Blog

I-N teams up with Peter Gray among the world’s foremost hairstylists and Caroline Labouchere, a model and ambassador to I-Nspire you!

I-N Educator Chad Keast shares his coming out journey and how we can support the LGBTQIA+ community during Pride month and always.

Get to know editorial makeup artist, licensed esthetician and educator Rudy Miles as he shares with us a story that is guaranteed to make you smile!

If you think shampoo is shampoo, think again—there’s stuff in those cheaply made drugstore hair products that can do your hair and scalp more harm than good.

The terms vegan and cruelty-free are hot buzzwords in the current marketing world, where appealing to the environmentally-conscious improves profit margins. However, many consumers fail to understand exactly what vegan products are and what these terms mean as it relates to ingredients, products, and companies. 

We caught up with our fearless leader & daughter of Horst Rechelbacher, founder of Intelligent Nutrients and Aveda. 

“We grew up in this industry and helped create the natural products revolution. Today “natural” is everywhere, but one thing’s largely missing: the environment. We’re passionate about safe, non-toxic products and the earth must be part of that equation. Our planet’s health affects all of us — including the water, air, soil and wildlife.

We value transparency. You will find every ingredient we use clearly listed on our packaging. If you don’t know a particular ingredient used in our products, it’s probably listed in our glossary. FRAGRANCE/PERFUME: We use only active aroma/essential oils – each only contributes to the health & beauty of skin and a positive impact on the pysche – no fluff, no filter. *There is no requirement to disclose the components of a product’s “perfume” or “fragrance” (even though some include more than 200 ingredients alone) so you will commonly find it listed as such on food and cosmetic labels. ALLERGENS: Allergens found in IN products are all naturally occurring in essential oils or other plant-based ingredients. Where many commercial beauty products (soaps, antiperspirants, eye makeup, shampoo, moisturizer, lip stains and nail polish) cause skin reactions from a list of preservatives and parabens we can’t pronounce. If an ingredient is a common allergen (included on the list created by the EU of 26 known allergens) we will note it on our label. We’re also Gluten-Free, Vegan* and safe for celiac disease. *Most of our products are 100% vegan, some contain beeswax COLORANTS: Highest regulated ingredient in cosmetics, since it is also the most dangerous. Synethic and coal tar derived colorants have been linked to causing cancer. You can identify these listed on the label by: FD&C or D&C, or the color name followed by a number. For example: D&C Red 21 or just Red 21. Beyond the health risks they pose – these colorants are often derived via toxic mining processes that are harmful to workers and the environment. Look for natural colorants: carrot oil, beet extract, henna, fruit and vegetable juices instead. “THE BLACK LIST” We have created our own black list of ingredients that we do not allow in any of our products: - Skin Deep rating of 3 or less – proving it is healthy to us- Endangered Species check (via www.cites.org and www.iucn.org) – proving it is safe for every creature on our planet Anything that doesn’t pass these standards doesn’t meet our principles and will never be found in our products. For more information on our standards and philosophy, click here.

The world’s pollinators are in a state of crisis. These tiny, mighty, buzzing creatures are essential to our food system. We reached out to the UMN Bee Squad for some answers on what’s going on and what we can do to help ultimately #SaveOurSpecies. Why is it important to have bees, bats, birds and butterflies? Bees, butterflies, birds and bats are responsible for the reproduction of most flowering plants. Over 35% of the global food supply and over 80% of flowering plants are dependent upon animal pollination. Birds and bats help control pests, like mosquitoes. They also provide nutrients to the soil through decomposition and (in the case of bats) guano. Without these beneficial creatures, things get out of balance. Mosquito and other pest populations get out of control. Without our pollinators, many flowering plants would disappear. Besides making the world beautiful and providing humans with food, flowering plants provide essential food and habitat to countless other animals…As you can see, it’s a complicated web of symbiotic relationships that must be kept in balance. Why are bees, bats, birds and butterflies in trouble? The health of our pollinators is currently compromised by the overuse of pesticides (including insecticides, herbicides and fungicides), a lack of nutritious food sources, compromised habitat, and a slew of diseases and pests. There are many bees, birds, bats and butterflies that suffer because their native habitats have been diminished. Just like humans, pollinators need plentiful, clean and diverse food sources in order to remain strong and healthy.A note on Honey Bees: Honey bees are not native to the U.S., but they are also in need of our protection and support. They have two very unique roles to play: The first is to pollinate many of our country’s main food crops, such as melons, squashes, almonds, berries, apples, and much more. The second is to serve as an “indicator species.” Because honey bees live in large colonies and are managed by humans, it is easy to notice when they are doing well, and when they are suffering. When the honey bees are suffering, we can deduce that other, harder-to-observe pollinating insects are also suffering, and are in need of our protection. In order to keep honey bees healthy, we need to plant clean bee food, and make sure we are properly managing the pests and diseases that plague honey bee colonies. What can we do? There are many ways to help bees, bats, birds and butterflies:Plant flowers that can serve as food for pollinators and habitat for pollinators. Leave wild flowers alone! Instead of mowing, let common “weeds” like dandelion, white clover, and plantain bloom. Let hedgerows grow wild with asters and goldenrod. Don’t cut down your milkweed stalks–instead, hope that monarch butterflies will hang their chrysalis’ from them. Do not use pesticides in any area where plants are flowering–chances are, there are thousands of insects collecting food from those flowers, and you don’t want to contaminate the nectar and pollen.Spread the word: talk to your friends and neighbors about not spraying their lawns, or at least timing the application of pesticides so it does not affect blooming flowers. Share literature about planting flowers for pollinators, etc. Stay updated on pollinator research via The UMN Bee Lab and other scientific institutions. Make sure the information on pollinators and/or beekeeping is relevant to your local region/ climate.