Non-Toxic Adventures!: Tarte

Did you think I forgot about non-toxic beauty supplies? Well I didn't! I've been trying fewer things, because my initial phase of "OMG must replace everything and try tons of new things!!!" was getting really expensive and wasteful.

But I have good news... I have some new things to report on!

When I started looking for non-toxic cosmetics, I was trying to be really "good" and looking for the purest of the pure. And you know what? It was kind of boring to get things at random specialty stores or websites without engaging interfaces (I mean, snooze fest!) or at Whole Foods (kale and mascara shouldn't be purchased together).

Sometimes a girl just wants to go to Sephora and be girly and play with makeup! (AAAAH! MAKEUP PARTY! PRET-TY COLORS!) And I can do just that now, because I'm officially obsessed with the Tarte line.

:: it looks like fun makeup! ::

Look, it's not perfectly "clean" stuff. Like it's not just made from things you could grow in a garden. But it's pretty natural, and it's fun, cool makeup to play with that comes in nice packaging that just makes you feel like a woman and not like a crazy hippy. Also all the stuff has normal textures, unlike a lot of the other natural stuff I've tried, and consistently works really well and looks loverly on.

My two favorite Tarte items that I use every single day are these guys:

:: tarte natural cheek stain $30 (lasts forever) ::

:: tarte lipsurgence lip tint $24 (so pretty!) ::

Go get them. You will love them. (I also like their primer, and will probably like whatever else I try.)

Tip Tuesday: The Easiest Face Mask Ever

Are you ready to hear about the easiest, cheapest face mask you can do any time at home?  It sounds weird, but it totally works...

Honey! 

:: Yummy! ::

Yes, just the normal pure honey that you keep in your pantry to drizzle on Greek yogurt... that honey!  (Raw, unpasturized honey is best.)

It's a great face mask to do a couple times a week.  Wash your face, slather on honey, and leave it on for as long as you can stand having a bunch of honey on your face... 10 minutes or even an hour.  Because it's so natural (and non-toxic - bonus!), you really can't overdo it.

Honey is a natural antibacterial and anti-inflamatory, so it works to gently clean your pores and help with acne/blemishes.  (Like anything that extracts the bad gunk, you might find things get a little worse before they get better, since it's drawing out all the build up at first.  Sad, I know, but a necessary evil.)

A couple things to keep in mind before you try it out:
1. It's not as hard to wash off as you think.  Apply it to your face with your fingers, and your fingers will quickly rinse off with soap and water.  (When you're done, your face will wash off easily with water, too.)
2. But honey is just as sticky as you're thinking on everything except skin, so be sure to pull your hair off your face and keep it away from any clothes.

Enjoy!

P.S. Bonus tip: If you are traveling and want a mask and find yourself at a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, bring a couple of their honey sticks back to your hotel... boom!  Insta-treatment!

Non-toxic Adventures!: Mascara

So here's the deal: when I look for a mascara, I want it to look like... va-va-voom intense lash-attack style.

Like they should be so big that people at work should whisper behind my back "Hey this is random, but do you think Joanna wears false eyelashes to work?  It sounds crazy, because it would mean she'd be applying them every morning... and it seems strange because she's so low-key and laid back*, and the rest of her makeup is so light, but I look at her lashes, and I can think of one thing and one thing only: they must be fake!"  I wish this was happening, but it's not because: (a) my co-workers would never have that conversation and (b) my eyelashes don't look close to looking fake, even though I gravitate toward the most intense mascaras I can find.

So here's the other part of the deal: as far as I know, non-toxic mascaras don't do this.  And I'd also heard that they run really easily.

Anyway, I was prepared to be disappointed when I tried Josie Maran's mascara.

:: Josie Maran GOGO Instant Natural Volume Argan Mascara $22 ::

And guys?  It's fine!  No one will think my eyelashes are fake, but it darkens nicely, doesn't clump, and even after a long, sweaty run, it didn't streak at all.  (I didn't put on mascara to go for a run, by the way.  It was already on for the day, and then I went out.)  It also washes off nicely without me rubbing so hard I lose eyelashes in the process, which is a huge plus.  One warning: the formula is a little... wet, so I found I had to develop an application technique, or else mascara would get all up in my eyelids.  But I figured it out, and it's fine.

