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10 years ago by

We get a lot of beauty products sent to the office every week: a color changing nail polish, an emerald green lipstick, a volumizing shampoo made from angel tears (ahhh, I might have dreamed up that one) and we LOVE it.

But it’s funny: lately, talking with our friends, with our Beauty Minute posts or even in the comments we can see how strongly the wind is moving toward a more natural beauty and of course, we’re super interested. What if non-chemical, all natural ingredients were as efficient as synthetic ones?

To be honest, I’m not one to start throwing away every product I’ve ever used. I have a soft approach to it.

Alex and I are slowly exploring natural beauty and trying to see what feels right, what feels good, and what feels efficient. It’s in that spirit that Alex went to visit Tata Harper’s farm a couple of weeks ago and:

1 / I was super jealous that I couldn’t make it.

2 / She fell in love with Tata and got to touch Hyaluronic Acid, which apparently, is natural (see, I don’t know anything!)

3 / She brought back all these dried plants that are in the pictures. And we all got hooked with her line.

Tata’s skincare products are 100% natural and non-toxic and her product are all made in Vermont. She’s super cool, (like us, no? ;)) and she’s been all about natural since 2010. So we thought she would be the perfect person to help us understand (and maybe jump on) the all natural wave.

What is natural beauty?

Natural beauty doesn’t have an official definition in the industry; a lot of beauty companies label and market their products as “natural” though they have synthetic chemical ingredients in the formulas. To me, “natural beauty”, when it comes to products, means the ingredients are 100% natural and nontoxic: nothing synthetic that’s been formulated in a lab, only things that have been derived from natural sources like plants, clays found in nature, etc. I think, too, “natural beauty” can mean something more holistic: a lifestyle approach to beauty that includes more than just skincare and makeup products, and incorporates important elements of our lifestyles that affect the way we look, like our diet, stress level, exercise, and how hydrated we are. I think cultivating beauty from the inside out is an element of “natural beauty”, because making healthy, skin-conscious lifestyle decisions can make a huge difference in our outward appearance – naturally.

What made you want to create a line of natural products?

My step dad was diagnosed with cancer about nine years ago now, and it really started after I accompanied him to different cancer centers and all of a sudden the doctors asked me to bring all of his personal care products in for evaluation, and everything was banned.

We were given the mandate to find all-natural products to replace everything that he was using. Obviously I was very curious about that because I’m Latin, and we use too many products. We grow up in a culture that we embrace beauty and our dedication to beauty is beyond what Americans can imagine.

I remember going to department stores trying to look for this holy grail of natural skincare, to look at the ingredients, and thinking, “What’s the point of this natural skincare if it mixes the natural and all of the synthetics?” Basically, that’s how it started and it took almost five years with eight different scientists, because I was obsessed with making them extremely high-tech so that when people use them they would see the results. So I had aromatherapists, homeopathic doctors, herbalists, botanists, skin biologists, all working in this line for many years, until we were launched into the market.

What do we need to worry about?

The majority of the products that are out there in the market contain these questionable toxic chemicals that the FDA [Food and Drug Administration] does not regulate.

A lot of the time what happens is that people don’t even realize what they are putting on. The typical is like the paraben-free, so you’re like “Oh it is natural, it is paraben-free.” And I know that that just means there is one ingredient they left out of there. But then they replace it with another ingredient, which is a mixture of gasoline and alcohol. And people just don’t know that. If people knew what is in their products they probably wouldn’t be putting it on their skin everyday twice a day.

Daily exposure to all these toxic chemicals, that is what motivated me to do this. As a consumer, I don’t want to put any potential cancer-causing ingredient on my skin. Ten years down the road, with the attempts to be beautiful, my wellness is sacrificed. At the end of the day, is what this natural movement is all about. A lot of people think that the natural movement, this switch, has to do with the environment and hugging trees in Vermont. It’s really not about that, this is a health conversation that we are all having.

Do natural products work?

A common myth is that natural products don’t work, everybody thinks that. People are used to natural products that are really low quality found in supermarkets, where you don’t expect a lot of performance from them in the first place. When people say that natural products don’t work, that is something I have to challenge every time.

I am usually faced with women that come to me and say “Tata I buy organic food for my family, I use all natural products to clean my house, I use all natural medicine, but, you know my skin care products are still this and that.”

And I’m like “What are you doing?” Why are you doing that when nowadays you can achieve the results you need without putting all the synthetic chemicals on your skin?

For example, we bring ingredients from around the world like Spanish lavender. We bring from a lab outside of Barcelona. It is actually an ingredient that is synthesized, so it mimics the effect of Botox topically applied. So in two hours, 95% of all your subcutaneous muscles are completely relaxed. So that is something that people really don’t realize when they think about natural products.

Have you noticed changes in the market?

The good thing is that the market is really responding to this demand that customers are making for having better things for them. In big cosmetic labs today, the majority of the budget goes into natural actives that perform as well as synthetics, or even better.

It is getting a lot easier now to find all of these natural ingredients. Before when we would go to trade shows there would only be about ten or fifteen, and now it has become such a huge thing. Now it is super exciting because everyone is reevaluating. The majority of the newness is all about natural actives.

What advice do you give someone who wants to start using natural products?

I like to tell people to start with one thing at a time. Change the things that you use most often first, don’t try to change everything because it is such a daunting task that the people never end up doing anything.

Typically I think that the easiest thing to start with is cleanser. Start with a cleanser, start with a toner, start with a mask. And I feel that a lot of the time that is how people get introduced to our line, through our mask and our cleanser and our toner.

What is your beauty philosophy?

First of all, I believe that beauty isn’t a one way street: the way we look on the outside is a reflection of our entire wellness. I believe that healthy food, getting lots of sleep, controlling stress and finding time to relax, finding time for regular exercise and staying hydrated are all as important to the way my skin looks as my skincare is. It doesn’t matter how many creams you use – if you’re not getting any sleep or your diet is mostly sugar or processed foods, your skin is going to reflect that by being more dull or prone to showing signs of aging because it’s not being nourished, or given time to naturally refresh and regenerate. Secondly, I believe that beauty is about consistent, daily care – find a routine that makes your skin glow and stick to it, so your skin can really enjoy the long-term benefits of the products!

———

Here are a few others brands that we love and are following the whole natural path… Don’t hesitate to tell us if you know others!

Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask, Regenerating Cleanser and Reparative Moisturizer, One Love Organics Vitamin C Serum and Rahua Voluminous Shampoo and Conditioner.

So, what do you think about natural beauty? What are you using? And what does it take for you to go 100% natural?

159 comments

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  • Salut,

    Parfait :o

    See you !

    Laëti

  • I love lavender, and I am so happy to see it in your photo. Every summer I dry some flowers!

    Alina
    http://www.alinanoir.com/

  • i often use fruit, honey, etc as masks. i also use cold pressed oils on my face. i am interested in 100% bio products, of course! :)

    http://littleaesthete.com

  • I happen to use natural products for body care and I must say that I found myself always good!
    Kiss!
    Passa a trovarmi VeryFP

  • I’m a huge fan of natural cosmetics so I need to try Tata Harper’s products!! I’m using Dr. Hauschka rose day cream, Lavera eye cream and shampoos… The dried plants photos are beautiful!!
    http://heelsandpeplum.wordpress.com/

  • i am gradually turning to nature, too
    take a look into this Greek natural health & beauty company, created by a couple of pharmacists in 1979 http://www.apivita.com/

  • I totally agree with her beauty philosophy. I would only add that beautiful and kind thoughts also add to beauty and wellness. I have been using natural products since I was a teenager (I’m 35), mostly European and UK-made products. Its nice to see North America finally catching up. I love Dr. Hauschka, Weleda, and Elemental Herbology. And I will never, ever give up my rosehip oil!

  • la marque pionnière dans le bio c’est douxme, la créatrice Caroline Wachsmuth avait déjà compris avant tout le monde l’importance du bio.Je l’ai découverte lors d’un reportage sur envoyé special surla toxicité des cosmétiques. Après ca j’étais obsédée par le bio mais elle était la seule à en concevoir .
    Ces produits étaient remarquables, la marque existe toujours mais ce n’est plus elle qui la dirige, elle allait au delà des critères pour qu’un produit soit classé bio et c’était en 2000 voir même avant. Pas certaine de la date.
    Aujourd’hui, le vent a tourné pour ma part j’en ai un peu marre de l’obsession du bio et le rabattage autour de ca.
    Je ne suis plus guidée par ce facteur,d’autant plus que je ne supporte plus leurs odeurs, les huiles essentielles ne sont facilesà aimer sur le long terme. Maintenant si le produit est efficace et qu’il sent bon , je prends…m’en fiche de la “toxicité” car c’est pas ca qui fera de nous ou non des centenaires
    Je pense que ce sont les obsessions en tout genre, comme celle du bio et le stress occasionné par la peur en général qui provoque des rides. C’est mon avis

  • Les photos sont vraiment belles et tous ces produits naturels aussi! Ca donne envie d’essayer!

    http://www.laurablogmode.com

  • je suis en train de changer peu à peu mes produits de beauté. Ce qu’elle dit est du bon sens.
    J’ai commencé par ne plus utiliser de gel douche, rempli de produits toxiques, et puis j’en avais marre de jeter des bouteilles en plastiques qui coûte cher tous les 15 jours. Aujourd’hui, je varie les savons de Marseille et d’Alep, ils coûtent pas cher et durent vraiment longtemps, avec une bonne hydratation. J’ai continue avec une crème de jour bio (je teste en ce moment la gamme Bio Ethic), déo bio (bicarbonate de soude)… Par contre, je n’ai pas encore passé le cap du maquillage bio, je me maquille peu, alors je n’ai pas encore pris le temps de m’y pencher.

  • J’essaie d’utiliser le plus grand nombre de produits naturels possible. En lisant ce post, j’ai eu envie de vérifier la toxicité de certains produits que j’utilise ou ai déjà utilisés (via Skin Deep Cosmetic Database), et les résultats m’ont surprise. Par exemple, Pond’s Cold Cream est moins nocive que celle produite par Weleda, et la crème à la rose du Dr Hauschka est au même niveau que la crème hydratante CeraVe… Je ne suis pas trop certaine quoi faire de ces résultats!

  • Lisa Noto Makeup, gamme de cosmétiques faits à partir de plantes et d’huiles naturelles!

    http://lisanoto.com/

    xx

  • Organic cocoanut oil from the grocery store, every night instead of an expensive miracle night cream!

  • I’ve been wanting to try their products, adding this to my Christmas wishlist.

    xo
    http://pinksole.com

  • I’m starting to transition to more natural products as well. I have started using Acure Organics for skin care, which I love, but I feel like the market for natural color cosmetics is still very small. I’m not sure if it matters that I layer on all-natural moisturizer if I smother my face in primer that has god-knows-what in it immediately afterwards.

  • a friend of mine works at lush and he often brings me little containers of face creams, balms, lotions and soap to try. often the scent is too intense for me, but a lavender hand lotion that is made 100% naturally and without harming of animals? yay I’m in!

  • May Lindstrom! May Lindstrom! May Lindstrom!
    Femme superbe à la personnalité et au cheminement fascinant. Très inspirante. Elle a son propre studio, s’occupe pour l’instant de tout de a à z, envoie depuis chez elle avec la petite note manuscrite by herself. À voir et à découvrir absolument.
    http://maylindstrom.com/ cette vidéo, et celle-ci https://vimeo.com/63123005, superbe non? (Oui oui, c’est bien la créatrice, pas une égérie :)

  • Je pense que les produits naturels sont les meilleurs qu’ils soient, tout ce qui est naturel est meilleur pour nous, c’est ce qui nous convient à l’origine et non tous les produits synthétiques. Mais selon moi, comme tu le dis d’ailleurs, les produits naturels vont de paire avec une nutrition saine et un mode de vie équilibré, l’un ne va pas sans l’autre.

