The Green Beauty Guide

If spring is not really here, it’s certainly on its way. So what’s better time to make your beauty routine greener? Here’s my modest round up of beauty must-haves for March.

Healthy looking skin is essential, especially after we start peeling off those layers of winter clothing. Moor Lavender
Body Oil by Dr. Hauschka is absolutely great to deeply moisturize and calm your skin. It’s actually a very rich cream rather than oil. It contains peat moss extract which is soothing and calming, while horse chestnut helps treat varicose veins. It’s a great moisturizer for face and body.

Can a girl have TOO many pink lipsticks? Sure not! I love the new Canadian range of all-natural Revolution lip glosses. Packed with certified organic ingredients including olive oil, aloe, and shea butter, these glosses smells delicious and works miracles to plump your lips. I especially like Innocent (light shimmery pink) and Vibe (nude coral).

As the days get longer, we feel an instinctive need to wear brighter and lighter clothes. Could it be the right time to make your skin more luminous, too? At Petite Marie Organics, we decided to introduce our new range, White Magic, in springtime. Cleanser, toner, moisturizer, and concentrated serum contain a skin lightening and brightening blend of herbal extracts that help even out the blotchy complexion and inhibit melanin production without chemicals. I am using White Magic Serum every day!

Beat those winter blues with a truly green hair care product. New to the green beauty market is Shine On by John Masters Organics. A green version of Potion 9 by Sebastian minus chemical junk! Multi-purpose hair treatment that nourishes, detangles, and imparts gorgeous shine without making your locks limp and flat. Free of petrochemicals, suits all hair types, and smells gorgeous!

Dr. Bronner’s, known best for its uber-green soaps, has produced a lovely range of body care products. While some of the offerings directly step into the path of Badger Balms, body lotions are especially good. Try Lavender Coconut Lotion - if you think that lavender is boring, this version of the classic scent will make you fall back in love with lavender. Free of chemicals, certified organic.

Perhaps I am having a lavender moment… What’s my body telling me through my scent preferences? Maybe it’s time for a much-needed holiday?

I was approached today to review a new product for skin lightening, JolieMD (Angelina Jolie, are you listening? Any chance you have a Jolie doctor in your brood?)

The JolieMD line, founded by plastic surgeons (none of whom carries Jolie surname) consists of two products which are claimed to be free from parabens, phthalates, artificial fragrances, dyes, kojic acid, or hydroquinone. Two products are presumable able to remove excessive pigmentation and achieve clear, even complexion. Using what? Resorcinol and a number of “snake oil” ingredients with funny and less-than-scientific names such as “Whitonyl” and “Symcalmil.” Oh yes, and there may be a “Super-All-Does-It-nyl” hiding among the ingredients - because, you see, these products are so exclusive, you won’t be able to see their ingredients before you buy them.

To add credibility to the insult, the product description claims that allantoin “removes dry skin” and resorcinol has “antioxidant properties…” The before-after photographs show women with and without makeup -hardly relevant if we are talking dramatic results endorsed by “Hollywood doctors.”

Poor Angelina Jolie, who knows how many mediocre products will bear her name for the sake of great Google search results…

Sometimes it’s tempting to ditch the no-paraben rule, especially if that pretty pink lip gloss is just what’s doctor ordered on a gloomy day. But even if the gloss is pretty, parabens themselves are perhaps the ugliest ingredients out there.

It was once believed that parabens, known as esters of para-hydroxybenzoic acid, are not stored in human tissue. However, scientific findings prove the contrary.

When rubbed into the skin, parabens are rapidly absorbed and metabolized. They also accumulate in the human body. In 2002, parabens, due to their estrogenic activity were found to cause increased uterine growth in animals. The same study first linked parabens to proliferation of two estrogen-dependent human breast cancer cells.

Two years later, parabens were found in breast milk and breast cancer tumors. In a 2004 study, tests found parabens in breast cancer tumors of nineteen out of twenty women with breast cancer. This study, while small and statistically insignificant, proves the ability of paraben preservatives to penetrate skin and accumulate in living tissue, such as breasts.

While keeping bacteria off, preservatives themselves often act as contaminants and powerful skin allergens. The hypothalamus, the ovaries, the thyroid—parabens affect virtually every system, even though their action is much milder than that of natural estrogens and other xenoestrogens (synthetic estrogens that mimic natural hormones). In the body parabens mimic our own hormones and can have an endocrine-disrupting action.

I have developed quite a thick skin while working on The Green Beauty Guide and then facing the occasional outburst of chemophilic beauty junkies during the year after its publication in 2008. And I am going to need to build up my resistance even more, since my new book, THE NEW SEX LIFE DIET, comes out in the next couple of weeks.

