Current Green Beauty Obsessions (& Why You Should "Go Green")

I have basically been making it my life's work, as of late, to get everyone in my family to make the switch to clean, green, natural and non-toxic beauty and skincare products. Obviously, proper nutrition is still #1 when it comes to maintaining a healthy complexion and overall wellness, but what you put on your skin can be just as important as what you are putting into your body. Our skin is our largest organ, and whatever you are putting on it (i.e. creams, serums, foundation, etc.) is being absorbed into your bloodstream. So... we are eating a well-balanced, nutrient-dense diet, exercising regularly, self-caring and detoxing like crazy... and then slathering toxic products on our skin everyday?? It just doesn't make sense.

Now, I know that replacing your "tried & trues" can be scary and searching for new "holy grails" can be daunting. Then there is the question I'm sure many of you are asking, "do natural beauty and skincare products really work??" The answer is yes, and I am here to share some of my current favorites, and to convince you to come over to the green side.

To get started, here is a simple list of some of the first things that I look for on beauty and skincare product labels:

NO Parabens
NO Sulfates
NO Animal Testing
NON-Comedogenic 
Safe for sensitive skin

Next, I always check the ingredients of my products on the EWG Skin Deep website or Healthy Living App. The rating system lists the ingredients of a product and scores them on a toxicity scale of 0-10 (the lower the number, the better) ThinkDirty App is another good source to check your products. These sources break down the ingredient concerns and rate them from low to moderate to high. I always look for products with an overall score of 3 or less.

Below is an example of one of my current faves. W3ll People is an amazing green beauty brand with a fair price point (you can even find them at Target!). AND they are verified by the EWG, which means their products have reached their "strictest standards for your health".

Ok, so on to my list of current faves:

W3ll People Bio Brightener Invisible Powder ($21.99) EWG Verified! - My BFF turned me on to this stuff (she's a hair and makeup artist) and it is AMAZING. I've never really been much of a powder girl before trying this stuff and now I'm hooked! It's the softest powder everrr. I have dry skin, and this is the only powder I have ever been able to successfully use to set my undereye concealer, without accentuating any fine lines. I also use it on my t-zone where I tend to get a bit oily throughout the day. It has a very subtle iridescence to it that brightens you up without looking sparkly.

W3ll People Nudist Multi-Use Color Duo ($24.99) EWG Verified! - I love me some multi-use products. Cream blush is my absolute favorite for that dewy, youthful flush. The color pay-off is also amazing. They are super blend-able and just sink into your skin. I love that the colors can be used alone or together and can double as lip and eye color too!

Cocokind Skincare Organic Chlorophyll Mask ($19) - First of all... the ingredient list!! Only 4 ingredients that are basically food-grade (meaning you could probably eat it). Second... it's so good. My skin LOVES this mask. It's sort of like a clay mask (powder form, and you add water), but it doesn't harden and crack like a clay mask. It dries down nicely, is easy to remove with water and leaves your skin feeling purified, but not dry and tight. It smells really good and I feel like I'm feeding my skin wonderful things every time I use it.

Cocokind Skincare Mai-Light Maitake Rose Highlight  ($12) - Anything Rose Gold... you've got my attention. This is my favorite highlighter to date! The color is on point, adds a subtle, natural-looking glow, AND it's packed with skin-loving ingredients including mango seed butter and maitake mushroom powder. It's gorgeous. I love it.

Native Deodorant ($12) Rated 1 by EWG - Holy moly, these deo's smell so good AND they work! If I'm having a particularly active day, sometimes I re-apply... but that is NBD to me, especially considering the fact that they are non-toxic and rated 1 by EWG. My current favorite scent is Apricot & White Peach (heavenly. not even an exaggeration). It's a seasonal scent, so it isn't available at the moment, however Coconut Vanilla, Cucumber Mint and Lavender Rose are available year round. If you aren't into scents, they also have an unscented version! They also have "guy" scents which also smell amazing.

Hynt Beauty DUET Perfecting Concealer ($24) Rated 2 by EWG - First impression: wow. This concealer is definitely a "holy grail" product for me. I am always on the hunt for the "perfect undereye concealer" so this is a big deal to me. It is creamy, slightly dewy and perfect for the under-eye area. I've been really impressed with how well it covers up the darkness under my eyes (my main beauty concern). It is light, but buildable and it stays in place. Very minimal creasing if any on most days. A little goes a very long way, which is also really impressive. I ordered a sample size (I love this company for offering sample sizes), and I've been using it for around a month (!) and I even use it to even out my skin on other areas of my face!(!!) I will definitely be ordering the full-size.

