Archive for the ‘Advice + Q&A’ Category

Heroes of the 6Ps: 1. Better than conventional: Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser, 2. 100% Organic: A Perfume Organic White Magik Perfume, 3. No Fillers: Vive Sana Solar to Polar Ultra, 4. Fair Trade growers: Amala Hydrate Treatment Oil, 5. This women-owned business is Green America Approved, a SafeCosmetics Signer, Carbon-Neutral & more: All the Better to Kiss You With Lip Balm, 6. Reusable, Recyclable and Adorable: Nostalgia Organics Ruffles Aromatherapy Balm

We all want to make safe, healthy, responsible choices in everything we purchase right? At the supermarket, you can choose a conventional apple, a locally grown apple, an organic apple, or if you’re lucky, a locally grown organic apple. But buying beauty products can be infinitely more complicated if you don’t happen to be a cosmetic chemist with encyclopedic knowledge of ingredients and sources. I’m often asked by women looking to make more conscientious purchases, for a list of ingredients to avoid or to look for.  Oh how I wish it were that simple!

In fact, I look at more than just ingredients when I make a purchase for Spirit Beauty Lounge. I think about where the product and ingredients are from, how it’s made, who makes it and even more complex issues like sustainability versus biodiversity (they’re not the same thing!) All this thinking and researching and interviewing manufacturers led to my developing a product evaluation system I like to call the “6Ps.”

Some of us tend to take for granted the concept of SYNTHETIC= BAD : NATURAL=GOOD. Well,  just to quickly demonstrate how backward that can be, consider this; what could be wrong with a sustainably grown, nutrient-rich, organic rainforest plant ingredient from a company who “supports” the community where the plant is grown? Well what if in order to “sustainably” grow that organic plant, all of the other plants are clear-cut for thousands of acres, leaving the area’s former inhabitants – from animal to insect to plant and marine life, without a home? Yes, natural can be “bad” too – and that’s just one example.

While I highly regard, often reference and largely agree with the Dirty Thirty, the EWG Skin Deep Database and other lists,  rather than vilify single ingredients  based on their known or suspected toxicity, I’d like  to encourage everyone to ask some of the questions I ask my vendors, of their own beauty product manufacturers. Try the “6Ps”  for just one product and you may quickly understand why I saw the need for a place to shop online, where all of these things had already been considered.

The SBL prerequisites:

• Product packaging is 100% biodegradable, reusable or recyclable – Making landfill is unacceptable.
• Product is not tested on animals.
• Product does not contain animal ingredients. **Some exceptions, e.g. humane organic milk, beeswax.
• Product does not contain any of  THESE ingredients.

Assuming all prerequisites are met, I’ll then proceed to evaluate products using my “6Ps”.”  In order of importance (this may be different for you):

Performance The worst P.R. for the green beauty movement is products that don’t work! I especially look for products that perform not only as well as, but better than their conventional counterparts.   They should be effective and a luxurious experience to use in their texture and aroma.

Purity I can’t tell you how many beautiful, organic formulations I’ve seen ruined by a synthetic preservative, fragrance or emulsifier.  Think about “extracts” and ingredients “derived from” natural ingredients.  You need to know how they’re extracted.  Even the harmless sounding “vegetable emulsifying wax” can be tainted with PEGs.  Determining the integrity of the ingredients is the manufacturers job.  If they can’t explain the extraction methods to you, they need to do their homework too.  *Add points here for USDA certified organic products.

Potency There are some lovely, clean, green products out there for very affordable prices.  They may even tout the same natural active ingredients that higher priced products have in them.  The question is; how much of the formulation is active and how much is filler?  I like to see the active ingredients high on the list, not just in small doses toward the bottom.  Also consider this when dosing and using products.  It can be hard to get used to using less product when the product is highly concentrated.  As with purity, potency too can be compromised by improper processing and handling. Natural ingredients have a limited shelf life and can lose potency when exposed to too much heat, air or chemicals. Ask how active ingredients are processed and filtered to preserve potency. Remember, higher potency is a win-win for you and the environment.  Less filler means less waste.

Provenance Bamboo and recycled rubber, plastic and metal products are great but what about when they come from China? The benefit of a product made in China or anywhere other than your home country must outweigh the cost.  Where that line is, is up to you.  I have decided against purchasing many items made overseas when I was unable to verify labor conditions, or when those items could reasonably be made locally or Fair Trade.  That being said, there are some items which the manufacturer had no choice but to make in China, but made sure to visit and audit the factory to ensure responsible practices were in place, which I have deemed acceptable.

