I was having a very animated mental conversation with myself. One side of me kept asking, why should I bother with organic lipstick? The other was coming up with crazy answers. Though it started out as a serious conversation, somehow it branched out… But I still thinks the results are valuable to the organic community, and therefore I’d like to share them here.
My Ten Reasons for Using Organic Lipstick
1. According to some estimates a woman eats about 4 pounds of lipsticks over her lifetime. I think eating organic lipstick is much safer than consuming parabens, colors, fragrances, lead and other chemical cocktails… don’t you?
2. Supporting organic products supports organic farming, which in turns supports the environment, which we sort of need to exist…
3. Makes a statement and encourages others to emulate you, which in turns supports more organic products, farming, etc… (see 2). Not to mention, makes those others healthier.
4. You won’t have to panic as much if your two-year-old thinks your organic lipstick it’s a candy.
5. It may be easier to remove from the walls if your two-year-old thinks it’s a wall painting crayon.
6. You’ll look young and hip cause all things natural and organic are in.
7. Hunting for that elusive organic lipstick will make you discover tons of weird looking shops you never knew existed (or could exist...).
8. Similar to 4, but in the case where you happen to be the one craving a candy… (Note: I said you won’t panic “as much”… I didn’t say “no panic” ;) )
9. If you happen to smudge it all over your funky organic cotton shirt, the organicness of the shirt will not be compromised (also applies to organic makeup kit, organic purse and other organic items de-jour).
10. While there is an inescapable barrage of celebrities endorsing mainstream lipsticks all over the cable, you get to improve your research skills searching for celebrities who truly walk the walk and smooch organic. And then you get to say to yourself that your pout is every bit as healthy and environmentally responsible as Hilary Duff’s, (who is, apparently, a huge NveyEco fan!)
There are many other reasons, like recyclable packaging, free trade sourcing, no GMOs, no nanotechnology and the like… But I think the list above is enough to get you started ;)
Showing posts with label organic lipstick. Show all posts
Showing posts with label organic lipstick. Show all posts
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Mineral Makeup or Organic Lipstick?
Mineral makeup and organic lipstick go hand in hand together. While there are a lot of companies that use plant based ingredients, there are many companies now that chose to focus on the minerals. Thus in order to achieve the colors and other lipstick features, they add the inert minerals.
Technically these products cannot be called organic. Organic makeup or anything organic in general can only refer to plant based products, specifically to those farmed on organic farms. So people thinking that mineral make up and organic makeup are the same are mixing up two different concepts.
However, this is not to say that mineral makeup cannot be natural. Most of the components used in such makeup products are naturally derived minerals abundant in nature. And for the most part they are inert and considered safe. Examples of natural mineral makeup brands are Jane Iredale. They have a mineral based lipstick in the lineup as well.
Another popular online brand of organic skin care and makeup is Miessence. It is a brand sold through representatives and you can find plenty of them online. The point is that their lipstick (or lip cream) contains mineral based pigments.
So should you be looking for organic lipstick or mineral makeup line’s lipstick? My take on it is that you should first make sure that regardless of what the product claims in the promo, check the actual ingredients. There are way too many lipsticks claiming to be natural that contain questionable ingredients. And way to many mineral makeup lines riding the natural publicity wave but having questionable content.
Then, once you are satisfied with ingredients, test for nano particles. Many mineral based makeup products have very tiny particles. However, nano minerals do not act the same as regular sized minerals, and may actually be dangerous to health.
For ingredients, consult cosmeticsdatabase.com
For nanotechnology, unfortunately, you can’t read it off the package. There is no regulation yet for anyone to disclose if they use it or not. As I mentioned a few posts ago, Canada might come up with a legislation for control. But for now you just have to do the research and contact the manufacturer.
If you are really set on mineral makeup, check out Jane Iredale. They state plainly that they are natural and nano free. And that’s a good start. Especially when it comes to something like lipstick. This might not be an organic lipstick, but at least its trying to be natural.
Technically these products cannot be called organic. Organic makeup or anything organic in general can only refer to plant based products, specifically to those farmed on organic farms. So people thinking that mineral make up and organic makeup are the same are mixing up two different concepts.
However, this is not to say that mineral makeup cannot be natural. Most of the components used in such makeup products are naturally derived minerals abundant in nature. And for the most part they are inert and considered safe. Examples of natural mineral makeup brands are Jane Iredale. They have a mineral based lipstick in the lineup as well.
