This week I got a great question from one of the Natural Family Living Facebook fans. I just love how everyone in that community is so helpful and quick to guide newbies who need a little assistance. It can be daunting when you decide that you want to go greener and more natural because there are so many things to consider and so many companies who like to greenwash and make their products look safer and more natural than they actually are. I have been trying to live greener and more natural for eight years now and I still have questions all the time. That is why it is so important to be able to draw upon the experiences and knowledge of other moms/women who have done the research, questioned the companies, and found the diamonds hiding among the shards of broken glass.
This was the question posed to the community:
I am slowly trying to convert to all organic and natural……up next is skin care and makeup. Does anyone have any suggestions that aren’t too outrageous in price? – Markie
I am not poised to answer this question very well because I am not a big consumer of cosmetics and skin care products. I wear makeup about five times per year and use very few skin care products with any regularity. I also like to make my own products when I get the hankering for some. I highly recommend the book GREEN BEAUTY RECIPES: Easy Homemade Recipes to Make Your Own Organic and Natural Skincare, Hair Care and Body Care Products and Organic Body Care Recipes.
If you want my personal answer to this question though I do have a few suggestions. For makeup I use two different brands…Style Essentials Mineral Makeup and the Juice Beauty line by Alicia Silverstone. Below are some of my Style Essential products.
The eye makeup (mascara and shadow pots) was a real score for me because every other brand I have tried irritates my eyes and ends up making me want to leave parties and events early so I can wash my face and rest my eyes. The lip colors and lip liners are also the perfect colors for me and the finishing powder and blush powder are on my must have list. They also sell a bar soap for makeup removal that makes your skin feel like silk. Great stuff!
So as you see, very limited personal experience here. Thanks goodness the Facebook community had some recommendations. Some of the highlights are below. Just keep in mind that everyone has a different standard when choosing products and they have to go with works for them and their price point. We have lots of options though and that is encouraging!
Just remember that when researching cosmetics and personal care products, that we have a great free tool at our disposal. The Skin Deep Cosmetics Database by EWG allows you to search by product and by brand and it rates them based upon their ingredients. It should be your go-to source when trying to establish the safety of any product you want to put on your skin or on your children’s skin…
Angie – Make your own! Cheap and easy! Just Google what you want–deodorant, mascara, blush, chapstick, toothpaste, etc. Most use similar ingredients so that saves you money too.
Sara – I use Dr. Bronner’s for cleansing and coconut oil for moisturizing. I don’t wear makeup often but use Rejuva Minerals.
Linda – For skin care I highly recommend organic virgin coconut oil…I use it on my skin and face….love, love, love it…and it has antibacterial, antifungal, and antimicrobial properties…read up on it ….it’s incredible…you can find it online or in a health food store…
Olivia – Natural Joy Beauty is awesome. You can get samples before trying full sized. I searched for a while before finding a foundation and mascara that was organic and worked as well as my previous brand. LOVE this site!
Cookie – Burt’s Bees has an entire line for beauty..and it’s organic! I don’t wear make up but do indulge in coconut oils daily!
Laura – I use 100% Pure! They have amazing products from soap and moisturizers to fruit pigmented makeup! (3+ people recommended this one)
Lisa – Jane Iredale is amazing and has great ratings on EWG!
Annie – Zum sugar scrub for face wash. Use every 3 days. The tub will last a long time.
Terri – I use baking soda as a shampoo and to exfoliate my skin with ACV as a detangler. Cornstarch and coconut oil are my deodorant.
Karissa – I wear Ferro cosmetics. Absolutely love it. As far as skin care though, I make my own moisturizer etc.
Kimberlee – I love Andalou!
Wendy – For makeup I use Earth Naturals mineral makeup. The foundation is about $13 and lasts me about 6 months using it every day. My skin loves it!
What do YOU use and recommend?
Hey Tiffany! Thanks so much for including Style Minerals and Skin Essentials in your post. I am so pleased and honored that you shared your Style Essentials love!
You are most welcome Lisa. They are great products!!
Thanks for this really thorough article about skin care products. It is so easy to forget that skin is our larges organ and what we put on it goes into our bodies.
Yes, for some reason we tend to be quick to think about that. Good point!
Thanks Tiffany, would you mind pointing out what the product names are in the photo above? I couldn’t tell from the photo and would love specifics to browse! Thanks!
Mascara, lip pencil, lipstick, glitter pots in various colors, and an exfoliator. I also wrote a post with some more specific recommendations:
http://naturemoms.com/blog/2012/06/18/style-essentials-makeup-organic-skincare-review/
For makeup I use Everyday Minerals and 100% Pure. I just ordered some of 100% Pure’s mascara and it’s amazing! Better than conventional ones I have used in the past and it smells good.
For face cleaners and such I use 100% Pure and Juice Beauty.