Tag: green beauty

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2013 Green Beauty Picks

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I’ve loved makeup since my days of playing dress-up as a kid. The big difference now is that my grown-up choices are more responsible—less toxic, but just as fun. After two friends recently asked about items to buy that are better for you—green, eco, clean, less toxic—and another complimented me on my lip color, I put together some notes on my current favorites. It’s my “what’s in my makeup bag” edition for 2013—with selections by brands taking steps to make products that are safer and less damaging to you and the environment. (Find out more from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database. Also check out The Green Beauty Team for more recommendations from colleagues.) 

FOR EVERYDAY:

RMS Beauty – Lip2Cheek

I wear Illusive on cheeks and also patted on lips. It’s a brownish pink with some plum to it that adds a hint of color when it’s dabbed on—with a bit more, you have a bold but neutral lip. 

RMS Beauty – Lip Shine

Sublime is a bright bubble gum pink that provides a light pink pop when very gently patted on lips. (I blend it with Lip2Cheek in Illusive for a plummy pink.)

Yes to Carrots – Lip Color Balms

I like that it’s moisturizing and has barely-there color without any shimmer.

RMS Beauty – Living Luminzer

Magic in a jar. This is creamy and provides a glow that really does look like it’s coming from your skin. 

Jane Iredale – PurePressed Base Mineral Foundation

For full coverage on my face, I apply this just after moisturizing. Bonus: It’s SPF 20.

RMS Beauty – Un Cover-up

When I don’t wear makeup all over, this is great to pat on sunspots, any red areas, and around the nose.

Alima Pure – Bronzer

Just a brush on the cheekbones and down the nose and you get a faux sun-kissed look.

Vapour Beauty – Illusionist Concealer

Dab it on lightly and it does wonders to conceal dark under-eye circles.

Physician’s Formula Organic Wear – FakeOut Mascara

From the only brand I’ll buy in a drug store, this mascara adds serious length and thickness to lashes.

Vapour Beauty – Mesmerize Eyeliner

It’s easy to apply, has solid staying power, and wakes up my eyes with a clear line across lids or simply dotted on at the lash line.

FOR GOING OUT AND AND GETTING GLAM:

Vapour Beauty – Aura Multi-Use Blush

Spark gives my cheeks a great where-have-you-been? pink flush.

Alima Pure – Satin Matte Eyeliner

When going for drama, I use a wet brush to apply this power eyeliner.

Alima Pure – Luminous Shimmer Eye Shadow

 I like Meringue for a dreamy light eye or Smoke for a sultry look.

Jane Iredale – 24-Karat Gold Dust

This comes out for special occasions—brushed on cheekbones and neck/cheeks/shoulders.

Primitive Natural Makeup – Lip Gloss

Creamy and shiny—and not sticky. I wear Rio alone for a soft red or apply it over red lipstick.

Primitive Natural Makeup – Lipstick

My red of choice is Belize, which has  a touch of berry and feels bold but not severe.

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DIY Face Scrub: Another Kind of Coffee Pick-Me-Up

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I like to reuse and repurpose as much as possible, which makes this DIY coffee and honey facial even better. I simply take used coffee grounds and add honey, then gently pat the sticky mixture on my face and let it sit for about five minutes. Over the kitchen sink, I then gently massage with two fingers using a circular motion on my cheeks, chin, and forehead, avoiding the delicate eye area. When washed off, skin is soft and glowy.

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Raid Your Kitchen for DIY Hair Care

Originally published (slightly edited version) on the Green Beauty Team website

Many of the same all-natural and good-for-you ingredients in your fridge and pantry are also healthy and effective applications for your hair. When tending to your tresses, here are some DIY hair care products you can make with common ingredients from your kitchen. Good enough to eat? You bet: Ingredients listed in the concoctions below are edible.

