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BANG FOR THE BITE
Similar in price and quality as conventional versions, natural makeup helps you to give the earth a hand while prepping for your close-up.
COCKTAIL FACT
The ancient Greeks were even riskier - they used makeup containing lead and mercury.
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Wanna give good face without the parabens?
The Bite
As many-a-Biter knows, parabens are synthetic preservatives that can disrupt hormones - and they're everywhere, even your makeup bag. Next time you primp, use paraben-free cosmetics for gorgeousness inside and out.The Benefits
- Get glam. These cosmetics look fab - freedom from parabens is an added bonus.
- Better for Biter bodies. Cosmetics ingredients aren't regulated by the FDA, so you gotta take extra precautions on what your largest organ (yeah, your skin) consumes.
- Better for the earth, since the chems that we wash off our bodies often end up in nature.
Personally Speaking
A self-proclaimed cosmetics junkie, Heather scans new beauty finds at Skin Deep, an online database of skin care and cosmetic products ranked by safety.Wanna Try?
Avoid ingredients with the word "paraben" at the end and freshen up your makeup bag with our fave finds:- Anne Marie Borlind Eye Shadow - get naturally pretty peepers with several shade combos ($29).
- Dr Hauschka Eyeliner - quince wax and neem formula ($17).
- Lavera Volume Mascara - our fave natural mascara ($20).
- Larenim Goddess Glo - go for the bronze without stepping foot outside ($25).
- Burt's Bees Vanishing Facial Powder - super-light powder that minimizes fine lines ($16).
- Peacekeeper Lip Paint - proceeds go to human rights and women's health causes ($17).
- Alima Mineral Finishing Powder - lose the oil with this mineral-based powder ($14).
Mar 27,2007
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All editorial suggestions in this tip are the result of testing and a preference for the tip topic. No advertiser has paid to have its company referenced in the tip. For more information, please read our Editorial Policy.
Biter’s Writer’s Block
I've been starting here at this screen for about 20 minutes, trying to figure out what to write in today's blog. See, last time I blogged about makeup, I referred to myself as a cosmetics whore. Apparently, people out there have strong feelings about the word "whore," even when used in a tongue-in-cheek, self-effacing kinda way. People took umbrage at my use of the term (god bless JK Rowling for naming Dolores Umbridge), and they weren't quiet in letting me know where they stood on my self-reflexive use of the term.
So I sit here, staring, wondering what on earth to write.
Because here's the deal: the term - when applied to my rampant, insatiable love of all things cosmetic - is just too apt. I can't really think of a better way to describe it. Close friends know that I'm the first to admit that I have a slight makeup addiction. Don't even get me started on bathing products...
I guess this is all just a long-winded way of saying that my cosmetic-whoreness just gets worse and worse each day, as more and more amazing eco-finds come across our desks. Larenim, Dr. H, Lavera, Borlind, Alima... it's all just beautiful and fun and juicy.
So play away.
-Heather... off to pick out a lipgloss for the day...
So I sit here, staring, wondering what on earth to write.
Because here's the deal: the term - when applied to my rampant, insatiable love of all things cosmetic - is just too apt. I can't really think of a better way to describe it. Close friends know that I'm the first to admit that I have a slight makeup addiction. Don't even get me started on bathing products...
I guess this is all just a long-winded way of saying that my cosmetic-whoreness just gets worse and worse each day, as more and more amazing eco-finds come across our desks. Larenim, Dr. H, Lavera, Borlind, Alima... it's all just beautiful and fun and juicy.
So play away.
-Heather... off to pick out a lipgloss for the day...
Biter Comments...
I have the same addiction. There could be life-saving medication sitting next to a lipgloss display and I'll choose the lipgloss - probably in a perty shade of brown, which I fall for everytime. I wish Hauschka had hipper makeup, but I love Jane Iredale stuff, and I LOVE LOVE the new Alba TerraGloss lip gloss in a tube. Whore it up!
