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!!!

Having a compassionate Christmas is easy!

Christmas is wonderful but it’s important to bear in mind that hand in hand with our pleasure and excitement comes this favourite holiday’s fair share of suffering and cruelty. It’s not just turkeys which suffer (10 million are killed in the UK for Christmas dinners alone) but thinking about animal cruelty extends to other animals, animal products and animal by-products.

This means thinking not only about a meat-free Christmas dinner, but also alternatives to dairy, fish, eggs and even honey, plus of course, considering the amount of beauty, home and clothing products that we buy for presents every year, the ethical and environmental considerations behind those.

Animal by-products are used in so many items from soap, makeup, skincare and beauty products, to household cleaning products and also in clothing in the form of wool, leather, silk and even as far as the glue in shoes! A vegan way of life is often viewed as being difficult to adhere to and rather extreme, but one thing we at buyOrganics believe in, is making as many of our selected items available to buy online that vegans can use as well as everyone else!

Whilst a complete change to veganism at this late stage before Christmas might be just a little too dramatic, there are some great ways to cut down on the cruelty this Christmas by choosing certain products and swapping some items for cruelty-free!

If the idea of a typical nut roast puts you off (although you can jazz it up with a fabulous Mushroom & Brandy Sauce!), other meat-free Christmas lunch ideas include Kidney Bean Kievs, a Festive Layered Pie, Tempeh and Mixed Nut Plait or Moroccan Pumpkin Couscous. Accompanied with a Brussels Sprouts & Leek Puree, Sweet Potatoes with Coconut and Cranberry Glazed Cabbage, and suddenly a few slices of turkey covered in gravy starts looking really boring indeed!

Desserts need not be a problem either; Christmas Cakes and Puddings can easily be made without animal products at all, swapping honey for molasses or agave nectar, and suet for breadcrumbs or vegetable suet, and soya milk giving a lovely creamy consistency which actually surpasses milk. Dairy free custards, creams and yogurts are all readily available – try whisking brandy into soya cream for a delicious festive alternative to brandy butter… all the taste but much lower in artery-clogging saturated fats and in fact providing protein and vitamins such as zinc into the bargain (that’s the soya not the brandy, by the way!)

Gorgeous looks can come at a cost – for the animal kingdom. As well as avoiding products actually tested on animals, which are luckily now on the decrease makeup and beauty products are frequently chock full of animal by-products – mascara for example can contain guano (bird or bat faeces!) and tallow (animal fat), perfumes can contain castor from animal genitals, and another animal fat, glycerin, is often used in soaps, shampoos and cosmetics. Lanolin is also widely used in many beauty products, and as well as being from wool fat, is often quite allergenic to sensitive people. Gelatin (from animal bones) is often an ingredient in face masks and other beauty preparations, as well as uric acid (wee wee!). Do you really want all this stuff on your face, mouth and your skin?

Beautiful, professional quality performance natural makeup and organic skincare products are available to buy and wear – our particular favourites are the fabulous Inika range and also Nvey Eco – both are vegan containing no animal products or by-products, and Nvey Eco is also organic!

Organic skincare products we love include Spiezia’s bath soaps, Ecosoapia’s lovely range of scented hand and body washes, Green People kids’ and adult organic toothpastes, and Earthbound Organics mint foot cream…. to mention just a few!

And to clean up the post-Christmas mess, using Bio-D environmentally friendly cleaning products is the best option – not tested on any bunnies, and not containing any animal ingredients (yes! animal blood, fat and other nasty sounding by-products all end up in regular cleaning products!). Not only that, but Bio-D package everything in eco-friendly materials, so you can have a clean conscience as well as a clean house!

So spare a thought for animals and the environment this Christmas, it’s simple, fun and really worthwhile to be compassionate to everyone and everything!

By Lisa Jackson

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.