    Ce qui est encourageant c’est de voir que de plus en plus de gens prennent conscience de toutes les crasses qu’on met dans notre assiette ou sur notre peau, on progresse donc dans le bon sens ;)

    En tous cas, vous m’avez donné envie de faire un tour chez Tata!

  • All it takes is common sense–if you cannot identify an ingredient as natural, then do not buy it! There are many fake natural products out there–both drug store and high end. The great thing is that you can also DIY, especially if you prefer facial oils.
    I highly recommend Suki and John Masters. I am old enough to know that these products (combined with a good diet and luck with genes) absolutely work!

  • I’ve been using Evan Healy’s line for a year now and can honestly say that my skin looks better than before (when I was spending a lot more money on big name brands)–my fine lines have plumped up, my tone is even, pimples are few and far between, blackheads have gone away, and generally I feel like my skin can breathe. For example, I can put on some oil on in the morning, go work out and not feel like I’m suffocating in my cream! The line is not inexpensive but I believe, to a certain extent, that you get what you pay for. Avoiding chemicals, spending less money, AND getting better skin? I’m a convert!

  • Love Evan Healy as well!
    xo

  • eastvillagesiren November, 26 2013, 2:23

    Yes Evan Healy is a superb skincare line. The products work quite well, and is one of the few where thee essential oils don’t irritate my sensitive skin. She also understands proper cosmetic formulation; the ingredients are top quality. I’ve found the Tata Harper line to be too scented and strong for my skin, and the price points are absolutely far above my budget. I can buy multiple Evan Healy products for one Tata Harper serum.

  • Michelle Lee November, 26 2013, 10:50 / Reply
  • Salut Garance & Alex !

    À propos de beauté naturelle, connaissez vous la marque Kiehl’s ? Originaire de New York en 1851, la marque a été fondée par un pharmacien passionné de botanique. Les produits sont formulés à bases d’ingrédients naturels, parfois jusqu’à 99% !
    C’est une marque vraiment top avec des produits qui fonctionnent, je vous recommande de la decouvrir !

    Bisous de Paris !

  • it is the right thing to do for sure and I have started to switch myself, but I find it sad and unjust that especially in the US good/ natural foods as well as beauty products are very expensive – here if you live on a budget you are almost “forced” to be a fast food customer and user of all-but-natural! beauty products…some more affordable natural beauty products are available in supermarkets like whole foods, but there is not really not that many ..if you know of more affordable natural brands please review some of those as well!

  • Ilia Beauty. It is amazing what we put on our eyes and how much lipstick we eat. Ilia is 100% natural 85% organic. The lipsticks and conditioners are soooo moisturizing and finally something organic in fun colours.

  • Whow!!

    I work in cosmetics in a spa . the MAJOR problem with Tata Harper is that when we do facials to people using Tata harper, we realize that the dead skin hasn’t gone!!!!

    Even if the skin looks smooth with a nice complexion. How clogged will your pores look in 10 years using these products??? Everything about Tata Harper has been based on GREEN MARKETING: Green washing!

    NO BRAND can be 100% natural. Be careful when choosing your cosmetics; look at where it come from and prefere natural cosmetics from laboratory in France using non chemical ingredients (sometime ingredients sound chemical but they are NOT harsh at all)

  • Ça fait quelques temps que j’essaye de passer au naturel ou bio dans mes cosmétiques, mais avec ma peau sensible c’est compliqué: de nombreuses marques utilisent beaucoup d’huiles essentielles et je me retrouve avec de bien belles allergies cutanées. Du coup comme j’ai pas le courage d’éplucher la composition, je me rabats généralement sur la parapharmacie pour éviter ce problème…Mais en ce moment j’ai la crème des saisons de Sanoflore, pauvre en huile essentielle et qui me convient très bien.

  • I am partial to ayurvedic everything, but in all objectivity I can strongy recommend this brand:
    https://www.kamaayurveda.com/
    (Their Kumkumadi Miraculous Beauty Ayurvedic Night Serum truly is miraculous, as is their Bringadi hair oil.)

  • I try to use only natural cosmetics, but sometimes I switch it to regular products (when my skin is really missbehaving). But I’m dying to try out some Tata Harper’s products, everything sounds so tempting! :)
    Great interview.

    xx
    http://gita-oddsandends.blogspot.com/

  • Je rejoins Sandra: j’ai vraiment envie de passer à des produits “naturels” (hum, en faisant attention aux huiles essentielles car je suis enceinte pour le moment), et je suis allée faire un tour sur le site de Tata Harper. Et ouch les prix! J’achète mes produits en parapharmacie, mais là ça représente un gros effort supplémentaire. Sans doute le prix de “l’ultra high-tech”… Je crois que je vais attendre d’être un peu plus ridée et plus riche;)

  • I’ve been using Korres natural products and Apivita as well. There are several items that satisfy me and I prefer to use them instead of classic, expensive products from the big brands that were SO wrong for my sensitive skin type. I totally agree with the holistic point of view…glowing skin is a result of a certain life attitude and not just putting on some face cream! Great article! Thank you both!

    y ??

    http://yohannasof.blogspot.gr

  • Ah les cosmétiques naturels, une vraie prise de tête…connais-tu ce site? http://mini-wlosy.blogspot.fr/
    et cela ne concerne que les cheveux…

  • Je suis moi aussi une utilisatrice de produits naturels qui, contrairement à ce qu’on pourrait penser sont souvent bien plus efficaces que les autres… Malheureusement je n’ai pas encore trouvé de coloration pour cheveux satisfaisante. J’utilise “Beliflore” tout en sachant qu’elle contient quelques produits toxiques. Lorsqu’on a beaucoup de cheveux blancs, il semblerait que les 3 marrques de colos vraiment “naturelles” (Logono, Terre de couleur et Marcapar) ne fassent pas le job : cheveux tirant vers le rouge au lieu du brun !

  • Catherine November, 29 2013, 12:20

    Martine Mahé (en magasin bio): pas de racines, beaux reflets.

  • Neal’s Yard Remedies aka NYR Organic has been researching and producing organic products for over 30 yrs. They are based in the UK, but have a strong following in the US as well. They are definitely a quality and well researched company that offer natural skin care and cosmetics. Note: I am not a representative, just a customer who loves their products! So important that we are as careful with what we put on our bodies as the nutrients we put in them.

  • I have really enjoyed products from Dr. Hauschka and Jurlique, both biodynamic brands. Browsing the Whole Foods beauty section can yield some great finds.

  • The Super Salve Company for their Nourishing Comfrey Leaf Hand & Body Lotion. It’s very reasonable and fantastic. Every friend of mine who tries it loves it.

    Also by the same people, Sister Creations Power Repair Skin Care. http://www.wintersun.com/QC/?p=p_19

    The line is created by two sisters who are clinical herbalists and who studied with the great herbalist Michael Moore. Their mother is one of the best known herbalists in Arizona. They are great people and I love their products. I’ve used them for years.

  • Bonjour a vous!!!! Jai decouvert depuis 1an environ les fleurs d’hibiscus sechées. C’est un miracle! Il faut bien sur faire attention a son alimentation pr avoir un resultat optimal..mais depuis, ma peau est devenue superbe. Ca se consomme en infusion tout le long d la journée. Cest tres bon pr la circulation, pr le foie.. une bombe antioxydante! (On en trouve tres facilement sur des sites bio!!) Voila!Tres bonne fin de journée!

  • PRE-wash conditioning with coconut oil for the hair. I just read a research paper on this “Effect of mineral oil, sunflower oil, and coconut oil on prevention of hair damage by Aarti S Rele in J Cosmet Sci, 54, 175-192 (March/April 2003).” You can find the full text online.

    It was very convincing that if you put coconut oil on your hair BEFORE you wash it it prevents damage to the protein in the hair shaft and it IS absorbed into the hair and prevents the outer shaft from chipping — unlike mineral oil or sunflower oil which don’t absorb or protect.

    Interesting, no? I have long hair and I’m at least going to try it on my ends before I wash. Probably good to put on hair before going swimming in the ocean too. :-)

  • eastvillagesiren November, 26 2013, 2:27

    Agreed! I’ve read several research articles over the last couple of years that substantiate the fact that coconut oil can be absorbed by the hair shaft (sorry, but I don’t have any links to offer). If I use coconut oil after I shampoo, I get greasy locks and pimples! But when I pre-condition, I get soft, shiny, strong hair – and I have shorter hair. It

  • mes produits de beauté:
    savon de Marseille ou d’Alep (pas cher, pas d’emballages, et comme ça hydrate bien la peau on a besoin de moins de crème donc bingo!), mais attention aux contrefaçons.
    shampoing bio: ne mousse pas, mais bien plus efficace en fait. On en est met moins donc c’est moins cher finalement, acheté dans une bouteille format familial!
    lotion: eau de rose, dans une bouteille en verre, donc recyclable! Et ça sent tellement bon…
    crème hydratante: huile de Nuxe, certes il y a un peu de parfum mais c’est tout. Avene, mais là je ne sais pas si c’est bon! D’ailleurs si quelqu’un peut bien me le dire…
    démaquillant: huile d’olive
    masque cheveux: huile d’olive
    beaume à lèvres bio

    donc des progrès à faire sur la crème hydratante et les cotons démaquillants! je prends les suggestions!
    Mais au final: moins d’emballage, moins cher, moins nocif, aussi efficace… que demande le peuple…

  • Caroline Mt November, 27 2013, 12:08

    Margot,
    Je réponds à ta question sur Avène car je m’étais posé la question sachant qu’Avène est une des marques que les dermatos français prescrivent presque à tous les coups : les crèmes hydratantes d’Avène sont pour la plupart bourrées de silicone (cyclemethicone en 2iè position dans la liste des ingrédiens).
    Petit rappel : le gros inconvénient du silicone est qu’il agit comme un “plastique” en formant un film sur la peau, l’empêchant ainsi de respirer. de plus, il n’est pas bon pour l’environnement car il ne se dégrade pas, étant un dérivé des plastiques.
    Attention, tous les produits Avène ne sont pas à bannir, je peux parler de celui que je connais le mieux : le gel nettoyant pour peau grasse est un grand classique pour les ados et est très clean dans sa formulation, même s’il ne revendique rien de “bio” ou “naturel” sur son étiquette. Il a passablement amélioré mon acné lors de mes années ingrates :)

  • Sorry, but $75 for a tube of cleanser is insane!

  • eastvillagesiren November, 26 2013, 2:28

    Yes, I agree. It does not have to be so expensive to be naturally based.

  • I’m turning 30 in a couple of months and have been using natural skincare for the past 15 years… Shampoo, creams, perfume, everything! Now I really can’t stand the smell of synthetic stuff anymore…. My skin got much clearer and hairdamage is less, hurray!! Coconut oil as a make-up remover is awesome; my favourite is a homemade mask of olive oil/honey and some drops of lemon juice-gives a glow and rejuvenates the skin, something I learned from my grandma, who (of course) has wrinkles, yet super-soft and healthy skin.

  • Everything she said is right on. I’m really picky about skincare products and some products are as effective as the top ‘name’ brands. I love Dr. Hauschka cleansing milk and Weleda ‘skin food’ for extra dryness. Right now I swear by Get Spoiled luxe face oil & the 1st Class Natural Skincare line available at http://www.GetSpoiledNow.com

    The eye/lip/cuticle balm is like a miracle product.

  • Douces Angevines, sans hésiter!( http://www.lesdoucesangevines.com/? )
    Ces produits marchent super bien sur ma peau sèche, sensible (et capricieuse) et ça sent hyper bon, un peu comme une prairie au printemps ou un truc dans le genre.
    Les plantes sont macérées au soleil, cueillies avec amour et franchement, le côté artisanal fait la différence. C’est vrai que se tartiner et se démaquiller bio/naturel/avec des trucs qui fonctionnent c’est un peu plus cher, mais honnêtement j’en ai testé plein et là je vois la différence.

