Sarah Stacey & Jo Fairley Fight the Skincare Green Wash

Jo Fairley and Sarah Stacey, editors of the Green Beauty Bible showed the Ecologist today that they are not adverse to the mammoth task of having to wade through 'ethical' cosmetics, sorting the good from the bad, and have done just that in their new revised addition of their book the Green Beauty Bible.

Whereas only 4 years ago it was easy to track the main green brands, an explosion in the market has resulted in hundreds of green, eco, ethical and natural brands hitting the market causing confusion to many trying to check the ingredients labels. Some are professionally made whilst others are handmade balms made in cottage industry type settings with little or no testing.

This explosion is echoed when we look at the figures. According to Organic Monitor, the UK market is worth £110m and global sales of natural and organic cosmetics are increasing by over US $1 billion a year.

The time has now come when we need a bible to shop by, that goes through the brands and rates them in an easy to understand daisy rating format. The Green Beauty Bible has covered over 1850 products for you to inspect!

‘There are now an extraordinary number of products,’ says Sarah. ‘But just because a product has a tomato on the label it doesn’t mean it’s natural.’

Looking at the label is fine if you have a ‘list of ingredients to avoid’ list or a search engine on hand. But for most people it’s a complicated and confusing experience.

Intelligently, both of them point out the necessity to avoid scare mongering but concentrate instead on doing the best you can for your health, and that diet and sleep are still the cornerstones of beauty and wellbeing. No amount of cream can buy you that making a natural lifestyle hugely important.

The revised paperback edition of The Green Beauty Bible by Sarah Stacey & Josephine Fairley is out now (£14.99, Kyle Cathie)

For more information on natural beauty from The Beauty Bible website click here

Why Go Organic for Skin Care?

We should always be looking for ways to take better care of our skin. With the help of organic skincare products this can be easier than you would think. There are many reasons to take care of our skin with possibly the most important reason is that our skin is the most noticeable part of our body; in order to have healthy skin, we must take care of it.

So what makes organic skincare and beauty products good for you? Well it is the fact that none of the harmful chemicals normally associated with makeup and skincare aren’t present in organic skin care and healthcare products, thus making them much more compatible with, and less allergenic to, the skin. This reduced exposure to toxins and chemicals will typically have much more positive effects on the skin, and tell tale signs of the overuse of skincare and beauty products will be unnoticeable as there is no accompanying skin damage.

Because there are many standard skincare products that contain toxins that can hurt our skin it is definitely worth seeking out an organic alternative? Of course the problem can be finding these organic products, be it organic skincare, body wash, deodorant or toothpaste, but thankfully there are a wealth of online stores dedicated to organic skincare and organic living and thus the search becomes easier.

The next task is to make sure the products in question are actually organic, and not just labelled as “natural”; using a reputable website and looking for things such as Soil Association certificates can make life easier here too.

In the long run those tat choose to use organic skincare over normal skincare products, as well as organic makeup and natural health and beauty products tend to have much younger, fresher and smoother skin, than those who abuse the typical skincare and cosmetics on the market.

By Jason Payne

For a great range of certified organic skin care and organic makeup products, visit www.buyorganics.co.uk

Sonia’s Makeup and Skincare Safety Tips

As promised in my article last week here is a rundown of 10 useful skincare and makeup safety tips to keep yourself from allergies, rections and damage to your skin.

1. Be sure to clean your hands and face before applying make-up or other cosmetics. Use clean towels, fresh organic cotton wool, as even cotton wool is bleached and treated!

2. Never share your make-up. Clean cosmetic brushes and applicators frequently, with soap and water and dry thoroughly.

3. If you want to test a product in a store, ask for a new, unused applicator and ask the salesperson to wipe the opening of the tester with alcohol. If you are buying online, see if a sample is available first, if not, only buy one product at a time so that you don’t get stuck with large expensive items.

4. Keep cosmetic containers tightly closed, except when being used. Keep containers free of dust and dirt. Keep organic products in a cool place, away from direct sunlight, and do not let water contaminate the inner contents of the product.