Another popular online brand of organic skin care and makeup is Miessence. It is a brand sold through representatives and you can find plenty of them online. The point is that their lipstick (or lip cream) contains mineral based pigments.
So should you be looking for organic lipstick or mineral makeup line’s lipstick? My take on it is that you should first make sure that regardless of what the product claims in the promo, check the actual ingredients. There are way too many lipsticks claiming to be natural that contain questionable ingredients. And way to many mineral makeup lines riding the natural publicity wave but having questionable content.
Then, once you are satisfied with ingredients, test for nano particles. Many mineral based makeup products have very tiny particles. However, nano minerals do not act the same as regular sized minerals, and may actually be dangerous to health.
For ingredients, consult cosmeticsdatabase.com
For nanotechnology, unfortunately, you can’t read it off the package. There is no regulation yet for anyone to disclose if they use it or not. As I mentioned a few posts ago, Canada might come up with a legislation for control. But for now you just have to do the research and contact the manufacturer.
If you are really set on mineral makeup, check out Jane Iredale. They state plainly that they are natural and nano free. And that’s a good start. Especially when it comes to something like lipstick. This might not be an organic lipstick, but at least its trying to be natural.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
The Lesser Known Organic Lipsticks
You most likely already heard the names of the big players in the organic lipstick market, such as NveyEco, Dr. Hauschka, Logona, etc… And I promise to do a detailed post about these big players in the very near future.
But today I figured it’s time to spotlight a few lesser known brands. To boost their potential, so to speak.
And what interested me about all of them, is their commitment to organic. These are really pure natural and organic lipsticks. Most of them are certified organic by third parties and therefore have to keep up their game.
So, without further ado, here we go:
Jasmin Certified Organic Lipstick
Jasmin is an Australian company dedicated to bringing a complete range of organic skin care and makeup products. All their products are certified organic by the Organic Food Chain, which is the Australian Government Accredited Agency. The OFC logo is only permitted if the number of organic ingredients in the product is or exceeds 95%. This is not your average “made with Organic Ingredients” claim. This is saying something real. All Jasmin products contain at least 95% organic ingredients. Many even more. And all are 100% natural.
GreenPeople Certified Organic Lipstick
This is the first UK certified organic lipstick, and it boasts no less than 99% certified organic plant-derived ingredients. Winner of Natural Health Beauty Awards 2008 this healthy and gorgeous lipsmucker is naturally free from petrochemicals, synthetic colourants and preservatives and comes in three shimmering colors – Red Shimmer, Glitzy Bronze and Soft Pink.
Hemp Organics Lipstick
Available in 32 different colours these lipsticks are made with Hemp Seed Oil and Organic Beeswax. These are free of petroleum, wheat and gluten (for those with sensitivities) and are made in USA. These lipstick are 95% or more organic. They also manufacture Karma Gloss (a 97% organic lip gloss) that can be applied on top for glossier look.
Primitive Lipstick
There is nothing primitive about these lipsticks. Completely natural selection without any petroleum derivatives or nano sized minerals. They come in 8 colors. Though it seems to only be available from select online retailers, most of them are eager to send very cheap samples so you can test these for yourself.
Miessense Organic Lipsticks
Miessense is a certified organic brand of skin care and makeup products. These lipsticks are certified by the Biological Farmers of Australia and therefore contain (excluding water and salt) at least 70% organic plant ingredients. There are no synthetics in these products – all the makeup is plant and mineral based. Miessense is distributed through representatives. You will find many of their websites online. Nine natural looking colors are available in this range.
Perfect Organics Vegan Lip and Cheek Shimmers
There are seven lovely shades of these vegan organic lipsticks for you to explore. Doubling as a chick shimmer these come in natural shades and are free of toxic offenders. Though not certified, the ingredients are completely natural, and the company is a signatory of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. Smooth and glossy, these are recommended by the National Geographic’s green guide.
Now these should get you started on an off-the-beaten-path organic beauty quest, don’t you think?
But today I figured it’s time to spotlight a few lesser known brands. To boost their potential, so to speak.
And what interested me about all of them, is their commitment to organic. These are really pure natural and organic lipsticks. Most of them are certified organic by third parties and therefore have to keep up their game.