  • I use a lot of Weleda and Avene products for the skin and Aveda for my hair. Weleda is 100% natural as far as I know and Avene and Aveda are mixed products, I think…. This post really made me think and I’m determined to use 100% natural cosmetics now, really need to check, if Avene is all natural… and I do hope I can find Tata Harper’s products somewhere here in Switzerland (I know they send internationally, but I would prefer buying in a store here). Thank you for this post! xxx

  • Coucou Garance.
    Luuuuuuuuush!!!!
    Lush , produits 100% naturels et qui marchent.
    Peut être un petit bémol pour les shampoings mais les soins cheveux sont tops et l’odeur !! Hmmmm!
    Et surtout leur déodorant solide. Une turie.
    Bref ça vaut le coup de faire un petit tour dans une de leur boutique ou sur le site.
    A bientôt.
    A

  • I’m so pleased to hear that you’re covering natural skincare now. I started on a quest to discover natural skincare a few years ago after finding out how much chemical goes into cosmetics and even baby products. I guess most women become even more conscious about this after having a baby. I started investigating every ingredient that went into the products I was using. The result was appalling. Tata is right. Most so called “natural” products weren’t really natural. They just replace one chemical with another, twist the truth and state that it’s paraben/silicone/SLS free. Even seemingly reputable brands do this. In fact, most natural serums and oils can be made right at home. A friend of mine taught me how to do this and wrote it on my blog to teach others how to do this:
    http://www.chocolatecookiesandcandies.com/2013/01/diy-natural-lavender-baking-soda-facial.html
    http://www.chocolatecookiesandcandies.com/2012/09/natural-skincare-series-part-1-homemade.html
    http://www.chocolatecookiesandcandies.com/2013/08/natural-skincare-products-review.html

  • These photos are amazing! Love the classics! :) I use only natural products and pretty much all the time! Haha

    http://andreavytlacilova.com/

  • Thanks for this article! I’ve been looking into natural products more and more, but wasn’t really sure where to start. I’ve heard of Tata Harper but haven’t tried anything yet. I currently use organic coconut oil for my body and maracuja oil, but that’s it unfortunately. I recently ordered a May Lindstrom mask and am waiting for it to come in. It always worries me about the chemicals I put on my face, but I don’t always know what the alternative is since the chemicals seem to work. It’s helpful reading comments on here too :) Would love to hear follow up articles for natural skincare. Thanks again and have a wonderful day!

  • En ce qui me concerne, je n’ai jamais une peau aussi pourrie que lorsque j’utilise des produits Bio ! Il y a très souvent des huiles essentielles dans ces produits, ce qui ne me convient absolument pas car j’ai une peau sensible et fragile et là, pour le coup je me retrouve avec des rougeurs et des dartres de déshydratation . Pourtant j’ai eu ma période Bio…, j’ai essayé et même persévéré ! Et puis j’ai une tante qui a 78 ans, qui a travaillé dans la parfumerie toute sa vie, qui n’a jamais mis de produits naturels mais qui a toujours très bien soigné sa peau avec des produits de grandes marques, et bien elle est en parfaite santé, elle a une peau magnifique et honnêtement on lui donne 10 ans de moins, alors……?!

  • J’ai eu le même problème, j’avais eu une réaction allergique très violente à une crème Dr Haushka il y a quelques années et quand j’ai appelé leurs services consommateurs pour en parler avec eux, ils m’avaient conseillé d’acheter et d’essayer tous leurs produits pour voir exactement à quoi j’était allergique… Ben voyons.
    Donc mes crèmes viennent de la parapharmacie depuis, et je cherche la crème bio sans trop d’huiles essentielles.

  • c’est vrais, je fabrique moi même mes produits : une huile précieuse pr le soir , le jour je mets de la demalibour et je fais mon huile de mangue pr les cheveux….Les résultats sont sidérants et mes amis me disent que je ne fais pas mon age (50ans)… Alors je continue à expérimenter mes préparations…

  • Hello Beauty Studio!

    You should try http://www.susanciminelli.com. You have to follow their different steps. Wash and remove make up, deep wash with Algae Deep Cleanse, it is really gentle and tightens ! Use their oil formula to nourish the skin (yes, even for oily skin). Use their skin conditioner “Marine Lotion” for the GLOW( it has been used by Naomi Campbell and Kate moss no kidding!) It is incredible as it locks everything even make-up. And use their moisturizer day and night.
    Really, their algae deep cleanse and marine lotion are the best!

    They have many products made with Algae that and produced in France. The composition is really natural. Stop by their Clinic for a facial or for a consultation if you have the opportunity. The estheticians will pick the products for you. All the people going there have skipped La Mer for Susan. I’ve been modeling and this is the best beauty routine, even my dermatologist says my pores are clear :)

    xo
    Lolita

  • Je pense que c’est très bien ce courant où tout le monde commence à faire attention à sa manière de consommer (ou essaye :)) en vérifiant les composition des produits qu’on utilise quotidiennement et tout ça, mais je trouve qu’il y a une tendance à toujours associer naturel = bon pour la santé, synthétique = nocif. Lire les étiquettes oui, mais il ne faut pas non plus s’imaginer que tous les produits synthétiques sont cancérigènes (et ne parlons pas du prix..)

  • I have started using Tata Harper products a couple of months ago after hearing about them. I first bought the cleanser and toner. I loved them. I have since invested in a moisturizer and serum as my old product were finished up. I enjoy using them and my skin is the best it has been in a very long time. No allergies or sensitivity issues which was a real surprise to this skin reactive woman!

  • You should try http://alexcarro.com – these products are simply amazing!! Available in-store only in Barcelona for the moment, or online at: http://www.blendstore.es

  • Depuis quelques semaines j’utilise la Creme Be Yummie, que Michele a recommande sur ton blog et je suis tellement contente. Elle est vraiment geniale!

  • Love your blog!!!
    I’m posting looks from Los Angeles and accessories:

    http://www.thegavlaks.com

  • Hello!
    Très bon sujet!
    Je commence doucement par la nourriture, mais c’est vrai que la prochaine étape ce st les cosmétiques, car à quoi bon bien manger si c’est pr se mettre des tartines d’alcool et de “je ne sais pas quoi” sur notre peau!!
    PS: c’est vrai qu’on est cools!
    Alixxx

    http://alixdebeer.com/

  • Gasoline and alcohol?! No wonder my cat runs away when I apply hair products. I am making the switch as I finish products. Going from body wash to soap was an easy first step.

    For those with a smaller budget, Naruko is a popular natural brand from Taiwan. Not only are the ingredients natural, but their packaging has been conscientiously thought through. They are now available online in North America.

  • Yet another article on natural skin care full of mistakes and false claims. Sigh.

    E.g: “Nous, on utilise des ingrédients qui proviennent du monde entier, comme la lavande espagnole que l’on fait venir d’un laboratoire qui se trouve près de Barcelone. C’est un ingrédient synthétisé qui imite les effets du Botox.”
    A lavender that has been processed in this manner is not acceptable in certified natural skin care. Please do you homework and look into the websites of several reputable certificates, such as Cosmébio, Ecocert, NaTrue.

    “La beauté naturelle n’a pas de définition officielle dans le secteur” is not true either. There are several international certificates ( Cosmébio, Ecocert, NaTrue et. al.) that resemble each other, with small variations . True, they are not official = government approved ,but nevertheless serious attempts by the industry itself to define natural organic skin care. These are some of the criteria the certificates agree on: natural or even organically grown natural ingredients, no or close to no SYNTHETIC chemicals (pls differentiate btw synthetic chemicals and natural chemicals), never any tests on animals (such tests are now forbidden in the EU but not the use of ingredients previously tested on animals -a significant difference!) , no synthetic fragrances, no synthetic colourings, environmentally friendly production et.al.

    Rita Stiens wrote a pretty good book, La Veritée sur les cosmétiques, on the subject, not perfect but better than most. She’s an independent journalist not an industry insider.

    However, its is good to realise that even certified natural skin care can cause a rash or a pimple if you happen to be prone to them. The one thing that, guaranteed, makes certified natural skin care better for us than the synthetic stuff is that it is much better for the environment.

  • I totally agree!! It is so easy to talk to people about natural skincare because no one really knows about what makes the ingredients “natural” so brands as TATA play with the words and make you think it is natural!

  • I use natural haircare – Khadi henna, Vatika and Bhringraj oil (by Hesh), they’re based on organic coconut oil and contain lots and lots of herbs, my hair look just great thanks to it :) I also read somewhere that Miranda Kerr uses organic coconut oil for her hair and skin :))

  • I am a true believer in natural beauty and try to use certified organic or natural products whenever I can. Two brands I absolutely love are Trilogy (from Australia) and Antipodes (from New Zealand) – I use Trilogy’s organic rosehip oil and Antipodes’s Grace cleanser and manuka honey mask which is amazing!

  • Trilogy is also from New Zealand – one of their signature original products was fantastic rosehip oil which promotes skin healing.

  • Before making any further remarks, I would like to see scientific evidence (and not just one study) that states that using regular beauty products, used the normal way, are potentially cancer-causing. I think the cancer-claim is very serious, and often made by the “natural” movement, whether it be related to food or beauty products. Unless it’s proven, I feel they should stop making references to this disease. If people want to use natural products it’s fine by me, but don’t defend it by referring to cancer. Sorry, I feel very strongly about this…

  • Environmental working group are in the process of creating an incredible resource… A database of skincare products and food etc and giving a 0-5 rating on cancer risk based on ingredients. Also they are encouraging some of the big corporates such as Loreal to cut the cancer causing crap from their products. Good work!

    http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/browse/moisturizer/

    In case anyone hadn’t already heard of her Kris Carr is a brilliant wellness resource for lifestyle to avoid cancer. She has done a lot of research and presents in an easily digestible format.

    http://kriscarr.com

    I am using Antipodes range. They smell incredible, beautiful textures and nourishing. Yum!

    X

  • eastvillagesiren November, 27 2013, 1:40

    E agree with you. I wish some of the “natural” companies claiming ingredients “cause cancer” or are “toxic” would cite the research…but no one can. They seem to operate mostly through fear,which is one of the most powerful drivers of human nature. And then the result of the fer-mongering is to recommend their very own product line And I wish natural product producers would be held to the same standard as large “toxic” companies in terms of of using EU and FDA approved ingredients with an industry approved standards on usage level, toxicity profile, etc. Then I would be interested in a balanced conversation.

  • this is a good point. I have done research which has partially fueled my choices to not buy corporate beauty products… what it comes down to for me though is even if certain synthetics don’t cause cancer, the production methods are very harmful to life on Earth. Many ingredients in beauty products are petroleum derivatives, and I don’t think I need to get into the harm of that here. The ways we get along here on Earth are totally unsustainable and there’s no way around that. That in itself I know is a good reason for us all to slowly make our way to clean, hand-made product. Hell, I’ve got plain greek yogurt on my face right now and the result after washing is better than any bottled product I’ve ever used, honest!

    check out my post at the bottom of the page for food-based DIY beauty, and my favorite natural companies that are 100% worth supporting. love.

  • Here are some articles about natural products that may be interesting to read: http://jetskeultee.com/cgi/objects.cgi?site=jetskeultee-en&set=000005&field3_rel=7779928.

    Some of the pros and cons of natural ingredients are discussed by Jetske Ultee, a Dutch research physician.

  • eastvillagesiren November, 29 2013, 10:02

    E, thank you for this link. I have been going through the articles on Dr. Ultee’s blog and am very impressed by her objectivity and knowledge. This is the type of balanced, science-based information I seek.

  • I love tata…the best way to see if you like her too is through the sample/travel set! I’m new to natural beauty…only recently have I “cleaned up my skincare act.” I’m discovering so many amazing products and am having a blast experimenting with them! The best part is that it’s a guilt free process, unlike sampling many products that contain toxins, etc. Here are my thoughts on Tata: http://www.ourwonderlust.com/ourwonderlust/tata-harper-the-deluxe-beauty-set.html

    I would LOVE to see your site review more clean beauty!!! LOVE

    Tina

  • Moi je suis hyper motivée par les cosmétiques naturels, il y a beaucoup de très bons produits en la matière actuellement! Tata Harper fait partie des marques qui me font rêver, mais à 100€ la crème, c’est carrément du luxe pour moi! Impossible de mettre une telle somme sur une crème!