By the way, Cargo Plant Love has parabens - a friend just sent it to me and I refuse to wear it even though it has great packaging...
I dont mind the usage of the word whore to describe your all-consuming passion for a thing; I think it's quite apt for several things I'm deeply enamoured of, myself. Besides, there's nothing wrong with being a whore anyway; unless you're forced to do it - which is criminal - I just dont see what the stigma is all about, and personally, I never saw any reason for it to be illegal in the first place.
But I will say this: I do have a major, major problem with the fact that many of the things you recommend have jaw-droppingly insane, consumer-unfriendly pricing. Today's cosmetics tips were a prime example of this. This is wholly unnecessary crap you put on your face. There is no real reason to use it whatsoever, save to soothe a rampaging vanity in a society which believes that women should serve as mere decoration at all times, no matter what else we are capable of doing, no matter how much we achieve.
While it's a good tip for those unfortunate individuals who buy into this entire cosmetics scam, how eco-friendly is it to waste a hundred dollars on merely three or four items that serve absolutely no good purpose and are meant purely for a social type of vanity that does nothing more than continue to make women feel that without unnatural artifice they are not "beautiful" enough to be seen in public?
Are you also the type of women who do nothing but diet your whole lives because being five or 10 pounds overweight would be a worse fate to you than cancer? If so, this strongly suggests to me that you may be in desperate need of rethinking your priorities and your self-worth...especially if you have, or plan to have daughters. This way of thinking is poisonous, and it throws us back decades. We are more than just how we look. This mental slavery to an unrealistic, discriminatory ideal must stop.
Cosmetics do nothing more than enforce gender discrimination and stereotyping. While it's wonderful that safer products are available, it's also appalling that the prices are so high and yet you support and advertise this.
Got a tip for you, ladies: toss the mascara and plant a tree. You'll feel better in the long run - and your skin will thank you when youre 60 if you avoid a lifetime of suffocating and abusing abusing the life out of it with this garbage.
Incidentally, $14 for a bottle of shampoo is also outrageous. Just because you have to wash your hair every day or two doesnt mean you should go broke doing it.
I'm sure I'll be roundly mocked and ridiculed for my point of view. For what it's worth, I'll be 42 in June. I never, ever wear cosmetics and I am complimented numerous times during the week on how clear and lovely my skin is. I have repeatedly had to tell people that no, I dont wear mascara; those are actually my own lashes.
My routine response to comments such as this is "and I run my own business and am pursuing a Ph.D. in psychology, too!"
Snap out of it, girls, and take your dignity back. :)
You are beautiful. You - we - dont need this stuff.
Be as you are, and be who you are. Don't buy into this cosmetics nonsense. It's wrong on pretty much every single level. Save your money and use it for things that are truly worthwhile.
Just wanted to follow up on the comment about Cargo's Plant Love lipstick. I was definitely confused when I saw it on the list of paraben-free cosmetics.
As an example, here's the ingredient list of the Lindsey lipstick:
Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Mica, Candelilla Cera (Euphorbia Cerifera Wax), Cera Alba (Beeswax), Lanolin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Jojoba Esters, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Cymbidium Grandiflorum Flower Extract, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), PEG-8, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid, BHT, Silica, Alumina, Isopropylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Butylparaben, Benzophenone-3, (+/-): CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 15850 (Red 7 Lake), CI 77491/Ci 77492/CI 77499 (Iron Oxides), CI 15985 (Yellow 6 Lake), CI 75470 (Carmine).
I would add Ecco Bella to the list. They are a good deal cheaper than some of the other brands, and they are also on the EWG list. They make great mascara!:) You can buy Ecco Bella products on Amazon and on many other sites.
I really love Burt's Bees as well. I've been using their lip balm since it first came out. Their products all work well and smell delicious.
I think everyone has the right to their opinion when it comes to makeup. I have huge dark undereye circles and everyone always tells me how tired I look if I skip concealer. I have some trouble with more conventional brands and I'm also concerned about the effects of putting dangerous chemicals on my eyes and mouth! I think the kinds of companies that make natural products aren't (usually) the ones who profit from making women insecure about their looks.