Heavy-Duty Conditioner: When you know you’ll be hanging around the house for an hour or two, try a homemade conditioning treatment using coconut oil or olive oil as a conditioner. Simply fill your palms with oil and apply to dry hair, section by section. Pull back into a ponytail or braid and let soak. If you feel the need to cover your hair, try a hot towel or a reusable shower cap, but try to avoid wasteful plastic wrap. If coconut oil is your elixir of choice, you can leave it in when you’re going out. I simply slick my hair back into a low, sleek and slick ponytail. Regardless of which oil you use, you’ll want to shampoo well to rinse out the oil. Be sure to use a gentle shampoo free of astringent ingredients, so you don’t unwittingly dry out your hair all over again.
Quick Conditioner: If you’re short on time, but desperately need a moisture boost, apply a small amount of olive oil on a comb to wet or dry hair and leave it in. Another quick conditioning pick-up: “Tip one back” in the shower and try the age-old trick of rinsing beer through just-shampooed hair.
Conditioning Hair Mask: Avocados, mayonnaise, and eggs are well-known conditioners. Mash up a mixture of any combination of these emollient ingredients and massage into dry hair for 30 minutes, then wash out. It’s messy, but you can contain it all with a towel or shower cap.
Beach Hair Spray: For DIY beach hair spray, blend distilled water, coconut oil, and sea salt in a spray bottle. Feel free to eyeball the proportions.  I use a ½ cup of water, 1 teaspoon coconut oil, and 1-2 tablespoons of sea salt. Shake well before spraying to dry or wet hair. Then, scrunch and twirl away for more body. (I boil Brita-filtered water to make my own distilled water.)
Sexy Bed-Head Hair: The trouble with the bed-head look is that no one really wants to show off greasy roots. The best way around this is to apply coconut oil to the middle and ends of your hair, staying away from the scalp. To get this look with squeaky clean hair, apply a small amount of coconut oil, twist and scrunch hair until messed up to your liking.
Greasy Roots Controller: We’ve all had those days between shampooing when our hair maintains good form but our roots look a little too oily. So many of the dry shampoos on supermarket shelves contain artificial and toxic ingredients worth avoiding, even if the idea is a good one. Try making your own dry shampoo to use on greasy roots with corn starch, which soaks up the oil. That’s right — just corn starch. Apply with fingertips to your scalp and rub or comb through until the powder disappears.
Flyaway Controller: Rub palms with the barest amount of coconut or olive oil, and gently smooth those out-of-control hairs into submission.
Dry Ends Controller: Apply a small amount of coconut oil or olive oil to the ends of dried-out hair, wet or dry.
Lifeless Hair and Dandruff: To remove product build-up or treat a flaky scalp, rinse hair with apple cider vinegar. To breathe life into your tresses, apply to hair only. To control flaking, start at the scalp working your way through to the ends. (Don’t worry — the vinegar smell doesn’t linger.)

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Safe Fake Bake

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I came back from a week’s vacation that included a lot of quality beach time. Like I always do, I lathered up with sunscreen and wore hats to keep my face protected. But when a coworker commented on my tan, I delighted in telling her it was “faux.” My sunny complexion comes from using Alima Pure’s bronzer in Maracaibo, with a touch of Vapour Beauty’s Aura Multi-Use Blush in Spark on the apples of my cheeks. Easy, non-toxic, and “naturally” glowy.

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Better Together: Pink Lips

It’s Spring! My girlie-girl way to embrace the season is with a pick-me-up pink from combining two Jane Iredale lip products: LipColour in Sabrina and PureGloss in Sugar Plum (just a dab of gloss for an extra punch and hint of shine). Bonus: the brand is trusted for creating non-toxic beauty products and the lipstick is made with SPF 18.

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Better Red Lips for the Red Carpet (or Right Now)

Watching the red carpet arrivals for the Oscars tonight, a friend commented on the red lips of an actress, wondering aloud about the chemicals in her lipstick. I was quick to point out that there are plenty of red lip products available that are safer to wear — those made without ingredients that are harmful to you (because, come on, you know you end up eating a lot of that lip color….). My favorite green beauty choice for red lips is RMS Beauty’s Lip2Cheek in Rapture — good as a barely-there light stain or for a full-on deep and dramatic red. Either way, it can be perked up when topped with a tiny bit of Jane Iredale’s PureGloss in tourmaline (it looks pink in the tube but goes on clear with a bit of shimmer). If I want a full red lip that’s softer and on the tomato side of the spectrum, I go with Jane Iredale’s LipColour (lipstick) in Nicole, which is super-moist and made with SPF 18. Best of all, these products are from companies committed to making makeup more responsibly — better for you and the environment. (For more on these products and others, check EWG’s Skin Deep for ingredients and safety ratings.)

