eco-chic design

sustainable skincare made with organic herbs and flowers

During my last visit to ABC home & planet I couldn’t resist to sample the Lavender Milk from Farmaesthetics since it smelled amazing. What initially attracted me though was the handcrafted yet super-chic look of the packaging. The design of the label seemed inspired by old recipes from grandma’s kitchen. It’s no surprise since the founder Brenda Brock grew up as the daughter of a 7th generation farming family from Texas. She first sold her handmade herbal skincare at an organic farm stand in rural Rhode Island.

All Farmaesthetics products are 100% natural made with certified organic herbs, flowers, oils & grains. The full line of 100% natural skincare products for face and body range from Nourishing Lavender Milk to Deep Lavender Rubs that bring relieve to upper respiratory tightness due to colds, allergies, stress or asthma. That’s certainly something I can use these days since allergy season is in full swing. I always like when a company considers the full life cycle of their products ranging from material extraction, manufacturing, shipping to disposal and their role in the community. Farmaesthetics was founded on the principles of sustainable agriculture and supports small U.S. family farms and organic growers. Shipping materials use recyclable or recycled boxes with minimal packaging. Thanks to the synthetic-free formulations and nonirritating qualities some products are donated to women’s oncology programs to help relieve difficult skin conditions. Knowing all this makes you feel good inside and out.

green beauty resolutions from Nature Girl

The best way to keep your green New Year’s resolutions might be to have a daily reminder to go green in your bathroom. Nature Girl’s natural and organic skin care line might just do that with names like “I Love Organic”, “Eco Chic”, or “Nature Groupie”. What initially attracted me to Nature Girl was the graffiti-style packaging designed by founder Nannette Pallround. It looks earthy yet hip and I love the stark contrast between the simple bottles and the handwritten feel of the type that reflects the diversity of nature. But most of all I love that Nature Girl’s lotions, scrubs and oils use organic and wildcrafted ingredients grown on small, family-run farms from all around the world. All Nature Girl products are 100% natural and at least half of them are 100% organic. None of them contain sulfates, phylates, dyes, parabens or any harmful man-made ingredients. Plus they don’t use any synthetic fragrances, synthetic dyes or animal testing. This should make it pretty easy to stick to your New Year’s resolution to live green this year.

a positive outlook on natural beauty

It was refreshing to hear the chief carrot lover Ido Leffler from Yes To Carrots speak about the mission of his company at HBA’s green conference about business and beauty in New York last week. The opening speech for the lecture pointed out the difference between truly natural versus natural inspired beauty products and cautioned that naturalness is not the same as sustainability. 

Most of the Yes To Carrots products are naturally inspired except the Yes To Carrot lip care products that contain all-natural, 95% organic ingredients. The lip butters are paraben, petroleum and phthalate free and USDA certified. All other Yes To products are paraben free and combine organic fruits and vegetables with dead sea minerals. Depending on your skin type you can choose a complete line of skin and hair products from “Yes To Carrots”, “Yes To Tomatoes” or “Yes To Cucumbers”. What I love the most though is the company’s philosophy of celebrating optimism and a “yes to” attitude to life. It’s something our economy can certainly use these days and I appreciate the daily reminder in my bathroom to embrace positivity. Not only is the packaging recyclable with fun contemporary branding but also affordable which is something to smile about. In addition Yes To Carrots donates a portion of their profits to the Yes To Carrots Seed Fund that helps underprivileged communities to develop self-sustaining, organic food sources. Their humanitarian goal is that simple: when you say yes more often, you smile more often.

an organic summer detox

The organic eucalyptus sea therapy bath by 100% Pure was the closest I got to visiting the beach this weekend thanks to my summer cold. It’s certainly not how I envisioned my 4th of July weekend, but at least I was able to spend it in eco-modern style. 100% Pure is a Berkeley-based organic apothecary that produces skincare and makeup products without any synthetic chemicals, chemical preservatives, artificial fragrances, artificial colors, harsh detergents or any other unhealthy toxins. Instead they are 100% natural and 100% vegan except when there is honey involved.

