Going green is more than a movement or a frenzy. Your choice of beauty products is about more than what you see in the mirror; it is also about the respect we give to our natural environment. It's about taking responsibility for our health and the health of the planet. There is a give and take, an action and reaction, which takes place with all the many things we consume–food, energy, water, oil, clothing, cosmetics, household products, and the list goes on. Going green isn’t just about saving the rain forests, spending less money on household utilities, or improving your health. It is about creating a better quality of life for all. It is simple to make small changes in our lives today that inspire a positive impact on tomorrow. With that said, why wouldn’t we all want to go green?The good news is that makeup has finally gotten a makeover! It is now possible to find a great selection of green and gorgeous natural beauty brands that offer new technology and deliver great results.
The natural market is offering more and more possibilities, so it is a really exciting time to go green.
Many women are abandoning traditional synthetic makeup and switching to organic makeup instead. Organic cosmetics don't clog pores and do allow your skin to breathe. Also, organic products do not contain harmful chemicals, fragrances or dyes that can damage your skin and contribute to side effects with other body systems.
Organic makeup contains high concentration of natural pigments. Therefore, a little makeup goes a long way.
In recent years, focus on earth-friendly beauty has prompted many consumers to switch to natural skincare products and organic makeup.
Many synthetic products are composed of harmful chemicals that pollute our environment. These chemicals also affect our physical health.
Here are some of the harmful ingredients in many of the skincare synthetic products:
-synthetic fragrance: when you read a label for a synthetic skincare product, one of the few non-technical words in the list of ingredients is generally "fragrance." This is because the used fragrance is specified and can rarely be any up to 4000 toxic ingredients. Many organic skincare products use essential oils instead of harmful synthetic fragrances.
-Artificial coloring: listed frequently as 'FD&C' colors, these artificial pigments are the ingredients listed for almost every synthetic product of the skincare. They can irritate skin, cause cancer and affect the body in harmful ways. Organic skincare products and makeup do not use this type of pigment.
-MEA, DEA, and TE: also known as the monoethanolamine, dietalonamina, triethanolamine, these ingredients can disrupt hormone balance and cause cancer. They could be found in mostly all synthetic products including shampoo, bubble bath and makeup removers.
-Láureo sodium sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate: you are probably familiar with these ingredients as well. Commonly used in bubbly products and detergents, you could have seen these listed in your shampoo, conditioner, and toothpaste. These ingredients can cause skin irritation, depression, and even cancer.
An organic cosmetics switch is the right choice for our bodies and our planet.
As a fibromyalgia fighter, I am taking responsibility not only for what I consume but also what I apply to my skin. I am doing a makeup kit re-hauling and creating a fabulous eco-conscious GREENER kit that will consist of pure organic products that not only are nourishing to the skin but also give you that high fashion look you see on runways and magazines.
My "Beauty from Pain" campaign is meant to inspire women to make healthier choices by eating fresh, exercising and eliminating toxic, synthetic products from their makeup bag without having to lose their "fabulousity"!
Here are the cosmetic brands I've been researching and consider to meet my new "Go Fabulous Green" standards:
KJAER WEIS LARENIM MINERAL JOSIE MORAN COSMETICS VAPOUR ORGANIC BEAUTY LUSH HONEY BEE GARDENS TARTE THE NATURE OF BEAUTY JOHN MASTERS ORGANICS ZOYA NAIL POLISH
Transition at your own pace. There is no need to throw out the entire contents of your makeup bag. I am doing that myself...as I am still trying to find products that will bring me the same results as the synthetic ones without the added hazards. I have yet to find a great natural mascara, for example. But I'm sure there has to be some organic makeup company that carries one or are working on formulating one as the demand for natural beauty products continues to grow. I will have to keep using my favorite mascara until I find the natural alternative that works GREAT! Until then, let's all start somewhere, and do what we can do to reduce the chemical burden on our planet and within our bodies.