So I was surprised by my sad reaction to the “most helpful” review published on Amazon.com. The reviewer calls me “schizophrenic” (so mature!) and praises Juice Beauty as being “certified organic” brand.

What a bunch of… ahem, organic fertilizer. Juice Beauty is NOT certified organic beauty brand. Some of their ingredients are organic. But at the same time, Juice Beauty uses quite a lot of synthetic ingredients (mostly, preservatives) that are not welcomed by organic certifiers in the USA. Even Eco Cert would not certify Juice Beauty organic.

I often have to answer emails where readers would complain that the products in mentioned in the book are actually not that organic. I cannot be held responsible for any change these companies make in their formulations. Besides, many brands have different formulas to use in the USA and in Europe. For example, in the UK where I live Clinique products are paraben-free and some products are nearly completely natural. In the USA, not quite so.

What surprises me most is the strength of disgust that Juice Beauty “fans” (affiliates? employees?) show when it comes to my book. Even though I feature an interview with the founder of Juice Beauty in the book, they still hate me. What does it say about the brand, then?

Oh my. I can only guess the reaction to my “paperback viagra” that will be up in stores in about four to six weeks…

As someone with less-than-pretty post-acne marks, I am constantly on search for products that may help erase them completely.

Bio Oil, made by South African company “Union-Swiss” (J) is currently touted as a cure-all for scars and stretch marks.

I am seeing Bio-Oil everywhere, in pharmacies, online stores, and even in supermarkets. And of course, since it claims to be perfectly natural and preservative-free, I checked on its ingredients to find out whether Bio-Oil is a bogus or a blessing.

So let’s take a look at the ingredients of Bio-Oil.

Paraffinum Liquidum - mineral oil, need we say more?

Triisononanoin - synthetic silicone, penetration enhancer (the magical PurCellin Oil! - nothing magical, really, this ingredient is commonly used in synthetic skincare).

Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate - synthetic emulsifier made with cetearyl alcohol and ethylhexanoic acid.

Isopropyl Myristate - synthetic emulsifier

Retinyl Palmitate - synthetic vitamin A

Tocopheryl Acetate - synthetic vitamin E

Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil - chamomile essential oil

Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil - lavender essential oil

Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil - rosemary essential oil

Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract - macerated calendula oil

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil - sunflower oil

Glycine Soja Oil - soybean oil

BHT - butyl hydroxyl toluene (a preservative)

Bisabolol - soothing phytochemical from chamomile

Parfum - synthetic fragrance

Amyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Salicylate, Citronellol, Coumarin, Eugenol, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Limonene, Linalool, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone - fragrance components (and quite a lot of them)

CI 26100 - synthetic colorant

So what does justify a hefty price tag? Essential oils used in Bio-Oil are not rare and definitely not organic. Synthetic vitamins A and E are quite cheap, either.

What sounds really funny is the company’s claim that PurCellin (triisononanoin) in Bio-Oil is a “breakthrough” ingredient. Come on, people, it’s been used for ages in foundations, body lotions, and even band-aids for blisters!

If you buy some vitamin E oil, organic sunflower and soy bean oil, add some rosemary, lavender, and chamomile, plus a few drops of beta-carotene, you’ll reap all the benefits of Bio-Oil without petrochemicals and toluene.

And the bottle of your homemade Bio Oil will last you for ages, considering that you’ll be adding only a few drops of essential oils per 100 ml of base oil.

For acne marks, I realized that the most cost-effective way is to make a regular glycolic peel at home, followed by a natural healing puree of fruits and veggies and a mineral sunscreen during the daytime.

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. In just a few days we will shower our love ones with chocolates, flowers, and cards. Here are some easy ideas that are sure to make your V-Day a little greener.

1. Spice it up with natural lingerie. Instead of buying lingerie made of non-biodegradable materials such as nylon, polyester, and rayon, invest in organic cotton, silk, and bamboo. Blue Canoe (in the USA) and Enamore (UK) have great selection of eco-friendly natural lingerie.

2. Soy candles make a great gift and are better for your lungs (and the environment) than paraffin ones. Pharmacopia organic soy candles are amazing, and you can buy lots of inexpensive soy candles scented with essential oils on eBay. You can also buy a kit to make your own soy candles: simply melt the soy wax in a microwave, insert a wick, and pour into a glass container of your choice.

3. Valentine Cards: ditch the paper and send an e-Card. For every free e-card that you send, Care 2 (www.care2.com) will donate to an environmental nonprofit to save a square foot of the Rainforest.

