5 Reasons Why I Choose Green Beauty
Today I'm partnering with the Natural Curator in celebration of their Go Natural campaign and launch of their starter kit which features 7 green beauty products for both green beauty beginners and experts. So far I've tried 2 of the 7 and I gotta say, I'm really enjoying them. The Briogeo dry shampoo smells soooo good and soaks up the oils from my roots without irritating my scalp. The Nuori lip balm has a comfortable, lightweight consistency and reminds me a lot of the Kiehl's lip balm...except cruelty-free and "green."
I'll be honest, it took me a while to get on the "green" beauty bandwagon. A big part of it is because there's no official definition of what "green" exactly means and green-washing and fear mongering is pretty rampant in the beauty industry. While those two facts still hold true, I've found my own way to navigate the green/ clean/ natural beauty world. So today I'm chatting about 5 things that define green beauty for me and what ultimately made me start choosing to buy more green beauty brands and products.
The Natural Curator's Go Natural campaign also defines "green beauty" in their eyes and also has helpful articles on how to read labels and what the various organic labels really mean.
That said, there are ingredients out there, both natural and synthetic, that are common irritants. And as a whole I find them to be less present in green beauty products.
Through trying a bazillion different products I've found that my skin does not react well to products with high levels of denatured alcohol and silicone. The burning sensation and small bumps that instantly break out on my cheeks are a testament to this. From my experience, both ingredients are muuuuch less commonly found in green beauty products.
And even though I said a shorter ingredient list doesn't automatically equate to a better ingredient list, there are certain benefits to a shorter ingredient list. The fewer ingredients there are, the fewer potential irritants there are. For example, let's say you try out two moisturizers. Cream A has 7 ingredients and the Cream B has 17 ingredients. Both irritate your skin. With Cream A, 1 out of 7 ingredients probably did not get on well with your skin but with Cream B it's 1 out of 17 which is a significantly larger pool of ingredients to sort through.
For example earlier this year I started introducing Vitamin C to my skincare regimen. It's a tried and true skincare staple which has been shown to fade scars, brighten skintone, and stimulate collagen production to firm up yo face. I ultimately purchased Drunk Elephant's C-firma serum because they clearly state they use 15% L-ascorbic acid, the gold standard for Vitamin C in my opinion. Additionally, it's packaged in an opaque bottle with an airless seal pump since the LAA is prone to oxidizing in the presence of light and air. In comparison, some traditional prestige skincare brands vitamin c serums often don't even have their ingredient lists shared online! And even when they are, they don't specify what the active ingredient is or how much it's present.
Personally, if I'm spending a decent chunk of money on a new bottle of fancy serum, I like to know what I'm paying for.
Many green beauty brands focus on sustainable practices to help reduce their carbon footprint. Personally, I think this is one of the best ways green beauty brands really put the "green" in green beauty. And brands that go beyond simply stating they're sustainable and actually spell out how they're sustainable get a huge standing ovation from me and my wallet.
One of the green makeup brands that have caught my eye over the past few months has been Vapour Beauty. On their about me page they share the following statements:
"We use passive solar and wind power in lab, warehouse, and offices. Lab, warehouse and offices are all under one roof to minimize carbon footprint. Our ‘no-waste’ stick filling system reduces landfill waste.
Outer packaging made in the USA at a wind-powered plant from the managed forest and post-consumer paper waste, printed with vegetable ink. All paper, cardboard, glass, plastic and packing materials in lab, warehouse, and offices are recycled.
We use recycled paper and shipping material."
So they're not just green in name, they're green in practice.
I enjoy reading about their backstories and getting to know the people behind the brand. I like watching their Instagram stories and seeing how their products are developed and produced. And if a brand is based in NJ/ NYC? It just pulls at my heartstrings cause that's my home and my roots!
Why do you choose green beauty?
I'll be honest, it took me a while to get on the "green" beauty bandwagon. A big part of it is because there's no official definition of what "green" exactly means and green-washing and fear mongering is pretty rampant in the beauty industry. While those two facts still hold true, I've found my own way to navigate the green/ clean/ natural beauty world. So today I'm chatting about 5 things that define green beauty for me and what ultimately made me start choosing to buy more green beauty brands and products.
The Natural Curator's Go Natural campaign also defines "green beauty" in their eyes and also has helpful articles on how to read labels and what the various organic labels really mean.
1. Fewer potential irritants
I'll be frank-- the focus on so-called "clean" ingredients is one of my biggest points of contention with green beauty. Just because an ingredient is natural doesn't mean it's superior to a synthetic ingredient. Just because a product has a short ingredient list doesn't mean that it's superior to a product with a longer ingredient list. I don't believe in such absolutes.That said, there are ingredients out there, both natural and synthetic, that are common irritants. And as a whole I find them to be less present in green beauty products.