5. Do not use eye make-up if you have an eye infection, discard those products and use new ones when your infection is gone.

6. Discard products if the color changes or they develop an odor. This may mean the preservatives in the products are no longer able to fight bacteria or that the essential oils have lost their goodness

7. Invest some money in seeing a nutritionist, and having an allergy test done. Check out the following info to help you keep toxins at bay and to assess your daily toiletries.

8. Use organic and natural products within 6- 9mths of opening, if you have kept them really cool they may last longer. Do not buy organic or natural products in bulk as they go off.

9. Try scent free products as scent is a common allergen

10. In order to heal from an allergic reaction, propolis ointment (from beehives) such as one by Trevarno can act as a good healing agent instead of non beneficial petroleum jelly.

I hope these tips and suggestions come in handy, and keep you safe and looking fab. We stock a great selection of organic skincare and organic makeup at www.buyorganics.co.uk, so please cme buy and have a look.

Sonia

Sante Naturokosmetic Natural Beauty Products and Makeup

New to the buyOrganics shelves are Sante’s beautiful range of natural makeup and cosmetics to have you looking beautiful and stunning without harsh chemicals or toxins.

Made with sensitive skin in mind, Sante Naturokosmetic's mild ingredients are great for allergy sufferers and sensitive skins, all the makeup has been dermatologically tested and approved without testing on animals, only on willing humans! All products are also BDIH certified as natural and reasonably priced.

Sante, the company is also very ethical, and is committed to caring for the environment, and producing products in harmony with nature. Their range is one of the most comprehensive makeup and cosmetic ranges on the market, with the collection covering natural foundation, eye makeup, blushers, lipsticks and natural nail polishes to compliment the look.

Our favorites in the collection are the eyeshadow sticks, lip gloss pots and cover sticks as well as the liquid eyeliner!!

Green Goddess Organic Makeup Looks for Spring 2009

Contrary to what some might think, organic make up is not a product that is reserved only for fashionistas, divas or wild women hugging trees! Organic cosmetics and make up has largely come into its own over the last couple of years and is no longer inaccessible to the majority of the population. It is no different in application, quality or performance to regular make up, in fact it’s superior in its purity and wellbeing factor for you and your body.

Price, is no longer an issue! Prices rival beauty houses with fancy packaging and synthetic fillers, the only difference is that this is the Real McCoy! You can’t get more luxurious than this.

The looks for this spring have been set on the catwalk. Flawless foundation, smokey and sultry eyes, nude lips and pretty pastels are the look for this Spring. So if you’re looking for purer versions of your all time favourites or the current shades they are all available from the latest organic make up beauty houses.

For instant spring appeal, Inika’s natural mineral foundation applied with a Kabuki brush will give you a flawless matt finish, whilst not being cakey and heavy; Inika’s natural foundation has literally been flying off the shelves. Sample colours are available online at buyOrganics so can you can find your perfect flawless skin shade before you invest in a bigger pot. Inika’s illuminisor, also adds that special touch of radiance just where you need it, on cheek bones, shoulders, collar bones, but completely naturally.

For Nude lips we love Nvey Eco’s Nude Lip Gloss. This season it’s all about going back to your natural lip colour and making the most of your eyes. For cheeks our top make up tip from leading make up artists is to mix some of your favourite organic bronzer with a little pink blush. Nvey Eco do a great compact bronzer, which is great for carrying around in your handbag, alternatively you can find your perfect bronzer shade from Inika’s range and mix with a little of their illuminsor or kiss-kiss blush, a neutral pink shade that suits every one, just for the apples of your cheeks.

For eyes, try either Nvey Eco’s cake black eyeliner or Inika’s black pencil eyeliner, along with any of our natural mascara’s. Long lashes are in, thanks to Cheryl Cole, false lashes are on every ones shopping list and can easily be combined with natural mascara for volume and that wow effect. Follow with Inika’s Thunder eye shadow and blend with either Forest Gold, or Nvey Eco’s Gunmetal or Grey shimmer eye shadows, or any other dark organic eye shadow shade to give a smokey allure.

