We’re eco-thrilled to present with The Eco Diva, Elena Lipson. Elena believes that fine living can still be green living. We couldn’t agree more.
- Danielle

The last time I went shopping for my favorite make-up and personal care products, I found it a tad confusing to weed through the claims and the laundry list of ingredients on the box. Well, there is a reason. There are some amazing companies out there that make the process and ingredients in their products pretty darn transparent. With this extraordinary breed of company, I know exactly what I lather on, and ultimately into, my body. As for some other product manufacturers…slapping the word “natural” and a photograph of a butterfly in a meadow on a box does not make that shampoo any less loaded with harmful ingredients.

In days gone by, the decision regarding which lipstick to buy, or whether to get new mascara was normally based on your penchant for color, texture, and perhaps scent. Nowadays, there are chilling new concerns when it comes to choosing make-up. The distressing reality about personal care products, including make-up is that according to the Environmental Working Group there is no pre-market testing required. This means that, over time and use, we are exposed to dozens of untested chemicals on a daily basis which are now, through EWG research, being shown to do harm to our health and the environment. Never mind cruelty to animals!

What Can You Do About It?

Learn which companies test on animals and boycott them entirely. Secondly educate yourself by becoming familiar with the following list of known toxins. It’s time to break open the cage, and free ourselves from toxic beauty.

Phthalates

Pronounced “tha’-lates,” these little plasticizer chemicals pack a punch to male sex organs. Whether its sperm damage, feminization of baby boys, or infertility, a growing number of studies link phthalates to problems in men and boys. Pregnant women should avoid it in nail polish (”dibutyl phathalate”) and everyone should avoid products with “fragrance” on the label, chemical mixtures where phthalates often hide.

Formaldehyde

Causes the inability to inhibit the growth of acid producing bacteria, which has implications in certain forms of cancer. (Products like nail polish contain formaldehyde.)

Parabens

Contain Petrochemicals that are estrogenic, carcinogenic, and allergenic. Look for words containing the suffix ‘parabens’ such as methylparaben and propylparaben. According to the lead researcher of a recent study, Philippa Darbre, an oncology expert at the University of Reading, the chemical form of the parabens were found in 18 of the 20 tumors tested, indicating that they originated from something applied to the skin. (Parabens are mostly found in deodorants, antiperspirants, creams, or body sprays.)

Placenta Extracts

Human and cow placenta is sometimes used to condition skin and hair. Vital to a growing a baby in the womb, these same extracts in cosmetics give the body a slug of hormones that may be enough to spur breast growth in toddlers. (Placenta is mostly found in wrinkle creams and face masks)

Petroleum
(petrolatum and mineral oils) This has been shown to be acne producing, may be carcinogenic, causes long term dry skin, and is a respiratory toxin. (Petroleum is mostly found in Vaseline and lip balm)

Lead
When scientists recognized that lead harms the developing brain of a child, the government demanded its removal from gasoline and house paint — but not hair dye.

Coal Tar
Low level exposure to coal tar is linked to cancer – look for cade tar or pine tar instead. Coal Tar hair dyes are synthetic chemicals with fancy names – e.g., Solvent Red 24 49:1, Pigment Orange 5 – used in some hair coloring products.

Fragrance
The stinky secret that the top perfume companies don’t want you to know about is that the word ‘fragrance’ is actually a cocktail of chemicals that do not require safety testing. This little secret falls straight into a giant loophole in federal law that doesn’t require companies to list on product labels any of the potentially hundreds of chemicals in a single product’s secret fragrance mixture. Fragrances can contain neurotoxins and are among the top 5 allergens in the world. Buy “fragrance free!”

Aluminum
Are known skin irritants, and have recently been linked to Alzheimer’s as well as lung disease. (Aluminum is mostly found in cleansers, eyeshadow and creams)

Make sure to bookmark CosmeticsDatabase.com and search for the safety of ingredients in products you are using, and before investing in any new products.

Watch for my next post for the good news…My Green Makeup Bag – Top Picks for Your Eyes, Skin and Lips

Image – requested…

Conventional versus Organic Cotton? Cotton is soft, pleasant to the touch, flows well on a garment and is grown using some of the world’s most contaminated rubbish. Here are some facts about conventionally grown cotton:

It takes 1/3 pound of pesticides to grow enough cotton to make just one conventional cotton t-shirt.

