We don’t like to complain. And besides, we’re having such a good time doing what we do—especially all the dialogue we get to have with our readers! But do we think clean beauty gets the attention it deserves? No. And do want to rip our healthy hair out sometimes when we see the control the industry has with its lobbying and its advertising money? Correct. Has a single women’s magazine written a review of our book—even a negative one? Most certainly not. We suspect they think it isn’t worth it for them to court controversy.
But here’s the thing: We know the tide is turning. Of course, we’re trolling for signs, but they do keep showing up and lately the stars seem to be coming out for clean.
Here’s a little celebrity news roundup if you will:
Numero Uno: EO told us that their haircare line is going to be used at the Oscars!
EO is one of those lines that’s been around for ages. While a few of their products contain the ever-controversial phenoxyethanol (an ingredient that many natural brands use instead of parabens, but that we generally avoid), we love their yummy bar soaps and essential oils. I particularly adore this blend, which features two of my favorite smells: cedar and ylang ylang.
Numero Dos: Natalie Portman listed a super-clean Pai moisturizer as her favorite in Harper’s Bazaar. (We love it too!)
And finally: Gisele got in trouble for calling sunscreen poison and saying that she doesn’t use anything synthetic on her body. Um, and there was quite the debate on our Facebook page about it!
Is there all kinds of hypocrisy here? Sure, both of these women do perfume campaigns for major cosmetics conglomerates. But when two of the world’s biggest celebrities make any kind of bid for clean beauty, we rejoice.
Have you noticed other signs that clean is making its way into the mainstream?
Have a great weekend everyone!
Sometimes products take a little time to grow on you, while with others it’s love at first touch and smell. From the moment I tried Pai, a clean skincare brand out of London that just came onto our radar, I knew it was a keeper.
Sarah Brown, the company’s founder, came to clean beauty by way of a skin allergy. Fed up with taking antihistamines everyday, she took a closer look at her beauty products instead and discovered that they contained multiple irritants and allergens themselves, not to mention noxious chemicals that can stay in the body. It’s a familiar story now. She quit her day job to work on Pai, which she launched in 2007.
The line is impeccably clean—not a mystery ingredient in sight—and these days I’m really enjoying their Avocado and Jojoba Moisturizer. I’ve never given avocado or jojoba oil much of a chance, and the way it feels on my skin is a little on the richer side of what I’m used to—but in a good way. Like a perfect antidote to dry winter air. I’ve also heard great things about their Chamomile and Rosehip Moisturizer; Natalie Portman even namechecked it as a favorite. Not too shabby.
The line, which is also available at Nubonau, is vegan and certified organic by the UK Soil Association. Added bonus: If you’re used to spendier clean products, it’s pretty darn affordable too. I’m kind of obsessed with this $5 dollar face cloth as well. I don’t quite know how to explain it, but it’s the perfect wash cloth for a clean girl who avoids harsh scrubbing and heavy foaming.
Do you have a favorite moisturizer these days? And had you heard of Pai?
Image from Pai’s site
I promise to stop picking on the otherwise-perfect Natalie Portman very soon. I already posted about my great disappointment that the formerly campaign-free Portman is now the new face of Dior perfume. Waaa.
But this latest bit of news really irks me: Sofia Coppola will be shooting the commercial for it.
What happens when you combine impossibly cool with impossibly pretty? I’ll tell you what: a great ad. I mean, probably not Old Spice great, but still.
Just take a look at the last commercial Coppola shot for Dior. It’s so whimsical and French and cool that I almost want to spray myself in Cherie. Then I remember this. Ok, the end.
We were a bit bummed to read that the lovely and usually so intelligent Natalie Portman has signed on as the new face for Parfums Christian Dior. We’re sure the price was nice, and hey, we get that—but given that Portman has made such a meal of her green activism, it’s pretty disappointing. Not only is she big on animal rights, she even starred with Michelle Williams in this Polanski-directed spoof on….wait for it…over-hyped celebrity perfume campaigns.
She’s always been vocal about using her fame as a vehicle for positive change, even saying (according to eonline): “I don’t have a problem with making money, but I don’t believe in doing something you don’t believe in to make money, like a makeup campaign or something like that…”
Hey, maybe we’re in for a surprise, and the new campaign is going to launch a totally clean perfume and we’ll be forced to eat our words. We’d love nothing more. We won’t hold our breath, though—unless she walks by wearing Dior perfume, of course.