But I've been missing my more mega-lashes, and I did a little poking on EWG's website.  And Josie Maran's mascara gets a score of 3 (3-6 = moderate hazard... it means (to me) "eh... not that bad, actually!"), and Christian Dior Diorshow Blackout Mascara gets a 4!  So I'm tempted to just go with that one.

What do you think?  Am I being a traitor to my own cause?  Or is it possible that some cosmetics really aren't even that bad to begin with?  What does it all mean?!  What do you think?


* Do you like how in this fake scenario I made my co-workers compliment me? :)

Non-toxic adventures: Foundation

Good news, guys: Based on my experiences, I think you will have a totally okay time finding a foundation you like!

Bad news: As far as I've seen, there's no such thing as a totally decent $10 non-toxic foundation.

For those of you just tuning in, I've been trying to rid my beauty/personal care routine of weird chemical-y stuff.  Here's how it all started.  I've already explored moisturizer, facial sunscreen and shaving cream.  Now you're all caught up!

Two things to keep in mind as you read on:
1.  I'm not gifted at applying makeup.  I feel like I missed that step of adolescence where you get really good at primping.  So if I can apply this stuff and not look weird, it means it's very user friendly.
2.  Research warned me that I couldn't expect things of non-toxic makeup that I have out of my non-non-toxic makeup.  Specifically, stuff that isn't made with tons of chemicals doesn't stay put without budging for 12 hours.  So get used to the idea of midday re-application.  But on the bright side, know that you're reapplying normal nourishing stuff to your face, so it's like a luscious treat in the afternoon for your skin!

I've tried two, and I have a review from a friend on a third, so here we go:

Vapour Beauty

:: Vapour Beauty foundations, $34-$48 ::

Vapour Beauty's line is made "entirely from organic plants, minerals and vitamins."  So pretty darn clean.  They also come in a shade pale enough for me (unlike 100% Pure, which I hear is great).  I actually used the second-to-lightest color, which means I'm basically a bronzed goddess.

Vapour Beauty's website has some pretty cool features for those who want to try out their makeup but are nervous about buying makeup online:
1.  You can email them a picture of yourself and the brand/color of foundation/other makeup you usually use, and they will tell you what to buy.
2.  You can return anything for any reason within 30 days, although you are responsible for shipping costs.
3.  For $15, you can request samples of up to 5 products (I think they're really mini, but still...), and your sample pack comes with a $10 store credit.

Instead of taking advantage of any of those nice things, I emailed the company and asked who carried their products in Los Angeles.  Turns out a store that is literally 2 blocks from me carries it.  So that was easy.

I picked up the Atmosphere Luminous Foundation ($34, comes in a stick form).  The other option is Atmosphere Soft Focus Foundation ($48, comes in a liquid form).  I picked the Luminous because sticks are easier for me to work with, and it was less expensive.  They have a chart to help you decide which foundation is better for you, but it was confusing.  For example, Luminous is supposed to give you a "glowing, luminous finish" and Soft Focus has a "soft, satin finish."  ...Huh?

I also got the concealer ($22, stick form), which I regret because I think the foundation's coverage is fine on its own.  (I find myself regretting this purchase more than is probably necessary, considering that I'm very guilty of buying produce that goes bad before I use it every. single. week.  And I will probably use this concealer at some point.  DROP IT, JOANNA.  IT'S FINE.  Okay.  Sigh.  Better now.)

So, what do I think of the product?  It's... different.  I need to get used to it.  There's something a little waxy about the texture for me.  That said, it looks totally normal, and the color is a great match (which is huge).  I didn't feel like my face looked any different than when I used other foundations (also huge).  It just requires a different kind of application and blending process than I'm used to, and I haven't yet mastered that technique.  (The product is activated by the heat in your skin.  You apply it directly from the stick and blend with your fingers.)

I'm moderately happy with this foundation, and would continue to explore the product line as I move into other non-toxic makeup components. 

Bare Minerals

:: bare minerals spf 15 original foundation, $27 ::

Okay, we all know about Bare Minerals.  (Right?)  No surprises here.  (Remember in, like, 1999 when Bare Escentuals became Bare Minerals, and then all of a sudden, you couldn't buy "Fog" scented lotion anymore?!) 

I've been using Bare Minerals and/or Bare Minerals knock-offs on and off for the past 12 years.  I'd get really into it and then think it wasn't working well/looked weird.  I remember the last time I tried to use it again was in fall 2010 on a trip (because I didn't have to worry about packing liquids with it), and Travis told me my makeup looked really heavy (he said it nicely, by the way), and I was horrified and stopped using Bare Minerals immediately.

