A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of meeting a lovely young woman named Jessica, who told me that after a move across the country, a bout of bad skin, and a run-in with No More Dirty Looks, she’d decided to transition completely to clean beauty products.
Naturally, I invited her to share her thoughts with the rest of the class, mainly because it can be hard for some of us to remember what it’s like when you first discover that the products you’ve long trusted actually totally suck. Do you throw our book against the wall and decide it’s all BS? Do you ransack your entire bathroom at once? We’ve long recommended that people go slow, first replacing products they use daily and over a large area of their body (shampoo, soap, sunscreen, body lotion). Next, we often recommend what we like to call “gateway” brands: Naturals that are good enough, if not perfectly clean. These are usually easier to find, more affordable, and they smell and perform more like conventional products—which is great for not scaring people off. Finally, that perfect red you wear on nights out should be the last to go, if it goes at all (we still have ours!). Jessica seems to get all this! Which is great.
She’s is employing a one-in/one-out system, buying new products as she runs out of the old, and so far, she’s loving the results. Her skin has transformed, she’s gone rogue with some DIY recipes, and she’s loving every minute of it.
Here, her story:
Name: Jessica
Age: 21
Hometown: New York, NY
Current weather: Swings from grey and cold to sunny and cool: 30s-60s, high humidity.
Hair: Thick, shiny black strands that naturally fall in piece-y, poufy waves
Skin: Olive-toned combination skin—normal skin with an oily and pimple-prone T-zone
I fantasize about being a clean beauty queen but for now, I’m the new girl. I recently divorced from mega-ultra-plumping synthetic-fiber mascara and I’m freshly freed from a decade-long salicylic acid bender. Don’t get me wrong—I wasn’t trying to poison myself. I’ve never dyed my hair, I cook my own meals to avoid eating weird junk out, and—don’t tell—I use antiperspirant sparingly when temperatures allow. But despite my good intentions, I was still drowning myself in toxins.
My facial routine was especially heinous: for the past 10 years, I’d been stripping my face night and day with harsh cleansers and a thick layer of salicylic acid, then smothering it with thick, greasy moisturizers to stem peeling.
My wake-up call wasn’t pretty, but it did the trick: Within days of my mid-winter move from central Texas to the Big Apple, I found myself sporting a face full of flaky skin. By a stroke of luck, I discovered No More Dirty Looks around the same time, and knew I’d found the solution I needed—badly. Resisting the compulsion to purge my medicine cabinet, I triaged, tackling my dysfunctional skin regimen first. I sprang for Burt’s Bees Natural Acne Solutions Spot Treatment, which contains a low concentration of natural salicylic acid extracted from willow bark. I also bought a bar of Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Soap to replace my body and facial cleansers, switched to a Eucerin daily lotion with titanium dioxide and zinc oxide for cleaner sun protection, and snagged a bottle of extra virgin olive oil from the kitchen for a pure nightly moisturizer. I braced myself for the worst, worried I’d wake to a constellation of new zits. Instead of looking revolting, however, my skin glowed in response: Smooth and blemish-free.
I have a new addiction now—natural beauty. I’ve committed to replace any product I run out of (or accidentally drop in the trash) with a clean alternative. So far, I’ve treated my lashes to Josie Maran’s GOGO Instant Natural Volume Argan Mascara and taken to eos lip balm, which is free of parabens and petrolatum. Now, I’m on the hunt for a good replacement for undereye concealer—a challenge, since I try to keep my beauty purchases under $30. My hair products are next on the chopping block, and I can’t wait to see the results. Clean beauty veterans—let me know which shampoos and hair products you’re loving!
So let’s help a girl out. What affordable undereye concealer are you loving? And hair—what do you think she should start with?
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About a year ago, Alexandra raved about Stark Skincare, and when a deal came up last summer, I could not resist. My son and I have been using Stark consistently ever since, and loving it! We are especially fond of the CYPRESS purity + defense oil, and he uses the toner regularly too. I’m particularly impressed with the flexibility of the line—if both I and my adolescent son can use the products, that’s pretty impressive. Plus, it’s gender neutral in terms of packaging and scents. Oh, the scents. Jessica Lafleur, its founder, really knows how to put together some unique combinations, and make all the products compliment each other.