I usually wear very minimal makeup. I don't want to look like someone else, and I would never want to be one of these women who are unrecognizable without makeup! (Eeek!:) I just want to be me, but with clear skin, longer lashes, and shiny lips.:)
With regards to the woman who thinks wearing cosmetics is a sign of low self-worth - I suggest you stop judging people. I would assume the majority of the women who post here are educated, hard-working career-minded individuals, and if the "worst" they do is putting on a little mascara and blush in the morning, that's pretty damn good. There are people in this world who abuse others, steal, take drugs, use welfare, scam, live dishonest lives, etc. Maybe you should try giving THOSE people your little pep talk. As for me, I'm off to finish my lunch break, put in my last 4 hours of work and then continue to my local food co-op where I'll put in a couple hours of volunteer work before I head home for some rest. And on the way, I'll probably re-apply my lip gloss.
JB and Becky-
What a total and complete oversight on my part. The Cargo lipstick was a last-minute addition that was slotted in after receiving a sample and note about the product packaging (which is, to be honest, really cool) and accompanying info about the product stating a partial list of ingredients that included the jojoba oils and shea and left out the parabens. We always check the full list, and we didn't this time. Never fear - it won't happen again. The lipstick's been removed from the tip in the Tip Library. Thanks for the heads up.
Twenty dollars for mascara?!?! Since when did the blog turn into a place to rip into each other? I thought this was all about helping other people to do better. Not all women are lovely and long lashed without makeup, but should not have to shell out that much for lashes! Many times I have really liked your product promotion, but you tend to cater to women who are rich. What about the stay at home mom who still wants to look nice too?
Add The Body Shop to your list, for cosmetics and other such products. They have natural, not tested on animal, fair-trade products. A great company - socially responsible, sustainable, all that good stuff.
Can anyone recommend a paraben-free sunscreen good for acne-prone skin? This, I have found, is a toughie.
Cat: I use Alba Botanica sunscreen - it's paraben free and not greasy at all: http://www.albabotanica.com/?id=72&pid=137
Cindi: I'd be careful with The Body Shop, I've found lots of their products with parabens/additives. They've been bought out by L'Oreal (need I say more?)
I was really pumped when I got today's tip, about paraben-free cosmetics. However, when I went to check out Cargo's Plant Love lipsticks, I read the ingredients and they are NOT paraben-free. Their packaging is really cool, but I actually think its a little misleading to include this product in a tip about paraben-free cosmetics when, in fact, they contain paraben.
Thanks for removing Cargo's lipsticks from the list! ;)
Re: The Body Shop - yes, I recently was browsing around in one during an airport layover and was quite shocked to see that everything I picked up had parabens in it! I had thought they were such an earth-friendly company, and was really disappointed. Plus it meant I couldn't sample anything (makes for a boring layover). :(
Hey, here is a question I've been really hoping you'll tackle at some point: what does one do with paraben-laced items given with love by an unsuspecting family member? I received a big ol' thing of body butter for Xmas (and through the years have gotten many other products) with parabens in it. I don't want to use it, obviously. I don't want to regift it, because that's like saying here, friend, you can have my breast cancer. I don't want to put it in a landfill. And it would have been exceedingly rude to reject the gift outright (and still would be not taken well by this aunt for me to try to explain things now...that's just not being a nice receiver).
So what does one do?? I don't have room for useless beauty products to sit on my shelves. I think this is a least of several evils scenario (oooohhhh, that would make an awesome theme week - lesser of evils!). I would really really appreciate your wisdom and that of the other posters! What would you do? Throw it out? Regift? Or suck it up and use it?
Just curious as to why Aveda isn't listed. I thought the entire company was eco-friendly?
Just curious as to why Aveda isn't listed? I thought their entire company was about sustainability and eco-friendliness.