Through trying a bazillion different products I've found that my skin does not react well to products with high levels of denatured alcohol and silicone. The burning sensation and small bumps that instantly break out on my cheeks are a testament to this. From my experience, both ingredients are muuuuch less commonly found in green beauty products.
And even though I said a shorter ingredient list doesn't automatically equate to a better ingredient list, there are certain benefits to a shorter ingredient list. The fewer ingredients there are, the fewer potential irritants there are. For example, let's say you try out two moisturizers. Cream A has 7 ingredients and the Cream B has 17 ingredients. Both irritate your skin. With Cream A, 1 out of 7 ingredients probably did not get on well with your skin but with Cream B it's 1 out of 17 which is a significantly larger pool of ingredients to sort through.
2. A focus on effective ingredients
If you know my blog, you know that I am sometimes maybe just a little bit susceptible to splurging on skincare. And when I do I'm much more likely to veer towards brands like Drunk Elephant or Kypris Beauty over traditional prestige skincare brands like Estee Lauder or Lancome. And a big reason for that is because I've found that green beauty brands focus on effective ingredients in effective concentrations.For example earlier this year I started introducing Vitamin C to my skincare regimen. It's a tried and true skincare staple which has been shown to fade scars, brighten skintone, and stimulate collagen production to firm up yo face. I ultimately purchased Drunk Elephant's C-firma serum because they clearly state they use 15% L-ascorbic acid, the gold standard for Vitamin C in my opinion. Additionally, it's packaged in an opaque bottle with an airless seal pump since the LAA is prone to oxidizing in the presence of light and air. In comparison, some traditional prestige skincare brands vitamin c serums often don't even have their ingredient lists shared online! And even when they are, they don't specify what the active ingredient is or how much it's present.
Personally, if I'm spending a decent chunk of money on a new bottle of fancy serum, I like to know what I'm paying for.
3. Ethically sourced ingredients
Unfortunately, it's impossible to be a 100% ethical consumer in this day and age. Our electronics, our homes, our food, or our clothes were in some way shape or form, produced or sourced in... less than ethical ways much of the time. It's depressing to think about but it's also a fact we have to face.
But just because we can't be 100% ethical consumers doesn't mean we should exert 0 effort into buying ethically. Unlike other goods, there are a plethora of ethical options out there when it comes to beauty! Many green beauty brands grow their own ingredients or source them locally. Production is also often done in the same country of origin!
4. Sustainability
In this day and age, it's hard to believe that there are people out there who still don't believe in global warming. With all the literal bad shit we put out into the world on a daily basis, it doesn't hurt to try to minimize our environmental impact when we can.Many green beauty brands focus on sustainable practices to help reduce their carbon footprint. Personally, I think this is one of the best ways green beauty brands really put the "green" in green beauty. And brands that go beyond simply stating they're sustainable and actually spell out how they're sustainable get a huge standing ovation from me and my wallet.
One of the green makeup brands that have caught my eye over the past few months has been Vapour Beauty. On their about me page they share the following statements:
"We use passive solar and wind power in lab, warehouse, and offices. Lab, warehouse and offices are all under one roof to minimize carbon footprint. Our ‘no-waste’ stick filling system reduces landfill waste.
Outer packaging made in the USA at a wind-powered plant from the managed forest and post-consumer paper waste, printed with vegetable ink. All paper, cardboard, glass, plastic and packing materials in lab, warehouse, and offices are recycled.
We use recycled paper and shipping material."
So they're not just green in name, they're green in practice.
5. Emotional Connection
This sounds a bit silly at first but it's something I realize subconsciously impacts my buying decisions. Personally, I've found it so much easier to connect to green beauty brands which ultimately means I'm more likely to purchase from them. Most times the founders of green beauty brands are still very active when it comes to their products. It's so much easier to connect with a face and a name rather than a large corporation.I enjoy reading about their backstories and getting to know the people behind the brand. I like watching their Instagram stories and seeing how their products are developed and produced. And if a brand is based in NJ/ NYC? It just pulls at my heartstrings cause that's my home and my roots!
Fin
And those are my main reason for choosing green beauty! Like I mentioned up above, there's a lot of fear-mongering and spreading of misinformation when it comes to green beauty. Unfortunately, I think that potentially puts off a lot of people from exploring a lot of amazing shops, brands, and products. But as with any other beauty decision, you gotta do your research!Why do you choose green beauty?
