To wrap-up eco-beauty week, here’s a wonderful post by Stancie Wilson of Fig+Sage on her personal favorite beauty products (I’m totally trying all of them…)

Stancie Wilson is an avid researcher who’s passionate about organics and the personal care industry and is eagle-eyed when it comes to ingredients. She’s not a hippie or treehugger (though nothing wrong with that), she’s a working woman with a full-time career in the communications industry who loves spreading the word about truly pure and stylish products, helping educate others about the dangers of toxic ingredients and hopes to help others dicifer products that are greenwashed and those that are truly green.

She’s Co-Founder and Editor of the popular blog, Fig+Sage™ [www.figandsage.com] which won the 2009 Top Blog Award named one of the “Best Blogs By Women” by Blogtrepreneur, is featured in Alltop and was recently awarded Blog Pick Of The Day by RedOrbit. Gaining rapid popularity since its inception in March ‘08 is no surprise given its honest and refreshing voice in a sea of “crunchy” green blogs. It is the go-to online resource for discovering hip organic and fresh eco finds with a heavy emphasis on organic beauty.

Stancie is also Beauty and Fashion Editor for Feelgood Style [www.feelgoodstyle.com] and was the first to be awarded the ‘Eco-Friendly Expert Maven’ title by ThisNext.com last year where her recommendations are followed by millions of shoppers.

If you’re like most consumers its likely you’re overwhelmed at the sheer number of brands claiming this and that when it comes to natural and organic beauty.  At times you may even feel like a deer in headlights with so many options and claims being hurled your direction by savvy marketers.  Its important to remember there are brands who have a genuine passion for creating products with both performance and purity in mind and as one who has tried, tested, slathered, smoothed and used countless natural and organic beauty products, I’m  going to share with you some of my favorites, those shining stars that are now amongst my absolute must-haves, most of which are in my makeup bag right now.

 Intelligent Nutrients Anti-Aging Serum:

Its not often that I’m absolutely blown away by an entire skin care range, but this one does just that and its my #1 favorite (of the hundreds I’ve tried) at the moment.  Its no surprise really, considering Horst Rechelbacher is the brain behind this brilliant brand. He founded Aveda back in 1978, sold it to Estee Lauder in 2005 and is now the founder/formulator/visionary behind these USDA and Soil Association certified products, that prove “organic luxury” is not an oxymoron. I use just 1-2 drops for my entire face (including under eyes and eyelids), neck and décolleté.  If you have really dry skin, you’ll benefit from applying this before your moisturizer, but I just use the I.N. Serum at night and the I.N. Moisture in the morning.  Looking in a mirror in the morning can be scary, but I actually really look forward to it after I’ve used this serum.  Pores appears smaller, redness is gone and if there were any blemishes they have either vanished completed or on their way to recovery.  And I love the smell of this – fresh and herbal.  First glance at the price tag may raise eyebrows but considering how long this will last (approx. 6-8 months) and how your skin will adore it, its a total bargain.  In last months issue, Lucky Mag’s Beauty Editor raved about this serum, writing “there’s nothing better”.  In case you want to try it out before dropping a good amount of cash, the only places I know that offer samples sizes of Intelligent Nutrients are Spirit Beauty Lounge and The Nature Of Beauty

[click to continue…]

Share

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

Today’s Eco-Beauty week post is contributed by blogger Jennifer Nicole. More about Jennifer:

Jennifer Nicole was diagnosed with rosacea – redness, adult acne and blotchy skin – in 2006, and is no stranger to natural and organic products.  She owns and runs Awakened Aesthetic, a website that features local, organic and/or socially conscious websites and products, and helps readers avoid the mass-marketed media trap that is Corporate Shopping.  Jennifer also co-owns The Demoiselles, a guide for women of all shapes and sizes in search of self awareness and a healthy mind and body (plus some hot fashion, of course).


Who doesn’t have skin problems?

That’s what I thought: no one.  Given enough time, we all go through the frustration of unwanted skin problems: dryness, blemishes, wrinkles…even the occasional bug bite.  At the same time, some of us – those with perpetually oily or dry skin, those with scars or sun damage – have more to be concerned about than others.

The truth is, finding non-organic skincare products that keep our problems away is hard enough.  Finding something that’s all natural, organic, socially responsible, and still works is a whole other matter.  What’s a girl to do?

I’ve heard a lot of people say that I should “DIY” my face products: smoosh up fruits, veggies, nuts, flour and oils to make my own masks and washes…but honestly, I don’t have the time (or the energy).  I need something I can use at 11pm, when I’m half asleep and don’t even want to wash off my makeup, without worrying that my face wash has gone rancid.  The other option I’ve heard is to buy those really expensive products you see online – but my skin is temperamental.  If this $30 bottle of all-natural wash doesn’t work, how am I supposed to afford thenext one I have to purchase?