Corinne -
Great question! I have the same problem myself!
I was a HUGE Body Shop fan for years and years. I don't think they are the same since being sold.:( I was really upset when I heard that. And even Aveda, which I also loved, is owned by Estee Lauder.:(
Well, I have a friend who is also a cosmetics fan, and no matter HOW many times I tell her I won't wear stuff with parabens, she ALWAYS gets me some. She sent me that Cargo Plant Love lipstick last week and said, "I know, it has parabens, but it's a really fun producct! Please try it!" And, of course, I didn't.
But obviously, no matter how many times I tell her how harmful this stuff is, she continues to buy it and use it - so when I do get cosmetics as gifts that I won't wear, I DO give them to her, because it's obviously not important to her.
Apart from that, sometimes I will try to return them to the store they came from...
For environmental and vegetarian reasons, I also try to avoid lanolin in cosmetics, as it's extracted from sheep wool and so much energy, water, and other resources are required for wool production. In addition to parabens, lanolin is another ingredient commonly found in cosmetics, like the Cargo lipsticks.
Lately, I've been using "Hemp Organic Lip Tints" from Colorganics.net. They are both paraben- and lanolin-free!
In response to Cat's recommendation for Alba sunscreen - is that light enough to use as a daily moisturizer? If not, does anyone have recommendations for a daily moisturizer with UVA/UVB protection that is paraben free?
Warning! I went to the linked site on the Cargo lipsticks. They are NOT paraben-free! I don't understand why it was on the suggested list. I've been relying on the information provided in these daily tips and I forward to many other people.
FYI, an excellent brand that is organic, as well as paraben (et al) - free that was not listed, is Eminence.
LJ, I use a daily moisturizer with SPF 15 from Boscia. Might not be strong enough SPF for you, but if so, it's an excellent choice. I love their products.
Cat and LJ,
I find that Alba Botanica Sunscreen for Sensitive Skin is light enought to wear as a daily moisturizer, doesn't cause me to break out, and is very reasonably priced.
I was using Alba Botanica sunscreen for awhile b/c it is now organic. But, I've since learned that the sunscreens with chemicals (of which Alba is one) are harmful - even more harmful than not using sunscreen at all. These type of sunscreens are absorbed into the skin and do not provide protection against the sun's rays - not to mention that you are absorbing the chemicals into your body. It is important to reply these sunscreens very frequently, as a result. It is better to use a "physical" type of sunscreen - with active ingredients, such as titanium dioxide or zinc oxide (remember, the white noses when you were a kid?) A film is left on the epidermis that provides the protection that you need. Of course, you need to reapply, depending upon how long you are out in the sun. Dr. Hauschka has excellent sun screen products that meet these requirements. I also noted that the Lavera site, which was linked on the daily bite for mascara, has an array of "physical" choices of sunscreen. I'm going to try the one especially for the face.
To Biters looking for good titanium dioxide-based sunscreens: Check out our tip at
http://www.idealbite.com/tiplibrary/archives/aint_no_sunshine_allnatural_sunscreens/
Your discussion's inspired us to add a new tip on eco-daily moisturizers/sunscreens to our editorial calendar. Stay tuned... (In the meantime, check out the titanium dioxide-based ones from Juice Beauty: http://www.juicebeauty.com/sunprotection/)
Thanks for the add'l resources!
Toshio, if you're looking for something to replace the Cargo lipstick with, check out miessence's berry shimmer creme, it's only ingredients are: "organic jojoba (simmondsia chinensis) seed oil, organic unrefined beeswax (cera alba), mica, organic vanilla (vanilla planifolia) extract. May contain: +/- iron oxides."
It's so popular it's out of stock at the moment in the USA, but it's still available in Australia and elsewhere in the world and the other colours are available: www.anniesorganics.mionegroup.com I'm an independent representative for the company and I just heard the founder, Narelle Chenery speak last night, she's an amazing woman dedicated to producing safe, natural, certified organic products that are simply divine. She hinted that they are coming out with a sunscreen soon too, which of course will be organic, paraben-free etc etc... stay tuned!
