Naturally Hott!

During my ongoing, almost neurotic quest to be "green", I've often thought about the products that I use on my skin, hair, and face. For about 2 years now, I have been removing hair care products from my regimen that include silicones, sodium lauryl sulfates (SLS), and other harmful chemicals.
I've also transitioned to natural soaps and moisturizers for skin care, but occasionally get sucked in by an enticing body wash.

However, I have had to come to the realization that these chemicals also hide in our toothpaste, mouthwash, and ladies...our MAKEUP!!

"Published reports suggest that daily makeup wearers absorb up to five pounds of harmful chemicals a year." Whoa.

So of course the first thing I think is "just buy organic/natural makeup from now on".

Well, I did some research and discovered that:

"The FDA does not define or regulate the term“organic,” as it applies to cosmetics, body
care, or personal care products. The USDA regulates the term “organic” as it applies to agricultural products through its National Organic Program (NOP). If a cosmetic, body care product, or personal
care product contains or is made up of agricultural ingredients, and can meet the USDA/NOP organic production, handling, processing and labeling standards, it may be eligible to be certified under the NOP regulations." Go here to the USDA site for complete organic regulatory info for cosmetics and personal care products.

The bottom line is: READ THE LABEL!

Ecocert is a French organization accredited by the USDA to perform certification activities under the National Organic Program. They also verify the conformity of organic products to regulations in Europe and Japan and carry out inspections and certifications in more than 80 countries.

In Germany, the trade federation BDIH has been enforcing comprehensive guidelines for certified natural cosmetics since 1996.

Here are their seals:

 
Now that we are up to speed on the legalities, here is the fun stuff; the fruits of my labor. I researched tons of cosmetic companies and also read consumer reviews for "organic", "natural",  "chemical free" and/or "mineral based" makeup for all ethnicities and skin tones. Again, do your research before purchasing so that you can ensure that it's best for you in case of allergies or sensitivities.

Ada Cosmetics
http://www.adacosmetics.com/
On their website, Ada states they are the first mineral makeup uniquely dedicated to women of color. However, they have a pretty good variety of colors and hues that would match most skin tones. There is a list of all of their product ingredients on the site. NO NANO PARTICLES & NO BISMUTH OXYCHLORIDE ARE USED IN ANY ADA COSMETIC PRODUCTS.

  Ada Lip Gloss pot--Saada, $7.45
 Ada mineral powders--Ocean Deep, $7.45
 
 
Foundations cover a broad skin tone range from fair to medium/dark and run about $24.95, as do their cream concealers for $16.95

   
Cream Concealers
 
 
 
 

 
Lip Glazes, $12.45
 
 
 
Saffron Rouge
http://www.saffronrouge.com/makeup
 
Saffron Rouge is an amazing website that is also very visually pleasing and fun to shop. They state they are the first beauty retailer in the world to focus exclusively on organics.


"Offering over 1,000 of the world’s finest organic beauty & aromatherapy products, Saffron Rouge is North America's #1 online destination for organic skin care, cosmetics and aromatherapy. In order for a product to be sold at Saffron Rouge, it must meet the following criteria:

1.It must have at least one of the organic body care certifications, or provide sufficient evidence to Saffron Rouge that they are using certified organic content as much as possible.
2.Saffron Rouge considers products that contain even one Black List™ ingredient not acceptable for sale.
This way we can guarantee that all the products available at Saffron Rouge are free of toxic synthetic ingredients, synthetic colors, fragrances and preservatives, and are never tested on animals."

On top of that, they also offer free samples, free shipping on purchases over $100, and the ability to earn points and rewards for shopping and writing product reviews.

 
Lipstick by Living Nature, $25.50
Dr. Hauschka Volume Mascara, $28.90
Satin Matte Eyeshadow by Alima Pure Satin, $8.99

NVEY ECO Organic Cake Eyeliner, $20.36 (15% off!)



Some other organic cosmetic lines that received good reviews were:

Physicians Formula Organic Wear
Origins
Lavera, which also carries vegan skin and haircare products
 
Well ladies, I hope this gets you started on your road to a well rounded beauty routine that includes eco-friendliness and well being while being a HOT badass!!!
 
Love and Happiness,
Nikki