What does your beauty tool belt look like? Do you dig through dozens of half empty potions and lotions or are you a minimalist like me? Over the years I’ve shared a few of my go-to eco beauty staples, like raw coconut oil, all natural fluoride free toothpastes, sulphate free shampoos and organic tinted moisturizer. My beauty regime is simple and chemical free.
I’m always eager to research and test the latest green products of all kinds, so when I was recently asked to join Bliss.com’s beauty board to review some of the hottest natural beauty products, I had to jump on it.
After a week of testing, here are my thoughts on each product. Bare with me, I’m brutally honest in these reviews. Quality of skin care and environmental impact is of utmost importance to me. Supergoop Sun Screen Day Cream SPF 40: This antioxidant infused anti-aging oil-free sunscreen feels silky smooth between your fingers and absorbs like a dream. The light sent reminds me of the original Coppertone. It didn’t burn my eyes or turn me a pale chalky white. 2 gold stars. It’s paraben, fragrance, and oxybenzone free, though it doesn’t say whether it’s vegan or tested on animals.
Devita is my vegan sunscreen of choice. The fewer the ingredients the better. Read the labels and do your research. You are voting with your dollars every time you make a purchase.
Aveda Stress Fix Lavender Body Lotion: Who doesn’t love the soothing smell of lavender? Aveda is one of the stand out natural brands on the market. I love their shampoos and usually head to their San Francisco salon and school for my hair cuts. There is nothing incredibly exciting about this product except that it was light, fast to absorb, long lasting and smelled divine.
Lorac TANtalizer: Bronzer and highlighting powder in one convenient compact. I’m not a huge make up gal, but absolutely appreciate the power of sculpting your features with highlighters and bronzers. Just a few sweeps of the bronzer and your cheek bones transform. I hardly recognized myself after playing with this face contouring duo. I love the sun and a beautiful tan, but not the skin damage. Bronzers are my best friend and give me a little more of that raw glow 😀
Alterna Ocean Waves Hair Care: Want that sexy beach hair look? This product delivers. I used it for a night out and came home with my locks still styled. I usually just go for a dip in the Pacific if I’m looking for salty locks, but if you are land locked this might be a good option for you. I’d suggest collecting ocean water in a spray bottle.
Rene Furterer Paris After Sun Hair Mask: We’ve had a few sun soaked days in San Francisco and I tried this product after a long day at Ocean beach. My hair was incredibly soft and shiny after that one use. I imagine if you are in and out of swimming pools and soaking in UV at high altitudes you’d really benefit. From what I can read this company is not eco friendly, vegan or cruelty free.
I’m so grateful to Bliss.com and all of these companies for letting me test and review their products. I am all about pure natural ingredients, vegan and cruelty free products, so I have to share how I truly feel about chemical laden goop.
As consumers we vote directly with our dollars. I encourage you to think more thoroughly about your choices when buying beauty products that not only harbor toxic chemicals that seep into your cells, but also end up in our landfills and ground water. We live in the most toxic environment in human history. The less we expose ourselves to chemicals the better.
I support companies with sustainable business models who give back to those less fortunate, use eco friendly packaging and are made with biodegradable natural ingredients straight from Mother Earth. There are thousands of companies and products so do your homework and have fun!What beauty products do you love and recommend? How do you decide what products to buy?