FYI, Aveda - while they are a lot better for the planet than traditional cosmetic companies- is NOT paraben free either. Which makes me sad because I love their body care & makeup lines. Sometimes I get suckered in to buying from them and figure at least it's better than most of what's carried in drugstores but if I'm going to go to the trouble of buying products that are in keeping with my ideals, I want to do it all the way... I've got to make the skin deep report my bible and will check into some of the other sources listed here. Although makeup is one of those things I just can't bring myself to buy unseen (my computer screen is not a good test for colors!) so I'll be looking for things I can find in stores...
Rebecca, good for you! This is what it takes to create change. And, there are now so many choices because of our demands. I can't tell you the amount of Aveda products (including hair products) that I threw in the garbage. I use to go to an Aveda salon to have my hair done, i.e, colored and cut. I now go to a place that uses enzymes to color and it is much better for your hair. I'm like you...I need to see makeup in person. After that, I could buy online. I'm sure you can find Dr. Hauschka makeup in many local places, including Whole Foods. Cosmedix, while not organic, also makes a nice line that you might be able to find locally. It has no parabens nor the nanopartical stuff you have to also worry about. Good luck!
Those parabens, its hard to escape them! Speaking of hair care , I too have been using an Aveda salon for highlights . Can anyone recommend a natural alternative for an almost 50, starting to grey around the edges, natural "dirty blonde" that won't have me turn into an "Anna Nicole"(God rest her soul)bleached blonde.I like the "sun-kissed surfer girl look".
Thanks!
))
I've been scoping out the Morocco Method website (http://www.morroccomethod.com/henna.shtml) as an alternative to getting my hair colored at my local salon. I've seen a couple good reviews on the stuff, but I've never done home coloring before so I'm feeling a little intimidated. That being said, henna seems to have come a long way and may be a good alternative to traditional hair coloring. Anyone tried it?
I've used henna!:) I bought some last year from Mountain Rose Herbs. I bought a marigold blonde color. It's harder to use than regular home coloring stuff, but I really noticed it didn't damage my hair as much as conventional color (and it's very cheap). You can use things like chamomile tea with henna to lighten more. The biggest problem with henna is that it's hard to get out of your hair afterwards. I had to comb it and comb it to get little leaf particles out of my hair.:)
I've also used some of the solid shampoos by Lush. They don't provide drastic color changes (and they also have sodium laureth sulfate, unfortunately). They do smell great and they will add some highlights and make your hair nice and soft.:)
I've also used Naturtint color (you can buy it on mothernature.com). (Can you tell I like to experiment?:) It wasn't as damaging and delivered a really nice, natural-looking color.:) I'm not sure what ingredients are in it, though.
Hope this helps. I decided around the first of last year to start using more natural products in my house. For the most part, I've been as happy or happier with them than I ever was with the other stuff.:)
That's great to hear! I may just have to make some purchases today...
Just recieved some Alba Sea Lipids daily cream (Alba Organics) and read the label - methyl/propylparaben.. goes back on Monday...
Thanks for the heads-up on the Body Shop. I didn't realize they had been sold. What a disappointment!
I had to share and maybe you have heard. I really like Chea Organics skin care line. I hope one day they move into make up. For right now they have awesome skin care, baby care, pet care and laundry stuff. The owner also has written a manual with a list of common toxic ingredients that is very helpful. FAB!
Oh, by the way, is there a site with more research about parabens? People are really fighting me on this one.
To obtain more information about parabens and other toxins, you can go to www.breastcancerfund.org. They do an annual report on the environmental contributors to cancer. They are a very good organization to support, by the way, as they are very instrumental in promoting change in the cosmetic industry - most notably the recent initiative by a few large companies (e.g., OPI) to remove formaldehyde, toulene, etc., from their nail polishes. [Excuse misspellings!] In any event, it is an informative site.