4. Who doesn’t love chocolate? It’s a time-proven aphrodisiac loaded with antioxidants. Choose organic fair trade chocolate as a before or after treat.

5. Rose is a symbol of Valentine’s Day. Why give your loved one flowers tainted with pesticides and preserved with chlorine? When you buy organic or local flowers, you help support farmers who are leading the way to sustainability.

6. Choose a natural lubricant to make things hotter and healthier. Most conventional lubricants are made with toxic chemicals more suitable for cars or other heavy machinery. Many women have severe reactions to these ingredients. In the next post you can learn how to make a natural lubricant. This recipe can be found in my book “The New Sex Life Diet”. Astroglide has a range of natural lubricants made without phthalates or parabens.

7. If bling is your thing, make it greener. Consider buying conflict free diamonds ethically set in renewed gold and platinum. Ethical diamond mining causes minimum environmental impact to the Earth, and conflict free diamonds originate from environmentally responsible sources free from violence and human rights abuse.

               In winter time, our skin requires gentle cleansing, and that’s when plant-based, low foaming cleansers come handy.

                All cleansing products, whether they are meant for use on the face, body, or hair, are based on one of three types of cleansing agents: detergents, plant soaps, and saponins.

                Detergents are the most ubiquitous type of cleansers. Essentially, all soaps and saponins work as detergents, since they all allow oil and water to mix so that oily grime can be removed during rinsing. But in the cosmetic industry, detergents refer to anionic and nonionic surfactants: one side of a molecule prefers water (hydrophilic) and another side prefers oils and fats (hydrophobic). The hydrophilic side attaches to water molecules, and the hydrophobic side attaches to oil molecules, allowing them to be washed away. Detergents include non-ionic surfactants like polyethylene glycol esters (PEGs), anionic surfactants ammonium laureth or lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth or lauryl sulfate, and gentler amphoteric surfactants such as cocoamidopropyl betaine (cocobetaine) and lauryl glucoside.

                Natural plant soaps are made by saponifying olive, jojoba, or coconut oils with an alkali (potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, wood ashes, or the ashes of other plants ). Soaps are classified as anionic surfactants. While there are many wonderfully informative books on soap making, I’ve never ventured into cooking my own soap at home, due to some safety-related reservations because I prefer the convenience of certified organic, ready-made castile soap base. 

                While there are many wonderfully informative books on soap making, I’ve never ventured into cooking my own soap because I prefer the convenience of using a ready-made castile soap base. For my own cosmetic products, I use ready-made organic Marseille castile liquid soap made of certified organic olive oil saponified with minimum alkali.

                Saponins are plant glycosides that derive their name from their soap-like properties. They occur in a great many plant species, including soapwort (Saponaria officinalis), soap lily (Chlorogalum pomeridianum), and soap berry tree (Sapindus mukorossi) which produces nuts that make a wonderful all-natural laundry detergent when dried.

                You can dilute the natural detergent with witch hazel (for oily skin) distillate, rose water (for dry skin) or melissa/lavender waters (for sensitive skin).

What they claim: Shine Refined.

Full list of ingredients:
Polybutene, pentaerythrityl tetraisostearate, C18-36 acid triglyceride, tridecyl trimellitate, bis-diglyceryl polyacyladipate-2, silica dimethyl silylate, linalool, geranoil, calcium aluminum borosilicate, calcium sodium borosilicate, eugenol, sodium saccharin, silica, limonene, citral, synthetic fluorphlogopite, polyethylene terephthalate, polymethyl methacrylate, benzyl alcohol, benzyl benzoate, benzyl salicylate, alpha-isomethyl oilone, hexyl cinnamal, isobutylparaben, isopropylparaben, butylparaben, bht, fragrance.

Beware:

Along with petroleum-derived polymers and emollients this popular lip gloss contains silica and aluminum as well as central nervous system disruptors (benzyl salicylate, limonene, geraniol, linalool and hexyl cinnamal), hormone-disrupting preservatives (isobutylparaben, butylparaben), formaldehyde- and phthalate-releasing polyethylene terephthalate, carcinogenic substances such as saccharin and BHT, not to mention fragrance that contains an unnamed bunch of unwanted chemicals.

Synthetic colors used in this lip gloss include FD&C Yellow no. 6 that can give you hives and allergic rhinit, FD&C Blue no. 1 (banned in Europe, but allowed in the U.S.), and bismuth oxychloride that may irritate lips causing a condition called cheilitis.

Lip gloss doesn’t have any staying power. It is easily ingested when it comes into contact with food or when we lick our lips. Over a lifetime, that adds up to a great deal of toxic eating.