How do you go about finding true organic products when companies are not always honest about what's green and what's not? It would be great to get to a point where we could all trust the system, and know that when we set out to buy a product with natural ingredients, we are getting what we think we are. But until then, here's a little help:
Natural. It means different things to different people. There’s no regulation for the term "natural". 100 Percent Organic. According to the USDA, 100 percent organic products “must contain (excluding water and salt) only organically produced ingredients.” USDA Organic. These products “may display the USDA organic seal and must contain at least 95 percent organically produced ingredients (excluding water and salt).” Made with Organic Ingredients. Must contain “at least 70 percent organic ingredients (excluding water and salt).” But what’s in the other 30 percent? Could be good, or not so good, and 30% is a significant amount. Less than 70 percent Organic. If a product contains less than 70 percent organic ingredients, the manufacturer is not supposed to use the term “organic” anywhere on the main label—but many do. Here’s where it gets more confusing. Beauty products that are certified organic are certified according to USDA food standards, which only apply to ingredients that are grown. However, there are plenty of truly natural beauty products out there—with healthy, natural ingredients–that are not organic. Mineral makeup, for example, can be clean and green, but it cannot be organic, because the ingredients (minerals) are not grown, and cannot be certified by the USDA.
The skin is our largest organ, and it absorbs over 60 percent of what we put on it. For most Americans, that means between nine and 15 personal-care products, with a grand total of 126 distinct ingredients every day. Many of those chemicals end up coursing through our bloodstreams. When you think about it, it’s easy to understand why it makes so much sense to seek out natural and organic alternatives. Granted, a few synthetic ingredients in your makeup or moisturizer are probably not going to hurt you. But when you consider that we are exposed to chemicals in our food, air, beauty products, and household cleansers, it makes you stop and think about how that exposure can build up in our bodies over time. It’s all about making good choices. If you can’t do without your synthetic conditioner, swap a green product into your beauty regimen somewhere else — go green with your lipstick, perhaps, or your moisturizer. Start to read ingredient labels. To learn more about ingredients you might want to avoid, check out the resources below. These are the websites I've turned to in my research, and I encourage you and your loved ones to do the same. You don’t have to be a cosmetic chemist to learn how to make healthier choices. THE ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP'S COSMETIC DATABASE THE GREEN GUIDE TEENS TURNING GREEN THE ORGANIC CONSUMER ASSOCIATION
I will be posting my first video tutorial here on Lumigrate soon...so be on the lookout! Thank you for following me on this path to health and wellness. Your love and support is what motivates me. I hope to do the same for you. Go Green!!! MARDYS NOTE: To show our appreciation at Lumigrate for our beautiful Mari's Go Green piece she worked her fingers to the bone on and posted ON Halloween .... and since we like to have some FUN around here... We took some liberties with Mari's facebook foto today..... Hope she likes it! 
Mariluz Fontanez, cosmetologist with over 14 years of experience in the beauty industry. Mariluz holds a Bachelors degree in Communications; majored in Film/TV Production and minored in Public Relations. She was recently diagnosed with CFIDS/Fibromyalgia and it is now her passion and personal quest to put her skills to good use by making a huge impact in the media through an educational, fun interactive Fibromyalgia awareness campaign: "Beauty from Pain". Together with Dr. Mark Guariglia, Mariluz has created IFAC (International Fibromyalgia Awareness Campaign), a support group on Facebook www.causes.com/causes/514018 [1] with a very optimistic approach in health and overall wellness. Mariluz finds Lumigrate to be the perfect venue to bring light to this campaign and help so many affected by this syndrome.
Links:
[1] http://www.causes.com/causes/514018?m=9e4cc0c7
[2] http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/green-means-gogo-green#comment-819
[3] http://twitter.com/lumigrate
[4] http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/green-means-gogo-green#top
[5] http://www.lumigrate.com/user/login?destination=node/606%23comment-form
[6] http://www.lumigrate.com/user/register?destination=node/606%23comment-form
[7] http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/green-means-gogo-green#comment-820
[8] http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/green-means-gogo-green#comment-860
[9] http://www.thegoodhuman.com/2007/06/21/what-are-parabens-and-why-should-you-avoid-them/
[10] http://www.usana.com/dotCom/sense/index
[11] http://www.usana.com/media/File/Prospecting page/Tools/US/sense/US-ENSenseGraph.pdf
[12] http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/green-means-gogo-green#comment-1172
[13] http://robinthomas.biz/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/beautypotion.jpg
[14] http://click.icptrack.com/icp/rclick.php?d=UljvzW0VA5Ddtc0dGH1j4nMZ3XSoarQC&destination=http://beautifulscience.com
[15] http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/meet-robin-thomas
[16] http://facebook.com/robinthomas.usana
[17] http://linkedin.com/rpthomas
[18] http://twitter.com/robinthomas1
[19] http://robinthomas.biz
Comments
Mariluz -- Thank you SO MUCH for doing this research and writing this up to post here on Lumigrate for our readers to follow. You make it 'look easy' (pun intended, as you ARE our Healthy Beauty Expert!).