Hi everybosy!
I just happened to buy yesterday moisturizer by Lumene, Finnish cosmetic company. I have tried their lipsticks and therefore decided to try other products as well.
But to my dissapointment I found out a lot of ingredients ending in -paraben.
Anyway, I will use the moisturizer but I've learned my lesson.
If you look on the care2 website (www.care2.com) they have a green living section that gives various recipes for making your own personal care products.:) I made some lotion that I like very much.
Also, I forgot to mention Aubrey Organics when I mentioned my stuff before. They've been around a long time and are really careful about what goes in their products. They have a really informative website too.
What about Bare Escentuals?
I know this is a couple months after the initial tip but...After many years of trying mascaras, I finally found, and always used Clinique's naturally glossy mascara in jet brown. However, this time I went out and tried Ecco Bella mascara in brown...and I love it! I really do. I would say it is very comparable to the Clinique mascara, if not better, and much more earth-friendly, product and packaging wise. And the bottle even has a nifty little mirror on the side - I don't know when you'd really use it but I kind of like knowing it's there :)
Love the Kimpton. Comfortable rooms, staff, great social wine tasting hour and definitely pet friendly. When I stayed at the Kimpton in Denver, they had a room downstairs reserved for Yappee hour. Folks were welcome to bring their pooches for a social hour while the owners had the opportunity to mingle and enjoy the show.
It's tough to find a comfortable hotel that is pet friendly.
***** for the Kimpton in Denver!
Wow, I love finding kindred souls that are haivng the same worry I am at the almost same time in the universe!
I don't know if this makes a difference or not, or if anyone could chime in as to whether they have heard anything about this. I can't find good info online about the differences in parabens, but I am a little addled today, too.
Anyhoo...I just wanted to add that I recently learned that "parabens" can also be botanical in origin. I really freaked out the other day after noticing a label in the shower that I swore was paraben free had them listed. I called the manufacturer, also my fave supplement company, Nature's Sunshine, about their hair conditioner and its evil "parabens." They are supposedly one of the best when it comes to quality standards and testing. The friendly chemist from the Health Sciences department sent me a detailed e-mail about the type of plant-derived parabens they use in their products. It was explained to me that the addition of these botanical stabilizers change the shelf life of moisturizer, conditioners, etc. from a couple of weeks to several months. Paraben-free may mean animal or petroleum derived parabens, but not without stabilizing/natural preserverative ingredients from plants, which happen to have the chemical structure that would qualify as a paraben. If they did not use something like these substances; then once opened, mold/bacteria could grow before a month passed, inside the tubes. If I spend more money on organic beauty products they have to last long enough for me to use them up!! I think most of us, being either more natural types who use less daily or make-up whores who use a huge variety of brands that may differ every few days with our experimental uses; would take more than a month to finish many skin care and make-up items. Just my 2 cents.
Has anyone else heard similar info about shelf life and how to identify the good parabens, if possible?
Namaste, J
doktorj - one of the great things about miessence organics is that they have a unique, natural preservative system unlike anything else I've come across... their products last for at least 18 months, with no parabens!
www.anniesorganics.mionegroup.com
Cheers,
Annie
THERE ARE NO GOOD PARABENS!!!!
good going annie. I am a consultant for miessence as well!
http://www.geauxorganic.mionegroup.com
Thanks for setting me straight, ladies. Miessence sounds fab...I will def. check it out. And I will call the health sciences research dude and ask him why the bad info/confusion about the paraben questions I had for him. Not cool if they misrepresented.
Does anyone know why there is info out there that suggests blueberries have naturally occurring parabens which are somehow related the antioxidant activity of the fruit?? Is this bull**** or a huge error or just some silly hogwash/propaganda put out there to downplay some cosmetics company's continued used of yucky parabens??? I try to educate clients/patients and many love to debate with me..so getting solid info is very crucial to enlightening folks about the toxins we are slathering on and scrubbing up with every day.