So, without further ado, here we go:
Jasmin Certified Organic Lipstick
Jasmin is an Australian company dedicated to bringing a complete range of organic skin care and makeup products. All their products are certified organic by the Organic Food Chain, which is the Australian Government Accredited Agency. The OFC logo is only permitted if the number of organic ingredients in the product is or exceeds 95%. This is not your average “made with Organic Ingredients” claim. This is saying something real. All Jasmin products contain at least 95% organic ingredients. Many even more. And all are 100% natural.
GreenPeople Certified Organic Lipstick
This is the first UK certified organic lipstick, and it boasts no less than 99% certified organic plant-derived ingredients. Winner of Natural Health Beauty Awards 2008 this healthy and gorgeous lipsmucker is naturally free from petrochemicals, synthetic colourants and preservatives and comes in three shimmering colors – Red Shimmer, Glitzy Bronze and Soft Pink.
Hemp Organics Lipstick
Available in 32 different colours these lipsticks are made with Hemp Seed Oil and Organic Beeswax. These are free of petroleum, wheat and gluten (for those with sensitivities) and are made in USA. These lipstick are 95% or more organic. They also manufacture Karma Gloss (a 97% organic lip gloss) that can be applied on top for glossier look.
Primitive Lipstick
There is nothing primitive about these lipsticks. Completely natural selection without any petroleum derivatives or nano sized minerals. They come in 8 colors. Though it seems to only be available from select online retailers, most of them are eager to send very cheap samples so you can test these for yourself.
Miessense Organic Lipsticks
Miessense is a certified organic brand of skin care and makeup products. These lipsticks are certified by the Biological Farmers of Australia and therefore contain (excluding water and salt) at least 70% organic plant ingredients. There are no synthetics in these products – all the makeup is plant and mineral based. Miessense is distributed through representatives. You will find many of their websites online. Nine natural looking colors are available in this range.
Perfect Organics Vegan Lip and Cheek Shimmers
There are seven lovely shades of these vegan organic lipsticks for you to explore. Doubling as a chick shimmer these come in natural shades and are free of toxic offenders. Though not certified, the ingredients are completely natural, and the company is a signatory of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. Smooth and glossy, these are recommended by the National Geographic’s green guide.
Now these should get you started on an off-the-beaten-path organic beauty quest, don’t you think?
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Organic Lipstick – A Small Big Difference
Companies that can’t be bothered to pay attention to the ingredients they put into their products tend to be very vocal about how those qualities are so small and are not absorbed anyways, so you’d be silly looking for natural or organic lipstick and it doesn’t really exist anyway.
Now that’s pure baloney. There are plenty of natural and organic based lipsticks on the market. And choosing organic does matter.
Remember the whole global warming phenomena? It is true that an output from any one person or even one factory is not going to affect the planet’s climate in any measurable way. But we do not live on a planet with only one person, or one factory. We live in such a darn overcrowded planet that the collective tiny emissions by persons or factories add up to a potential climate catastrophe.
When it comes to global warming, we are talking about big numbers. And in big numbers little things matter. We’ve gotten to a point where to feed the demands of modern population a major environmental concern is cow-belching. Yup. One cow burping is no big deal. Millions of cows doing that, and we get a green house effect. Don’t believe me? Google it... You’ll be unpleasantly surprised…
Where am I going with it?
Well, when it comes to cosmetics the big companies treat individual makeup and skin care products like a one time burp. Put a bit of lipstick on you, and even if it has all those dangerous particles, they are so tiny – couldn’t possibly hurt you.
And you know, if you lived in a vacuum and applied only one lipstick only once, that would be so true.
But do you?
The Environmental Working Group found that an average woman uses twelve personal care products per day. That is twelve. Not one or two. For an average woman. Which means that there are a lot of women out there who use even more. And we don’t use a product just once per day. Don’t know about you, but I have yet to discover a lipstick that really doesn’t need touch ups…
And I think that numbers are probably higher. Just of the top of my head here is a list of products I see women use every day:
Shampoo, conditioner, soap, cleanser, toner, day cream, night cream, hand lotion, mascara, eye-shadow, foundation, concealer, lipstick, bronzer, powder, nail polish, nail polish remover, lip gloss, face masks, hair spray, hair gel, eye liner, lip liner, deodorant…
You get the picture. The list is loooong. And it’s been taught to us by the very same companies that claim that a little bit is ok…
Basically, we dub ourselves in a chemical cocktail every single day.
That’s why buying things natural and organic, and actually searching out for things like organic lipstick is worth your time. Small things add up in big numbers.
