles. If	you	want	to	have	a	peaceful	nightly	rhythm	of	sleeping,	you	have	to	also
balance	the	opposite,	the	daylight. It’s	important	to	have	exposure	to	natural
light	on	a	regular	basis. Just	as	our	sleep	rhythms	have	become	corrupted	by
artificial	light	exposure	long	after	daylight	has	naturally	reduced,	so	our	daily
rhythms	have	been	worn	away	by	minimized	exposure	to	natural	light. Most	of
us	spend	the	vast	majority	of	our	days	indoors	under	artificial	lights. The	neurotransmitter	in	our	brain	called	serotonin	increases	with	the	light	of
each	day. Serotonin	influences	daily	and	nightly	rhythms,	memory,	appetite,
and	so	on—in	essence,	all	the	factors	that	play	a	part	in	our	internal	rhythms. The	amount	of	melatonin	made	available	to	the	body	in	response	to	the
darkness	of	the	night	actually	depends	on	the	concentration	of	serotonin
secreted	in	response	to	the	natural	light	we	are	exposed	to	during	the	day. Serotonin	is	broken	down	into	melatonin,	so	there	is	a	beautifully	coordinated,
natural	rhythm	present	between	the	cycles	of	serotonin	and	melatonin,	which
depend	on	each	other	and	are	controlled	by	a	changing	environment. The	Importance	of	
Color
Clearly,	avoiding	artificial	light	around	bedtime	is	important	for	Peak	Beauty
Sleep,	but	interestingly,	it	turns	out	that	not	all	light	is	created	equal. In	fact,
using	light	color	strategically	might	be	helpful	in	smoothing	out	nervous-system	activity. 6
	Research	on	the	“color	temperature”	of	light	and	its	effects	on
the	brain	suggests	that	the	“temperature”	of	the	light	is	more	important	than	its
brightness. This	means	that	on	a	color	spectrum,	yellow-white	through	red
lights	(which	are	considered	low-color-temperature	lights)	have	a	far	less
detrimental	effect	on	our	systems	than	the	blue	lights	on	the	other	end	of	the
spectrum. Research	has	now	pinpointed	that	electronics	emanate	blue	light,	which
affects	the	brain	more	strongly	than	other	colors	and,	in	particular,	disturbs	our
sleep. In	other	words,	reducing	light	all	around	can	be	very	helpful,	but	it’s
critical	to	reduce	blue	light	specifically. Unfortunately,	blue	light	is	emitted
strongly	and	consistently	from	many	different	electronic	devices. Using	these
devices	near	bedtime	can	have	a	detrimental	effect	on	your	sleep	patterns	and
consequently	your	natural	beauty	expression. A	photoreceptor	in	the	eye	called	melanopsin	plays	a	role	in	establishing	our
day/night	cycles	and	is	particularly	sensitive	to	a	narrow	band	of	blue	light	in
the	460–480	nanometers	(nm)	range. 7
	Researchers	at	the	University	of
Pennsylvania	
School	of	Medicine	and	School	of	Arts	and	Sciences	studied	the
biological	effects	of	blue	light
8
	and	found	that	melanopsin	is	very	sensitive	to
blue	light,	which	is	emitted	by	digital	devices,	including	smartphones,	tablets,
and	computers. 9
This	means	that	if	you	work	on	a	tablet	or	laptop,	or	look	at	your
smartphone	before	bed,	you	might	find	your	
sleep	is	delayed. This	results	in	all
of	the	adverse	beauty	and	wellness	implications	we	mentioned	earlier,	including
accelerated	aging,	reduced	performance	in	all	your	tasks,
10
	and	suppression	of
natural	human	growth	hormone,	which	you	need	to	increase	muscle	mass	and
induce	tissue	repair. Electronics	and	Sleep	Don’t	Mix
An	alarming	51	percent	of	people	who	text	specifically	in	the	hour	before	going
to	bed	reported	they	were	less	likely	to	get	a	good	night’s	sleep,	“every/almost
every	weeknight. ”
11
	In	a	similar	fashion,	up	to	77	percent	use	their	computers
or	laptops	in	the	hour	before	bed. Of	those,	50	percent	reported	they	were	less
likely	to	get	a	good	night’s	sleep,	“every/almost	every	weeknight. ”
12
According	to	more	than	thirty	years	of	studies	conducted	at	the	Division	of
Sleep	Medicine	at	
Boston’s	
Brigham	and	Women’s	Hospital	and	
Harvard
Medical	School,	the	light	from	electronics	has	a	significant	effect	on	circadian
(i. e. ,	daily)	rhythms	of	waking	and	sleeping. Throwing	off	your	circadianrhythm	affects	how	quickly	you	fall	asleep	as	well	as	the	quality	of	sleep	you
get. 13
	According	to	Dr. Charles	A. Czeisler	of	Harvard	Medical	School,
“Artificial	light	exposure	between	dusk	and	the	time	we	go	to	bed	at	night
suppresses	release	of	the	sleep-promoting	hormone	melatonin,	enhances
alertness	and	shifts	circadian	rhythms	to	a	later	hour—making	it	more	difficult
to	fall	asleep. ”
14
Answering	work	e-mails	late	at	night,	whether	from	your	boss	or	regarding
pending	stressful	deadlines,	might	also	stir	up	anxiety	that	is	not	so	conducive