  • Christine November, 26 2013, 4:08 / Reply

    Who says that synthetic cosmetic are effective in the first place? I would not call it effective if what I put on my skin gets rid of wrinkles but may cause cancer later in live.Great, I have no wrinkles but cancer! I have been using Dr. Hauschka for about 20 years and I am happy with my skin!

  • One hundred dollars for a 1.7 oz bottle of moisturizer?! THere isn’t any way that can possibly be worth it.

  • J’utilise des produits weleda depuis longtemps, ainsi que des huiles vegetales et eaux de fleurs de chez aroma zone. Je projette de fabriquer mes cremes moi meme… Par ailleurs j’ai arrete les gels douches pleins de perturbateurs hormonaux et je dles remplaces par des serviette gomantes de chez muji plus du savon. J’ai aussi replace la lessive par des noix de lavage et je nettoie mon appart au karcher, sans produits d’entretien…

  • Organic cold pressed coconut oil for body and face, esp in the winter.
    Marble & Milkweed facial scrubs, serum for the face & body oil
    Rejuva cosmetics – mascara and powdered concealer which i mix with my moisturizer.
    Goldie’ss shampoos and conditioners and soaps.

  • I am sooo pleased to see your team finally feeling the breeze of natural skincare & beauty.

    It’s been only in the last few years I truly began educating myself and embracing natural beauty methodology and practices into my own life. The more and more I learn about it, it is like a no brainer as to why I wouldnt choose anything other then natural organic beauty, skincare or food for that matter for my body. It is truly true that our body is our temple and it gives back what we do to it either now or later. Having said that, I definitely haven’t made a 360 change throwing out all my cosmetics and previous skincare, except for the ones that were really poor quality and were not doing me any favours (point in case proactive- ick!) That said, for me it is about slowly making the switch and educating myself as much as possible about the best quality products out there.

    I found your comment, “What if non-chemical, all natural ingredients were as efficient as synthetic ones?” and Tata’s response to this interesting. Yesterday I was in Gastown in Vancouver and discovered this new beauty and skincare line called “Figs & Yarrow” http://figandyarrow.com/ which appears to be an amazing skin care line (on my xmas wish list). After talking to the store manager about Figs & Yarrow’s brand philosophy, he reminded me of notion I’ve also heard before “our skin absorbs what we put on it” and the brands creator doesn’t create any product that you cannot orally eat. Essentially saying what we already know, our skin is our bodies largest organ and why would you put a chemical or synthetic ingredient on it that will be absorb into your bodys internal system and organs. It doesnt make sense when you think about it like that, does it? It’s really a no brainer!

    All this said, there definitely are lots of low-grade “natural” products out there that do not perform with any desirable results what so ever. It is really about understanding the extraction process of how they excrete these delicate oils from natures seeds and plants to create these lush substances that have incredible benefits. And after all, it is these pure ingredients that have been common practice and used by civilizations for hundreds if not thousands of years, again a no brainer right? It is so funny how far removed as a society we are from nature that we question it. I was sad to learn recently that one well established luxury brand, commonly loved in Manhattan “Rodin” has actually fairly low quality extraction process and quality substances. It is sad to discover, because like you I love the brand image and … packaging.

    One such person, Kate on http://livingprettynaturally.com/ provides amazing knowledge on how to determine the best quality products and substances. Check out this particular article: http://livingprettynaturally.com/facial-oils-101-facial-oil-feature-precurser/ and http://livingprettynaturally.com/the-best-natural-facial-oils-of-2013-lpns-picks/ which goes into detail on the extraction process of oils and such. I recommend you reach out to her, she is full of a wealth of information and loves to share with others.

    Hope this helps you and the team discover what is out there.

    Until then I am looking forward to see what other products you learn about on your journey!

    xx

  • La filosophie de Tata est très juste! Mais comment nous pouvons concilier ça avec le prix? Pendant cette crise économique c’est nécessaire penser aussi aux aspects économiques!! Comment c’est possible payer une crème 75$?? Pardon my french!

  • Salut Garance et Alex
    Moi aussi je me pose pas mal ce genre de question ça doit être dans l’air du temps. Du j’utilise pas mal des produits Cattier mais aussi de l’huile d’argan (bio) que j’achète à l’épicerie orientale. Par contre en bonne française j’utilise aussi pas mal de crèmes à base d’eau thermale genre Avéne ou la Roche Posay et je me demandais où ces marques se situent sur l’échelle du naturel… Vous en pensez quoi ? Par contre genre jamais je n’achèterais de crème à mettre sur le visage en supermarché ! Bisouxxxxx.

  • Oui, j’utilise des produits bio (mais pas fabriqués maison) depuis plusieurs années, excepté pour le gel pour cheveux bouclés (pas encore trouvé l’idéal) et parfois un anti-rides La Prairie pour me faire croire que j’utilise un produit de luxe extra efficace. Je ne connais aucune des marques américaines citées, et utilise les marques européennes suivantes : Dr Haushka bien sur, Lavera, Logona, Melvita, Madara. Ca a commencé par les marques allemandes qui sont assez précurseurs dans ce domaine (c’est vraiment pas neuf pour eux), puis les autres s’y mettent, même les Anglais (Pai skincare est super). On trouve même du cosmétique-bio sur mesure (Absolution) etc. Il y a bien sur les Australiens Aesop mais je n’aime pas faire voyager les produits autour de la Terre pour les utiliser : ca rend le principe de bio idiot (oui c’est bio mais ca a pollué le monde entier ha ha). Donc je privilégie ceux qui sont fabriqués à moins de 1’000km de chez moi (ca laisse l’Allemagne, la France et l’Italie donc c’est plutot cool). Je privilégie aussi ceux qui ont le moins d’emballage possible. Pas simple mais j’y fais attention.
    Dans le même principe, j’utilise des produits alimentaires frais de saison et locaux/pas poussé sous serres chauffées, et le moins possible d’alimentation industrielle (jamais de plats préparés). Idem pour les produits de nettoyage, j’adore Ecover (fabriqué aux Pays Bas en faisant attention à la fabrication, et tu peux faire remplir tes bouteilles), et y’en a d’autres.
    Bref le bio c’est vraiment pas que pour soi mais aussi pour tout le monde, c’est simplement être responsable de soi et sa trace sur la planète.

  • i am completely obsessed with natural skincare. i just did a post about my faves and some recipes for homemade masks! skin food so to speak :) http://thedelicateplace.com/2013/11/06/beauty-skincare-routine-tips/ i currently love acure organisc & eminence stuff.

  • Sausagedog November, 26 2013, 6:20 / Reply

    Sorry, I don’t buy into this ‘natural products’ business. It’s a question of chemistry– everything is a chemical. Just because it’s natural doesn’t make it better, and just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it’s good for us or safe (to ingest or apply on our skin). And the converse is also true. What I want is scientific data showing that products work and are safe. Beauty products are by it’s very nature not subjected to scientific rigour otherwise they would be classed as pharmaceuticals. So when choosing products I look for whatever limited data is available on specific ingredients, ‘natural’ or otherwise, to see if they work, are safe and are stable in their packaging. Ps: look up the manufacturing of hyaluronic acid. It may be ‘natural’ — but it’s usually derived from rooster combs or potentially pathogenic bacteiria! But you know what it’s safe! And I love it!

  • eastvillagesiren November, 28 2013, 10:04

    Merci for a perfect response; I agree1

  • Je repense à ce que je viens de poster et éviter les kilomètres entre le lieu des matières premières, de production et d’achat, qui sont la plus grosse calamité qui puisse exister sur cette planète. Les produits font plusieurs fois le tour de la terre, rien de plus idiot : les impacts environnementaux et sociaux (faire travailler à 1$/j les gens, faut pas avoir de conscience pour l’accepter…), bref.
    Donc la phrase : on achète de la lavande en Espagne alors qu’on est aux USA déjà me stupéfait. La lavande pousse aussi chez vous…
    Ensuite c’est assez facile de suivre la fabrication des marques cosmétiques ou alimentaires qui sont orientées bio ou naturelles, et aussi de surveiller qu’elles n’ont pas été testées sur les animaux (ne pas oublier la torture que les labo leur font subir).
    Mais les vêtements… ne sont pas tracés. Seule Stella McCartney a une conscience envers les animaux. Mais le reste non, et encore moins sur les lieux de fabrication (on pense au Bangladesh bien sur mais pas que), les matières premières (bio, éthiques ?), leur transformation (par exemple les jeans ca pollue beaucoup), et combien de km ils ont fait. Moi j’accepte de payer plus pour payer des salaires plus décents pour ceux qui les ont fabriqués (mais on ne le propose pas), et je rejetterais les vêtements qui ont fait le tour de la Terre ou qui sont fabriqués avec des produits super nocifs, mais comment le savoir ? Les marques s’en foutent, il n’y a pas de label, et les vêtements bio ne sont pas vraiment super fashion mais très babacool… J’aimerais qu’on avance sur ces sujets, je veux du DVF et du McQ avec une conscience responsable écologique et sociale, des tshirts Jcrew pas fabriqués en Chine (ou alors avec des vrais salaires aux Chinois et des conditions de travail décentes), des boots ACNE avec du faux cuir mais beau, etc. Comment on faiiiit ?

  • Sev, merci pour ce commentaire! Il n’y a pas aujourd’hui de vraie manière de savoir d’où viennent nos vêtements, sauf s’ils sont produits en France (ça existe encore) ou si on achète du vintage (ça tient plus longtemps car les vêtements étaient mieux fabriqués, le plus souvent en France ou en Europe et l’empreinte écologique est nulle).
    Mais peut-être qu’à force, on réussira à se faire entendre?

  • Katherine November, 26 2013, 6:54 / Reply

    La Bella Figura and May Lindstrom are also two amazing and completely natural skincare lines. They work so well and the packaging is gorgeous. I highly recommend trying them!

  • Pourquoi les produits sont-ils si chers? Mon budget ne me le permet pas….Dommage!

  • I use natural products myself (just a moisturizer (oils), mascara and shampoo (SLS free) and that’s my entire beauty routine, and I’m in my 40s), but I’m somewhat concerned with what is missing here. To me, the “natural” beauty industry is more or less the same as the chemical beauty industry (and what sausagedog has to say has a lot of sense). We don’t seem to be talking about true natural beauty, which involves eating well, drinking water, getting lots of sleep…and looking naturally good (and like yourself) without using product. With all of the “natural beauty” posts recently I’ve that the vast majority of the women have a daily kit of products costing quite a lot of money, in order to look like they used nothing…better just to use nothing! :)

  • Thank You Garance for this interview! I hope this helps and encourages a lot of people. After reading about antivivisection and Stacy Malkan’s book “Not Just a Pretty Face” I made the transition to all natural products.

    Some of my favorite and effective brands include: Alba, Burts Bees, Dr Bronners, Lush Cosmetics, Yes to carrots, etc.

    My beauty minute:
    cleanser: lush cleanser (pink bar for sensitive and acne prone skin), and a honey based for winter months.
    moisturizer: Trader Joes spf 15
    serum: yes to blueberries serum

  • Hooray! I’m so glad you are getting onto this. I started changing everything over to natural, slowly, about three years ago. I think I look a lot better – some of the ingredients in natural makeup actually hydrate and nourish your skin as well. The book ‘No more dirty looks’ got me started. A great book, with a sense of humour and definitely not too hard core in their approach. Some products I swear by are Rahua (hair), RMS and Jane Iredale (make-up), Aesop, L’Occitane and Jurlique. Take a look at the ingredients in your deodorant and toothpaste too. There are some great natural brands out there that really work (and don’t taste terrible – the toothpaste that is! I haven’t tasted the deodorant ;)

  • Sukin – an Australian brand – has some great natural skin care products that are non-paraben/sulphate etc and affordable.