There have been numerous tests to check for chemical loads in people’s bodies. Most people tend to blame the environment when they find out they carry high number of toxic parts inside. But it’s not. It’s things we eat and put on our bodies.
In 2003 urine samples where taken from 120 women. Here are some of the things that where found inside their bodies:
… phthalates (common plastic ingredients used in varnishes, perfumes, cosmetics and detergents); anthracenes (from paving materials and diesel); solvents (paints, varnishes, some ink); flame retardants from upholstered furniture; parabens (an anti-microbial agent in everything from jam to cosmetics); and a host of "breakdown products" left over when the body metabolizes pollutants. (quoted from this article)
Not so surprisingly, the women in the area where the tests were conducted had a higher rate of breast cancer.
Connection, anyone?
Or do you still think that searching for an organic lipstick is a waste of your time?
And for those who are wondering where to start, here are just a few of the much more natural and organic makeup brands that make great products: SukiColor, Dr. Hauschka, NveyEco, Lavera, Logona and more... There is also a list of some very good organic makeup brands here.
And, of course, always ask around your local health store. There are many small manufacturers who don’t have the clout to get into every department store in the world, yet have the skill and integrity to make truly good products.
Now that’s pure baloney. There are plenty of natural and organic based lipsticks on the market. And choosing organic does matter.
Remember the whole global warming phenomena? It is true that an output from any one person or even one factory is not going to affect the planet’s climate in any measurable way. But we do not live on a planet with only one person, or one factory. We live in such a darn overcrowded planet that the collective tiny emissions by persons or factories add up to a potential climate catastrophe.
When it comes to global warming, we are talking about big numbers. And in big numbers little things matter. We’ve gotten to a point where to feed the demands of modern population a major environmental concern is cow-belching. Yup. One cow burping is no big deal. Millions of cows doing that, and we get a green house effect. Don’t believe me? Google it... You’ll be unpleasantly surprised…
Where am I going with it?
Well, when it comes to cosmetics the big companies treat individual makeup and skin care products like a one time burp. Put a bit of lipstick on you, and even if it has all those dangerous particles, they are so tiny – couldn’t possibly hurt you.
And you know, if you lived in a vacuum and applied only one lipstick only once, that would be so true.
But do you?
The Environmental Working Group found that an average woman uses twelve personal care products per day. That is twelve. Not one or two. For an average woman. Which means that there are a lot of women out there who use even more. And we don’t use a product just once per day. Don’t know about you, but I have yet to discover a lipstick that really doesn’t need touch ups…
And I think that numbers are probably higher. Just of the top of my head here is a list of products I see women use every day:
Shampoo, conditioner, soap, cleanser, toner, day cream, night cream, hand lotion, mascara, eye-shadow, foundation, concealer, lipstick, bronzer, powder, nail polish, nail polish remover, lip gloss, face masks, hair spray, hair gel, eye liner, lip liner, deodorant…
You get the picture. The list is loooong. And it’s been taught to us by the very same companies that claim that a little bit is ok…
Basically, we dub ourselves in a chemical cocktail every single day.
That’s why buying things natural and organic, and actually searching out for things like organic lipstick is worth your time. Small things add up in big numbers.
There have been numerous tests to check for chemical loads in people’s bodies. Most people tend to blame the environment when they find out they carry high number of toxic parts inside. But it’s not. It’s things we eat and put on our bodies.
In 2003 urine samples where taken from 120 women. Here are some of the things that where found inside their bodies:
… phthalates (common plastic ingredients used in varnishes, perfumes, cosmetics and detergents); anthracenes (from paving materials and diesel); solvents (paints, varnishes, some ink); flame retardants from upholstered furniture; parabens (an anti-microbial agent in everything from jam to cosmetics); and a host of "breakdown products" left over when the body metabolizes pollutants. (quoted from this article)
Not so surprisingly, the women in the area where the tests were conducted had a higher rate of breast cancer.
Connection, anyone?
Or do you still think that searching for an organic lipstick is a waste of your time?
And for those who are wondering where to start, here are just a few of the much more natural and organic makeup brands that make great products: SukiColor, Dr. Hauschka, NveyEco, Lavera, Logona and more... There is also a list of some very good organic makeup brands here.
And, of course, always ask around your local health store. There are many small manufacturers who don’t have the clout to get into every department store in the world, yet have the skill and integrity to make truly good products.
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