Once I got on this non-toxic kick, I busted out the Bare Minerals again to give it another shot and lo and behold... it did look kind of cakey!  I did some research, and it turned out I was using a brush that gives really full (i.e. heavy) coverage, so I switched to this medium coverage brush, applying with a light hand, and I am super happy with the results. 

I've heard great things about Laura Mercier's mineral foundation so I'll try that one when I'm done with my Bare Minerals.  (Note: Laura Mercier isn't a non-toxic makeup line.  Just the mineral foundation.)

RMS

:: rms beauty "un" cover-up, $38 ::

RMS Beauty has a great reputation in the non-toxic beauty world (like, supermodels use it), and I'd heard a lot of glowing reviews about this product.  It's the only foundation-esque product in this line, and you're supposed to just dab it where you need it and blend.

Unfortunately for me, it's really best for those with yellow undertones to their skin, and my skin color is basically "light pink," so I knew it wasn't worth trying.

Fortunately for me, my friend Kerry has started using it.  (You remember Kerry -- she got me started on this whole non-toxic kick!)  Here are her thoughts:
This purchase was a real whim/risk because I bought it based on (1) loving the luminizer and (2) a total guess based on the website.  [ed: ballsy move, girl!]  To my surprise, it works shockingly well -- enough to give my skin a light even tone.  It's not quite tough enough to hide a few broken capillaries but what it lacks in crazy fortitude it makes up for in a light natural coating to my skin. Everywhere else it succeeds in giving my skin a nice, even tone... so light that it doesn't look like I'm wearing makeup.  [ed: Remember in "Full House" when DJ told Stephanie the trick to wearing makeup was to look like you weren't wearing any?  Looks like RMS nailed it.]  I'd definitely buy this next time and won't be going back to Chanel :)


And some learnings...
As I continue to buy non-toxic, I'm going to try to shop at places where I know they have great return policies.  Non-toxic stuff just feels different and works differently, and it would be really nice to be able to return $30 item I'm just not wild about.

And some questions for you:
Have you tried any non-toxic foundations?  What are your thoughts? 

What stores have great return policies that might carry some of this stuff?  Sephora and Nordstrom for sure... what else?

Non-toxic adventures: Sunscreen (for face)

Okay guys.  This one was surprisingly easy.  I realize this is one of the few categories where I have a leg up in the non-toxic department.  Non-toxic sunscreen is high in zinc, which tends to make formulas really white.  On darker complexions, it can be hard to get this to rub in, but on me, naturally super-pale, this was a breeze!

(Non-toxic sunscreen in a nutshell: You want zinc and titanium dioxide, which physically block all the bad sun stuff.  The other stuff chemically blocks it and then you get all the chemicals all up in your business.)

I actually tried two (bought one for Travis and a different one for me), and have been perfectly happy with both options.

BurnOut - SPF 32
Per Anjali's suggestion, I picked up this guy at Whole Foods (same price as on Amazon):

 

:: burnout eco-sensitive with zinc, $17.99 for 3.4 oz ::

At first I thought $18 seemed a little steep for what is basically a drugstore sunscreen (let's face it: Whole Foods is nice, but you're buying your stuff at a grocery store...), but I feel like Neutrogena is $13 for 2 ounces, so this is fine.  It just seems weird to pay $20 for a beauty product at a grocery store.

What I like about it: SPF 32; crazy high zinc content (18.6%!); wears normally under makeup; is biodegradable and ocean safe (you won't kill the coral reefs!).

What I don't like about it: The bottle says to reapply every two hours.  Um... for real?  It's just not happening on a daily basis.  So I hope I've been okay with my normal weekday routine of: sunscreen, makeup, out the door... all day... the end.

In the meantime, I've also tried...

Burt's Bees Radiance Day Lotion - SPF 15

Well, it definitely has a dreamier name than BurnOut.  It's also more expensive.  (Although I think I found it on another website for $12 or $13 when I bought it.)

:: burt's bees radiance day lotion, $17.99 for 2 oz. ::

This sunscreen contains the ingredient "fragrance", which all in-the-know non-toxic peeps know is a dirty word.  (The perfume industry has made "fragrance" a trade secret, so it can be loaded with all sorts of crazy toxic chemicals and nobody has to disclose it.)  However, my understanding of the Burt's Bees brand is that they are really careful about what they put in, so I'm not too alarmed by this ingredient, given the brand.