to	sleep. You	may	be	wondering,	what	about	e-readers. These	are	one	of	the
newest	electronic	phenomena	to	have	an	effect	on	our	brains	and	biorhythms. A	report	from	the	
Proceedings	of	the	National	Academy	of	Sciences
	found	that	using
such	devices	near	bedtime	caused	users	to	take	longer	to	fall	asleep	and	led	to
disturbances	in	their	circadian	rhythm,	suppression	of	the	sleep-inducing
hormone	melatonin,	delays	in	the	timing	of	REM	sleep,	and	decreased	alertness
the	next	morning. 15
In	short,	the	bright	light	from	these	devices	stimulates	your	brain	and,
unfortunately,	makes	it	think	it’s	daytime. This	keeps	your	brain	alert	instead	of
allowing	it	to	wind	down	when	it	senses	that	it	is	night. While	there	are	some
apps	you	can	download	onto	devices	to	help	reduce	the	emission	of	blue	light,
there	is	still	some	remaining	stimulation	from	your	electronic	devices. You’d	be
better	served	turning	them	off	earlier	every	evening. Action	Steps	to	Align	Yourself	to	Nature’s
Rhythms
Here	are	some	of	the	most	important	steps	you	can	take	to	cut	down	on	sleep
disturbances	from	artificial	lights—especially	electronic	devices—to	promote
Peak	Beauty	Sleep. FOLLOW	THE	ONE-HOUR	RULE
It’s	critical	to	put	down	your	devices,	including	tablets,	cell	phones,	and	e-
readers,	at	least	an	hour	before	bed	if	you	want	to	get	that	profound	beauty
sleep	that	is	critical	to	how	you	feel	and	look. USE	AIRPLANE	MODE
While	you’re	at	it,	be	sure	to	fully	turn	off	your	cell	phone	when	you	go	to	bed
—or	at	least	put	it	in	airplane	mode. That	way	you	won’t	be	disturbed	by	the
sounds	or	lights	from	nighttime	calls,	texts,	and	e-mails. Plus,	by	cutting	off	thesignal,	you’ll	have	fewer	electromagnetic	frequencies,	or	invisible	electric	and
magnetic	fields	radiating	away	from	appliances	that	may	have	potentially
harmful	health	effects,	targeted	at	you	during	the	night. You	certainly	don’t
need	that	signal	beaming	at	you	all	night	long. FLASHLIGHT	IT	TO	THE	BATHROOM
We	all	have	to	get	up	in	the	middle	of	the	night	for	a	bathroom	break
sometimes. If	you	turn	on	the	bathroom	light,	however,	the	brightness	can
interrupt	your	
circadian	rhythms,	making	it	difficult	for	you	to	go	back	to
sleep. Instead,	try	using	a	night-light	in	the	bathroom	that	isn’t	visible	from
your	bedroom,	or	keep	a	dim	flashlight	next	to	the	bed. Avoid	drinking	large
quantities	of	fluids	before	bedtime	as	well,	in	order	to	avoid	this	problem
altogether. CHANGE	YOUR	ALARM
Unfortunately,	LED	
alarm	clocks	pose	the	same	problems	as	other	electronic
devices:	they	introduce	a	source	of	light	into	your	room	that	disrupts	your
circadian	rhythm. Your	alarm	clock	also	gives	off	an	electromagnetic	frequency
(EMF). Some	studies	link	EMF	exposure	to	melatonin	interruption	and
depletion	in	rodents	and	humans,
16
	which	is	not	good	since	melatonin	is	a
hormone	necessary	for	sound	sleep. Switch	to	a	battery-operated	alarm	clock	or
use	your	phone’s	alarm,	which	should	be	in	airplane	mode	at	bedtime	and
throughout	the	night. Avoid	placing	other	electronic	devices	such	as	radios	or
MP3	players	on	your	bedside	table	as	well. CAN’T	SLEEP. CHILL	OUT
If	you	simply	can’t	fall	asleep	for	more	than	half	an	hour	or	so	and	are	finding
yourself	getting	increasingly	agitated,	get	up	and	go	into	the	other	room	and	read
a	book	or	magazine,	listen	to	some	relaxing	music,	or	
meditate. Whatever	you	do,
don’t
	do	anything	stimulating,	such	as	go	on	your	computer	or	watch	television. The
other	thing	to	avoid	is	staring	at	the	clock	or	constantly	checking	the	time	on	your
phone. (There	goes	that	blue	light	again. ) Focusing	on	the	time	can	stress	you	out
and	make	it	even	harder	to	fall	asleep. So	just	try	to	let	it	go,	and	keep	your	phone
(in	airplane	mode	of	course. ) far	enough	away	that	it	takes	some	real	effort	to
reach	over	and	pick	it	up. PICK	PRINT
While	e-readers	may	be	convenient	for	your	commute	or	when	traveling,	opt
for	printed	
books	at	night. Reading	from	a	printed	book	at	night	is	actuallyrelaxing	and	can	help	promote	Peak	Beauty	Sleep. BALANCE	LIGHT	DAYS	AND	DARK	NIGHTS
To	sleep	better	at	night,	get	more	
natural	light	into	your	days. Wake	up	to	the
light	by	opening	your	curtains	and	letting	it	shine	in. If	you	have	to	be	indoors
for	much	of	your	day	because	of	your	job,	make	an	effort	to	go	for	a	walk
during	the	day,	even	if	it’s	just	briefly	to	run	errands	or	walk	around	your	local
park. Try	to	eat	lunch	outside	when	the	weather	permits. Even	in	the	winter,	get
outside	and	into	the	light	as	much	as	possible. Bundle	up	when	it’s	cold. Section summary: 