The solution, for me, hasn’t been time-consuming or expensive.  It’s been a series of small choices, along with some cheap-and-easy test runs of pre-made products, that have kept my skin clear and my bank account afloat.

tomatos

  1. Use what you’ve already got.  Right now, I have half a tomato sitting in my fridge.  It’s going to go bad.  However, since my skin is particularly oily, I can slice up that tomato and place it on my face for 30 minutes: it will destroy the upper keratinous skin layer and let new skin breathe and grow.  (Oily skin only, ladies!)  For normal or combination skin, try cucumber, which sucks up dirt and oil without all of that acidic content.  Dry skin?  Grab those old, mushy strawberries.  (No other ingredients for these masks, just the fruit itself!)
  2. Ask for samples.  Grechen and I have both posted about Spirit Beauty Lounge, which offers lots of natural beauty solutions for the discerning shopper, but did you know that they also offer sample kits?  Before you drop a lot of cash on a new face wash, mask or toner, you can try it at a discount.  (I’ll never have to give away disappointing beauty products again.)
  3. Moisturize from the inside out.  It’s like mom always told you: drink lots of water.  When I forget this rule, I pay for it: my skin gets blotchy, blackheads creep up from the depths, and the dark circles under my eyes start to look like black holes.  This one’s free, ladies, so keep it in mind. Your skin won’t just thank you later – when it’s started to lose its natural elasticity in your thirties and forties – it will also thank you now, as it soaks in that moisture to help even out pigmentation, dryness and overall tone.
  4. Don’t give up.  You’ve got this face, and this planet, for the rest of your life.  If you give up on finding the right eco-conscious beauty products for you in your early years, you’re stuck with the crap you’re using now.  Do you really want to be staring into the mirror, frustrated by Clean & Clear, twenty years from now?

I know, it seems simple.  It seems too easy.  But here’s the real kicker: it all relies on you.  There’s no perfect face wash for every girl that has rosacea; there’s no one product that will clear your skin and leave you looking radiant every day.  There’s only you, a glass of water, and all of those advertisers that are looking to grab your almighty dollar.

So be patient, stay hydrated, and spend wisely.

Please visit these other eco-beauty week posts:
Expert Tips & Picks from Spirit Beauty Lounge + $100 Giveaway!
Sula Paint & Peel Nail Polish Video Review

Share

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

This is a Green Grechen “classic” LOL but I thought it was worth re-posting for eco-beauty week, and I’m still obsessing over the new blues and greens by Sula I saw at Anthropologie recently…

If you’re not familiar, the Sula polishes just peel off so you don’t need to use harsh chemical remover. I was definitely skeptical at first, but as you’ll see in the video, it totally works!! And since I’m going out of town in a couple of days I’m going to go and pick up a fun color and won’t have to worry about finding nail polish remover, I’ll just peel the paint off when it starts to chip (although strangely enough, the Sula polish lasted quite some time without chipping).

httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KEImatUXLA

(sorry that the video is a little blurry when I’m trying to get the close-ups, I was trying to do this by myself!) The only thing I would say about this is that I didn’t use a base coat (supposedly it’s not necessary with a water-based polish) and after peeling the polish off, my nails were extremely dry. I read on another website that if you don’t use a base coat, you should brush your nails with cuticle oil a few minutes before applying the polish. I actually do this every time, but only on my cuticles, using Solar Oil, but I didn’t use the oil on my nails. I would definitely suggest that you do that though…

*updated* I also did some research and came up with this list of non-toxic or water-based (or both) nail polish available online – if you know of any I missed, PLEASE let me know in the comments and I’ll add it to the list!

Water-Based Nail Polish

WaterColors nail enamel
Suncoat
Acquarella
Honeybee Gardens
Sula
Toxic Free Boutique

Formaldehyde, Toluene & DBP-free Nail Polish

Strangebeautiful
Priti Polish
Orly
Butter London
Lippmann Collection
Rescue Beauty Lounge
NARS
Adoree
nubar
Peacekeeper
Zoya
Chanel, Revlon, OPI, Sally Hanson, Rimmel, Calvin Klein, M.A.C., Avon, and many other of the “big” brand nail polishes are also “three free.” But this is only for relatively recent formulations – some of the older versions probably still have the chemicals in them (my Chanel polishes are probably in the older formulation category…they’re pretty old!)

