I’ve turned to Kimberly Snyder before (see here), because when it comes to beauty, health, and fitness she has some fantastic insights. Since many of us turn to natural beauty products when we’re concerned about our skin health, I spoke to Snyder about what natural ingredients to look for in beauty products so that we can all start off 2012 on the right foot! Here’s a look at what to stock up on this coming year.

1. NaPCA is the most vital moisturizer naturally occurring in the skin. The ability to retain dermal moisture correlates directly to NaPCA content. NaPCA facilitates the skin’s absorption of atmospheric moisture, giving it a moist and youthful glow.

2. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant free-radical scavenger that combats skin damage and neutralizes environmentally induced deterioration. Vitamin E assists in collagen production, moisturizes and dramatically decreases wrinkle length and depth. I just got back from Morocco, which is the birthplace of argan oil. Certain oils, like argan oil, naturally contain Vitamin E.

3. Witch hazel. High in astringent tannins and great in natural toners. Helps to tighten and shrink superficial cells. Reduces redness, and acts as an anti-inflammatory.

4. Hyaluronic Acid drastically reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles while improving smoothness, tone and firmness. In addition to creating volume in the face, which bestows a healthy, youthful, appearance, Hyaluronic Acid is also an exceptional moisturizer due to its unique liquid-retention capability.

5. What’s NOT in your products is just as important as what is. Artificial fragrance is one of the worst. It takes thousands of chemicals to make up a fragrance as simple as artificial blueberry. All bodies are different, but with so many chemicals, we are bound to react to some of them. Avoid artificial fragrances in makeup and body care and note that if a label simply says fragrance, it is probably artificial fragrance. Look for essential oils, which are usually listed instead.

6. For facial powders, look for aloe and allantoin, which are both soothing and non-irritating. Avoid Bismuth Oxychloride, which is common in many popular mineral makeups, and can create or aggravate acne. Also avoid talc.

7. For liquid foundation, look for fruit oils and colors from natural micas and iron oxides. Avoid mineral oil, propylene glycol and parabens, which can clog skin and may contribute to health complications.

When I asked Snyder what her favorite natural beauty products are, she told me that her number one pick are ones from Sally B’s Skin Yummies. The line is completely plant-based and she makes everything by hand in her personal lab. “Her mineral makeup is the best I’ve ever used,” says Snyder, adding, ” and the products won’t clog skin. I love her Luxury Cleanser, which has a great combination of Tamanu Oil and other saponified oils that provide excellent cleansing, as well as a treatment for inflammation like rosacea. The Healing Hand Butter is full of kokum butter and shea butter, which are both highly prized for healing qualities, and are especially great this time of year.”

(Note: If you enter “beauty” as a coupon code for checkout at Sally B’s, you get 5% off!)

Snyder also told me she like Tata Harpers Replenishing Nutrient Complex (I’m also a fan!), which contains alfalfa extract providing vitamins A, B, C, D and E, helping maintain a youthful appearance and protecting from environmental conditions that cause skin damage and age spots.

Image: Kimberly Snyder

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As an eco-conscious consumer, it is important for me to find out exactly what it means when I choose to buy organic products, particularly cosmetics. Who decides whether or not something can be labeled organic, and to what degree is a product organic  just because it has that claim on the label? After a bit of roaming the Internet, I came across the United States Department of Agriculture, which regulates organic agriculture, to see what they consider to be organic cosmetics.

The first thing that caught my eye was that organic cosmetics are determined to be such under the same guidelines as organic agriculture. That means, abiding by the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, cosmetics that are labeled and sold legally as an organically produced product have to fulfill the following requirements:

1) The product has been produced without use of synthetic chemicals.
2) The product cannot be produced on land where synthetic chemicals have been applied three years immediate prior to harvest.
3) An organic plan with the blessing of a state official has been followed in creating this product.

Furthermore, I found that cosmetic products could only present the familiar circular green USDA Organic seal if the product is 95 percent to 100 percent organic. I hadn’t even considered that something that has the seal can be anything less than completely made of organic products. Products with at least 70% organic materials can have made with organic ingredients on the packaging –this is definitely the label that I am most familiar with. Anything with less than 70 percent organic material can list the organic components in the ingredients, but not label itself as organic in any way.

Having done this tidbit of research really opened my eyes. I had happily pranced through my local beauty store, zeroing in on the organic products and soothing my conscience as I purchased the slightly-more-expensive-but-better-for-the-earth-and-my-karma products. Even though cosmetics concocted outside of the United States do not necessarily need the USDA seal of approval to be organic, I didn’t know that there were these tiers of evaluating how organic a product can be; now I feel much more informed the next time I get excited over a body cream made with organic products.