100% Pure Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream ($26) - Like concealer, I am always on the hunt for the perfect undereye cream. To say I feel like I've basically tried them all (from drugstore to high-end) would be an understatement...but then I found this. So far, it has been living up to it's reputation to depuff, moisturize and brighten without irritation to the delicate undereye. Did I mention that it smells incredible?! At first, the scent put me off (usually scented products irritate my eyes), but the scent comes from natural coffee bean and vanilla. I don't drink coffee or consume caffeine as a general rule, but my peepers sure do look forward to this treat every morning! (P.S. it wears very well under makeup!)

Mad Hippie Cream Cleanser ($15.99) Rated 1 by EWG - I've talked about this cleanser and this amazing skincare brand before in this post, and I continue to be amazed by it. This cleanser is so good. It gently, but effectively removes makeup, leaving my skin feeling soft and not stripped of its natural oils. I even rub the cleanser directly onto my eyes to remove mascara and it doesn't sting! The price really can't be beat for the quality and effectiveness. It even comes in a glass pump bottle! I love it, and expect to be singing its praises for many moons to come.

So there you have it! My current favorite Green Beauty obsessions! What do you think? Are you interested in trying any of these products, or making the transition into clean, green and non-toxic beauty?

xoxo

My Current Natural Skin Care Routine

I have always been what you could call a "skincare junkie", trying every new "holy grail" product out there. I had never really considered that many of these "miracle" products could actually be doing more harm than good, in the long (and short) run. I don't know how many times a product has made me break out, given me a rash, or itchy, puffy eyes (even the ones specifically formulated for sensitive skin) Not only do many of these products contain toxic ingredients, many of them also test on animals! For these (and many other positive) reasons, I started to research products before I buy. First of all, I read the labels and look for a few key words on the packaging: non-toxic, cruelty free, no parabens, no pthalates and free of perfumes and dyes (organic ingredients are a plus!). I also check the toxicity rating on the EWG website. Lastly, I read reviews. I like to get the opinion of REAL people who have used the product before I take the plunge. I am happy to say that I am well on my way to a completely non-toxic skincare routine. Here is my review, in the order that I use them:

TULA Probiotic Purifying Face Cleanser - This is the newest addition to my non-toxic skincare routine... and so far I love it! It is described as " a probiotic-based gel cleanser that deep cleans pores and removes impurities and makeup without stripping the skin"... and this is exactly what it does! I double cleanse (once with my hands to quickly remove any makeup, and lastly with a facial brush to exfoliate), and my skin still feels dewy and moisturized! It's also a foaming cleanser, which I prefer. There are two sizes, so you can try before you buy. The bottles are very generous. I purchased the larger size, and because I only wash my face once a day (at night), I feel like this cleanser will last a loooong, long time.

Thayers Alcohol Free Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner - I have to admit, I was scared to try this. I had used witch hazel as a toner years ago and it was not a pleasant experience. However, my pores were calling out for a hero, and this got excellent reviews. First of all, it's alcohol free! This was the main reason I decided to give it a go. It also has aloe vera, which is super soothing for skin. Finally, it smells really pleasant. Not like any other toner I have used in the past, and my skin loves it! I feel like it really preps my skin for facial oil and moisturizer.

Heritage Store Rosewater and Glycerine Spray- I love this stuff! Super refreshing any time of day. I like to spritz this on after toner and apply my facial oil while my skin is still damp. It has a very light rose scent. It's inexpensive, but so essential to my skincare routine! You can pick this up at any Whole Foods or Sprouts, too!

Aura Cacia Sweet Almond Oil - I have used some pretty high end and expensive facial oils, but none have worked as well with my skin as this simple oil! It's not scented, and only has two ingredients: almond oil and vitamin e. I also have a bottle in my shower and use it as a full body moisturizer. It works great in place of shaving cream, too!

Rose Hip Oil - After reading about the wonderful anti-aging benefits of this oil, I added it to my regimen. It's rich in Omega 6 fatty acids and helps aid in antioxidant protection. I mix a little with my sweet almond oil, or just pat a few drops on top. My skin soaks it up and looks instantly dewy and happy.

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate - This is the only part of my routine that may have some questionable ingredients. For this reason, I don't use it everyday, but I have found that it really helps to fade spots overnight. It also seems to have had a positive effect on my eyebrows! They have never been so full. However, it is fairly expensive. I will probably be phasing this one out of my routine in the near future, so if you know of a good non-toxic dupe let me know!!

What are your favorite non-toxic skincare products?