Overall, I'd say this one feels more like your standard not non-toxic facial moisturizer/sunscreen, if you're a stickler for texture.  

I'll probably stick with the BurnOut for regular use, given its higher SPF and zinc content and my fair complexion, but I could see a world where I turn to Burt's Bees in the winter when it's drier and less sunny.  I also prefer the Burt's Bees scent, but don't mind the BurnOut one at all.

Have you tried any good sunscreens lately?  What about body sunscreens?

Non-toxic Adventures: Moisturizer (face and body)

So, as you can see, I'm obviously starting off easy here... first soap, then shaving cream, now moisturizer.

I'm saving the hard stuff, like mascara, deodorant and hair products for when I'm more experienced.  (Guys, I'm so scared.)

I've found a simple, super-natural solution for both facial moisturizer and body moisturizer that I totally like: oil.  Could anything be simpler?

Face
For face, I've been jamming on-and-off to Josie Maran's Argan Oil, and let me tell you... it's back ON folks.

:: josie maran argan oil ::

I really love this stuff.  I don't understand how it works, but it moisturizers without being greasy BUT also heals any blackheads/acne that are popping up AND helps to heal red spots.  I thought that was all a load of hooey before, but I am all these things: sensitive skinned, dry skinned, get a lot of little breakouts and have red marks (from the breakouts) that linger forever.  And I think my skin has been notably better since I started using the Argan oil regularly.  Miracles, I tell you.

A couple things to keep in mind:
1. It takes a while to figure out how much to apply, because it is oil, so it can feel greasy.  I like to use about 5 drops and rub it in really well, but I think everyone's skin is different.
2. A 1.7 oz bottle is $48, which feels like a lot to pay for a tiny vial of oil.  It lasts a really long time, I find, but it still is a lot.  If you want to just give it a try, there's also a 0.5 oz bottle (so cute!) for $14.  Which isn't even a bad deal.  In fact, on a per ounce cost basis, the 1.7 oz bottle should really only be $47.60.  So I guess I'm the big sucker here for owning the 1.7 oz bottle.
3.  This isn't a thing to keep in mind, but if you're into Argan oil, and still reading this (wow!), do you know of any equally good Argan oil that isn't $28 an ounce?  It seems like it shouldn't cost so much.  But I also don't want to look like a monster on my face, so... maybe this is the price we pay?
4.  When you read the directions, it says you can use it all over, including as a cuticle oil.  Um, no way I'm using a $28/oz oil on my cuticles.  Nice try, Josie.

Body
Somehow this bottle of Trader Joe's jojoba oil from, like, 4 years ago has managed to hang out in my bathroom, taking up some prime real estate.  Which is very strange, because I can't remember ever reaching for it... until I got on my non-toxic kick.

:: desert essence jojoba oil ::

Using oil as a straight-up body moisturizer seemed, well, ...greasy to me.  But I'd gotten a couple comments on previous posts extolling the virtues of oil (both as a shaving cream alternative and as a wonder moisturizer), so I thought I'd give it a go.  It's good, guys!

That's not to say it can't easily get yucky.  A little goes a long way.  I'd suggest starting with about a 1/2 teaspoon and see how far that takes you before adding more.  Don't slather it all over -- this isn't a deep tissue massage.  Just rub it in well until it's almost all absorbed.

Note: I have a feeling if your legs had any sort of tan in them, this would result in a really pretty healthy looking glow.  My legs are the color of copy paper, if copy paper was a tiny bit lavender, so I don't benefit from these glows.  But it sure does feel nice!

There are a variety of oils you could use for this purpose.  I've heard good things about coconut oil (including this post on Lululemon's blog), and I heard you can use it as an eye makeup remover.  I tried it, and it works pretty well, actually!

FYI, coconut oil smells like coconut, which isn't a bad smell, but is just a distinctive choice to make during your day.  I warned you.  (Also, the Argan oil and jojoba oil don't have any scent at all, which is both cool, but also disappointing, because it would be awesome if they smelled like Hawaiian flowers or something.)

Non-Toxic Adventures: Shaving Cream

Oh boy.  Folks, this is going to be quite the journey.  I thought I was starting super easy, and it's already moderately weird and jarring to go non-toxic.