For the online shopper, here are some earth-friendly beauty brands to get you inspired:

• Paraben, fragrance, and petroleum-free organic cosmetics by Juice Beauty
• Organic Body Care by Pangea
• USDA certified and fair trade soaps by Dr. Bronner

Photo Credit: Hamed Saber

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So what makes Lush so unique?

“Our Core Beliefs

We believe in making effective products from fresh, organic fruit and vegetables, the finest essential oils and safe synthetics.

We invent our own products and fragrances. We make them fresh by hand using little or no preservative or packaging, using only vegetarian ingredients, and tell you when they were made.”

And you know what? They aren’t lying! You feel the love in every Lush product. Nearly all of their products are vegetarian or vegan friendly. On every bottle is a sticker with a picture and name of the person who made it by hand and the date they made it. Every single product I have purchased has improved by skin, my hair, or my mood. Sometimes all three! Let me introduce you to my all-time favorite:

BIG Shampoo $21.35

“Lemon-lime margarita shampoo adds shine and body to fine hair. The difference between a hefty, healthy hairdo and a lot of limp, lackluster locks? It’s this saucy, sassy, salty shampoo! BIG combines shine-enhancing citrus juices with the beautifying, hair-buffing impact of sea salt and genuine sea water for a body-building regimen your fine hair won’t sweat over.”

This stuff is fabulous. The scent wakes up up and it leaves your hair shiny and soft. You don’t even need conditioner! If I could marry this shampoo I would! Just kidding……or am I?

Shop for more shampoo at Smarter.com.

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The spa offers manicures, pedicures, facials, massages and waxings using only organic products and non-toxic polishes.  In 2005, D’Amato launched Priti Polish, a line of nail polishes that are formulated without DBP and formaldehyde.  The polishes are $12.50 and come in fun colors like Magic Man Iris, White Ballet Dahlia, plus the bottle is completely recyclable.

Along with the polishes, Priti makes a soy-based nail polish remover that is 100% biodegradable, derived from farm crops and does not contain any petroleum ingredients.

4 oz. Soy Polish Remover: $11.25

All products available at PritiNYC.3DCartStores.com

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Limited Edition Juicy Tubes PURE: $18, lancome-usa.com

Since we’re on the topic of green glosses, here are few others that may tickle your fancy:

Burt’s Bees Super Shiny Natural Lip Gloss ($6.29) is made with almond oil, simultaneously making your lips luscious, juicy and really moisturized.  Burt’s Bees are pros at this stuff.  They’ve been making natural, eco-conscious personal care products since 1984. The Super Shiny gloss is flavored with natural citrus oils and comes in four different colors including Pucker Berry, Sweet Pink, Zesty Red, and Nectar Nude.

Smashbox has created O-GLOSS, lipgloss with Goji Berry-C Complex ($22).  The naturally pink hued lip gloss is made with ginkgo biloba, pomegranate seed antioxidants, marine botanicals, moisturizing avocado oil and an exclusive formula of Goji Berry-C Complex.

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for more Lancome lip gloss and Burt’s Bees lip gloss.
Discounts on Smashbox lip gloss.

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1) KaiaHouse.com

An online beauty retailer who carries products that are safe, animal and environmental friendly.  It consults with the Environmental Working Group to verify the safety of every ingredient that goes into the products.  Kaiahouse has a wide assortment of makeup, hair care, skin care, anti-aging and vegan products. Every bottle of its “Save Your World” product saves an acre of rain forest in one year.  Another noteworthy product is “Speak Freely for Humanity” Vanilla lip balm (pictured above), every purchase of which contributes $1 to humanitarian organizations such as the Carter Center to help war and human rights victims around the world.

2)  CosmeticsDatabase.com is a safety guide to cosmetics and personal care products compiled by researchers at the Environmental Working Group.  It has a searchable database of cosmetic and skin care lines with scores of 1 to 10 for product safety and levels of toxicity. So we can either type in the name of the product we are interested in and verify it’s safety level it or simply search for a safe product line from the listed categories for hair, skin, nail etc.

3)  TeensTurningGreen.com is a non-profit organization that educates young women to make healthy choices and commit to a healthy environment.

A division of the org called Teens for Safe Cosmetics works to bring about greener alternatives in cosmetics.  They have been vociferously active in trying to ban the presence of lead in lipsticks which is associated with learning disabilities, miscarriages, low IQ and behavioral problems.  Teens Turning Green collection of safe cosmetics consisting of facial masks, body butters, cleansers, toning mists etc is sold at Whole Foods Market (http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/).

