Natural Beauty · Eco-Chick

Browsing all posts tagged with Natural Beauty

Team Eco Chick’s Favorite Natural Beauty Products for a Healthy (Skin) New Year!

I know plenty of progressive, conscious ladies who eat organic, work out regularly, and even choose eco fashions over conventionally-made clothes when they can, but get stymied when it comes to makeup and beauty products. We all have our go-to’s, those tried-and-true products that will do what we want, when we want them to. Unfortunately, many of those same products contain toxic ingredients (check yours at The Cosmetics Safety Database to find out what carcinogens or neurotoxins might be lurking in your faves).

To make switching to organic or at least less-toxic products easy, try this two-step process. Pick a product you use every day (moisturizer, mascara, or lipstick), and look around for a more natural version. Once you find a couple in your price range, that seem like they might work for you, try them both. Choose which one works best, then adopt it as your ‘new regular’. Then, when you feel ready, try another product. Over the last five years I’ve replaced my pthalate-laden perfumes, conventional makeup, moisturizers, body washes and other shower necessities (like shaving cream) to natural versions, slowly but surely. Check out some of our team’s picks below for inspiration:

Starre Vartan, author, publisher of Eco-Chick.com

Starre Vartan Loves:

I’m a total mascara junkie! And I’ve tried them all, from natural to not. My favorite by a long shot has got to be Lavera’s Volume mascara in black. It has never flaked out on me, which is unusual because pretty much every other mascara I’ve ever used gives me raccoon eyes. Fortified with jojoba and wild rose oil, it smells delicious and goes on smoothly, no clumping. I have long, relatively thick lashes, with blonde ends, so I don’t need a thickening mascara; if you do, you might find this one too thin. But it’s perfect for me as it darkens and lengthens my lashes and the brush allows for easy manipulation and fine-tuning of application.

My go-to powder is definitely Tarte’s provocateur pressed mineral powder in Light. It’s thick enough to even out my skin tone, but never feels cakey. I usually don’t wear foundation, and find this powder to be enough coverage for me, plus it’s got an SPF of 8.

Alicia Lubowski-Jahn, Eco Art and Design Correspondent

Alicia Likes:

Moksa Organics is a carbon neutral certified company that produces a sustainable line of affordable hand made soap, body lotions, body oils and baths salts. They won me over with their super yummy-smelling, chemical-free, organic bar soaps packaged in 100% postconsumer waste. The soaps are made with fair trade, unrefined bulk ingredients blended with essential oils. Each soap is named after an awesome place on earth and a portion of its sale benefits a designated environment group.

I love the simplicity of Sprout Wellness’ lip, body, and face products. True to their tag line “detoxify your life”, Sprout is inspired by a process of elimination– especially nasty ingredients like preservatives, animal products, petrochemicals, and fragrances. Although it’s a cliche, they actually do smell so good you could eat them and, indeed, they are made with plant and essential oils and kitchen-cupboard ingredients like organic almonds, organic oats, organic apple cider vinegar, and sea salt.
More »

health, makeup, Natural Beauty, New Year, nontoxic

Summer Skin: Smooth and Gorgeous, Naturally

3 Comments

by Starre Vartan · 07/07/10

Don’t let summer get you melted and messy; try some natural skin care to enhance what you’ve got and keep it simple. Nature’s Basin is a new online store for natural and organic skin care products and makeup; here’s what Kendra Smith of the site recommends for the steamy months.

Wear sunscreen: It’s the number one skin care tip all year round, but especially in summer. Even with all the recent hubbub about people being deficient in Vitamin D (which the body synthesizes with sun exposure) sunscreen is essential protection. Since there are concerns about many synthetic sunscreen ingredients as well as mineral ingredients that have been broken down into nano particles, go for a mineral brand that doesn’t contain nano-ized ingredients, like SPF 30 Sunscreen from Soleo Organics.

Fake it, don’t bake it with bronzer. A mineral powder tinted to color skin like the sun instantly wakes up the face and makes you look “done” with little effort. Apply it in double C shapes on each side of the face, from the forehead around the eye to the cheekbone, and then down and around again to the jawline. You can follow up with a bit applied to the nose, if you like, since this replicates how sun falls naturally on the face. Add blush to the apples of the cheeks to complete the look. We like Christopher Drummond Natural Makeup Bronzing Powder.