    Sukin body wash is gorgeous, smells lovely and leaves you lightly moisturised (my daughter and I also use it as a make up remover – my daughter wears the ‘full works’ of make up and mega-mascara – being 19 years old).

    I also use Sukin organic rose hip oil instead of a serum and love their protein shampoo.

    The only thing they haven’t acheived is a great deodorant and I am still looking for a good conditioner. Any international brands to consider?

  • This is a great post! Some of my favorite natural brands are RMS, Juice Beauty and Acure for more affordable basics. Also, argan oil is the best thing ever! http://nomoredirtylooks.com/ is a great resource.

  • I love Tata Harper products! They’re really effective and smell gorgeous. I met Tata a few months ago in San Francisco, and wrote about her line on my blog @ http://chinwagge.com/tata-harper/

    Very encouraging to see more support for natural beauty products.

  • My beauty minute: face: aloe cleanser made at my natural drugstore called Dandelion in Seattle. Pomegranate Toner, cleanser and face cream by The Body Shop (it comes in a cute travelling size in case you want to try it or travel a lot), Sun lotion 15 SPF by Aubrey Organics. Make up: Lavera mascara, Gabriel eyeliner and blush with coconut oil from Josie Maran. My shampoo varies, I like John Masters Organics, Deva Curl No Pooh. Argan oil of Moroccan Oil. I use different oils as body mosturizers, lately I discovered coconut oil, which makes wonders to my skin..

  • I have made the switch to using natural products from commercial ones about two years ago, but lately because of my skin asthma, I have to use hypoallergenic products which are not really natural. But I am proud to say that the products I use, both the natural and hypoallergenic, (most of it, because I still use products from the company I work for) are made locally. :) I’m really happy about that. Particularly the natural products brand is also a social enterprise, the products are sourced from local farming communities and not imported abroad. I think they still use some ingredients that are imported just because they are not yet available in the country, but knowing the company, I’m certain they’re looking for ways farmers can cultivate that ingredient so they can finally stop importing. And the products are quite good, they have actually made a slice off the market from multinational companies whose products are widely available in supermarkets.

  • I’ve been using Tata’s products since May. While they were initially an large investment, they have lasted a long time. I’m just about at the half way point of both the serum and the moisturizer. Totally worth it!!!

  • I’ve been using exclusively all natural beauty products for 9 years, and I love the direction it’s going in; in formulation and product/packaging design. Many people are chasers of what is “cool” and “chic”, and the slow, steady rebranding of natural beauty is such a great thing for the ecosystem and health of all women. For a big wake up call to those who are on the fence, the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep website has a database of all skincare/ cosmetics products. Look up any of them (even top designer brands- Chanel, Tom Ford, Giorgio Armani) and the cancer causing/hormone disrupting chemical list you will find will be daunting. Is it worth polluted water and a cute tumblr post?

    http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

  • i just had my hair trimmed, and my stylist was surprised, ‘what are you using?? your hair feels so great!’ he was shocked to hear that i’ve been cleaning my curls with a bar of castile soap, using a simple detangler, and then putting natural oils back in and letting it drip dry. ‘well, getting back to basics seems to be doing wonders for your locks!’ and yes, using a simple, natural soap has been great for my skin (i have allergies) and perfect for my delicate curls.

  • BoomBoomLaRoo November, 27 2013, 12:41 / Reply

    Pro tips:
    Avoid SLS, Parabens, Fragrance, chemical sunscreen, micronized minerals, talc, mineral oil, petroleum.
    Buy your products in glass if you can. Like Coconut oil, get it in glass. That’s an easy one.
    I like to troll baby products on vitacost.com when I’m bored with products.

    The less chemicals you use on the reg, the better you’ll feel about Tom Ford lipstick.

    Recs, good stuff, great quality:

    Sircuit Skincare $$$
    Aesop $$$
    Devita $$
    Hemp, Hemp Hooray $$
    Nubian Heritage $$
    RMS Beauty $$$
    Desert Essence Organics Fragrance Free Shampoo and Condish $
    Kiss My Face Moisture Shave Fragrance Free $
    Waleda Fluoride free Salt Toothpaste
    Sprite Shower filter

    Be careful with Lush, they still use a lot of SLS.
    Tom’s of Main uses SLS in their toothpaste. Yuck.

  • “Why are you doing that when nowadays you can achieve the results you need without putting all the synthetic chemicals on your skin?

    For example, we bring ingredients from around the world like Spanish lavender. We bring from a lab outside of Barcelona. It is actually an ingredient that is synthesized, so it mimics the effect of Botox topically applied.”

    Synthesized ingredient = synthetic. Perhaps by synthetic Ms. Harper means man-made and not naturally occurring, and by natural she means naturally-occuring. I am glad to hear that she is using exciting naturally-occuring substances like lavender oil, but having them produced in a lab. It’s usually less sustainable to extract the active molecules because it a lot more raw material. It’s also easier to test the pure substance for toxicity and allergic reactions. A sloppily extracted “natural” product might contain thousands of molecules, many of which are not relevant to the product.

    But her language is fueling anti-science attitudes in readers who don’t know the difference. Science not fear. Natural or not – it’s interesting but it doesn’t make us any healthier. The question is: are they safe? are they effective? for whom? and in what concentration? That’s what we need to know.

    Check out Chandler Burr’s article, Green in Perfume: http://www.chandlerburr.com/articles/GreenPerfume_Plenty_print.html

  • Pour ma part, savon bio (plus de gel douche depuis des lustres) pour le corps, shampooing bio (du coup, comme les cheveux ne sont pas agressés par les produits chimiques, pas besoin d’après-shampooing; juste un peu d’huile d’argan de temps en temps) et pour le visage: Aubrey’s organics et un peu de Caudalie sous les yeux (pas bio mais c’est assez naturel, il me semble). Le fait de se tartiner de produits chimiques en pensant que ça va nous faire du bien est pour moi un mystère. Ah j’oublais: crème solaire bio Florame (elle sent bon et ne laisse pas trop de film blanc). Vive la cosmétique bio!

  • Merci pour la découverte.

    Peut-être que cela pourrait intéresser les bouclées qui veulent du bio pour leurs boucles
    http://www.reverencieux.com/les-instagracieuses-cheveux-boucles-bio/

  • Merci beaucoup pour cet article !!
    Il correspond à ma façon de penser car, pour ma part je suis convaincue, que l’on peut prendre soin de nous, et se faire belle, avec justement des produits qui sont les plus simples possibles.
    [Et aussi mon passé de biochimiste m’a montré qu’il ne vaut mieux pas se demander ce qu’il y a dans la formulation d’une crème (ex: présence d’alcool = sur le moyen terme dessèchement + éclatement des cellules de l’épiderme sauf que c’est vachement pratique (pour le labo cosméto) pour obtenir la texture souhaitée.]
    Pour faire court, j’utilises:
    – argile verte = peau saine et douce
    – savon d’alep
    – huile d’argan
    – sport, hydratation régulière, beaucoup de légumes (bon je suis particulièrement fan des légumes, pas végé mais juste fan), sommeil et rigolades (peut-être l’ingrédient le plus important)

  • Thank you for this post! For me an important point, which was not discussed but I always assume when buying these natural products, is that they have not been tested on animals. is that true?

    Another thing: just because something is natural, doesn’t mean it cannot be potent, or toxic. Are the natural substances you use tested by FDA or something similar for toxicity?

    I am asking because plants/funghi/animals have evolved toxic substances as defense mechanisms, or to give them selves advantages, i.e. Paclitaxel / Taxol was isolated from the bark of a tree, and it is one widely used and powerful anticancer drug which is suuuper toxic. Since organisms went through thousands of years of variation and selection to get these substances, I think it is the most logic approach to identify these substances and use them for us, as for example in drugs and beauty products. But they could be still potentially very toxic.

  • Hello beauty(ful) team!

    Thanks for this post, and the move to the natural side. I hope this means we will also see less fur and leather here.
    I guess you’re getting more criticism than expected but the natural cosmetics market is such a jungle.. People who look for it mostly want it as close and friendly to nature as possible. Usually, people who don’t expect a cream to mimic botox… But it’s far from simple to find that, it’s largely just another industry wanting to make revenue and so the devil is in the detail. That’s why you’re being bashed a little ;-) Would love for more posts on this, and less on nailpolish :-) but if you do, do it super thorough!
    I use Aveda, Aesop, Caudalie, Dr Bronners but I realise this is not 100%. With Suki, 100% natural, in glass bottles, available at whole foods > but where is wholefoods in the EU??< I get the best results for my skin and love the scent. I get the very best result on outdoor sports and water though.

  • This is a great Polish company that sells natural products. I’ve tried and loved quite a few. http://www.fridge.pl/en

  • Je ne connaissais pas du tout cette marque, et l’interview donne envie de craquer… Un petit plaisir pré-noël se profile ;) Merci pour la découverte !

  • swishmusic November, 27 2013, 5:30 / Reply

    I am so glad you have written about this topic! I cleared out my cabinet a few years ago – I use natural oils like coconut oil, pure argan oil, rose hip etc to do lots of things – to act as a make up remover, moisturiser, mixed with my natural mineral bronzer it’s a tinted moisturiser – I change it up and I love it. I cleanse with a natural homemade oil based soap in the shower (one with tapioca and poppy seeds for exfoliating measure!) and it’s lovely. Only natural essential oils, nothing with a synthetic fragrance and I use Nutracell, a lovely natural deodorant that smells amazing and make sure all of my make up has no chemicals, particularly no talc. There are only two things that I find hard to get a great result with naturally – mascara and shampoo and conditioner. Particularly hair – there is just no way to get that silicone silky feel without the silicone. Oh and other things I can recommend include bi-carb as a gentle face exfoliator or fine brown sugar as a more intense body scrub. And you smell so sweet after!

  • Vivant en Allemagne il est ici facile de trouver des produits naturels, les allemands étant précurseurs dans le bio ! Il y a bien sur Weleda, dr. huschtka,… Qui fonctionnent trés bien ! Tata a l’air super aussi mais franchement c’est quand meme très cher et pour etre un peu critique je dois dire que faire importer aux USA de la lavande de Barcelone, ce n’est pas tres bio tout ca ;-) je pense que si on pense naturel, il faut aussi penser bio, local, energie… Mais ce n’est que mon point de vue !
    La marque a l’air top dans tous les cas !
    Bises les filles :-)

  • I’m living in Berlin right now and people are obsessed with natural things and of course, me too!

    Natural beauty, food, natural clothes, restaurants… :) xD

    Here is really easy and cheap! to find cool brands with ECO products…

    Nice post! and super nice pictures!

    ?

