Daily Detox: Be a Natural Beauty
We are all natural beauties, that goes without saying. Whether we believe it or not is another story and one that goes along with the reality that American women spend over $600 a year on cosmetics. Whether you dabble or dive into the cosmetics counter here’s a few tips to help make your beauty product lineup a little greener.
Before you buy check out the Safe Cosmetics website for the latest news about cosmetic companies, cosmetic campaigns, chemicals and ingredients safety. Safe Cosmetics is leading a campaign asking cosmetic companies to pledge to remove toxic chemicals and replace them with safer alternatives in every market they serve. As of August 2007, 600 companies have signed the Compact. You can check an online database to see if your favorite beauty dealer has signed on.
Co-op America keeps an online, searchable database of green products including personal care - National Green Pages - with listings of natural, organic and fair trade beauty products and much more.
Green Living Online has a very thorough breakdown of chemicals commonly found in beauty products with where they’re found and why they’re dangerous in 6 Makeup Chemicals to Avoid. And The Dirty Dozen Chemicals in Cosmetics is also a good reference for choosing clean and healthy cosmetics.
My favorites include Burt’s Bees, a company that is fun, ethical and environmentally aware. Burt’s does pretty much everything from chapsticks to foundations for everyone from babies to dads. Lavera uses organic plant oils, herbs, flower extracts and essential oils, their products are cruelty free and also free of parabens, petroleum and synthetic preservatives and fragrances, which I find extremely suitable to sensitive skin. I also like AVEDA, despite that they are owned by Estée Lauder. AVEDA has become a champion of sustainability with an all-natural product line, use of recycled paper, and promotion of the use of sustainably produced catalogs and magazines.
More tips:
Back Lash or Parabens Pretty Ugly both at Ideal Bite