Under Provenance is also where I’ll  research factors like preservation of biodiversity.  “Where is it from?” is an easy question to answer for an apple but for a moisturizer, you may need to investigate a dozen sources.   *Add points here for products made and sourced entirely in your home country,** extra bonus points for home state.
Principles The company that manufactures the product  should be independently owned, ethical, charitable, responsible and consistent.   Although I love how many conventional product manufacturers now have added green products to their offerings, I prefer to support only companies who are dedicated to making safe, green, ethical products across the board.

Packaging Sadly, this one is often the deal-breaker.  Of the few products that will make it this far, many will fall short only because of their poor packaging.  It is prerequisite that the packaging be ecofriendly but it’s also important that it be pretty!  Needless to say I am obsessed with all things beautiful inside and OUT.  If a bottle doesn’t look pretty enough to leave out on the vanity or furnish the guest bathroom,  ultimately I’m not going to use it.  Spirit Beauty Lounge is all about attracting women to greener products and in order to attract, they have to look attractive!  *Add points for airless packaging that allows products to be formulated with gentle or no preservatives.

It’s a lot to think about isn’t it?  Not just toxins but sustainability, biodiversity, human rights, animal rights and of course, YOU and your enjoyment and enhancement of beauty!  Well that’s exactly what I thought every time someone asked me how to decide what to avoid or look for.  The Dirty Thirty is a great place to start but please, don’t stop there.  It’s a full-time job figuring this all out and if you’re even trying, I commend you.  Don’t get discouraged by or be afraid of all of the (often conflicting) information out there.  Every time you think of even one of the “6Ps” before making a purchase, you’re being a conscious consumer and that is a step in the right direction.

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Back in Beauty School, nearly 15 years ago, Makeup was always my favorite lab. I would study the flawless faces in Vogue magazine and meticulously try to recreate them on my lab partners and myself. One of my greatest inspirations was the work of the late and now legendary, Kevyn Aucoin. I don’t mean to use Aucoin’s name to endorse a product that didn’t exist in his time, but when I found out that Aucoin’s right-hand-man for a over a decade of his career, Eric Sakas, was behind a new organic makeup line, I knew this would be a must-try. What I didn’t know was that I was about to discover some of the most beautiful cosmetics I’d ever used, organic or conventional.

All Vapour Organic Beauty products are mineral pigments suspended in a base of skin hydrating and antioxidant certified organic botanicals. Each product except their lip gloss, comes in stick form which I’ve always loved – there’s  no fumbling with sponges and brushes, especially helpful in a rush!   The product from this line that  I think stands out the most; the product that I urge everyone to try, is the Atmosphere Luminous Foundation. I realize a lot of women don’t even wear foundation these days but this isn’t like any other foundation. What I like to call this product is “skin on skin.” It’s your skin, perfected. I know part of the reason we don’t wear foundation is because we don’t like to look inappropriately “made up” or like we’re wearing a mask of makeup, we don’t like the way it feels, and we don’t like having to put it on. What we would like, is to have perfectly toned, smooth skin, without discoloration or fine lines and this is the product that instantly gives you that. Not too powdery, not too greasy, the finish it is an exact replica of that of perfectly hydrated skin and the pigment is always a perfect mineral blend of multi-faceted color, never leaving you looking masked. The coverage can be built – I can glide on just enough to even out my tone or enough to completely hide my freckles.  In the pictures above, I used nothing but Vapour products with a little Nvey Eco Mascara.  The best part is, each look took about 5-10 minutes to complete!  Wouldn’t it be nice to look like you have perfect skin in just 5 minutes?  I sure think so!

Colors Used in Look 1: Stratus Instant Skin Perfector, Illusionist Concealer in 020, Atmosphere Foundation in 130 & 140 (I often wear two colors), Trick Stick in Dazzle,  Aura Blush in Torch, Mesmerize Eye Color in Trance, Siren Lipstick in Knockout (LOVE this lipstick), Elixir Gloss in Hypnotic.

Colors Used in Look 2:  All the same as Look 1 except: Mesmerize in Smolder and no gloss.

Vapour Organic Beauty can be found at Spirit Beauty Lounge.  For help picking colors or putting together a sample kit, be sure to check in with our specialist over Live Chat.

Women may ingest around 7 pounds of petroleum jelly in a decade from regular use of conventional lip balm & lip gloss! If you’d rather wear something that’s safe to eat than drink gasoline, try one of these luxurious organic lip balms instead!

Lip Balm Addict: For chronic dry lips, you need a balm that’s going to provide long-lasting hydration – but what may be causing the addiction is lip balms that “over-stimulate” the lips. If you tend to rub your lips together, chew your lips, or lick your lips after you’ve applied lip balm, you may need a balm that doesn’t have a noticeable feel, flavor or scent so that you’re not tempted subconsciously to constantly consume and re-apply. Skinny Skinny’s Bare Naked Lip Balm is light but incredibly effective, matte and unscented so it wont encourage the cravings to rub and reapply.