Nail trends are not to be forgotten this Spring either, a variety of trends have been going around this season, some are opting for the blues and greys whilst hot pink colours are also proving to be summer favourites, try Zoya’s spring collection for a little bit of everything that gets you in the mood.

With relatively little effort, and a couple of additions to your shade wardrobe, this seasons spring collection of makeup can be organic and natural, who said you can’t be sexy and pure all in one go!!!

Best Face Forward with Organic Makeup

It’s been a busy week for buyOrganics in the press department – we have had a great response from journalists rising to the turn you or your man organic challenge, with several requesting the organic men’s grooming products we talked about in our blog recently, plus lots of off-the-cuff requests for samples as our reputation in organic skincare, beauty and lifestyle excellence continues to rise. But in amongst all the success, thrills and excitement, I’ve had a stonking cold, and, not feeling up to my usual organic skincare routine and care with my makeup, started to feel very skanky and slummy indeed. So this morning I finally decided, enough is enough!!!

But what to do? How do you go about perking yourself up when you feel like, well, to put it mildy, just plain ugly!

Of course, the answer is organic makeup. Yes, a rendezvous with your cosmetic bag really is the answer. When you look good, you feel good, and putting on a new, fresh face using organic cosmetic products can have a huge influence on the way you feel inside. But of course, there’s a flip side to this. What you put onto your skin can also affect your body in a different way – and now of course I’m talking about toxins in beauty products.

Regular, non-organic cosmetics, as with skincare products, usually contain a host of synthetic ingredients, mainly preservatives, which quite frankly aren’t all that wholesome when you consider how much of it gets slapped onto skin and gets sucked into all manner of pores and orifices. For example, the average woman will actually consume several kilos (yes, kilos!) of lipstick and lipgloss during her lifetime, and considering the fact that most lip products contain parabens and phlalates as important preservatives, makes you wonder what the accumulative effect of all these chemical nasties could actually be?

Toxic overload has been implicated in several unwelcome conditions – not only cancers, but quite interestingly in ME sufferers, who sadly often find their only respite from their debilitating conditions is a complete swap to organic and natural foods, clothing, personal care products and household cleaning products. Already down in the dumps thanks to their illness, putting on makeup can be a welcome solution to cheer sufferers up, but with symptoms exacerbated by the hormones and manmade ingredients in skincare products and cosmetics, such a treat often falls by the wayside.

Choosing organic, natural cosmetics and makeup can really be the answer, not only safer and gentler, but usually not tested on animals and often mainly vegan, ie. containing no animal products whatsoever (did you know that mascara and lipsticks for example, often contain ingredients derived from the byproducts of slaughtered animals), and with just as stunning results.

My favourite organic makeup brands are Nvey Eco and Inika. Inika in particular does a spectacular range of eyeshadows and gorgeous lip glosses, and having been a Clinique girl for many years until I finally saw the light, can honestly say the quality of the two are easily comparable. Organic makeup is also perfect for teenage girls and pregnant women, as well as chemotherapy and ME sufferers, due to the lack of toxins which may have more effect on these groups of people, organic makeup can not only make you look good on the outside but keep your entire body and immune system healthy as well.

So now although I’m still sneezing and coughing, I feel so much better inside, with my lips healthily and gorgeously glossed and my skin flawless and glowing.... ready to face the world safely and beautifully!

Organic Christmas Gift & Presents for all the Family

Don’t we all know it - Christmas is fast approaching and the chaos of splashing out on gifts for family, friends and colleagues is still often seen to be a really negative experience at this time of the year. Just think about the words we use to describe frantic Christmas shopping – “mad rush”, “flat out”, “beat the crush” – not to mention the effect on your credit card and bank balance! It’s easy to get weighed down at this time of year – not just with bulging carrier bags, but the frustration, tiredness and brain-achingly difficult task of buying christmas gifts for several people all at the same time!