4)  Kahina-GivingBeauty.com

Kahina Giving Beauty is a line of natural skin care whose main ingredient is argan oil, derived from the Argania Spinosa tree indigenous to Morocco.  Argan oil has come into wide prominence recently for its anti-aging properties due to high content of antioxidants, essential fatty acids, carotenoids, ferulic acid, sterols, polyphenols, and vitamin E.  Argan oil is even suggested to protect against skin cancer and improve the appearance of some skin disorders such as eczema and psoriasis.  The ingredients of the Kahina line come from women’s cooperatives from around the world and 25% of the profits go toward initiatives that improve the lives of the women. The line includes serum, cleanser, lotion and plain argan oil which is said to be the secret weapon of Moroccan women to reverse signs of aging.

5)  100PercentPure.com

As the name suggests , 100% pure is a line of skin care and makeup derived from 100% pure, vegan ingredients without addition of any synthetic chemicals, chemical preservatives, artificial fragrances, artificial colors, harsh detergents or unhealthy toxins.  Their exhaustive collection includes tinted moisturizer with SPF 20, lengthening and conditioning mascara, caffeine eye cream, pure peach pigmented concealer to name a few and can be found at ULTA , Skin-One (with free shipping) or its website.

6)  JosieMaranCosmetics.com

This line of pure, gentle but effective makeup founded by the well known model Josie Maran, claims to be different from other earth friendly lines in the sophistication and luxury that it delivers.  It comes complete with bio-degradable packaging and is talc, paraben and petrochemical free.  You can check out this collection at Sephora and Barneys.

7) IAmaPeacekeeper.com

Peacemaker Causemetics ‘s line of eco and health friendly cosmetics was founded in 2002 and has been featured in numerous magazines like Marie Claire, Teen Vogue and The Oprah Magazine.  It is the first cosmetics line that donates 100% of its profits after taxes to women’s health and human rights advocacy organizations.  Shipping is free on all their orders.

8)  JuiceBeauty.com

Juice Beauty, offers organic beauty solutions created from an antioxidant rich organic juice base backed by age-defying technology.  All its ingredients are 95% certified organic and are procured from sustainable and organic farms from around the globe.  It offers a wide array of products including it’s best selling Apple Nutrient Eye Cream and SPF 30 Mineral Light Moisturizer. Featured in Allure, Vogue Japan, Elle and other top Magazines, Juice Beauty can be ordered online from the website or can be found at Sephora.

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for more organic makeup and organic skincare.

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The funny part is when I think “beauty products” the last thing that comes to mind is “DIRTY HIPPIES”.  Don’t get me wrong I love me a furry tree hugger, but that is sort of the point, being a hippie usually entails a disdain for all things superficial and materialistic. Historically hippies do not shower much,  shave much, comb their hair much .. so on and so forth. Of course, this is a gross generalization but that is the general consensus. Which is why I can’t decide whether these “Dirty Hippie Products” are a stroke of original marketing genius or doomed to failure?

Well in my quest to feature more organic beauty lines I wanted to showcase their line of completely VEGAN chapsticks!

Called the Kissin’ Sticks - these chapsticks are all vegan-certified. Comes in three flavors: hemp (of course, lol) cool crush with orange and mint, and orangecickle with orange-vanilla blend.

Price $3.25

(If you are interested in checking out these Dirty Hippie Products, click on the image or links above)

Also, if this does not tickle your fancy there is apparently a ton of Discount Organic Lip Balms to choose from – Click the link & have fun!

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Natural, pseudo-natural, botanical, natural mix products – it’s all very puzzling for the consumer embracing the organic lifestyle especially with so many types of natural skincare products to choose from.

“Instant Radiance, Brilliance, Shine, Youthful” these are some of the promises many skin care products on the market promise. More and more consumers have become chemical-wary, prefer returning to basics and have become disillusioned by the hundreds of anti-aging, chemically produced creams and lotions giving us that artificial boost.

The skin care and organic beauty trend has turned into a craze. In Britain the organic market has almost reached 2 billion, with a 30 percent increase in the number of health and beauty licensees approved by the Soil Association; the New York Times recently highlighted sales of organic personal-care items reached $350 (176m) in America.

Many organic skin care products are vying for our attention in the burgeoning organic beauty market – what do we know about what’s organic and what’s not?

Answer: The main chemical culprits to avoid in cosmetics are glycol, parabens and sodium lauryl sulphates.

If your makeup contains any of the following then it is NOT organic.

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