Number of pesticides presently on the market that were registered before being tested to determine if they caused cancer, birth defects or wildlife toxicity: 400

Number of active ingredients in pesticides found to cause cancer in animals or humans: 107

Of those active ingredients, the number still in use today: 83

The Good news is organic cotton is the perfect alternative

According to the EPA, Certified organic cotton is cotton grown in fields where the use of pesticides have been discontinued for at least 3 years and where painstaking controls help rebuild the soil’s natural fertility. Organic farming is a farming system which relies on natural inputs only. No synthetically produced pesticides or fertilizers are used. Mother Nature is allowed to have much more of an influence. Beneficial insects are allowed to flourish to keep pest insects in check. On organic farms, weeds are controlled with precision tillage and the old fashioned hoe. The successful organic farm requires much more intensive and innovative management. But truly, we are worth it.

To transition your wardrobe from conventional to organic cotton, I recommend the following, beautiful sources:

MyRebe Mother and daughter team Debra Weiss and Hillery Sproat work closely to create this feminine, funky and stylish line of apparel and bags. They even make one of kind bags in vintage fabrics. You choose the color theme.

www.myrebe.com

Del Forte Start with luxury organic denim, throw in a splash of the perfect design for a woman’s body and you have Tierra del Forte’s extraordinary line of organic denim, made in the USA with 100 percent organic cotton. Check out their Rejeaneration; when you are ready to refresh your wardrobe, send your used Del Fortes back. They will use them to produce the second generation.

www.delforte.com

Peligrosa Knits Nico Morrison and Adam Sidell are husband and wife team who has spent years researching and creating the luxury line of organic clothing with the wise little owl as their icon. Nico and Adam choose to exclusively use certified organic, sustainable, and reclaimed materials in every piece of clothing they produce.

www.peligrosaknits.com

ANGelRox I asked Roxi Suger, the founder and designer behind ANGelRox, what beautiful wing design on her clothing and company logo stood for, “The name, to me, symbolizes balance, finding one’s center of joy. Our company philosophy, ‘May Peace Prevail’, refers to inner peace. There is something about wearing your wings that makes you want to be good and kind to others.” This Brooklyn, NY based designer creates clothing that is comfortable, stylish and wearable designs.

http://www.angelrox.com

Love The Skin Your In

Think of the oh-so-soft tenderness of the skin of a newborn baby, the feel of a lover’s hand caressing your arm, the gentle pressure of a massage along aching muscles. Our skin is not only one of our most precious sense organs, it’s a conduit to our inner most sacred breathing space. So it only makes sense that we pamper our precious body with natural, chemical free products.

Perianne has created a natural line of skincare that is in tune with the four seasons. From hot, humid summer days to cold, dry winter nights, Cora Michaels, founder of Perianne has formulated adaptable products that keep your skin glowing year round, with a rich list of organic ingredients.

www.perianneskincare.com

Deep Steep Moisturizing Body Polish is a fabulous all natural at-home spa treatment for your skin. Gently exfoliates your skin with alpha-hydroxy acids, organic walnut shells, and organic oils. As always, all Deep Steep products are 100% free of Parabens, 100% chemical preservative free, 100% Vegan and always Cruelty Free.

www.deepsteep.com

Suki Pure Winter Skin Hydration Kit from one of my absolute favorite product lines. You’ll look forward to waking up just so you can wash your face with Suki’s Exfoliating Foaming Cleanser. Suki helps you fight the winter blues and blahs with butter cream healing salve 2oz, velvet moisturizing cream .5oz, lip repair butter .5oz, 100% organic cotton sateen travel case.

www.sukipure.com

Eminence Organics Watermelon Papaya Body Butter creates a fabulous rich cocktail of watermelon, papaya, virgin coconut and grape seed oil, mango, shea butter and green tea to lather your entire body in complete perfection. For over 4 years, Eminence has hand selected organically grown herbs, fruits and vegetables to guarantee the highest possible quality.

www.eminenceorganics.com

Dr. Bronner’s Organic Lotion sets the standards for the organic and natural skincare industry. From soaps to lotions, Dr. Bronner’s products are all USDA Organic Certified. You will love the line of organic lotions which are moisturizing without being heavy and greasy. This is one you’ll want in each room of the house.