It’s all too easy to lose sight of the main reason we endure all this feverish consumerism, and get sucked into the bright lights, teetering displays and attractively packaged gift sets cramming the shops at this time of year.

What this is really all about – is about the precious act of giving and receiving gifts, not necessarily the physical, “hard” variety, but the actual emotional reasons for giving a present to someone we care for - giving them a special thank you in the form of something you’ve picked especially for them .

As Charles Dudley Warner said, “the excellence of a gift in its appropriateness rather than in its value.” Nothing could be further than the truth – sometimes we get so hung up on the monetary cost of the gift we’re giving, especially when it comes to giving vouchers and cash, that it’s easy to forget who we’re buying for! And it’s not about how much you spend, as Granny used to say, “it’s the thought that counts” – something Shakespeare poetically summarised 500 years ago in his play The Tempest, when he said “rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind.”

Staggeringly, well over £1bn will be spent on unwanted gifts this festive season – and we would hazard an educated guess that the bulk of these are “impulse buys” – rushed choices guided more by advertising, point of sale displays, monotonous nagging from kids and teens, incessant TV ads and the sheer pressure of having to choose, wrap and distribute gifts to the world and his wife (or her husband!) every year!

So before you take yourself, your credit card and your sanity into the mad world of the high street, just take a moment and consider what it is you’re really buying – and buying into. Every gift is a message from you to the one you love, or like, live, play or work with…. an extension of you and your personality and the item itself and the message it gives should last a lifetime – rather than be discarded into landfill or brushed aside from the recipient.

Whatever you choose, remember to select carefully, give and of course to receive – with love…..

Our pick of our very best products this festive season:

For Women: Raw Gaia chocolate face pack, Zoya nail polish collections, Inika vegan lipgloss pack, BAM bamboo shrug, Charme French fair-trade organic cotton lingerie, pink Eco mini fridge

For Men: Eselle Organics men’s wellness pack, Green People organic shaving kit, BAM long sleeve T-shirt, BAM bamboo socks, Pure Move Eco Plus compact DAB radio

For Children: Recycled cardboard play rocket, fortress and playhouse, Solar powered helicopter, BAM bamboo bath robes, BAM bamboo combat jeans, dungarees and pinafore dresses

And last but certainly not least – order some organic beers, vegan wines, spirits and even champagne for your parties and celebrations this festive season!

Organic Cosmetics & Makeup – The Intelligent Way to look Beautiful! What’s in your makeup – The Facts!

Makeup is important. Pouty lips and luscious eyes make us feel good but - trust me! There’s nothing glamorous about absorbing up to 5lbs of synthetic chemicals into your body every year – formaldehyde, phthalates, synthetic polymers, parabens, chemicals solvents, VOC’s amongst a few. Yet the makeup you buy over the counter that makes you look ‘oh so gorgeous’ is feeding you just that according to a leading biochemist. Each day women apply several different cosmetics to their skin, during which they are exposed to lead, cadmium, and arsenic, which are also incidentally found in shampoo’s deodorants and perfumes.

Whilst you quibble over whether Chanel, L’Oreal or Estee Lauder is best, we’ll take a deeper look into the ingredients of those beloved lipsticks, blushers, mascaras and foundations that grace your cosmetic bag and your skin. It feels good when you open your bag and it’s full of beautifully packaged luxury makeup, don’t get me wrong, I’m not particularly singling out the above brands, just pointing out that when we choose our cosmetics, we are often choosing a brand that says more about our lifestyle than even our clothes - they are expressions of who we want to be and what our priorities are. We choose a brand that represents us.

We buy from places that we feel familiar and comfortable with, where we fit in. This can unfortunately play on our sense of ego and then bypasses our basic rights to being provided with products that are not polluting us. Often the primary factors that govern women’s choice is image, packaging, and price but If you’re going to eat about 6lbs of lipstick in your lifetime, I would say ingredients needs to figure as top of the list -make it sure it’s safe!