  • Love that you have taken on an adoration for natural cosmetics. Indeed there are many lovely products to consider. I dedicate a lot of my free time to finding the best. Come visit my online home http://www.livingprettynaturally.com

    xx

    Kate

  • HappyLilly November, 27 2013, 8:15 / Reply

    Je suis passée au “tout bio ” (ou presque) depuis presque 4 ans maintenant. Au départ, je ne trouvais pas tellement de produits ou alors, ils étaient vraiment trop “baba-cool” à mon goût. Je constate un réel changement depuis quelques mois (beaucoup plus de choix et des produits plus “sexy”).
    J’ai décidé de changer parce que j’ai lu une enquête scientifique (donc gros crédit!!! ;) ) qui expliquait que des particules des certains ingrédients présents dans les shampooings et après-shampooings avaient été retrouvés sous la peau du visage et dans le crâne des patients (pardon my manque de technicité scientifique). A cela, s’est ajouté le scandale des déodorants aux sels d’alu.
    Bref, bref.
    J’ai commencé par les shampooings et en quelques semaines, mes cheveux étaient plus beaux que jamais (je n’achetais qu’en parfumerie sélective, jamais de grande distribution tellement j’étais formatée). Dans la foulée, je suis passée au gel douche et maintenant, personne à la maison ne supporte plus la sensation laissée par les gels douche non-bio.
    Toute ma routine beauté est devenu bio pour des raisons de santé. Elle est restée bio pour des raisons purement pratique: ma peau va mieux, mes cheveux aussi. Non négligeable: mon banquier aussi!
    Je vais le plus souvent sur le site iherbs dont je suis très contente même si c’est un site américain (qui livre en France – prendre le colis avec suivi même si c’est un peu plus cher) mais je trouve aussi des choses vraiment bien chez Mademoiselle BIO. Chez iherbs j’achète les produits capillaires Desert Essence (qui rivalisent aisément dans ma salle de bain avec Christophe Robin) mais aussi pas mal de petites marques plus “confidentielles” dans l’esprit de Tata: de quoi changer de routine, se faire plaisir.
    il y a aussi toute une série de thé “fantaisie” (chaï à la noisette, aux marrons glacés…)

    J’ai passé beaucoup de temps à déchiffrer les compos (et je dois encore faire des “erreurs”).
    Il me reste une frontière à franchir: celle du maquillage bio, et là, je dois dire (j’ai sans doute tort) que j’ai vraiment du mal. Le bonheur du luxe est encore trop important pour moi.

    Je m’arrête d’écrire là, je suis tellement convaincue que je ne voudrai ennuyer personne. Il me semble qu’en matière de bio, il y en a pour tout le monde, à tous les prix (au litre, un litre de gel douche bio disponible chez Mademoiselle Bio est moins cher que n’importe quel gel douche de grande surface – idem pour le shampooing etc).

  • Stéphanie November, 27 2013, 8:40 / Reply

    Tout à fait d’accord avec elle. Moi aussi j’ai un laboratoire chimique dans ma salle de bain, mais j’y vais progressivement. Par exemple, je teste présentement une recette “maison” de déo/antisudorifique et jusqu’à présent, les résultats sont concluants. Et beaucoup moins couteux que les batons traditionnels! Quand je peux, je prends aussi des savons naturels. Même chose pour les produits de nettoyage domestique.

  • On a college student budget and as a “super flower child hippie”(at least that’s what my mother call me), I use a mix of water and baking soda for shampoo, a vinegar & water mix for conditioner, I wash my face with honey (sometimes a leeetle bit of baking soda as well) use tea tree oil for my acne (in the market for something else though, I hate the smell), and coconut oil for moisturizer/all over body lotion. I recently made my own mineral veil markup out of a mix of baking soda, coco powder and cinnamon, and was shocked at how well it turned out! I cant recommend any these enough, especially the honey for face wash and coconut oil for body lotion. truly amazing. Still, I love the idea that someone is making natural mainstream products, and would love if there was more all natural makeup!

  • Nous avons mis au point des produits 100% naturels contenant des ingrédients précieux et très efficaces. Nous serons prêts à lancer la vente de ces produits sur notre site dans quelques semaines mais nous tennons à faire les choses lentement. En attendant vous pouvez déjà vous informer sur nos produits: http://www.nebocosmetics.com

    We have developped a line of skin care made of 100% natural ingredients. Some of them are precious and very efficient. We’ll start selling on our website in a few weeks. For the moment we don’t ship yet to other places than Europe as things are bit more complicated with natural products. But you can check our website and discover our products: http://www.nebocosmetics.com

  • Cristiana November, 27 2013, 9:46 / Reply

    I made the switch in 2008 after reading the article below, my skin has never been better. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t find the link…

    dirty dozen +
    Chemical: Butyl Acetate
    Function: Solvent in polishes and treatments, prevents chipping.
    Present in: Nail polish and nail treatments like strengtheners, hardeners,
    top/base coats.
    Health Concerns:Repeated exposure causes skin dryness and cracking;
    vapors may induce drowsiness or dizziness.

    Chemical: Butylated Hydroxytoluene
    Function:Anti-oxidant; slows down the rate at which product ingredients
    change in color.
    Present in: Lip Makeup,Moisturizer, Eye Makeup,Anti-Aging Treatment,
    Foundation, Fragrance, Bar Soap, Shaving Products,Antiperspirant/
    Deodorant, Concealer, Sunscreen, Facial Cleanser, Body Wash, Blush,
    Shampoo, Conditioner,Acne Treatment, Body Lotion/Oil, Powder,Makeup
    Remover, Depilatory Cream,Toothpaste, Styling Product, Exfoliator, Nail
    Treatments.
    Health Concerns:Eye and skin irritant.

    Chemical: Coal Tar
    Function: Controls itching and eczema, softens and promotes the dissolution
    of hard, scaly, rough skin, also used in hair dyes.
    Present in: Shampoos and hair dyes.
    Health Concerns:International agency government research on cancer says
    there is sufficient evidence that coal tars are carcinogenic in humans. EU
    banned coal tar from cosmetics in 2004.

    Chemical: Cocamide DEA/Lauramide DEA
    Function: Used as foaming agents in shampoos and bath products, and
    as emulsifying agents in cosmetics; foaming and cleansing agent for
    “mouth feel”.
    Present in: Shampoo, Body Wash/Cleansers, Bath Oils, Facial Cleanser,
    Liquid Hand Soap, Bar Soap,Acne Treatment, Baby Wash, Shaving Products,
    Body Scrubs, Foot Odor/Cream/Treatment, Deodorant,Moisturizer, Hair
    Dye/Spray.
    Health Concerns:May be contaminated with impurities linked to cancer or
    other significant health problems.May form carcinogenic compounds called
    nitrosamines on the skin or in the body after absorption. Insuficient toxicity
    data to determine safety in products that will be inhaled, where chemicals
    become airborne and can be inhaled.

    Chemical: Diazolidinyl Urea
    Function: Formaldehyde-releasing, anti-microbial preservative.
    Present in:Moisturizer, Styling Products, Shampoo/Conditioner, Hair
    Spray/Dyes,Anti-Aging Treatment, Facial Cleanser, Sunscreen, Facial
    Moisturizer, Foundation, Eye Makeup,Acne Treatment,Mascara, Body
    Wash/Cleansers, Deodorant, Concealer, Exfoliator, Powder, Body Scrubs,
    Bath Oils/Salts, Eye/Contact Care, Lip Makeup, Shaving Products,After Sun
    Product, Douche/Personal Cleanser,Makeup Remover, Depilatory
    Cream/Hair Remover, Liquid Hand Soap, Nail Treatments, Pain Relief
    Rub/Ointment, Fragrance.
    Health Concerns:May be contaminated with impurities linked to cancer or
    other significant health problems.

    Chemical: Ethyl Acetate
    Function: Solvent.
    Present in: Nail polish products,mascara, tooth whitening, perfume.
    Health Concerns:Eye and skin irritant.

    Chemical: Formaldehyde
    Function: Disinfectant, germicide, fungicide, preservative.
    Present in: Deodorants, nail polish, soap, shampoo, shaving cream.
    Health Concerns:Suspected human carcinogen,may trigger asthma, irritant
    to the eyes, upper respiratory tract, can damage DNA, banned by the EU.

    Chemical: Parabens (methyl, ethyl, propyl and butyl)
    Function: Parabens are a group of chemicals widely used as preservatives in
    cosmetics to inhibit bacteria, yeast and mold growth and are antibacterial
    agents in antibacterial toothpaste.
    Present in:Moisturizers, shampoos, conditioners, hair styling gels, nail
    creams, foundations, facial masks, skin creams, and deodorants, baby lotions,
    chemicals in our daily use products that should be avoided
    and other personal care products for children.
    Health Concerns:May alter hormone levels, possibly increasing risks for
    certain types of cancer, impaired fertility, or alteration of the development of a
    fetus or young child.May cause skin irritation, rash or allergic skin reactions;
    studies have found parabens in breast tumors.

    Chemical: Petrolatum
    Function: Petrochemical that forms a barrier on skin;makes lipsticks shine
    and creams smoother; helps to soften skin in the same way as other products
    but less expensive.
    Present in: One of every personal care products; creams, lotions, wax depilatories,
    eyebrow pencils, eye shadows, liquid powders, lipsticks.
    Health Concerns:May be contaminated with impurities, linked to cancer or
    other significant health problems; causes allergic reactions. Banned by the EU.

    Chemical: Phthalates
    Function: Industrial chemicals that are used as solvents and plasitcizers in
    cosmetics.
    Present in: Nail polish, deodorant, fragrance, hair spray, hair gel/mousse,
    lotions.
    Health Concerns:Phthalates can damage the liver, kidneys, lungs and in particular
    the developing male reproductive tract; permanent birth defects in the
    male reproductive system.
    Chemical: Propylene Glycol
    Function: Penetration enhancer; keeps products from melting in high heat or
    freezing when it is cold.
    Present in: Shampoo/conditioner, bar soap, body wash, face cleanser, liquid
    hand soap, acne treatment, hair dye, shaving products,moisturizer,makeup
    remover, toothpaste, sunscreen, perfume, cologne, deodorant, toner/astringent,
    foundation, bronzer powder, nail polish, lip products, eye shadow/pencil,
    mascara.
    Health Concerns:Alters skin structure, allowing other chemicals to penetrate
    deep into the skin increasing the amount of other chemicals that reach the
    bloodstream; skin irritant, causes allergic reactions.

    Chemical: Sodium Laureth/Sodium Laurel Sulfate
    Function: Penetration enhancer.
    Present in: Shampoo/conditioner, bar soap, body wash, face cleanser, liquid
    hand soap, acne treatment, hair dye,mascara, shaving products,moisturizer,
    toothpaste, sunscreen,makeup remover, perfume, cologne.
    Health Concerns:Alters skin structure, allowing other chemicals to penetrate
    deep into the skin increasing the amount of other chemicals that reach the
    bloodstream.

    Chemical: Talc
    Function: Absorbs moisture.
    Present in: Primary ingredient in blush and powder eye shadow, perfumed
    powder, baby powder, deodorant, soap.
    Health Concerns:Cosmetic-grade talc is a proven carcinogen, link between
    use of talcum powder and ovarian cancer, talc particles are similar to asbestos
    particles and data suggests that it can cause tumors in the lungs, found to
    cause tumors in lab animals.
    Chemical: Toluene
    Function: Solvent to improve adhesion and gloss.
    Present in:Mainly nail polish and hair dye.
    Health Concerns:Potentially cancer causing, pregnancy concern, liver damage,
    irritating to the skin and respiratory tract; harmful by inhalation.

    Chemical: Triethanolamine
    Function:A coating ingredient for fresh fruits and widely used as a dispersing
    ingredient in hand and body lotions, shaving cream, soaps, shampoos and bath
    powders.
    Present in: Hand and body lotions, shaving creams, soaps, shampoos and bath
    powders.
    Health Concerns:May form carcinogenic compounds called nitrosamines
    (compounds formed when chemicals containing nitrites react with amine,
    natural chemicals found in food and the body) on the skin or in the body—
    among the most potent cancer-causing agents found.Thought to possibly
    cause cancer in humans, based on limited data.

  • eastvillagesiren November, 30 2013, 6:57

    Hi Christiana,

    This article, and bits and pieces of it, have been passed around on the Internet for year. I would look to all the incidences of “may be….” within the copy. That is not scientific, it is speculation, at best. Honestly, some of these ingredients I chose not to have in products I purchase, because they are not the most modern, effective ingredients or their irritation potential is too great. There are also inaccuracies and half-truths to be aware of in this list: DEA and MEA need to be a formulation (or perhaps on the surface of the skin) with a nitrosating ingredient; if not, there is no concern. And petrolatum is not and has never been banned by the EU. EU standards for petrolatum and mineral oil are in fact very high, and they are serious about these two ingredients containing extremely low to nonexistent levels of impurities. Paperwork has to be submitted by product manufacturers attesting to the purity; and products can and are recalled by the EU if they do not meet established safety or labeling standards.