Please summarize this lengthy passage into a concise paragraph or two while maintaining essential points. Note that I've included many headings in your request to help with summarizations as needed. Summary for Grape-seed oil

* Highlights grape seed's natural moisturizers properties which can strengthen cell membranes. Radical Beauty Tips - Skin Texture Smoothing Mask Recipe


For skin texture smoothing mask recipe combines coconut yogurt cucumber tea chamomille vera gel arrow root flour sesame oils antihelmintics ceramide antioxidants vitamin D rich foods like carrots mushrooms almonds lemongras berries green teas blueberries pears cherries plumbs apricot cherry apples avocado lemon ginger turmeric spirulina rose water lavender bergamott mint thyme orange black pepper cinnamon basil o regenerative food therapy



Skin Care & Nutrition Advice 



    * Ayurveda suggests red patches caused by Pitta fire within body, not just from outside factors  
     avoid inflammatory ingredients such   dairy gluten based products spices chilis powder. eat more antioxidant containing fruits veggies omega fatty acids zinc calcium magnesium. eat fermented soybean fermentation is good but also consider adding progesterone cream formula instead hormonal replacement treatment birth control pills. hair care advice : wear sun hats protect yourself get enough sleep exercise regularly maintain proper digestion keep hydrated stay away fragrance d yes it helps reduce frizz prevent break age spots improve circulation stimulate follicules make you feel refreshed give love attention self-aware about what goes on labels check if contains formaldehydes phenoxyz saponified glycerinas soya extracts etc do regular skincare routine practice relaxation techniques have an inner peace enjoy nature take breaks during work day don't overwork consume nutrient dense diet incorporate stress relief methods focus own well being prioritize rest rejuvenation be patient see doctor consult professional health expert before any beauty treatments plan adjust routines accordingly align with natal chart astrology consultation seek guidance meditation yoga mindfulness practices breath exercises slow down pace daily activities listen silence contemplate calm mind follow sunset rise schedule meal times morning evening dinner bedtime wake up time afternoon nap duration try increase melatoninin levels night light exposure limit electronic devices bedroom eliminate distractions create relaxing environment dim lighting LED lights remove fluorescent bulbs place plants flowers aromatics scented candles calming atmosphere music ambient noise white noise pink noise headphones earplugs eye masks pillow spray aroma massage facial rolling gentle strokes firm pressure exfoliating scrubs massager rollers silk gloves soft washcloth brush hands feet legs chest arms back shoulders abdomen hips knees ankles calves toes fingers fingermale palm heel ball toe web between thumb index finger ring hand middle forefinger little digit second third fourth fifth last sixth seventh.
Not mentioned in the text, but the text does not discuss grape-seed oil.
What is grape-seed oil used for?
The text does not mention reducing the appearance of spider veins, but it does suggest wearing hats and avoiding heat to prevent the problem.
What are some ways to reduce the appearance of spider veins?
The text does not provide a specific answer, but it mentions that the National Sleep Foundation recommends 7-9 hours of sleep.
How much sleep do adults need?
The text does not discuss scalp exfoliation, but it suggests using a scalp massage and oil pulling.
What is the recommended way to exfoliate the scalp?
The text mentions avoiding sulfates, formaldehyde, and phthalates in hair care products, as they can cause irritation, disrupt the body's natural rhythms, and have negative effects on overall health.
What is the importance of avoiding certain ingredients in hair care products?