Hint of Color: We love to use tinted lip balms when lipstick or gloss isn’t needed ( to work or to a brunch) for a pretty, natural day look or even when it’s cold and our lips look a little more blue than pink. Pick from the chocolate flavored Sweet Beauty ‘Taste’ Lip Confection or mint with Lulu Organics Ruby Mint Lip Balm.

Pick-me-up: When our lips and noses need a little pick-me-up, a sniff of the silky Buddha Nose Lip Balm with lemongrass, ginger & lime, is all we need! Natural Solutions magazine awarded this one their Beauty with a Conscience award for Best Lip Balm in 2009.

Multi-Purpose: We love a balm that’s just as perfect for healing and hydrating lips as it is for rough elbows, cuticles, heels and hair. If you only have one balm, make it RMS Beauty Lip & Skin Balm. Keep it in your purse and you’ll be surprised how often it’s just what you need.

Anti-Aging: Keep lips looking young, smooth and soft with Intelligent Nutrients Lip Delivery Nutrition. More than just hydration, it’s chock full of potent, wrinkle-fighting antioxidants from their proprietary Intellimune Seed Oil complex.

Most Kissable: Hot date? You’ll need silky, kissable lips and a lovely organic lip balm that smells so good, you’ll have to “share” it! For yummy lips, try All the Better to Kiss You With Lip Balm in Pomegranate, Lavender Vanilla, Chai Mandarin or Pepperminty.

Best Before Lipstick: The perfect base for lip color is a lip base that’s light, smooth, stays put, and fills fine lines. Before you perfect your pout with color, use Vapour Organic Beauty Lux Lip Conditioner and your lip color will last longer without bleeding.

Brave the Elements/Severely Cracked: The lip balm you’ll need in the dead of say, a Northeast winter, is going to have to not just deeply hydrate lips, but protect them as well. For lips that have already been cracked by extreme conditions or to prevent severe dryness, especially when outdoors, try MJ’s Herbals First Aid Salve. Healing ingredients like comfrey root and calendula, in a base of unrefined propolis & olive oil give your lips all the armor they’ll need.

While everyone is talking about (as they should) what ingredients to watch out for in beauty products and BPA’s, phtalates and lead in lipstick are finally making national headlines, it occurrs to me that there are still so many of us out there who not only don’t have the information we need to make informed decisions about what we put in our bodies. Getting the word out is something we each do in our own way; whether it’s by walking into a room and telling everyone who compliments your glowing skin and fabulous makeup, proudly, that you only use natural beauty products, or writing a blog, or just influencing your family and loved ones by example. I never mean to demonize “Big Beauty”. It is after all, a monster of our own creation and a lifetime passion of yours truly. Still I find that despite huge waves of change in the way we all think about what we eat and absorb, there are 4 groups of people who really get the short end when it comes to the availability of knowledge and of products Big Beauty will afford them…

1. Persons with Acne..
I can’t argue with scientific data that supports the efficacy claims of the top two non prescription acne treatment ingredients: benzoyl peroxide (known highly toxic / possibly carcinogenic) and salicidic acid (petrochem), but I will say that in my nearly lifelong experience with my own and others’ acne issues, I have never seen either of them cure this condition. What I have seen is skin that has become highly sensitized and arguably the worst result of using OTC acne products: REBOUND ACNE! Yep, what I see more oft than not is that conventional OTC acne treatments cause more acne and with the increased sensitization, more scars. That’s because most of Big Beauty’s acne solutions are meant only to dry out and strip the skin, believing that over-production of sebum is the culprit causing the acne. The reality is that over drying oily skin only causes the skin to produce more oil and not all acne prone skin is even oily which makes treating it harshly even worse. The real cure for acne if there is one, aside from diet and hormonal balance, is oil. Believe it or not, what may seem so wrong is one of the most effective treatments I’ve seen. Both astringent (tea tree, neem) and fatty (argan, babassu) oils, properly formulated, are 100 times more effective than any conventional chemical concoction. Try Organic Apoteke Active Face Hydrating Gel (pictured left) with anti-bacterial neem leaf oil and antioxidant lemon oil.