I’ve tried all things Stark, and each product is quite special; they all pop up somewhere in my rotation. So when Jessica asked if I’d like to try a new addition to her line I was all, “Duh. Yeah!” Here’s the review…
MEADOWFOAM the everybody oil: Until very recently, I wasn’t that into body oils. Since I’ve been dry brushing, I have less need for that sort of product. But I do enjoy a nice oil after a soak in a sea salt bath, so I have been trying a few brands and some DIY. As soon as I tried this one from Stark, it immediately went to the top of my list. I love it on my legs after a bath or shower, rubbed on my belly when I’m feeling crampy, and just a little bit smoothed in my hair. It’s more substantial than some other body oils, so if you have need of serious moisture this is a great one to try—and yet, it sinks right in and leaves my skin incredibly soft with not even the slightest bit of greasiness. Really!
I had never heard of meadowfoam seed oil but it seems a great addition to skin and hair care (here’s what Mountain Rose Herbs has to say about it). The formula also includes some of my favorite skin care ingredients: sunflower seed oil, coconut oil, and shea butter.
So let’s talk about the scent. I often like unscented products because I’m incredibly picky and sensitive, so when I do choose to use a scent it has to be spectacular. Check! It’s quite complex and subtle, with the citrus popping first, then a hint of lavender, and as I rub it in I can catch the chocolate. Later, after it sits on my skin a while, coconut. I really like that the scent is right there for me while I rub the oil in, but then fades so as not to compete with any other fragrances I use that day. The only thing I’m not 100% in love with is the press/flip top. I find those a bit messy, so I’m on the lookout for a pump top that will fit the bottle.
I love the oil so much I purchased another bottle so I’ll be ready when skirt season hits. Come on, spring! What do you love about Stark?
In these parts we’ve long known that natural oils feed the skin—and they’ve even helped some of us with our breakouts, right? But a new group of natural oils have focused in on blemishes by including acne-fighting actives in the mix now too. Well+Good has reviewed some of their faves below. Has oil helped your acne?
It might sound contradictory (and maybe downright scary!), but one of the best things you can do for a bout of blemishes is to slick your skin with oils. Not with pore-clogging mineral oils, but with plant-based ones that can help balance and calm your adult skin.
“Treating oil with oil balances skin,” says Vered Back, an herbalist, facialist, and beauty-product formulator. “Drying it out with harsh ingredients just engages it in a battle.”
Back, who’s the founder of Vered Organic Botanicals, says her top seller is an acne treatment oil blend. “There are so many people with problem skin, and nobody really dared to think about making an oil for them.” But now, they are. Here are six oil blends for acne-prone skin we love…
1. Vered Therapeutic Balancing Face Oil
This handcrafted line is all about the love of oils. They’re handmade by organic-obsessed master herbologist and facialist, Vered Beck, who uses anti-inflammatory and anti-viral herbs (including rare ones like niaouli, chickweed, and speedwell) that vary with the available crops and promote deep healing.
$68, veredbotanicals.com
2. Marie Veronique Organics Treatment Oil
This is a perfectly balanced acne-fighting cocktail. Argan oil controls surface sebum, borage oil fights inflammation (thanks to its gamma-linolenic acid), and tea tree oil helps banish acne-causing bacteria. Use it alone or as part of the company’s Acne Relief Kit for even clearer skin.
$80, mvorganics.com
3. Susan Ciminelli Oil Control Formula
This word-of-mouth wonder helps clear pimples and blackheads. It contains thyme, which you want because it was found to be more effective against acne than benzoyl peroxide (the controversial main ingredient in Proactiv). And a trio of anti-bacterial extracts—lemongrass, lavender, and cajeput bark—gives it a sinus-clearing scent. This simple blend of oils is actually super active, so it’s probably not a fit for super sensitive, inflamed skin.
$105, susanciminelli.com
4. In Fiore Pur Face Oil Concentré
Sometimes the best solution comes from old-world practices. Like this apothecary-style blend of wild-crafted oils. It’s a beautiful skin-balancer powered by neroli, nature’s stress-buster. On breakout-prone skin it brings down redness, eases congestion, and slows the pimple-making process to a halt. And a dash of rosehip-seed oil helps give skin back it’s healthy, even glow.