100% Pure organic eucalyptus sea therapy bath is made with crystallized kelp from an organic seaweed farm in the Brittany Coast of France instead of ordinary sea salts. It contains 60 different minerals, vitamins, antioxidants and amino acids that replenish, nourish, detox and heal. Organic peppermint essential oil stimulates circulation and organic eucalyptus essential oil strengthens immunity and eases decongestion. The packaging looks as pure as the ingredients. It’s made from recycled plastic or glass and is completely recyclable. Another favorite of mine is the 100% Pure honey almond organic body scrub that’s full of powerful anti-aging antioxidants and vitamins. I never thought I could get a summer glow by staying at home. Other 100% Pure products include organic shower gels that look as vibrant as freshly pressed juices and color cosmetics made with fruit and vegetable pigments. Just reading the ingredients reminds me of my grocery list when I try to eat really, really healthy.

organic makeup from down under

Wouldn’t it be great to use a stylish lip gloss that’s as organic as the fruits or vegetables that you hopefully buy? After all you’re wearing it all day and you might digest more of it than you wish. NVEY ECO Lip Lustre is a certified organic moisturizing lip color and has no parabens, synthetic fragrances, synthetic dyes, petro-chemicals or phthalates. Instead it contains organic beeswax that has antibacterial and germicidal properties that protect while adding shine. In addition it’s enriched with orange essential oil that leaves a citrus flavor. It comes in many colors including Amour Rose, Cristal and Temptress that make green look sexy.

Australian company NVEY ECO (pronounced en-vay ee-coh) arrived in the US in 2006 and is the green child of its parent company NVEY Le Maquillage. The certified organic makeup line consists of a careful blend of plant and mineral ingredients as well as natural botanical extracts and antioxidants. In fact it’s certified organic by the Australian Government as well as the Organic Food Chain. The product line includes eye shadows, bronzers, foundations, lipsticks, and mascaras. I’ve to admit NVEY ECO is not only a truly organic cosmetics line but also a great escape from the economic gloom to eco-glam these days.

eye-opening green beauty

I’ve always been a bit skeptical of eco-friendly mascara but tried Josie Maran’s mascara at Sephora the other day and really liked it. It’s paraben and fragrance-free and contains organic ingredients like organic Argan oil and organic Jojoba oil that are gentle on your lashes and the environment. Her website assigns symbols to every product of her natural beauty line that explain what makes them eco-friendly. Based on her labeling system some components of the packaging for the mascara are recyclable and it’s not tested on animals. It’s a fun interactive way to analyze all her products that range from 100% organic Argan oil moisturizer to Bear Naked Wipes that not only remove make-up in a natural way but also support the Natural Resources Defense Council's Polar Bear SOS initiative.

Many products of Josie Maran Cosmetics are packaged in biodegradable plastic made of corn based resin such as her blush, bronzing powder or eye shadow. I like the sleek look of the packaging even that it reminds me quite a bit of Laura Mercier’s designs. But of course I love that it’s an eco-friendly yet stylish alternative that looks great in my bathroom and purse. I applaud Josie Maran who used her background as a model in the fashion and beauty industry to create cosmetics that are eco-friendly yet luxurious. Righteously she calls it luxury with a conscience.

the evergreen of beauty products

Some green classics never go out of style and Dr. Bronner’s classic liquid & bar soaps are definitely one of them. Dr. Bronner started making his famous peppermint liquid soap in 1948 in Los Angeles as a third-generation master-soapmaker. Not sure if you ever spent the time to read the famous labels on the packaging made of 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles. Small type covers the labels from top to bottom promoting the founder’s vision of social and environmental ideals. They range from “balanced food for body – mind – soul – spirit is our medicine” to “ no 6-year old can grow up free without the ABC”. It’s hard to limit your shower time to a few energy efficient minutes if you want to read them all while soaking.