2. Black Women.
It’s not the chemical hair relaxers that concern me about black beauty products. Sure, they are some pretty strong and scary chemicals but they don’t come into contact with the skin and they aren’t typically used more than once every 1-6 months. My problem with Big Beauty’s products targeted at black women is that threefold. Go to your local drugstore or beauty supply store and walk down the “ethnic” aisle. You’ll see a garden of “carrot oil”, “shea butter”, “silk”, “coconut” and “olive oil”, all, of course, claiming to stop breakage and magically grow long hair with “stimulating botanicals”. Now grab any one of those jars, turn it around and I’ll tell you what you’re looking at; a vat of vaseline. Petrochemicals are more widely used in ethnic products than they are in any other personal care sector and yet over the last 5 years, they are twice as likely to be marketed as natural. And it’s not just that they are used that is troubling, it’s why. Many women with coarse hair are misled to believe that their hair is dry and that heavy duty “moisture” is the best way to restore hydration. In fact, petroleum products will do nothing to restore hydration to hair. They only make it feel smoother by coating it. Black women are also often misled to believe that washing their hair too often will lead to their hair becoming even drier and less manageable. What that ends up meaning is that they are sitting with petroleum (and most likely parabens) on their scalps for several days at a time, which not only prolongs exposure the the toxins themselves, increasing their hazard, but it also STOPS and stunts hair growth, by clogging the hair follicles. Petroleum is not water soluble! All this when the reality is, just like not all acne-prone skin is oily, not all coarse hair is dry. In fact, I have found that many black women have oily scalps but in treating their perceived dry hair, they are worsening their scalp conditions. Years of this type of mistreatment almost always leads to alopecia. Some coarse hair is actually better softened by being cleaned and conditioned frequently. If the hair is truly dry from heat styling or chemical processing, wearable, natural, light, non-petroleum oils are the best solution. Try Amazon Beauty Rahua Leave-In Conditioner to soften coarse hair and lightly hydrate dry hair.

3. Mature Women.
We all know that Big Beauty makes it’s real money, capitalizing on every woman’s desire to find the fountain of youth. Some of the worst beauty “innovations” (nanoparticles, Botox…) of the last decade have been in the anti-aging skin care field. But the real reason we end up victims as our skin matures is because we have spent a lifetime being told what Big Beauty wanted us to think: that simple ingredients don’t work and that if you really want to turn back the hands of time, you’re going to need super hi-tech lab inventions that you can’t pronounce. It is very hard for some of us to accept that a.) most anti-aging claims are unfounded and unproven anyway, and that b.) the real secret to youthful skin has been under our noses all along – in healthy living, sun protection, and pure, natural skincare. While they are more rare and expensive for the manufacturer, from what I’ve seen, the best anti-aging natural ingredients like argan oil, carrot oil and acai can match the results of any expensive department store cream without a.) being hazardous to your health and b.) causing skin to actually age more rapidly over the long term. Now just try convincing your moms of that! Simply Amazing: Ila’s six ingredient miracle, Ila Face Oil.

4. Men. Yes, Men.
While men may be at lower risk of exposure to toxic chemicals in beauty products simply due to less frequent use than women, the personal care products they do use; deodorant, shaving cream, shower gel, etc., should be just as green as ours. The reason men are victims of Big Beauty is because in their desire for what they think are simple, affordable, easy to use products, they are usually unknowingly getting something that is not so simple at all. Men aren’t driving or inspiring manufacturers to clean up their ingredients because they aren’t educated about the risks and because frankly, for a man, making demands for any specificity in his personal care products may make him feel less masculine. We need to reach out to all of the men in our lives and offer them the same information about ingredients that we have and advocate for them, even facilitate in finding products for them so that they’re not left out. My significant other’s favorite natural guy product: Intelligent Nutrients Styling Gel.

While our blog is on hiatus pending a redesign and relaunch this fall, I thought I’d at least share with you one of my beauty secrets that makes being green a little easier.  Some of you have already gotten used to – and I’ve heard – may even like the fact that sulfate-free shampoo does NOT lather.  But for those of us who have thick, coarse or curly hair, getting the shampoo to span  scalp to ends, without the aid of foam, can mean we end up using way too much product, which can lead to hair that ends up a  straw-like, dull mess.  Well, I’ve secretly been using a DIY solution for years and I am pleased to reveal to you:

THE MUSTARD BOTTLE

…or an old hair dye squeeze bottle would do.  I’m not sure if I understand exactly why it works but it does – and now  I can’t wash my hair without one.  What you do is add a couple squeezes or pumps of shampoo to the empty bottle.  Fill the rest up with warm water from the shower.  Shake it up pretty good and voila!  You’ve got foam!  This isn’t going to rival the old Johnson & Johnson type of lather that a small child could float on but it will allow you to use the nozzle to evenly dispense the product throughout long or thick hair, and directly onto the scalp without going through half a bottle.

Ok so it’s not rocket science but I bet you hadn’t thought of it yet, had you?!