There is so much to know and the more I learn the more I feel like I don't know!
Also I was cruising around on Skin Deep...very thorough info there...and I was wondering if y'all knew why the mixed tocopherols were listed as potentially harmful. I know Vit. E can be a good preservative but that if it is synthetically produced it can be not as preferable. The synthetic is a dextra vs a levarotatory enantiomer of the tocopherol molecule. I know the d version is less absorbable internally as a supplement and could be sourced from acetate coatings on photographic type films used for industrial purposes...like x-raying metal ships and buildings for stress flaws. And any vitamin E can be bad for O blood types; but those two negatives for Vit. E use are more internal/supplement use oriented. There must be some reason topically why the tocopherols as a whole are not preferable??
Thanks to the biters and all who comment here for the great resource. You guys rock!
Namaste, Jessica
Jessica-
Thanks for posting! I learned all kinds of things from you.:)
no doubt, shelley- Doktorj is a wealth of info!! thanks again for sharing!
There is yet another great alternative that is internationally CERTIFIED ORGANIC. To my knowledge, the first and only CERTIFIED ORGANIC company offering personal care products that are certified organic, made to food grade standards.
You can check them out at http://healthquest.mionegroup.com.
If it's not safe to eat, you don't want it on your skin, period.
I just found this blog about paraben free products and I just wanted to find out if any of you have heard of a company called CosMedix. They have a great physical sunblock that is perfect for under mineral makeup. It is the Reflect Spray. Just love it. I believe the entire brand is paraben free and plant based. Has anyone heard of it?
So what about Bare Minerals and Bare Escentuals products that are gaining popularity on the market today? I almost succumbed to the marketing the other day. I almost got sucked in by the commercial matrix, after viewing repeated testimonials form "regular" gals like myself, exclaiming the virtues of these mineral make-ups. Are they actually safe? I'm looking for a safe alternative to typical drugstore foundation. If the FDA is not testing and regulating these "mineral" ingredients, how do we know?
Sensatia is a small profit-sharing company truly producing 100% natural handmade skin care products and NEVER contains any parabens. Definately worth checking out!!! Here is their lip protection link, its gorgeous http://sensatia.com/face/essentials/lip_protection.en.php
That Sensatia site is really neat! I want to order their lip protection, but I already own 265 lip balms (a slight exaggeration;).
I'm not sure about Bare Escentuals. I have some of their foundation, and I really like it. The EWG site cautions against using mineral makeup since it contains nanoparticles which can be absorbed into your skin and no one seems to be sure what effect they have on your body. I think their mascara and some of their other products have the conventional chemicals often used in cosmetics.
It is very confusing and no one seems to really have the answer. It would be nice if the FDA would actually regulate this stuff so we didn't have to worry about it!!! One thing I've found is that Europe seems to be far ahead of us on cosmetics safety, so one suggestion for all of us might be to check out the stuff they use over there...:)
Hi Shelley (& all,)
Thanks for the compliment on the Sensatia site. It has truly been a labor of love!!! In an effort to get everyone to use our 100% natural product, I would like to offer A 15% IDEAL BITE MEMBER DISCOUNT, when checking out just use the voucher code GIFT15 and 15% will be subtracted from the total.
I am confident everyone will love our 100% natural, eco-friendly products made in Bali via our profit-sharing program!!! Give us a try. Thank you, Michael
For natural sunscreen appropriate for acne prone skin, please try Mychelle Sun Shield (http://www.mychelleusa.com/index.php?action=category&id=16)
I've just started ussing these natural products and I'm SO Happy I found them! Seriously ladies, I think my skin TEXTURE is smoothing, and I have acne-prone sensitive skin.
One nice thing, I got their all-in-one pack to start. It has small sizes of your skin type's recommended products and it's like $22 for the whole thing.
really nice, so you can try it all out, before committing to anything.
I used to use Aubrey, but this is just better.
PHOTO ALBUMS
Posted by: Meredith | March 27, 2007 at 07:04 AM