Dr. Bronner’s classic liquid & bar soaps are vegetable based made with organic oils and the soap is completely biodegradable. Both product lines are certified Fair Trade by the respected Swiss certifier IMO under their “Fair for Life” program since 2008. In addition to all classic scents with peppermint being the all time classic the line also added the two new scents rose and citrus orange. It’s great to see that green and social awareness not only is timeless but that you can even make it part of your daily routine.

go green with your spring cleaning

Always eager to discover the story behind eco-friendly companies I was glad to see J.R. Watkins at the Go Green Expo in New York. Especially since I’ve always loved their beautiful packaging. The company has been a pioneer in natural living since 1868 and originally started as a home-manufacturer of spices and natural remedies like their Original Pain Relieving Liniment.

Since then Watkins launched a line of USDA Certified 100% Organic Spices in 2006 and officially launched J.R. Watkins Natural Apothecary and J.R. Watkins Natural Home Care in 2008. Makes a lot of sense since what you put on your body is as important as what you put into it. If they can relieve minor muscle aches naturally, I trust that they can remove grease stains in my kitchen in a safe way. I love that their ingredients originally came from the garden to the kitchen in the form of spices and now to personal care. The gorgeous labels of their products reflect the company’s long history and heritage through their modern take on old-fashioned lettering. The J.R. Watkins Natural Apothecary line of personal care contains only natural, environmentally friendly ingredients without chemicals like parabens, sulfates or phthalates. The same principle of using natural ingredients is true for their natural home care. It comes in great scents like lavender or aloe and green tea. Something I unfortunately can’t smell these days because of my seasonal allergies. But please go ahead, spice up your home with an eco-friendly spring cleaning and let me know which scents you like.

green beauty with a high IQ

Yesterday I attended “the road to eco-friendly beauty” at Barneys that was moderated by Vogue beauty editor Sarah Brown. The panel discussion included Nude Founder Bryan Meehan, Aveda and Intelligent Nutrients founder Horst M. Rechelbacher, Chantecaille founder Sylvie Chantecaille and Red Flower founder Yael Alkalay. The discussion was very stimulating, since every company had their own opinion about the USDA certification process. Yet all agreed that the goal is to combine effectiveness with eco-friendliness in a luxurious way.

Horst M. Rechelbacher who considers his business activism was very passionate about the importance of USDA certification. He introduced his new company Intelligent Nutrients that uses 100% food-based and organic certified ingredients. It was launched in September 2008. Intelligent Nutrients is free of toxins and helpful for disease prevention. He quoted that 95% of diseases come from environmental effects and only 5% are genetically based. Therefore it’s no surprise that his products not only include a line of skin and hair care products but also neutraceutical supplements and functional foods. Take the certified organic Intellimune Oil for example where two teaspoons have the oil antioxidant power of the seeds in 10 pounds of grapes, raspberries or cranberries. That sounds pretty intelligent to me. Here's to a beautiful and healthy Earth Day!

green fragrance on the go

A lot of Sephora’s in-store displays are geared toward green products during earth month that led me to Pacifica’s solid perfumes. The eco-modern fragrance tins are perfect for the tiniest purse and airport travel. I love the smell of the Tuscan Blood Orange solid perfume. Its ingredients include organic soy and coconut wax with Pacifica's signature perfume blend of essential and natural oils.

Pacifica was founded in 1996 by Brook Harvey-Taylor and Billy Taylor with seven home-blended perfumes inspired by their surfer life-style. Their products include perfumes, soy candles and natural soaps that are free of parabens, propylene glycol, phthalates and lead wicks – basically everything that’s bad for you. The packaging is not only incredibly adorable, but also recyclable and made with recycled content. I love their tropical inspired designs which make me lust for Hawaii especially since I’ve never been there. Pacifica is working towards carbon neutrality and is 100% committed to cruelty-freedom. They don’t use any animal ingredients, including beeswax. Instead their soy candles are handmade with vegetable soy wax and lead-free wicks that don’t emit toxic fumes like conventional ones. I think I just discovered my favorite brand for the summer.