I found a mascara I like at Vitamin Cottage/Natural Grocers, which is ANOTHER awesome Colorado-based company that's expanding out to other states AND has a wonderful online ordering component. I've benefitted SO MUCH from the products they carry in terms of supplements and the way they 'do business' (HIGH standards for their products AND ethical companies ONLY apply!), that I had a link to them from Day ONE -- on the "Products" tab you'll see it. I chose the cheaper of the two at the market I was at this summer when over helping with my dad before he died -- Reviva Labs ... and they are in Haddonfield NJ! SO, Jersey Girl, maybe they'll send you a demo. I used to wear Almay and now if I go back to Almay I realize that my eyes instantly have a little burning that I'd just been so used to when I applied it that I'd not recognized it as a problem.
But I really REALLY like the way you're encouraging people to whittle away and 'do better' -- that's the way food changing goes on as well. AND there is a philosophy that helps those of us that don't want to be or cannot be extremists: If you get things 80% right, your body can 'handle' the other 20%.
So, how appropriate you posted this about green makeup on Halloween! It's been a REAL treat, Mari. ~~Mardy
Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better! is my motto. I'm Mardy Ross, and I founded Lumigrate in 2008 after a career as an occupational therapist with a background in health education and environmental research program administration. Today I function as the desk clerk for short questions people have, as well as 'concierge' services offered for those who want a thorough exploration of their health history and direction to resources likely to progress their health according to their goals. Contact Us comes to me, so please do if you have questions or comments. Lumigrate is "Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being" for increasing numbers of people. Follow us on social networking sites such as: Twitter: http://twitter.com/lumigrate [3] and Facebook. (There is my personal page and several Lumigrate pages. For those interested in "groovy" local education and networking for those uniquely talented LumiGRATE experts located in my own back yard, "LumiGRATE Groove of the Grand Valley" is a Facebook page to join. (Many who have joined are beyond our area but like to see the Groovy information! We not only have FUN, we are learning about other providers we can be referring patients to and 'wearing a groove' to each other's doors -- or websites/home offices!) By covering some of the things we do, including case examples, it reinforces the concepts at Lumigrate.com as well as making YOU feel that you're part of a community. Which you ARE at Lumigrate!
Thank you Mardy. I love me in GREEN!! LOL So much fun here on Lumigrate. I'd like to encourage readers to send in their questions about makeup or beauty products. I'll be more than happy to write about it.
Topic suggestions are also welcome!
Let the fun continue!!!
Mariluz Fontanez, cosmetologist with over 14 years of experience in the beauty industry. Mariluz holds a Bachelors degree in Communications; majored in Film/TV Production and minored in Public Relations. She was recently diagnosed with CFIDS/Fibromyalgia and it is now her passion and personal quest to put her skills to good use by making a huge impact in the media through an educational, fun interactive Fibromyalgia awareness campaign: "Beauty from Pain". Together with Dr. Mark Guariglia, Mariluz has created IFAC (International Fibromyalgia Awareness Campaign), a support group on Facebook www.causes.com/causes/514018 [1] with a very optimistic approach in health and overall wellness. Mariluz finds Lumigrate to be the perfect venue to bring light to this campaign and help so many affected by this syndrome.
Great post Mariluz!
We all need to be more aware of and take action to help our planet - our home. Simple things that don't cost anything but a small portion of our time like, recycling, turning the thermostat down when you go to bed or leave the house (this actually saves you money!), etc., to the more involved; putting in solar panels...you get the idea.
When I find a company that is doing their part to help the environment with green initiatives, they have my support.
