It’s been almost two months since that fated explosion off the coast of Louisiana, but the horrors of the BP spill are relentless. Predictably, the conversation around our nation’s “oil addiction” is getting louder as Obama tries to rally for clean energy. It’s hard not to feel a bit cynical about this—as in, where the eff was this conversation on March 31, when the president reversed the ban on offshore drilling. But it’s more productive to just seize the opportunity and talk about ways to reduce consumption. So here goes.
Did you know that most of your cosmetics probably contain petroleum-based ingredients? It’s not to take anything away from cars—driving less and using public transport more is one of the most effective ways for individuals to reduce their impact. But your carbon faceprint is probably way larger than you think, as this Huffington Post piece also points out.
Unless you’re really picky about your clean products, everything from your lip gloss to your face cream and concealer contain some version of oil. It’s just one more reason—health being the obvious other—to start making the switch to clean beauty. And of course, to read our book when it comes out in July: our guides will feature a wide array of petroleum-free products that you’ll love.
Meanwhile, if you’re looking for ways to boycott BP in particular, check out this recent post from our friends at Eco Stiletto.
You’ll have to wait for the book to get the full scoop on sunless tanning, but the short story is this: Most of them suck. The upshot? A (very) few don’t! We’re going to take it for granted that girls born with darker olive or brown complexions just aren’t as hungry for that perfect bottled glow as their pastier counterparts. In the book we talk about some good ones for your body and a great one for paler legs. But since then we’ve made a delicious discover for our mugs too: Lavera’s FACES Summer Glow. Chances are you can also find this item at your local Target.
Among the reasons we like it? The ingredients are super clean. It smells lovely, and feels equally good. It’s incredibly subtle—which means you really have control over results, depending on what’s right for your skin tone and how often you apply it. With that in mind, onto the tips!
- You don’t have to worry too much about overdoing it with this product, but if you are extremely pale (and a little nervous) we suggest you use a light touch the first time. You can even mix a tiny bit into your favorite clean moisturizer or friendly face oil (like coconut or argan) to further dilute it, and help spread the product evenly if you’re only using a smidgen.
- Whether or not you mix, the first few times you use the product, cover your entire face (save under your eyes, and not right to your hairline). As with your liquid foundation, it’s best to move from the center of your face outwards—that way it will get lighter towards the edge of your face.
- Here’s the best part. Once you have a subtle base start thinking of your face tanner more like a bronzer. For those of you who remember the days of real tanning, recall that the parts of our faces which protrude get the most attention: freckly noses, tanned cheekbones, chins and the middle of foreheads. Just as you would highlight some of those spots with a bronzer, you can do the same thing with your Lavera FACES cream. This will be the difference between a natural looking bottled tan, and a too-even giveaway.
As an aside: We’ve heard good things about a clean California brand called Chocolate Sun, but we’re waiting for it to land at our new favorite beauty store in L.A., Evolue. We’ll get back to you once we’ve tried it!
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