    If you’d like to check a comprehensive, well-researched and vetted list of ingredients, look to the EU or cosmetics Europe (formerly COLIPA) for the latest information on the ingredients in personal care products, along with news on the latest research and safety initiatives.

  • Dr.Hauschka is a classic and works well. The focus there is to balance and strengthen your skin, so for it to be able to repair itself and not to be dependent on night creams, peelings etc. Another great one is Susanne Kaufmann; on their website, each product is introduced with a list of all the ingredients as well as description of each of the ingredients (what they are and what they do).

  • LOLOTTE 68 November, 27 2013, 11:16 / Reply

    C’est vrai que graduellement, je passe au bio: KORRES, marque grecque, a tout bon, soins comme produits de maquillage, et ils font un vrai effort au niveau packaging et emballage (du recyclé, mais trendy…..design modern), bref, j’adore, mais en France on peut toujours compter sur Melvita, qui assure, surtout pour les laits/crèmes pour le corps. efficacité, pas cher, et moins de produits chimiques sur soi (et que l’on reverse dans l’environnement à chaque fois que l’on fait sa toilette!).
    Pour tout ça, c’est une question d’habitude, et je brief mes ados , qui commencent à lire les étiquettes de ce qu’ils se mettent sur la peau!

  • In Fiore the best natural products ever!
    Je n´utilise que ça…
    http://infiore.net/

  • I have actually reached a somewhat in between point on this issue. After a serious illness, I removed all toxins from my life, and I am a big believer in avoiding them as much as you can. That said, after years of moisturizing with essentially coconut oil, I saw my skin needed a bit more. So now I compromise – I read about what is truly toxic or harmful (fragrance, parabens, SLS) and avoid all products containing those ingredients.

    However, I no longer insist on a 100% natural product. I use natural-ish brands, such as Weleda and I use Khiels, and I’m careful to only purchase the paraben free, fragrance free, sensitive skin safe products (you really have to read the labels, even with the more natural brands).

    And, bottom line, most of the really good, all natural products run $300 for a moisturizer, and that is simply out of my budget. So I’ve reached a compromise that I think is good for my skin, good for my health, and good for the planet, but much less strict than some would find necessary.

  • Thank you for your attention to natural products. For years I avoided this for the common misconceptions Ms.Harper pointed out that many think it is ineffective, but after using brands like hers, I’ve come away with better skin. As a man, I don’t always like the hyper-femininity of the brands, but one of my favorite natural lines which is pretty popular with fashion communities is YULI which is natural but highly scientific and unisex very cool and sophisticated.

  • I don´t really quite agree with that definition of natural. For example Urea is an amazing skin care ingredient that is synthesized with the help of bacteria in a lab. It´s a natural, non-toxic ingredient produced in a lab.

  • depuis que je suis passée au naturel pour mes cheveux, j’ai vu un petit miracle sur ma tête. Le volume qui a doublé, les cheveux lissés, brillants…tout le monde me demande ce que je leur fais! Donc oui, pour moi la cosmétique est vendue au marketing. Quand je vois le prix de la crème de la mer, j’ai envie de pleurer. Mieux vaut mettre sa tête dans l’océan ;)

  • Ben oui c’est vraiment chouette tout ça, et je suis entièrement d’accord avec cette approche. On absorbe bien trop de cochonneries à travers notre alimentations et nos cosmétiques. Mais honnêtement, tout le monde ne peut pas s’offrir la super crème ou le super nettoyant à 100 dollars! En tout cas, j’aimerais vraiment bien mais je ne peux pas. Je comprends que le prix se justifie par le savoir-faire et la grande qualité d’ingrédients utilisés. Mais dans ma réalité, je ne peux pas dépenser cette somme.
    Je suis consciente que nous sommes à une époque où il faut redéfinir nos priorités et où nous nous recentrons sur l’essentiel et la qualité plutôt que la quantité. Et ça ne passe pas que par les cosmétiques: choix d’un shopping et d’un dressing intelligent et qui dure, nourriture simple et saine, sport régulier, moins de stress et redéfinition de notre être essentiel et de nos aspirations. Mais ce qui me gonfle un peu, c’est que les marques nous font croire que nous n’y arriverons qu’avec tel ou tel produit qu’ils veulent nous vendre, et le pire c’est qu’ils arrivent (en tout cas je parle pour moi là) à nous faire culpabiliser ou même à induire un état de détestation de soi-même lorsqu’on ne peut pas obtenir ces fameux produits. Je veux dire, on dirait qu’aujourd’hui on ne peut réussir à avoir une super qualité de vie qu’en étant assez riches pour s’offrir toutes ces choses qui sont sensées nous rendre la vie plus “essentielle”. Et quand on n’a pas les moyens, on se sent “mis de côté” et ne faisant pas parti de ces “happy few”.
    Alors je suis d’accord, revenons au naturel et à l’essentiel de qualité. Mais je ne suis pas prête à dépenser autant…il faut donc trouver d’autres solutions. Je cherche encore mais j’ai déjà quelques pistes:
    Pour celles que ça intéresse et qui ont envie d’essayer, voici une petite recette maison pas chère pour se nettoyer le visage: ça s’appelle l’ubatana, et ça nous vient de la médecine ayurvédique, ça ne coûte pas grand chose et maman! ce que ça fait la peau douce! :-) Attention les filles, faut faire quelques courses avant.
    Dans un bol, mélanger:
    – 1 cuillère à soupe de poudre d’amande bio ou pas ( on en trouve dans toutes les grandes surfaces, rayon fruits secs. Vous pouvez la moudre un peu plus dans un mortier pour qu’elle soit plus fine et la conserver dans un bocal)
    – un peu de lait bio pour diluer (pas trop sinon c’est trop liquide et c’est pas top à utiliser)
    – un peu d’eau florale bio adaptée à votre peau (ayant la peau sensible, j’utilise de l’eau de fleurs d’oranger)
    – un peu d’huile d’amande bio ou une autre que vous aimez (jojoba ou camélia c’est top)
    Il faut que ça fasse une espèce de pâte, pas trop liquide.
    Appliquer sur le visage (rabattez vos cheveux en arrière avec un bandeau sinon bonjour la cata), et masser doucement du bout des doigts tout le visage. Laisser poser quelques secondes, puis rincez à l’eau tiède et essuyer avec un mouchoir délicatement.
    Voilà!!! Vous m’en direz des nouvelles, et franchement ça ne coûte pas grand chose.
    Dès que j’ai la super combine pour la crème miracle 100 % naturelle qui ne coûte pas 100 euros, je vous dis. En attendant, je reste sur mon lait-crème embryolisse…
    Bisous!!

  • Et Sanoflore alors !!!!
    Une super marque ultra-sensorielle qui n’utilise que des ingrédients naturels cultivés en haute provence.
    Ils viennent de sortir une lotion nommée “Aqua Magnific”a que j’ai vu dans Vogue ce mois-ci et qui est topissime.

    Pour moi la meilleure marque de skincare naturelle du marché.

  • I have been using natural beauty for more than 16 years and happy that it is evolving and getting better. My fave skincare brand is yuli. Their products are awesome. I also like kahina. For make up: kjaer weis, ilia, rms. haircare: acure, styling: less is more from austria. Xx

  • At http://sablebeauty.com we have a special focus on natural beauty products and One Love Organics is one of our favorites. Thank you for giving it some attention on your blog. It is an exquisite, well researched line and frankly everybody who tries it is blown away by the quality of the products (and yes the smell is divine). Morning Glory Brightening Complexion Booster is my personal favorite as is the amazing gentle Brand New Microderma Scrub and Masque. It is really difficult for excellent niche brands to get attention in the world of beauty and cosmetics that is dominated by the power of the marketing dollar (which is not to say that the big beauty brands do not offer excellent products it is just that sometimes it would be nice to be able to share alternatives)
    Dr Jackson Natural Products is another natural line we just discovered. It is very small but the research and focus on the products they have is meticulous, it really blows you away. Not a surprise since more than 15 years of research has been dedicated to formulating a groundbreaking SPF 20 day cream (Cream 01) and a super nourishing night cream (Cream 02) that is a holy grail for tired skin and skin that suffers from dark spots, sun damage, hyper pigmentation.

    check it out at http://sablebeauty.com

  • Tout à fait d’accord, surtout avec la dernière réponse ! J’ajouterais que la beauté écolo est aussi une beauté responsable, donc durable, donc on ne fait pas importer n’importe quel produit de l’Himalaya sous prétexte qu’il est “naturel et hyyyper biiien”, parce que ça coûte en kérozène !
    Cela fait deux ans que je n’utilise, pour mon entretien et mon maquillage QUE des produits bio, naturels, fait maison ou bien labellisés (One Voice, BDIH, Natrue, etc), et je m’en porte bien mieux ! ayant de problèmes de peau (psoriasis), les soins naturels m’ont sauvés ! Et quant à ceux qui disent que la nature n’est pas assez “efficace”, qu’ils testent les huiles essentielles ! Cela les fera probablement changer d’avis… !
    Je suis à 100% pour la slow cosmétique, une approche de la beauté sur la longue durée, plus sain pour nous et pour l’environnement (donc pour nous, au final !) !!
    De même, cette approche nécessite un minimum de réflexion, donc de vérification des ingrédients (la fameuse liste INCI) ! Pour cette approche, une adresse très utile : http://laveritesurlescosmetiques.com, qui nous permet de faire une recherche INCI selon le nom scientifique de chacun des composants de nos produits, pour ne plus se faire avoir, et devenir un consommateur (une consommatrice ! :)) responsable !
    Bisous à vous et bonne route vers le naturel (il n’y a rien de mieux ;)) !!

    I totaly agree, especially with the last answer ! I’ll also add that nature-friendly beauty is also being responsible for beauty, sustainable, so don’t buy some magical product made in Himalaya because it’s soooo good : because its cost in kerosene is high !
    It’s been two years since I only use natural products (or home-made !) for my beauty (skin, make-up and hair), with serious labels (One Voice, BDIH, Natrue…), and it’s only make it better ! And for those who say that nature is not efficient, let’s them have essential oils (it’s translated from French so I don’t know if it’s the exact term, please tell me if it isn’t ^^ !), it probably make them change their minds :) !
    I’m fond of slow cosmetic (again, French phrase, don’t know if the translation is right), a long-term beauty, cleaner for us and for nature so finally for us ^^ !) !
    At least, I’d say that this approach of beauty needs a deep thinking, because we are responsible for what we use for our skin, hair, etc., and check the ingredient list (INCI) is very important, for French readers it’s http://laveritesurlescosmetiques.com, where you can find the exact meaning of what it’s written veeery small (oh surprisingly it’s often from oil industry and chemical process), and I’m sorry but I don’t know some website in English :/ !
    Have fun on the road to natural beauty ! :)

  • A friend turned me on to the company “100% Pure” and I love their products. Not only do they do a complete skincare line, but also a complete makeup line, which is sometimes hard to find from the natural skincare companies. All of their colors are from fruit pigments, which I love. And I can honestly say that my super sensitive skin is BETTER when I’m wearing their makeup than when I’m not. So glad I found this brand!

  • Merci pour cet article, je suis contente que tu parles enfin des produits bio. Je les utilise depuis longtemps pour les soins (lait démaquillant, tonique, crèmes). J’utilise depuis longtemps Melvitta parce qu’ils sont en France donc pas de pollution due au transport. Et qu’ils ne font pas de tests sur les animaux.
    Pour le maquillage, j’utilise des poudres ultra fines bio faites aussi en France par une petite structure : http://www.3fees.com/
    C’est une amie qui me les a fait découvrir. C’est un maquillage minéral très doux sur la peau qui donne un bel éclat et tient très bien. J’utilise leur base éclat, leur poudre (fond de teint) et leur blush ainsi que les ombres à paupières (beaucoup de jolis coloris dans les tons doux et aussi un très beau bleu jean’s). Les produits sont peu chers car on achète une fois le contenant et pour la suite on commande les recharges. Les petits paquets arrivent à la maison en 48h avec des échantillons. Les pinceaux sont très utiles pour toutes les utilisations et on peut acheter un tube par pinceau pour protéger les poils lors du transport dans le sac. Sur le site une video indique comment appliquer ces poudres. C’est vraiment bien.
    A part ça je ne supporte plus vraiment le parfum que j’imagine toxique aussi donc je afis l’impasse…
    L.