Although off the shelf products meet federal and government safety tests, because they tell you the toxin quantities are so small as not to harm you, imagine that you are ingesting this stuff over a whole lifetime, and not just through one product, but all the products you use. There is no evidence to suggest that when combined with other makeup and toiletries, the chemical concoction will not cause you harm. Also the chemicals that are ingested and absorbed through the skin can build up in our body and be stored in our fat cells only to be released later in life. No wonder certain cancers are on the increase!!

Here’s a quick heads-up on the chemicals that plague your cosmetics and what you need to avoid:

Phthalates:

Some side effects reported of exposure to phthalates are damage to various organs such as the kidneys, liver and lungs. These are used as plastic softeners in nail polish, hair sprays and many other toiletries. They also help the fragrance in your product last longer. Research has found that phthalates may have a disruptive effect on human hormones, possibly causing birth defects and liver damage. Both DEHP and DBP (the later is often present in nail varnish) are classified as class 2 compounds, toxic to reproduction, but are still present in many cosmetics

Parabens:

In a nutshell, parabens are used as preservatives in most cosmetics and skincare products, including foundation, eyeshadow, mascara, eyeliner and hairspray. There are several types of parabens that exist in common formulations; Methylparaben, propylparaben, butyleparaben and ethylparaben. As well as being linked to hormone disruption and various cancers, they can irritate the skin. They have been detected in human breast tissue as they can even act as oestrogen mimics -increased oestrogen levels are linked to cancer.
One, propyl paraben, has been shown to adversely affect male reproductive functions; at the “daily intake level” currently acceptable under EC law, it decreased daily sperm production. (Oishi, S., ‘Effects of propyl paraben on the male reproductive system’; Food and Chemical Toxicology, 40: 1807-1813 (2002))

VOC’s

A lot of makeup contains VOC’s, such as formaldehyde and ethanol. These have be shown to cause eye, nose and throat irritation, difficulty breathing, allergy symptoms and headaches. Formaldehyde is considered a probable carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the formaldehyde in your lipstick gets ingested. We probably eat about 6lbs of lipstick in our lifetimes – not so yummy!

Chemical Solvents

Amongst this nasty bunch of chemicals is acetone, toluene, butyl acetate, ethyl acetate and alcohol. They have been linked to many different health problems from headaches to liver damage whilst also causing harm to the environment.

Synthetic Polymers

Synthtic Polymers are ingredients such as polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). These synthetic substances are derived from petrochemicals and used in mascaras, eyeliners and hairsprays to ‘fix’ the product to your skin or lashes. Watch out for them in natural and eco-friendly hairsprays too; they have been linked to headaches, dizziness and allergic reactions.

buyOrganics founder Sonia recommends some Natural alternatives in Organic Cosmetics and Makeup to keep you looking a million dollars!

The Phthalate DBP and toluene, another toxic chemical is found in nail polish. This compound is flammable and can make the nails dry and brittle. Instead of using the chemical based polishes found on the market, you could use a natural water based polish, but these do not last long and have to be removed quickly otherwise they become impossible to remove!

I love Zoya Nail Polishes for totally natural nails because they are long lasting, don’t have to be removed quickly and come in over 300 shades, we stock around 80! Worn by the stars!

Choose mineral based eyeshadows such as Nvey Eco or Inika as eyeshadows traditionally contain a chemical called polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). This compound has been shown to cause an allergic reaction in some people. It is important to read all product labels before purchasing any brand of eye shadow and avoid those that contain PVP. Both Inika Eyeshadow and Nvey Eco Eyeshadows are totally natural and don’t contain synthetic fillers such as Talc or Bismuth oxyclorane or PVP either.