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The Right Pink

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but you probably know that already. You’ve seen the pink ribbons on products and on apparel. If you watch NFL football, you’ve even seen players wearing pink shoes, gloves, and caps. Hoorah for pink! I will cheer from the sidelines with pink pom-poms at efforts to raise awareness and research funds for a dreadful disease that affects far too many.

But here’s where I draw the line. So many of cosmetics being sold to women with pink ribbons stamped on the packaging contain toxic ingredients on the inside — and some of them are carcinogens. I want to applaud Avon, Revlon, Estee Lauder and other companies for what they are doing to raise awareness — and millions of dollars for research to find a cure for this disease — but not nearly as much as I want to sit their executives down in a room and ask, “What the f#$%?” Or, maybe I would hold it together and take a more calm approach: “Why are you selling products with harmful toxins, including carcinogens, when you know you can make safer products — when, in fact, so many other cosmetic companies are already making high-quality products without the toxins?”

That’s right. The good news in this rant is that there are companies making personal care products and cosmetics with safer ingredients. I use them. I don’t miss the makeup I previously used, before finding out about the dangers hidden in those tubes, bottles, jars, and compacts. I don’t feel like I’m compromising by using the better-for-you choices. You can also look up individual products to see how they rank for safety at the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database.

And the practice of the other companies fooling consumers into thinking a product with a pink ribbon stamped on it is a good one? It’s know as “pink-washing” and it’s disheartening (more on that here, from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics). But we all make choices with our wallets. Here is one: Would rather buy a lip gloss from a company that knowingly uses harmful ingredients (including known or suspected carcinogens) to make its products or from a company making lip gloss with safer ingredients? I always like to support the good guys (and girls).

Added: Support the Safe Cosmetics Act.

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Kitchen Sources for Beauty: Corn Starch

In my quest to eliminate unnecessary products and waste, I have tried to cut down on shampooing. I’ve actually tried to stop shampooing altogether (google “no poo” and you’ll find tons of testimonials from those who have successfully stopped shampooing; there’s even a “no poo” Wikipedia entry), but I lost patience during the dirty, greasy hair phase. So now I try to shampoo once or twice a week and get through the in-between days with corn starch. There are plenty of dry shampoos on the market and I tried a few from the beauty closet when I worked for a fashion magazine, but most of these products contain artificial fragrances and other ingredients I won’t use. I read that straight-from-the pantry corn starch could be used and I’ve found it works just as well. I keep it in the bathroom and dip my fingers in the jar to apply to roots on non-shampoo days. Hair maintains its natural shine from healthy hair oils, while roots get a quick de-greasing. Until I try quitting shampoo again….

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Here Comes the Safe Sunscreen

For the last couple of years, I have found myself eagerly awaiting the day the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Sunscreen Guide comes out, so I can forward the link to everyone I know. Protection from the sun? Important. Protection from harmful chemicals in most sunscreen products? Equally important—but so many consumers are unaware of the dangers inside the bottles and tubes. I remember being shocked to find out about all the unnecessarily harmful ingredients found in most sunscreen products by “trusted” brands, but then I was relieved to discover safer alternatives that are effective in blocking those dangerous rays. I’ve tried a lot of the sunscreens that test well and personally favor the Badger line. I keep the sunscreen stick (pictured) in my bag and also use the SPF 30 lotion. Find more information, recommendations, and results of tests on other sunscreen products from the Skin Deep’s Sunscreens 2011 report here.

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Hold the Heavy Metals, Please

In her later years, when her own cooking days were behind her, my grandmother would say, “That looks good enough to eat!” just as dinner was served. Oddly, I now hear those words (in her charming voice) when I think of beauty products. Since learning about the toxins in so many of the beauty and personal care products on the market, I have switched over to brands made with safer ingredients—in my perfect world, makeup really should be good enough to eat. And when it comes to lip products, well, let’s be honest here—you ARE eating what you put on your lips. A new study released yesterday by Environmental Defence Canada reveals that popular cosmetics tested contain toxic heavy metals such as lead, nickel, and arsenic. Gulp.

But now for the (non-toxic) silver lining: There are terrific alternatives to the toxic products you want to avoid. The Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep website tests products and ranks them for safety. Lip products that just might be good enough to eat? Right here. And you can take action by asking your representative to support safe cosmetic legislation here as well.