www.drbronner.com

L’Occitane Pure Organic Shea Butter Made from 100% plant-based origin, extracted from wild kernels of Shea tree fruits. Issued from fair trade in Burkina Faso (West Africa). L’Occitane Shea Butter is free from synthetic pesticide, artificial fertilizer and preservatives.

http://usa.loccitane.com

Interview with Emma Pezzack – Founder of Futurenatural.com

Recently I had the opportunity to meet and interview the founder of FutureNatural.com, an incredible
resource for natural beauty products. Emma Pezzack is charming, passionate and knowledgeable in the realm of sustainability and beauty. With over 25 years of experience in the beauty industry and considered an organic beauty expert, Emma lives by organic & natural beauty brands.

In creating the branding and the name Future Natural was to present the idea of natural and organic products in a modern way. Emma believes that, “the future of the cosmetics industry
has to become more sustainable.” There are increasingly more savvy consumers {to whom} I wanted to present a modern front. Natural and organic has been thought ‘granola, hippie, dippie, and not as good.” Organic products must be as glamorous, sexy and as stylish as their
mainstream counterparts. “We are not settling for second best anymore by choosing to natural products.”

The Journey to Green
Beauty “This is something I’ve been doing all my life.” Emma continued, “I grew up organic,
living on a farm (in ) with a massive vegetable garden, goats, fruit trees and cows. My family had six children and we were not well off. {Growing up this way} forced us to be incredibly
resourceful. My mom even made cheese.” “I always think about the impacts of what we do on the
land.”

This lead Emma to start seeking products that were natural, but when she couldn’t find anything that met her standard, she decided to create her own, and www.futurenatural.com was born.

Emma’s business mantra is “responsible hedonism,” and following are her top Green Business Practices:

1. Strive to be 100% Carbon Neutral.

2. Always give back – we donate a portion of profits to the NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Fund)
Council and the Rainforest Alliance).

3. Small things add up – we have a dark green background on our web site, it saves power
(Check out www.blackle.com).

4. Strive to be a paperless office, but when we can’t – recycle all paper. All packaging and boxes are recycled or re-purposed paper.

5. Be fair in business – we use organic fair-trade cotton bags to send out their products.

Favourite Products:

Fashion:
“I simply adore” Edun’s {www.edunonline.com/} and

Linda Loudermilk’s {www.lindaloudermilk.com/home.html}
original organic designs.”

Skin Care:
“I am madly in love with Suki’s Lemongrass cleanser” www.futurenatural.com/suki_skincare.html?lnum=45848

Natralox {www.soleo.com}. “It’s touted as ‘natural botox’ and while I wouldn’t go that far (it doesn’t ‘freeze’ your face), it’s seriously, hands down, one of the most PHENOMENAL products I’ve ever used in my 20yrs in this industry. It’s all natural & naturally derived with four key ingredients that are proven to reduce signs of aging by up to 50% in 4 weeks.”

Emma’s personal mantra: “Live Well, Do Good, Look Gorgeous.”

Lewis Goldstein from Kiss My Face was kind enough to respond to Pema’s recent piece on getting prepared for Urban Hiking.

To receive a 30 per cent discount on all purchases at the Kiss My Face online store, simply enter the promotional code KMFBLOG3 when you make your purchase. The discount is valid until December 15th.

Enjoy!

For as long as there have been women, men and places to be seen, there have been cosmetics and fragrance. Some of the earliest evidence of modern beauty equipment has been found in the Babylon ruins. Tools such as tweezers, brow brushes, and toothpicks were common. Both the men and women of Babylon also curled their hair and applied eye shadow, eyeliner, and eyelash and brow enhancers. They frequently painted their faces with white lead and used henna to color their nails.

Both Egyptian men and women applied makeup; rouge and lip ointments were considered fundamentals, as was henna, for giving a red tinge to the nails. Eye shadow was vital to both sexes; it was typically green and applied to both the top and the bottom lids. Eyelash and brow enhancers consisting of carbon, black oxide, and other (often toxic) substances were also applied to give that dark, painted–on look so connected with the culture and tradition.

It’s true what they say, when you look good, you feel good.

Each morning when you begin your beauty regime, why not commit to using only natural products that wont harm you or the environment.

