Beauty Blog » Green Scene

So in honor of Mother Earth and all her green goodness, I decided to dabble into the realm of …

ORGANIC BEAUTY PRODUCTS

My first observation in regards to organic makeup products is that it seems that hippies don’t care too much for packaging. Sort of makes sense, if you go out of your way to make sure that your makeup is made of wheats and oats, I doubt you would appreciate it if the packaging was made of plastic and wasteful bi-products. Hahaha, I kid, I kid!

Well here are some interesting organic choices if you’re interested:

Hemp Organics Lipstick

Hmmm, made with hemp seed oil and organic beeswax. Made in the good ol’ USA and contains no F, D and C dyes. The lipstick is lead free and contains no petroleum, wheat or gluten.

Makes one wonder how they go about creating the color huh? Maybe it’s magic. Well regardless they offer a wide assortment of colors for you to choose from, and from their description I think the overall effect is very light and sheer. Sounds nice.

Retails for $13.99

Check out their site at Vashon Organics, click here.

I recently got a haircut and color so I found this item particularly interesting.

Simply Organic Hair Color Care Kit

Simply Organic Color Care Kit is a 4-piece Color Care Kit for those looking to protect and care for their hair and scalp after a professional color service. The kit includes a Simply Organic Moisture Rich Wash, Simply Organic Moisture Rich Rinse, Simply Organic Rejuvenating Hair & Scalp Sealer and Simply Organic Color Therapy Treatment. Everything you need to protect your color investment. (Click on link above or image to purchase)

Retails for $72.00 at Hair Care USA

Aubrey Organic Lip Gloss

This looks promising and at a price range I can deal with (turns out much like organic veggies and clean living, these organic beauty products are pretty pricey). Aubrey Organic lip gloss is 100% vegan and is made of sunflower and jojoba oil, as well as African butters to make a base that soothes and moisturizes lips.

Contains no artificial colors or synthetics of any kind. Also made with a long list of rich emollients, plus natural food-grade PABA (SPF for sun protection. (Click the image or the link to purchase)

Best part is it retails for only $5.21

Happy Earth Day!

Now get out there kick off your shoes and go hug a tree!

Interesting fact:Burt’s Bees was just purchased by Clorox in November for close to $1 billion. That may seem like a lot, but since 2000, the company known for natural products and lip balm that dreams are made of, brought in around $164 million. Apparently, the bleach giant sees even bigger potential in ‘ol Burt, and plans to make the brand a household word by selling it in Wal-Mart and the like.

The price of entry is based on more than just the brand’s ability to bring in big bucks, though. Clorox also wants to learn a thing or two about being green, and they want the Burt’s people to teach them. It’s no secret that eco-consciousness is where things are going, and what better way to learn the ins and outs of sustainable business practices than buying up a sustainable business? Pretty savvy, and pretty amazing if Clorox is willing to incorporate some of the policies of Burt’s Bees into their own business (i.e. rewarding hybrid-driving and carpooling employees, offsetting 100% of their carbon emissions and keeping waste out of landfills).

That’s what Burt’s Bees is telling their once devoted fans who feel a little put off by the company’s new owners. For their part, they’re asking their legions to take a wait and see attitude and have even promised to report on whether Clorox is taking to the green initiatives on the Burt’s Bees website.

We’ll see.

Read the full story at NYTimes.com

Beauty Industry rebel and Body Shop founder Anita Roddick died on Monday after suffering a brain hemorrhage. She was 64 years old. Roddick is remembered as an iconoclast in the industry she strove to change and make more environment, animal and woman friendly before such labels were fashionable. Roddick proved that a cosmetic chain could be wildly successful minus animal testing and earth-polluting ingredients–she was even labeled the “Queen of Green” and utilized recourses from farmers in developing countries.

She got a lot of flack when she sold the Body Shop to L’Oreal last year, but she vowed that the extremely profitable move was a chance to change the Beauty Industry from the inside. And while it’s hard to judge how strong her impact was in such a short time, the presence of “green” products is unarguably at an all-time high. Plus, the Body Shop hasn’t skimped on social consciousness since the buyout as is evidenced by the company’s recent industry-revolutionizing decision to use only sustainable methods for producing palm oil.

We’ll miss you and your influence, Anita.

Another day, another green beauty product.  Oh, I sound so jaded when I say that, but I’m really not–I like that every company and their parent company is scrambling to make an enviro-friendly product or two.  I would prefer if companies took the lead of The Body Shop and made major steps to become sustainable, but baby steps are better than none at all, eh?  I guess what makes my attitude so lackluster is the fact that these products are flooding the market so quickly, making the whole thing feel like a trend.  And I really, really, really hope this isn’t a trend.  Plus, I’m of the thinking that more consumerism, green or not, isn’t exactly the way to dig ourselves out of global warming. But I digress.

All that said, I wholly promote the purchase of these Go Green Mini Slant Tweezers($10) from Tweezerman if you are in need of a spectacular tweezing tool.  I’ve never found tweezers that treat me quite as well as the Tweezerman does, and I like the smaller size of these since I’m partial to tweezing on the go.  Also, not only will you get great brows, but Tweezerman will also give $1 of the proceeds to the National Arbor Foundation, and a tree is planted for every Go Green purchase. That’s pretty good.

Hey, but if you already have efficient tweezers, then take the 10 bucks and give it to your fave green organization, and go plant a tree yourself!

For the longest time, I’ve been trying to break away from antiperspirant because of my concerns about absorbing aluminum and it’s possible links to Alzheimer’s Disease. I know, I know, we absorb aluminum in a million different ways, but I don’t want to feed it to my bloodstream via my underarms. My pits, my choice.

Anyway, I’ve been experimenting with natural deodorant for awhile now, and I haven’t had the best results, which results in me having to warn people before they get a whiff of me au natural. Until now. I’ve tried Tom’s of Maine before, but this new and improved formula really is. I read on the company’s website that the new mix include hops (Humulus lupulus–whatever that means), which inhibit the growth of bacteria (nice) and reduce the possibility of irritation. And, no, I’m not in cahoots with T o’ M people, I’m just amazed by how well it works even under the most stringent of tests:

Test #1: Trying on clothes–it worked! I walked around for about four hours, going in and out of shops and dressing rooms. Trying on clothes can be a sweaty experience, but to my amazement, I didn’t get stinky. Not at all.

Test #2: The gym– After 45 minutes of running on the treadmill, I was sweaty but not smelly.

Test #3: Synthetic material–I have this acrylic blouse that I refer to as the “stinky shirt” because it always makes me stink. However, I continue to wear it, victimizing those around me, because it’s super cute. But Tom’s of Maine. absorbed the odor.
Synopsis: Tom’s of Maine Long Lasting Deodorant in Lavender scent ($6.16 at Foods of Nature) is my new best friend. I’m now free from antiperspirants. It’s a brand new, stink-free, aluminum-free day.

Read more about the company on their official website.