A good resource for everything nail polish related, including WHY it’s important to buy three-free or water-based nail polish: All Lacquered Up

Share

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

Welcome to eco-beauty week at Green Grechen! All week we’ll be featuring guest posts by beauty bloggers with a special spotlight on greening your beauty routine. Today’s post is a great one to kick-off the week, featuring tips on how to choose & use eco-friendly beauty products and her own personal favorites for Fall, by Spirit Demerson, owner of Spirit Beauty Lounge (one of my favorite places to shop for eco-friendly beauty online – AND where you can save 15% with code “grechen15″)

spirit beauty lounge

More about Spirit:

Artist, activist and beauty school dropout, Spirit Demerson has spent many years testing, mixing, analyzing & searching for effective organic beauty products and ingredients. As a child she made her own perfumes using vanilla extract from the pantry and skin toner using fresh watermelon rind (her dads invention.) Cosmetology school was a natural choice but the lure of a modeling career beckoned and she left her native San Francisco Bay Area for NYC at the age of 18. Frustrated by the less-than-luxurious organic beauty selection available at natural foods markets and misleading labels at drugstores, she became an expert, spending hours obsessively researching ingredients, often mixing up batches of lotions and potions in her kitchen.

There are many different reasons why you may want to green your beauty routine – whether it’s out of concern for the environment, trying to avoid carcinogens and toxins for health reasons, or just trying to live a more natural lifestyle in general. One thing you must know is that up to 65% of what we put on our skin is absorbed into the bloodstream and knowing that, it’s definitely worth thinking about what we put on our skin the same way we think about what we eat. In my 10+ years in the beauty biz, I’ve come to realize that by and large, most women do care about the safety and sustainability of their cosmetics and personal care products but don’t want to have to sacrifice efficacy or even perceived luxury, to go green. At the end of the day, a product still has to perform and should still be a pleasure to use. That’s why I feel as an “eco-beauty activist”, the best way I can promote the cause is to provide a source for the best-of-the-best ethical and sustainable products out there and be an example of how the “green & glam” lifestyle has worked for me, without sacrificing a thing!

I’ve spent a lifetime using natural-based beauty products and I can tell you that today, not only are the offerings equal in quality and beauty to any conventional products, but many of them are even better; more effective, more pure, and more beautiful. So many friends, family members and now, customers, have told me that their skin and hair conditions have improved or been cured since switching to natural and organic beauty products. In my own battle with acne, I spent thousands on pharmaceuticals, prescription creams and drugstore treatments that always seemed to make my skin worse until finally starting an all-natural routine that changed my skin for life.

Cosmetic companies like Nvey Eco, RMS Beauty and Priti are proving that the killer chemicals in conventional products aren’t even necessary. You can get long-lasting, flawless results in every shade imaginable without the toxins so why wouldn’t you?! Greening your beauty routine can be fun and easy and I guarantee you’ll make the most of it with these 6 eco-beauty tips: [click to continue…]

Share

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

eco-chic weekly: September 25

by grechen on September 25, 2009 | SUBSCRIBE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK |

Here it is…some of the best in the eco-blogosphere this week. Enjoy!! and have a happy weekend.

ecotights

  • Ecco*Eco has a glimpse at the Fair Trade line Suno New York’s S/S 2010 line!
  • Eco Fashion World reports on the performance at the World Congress on Organic Cotton this week.
  • Check out the sumptuous Fall Eco Fashion Accessories being featured on Eco Chick.
  • Eco Diva reviews Juice Beauty Organic Facial Mask.
  • Ecouterre answers the question, “Why is Eco-Fashion So Expensive?”
  • Ethical Style has announced a new fair trade line of youth clothing by Harry Potter’s Emma Watson.
  • Learn about natural alternatives to hair removal at Feelgood Style.
  • Looking for the world’s sexiest (and most ethical) black boots? Look no further than the Girlie Girl Army.
  • Green Lashes and Fashion has a collection of five unbelievably awesome Vintage Cuffs–I want them all!
  • What do you like about Heidi and Seek?
  • Hiphonest has a video featuring Ecoluxury line by Swedish designer Camilla Norrback.
  • Modern Hippie Mag has a New Online Resource for Greening Your Wedding.
  • Organic Beauty View shares her Fashion Week Discovery: Max Green & Moko.
  • The Alternative Consumer has it’s own New York Fashion Week wrap-up.
  • If you love color, you’ll love the solar power style by Bird Textiles featured on The GIN Lady.
  • What are you planning to do with last season’s fall wardrobe? The Green Girls has a suggestion!
  • Shopping Golightly makes a trip to the mall and what does she find? Read all about it at The Thrifty Chicks.
  • Treehugger reports on London Fashion Week and the Esthetica showcase.
Blog Widget by LinkWithin
Share

{ Comments on this entry are closed }