Our skin is our largest organ, and absorbs what we soak, spray, and rub on, so it’s time to clean up our personal care routines. The good news is that Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie have written and released their new book Toxin Toxout that tells us how to avoid these chemicals and how to get rid of them too! The first thing we can do is read labels… you are looking for full disclosure and a complete ingredient list – ingredients that you can read and recognize, and understand their origin (helpful hint: if there is no ingredient list at all, that is a sign to stay away from the product completely!).
To be an eco-responsible beauty, you no longer have to stick to pumping out hemp soap and dabbing on hippy fragrances. There are brands for every body, every face and every demographic, without having to compromise anything – not convenience, quality or selection.
And, although I’m not one to give beauty or makeup advice since I don’t wear much of it, I share with you my makeup must-haves in my collection.
1. Haut Cosmetics. You don’t just glow when you’re wearing Haut makeup – their products actually help your skin recover its natural balance so you still feel beautiful long after you wash your face. A natural fermentation process brings out the best of their already amazing ingredients, producing enzymes, proteins and amino acids that literally feed your skin. The combination of locally harvested Canadian Glacial Marine Clay, organic coconut oil, and flower water leaves your skin always looking and feeling healthy. hautcosmetics.ca
2. Ilia. Every Ilia cosmetic is filled with certified organic bio-active botanicals that are nourishing and rejuvenating, and packaged in a recycled aluminum case. You may already be familiar with their extraordinary lip care, but it’s worth taking notice of their new line of mascaras too – they’re easy to apply, add great volume and length, and like the rest of their line you never feel like you have to compromise on quality for something safe and truly beautiful. iliabeauty.com
3. Hemp Organics. Their signature Lip Tints are amazing and replace any tinted lip balm, perfect for throwing into your purse. They are made with 95% certified organic ingredients. You can use it alone for moisturizing sheer colour or layer over lipsticks for added shine – I use these every day. colorganics.net
4. worldPRODUCTS. WorldSALON is beauty hot spot in Toronto, whose clients include film and tv celebs, and supermodels, and they also happen to be continuously recognized for their cutting edge eco and health initiatives. WorldPRODUCTS contain only safe ingredients, which naturally implies they have no parabens, no sulphates, no phthalates, no fragrance, and no colour. When you’re in the mood for full, chunky bodied beach hair (and you just can’t get to the beach), spritz on worldOCEAN to achieve that salty sun kissed look. This clean and green product made locally by a great little company can have a big impact on how you look and feel. world.ca
5. RMS Beauty. Rose Marie Swift, celebrity makeup artist, is dedicated to transforming the way we use makeup. Her beautiful line uses raw, food-grade, organic ingredients that nourish the skin. Get more for your dollar with multi-purpose products, like their lip2cheek tints, lip and skin balm, and creamy eye shadows with beautiful shades to choose from. Lots of people that I have referred to this line swear by the Living Luminizer, so check that one out. rmsbeauty.com
6. Clinical Luxury by Nature. The name really says it all. Graydon, the creator of the line, combines nature’s purest ingredients to heal, strengthen, and moisturize your skin. All of her products are handmade in small batches in Toronto as a bonus. With a line that includes everything from anti-microbial mists to amazing cleaning and curing skin stuff, you’ll want to look her line up. clinicalluxurybynature.com
7. Living Libations. Nadine’s essential oils are the best of best, they are completely pure and completely transforming for your skin too (and they are even good enough to eat!). Living Libations has a solution for looking, feeling, and smelling fabulous – the line includes too many to list but includes deodorant, tooth care, acne treatment, Hyper-Pigmentation, sun care, scars, eye serum, and of course, chocolate bars. livinglibations.com
Important note: As a proud cabinet member of Environmental Defence’s Just Beautiful Campaign, I am hoping to help push Canada to ban the known-to-be-harmful ingredients in our products, and demand full disclosure of what’s in our products on shelf in Canada. I believe that’s the make-over we all need. Please sign the petition.
Don’t forget to read your labels. It’s the easiest way for you to decide what’s safe. Remember, if it’s on you, it’s in you.