Lipsticks traditionally contain petroleum, chemical fragrances or FD&C colours and can contain formaldehyde, lipsticks containing lead and heavy metals can be especially dangerous for pregnant women. Children exposed to lead have been shown to have impaired school performance and lower IQ compared to children un exposed. Always choose natural organic lipsticks that do not contain synthetic colours or preservatives. I love Nvey Eco and Inika natural organic lipsticks, which come in a great range of natural colours without synthetic colours and toxins. Miessence has been cited by The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics to be one of the purest ranges on the market.

When choosing a loose or powder foundation, its best to choose organic as the organic cosmetics do not contain talc which has been linked to cancer. No-talc powders instead use bentonite and/or kaolin as well as essential oils which have been extracted from plants that have not been treated with pesticides and herbicides. Organic foundations also do not contain paraben preservatives such as methyl parabens or propyl parabens. I love Miessence and Nvey Eco crème and liquid Foundations – the same mineral formulations in a cream format for people who like a cream rather than a powder. Inika Mineral foundations give such fantastic coverage that they can even cover skin problems such as acne, rosacea and scarring completely naturally.

The buyOrganics Guide to Safe, Organic Beauty on a Budget

Twelve natural, healthy budget buys to beat the credit crunch!

Products such as organic skincare, organic bodycare, food and organic clothing are often unfortunate casualties of the lessening of our disposable incomes, but in fact, natural, healthy beauty can still be achieved on a budget!

Leading on-line organic lifestyle store buyOrganics (www.buyorganics.co.uk) offers their pick of the best quality, low budget organic skincare products to keep you beautiful and healthy through these tight times….

Facial cleansers which are not only organic and natural but cleanse the skin deeply without the use of synthetic chemicals and preservatives, include:

Essential Care Lemon & Tea Tree Organic Face Wash Cleanser £12
Includes balancing organic essential oils of lavender and tea tree together with extra virgin olive oil and aloe juice for clean, fresh skin. This vegan product is also Soil Association certified.

Raw Gaia Living Facial Cleanser £12.50
Made with cold-pressed oils of jojoba and wheatgerm, organic essential oils of sweet orange, eucalyptus and lemon plus organic floral waters of witch hazel, tea tree and juniper, this is a refreshing, purifying cleanser made with the purest ingredients.

Earthbound Organics Face Cleanser Cream £7.54
Combining rosewater, calendula, sunflower oil, carrot oil and beeswax.

Moisturising the skin after cleansing is essential for maintaining healthy skin:

The Earthbound Organics skincare range of five different face creams for different skin types are a real beauty bargain – just £8.89 and all beautifully formulated from organic ingredients and essential oils. A little really does go a long way, making your precious pounds last longer. Try from the range according to your skin: Nutritive Cream, Rejuvenating Cream, Jojoba & Vitamin E Cream, Carrot Cream as well as their ultra-moisturising Avocado Night Cream.

Other fantastic bargain moisturisers include the fantastic:

Raw Gaia’s For Her Daughters Moisturiser £10.80
Weirdly named but highly nutritive, this special female formulation contains 100% organic rosehip, evening primrose, Palma Rosa and fair trade cocoa butter.

Raw Gaia MSM Beauty Cream £10.80
Containing nutritive sulphur especially for mature and damaged skin, this is an incredible healing skin care preparation perfect for daily moisturising.

For a special pamper, a face mask and a scrub can provide the perfect pick-me-up:

Raw Gaia Chocolate Face Mask £8.20
Probably the most perfect face mask ever invented – great for skin and smells amazing. This living food for the skin contains detoxifying raw chocolate powder, sundried red clay, organic turmeric and organic amia fruit powder to nourish the pores.

Earthbound Organics Facial Scrub £6.54
With organic lavender, oatmeal and aduki beans for a natural, healthy organic skincare scrub.

Must-have items for skin repair and probably the most cost-effective anti-cellulite remedy on earth!:

Essential Care Baby Repair Lotion Natural Eczema Cream £8.94
Not just for babies but good for adults too – soothes and protects skin complaints such as eczema and dermatitis.

