4 readily-available beauty products that aren't trying to kill you or the environment, and actually work
Thursday, September 3, 2009 at 8:21PM I know, that was a long ass title. But that's really what these are. Do you know how much time I spend trying to find eco-friendly, low-toxicity products? And how much money I spend on them only to find out that they don't even fucking WORK? I swear "eco-friendly" is practically synonymous with "stupid and useless".
So here, you get the fruits of my labours. Some stuff I've found that actually works, you can find on your regular shopping trips, and won't make you (or our lovely green planet) die.
(Disclaimer: I mean from cancer or leprosy or something. I'm pretty sure if someone threw one of these at you hard enough, and hit you in the eyeball or groinal region, it might kill you. I'M TALKING REGULAR USAGE HERE, people. It's sad that I even have to write that disclaimer, and even more sad that I just chuckled at the mental image of someone impaled on a shampoo bottle.)
1. Tom's of Maine Lemongrass Deoderant. I'm pretty sure my Mom used to use this stuff, back when SHE was a hippie. So I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner. I was afraid I'd smell like an army of Pledge, but it doesn't really smell like anything after you put it on. You still sweat. You just don't stink. Or increase your chances of Alzheimers or cancer.
I found it at Shopper's Drug Mart, but WalMart also carries it.
2. Burt's Bees Honey Lip Balm. I'm kinda picky about my lip gloss/balm. At one point I had an entire drawer full (that was, uh, pre-child. Now they're just choking/mess hazards). When I found out what went into a lot of them - YOU PUT THEM ON YOUR MOUTH, FOR THE LUVVA GAWD - I got even pickier. Burt's Bees works, tastes good, and you can find it practically everywhere. Shopper's, WalMart, Target.
3. Live Clean "Clean Air" Shampoo & Conditioner. Okay, I'm not sure how 'readily available' this one actually is to you Yanks. I think it's a Canadian company. But it's organic, vegan, sulfate & paraben free, and it actually cleans your hair. And smells pretty. WalMart carries it here in Canada. They have a baby line, too, which I haven't found or tried yet, and unfortunately the rest of their hair product line (mousse, hairspray) rates a good solid shrug.
4. Bare Escentuals Mineral Foundation. This may seem like a no-brainer - it's just minerals! - but it contains things like titanium dioxide that aren't super great to be inhaling, considering its powder form. But, otherwise, it's a freakin' miracle foundation. The infomercials are right. (I hate that.) You can find it at Sephora, or order it online.
That's certainly not all the products I've found that work, but they're in the few I've found at common retailers. So do me a favour, folks, since each and every one of you have touched my life, and I'd be really bummed if you caught The Cancer. Check out your local health food stores, and maybe try out a few of the products. If you find something that won't kill you and actually works, let us all know. Large retailers aren't going to carry that stuff unless we tell them to.
Aaaannnnd, that's me, off my soapbox for at least another month. Back to zombies, comics, and Advil-Robaxacet-red wine cocktails. Happy Friday, y'all.
Reader Comments (28)
Ok, for number one I'm sure it works for you, but what about Hubby? Has he tried it? Is it Man Tested? Cause I can put a serious stink on.
I'm drinking organic wine right now, does that count?
The Method stuff for babies is really nice. 99% natural, no sulfates, no animal by-products, blahbeddy blah. Smells good, too. Haven't tried the grown up stuff yet. You can get it at Target and it's not too badly priced. The baby wash is like $7 for a 10 oz. bottle.
(P.S. It's not a beauty product, but their household cleansers are pretty good, too. Same schtick: natural, eco-friendly, etc.)
Good suggestions. I like the Burt's Bees Lip stuff and my daughter uses the Method products from Target. But I'm still working on the what-goes-in-me aspect of cancer control; I hadn't even started worrying about what goes ON me. Damn. Now I'm going to wake up at night with everything in the bathroom cabinet taunting me with "Do you trust me, Lorri...Do you trust me..."
