10 Best Sites for Natural, Non-Toxic Cosmetics
November 25, 2010
Shopping for all natural cosmetics can be difficult. Outside of Whole Foods and your local health food store, options can appear limited. Shopping for high quality brands must often be done online. These are my favorite sites, the ones from which I order products and samples.
Very much like Sephora, except the products featured here are natural, non-toxic, and eco-friendly. Stock up on Rahua Shampoo, skinnyskinny soaps, and RMS makeup. You can also order a sample of any product on the website! Products arrive in a timely manner and are beautifully packaged. This is a U.S. site; the owner lives in Brooklyn.
An amazing site that has every natural product you could ever dream of! They have an incredible selection of organic perfumes, makeup, and skin care products. Stock up on Zoya nail polish, incredible bath salts, and more. They also have a men’s section! U.S. based site.
The site sells only fair-trade organic beauty products and it sells a lot of them!!! It also has a beautiful aromatherapy section and a large selection of organic perfume and cologne. All orders over $50.oo qualify for free shipping! U.S. based site.
4. skinbotanica
Pick up your John Masters Organic Shampoo, Weleda foot cream, and Eminence Organics face masks. The site carries a huge variety of natural and organic brands. Right now, you can receive 20% of your entire order with the code BESTSELL 20. Pick up gifts for everyone on your list!!
A one-stop shop for everything on your list. They have everything from dandruff shampoo to anti-cellulite gel. I have never tried anything from this brand that I haven’t liked. My boyfriend is especially fond of the men’s face wash and antioxidant gel.
6. abc Home
Shop online, just like you would in their beautiful store, for natural, non-toxic beauty products from high quality brands including but not limited to Amala, Kahina, and Intelligent Nutrients. If you live in New York though, try to make it downtown to their store on Broadway and 17th Street; the store is breathtakingly beautiful.
An online boutique for the amazing Eminence Organics line, this site is incredible in that it will provide you with samples of any of the masks or products . There are 36 masks in total. I always make sure I have a Seven Herb Treatment mask at home- it clears up breakouts and nourishes at the same time! Catherine Heigl raved to InStyle magazine about the products, saying that she couldn’t get enough of them; I am with her! I want all of them.
A store with a large variety of high quality skin care products; I am a big fan of all the brands. The best thing about this site however, is the one cent samples and deluxe gift sets. For one cent, you can try most products. For five dollars, you can try five or more products from one line. Don’t waste your money buying products that might not agree with your skin type; sample until you get it right!
9. Indigo Wild
Home of Zum Bar soap (my boyfriend’s favorite soap!), this site contains all the famous “Zum” products. They have everything from face wash and body oil to baby products and bed bug spray. They even have Zum Bum- a special non-toxic spray to clean your dirty bum! Their products work, smell great, and come in creative packaging!
10. Bella Floria
This site contains natural products in a wide variety of price ranges; they have Hugo Naturals and Kahina Living Beauty. More importantly however, the site sells great, beautifully packaged gift sets such as the Woodsprite Organic Body Muscle Mender. They often have daily and weekly specials- so check back often!
Makeup Party
November 12, 2010
Two nights ago, makeup artist Jessa Blades, came over to teach my friends and I about natural makeup. She explained what to look for and what to avoid, introduced us to a number of incredible brands, and went over application techniques. Not only did we all learn a lot, but we had a fabulous time!
Makeup 101
The Ugly Ingredients
If you see one of these ingredients, drop the item and run. Just kidding! Politely put it back on the shelf and walk away. But seriously, the following ingredients are associated with hormonal disruption, cancer, and reproductive difficulties.
Butylated Hydroxytoluene
Pthalates (Dibutyl Phthalates)
Cocamide DEA/Lauramide DEA
Diazolidinyl Urea
Ethyl Acetate
Formaldehyde
Triclosan (see post on Triclosan)
Propylene Glycol (PEG, PPG)
Parabens (Methyl, Ethyl, Propyl, & Butyl)
Coal Tar
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
FD&C, D&C
Butyl Acetate Fragrance (often a cover up for phthalates)
*Jessa’s rule of thumb is: the easier they are to pronounce, the better. This is soo incredibly true; if you are familiar with and can pronounce each of the ingredients, you’ve found a keeper.
The Beautiful Brands
RMS. It doesn’t get any more pure. Rose Marie Swift was one of the biggest makeup artists to the stars for years, until she fell ill. She was asked if she worked with cosmetics; it turned out she had heavy metal poisoning. In 2008, she launched her line of organic makeup that is not only non-toxic, but full of skin enhancing ingredients.
At the party, we all purchased several RMS products each. They feel incredible on; like you are wearing a delicate, refreshing moisturizer. Not to mention the fantastic colors and easy application process!
If you have to pick just one, Jessa recommends the Living Luminizer. So does Elle Magazine. So do I. It is the most magnificent product I’ve ever come across; it makes you glow!
Zosimos Botanicals Branch eye pencil works wonders. The pencil comes in all different shades and can be used to give you a natural daytime look or a sexier, smoky one for evening. Everybody loved it!
Couleur Caramel Mascara is one of the best mascaras I’ve ever encountered! Founded by two beauty industry veterans interested in producing makeup safe for the environment, the line is one that can be trusted to accurately report their ingredients. Not all companies are honest; it is important to find brands that you can trust. To see a more thorough list of brands loved by Jessa, visit the “Resources” page of her website.
The Easy Removal
Jessa recommends using Raw Organic Coconut Oil to remove your makeup. The anti-bacterial oil won’t strip the skin; in fact, it is full of skin boosting nutrients. Makeup slides right off!
Thank you, Jessa!
Have a great weekend, everyone!
The Natural Beauty Well 