It’s World Environment Day—So Let’s Talk Eco-Friendly Beauty
Is Earth Day having a sequel? Yes! It’s World Environment Day! This is a great time to talk about eco-friendly beauty
But Let’s STFU For A Second
You might not realize and it’s very important to know that terms such as “eco-friendly,” “green” or “natural,” are meaningless. The FDA has no standard for these kinds of labels. You can bottle poison and legally call it natural. WTF?
So How Do You Find Products That Are Less Bad For Mamma Earth?
While this is by NO means a complete list—if you are looking for products that are better for you and the environment, here are some things to keep in mind.
NOOOOOOO!!!!!
Parabens
These are preservatives that have been banned in Europe. Studies show they can increase breast cancer. So, if you have breast cancer in your family, seriously avoid Parabens.
Oxybenzone
This chemical is often found in sunscreens and is a known hormone disruptor. It was recently banned in the state of Hawaii.
Polyethylene
You know those little bead things you find in some scrubs? Those are often made of Polyethylene. These little suckers don’t just irritate your skin—they aren’t filtered out the sewage system. So, they end up in the ocean and where cute animals and fish eat them as snacks. THESE ARE TERRIBLE SNACKS!
YAY!
Sustainable Ingredients/Sustainably Sourced
This means the ingredients and often packaging are made from renewable resources. So a forest doesn’t have to die for you to look pretty.
Organic
For a product to be organic, it means at least 95% of the ingredients must be certified as organic. Products that are “made with organic ingredients” have less than 95% organic ingredients in the formulation.
Cruelty-Free
Cruelty-Free products are not tested on animals. You might see Leaping Bunny certification on cruelty-free products. This means the brand meets all of that organization’s standards.
Vegan
Vegan products contain no animal derived ingredients.
If you want to obsess or do a deep dive, check out this list of The Dirty Dozen chemicals to avoid.
…But Be Easy On Yourself
Look, it’s not 100% practical to find products are completely devoid of anything that could possibly harm you or the environment. So, try to be realistic. If you find something that’s paraben-free, but not organic—don’t beat yourself up. You still get karma points.
Here are some of my favorite eco-friendly beauty products.
AveSeena Ageless Perfection Cream
AveSeena moisturizer is a new love of mine. It’s a cream, which initially made me nervous because normally CREAMS ARE SOOOOO HEAVY. But this feels so light, I even use it under my eyes. It also does everything from helping with wrinkles, dehydration (obvs because it’s a moisturizer) and loss of radiance and firmness. I look and feel like I’m 12 after applying it!
AveSeena products are 100% naturally derived, Leaping Bunny certified, and non-toxic.
Love Beauty and Planet Peace & Glow Sugar and Rose Body Scrub
Who doesn’t love a nice body scrub, especially in the summer? For $7, this one gets the job done, smells good and doesn’t have that salty burn that many scrubs tend to have. One of my favorite drugstore lines—All Love, Beauty and Planet products are sustainably sourced, vegan and cruelty-free. Did I mention they all smell like heaven?
Coola Dawn Patrol Primer
I am LIVING for this product right now. Dawn Patrol is an SPF 30 primer that feels so light on your skin, you almost won’t believe this is a sunscreen. But I’m 1000% sure they are NOT lying. At the moment, I want to declare this my favorite multitasker of all time. I even use it without makeup to avoid that heavy feeling of sunscreen on my face. Coola products are vegan, oxybenzone-free, octinoxate-free, paraben free and reef safe/friendly.
If your skin is a little dryer or you aren’t looking for a primer, I’m all about Coola Sport Face SPF 50 White Tea Organic Sunscreen Lotion. It’s available in the summer Fab Fit Fun Box. Use my code: AMANDAL for $10 off. Just a heads up—this product costs $32 and the box is $40 with the code. There are sooooo many awesome goodies in the box including a makeup palette from Tarte. Check out my Instagram for a full reveal of every product.
Bloom Mineral Beauty Purifying Almond Scrub
Because I use not-so-eco-friendly Retin A on my skin regularly, my face has the tendency to peel and flake. This scrub gently removes the flakes without burning or irritation. It has a light, but creamy texture. Boom Mineral Products are paraben-free, GMO-Free, petroleum, and cruelty-free.
BIOSSANCE SQUALANE + VITAMIN C ROSE OIL
Another favorite multitasker—I use often use this oil at night because it really moisturizes and soothes. The Vitamin C makes an additional serum unnecessary, which is great for your wallet and the planet. Because this oil is very concentrated, one bottle lasts pretty close to forever. It’s great for all skin types including oily and has no synthetic fragrances, parabens, or phthalates.
GA-DE Fragrances
So, TBH, I haven't tried this line myself yet because I just learned about it, but I'm obsessed already. GA-DE has a full line of makeup, skincare, bodycare and perfume. Finding less toxic perfumes can be such a challenge, so I'm dying to try them. GA-DE uses recyclable and biodegradable packaging and ingredients that are better for people and environment. I'm obsessed with their fragrances which include Icon Pearl, Icon Musk, and Icon Vanilla Black. Also, these bottles are soooooo pretty, I want all of them.