More! Do more of these! I am always looking for green products, and so is my sister for that matter. I love bare minerals, if only it wasn't so damn expensive. PS: If you order it from a site like QVC or HSN, they occasionally have super low prices and you can get that price on re-order every month or two months or however long it is. And that's me, being cheap. :)
Yup, I use the bare essentials. Love the way it goes on, no fuss. Even someone like me with a makeup IQ of -5 can put it on. :-)
Try Bubble & Bee - their products are 100% natural and organic and work pretty awesome.
Also, Alima Pure's makeup is MUCH better than Bare Essentials and again 100% natural. Their makeup goes on way better and they have a bajillion foundation colors and will mix a custom shade for you.
BTW, Method products contain parabens. Yuck.
Here I am all veggie and natural only to face this list. The stuff I'm using would probably kill lab rats and did before it got on the market. Now, I can see a project over the weekend; clean the crap out of my bathroom cupboards.
I second that emotion on the Bare Minerals. All their stuff is good, I think. When I wear foundation, this is what I reach for. More and more, though, I find I get by with concealer and no foundation.
Perhaps it's just that nobody wants to tell me how huge my pores look.
Love the Burts Bees, have only used the Bare Escentuals when I got a facial and regretted not purchasing some...I will. As for the others I have never tried. Thanks for the tips!
i just did a very similar post however i was not as nearly as eco-concious as you...I did have bare mins on my list tho lol
Hmm, ironic post. I'd like to add to it any makeup that includes glitter in it. Maybe it's not deadly, but it makes me suicidal.
I'm been wondering about the mineral foundation for a while now. I'll have to give it a try!
I'd be interested in trying that deodorant. I love lemongrass. I'm so over that vanilla chai secret stuff, it doesn't work and I smell like a Starbucks all day.
I love Burt's Bees and use the Lavender deodorant from Tom's of Maine. I guess I should try the Bare Essentials.
I love all the Burt's Bees and Live Clean products that I've tried. I'll have to try the others you mention.
Thanks for the info. I can't use Burt's Bees cuz it makes me break out around my lips, which bums me out to no end cuz I love it, but I'm going to try the other products. I also love Nature's Gate shampoo and conditioner. And the Seventh Generation cleaning supplies are the bomb! And they are truly eco-friendly, not greenwashing like other products that say they are eco-friendly but really aren't.
Nature's Gate is a little harder to find than the others though. I buy it at Kowalski's Grocers or the Natural Foods store by me. But Seventh Generation is at Target.
Have a great weekend!
Raven
I love the burt's bees honey lip balm, too. And you're right--I don't usually buy eco-friendly stuff because I just figure it won't work. This is probably not a good policy.
Hmmm...I think I might be responsible for killing the planet. I'm really not friendly anything. I mean, I'm friendly...like in a "I won't give you dirty looks when you say hello to me" kind of way....but I'm not really friendly friendly.
I need to stop blog commenting this morning. everything I've said seems like it will either get me shunned or in trouble.
I adore Burts Bees and that mineral powder and have used both for years. As for the other stuff, it makes me shudder to think of changing my toothpaste and deoderant, but for you....maybe.
Great suggestions - and I'm glad they pertain to Canadians! Soon as I saw 'Shopper's Drug Mart' I knew I was good to go :)
Interesting. I LOVE the Burt's Bees gloss and have for a while. I'm now going to go and hunt down the Tom's under arm though, I've been bothered by that one for a while but have never done anything about it....
I feel a little bad, but I haven't jumped on board the whole eco thing. Of course, I did pick up napkins that are made of recycled paper so I suppose that's something.
But everything is else is full of chemicals. Like the Tide I use to wash our laundry. And the food I feed my kids. Oopsie.
The only Method product I've actually got in the house right now is the kids' body wash, but there are no parabens in it. (I just double checked.) And I'm pretty sure that goes for the rest of the children's products, too. Can't vouch for the rest of it, but I don't see why they'd go all nice and non-toxic for the kiddos and not for the grown folks.
I like Burt's and Method. Other than that, I'm pretty bad about buying eco friendly stuff.