$30-$60, infiore.net
Keep reading about the last two here.
Every once and a while, I fall in love with a new line. This happens infrequently, because I’m very particular about what I’ll put on my face. But of the four things I have tried, I absolutely adore all of them. One in particular.
The line is Called Marie Veronique Organics, and I’ll admit that the little French school girl in me fell for the name.*
Once I tried the products, though, I fell for what was inside, too. They have a new line out called Pacific that I am getting ready to try. Stay tuned for that. But for now, here’s what I’m loving:
Anti-Aging Mist This one’s wild. It has turmeric on the ingredient list, and you can smell it when you spray it on your face and chest. I could see this not being everyone’s favorite scent, but I find it delightful. Surprising, unisex, invigorating. I love how it feels on my skin—not drying, like some mists, and not overly floral. I love a floral mist myself, but I know plenty of women (and no doubt countless men) who do not. Plus, it contains potent antiagers like elderberry and licorice root.
Cleanser I love this stuff. I’m still devoted to my Kahina cleanser in alternation with my Tata Harper, but lo! There’s a third favorite in town. This cleanser is incredibly gentle but effective. When I cheat and go Dior on my lashes, it doesn’t do the trick, but neither would, say, Neutrogena, if that was my bag (it’s not). So I forgive it, and any natural cleanser, for not being able to get conventional mascara off my eyes, but I give it a whole lot more: Sunscreen, makeup and crap from this dirty city I live in: Gone. Natural oils: Intact. Skin? Balanced! I love it. There’s a little geranium and vetiver in there, too, which smells divine.
Anti-Aging Oil There is so much going on in this face oil that it’s tough to know where to start, so I’m going to be brief for once: The first time I used this, I woke up glowing. During a northeast (admittedly mild) winter in a building as old as mine, where it’s hard to control the heat, dry skin is a problem. This puppy seems to have done the trick.
Everyday Sheer Coverage SPF 20 I am obsessed (obsessed!) with this product. Funny story: I thought it was just a sunscreen, and I’m already obsessed with another sunscreen, so it took me a while before I tried it. Then I mentioned the line in my morning routine, and one of you mentioned the tinted SPF. “Tinted?!” I thought. I have to get my hands on some of that. Then I realized I already had it in my bathroom. (Champagne problems, I know.) So the following morning, I put a quarter size dollop in my palms and spread it over my face on top of my go-to sunscreen. I’m a safety girl,** and there’s no such thing as too much SPF for me. I looked in the mirror and…whoa. The coverage is so sheer that I couldn’t spot so much as a streak of makeup, and yet my whole face looked somehow better. And more even. And more hydrated. I’ve not gone a day without it since, nor do I plan to. Huge fan.
Have you tried this delightful line? Any questions about the products I mentioned?
*We’re Quebecois, remember? We had to go to French/French-immersion school growing up.
** My undying love to anyone who gets the movie reference here without googling.
It’s been well over a year since we started the morning routine series. They began on a “really hot, muggy, humid, generally gross” August morning in 2011, because we thought it would be fun to share with all of you the products that we use every day before we leave the house. Now, you guys send us yours, and they’re consistently inspiring to this vibrant community of natural beauty lovers, am I right?
Since it’s December 2012, and my life, as well as my routine, has changed, I thought I’d give it another go. I’m a Scorpio, which, among other things, means I’m fiercely loyal and I like what I like. It’s fun, looking back, to see which products I’m still using. Still, some were traded out for products I like even better. (Warning: This post is long, because it’s doubling as a gang of new product reviews. You might want to skim—or grab a snack.)
Name: Siobhan
Age: 34
Current weather: It’s been a mild, climate-changey winter so far, with some rare chillier days.
Hair: Blonde, long, wavy when air dried.
Skin: Irish. Which is to say, reactive, sensitive, pale, a little freckly, and pale. Did I mention pale? Oh, and reactive.