Regarding skin care; thank you for the information on make up, good things to consider. I take great care on what I put into my body and until recently wasn't aware that most skin care products contain parabens (preservatives). Preservatives are a necessary part of our modern day life and have proven beneficial in so many ways. Unfortunately, parabens mimic the estrogen hormone and have been linked to breast cancer.
http://www.thegoodhuman.com/2007/06/21/what-are-parabens-and... [9]
You're right, our skin is our largest organ and what goes on it is absorbed into our systems, so we need to be smart and treat ourselves from the outside in as well as the inside out! Breast cancer has taken it's toll on my family, from my maternal grandmother, my aunt and my sister and I want to do everything I can to protect myself from this killer.
USANA Health Science has developed a skin care line called Sense that has a patented self preserving technology and is the only product on the market that is 100% paraben free. I've been using the products for about 2 months now and have noticed a softening of the deep wrinkles on my face and although I'm out in the sun many hours a day, the uneven skin tone and age spots have deceased.
http://www.usana.com/dotCom/sense/index [10]
http://www.usana.com/media/File/Prospecting%20page/Tools/US/... [11]
Now that Mariluz has given me the information about what make-up products to look for, along with using USANA products inside and out, I should be good to go!
To your Heath!
Marylee
Our skin protects our body in multiple ways: it is the armor that protects our organs, regulates our body temperature, and keeps all our essential fluids intact. It is also important in helping eliminate toxins from our body. What goes out, can also come in, so our skin also absorbs many chemicals.
What happens when we slather on cleansers, lotions, deodorants, and cosmetics? Many of these products contain chemicals that are cytotoxic to your skin cells, so they actually damage them over time. And a 2004 survey of 2,300 American men and women found that the average adult uses nine products-containing around 126 individual ingredients- every day!
“Preserving” Beauty
Nobody wants to open a jar of their favorite moisturizer to find it has a gone moldy or smells like bacteria. Not only unattractive, it’s a health hazard resulting in potentially blinding eye infections. So in the 1950′s manufacturers began putting preservatives in their products. Shelf-life increased from a couple of weeks to 2 years or more, allowing companies to manufacture large batches and then store products for a long time before distrbution, saving money and increasing profits.
Preservatives used in most skincare lines include both parabens and formaldehyde releasing agents. They are extremely effective in killing bacteria and fungi. They kill cells. When we use multiple products, especially ones that sit on our face and skin all day, these toxins are also sitting on our face and skin all day, in doses high enough to damage our skin.
Some of us have allergic reactions to even small doses of these products, and know to avoid them. The rest of us are left to find out the hard way just how much our bodies can handle years of exposure. I feel it’s best to practice avoidance when possible, especially for the products that are left on the skin all day. In particular, young girls and pregnant women should be avoiding as many of these products as possible.
Ingredients to Avoid
I admit, I still want to pamper my skin with luxurious skin care, and at age 50+ I am also in the market for excellent anti-aging ingredients. What’s a girl to do?
I discovered a line of products that are safe, gentle, and contain no added chemical preservatives- Sensé™ Beautiful Science provides a self-preserving formula along with all the anti-aging technology I desire. Check out Sensé™ for yourself at http://beautifulscience.com [14] and then contact me and tell me know what you think!
Live Well,
Robin
Robin started contributing to Lumigrate in August 2010. "Meet Robin Thomas", a topic in our biographies/vitae forum is at http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/meet-robin-thomas [15] to read all about her journey, which was greatly influenced by the need to help solve her youngest son's significant health challenges. For those who want just the overview here: After working over 22 years in medical research at the University of North Carolina on chronic inflammatory diseases she switched her focus to preventive health in 2004 when she was introduced to USANA Health Sciences. Robin is passionate about helping others improve their health, have more energy, manage their weight, and improve their skin.
I love meeting new friends !
LIKE me on Facebook [16] Connect on LinkedIn [17]
Follow me on Twitter [18] Learn more at my BLOG [19]
"I dream of a world free from pain and suffering. I dream of a world free from disease. The USANA family will be the healthiest family on earth. Share my vision. Love life and live it to its fullest in happiness and health."
-Dr. Myron Wentz, Founder and Chairman, USANA Health Sciences