LEGEND:

A proven carcinogen

A strong irritant, potential carcinogen

An irritant, potent allergen, not safe for use on sensitive skin

A natural ingredient, beneficial for your skin and overall health

What they claim: Allergy tested. 100 per cent fragrance free. Winner of Cosmopolitan Beauty Awards 2006.

Full list of ingredients:

US Version: Water (Aqua Purificata) Purified, Mineral Oil (paraffinum liquidum), Sesame (Sesamum Indicum) Oil, Propylene Glycol, TEA Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Lanolin Alcohol, Petrolatum, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

UK/EU Version: contains more of natural ingredients but is abundant on triethanolamine. Still, European version is so good, free of parabens, and rich in antioxidants (I will post a diligent comparison of US and European Clinique formulas soon), I could see myself buying it if European Clinique gets rid of triethanolamine which is carcinogenic and therefore a no-no for me (and for any other reasonable human).

Still, beware if you are in the USA and Canada:

Clinique’s best selling moisturizer contains abundant amounts of mineral oil (liquid paraffin) and petrolatum (petroleum jelly). Mineral oil, a generally safe liquid mixture of hydrocarbons obtained from petroleum, is not a moisturizer per se. It forms a film on the skin’s surface which retards water loss and allows the skin’s surface to rehydrate itself. At the same time mineral oil clogs pores and halts the skin’s perspiration. This can lead to breakouts and aggravate eczema and dermatitis. Also, this lotion contains TEA (triethanolamine) stearate that can form cancer-causing nitrosamines, highly comedogenic lanolin alcohol, also known as “sheep alcohol” or “wool alcohol”, and potentially irritating propylene glycol. And to speak of natural oils, sesame oil is quite comedogenic - any chance to swap it for something less pore clogging?

Legend:

A proven carcinogen

A strong irritant, potential carcinogen

An irritant, potent allergen, not safe for use on sensitive skin

A natural ingredient, beneficial for your skin and overall health

Benzyl alcohol, a popular ingredient in natural beauty products, is an aromatic substance naturally found in essential oils including jasmine, hyacinth, and ylang-ylang.

Even in small dosages, benzyl alcohol may cause various toxic effects including respiratory failure, very low blood pressure, convulsions, and paralysis.

MSDA Safety Data Sheet for Benzyl Alcohol: “Toxicology: Harmful if swallowed, inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Severe irritant for eyes, skin and respiratory system.”

CancerWeb (UK): “Benzyl alcohol: a colourless liquid with a sharp burning taste and slight odour. It is used as a local anaesthetic and to reduce pain associated with lidocaine injection. Also, it is used in the manufacture of other benzyl compounds, as a pharmaceutic aid, and in perfumery and flavoring. Pharmacological action: anaesthetics, local, pharmaceutic aid. (12 Dec 1998)”

Benzyl alcohol has been proven to be toxic in a number of well-designed studies. Its use as a preservative and an antiseptic has been halted since the 1980s.

Benzyl alcohol was used up to 0.9 percent as a preservative in neonatal medications. After sixteen newborns died of acute toxic poisoning in 1982 benzyl alcohol was banned for use as a preservative.

Sixteen premature infants died of acute toxic poisoning with benzyl alcohol, which was contained in an antibacterial solution used to flush catheters and other medical equipment.

You may find the following information useful:

“Benzyl alcohol is used as a bacteriostatic preservative in parenteral (IV) medications. Benzyl alcohol is also known for its toxic effects including respiratory failure, vasodilation, hypotension, convulsions, and paralysis. Sixteen Neonatal deaths have been associated with the use of benzyl alcohol as a preservative in saline flush solutions… FDA has recommended that intravascular flush solutions containing benzyl alcohol not to used for newborns and that diluents with this preservative not be used as medications for these infants… Preservative free solutions are now being used for the infant population.”

Source: “Neonatal Deaths Associated With Use of Benzyl Alcohol — United States”. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 11 Jun 1982. 31 (22): 290-1.

Why would my child need a local anesthetic in her baby wipes? Still, benzyl alcohol is used in popular baby products such as Pampers Sensitive Baby Wipes and Aveeno Baby Daily Moisture Lotion.

What’s really funny, benzyl alcohol serves as a preservative in seemingly unscented products such as Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream and Lotion (also contain benzyl acetate), Olay Regenerist Daily Regenerating Serum. It also contains in high amounts in Old Spice Original aftershave and cologne.

Adults can freely choose their poison. Babies cannot. They let us choose the poison for them.

.