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Glossy and Pretty in Pink

Kate Moss has the ability to make almost anything she wears look desirable, from a handbag to lipstick. Seeing her smoking-hot new ads for Dior lip products makes me want slick, pink lips. But since greening my life, my beauty choices are now toxin-free, which means shunning most commercial makeup brands (including Dior). My favorite “green” products (safer, without harmful chemicals) for shiny pink lips inspired by the Kate Moss pout seen in the ads:

Jane Iredale’s PureGloss in Candied Rose, Pink Candy, or Cosmo

Jane Iredale’s PureMoist lipstick in C.J., Daisy, or Sabrina, topped with Jane Iredale PureGloss in Tourmaline

RMS Beauty’s Lip Shine in Bloom, topped with Jane Iredale PureGloss in Tourmaline

Hemp Organics Lip Tint in Kiss, topped with Jane Iredale PureGloss in Tourmaline

100% Pure lip gloss in Juicy Pink Grapefruit

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Kitchen Sources for Beauty: Baking Soda

I have already phased out cosmetics and personal care products that contain harmful chemical toxins in favor of safer alternatives. Recently, my green beauty experiments have led me to the kitchen, to use pantry ingredients that are actually good enough to eat (see previous post on olive oil). For a facial exfoliator, I’ve begun to use baking soda weekly or as needed, simply blending about a 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda with water and gently rubbing the paste on my face using a circular motion. It’s safe, easy, effective—and a lot less expensive than other facial washes and scrubs. I’ve also filled an empty shampoo bottle with distilled water (DIY distilled water: boil filtered water, let cool, use) and a tablespoon of baking soda and use it instead of traditional shampoo a few times a week.

(Public service footnote: Learn more about this from the Campaign For Safe Cosmetics and find out what’s in your products from the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep website).

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Smell It, Taste it: Mmmmm, Chocolate

I read a report today that Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld loves chocolate but does not eat it. (This immediately brought to mind the story of Peter, AKA No Coffee Guy, whom I met during a weekend at Fire Island. Before going out one night, Peter’s housemate was brewing a pot of coffee and Peter commented about how good it smelled. But when I suggested he grab a cup, he replied that he didn’t drink it. He loved the smell, he said, but didn’t drink it. Then he added that he had never tried it. Loved the smell but had never tasted it? He could not provide a reason why and I was puzzled. Not trying crack? I get that. But coffee? That was the first sign that Peter was going to be a drip. Yes, pun definitely intended!) Back to Mr. Lagerfeld. He is quoted in W magazine as saying that the smell of chocolate is enough for him, that he can eat chocolate with his nose. Puzzled again. Barring a serious health issue, how bad can chocolate be when consumed in moderation? Mmmm, rich, dark chocolate. I consume some every day and savor every bite, even if it’s only one tiny piece. Lagerfeld finished by saying he would love a perfume based on chocolate. Someone should send him Cacao, the beautiful perfume already made by Aftelier Perfumes. As with all of her other amazing scents, Mandy Aftel uses only natural ingredients (no synthetics), and this one has a base of chocolate and vanilla with citrus and jasmine sambac top and middle notes—all to make it absolutely intoxicating and, well, delicious.

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Better Beauty: Glowing, Golden and Good

It’s the time of year when you see magazine articles and blog posts on how to achieve glowing and golden skin, featuring products made with toxic chemicals I wouldn’t want on my face and absorbed in my body. There are so many better-for-you (and the environment) products available out there and I always consult the Skin Deep website for their ratings of products when looking to buy something new. My favorites right now:

For a subtle glow, I like Jane Iredale’s 24-Karat Gold Dust in Rose Gold. This mineral shimmer comes in powder form, but I blend it with shea butter to apply it across my cheekbones, down the bridge of my nose, and on my eyelids. I carry some of this mixture in my bag in a contact lens case. (Pictured above; the cute blue scarf it’s sitting on was a thrift store gift from my mom).

For a golden faux tan, I like RMS Beauty’s Lip 2 Cheek in Promise. It’s a creamy mineral stain in a pot and the smallest amount is needed to give cheekbones a hint of bronze. (To apply more liberally to my face, neck, and chest, I’ll blend some with shea butter or coconut oil.)