Better Hair Days

Lets face it, when your hair is clean and styled, you look younger and feel healthier. Gone are the days of natural shampoo’s that leave your hair limp and flyaway, so why not recycle your old bottles of chemical based products, and pick up one of the following natural shampoos.

Dr. Hauschka

Features a line of natural shampoo, conditioner and hair oils. The entire line is formulated with eco-friendly, natural ingredients certified by the BDIH, whose criteria for natural certification are the most stringent in the world.

In this time of awareness about beauty products and food, what we put on our skin and in our mouths can have a dramatic impact on our body, mind, and spirit.

In Need of Some Alone Time?

The perfect escape begins with a bath, only Don’t fill it to the rim. Instead sink deep into warm natural bubbles, and emerge refreshed, relaxed, and silky smooth, without sulfates, parabens or preservatives.

In Need of Extra REM?

Sleep deprivation is a major issue facing us today. However, nothing gets you into bed sooner than a space dedicated to relaxation. Take out the TV and leave your phone in the kitchen, grab a good book dim the lights, and jump into bed with your favorite organic pajamas. The Chantal Gown is made from a lightweight, breathable, silky soft cotton / soy fabric blend.

Lost That Loving Feeling?

Maybe you’re in need of a deep tissue massage. Nothing reconnects you to someone you love like touch. Start by visiting www.goodcleanlove.com, their oils are nature’s aphrodisiacs.

Crystalyn Kae handbags are entirely VEGAN! Designer Crystalyn Kae pulls from her international training in design and creative intuition to produce superbly crafted accessories with enduring beauty. Her solid construction and unique fashion sense have earned her the respected status for having sophisticated, discerning designs which honor the past and the present at the same time.

The signature glazed fabric is fashioned through a method in which upholstery-grade fabric is scuffed to raise the fibers, and then a sheer glaze is poured over the top. Once cured, the fabric is pressed with metal rollers and stretched to give a subtle crinkle to the glaze. The bags are well-built, water-resistant and amazingly simple to care for, and are a great fit for vegan and vegetarian EcoDivas, as they contain zero animal skins.

When you think about Halloween, green does not necessarily jump to mind. It’s more like loads and loads and loads of candy suddenly appearing on table tops one and all. Whether you spot them in your office, in your pantry, or ultimately in your body, it’s little we can do to escape the candy coated invitation.

As for decorating, we haven’t strayed much from the old standards of orange and black streamers and plastic spooky arachnids in every shape, size and color. And let’s not forget the array of polyester costumes that surely should have a warning sticker reminding you not to stand too near an open flame [actually, most of them are sprayed with fire retardants]. You may be the chosen one to decorate your office or cubicle or the brave soul throwing a spook-tacular bash for your friends.

The notion of going gray evokes an image of growing old, of grandmothers, of silver streaks. For as long as advertising has been around, the message has been, “I’m gonna wash that gray right out of my hair.” And so, women (and men) by the millions have whisked themselves into the stinky color section of the hair salon to be foiled, streaked, and colored within an inch of their scalps. The brave do-it-yourself types have donned those latex gloves and vigilantly squirted the magical mixture concealing those pesky unwelcome gray locks.

What’s really in that bottle?

According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), (a group of exceptionally diligent professionals who pour over data and scientific research to expose risks to our health and environment as well as find solutions) the hair color products that we have come to know and love are on the Top 20 Brands of Concern.

What does this mean?

This means that the hair color products from companies like L’Oreal, Clairol and Revlon which are the top selling brands are making us sick in ways we could never imagine a company would consciously produce and advertise.

One of my favorite movies when I was growing up was Lily Tomlin’s Incredible Shrinking Woman. In the movie Pat Kramer is a typical suburban wife and mother until she gets exposed to a strange mixture of household chemicals, including “Galaxy Glue”, a new product from her husband’s advertising agency. Soon after using this product, she begins to shrink. Eventually, she is less than a foot tall, making her a doll to her children.

Then, Pat is kidnapped by a group of mad scientists, who deviously plan to shrink everyone in the world. With the help of the lab custodian and uber-intelligent gorilla, she escapes. Pat then continues to shrink to microscopic size and falls into a puddle of spilled household product chemicals – which makes her return to normal size! The truth is, many chemical used in skincare products have dubious origins…