Renée Loux, the "Queen of Green", is a Maui local who has made a huge name for herself as an expert in eco-friendly living. A green lifestyle includes not just eating habits, but products we use in our homes, and on our bodies. With a television show, three books, and another in the making, Renéehas been praised in the media for her innovative ideas andpassion for her profession. This endearing "green goddess" shared her journey with Invited, advice on living green, and tips for women living in Hawaii.

After an academically and athletically inclined Renée became curious about which foods would reap the highest physical performance, she developed a deep passion for nutrition and the culinary arts. In a leap of faith, she moved to Maui without ever having been there and secured a job working at a resort as a chef. Soon thereafter, understanding that Hawaii has an environment where you can grow food year round, she opened the country's forst raw foods restaurant in Paia, at the tender entrepreneurial age of 21. There were difficulties along the way, as this concept was new to many, but a vegan since she was a teenager, Renee was a firm believer that living this lifestyle was not about cutting things out, but learning how to create new things as you go. A hard-worker and a gambler, Renee's forward thinking set a precedent for restaurants to come.

After three years, Renee sold her share of the restaurant to her partner, and started working as a private consultant for celebrity musicians and actors. She was "greening" their homes by choosing eco-friendly, common household items such as dish soap, toilet paper, and cleaning products. As her business evolved, she penned her first book, Living Cuisine, In it, she includes recipes and "nutritional cross-training" to teach the benefits of raw foods. Her second book, The Balanced Plate, brings more delicious recipes, and a new way of thinking about food using a philosophy of three systems: macrobiotics, raw food, and ayruveda (an alternative, eastern belief medical system). As she was writing this book and talking to her publishers, she realized that the lifestyle she was trying to promote was about more than just food. "I realized that asking someone to eat well and organically, is asking a lot. Food is right up there with politics, as there are many opinions. Identifying the cornerstones of personal care, homecare and household cleaning products are much easier to ask,to not slowly and surely poison our children or ourselves."

It was then that Renee found a real voice for a larger platform of green living. A third book came out entitled Easy Green Living, a must have for any household that aspires to live better. This book touches a wider spectrum of green living and highlights top brands, personal tips and expert advice from Renee. Fine Living TV gave her another stage to complement the book with her own television show, It's Easy Being Green. "It's a real opportunity to bring light to some great stories and great people. I have an incredible production team and a husband [producer Shep Gordon] with an experienced background. They were a great support, lending faces and great words to bring the show to the next level." Renee's show features celebrities such as Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Darryl Hannah, Alice Cooper, Helen Hunt and Paul Newman who "has been quietly committed to the cause before it was cool to care."

Invited was especially curious as to what tips Renee had for those of us concernedwith the intense sun here in the islands. She believes that skin health is very important but warns us that some of the chemically formulated products are effective from the sun, but damaging to the skin. The key to SPF products is to use ingredients whose molecules are too big to be absorbed by the pores in the skin. "The most effective are reflective compounds and physical sunscreen ingredients, such as titanium or zinc oxide." Renee has lend a hand in developing a new skin care line called GRN, which stands for Grow Restore Nurture. "It's a sophisticated natural formula, with ingredients so clean you could practically eat them. If I look at a list of ingredients, and if it's not something I would want to eat, I probably wouldn't want to rub it on my body either, since our skin can absorb up to 60% of what we apply. Luckily, our skinis a living organism that can rejuvenate itself so it's never too late to change your habits." Renee also recommends using mineral powders with SPF. They allow the skin to breathe, come off easily when you want, and are durable enough throughout the day.

Keep an eye out for a fourth book in the works right now, called The Whole Green Catalogue, a complete listing of products that Renee personally recommends, including Skinceuticals, Jane Iredale, Eminence, Mineral Fusion, Jurlique, and Kiss My Face. Also, visit hersite at www.reneeloux.com to find out more information.

 Sugared Vanilla-Coconut Salt Body Scrub

Salt has purifying properties that make the skin glow and sugar is an ages-old beauty ingredient. The grains of both are natural exfoliants that slough off dead skin, allow supple, young skin to emerge.

Coconut Oil is an emollient that hydrates and nourishes deeply. The salt and oil balance each other, rinsing off cleanly and leaving the skin radiant and soft all over. Vanilla is optional, but it smells darned good; nonalchoholic vanilla is extracted in glycerine, which is a plus for contributing moisture. Orr, add or substitute other essential oils.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sea salt

1/2 cup organic sugar

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 tablespoon jojoba oil

2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, or 6 drops essential oils of your choice (optional)

Mix all ingredients in a glass jar. using your hands or a cloth, rub the scrub over the skin in a circular motion. Store the remainder in a sealed container, and stir before using. It keeps indefinitely, with no refrigeration needed.

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