In the shower…
Most days, I shower rather speedily. Since I don’t typically wash my face in the morning, my shower routine is pretty straightforward: I dry brush before I get in the shower, then I wash my hair. My new go-tos are Intelligent Nutrients PureLuxe shampoo and conditioner. I’ve run out and repurchased them several times because they leave my hair super shiny, manageable and smelling great. I don’t have overly dry hair but I live in fear of it, and these two products give just the right amount of moisture, without feeling greasy. A couple of times a week, I swap out IN for the Seaweed Bath Company’s argan oil conditioner. It has wax pretty high up on the ingredient list, and I find it reliable on days when I want my hair to hold a style.
If I wash my face, I use Kahina’s or Marie Veronique Organics’ (new obsession—I love the whole line), which is slippery and cleansing without being overly drying. If I’m too lazy to make my own body scrub, which is most days, I use a squeaky-clean new one by the Brooklyn-based Metropolis Soap Company in honeysuckle and violet. My new go-to bar cleanser is the Activated Charcoal Soap by Soapwalla. It’s technically a face wash but I’ve been using it on my body. It contains activated charcoal and tea tree oil, and it’s also made in Brooklyn, which is neither here nor there, but kind of neat.
If I’m feeling under the weather or if I’m showering before bed, I massage my chest with Hope Gillerman’s Travel Remedy. The essential oils support immunity, promote restful sleep and make my tiny apartment smell like a spa. Which is nice.
Outside the shower…
Very few things I hate more than applying moisturizer on my body, but I do it almost every day. These days I alternate between Weleda’s New Rose Pampering Body Lotion (I love this stuff) and Vered’s Muscle Soothing Massage and Body Oil, which has been especially helpful since I bit it on the subway stairs the other night, had to get stitches, and seriously bruised up both my calves. (Pro tip: Don’t fall in the subway. It hurts.)
Once this tiresome step is done, I apply Soapwalla Deodorant, spray my face with either Kahina’s Toning Mist or Marie-Veronique Organic’s Anti-Aging Mist, and rub in a touch of Kahina’s Brightening Serum. Sometimes, I apply a dab of Tammy Fender Intensive Repair Balm, which I still swear by for night. If I look tired, I apply a Rejuvenating Eye Cream by Amala. It’s cocoa bean-based, which helps constrict blood vessels to reduce puffiness, and works almost as if by miracle to eliminate undereye bags. (Before bed it’s still La Bella Figura.)
Next, I apply Suntegrity Sunscreen, which got the #1 rating from the EWG this year for lotions with SPF. Who wants to shoot me first? Because the stuff contains (mineral-based) dimethicone. I have decided I can deal with it in this product because the ingredient deck is otherwise very clean, and because it’s the most effective, versatile and cosmetically appealing sunscreen I have ever tried. And I have tried many. It works kind of like a BB cream. I’ve finally found one I want to use every day, and this is it. You’re welcome? I’m sorry? Whatever? I love this product.
Finishing touches…
If I have meetings, which I usually do, I will follow with Suki Tinted Active Face Moisturizer in Porcelain, for an overall evening-out effect. I’ll set that with Laura Mercier loose minerals in Sand, line my eyes with Bare Minerals’ (unfortunately very messy) loose eyeliner in black, applied with a stiff damp brush. I keep my face simple for day, so that means I might swipe some RMS Beauty lip2cheek in Smile on cheeks and lips or some W3LL People Universalist in the peachy color, and dab on some Living Luminizer. I also love Ilia in a bunch of different colors. If I feel like a very bold lip, I’m probably cheating with non-naturals from Bite or Chanel.
For mascara, it’s either 100% Pure or the new thick-as-hell “Fake Out” one from Organic Wear (the pink tube) or both. Some days, I fill in my super-pale eyebrows with NVey Eco Eye Shadow Palette in No. 3. It’s not meant for brows, but it works. If I’m really going for it, I apply a touch of color to my lids, too. Makeup tends to scream on my face, though, so I use a light touch.
Finally, my perfumes of choice are still Lotus Wei Infinite Love or Tata Harper Irritability Treatment (as a perfume), or both!
Couple things, before I go: First, I don’t always follow all these steps. Second, I now fear I sound way more high-maintenance than I actually am. Any products here that you love too? Anything new to you?
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