  • OK, I dont ever comment here but this time I cant help it. And I must say NO, this is not right. I agree with some of the points, I do like the idea behind natural cosmetics and its very challenging for a formulator to develop products that fulfill all natural requirements and still have a nice sensorial profile. But NO, when you use non-natural cosmetics you are not using dangerous products. I dont know what the FDA requires, but in Europe we have different organizations that set the regulations for cosmetics (COLIPA, COSING…) So its not like we go to our lab one morning and say “oh lets mix all these synthetic ingredients that could be carcinogenic for the consumer, yay fun!” Plus we have to test our products for safety and elaborate a security dossier for every single ingredient of a product.
    Oh! And as soon as I read 100% natural I thought, hmmm let’s see what they do about SPF. So of course not a single product on the web page has SPF protection, not 30, not even 15, nothing… and here is something that could actually really be cancinogenic, not protecting your skin from UV. Not to mention accelerating photo-aging (hello wrinkles!!)
    OH and whats that about spanish lavander being synthetic??? Wasnt the whole point not to have synthetic ingredints? And of course natural ingredients are effective, most actives are extracts from plants, with the efficacy tests to back their claims!!
    So my point is, natural is an option, which has to be respected, but its not a solution for everything, Im afraid. And its very unfair for the cosmetics industry to start these false accusations, there are strict regulations for cosmetics products that formulators have to consider while developing products(at least in europe).
    So sorry for the rant, but I couldnt help myself…
    Love the blog!!!

    Amaia

  • eastvillagesiren November, 28 2013, 10:17

    Dear Amaia,

    Thank you for your wonderful, balance comments. I find it very disturbing that some “natural” product company heads basically insult the integrity of cosmetic chemists, that they would formulate unsafe products. And yes, the EU has in place safety standards and protocols that ensure consumer health and beauty products are safe to use. A company can be shut down and its products confiscated if it doesn’t comply. This attention to safety and health is acceptable to me. And if a “natural” company denigrates other companies and their ingredients, while speaking so well of their own amazing products, then I do not respect them at all.

    I use both simple, well-formulated “natural” brands and big brands like La Roche Posay. It is safety, quality, functionality and compatibility with my skin that factor into my purchases, not half-truths, biased opinions and fear-mongering.

  • eveange66 November, 28 2013, 8:42 / Reply

    Je n’ai pas lu tous les commentaires mais en tous les cas, ce qui me frappe, c’est l’approche qui sous tend cette utilisation du “propre, naturel”.
    Si c’est pour continuer dans la folie de sur CON sommation, ce n’est même pas la peine de se lancer là dedans sous un prétexte soit de suivre la tendance (it’s trendy darliiinnng!!) ou de se donner bonne conscience. Pas la peine de vider sa salle de bain pour la remplir à nouveau jusqu’au plafond de nouveaux produits, certes clean, mais en a t on vraiment besoin. De nombreux commentaires soulignent le prix élevés de certaines lignes de cosmétiques bio : je les comprends. Mais, parfois, quand je vois la liste des composants, je me dis “pourquoi faire simple quand on peut faire compliqué (et cher !)”. Si l’on veut vraiment être au bio, pour moi, cela va de pair avec une simplification des soins, de sa vie, sans pour autant tomber dans l’ascétisme bien sur. Cela signifie que l’on peut trouver des cosmétiques bio “simples”, en restant dans une gamme courte : nettoyant, lait, tonique, creme, CDY, lait pour le corps. Le reste peut être des huiles végétales, pures ou en mélange (maison), aloe vera, argile pour gommage, rhassoul. OK pour les shampooings il faut aussi choisir du bio surtout.
    It is of no use to switch to organic cosmetic if you are still cluttering your bathroom, your face and body, your life with a huge quantity of stuff for this or that. Just try to eat less junk food, cook more at home (do you only know what is an egg, how to cook?). Pure carier oil, aloe vera, ghassoul, clay, along with simple formula cream and shampoo with short list of components should suffice.
    Anyway, nothing will help you to really stop ageing so you should better understand how to manage with it and embrace your age and figure, enjoy the life.
    Je suis au bio pour les cosmétiques depuis 2002, pas facile à l’époque, avant la mode. Bien sur, j’ai été tenté d’avoir toujours plus mais bon, ça n’a pas éviter mes rides et puis ça fini par m’ennuyer. Je soutiens fermement le bio et ne reviendrais jamais en arrière (merci à de magnifiques allergies infligées par de so called produits de parapharmacie…) mais j’avoue être agacée par ce rush sur le bio comme le Graal en personne, alors que l’on sait pertinemment que certains laisseront tomber rapidement, la majorité des suiveurs en fait. En tous les cas, bonne recherche et attention avec le bio et naturel qui n’est pas sans danger et allergie non plus.

  • Je suis passé au tout beau tout bio (ou en tout cas naturel), après avoir tout testé pour soigner ma rosacée. Et j’ai eu de bien meilleurs résultats avec des produits que j’avais fais moi même, qu’avec toutes les crèmes de parapharmacie ou prescrites par des dermatologues.

    En cherchant, j’ai découvert le monde de LA SLOW COSMETIQUE (en référence au mouvement slow food). R E V E L A T I O N. Il s’agit (en gros) de revenir à une consommation de la beauté plus responsable et naturelle. J’ai notamment découvert Julien Kaibeck, qui a son blog et écrit plusieurs ouvrages sur le sujet. Il donne plein de conseils (par exemple, qu’il n’existe aucune crème qui efface les rides, une fois qu’elles sont là, elles restent ! Donc pas besoin d’acheter des crèmes hors de prix) et de recettes. A moi les huiles végétales, essentielles, argile, et autres actifs !
    Faire sa crème, son sérum, c’est ludique, économique et 100% adapté à nos besoins. Bon, j’ai quand même souvent la flemme, alors dans ce cas, je m’achète des crèmes bio.
    Bref, sans être devenue une passonaria de la cause, je le recommande car pour moi, ça a changé beaucoup de choses.

  • Christelle November, 28 2013, 4:38 / Reply

    Merci pour cet article qui peut contribuer à faire bouger le marché des cosmétiques.
    J’ai commencé la transformation de mon régime beauté avec le maquillage minéral. Ensuite j’ai graduellement changé tous mes cosmétiques visage. J’utilise désormais des huiles végétales et essentielles en guise de crème hydratante. Je consulte régulièrement le site Oleassence où Christine donne ses précieux conseils. D’autres sites tels que Aroma-zone donne également des centaines de recettes d’huiles procurées par les meilleurs spécialistes en aromathérapie pour combler votre peau de naturel.
    J’ai découvert récemment le site EWG/ skindeep en cherchant un shampoing naturel. Il semblerait que seuls les EU et l’Australie produisent des produits naturels et soient très cotés sur skindeep. Le fait que Skindeep soit américain explique certainement cela ! Il y a même une application iphone et Android pour vérifier l’innocuité d’un produit en scannant son code à barre…

  • Et 100%pure (marque californienne) pourquoi tu n’en parles pas Garance? J ai acheté le shampoing honey and virgin coconut shampoo et le rouge à levres water melon cet été a NYC. Je les trouve super ! Ce n est pa connu sur la côte Est?

  • Effectivement, ça “fleure” bon la bonne idée… Mais comme beaucoup des lectrices ont pu commenter, ça coûte un bras !

  • Ça y est, moi je suis passée au 100% naturel – progressivement depuis deux ans. Et non seulement ça FONCTIONNE, mais c’est très économique ! Je crois pouvoir dire que ma peau et mes cheveux n’ont jamais été aussi beaux. Vive la low cosmétique !

  • I recently discovered NuboNau, a natural and organic skincare boutique. I’ve been extremely pleased with my purchases at this site. (No affiliation, simply a satisfied customer.) Every product comes beautifully wrapped with a handwritten note. Opening a package from them is pure delight. They stock products in a range of price points so there is something for everyone. And, most importantly, they list ingredients for every product they sell. I’m having so much fun discovering new, quality brands that the mainstream (often quite toxic) brands no longer hold any appeal. Who could resist giving Studio 78 Paris a try, if just for the packaging alone?

    http://nubonau.com/natural-organic-skin-care-brands/studio-78-paris

  • Truthfully, what will make me go 100% natural is price and accessibility. When I even think about paying more for a product, I tend to do thorough research first. That takes time. And seemingly suddenly I run out of shampoo or something, so I just hop into Target real quick and get a standard, low-price item. Then I put the research out of my mind for a bit since I just got a brand new bottle of shampoo. So…I’m lazy, huh? And cheap, since I can’t afford not to be, haha. Interesting interview though, and slowly, we will all become more conscious of natural beauty.

  • Doux Me a bénéficié d’une couverture médiatique importante, mais cette marque n’est pas du tout pionnière dans le bio contrairement à ce que l’on a voulu nous faire croire.Weleda, Cattier, Sanoflore, Dr Hauschka, Lavera, Melvita, Sante, Logona et j’en oublie existait bien avant Doux Me.

  • Belle Helene Facial oils are a totally natural product made in Wellington, New Zealand, and give wonderful results.

    bellehelenefacialoils.co.nz

  • Je suis tout à fait du même avis, pour ma part j’utilise des produits d’une marque française du LABORATOIRE BODY NATURE qui fabrique des cosmétiques naturels.

  • I love the natural way! It feels right, like home. Just like changing to a *truly* natural way of eating, it takes a long time and in my opinion it is much more pleasant and rewarding when done slowly. To do it all at once can be shocking to the body and to our psyches. Like has been said, products can be very expensive, though if a person is used to buying designer beauty products, the price tag on organics won’t be much different.
    I have some sources to share. They have brought such healing to my life, and I feel so happy to give them my money! (rather than to companies who use dangerous business practices and chemicals….)

    my BELOVED conditioner and hair cremes and face oils come from
    JustNaturalSkinCare.com
    I recommend contacting them, they may send you trials to review! :)

    and a great one for low budget beauty is called
    CrunchyBetty.com
    She is magnificent. She has really put a lot of time and energy and love into providing the best information and advice to her readers.

    I’ve been doing a plain greek yogurt mask for the past week and it’s incredible!

    a last great place for oils (especially if you want to try the Oil Cleansing Method) is
    MountainRoseHerbs.com

    To beauty! in all its magic forms…

  • April Streeter January, 28 2014, 10:28 / Reply

    I use a Norwex microfiber makeup removal cloth. You only need water and the cloth to cleanse your skin. It is densely woven with microsilver so it is anti-bacterial. It not only takes off all my makeup, but it is clearing up my breakouts and pre-existing acne. I love their natural products so much I started selling them and blogging about them myself at http://www.takeme2green.blogspot.com.
    I have been following your blog for years Garance – I just love it!

    April
    http://www.aprilstreeter.norwex.biz

  • It is necessary that you have to keep everything clean, from your make up accessories and of course your skin.

  • I’ve always loved your blog for the illustration, photography and humour. This post is so useful, and something that I am very passionate about on my blog.

    http://wildorganicbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/

  • Pouvez vous indiquer ou acheter cette lavande espagnole qui fait comme le botox svp je veux essayer merci

  • These look great!! :) Thank you for sharing this.

  • Preserva products are manufactured using high quality raw materials, some of which are 100% certified organic under strict manufacturing processes, ensuring that only the best reaches our consumers. visit:https://www.preservawellness.com

  • Hi there, You’ve performed an incredible job. I’ll
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