As I said earlier, I already use and love Dr. Bronner's soap, so I had the general "body wash" category taken care of.  (Although I decided to branch out and try a new scent this time and bought Hemp Rose.  Don't do it.  When I bought it, I only saw the "Rose" part.  I think if I'd seen the "Hemp" part, I wouldn't have gone for it.  It smells like roses, but then... weird.  Won't be a repeat purchase.  For those of you considering buying Dr. B, I really like Citrus and Tea Tree Oil.  And Peppermint and Lavender smell exactly how you think they would.)

[A quick aside on Dr. Bronner's: I remember reading this article from Inc. magazine awhile back, which first got me to try the products.  I'd always seen them in stores but thought they were too hippy/kooky for me.  I recommend reading the article if you have a few minutes -- great explanation on the origin of the brand and how the business has adapted over the years.  I was particularly impressed with how Dr. Bronner's has helped to "clean up" the personal care industry, including playing a major part in getting Whole Foods to have stricter standards for the products it carries.]

Aaaaaaanyway, I decided to start with something that I thought would be an easy swap: shaving cream.

I'd picked up the Alba natural-y stuff before at Trader Joe's and liked it.  The only reason I hadn't been using it was that I don't get to Trader Joe's that often.  Also, I checked out the ingredient list, and I doesn't look that clean.  So I picked up good ol' Dr. Bronner's shaving gel. 

Sooooo... here's the deal.  It worked and felt fine, I guess.  But it was... weird.

Here's what my old toxic shaving cream looks like when you dispense some into your hand:

Like... you push some out, and it's a thick gel, and then it becomes a big glob of foam.  Normal.

And here's what the Dr. Bronner's shaving gel looks like when you put some in your hand:

Whaaaaaa?????  Is it a bronzer?  Is it an exfoliant?  What's even going on???????  If you rub it vigorously in your hands, it becomes something the sort of resembles a cream.  And as I said, it worked and felt fine.  I'll definitely finish the bottle.  (And if I don't get used to it, I'll keep looking.  I heard Tom's of Maine had a nice one, but a quick google search seems to indicate it's been discontinued, resulting in many broken internet hearts.)

So... we're moving along folks, getting more non-toxic every week.  But I think the big lesson is it won't be super easy, and there will definitely be many weird stops along the way. 

New obsession: Non-toxic beauty

Oh no.  I wish this had never happened... but it did.  I'm on a new non-toxic beauty/personal care kick.  Ugh.  The worst part is I know this will make me a super annoying person, kind of like this (ha) and when I went on my cleanse.

I blame Kerry.  She brought this on by doing three things in quick succession:
1.  She hired this great makeup artist for her wedding who only used natural/non-toxic make-up, and she was awesome AND the make-up looked/felt really good.
2.  She then gave me a Tata Harper sampler kit.  (Tata makes all her natural skincare products on a farm in Vermont.  Seriously.)
3.  And then to top it all off, she sent me this book:

(Yes, I realize this all makes Kerry sound really, really nice and not someone worthy of blame.  It's true.  She's the nicest.) 

No More Dirty Looks explains what's going on in all our beauty/cleansing products and to summarize: it's really scary and super-toxic and a lot of the ingredients should be illegal.

I will paraphrase the most disturbing part I've read so far:
Nicotine patches work because you put them on your skin and they give you weird dreams and make you not want to smoke.  Birth control patches work because you put them on your skin and it changes your hormones so you don't get pregnant.  When we put any product on our skin it gets absorbed into our whole bodies.  Ah!  Guys, we super need to watch what we put on our skin!

Sigh.  I wish I could go back to being ignorant.  But I can't!  I know too much.  :(

I've decided not to react by immediately throwing out everything I own but, as I run out of things, I'll replace them with well researched non-toxic alternatives.  I will keep you posted along the way.  (Fun, right?)

Quick tip: If you start to do some Google-ing to get to the bottom of this and start to get scared, don't freak out!  The book said the easy "quick fix" you can do this week is to replace your body wash/soap since that touches the most square inches of your body daily.  (Ditto if you slather yourself in a full body moisturizer.)

I personally really like Dr. Bronner's.  You can buy it everywhere (Target, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods), it's relatively inexpensive, and it smells nice, too!

Warning: You may start to use it and feel like it's drying.  I urge you to try it for two weeks and see what you think then.  I find that the texture of the soap feels different than moisturizing body washes... this is very liquidy and not at all creamy or viscous, but it doesn't actually dry your skin at all.