Earthbound Organics Anti Cellulite Oil £7.95
What a bargain – not only a snip price-wise but this skin care product full of organic essential oils such as geranium, rosemary, fennel and juniper, plus organic sunflower oil, ivy and vitamin E, to help stimulate the circulatory system, balance hormones and detoxify the skin.

Keep your body clean and fresh the natural way too:

Essential Care Aloe Vera Bodywash £7.99
Using corn sugar to mildly cleanse, this body wash is fragrance-free for extra care but amazingly moisturising and containing 100% natural ingredients.

Essential Care Deodorant Stone £5.95
With the health risks of aluminium chlorohydrate still proving controversial, this purse-friendly alternative contains naturally formed crystals of non-toxic potassium alum ensures no pore blockage or staining. Simply moisten the stone and apply to anywhere on the body – the stone lasts for up to 9 months making it true value for money.

All organic skincare products available at www.buyOrganics.co.uk

buyOrganics also stocks the Green People range of organic, parabens and synthetic preservative-free skin care products, with prices ranging from £3.24 to £14.99 including facial skin care, suncare, babies, men’s and bodycare products.

Performance quality makeup from Nvey Eco is also organic, paraben-free, cruelty-free with foundations, blushers, lipsticks, glosses, mascaras and eyeshadows in a wide range of shades and colours from £13 to £28 – the perfect healthy addition to any make up bag.

So splash it all on without splashing out, keep yourself healthy, beautiful and in the money with buyOrganics’ beauty budget know-how!

Beauty For Teenagers – Organic Skincare Is Safer For Them And The Planet!

Children these days, it seems, are all too keen to grow up quickly in so many ways, but one highly alarming and possibly health hazardous way in which young teenagers are hastening towards their adult years is through their use of personal care products. It is a horrifying fact that the majority of cosmetics, skin care and hair care products on the market contain ingredients which are allergens, hormone disruptors and neurotoxins, and with children every day exposed to on average 27 different personal care products which have not been found safe (according to the Environmental Working Group), there is much to worry about. Puberty is a very challenging time for the growing body, hormonally, and it is at this precise time where the body is developing and changing at an exaggerated rate, that the less noxious substances entering the bloodstream through the skin, the better, particularly as this is the time where in particular girls, are trying out new personal care products and cosmetics on a regular basis.

Children’s skin is 30% thinner than adults, and does not reach maximum thickness until around age 20, so well after the teenage years when girls in particular but increasingly boys, experiment with all sorts of cosmetics and other products. Teenagers use these products in a bid to form a sense of identity, fit in with their peers and to toy with different “looks”, meaning that their use of potentially hazardous products is high. And even more worryingly, children are starting to try out cosmetics at an increasingly young age. A recent report found that 80% of 11-14 year olds wear lip colour – but did you think about the effects of lipstick ingestion? According to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, the average woman who wears make-up will EAT about 4 pounds (that’s 1.81 Kg) of lipstick during her lifetime via drinking, eating and kissing. Last year, several very popular lipsticks (including those by L’Oreal and Cover Girl) were found to contain levels of LEAD – linked to a range of unpleasant side effects – higher than the recommended limit set by the FDA.

Makeup is not the only area where less should definitely be more, particularly when it comes to growing children. A staggering 58% of girls regularly wear perfume by age 14, which seems crazy with fragrance one of the top five allergens in existence. “Tweenagers” (children aged between 9 and 16) are increasingly visiting spas and tanning salons, having makeover parties, and having treatments such as waxing, hair dyeing and nail extensions. Hair removal company Nair recently launched a product, Nair Pretty, aimed specifically at this target audience, and other cosmetic companies are cottoning onto the lucrative tween market, which is estimated at £82 billion worldwide. Most of these products contain suspect ingredients, even those formulated for children’s skins which are marked as being “gentle”, “non-irritating” and even dermatologist approved.

There are products available to buy which teens and tweens use, such as hair dyes and shampoos which can contain lead and petroleum by-products, and even placenta, which is added for its deep conditioning properties – however this substance is so chock full of hormones that it has been claimed is responsible for breast growth in toddlers! . But there is hope – apparently girls over 15 listen to their mothers and follow their example, often using the same brands and products they do.