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Kitchen Sources for Beauty: Olive Oil

I saw a post on a style blog yesterday about a new product available: an anti-frizz comb infused with olive oil. Infused with olive oil! To that, I say this: Ain’t nothing like the real thing, baby. There’s no need to buy a new comb or product—simply use olive oil. I keep olive oil in a vintage glass bottle in the bathroom. Usually I take a few drops and rub it between my palms and then gently run my hands through my hair, away from the scalp. When hair is very dry, I use olive oil as a deep conditioner, soaking the strands with the oil and twisting it into a ponytail knot for an hour before shampooing it out in the shower. Hair is softened and frizz-free—and I take great comfort in using a product that’s safe enough to eat (and already in the house). Photo note: I keep the olive oil away from the light to keep it fresh, but it’s photographed in the window here to catch the pretty morning light.

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Beauty Treat: New Lipstick

I thought of my grandmother when I picked up a new lipstick recently. “You could use a little lipstick” was how she often greeted me during my young adult years. She also told me often that I was sweet and smart and talented and, yes, beautiful. Like countless grandparents before and after her time, she would occasionally express befuddlement about the fashions worn by “kids these days,” and she had a habit of pushing my bangs to the side while telling me that these were the only eyes God was going to give me. But I never had any doubt that she loved me just the way I was, so I never felt bad about the lipstick line.

She was from a different era and believed that ladies ought to wear lipstick. I recall her pulling out her own tube of lipstick from her handbag and applying it—either a pinkish coral or red color—every time she left the house. She might be wearing a shapeless house dress or no-nonsense slacks with an elastic waistband and a button-down shirt, but she always finished the look with her diamonds and lipstick. My grandmother’s words sunk in and I credit her with making me the lipstick lover I am today. I don’t leave the house without a little something on my lips—tinted balm, gloss, or lipstick.

Over the years, I’ve used a lot of colors from more cosmetic lines than I can recall, but I became a wiser consumer and limited my choices upon learning about the damaging chemicals hiding inside most of those lipstick tubes. (If she were still alive, I would replace my grandmother’s lipstick with a safer version. If you’re not aware of what’s in your personal care products, please visit the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and EWG’s Skin Deep database, which evaluates products and ranks them for safety.) When I felt I could use a little pick-me-up a few weeks ago, treating myself to a new lipstick sounded like a good idea. I went with a shiny gold tube of Brett lip colour by Jane Iredale (pictured), one of the cosmetic lines I count on for making high-quality makeup without the harmful chemicals found in so many other brands. It’s creamy and the color works on me as an everyday shade. It feels like the perfect “you could use a little lipstick” choice.

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Nailing It: Picking the Right Polish

Nailing ItOriginally published on the Care2 website.

I skimmed the L.A. Times story in Sunday’s paper with interest: a new nail salon was opened that sounded like my kinda place. The structure was described as “eco-friendly,” “a completely green structure” and a “safe environment.” Fantastic, I thought. Finally.

But I noted that it was an OPI nail salon and I had long ago stopped using nail products by OPI. When I learned about the dangers of nail polish a few years ago, I began to bring my own toxic-free products with me to nail salons. Then I began to go to salons less frequently because of the fumes I had to inhale while inside those walls (wondering every time I sat in the chair about how the health of the nail technician could be compromised). OPI is a nail salon favorite but I read that the company was reportedly reluctant to remove the big, bad three chemicals found in nail products: formaldehyde, toluene, and dibutyl phthalate (DBP). For several years, experts have identified these three chemicals, commonly used in nail polish, as harmful; formaldehyde is a known carcinogen as well as a skin and respiratory irritant, while toluene and DBP are known or suspected reproductive developmental toxins.

The European Union (EU) has banned the use of these three ingredients in nail (and other) products and I had heard that OPI complied with the EU rules for the products they made for overseas sales—but they continued to use the chemicals in U.S. products. Hold on. Now OPI was getting attention for its new eco-friendly salon? This felt like a case of “green-washing” to me, with OPI riding the environmental wave. Fitting a building with solar panels or stocking your bathroom with Seventh Generation toilet paper does not make a company green. What about the nail polish with the toxic chemicals?

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics targeted the company, along with many others, imploring them to make changes to their products and I went online to find that OPI finally decided to reformulate its products to eliminate these ingredients. The L.A. Times story quoted someone from OPI as saying that because they’re a chemical company, they felt they should give back. I’d never want to fault someone for doing the right thing and I like to give credit to those who see the light, but I’d much rather give my business to companies that don’t make me think twice. Luckily, there are better choices out there—and more every day. Find some of them here.