The Three Beauty Products You Should Replace Right Now
So you want to green your beauty routine, but you're feeling overwhelmed. That's OK - I was too. Just as a green lawn starts with a seed and the right conditions to grow, you can't go 100% green in an instant. So, start small, and start by replacing three regularly used products for a healthier and greener you.
Perfume and Cologne
Because these products aren't legally required to list ingredients so companies can protect trade secrets, access to an ingredients list isn't even an option. Synthetic fragrances are made to mimic the scents of vanilla, wild flowers or spice ... but they often aren't made from the real thing.
Plus, fragrance is something you put on almost everyday - and for some people, multiple times and in multiple places on their body.
My recommendation: Florascent 'Premiere de Mai' perfume, $98.95
German company Florascent combines green tangerine, galbanum, rose and jasmine into a floral fusion that is light and natural in a base of alcohol, water, and natural essential oils.
Or, visit organic beauty e-tailer Saffron Rouge for more perfumes made from real ingredients and free from synthetic dyes, mineral oils, parabens, preservatives or anything on their black list.
Eco & Inexpensive: Intelligent Nutrients 'Attune - Feel Good', $50
"Feel good" knowing that the oils in this fragrance are derived from (real!) plants. Plus, all food extracts (like cinnamon) are certified organic.
Face Lotion
Face lotion is rubbed into the skin, and remains on the skin for the longest, giving chemicals maximum time and opportunity to be absorbed into the skin.
My recommendation: Pur-lisse Hydra-Balance Moisturizer, $65
Chemical-free and made with extracts derived from the blue lotus plant, this signature blend of Vitamin E and soy proteins leaves my skin baby soft and clear.
Eco & Inexpensive: Weleda Iris Day Cream, $15.95
The shea and cocoa butters combined with natural essential oils in this cream moisturizes and protects skin with the added benefit of a light, floral fragrance.
Deodorant
The most active and effective ingredient in non-green deodorants, aluminum, will aid hygiene by blocking pores from releasing smelly sweat, but some suspect it could contribute to health problems by preventing toxins produced by sweat from escaping the body. Aluminum has been linked to increased risk for Alzheimer's disease, brain and respiratory disorders and possibly breast cancer.
Our Organic Mom's recommendation: Dr. Hauschka Deodorant Fresh, $22.95
A little pricey for a stick of sweat-stopper, but even Martha Stewart swears by this natural deodorant, free from parabens and aluminum. (See more of Alexandra Zissu's natural deodorant recommendations.
Eco & Inexpensive: Lafe's Natural and Organic Deodorant Stick, $7.99
Mineral salts eliminate bacteria that cause body odor, while certified organic hemp oil, aloe vera and essential oils keep you smelling pretty the natural way.
Related Links
30 Surprising Ways to Save Money by Going Green
Green Gardening Tools and Other Gifts for Gardeners
7 Tips for Planning Your Green Wedding
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Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.
