Beauty

I bet you didn’t know it but I’m a beauty product junkie. Well, not a junkie in that I spend a lot of time reading and writing about beauty products, but get me into Sephora and I can play with products for hours (I’m especially addicted to lip balms. I probably have 10-12 different lip glosses/balms in various places in my handbag, and around the house.)

Until now, I’ve been a devotee of Kiehl’s. Since I first tried Kiehl’s many years ago, I’ve been hooked – I really enjoy how my skin feels after I use the toner and moisturizer, and the cleansing milk is perfect for cleaning makeup off at the end of the day without leaving my skin dry. But alas, the more I learn about eco-friendly cosmetics and the dangers of parabens, the less I want to use my Kiehl’s products. From the Environmental Working Group:

Parabens are widely used synthetic preservatives found in the most of the nearly 25,000 cosmetics and personal care products in Skin Deep. Parabens can disrupt the hormone (endocrine) system, and were found in the breast cancer tumors of 19 of 20 women studied. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) tested urine from 100 adults and found parabens in nearly all.

Um, Yuck.

So, as my beloved Kiehl’s cleansers and moisturizers start to run out (I am NOT just throwing away perfectly good product – that wouldn’t be very eco-friendly of me either…) I’m replacing them with more earth and “me” friendly skin care products and makeup.

I have recently tried some “green” beauty products, but none of them impressed me so much I wanted to buy more. First, I tried Juice Beauty. I did like the Green Apple Cleansing Gel, it seemed to kind of “tone” and tighten my skin a bit, but left it much drier than the Kiehl’s cleanser did. I also tried this sample kit:

I didn’t really like much from this kit – the hydrating mist was not hydrating, and the moisturizer was GREASY. The mask was okay, as was the serum, but overall, I didn’t want to try anything else from this line.

Next, I tried Suki; which I purchased at my local Whole Foods.

I didn’t really like anything from this line either. But I can’t really pin point why. Just to back up a second, I generally have “normal” skin, but it gets very dry in the Winter. It is sensitive – my cheeks are usually red after I touch them, and I have relatively large pores – although I did notice that they shrank a bit when I was using the Juice Beauty Green Apple Cleansing Gel (that’s actually why I bought it). I have never been to a dermatologist, never had a facial, and rarely break out. I don’t know much about skincare, I just know what I like and what seems to work for me. The MOST important thing to me is that my skin doesn’t feel dry, but it doesn’t feel greasy either. Just balanced…

So, I put my quest for eco-friendly beauty on hold for a little while – just out of sheer exhaustion from trying things – until I started working with Spirit Beauty Lounge (you might have noticed their advertisement in the sidebar). I was very impressed with owner Spirit’s selection of products, and her helpful guides (I used this one on how to choose an organic face serum), and personal service when it came time for me to choose a shade for the NVEY Moisturizing Foundation (I sent her a picture!).

I received my order today, and have been patiently waiting for bedtime so I can wash my face and try out the new products (lol). Here’s what I got:

By NVEY Eco:

By Jurlique:

I really took my time reading about and researching these products before I took the plunge…Based on my desire for balance, and soothing for my redness, I think I chose well. But we’ll see. Stay tuned in a couple of weeks for a full review. I’ll let you know how everything worked out!!

In the mean time, I’d love to hear about any eco-friendly beauty products you’ve tried. What worked and what didn’t?

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