I love taking a long, warm bath filled with my favorite essential oils and bath salts. And just in time for holiday gift giving and post holiday destressing, I’ve discovered a few new bath salts.
Here are my picks:

Feeling frazzled? Garden Girl’s “Simmer Down” (8 oz, $15) blends pure, mineral rich dead sea salts and fragrant nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon oils to warm you up and relax your mind and body.

Socal Cleanse Organic Detox Salt Scrub ($72) is a spa-ready blend of salts, botanical, herbs, seaweeds and plant oils.  This paraben, sulfate, and preservative-free scrub contains virgin coconut oil, and exfoliates, …read more

‘Tis the season when lounging on the couch is more appealing that going for a run or a power walk.  But we still want to look slim and trim for holiday party dress season, don’t we?  So I enlisted personal trainer, Taj Harris, to provide us (I’ve only made it to one session with the tough love dynamo) with some inspiration.

Here are five tips from the Crunch Fitness trainer that will help you break out of the couch potato rut:
1. Make going to the gym a part of your daily/weekly routine, very similar to that stop you make on the way …read more

During a weekend visit to my local Macy’s, I spotted a new style of Skechers Shape-Ups.  The shoes claim to tone your muscles and promote healthy weight loss, and based on all the success stories Hot Mama Daily readers have shared regarding the fitness shoes, I had to let you know about the latest color and style.
This “Women’s Work” style ($100 at Macy’s; $115 on Skechers.com) in black reminds me of old-school Reebok sneakers and is more ideal for the cold weather than the “Sleek Fit” Mary Jane style I tested over the summer.
Plus, they have slip-resistant soles, which make them …read more

Did you watch Rihanna’s revealing interview with Diane Sawyer last night on ABC’s “20/20″?  I was glued to my tele and have a new respect for the pop superstar, who has recently stirred up controversy with her questionable new single “Russian Roulette.”
A blonde Rihanna, flaunting yet another cutting edge haircut and wearing a sharp, white sweater dress with big shoulder pads and stilettos, spoke about her humiliation because of her abuse at the hands of ex-boyfriend Chris Brown and her regret over reuniting with the singer only three weeks after he assaulted her.
“This happened to me….it can happen to anyone,” …read more

Have a beautiful day in Hell!  No, I’m not trying to be rude.  I’m just sharing the cheeky catch phrase for Moxie, a new line of girly feminine products that may make “that time of the month” a little more pleasant.
Packaged in a pretty peach, candy-striped boudoir box with a satin black bow on top, Moxie adds a touch of glamour to picking up your monthly supply of sanitary napkins and panty liners.
And each box of Slender Pads (daytime pads), Slenders Panty Liners (for light period days), and Scanty Panty Liners (everyday use between periods) comes with a discreet, reusable …read more

Paraben-free is beauty’s new buzz word.  But what does it mean?  I didn’t know either, so I looked it up.  Parabens are chemicals widely used as preservatives in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries.  They can be found in shampoos, shaving gels, deodarants, and toothpaste. 
 
 
While parabens are considered safe because of their “low toxicity profile,” they can cause skin irritation in people with paraben allergies.  And parabens can mimic the hormone estrogen, which is linked the development of breast tumors and cancers. Yikes!  No wonder the industry is trending towards paraben-free products.
 
 
Here are a few products I’ve tried and give the Hot Mama …read more

I wrestle with this question.  African-American and Latina women tend to have a healthier body image than women of other races.  Although I don’t believe you have to be stick thin or weight obsessed to be beautiful, I do believe in being healthy.  Your body mass index (BMI) can help determine your healthy weight range based on your height. But even without a scale, we know when we’re in shape and when we’re not.
 
 
Several stars of the Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry-produced “Precious” are zaftig. The movie hits theaters November 6th, and is based on the brilliantly brazen novel “Push” …read more

Earlier today, I explained a few of the health and beauty benefits of Epsom Salt. I love adding the mineral compound to my bath water, but as it turns out, Epsom Salt isn’t just for soaking your tired bones.  
Here are four helpful home recipes from the Epsom Salt Council that you can incorporate into your beauty regimen:

Gentle facial: Mix 1/2 TSP of Epsom Salt into cleansing cream for a deep-pore cleansing. Massage and rinse with cool water. Pat dry.

Relaxing soak: Add two cups of Epsom Salt to your bath water; soak for at least 12 minutes, three times weekly. …read more

Some may still regard Epsom Salt as an old wives tale remedy, however, its the secret ingredient in many luxury bath products and an A-list celebrity beauty staple. Personally, I like to stock up on cartons of Epsom Salt at my local $1 store and keep a 3 lb. bag of Dr. Teal’s Soaking Solution on standby to soothe my aching joints in a warm detoxifying bath.
Apparently, I’m not alone in my affection for this affordable, medicinal bath and beauty product. Hot Mama Daily reader Sandhi Schimmel Gold, writes, “My favorite [bath product] is Kiehl’s Lavendar Soaking salt, but when I’m …read more

Wouldn’t you love to be perpetually in a good mood?  I sure would, especially during these uncertain times when it’s so easy to habitually be in a bad mood. 
In fact, I want to be in a good mood so badly that I’d love to become a “Good Mood Blogger” for Nature Made vitamins.  
So I need every Hot Mama Daily reader to vote so that I can become a top 20 finalist; please click this link and vote for me (voting ends October 30)!
 
To help me get in a good mood, I like to take warm, detoxifying baths with bath salts …read more