Switch to lighter daily moisturizers and makeup. Increased sweat in the summer heat can make for skin that’s more supple and moist than in winter, but sometimes more clogged and dirty as well. Lighter makeup and daily moisturizer can help skin keep its natural balance. Trade foundation for a tinted moisturizer, like Suki Tinted Active Moisturizer, and be sure to keep up with your cleansing regimen.

On the other hand, continue to use the super-emollient hand and foot creams you employed to keep your skin soft in winter. Because your hands and feet are more exposed now that summer’s here, extra-moisturizing creams will keep them looking pretty. Exfoliate hands and feet first to get them ready to receive the moisture (extra dead skin can get in the way). Products to try: Weleda Birch Body Scrub or Suzanne Aux Bains Gentle Body Scrub, Weleda Organic Foot Balm, and Suzanne Aux Bains Nourishing Hand Cream.

Beauty, Natural Beauty, online stores, Skin Care, summer

Tres Belle Petite Medi Spa: Brooklyn’s Best (All Natural) Facial

No Comments

by Starre Vartan · 07/06/10

I spoke with Allison Tray, co-owner of Tres Belle about what makes her spa green and how she got her start.

At Tres Belle Spa they promise no ‘snobbitude’ and they deliver! Voted “Best Spa in Brooklyn” by Citysearch last year, I recently trekked to the Boerum Hill section of Brooklyn to experience Tres Belle’s all-natural facial. It was incredibly relaxing and aromatheraputic, featuring the rosy-delicious Duchess Marden line of skin care products, which use as their basis rose demascena, The products are petrochemical, paraben, and preservative-free, vegan, never tested on animals, and all natural (which means you can pronounce all the ingredients). The line’s shea butter is bought directly from a matriarchal community in Uganda, supplying income for women in the community.

My experience was amazing; the facial lasted for an hour and included a lymph-draining facial massage, a deep cleansing, toning, masques, a neck massage, and exfoliation. Frankly, I’m not sure what all went on because I was so relaxed and everything smelled so amazing (never fake or preservative-laden, which I can’t stand) I was in a state of halfway-out-of-it the bulk of the session.

A thriving Brooklyn business for just over 6 years, Tres Belle is the brainchild of former Soho “fashionista” Allison Tray and her Father, Dr. Steven Tray, and besides the Duchess Marden facial, they do laser hair removal and plenty of other types of facials and skin care treatments; click here for details.

Eco Chick readers get a $20 discount on a Duchess Marden facial for mentioning this site when an appointment is made.

Tres Belle
105 Bond Street
Boerum Hill Brooklyn 11217
718.797.0033

Beauty, Brooklyn, facial, Natural Beauty, non toxic, NYC

Eco Chick Giveaway: Win an Everyday Minerals Smokey Eye Set!

40 Comments

by Stephanie Rogers · 06/02/10

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Everyday Minerals. What’s not to love? A dazzling array of colors to complement all skin tones, impressively natural organic & vegan ingredients, no animal testing and great prices make Everyday Minerals the kind of brand you’ll blab on to other women about whenever you get a chance. And that I do – so I’m really excited to give you all a chance to try some of this stuff for free!

Learn more and enter the giveaway More »

Eco Beauty, giveaway, makeup, Natural Beauty

Eco Chick Giveaway: Win a Set of RubyBlaise Essentials Aromatherapy Mists

15 Comments

by Stephanie Rogers · 05/05/10

UPDATE: Thanks for participating, everyone! The winner is – Nicole Galland!

Scent can be so powerful, changing our moods and awakening memories – but sometimes it can be dangerous too, namely when it’s coming from a toxic blend of chemicals vaguely labeled as “fragrance”. Essential oils make it easy to avoid the bad stuff and get even more benefits than simply pleasing scents – promoting skin healing and even killing germs. It’s a no-brainer to ditch the synthetic perfumes and room sprays and switch to healthy products like RubyBlaise Essentials aromatherapy mists.

Learn more and enter the giveaway More »

essential oils, giveaway, Natural Beauty, perfume, scents