We’re not suggesting that growing children and teenagers shouldn’t be able to experiment with beauty products and express their identities through their appearance – simply that all of us need to pay more attention to the ingredients in the products before slathering our bodies with nasty chemicals.

There are so many wonderful organic skincare products and organic cosmetics available which would be infinitely more suitable for teenagers! The good news is – they are all pure luxury for adults as well, and so you won’t have any trouble setting a good example by using them yourself! Here at buyOrganics we have picked what we feel to be the best of the best:

BUYORGANICS’ TOP RECOMMENDED ORGANIC BEAUTY PRODUCTS:

Lipgloss – Nvey Eco’s Lip Lustre – several colours including a Nude and two shimmers

Lipstick – Green People’s beautiful moisurising lipsticks contain organic coconut, cupuacu and jojoba oil

Foundation – Nvey Eco’s Organic Moisturising Liquid Foundation – perfect for young skin with a dewy finish and 100% organic ingredients

Loose powder – Miessence’s Organic Mineral Foundation Powder – beautiful light reflective powder which contains organic rose essential oil

Mascara – Miessence’s Organic Mascara in Pure Black gives luscious, thick – but toxin-free lashes!

Eyeshadow/Eyeliner – Nvey Eco’s eyeshadow singles and cake eyeliner contain chamomile and antioxidants and come in a range of colours

Blusher/Bronzer – Miessence’s organic mineral bronzing powders and blushers do not clog the pores and give a healthy colour which truly is healthy!

Cleanser – Miessence’s Purifying Facial Cleanser is ideal for teenage skin, soothing oily and problem skin naturally

Toner – Earthbound Organics Orange Blossom Water – wonderfully gentle for oily skin, this toner is simply pure organic orange blossom water!

Moisturiser – Miessence’s Purifying Organic Moisturiser is a light lotion with organic extracts of Echinacea, plantain, calendula, witch hazel, tea tree and lemon myrtle which soothe inflamed complexions without blocking pores

Shampoo/Conditioner – Green People’s range of organic shampoos are perfect for all the family – try their no scent or natural vitamin shampoo and conditioners for healthy hair that shines!

Hair Styling – Miessence’s Shape Natural Organic Styling Gel is great for boys and girls to style wet or dry hair – moisturising and nourishing the hair whilst providing medium hold

Body Wash – Ecosopia’s unscented hand and body wash is ideal for sensitive skins and can be used by all the family.

And especially for teenage boys; starting to shave can be irritant and stressful to young boy’s skin – the perfect solution is Eselle Organics’ Razzmatazz Shave/Aftershave Oil – which can be used as a pre-shave softener as well as an aftershave treatment. It softens and protects the skin as well as containing healing and soothing properties.

All these organic skincare products are available at http://www.buyorganics.co.uk/

Not only will these organic skincare products be kinder to your growing child’s body and overall health – but the companies producing them are all certified to the highest standards meaning their production and distribution methods are respectful of the environment as well as our own bodies, and are generally not tested on animals, with many containing no animal ingredients.

NVEY ECO ORGANIC MAKEUP – TOP SHADES AS CHOSEN BY TEENAGERS!

The Nvey Eco organic makeup range is perfect for teenagers as it contains no nasty additives, is 100% organic and not tested on animals – all considerations young girls experimenting with makeup for the first time should bear in mind. The top colours and products in this range were chosen by a poll of teenagers as the best for getting the look they wanted – and here they are:

Erase Concealer – Neutral & Medium

Mascara – Black

Cake eyeliner – Black

Lipstick – shades 370, 359 & 365

Eye Shadow – 150, 151, 152,155, 156, 159, 160, 165, 166 & 168

Powder Blush – 953, 955 & 957

Lip Gloss – Nude, Cristal & Amour Rose

Foundations – dependent on their personal colouring but there is a wide range of available shades.