EcoSalon’s top beauty picks to keep you organically beautiful.
Last year, we brought you some of our favorite online shops for green beauty. Since then new products arrived, the Environmental Working Group released new findings and Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database got a makeover. Also, we discovered some great new beauty boutiques. Here’s a look at our updated findings, complete with our classic favorites, to help you freshen up your green makeup bag.
Futurenatural
Voted Treehugger’s 2011 Best Beauty Store, Futurenatural offers shoppers to “Live well. Do Good. Look Gorgeous.” According to their mandate, “Our passionate endeavor is to only represent brands that have no petroleum derivatives, no parabens, no synthetic colors or fragrances, dibutyl pthalate, sodium lauryl sulphate, formaldehyde, or any other known harmful ingredients, and absolutely none of the products are tested on animals.” The site also provides an excellent glossary to help its shoppers through the many ingredients and labels on its site.
Lilou Organics
This Canadian boutique offers up fantastic lines such as Revolution Organics, Weleda, Pangea Organics and more. Owner Lisa Schmidt personally tests each product on the site, promising effective, high quality ingredients. They also offer free samples with each order.
Saffron Rouge
All the products sold by Saffron Rouge contain certified organic or certified biodynamic ingredients and claim to be free of questionable, synthetic or potentially toxic ingredients. They designed their own certification program using a black list and a green list. If a product contains anything on the black list, they will not carry it.
The Nature of Beauty
Want clean, green products? Founder Dr. Terri Bly has promised that she has “read every label, researched every ingredient, and maintain regular contact with the manufacturers to ensure their business practices and values are fully aligned with the objectives of her company.” Should you also be in the neighborhood of St. Paul, Minnesota, you can also check into their spa.
Eco Style Shopper
This site, formerly known as Upurea, is perhaps better for the already savvy eco shopper as it takes an extra few clicks to get to your ingredients information. But if you already know your favorite brands, they offer up a diverse (and large) selection.
Spirit Beauty Lounge
This boutique offers the soothing balm to its readers as “A place where you can shop safe, knowing we’ve done the research for you.” All of their products ship with free sample kits that you can choose to add onto your order.
Beautorium
Beautorium, known for their great sales and promotions, offers up trusted lines such as Juice Beauty and Dr. Hauschka. Most of their products are certified natural, organic and/or vegetarian by the independent third party organizations.
Nature’s Basin
This site promises “natural, organic and mineral based products [which] are formulated with ingredients from natural sources, such as plants, flowers, fruit, vegetables, etc. We select products that do not contain any synthetic chemicals, including parabens, phthalates, petrochemicals, fragrances, or dyes.” They also offer an impressive list of eco-certifications for many of their products, including USDA Organic and BDIH (Germany).
Mint and Berry
Perhaps the coolest thing about Mint and Berry is that the shop will not offer any products that rate higher than a 2 on the EWG’s Skin Deep database. This means their products must have earned some of the lowest possible hazardous ratings possible. What’s more, much of their products are quite affordable.
Organic Beauty Now
This site, called the “green and glam beauty center,” provides some of our favorite lines such as Primitive, A Perfume Organic, skinnyskinny, and Vapour. They also offer a separate category for vegan shoppers.
Organic Glow
Organic Glow is specific to Miessence, the Australian company as the first organic beauty product in the world to achieve organic food certification. The site offers body, hair, face, cosmetics and baby products. Further, you can email founder Alison with any questions you might have about organic beauty.
Strawberry Hedgehog
True, this site also only carries one line, but their handmade eco-friendly bath and body works are not to be missed. These 100% vegan soaps and lotions are made with natural, safe ingredients and arrive in recycled, minimal packaging.
John Masters Organics
Another single brand site, you can find a complete line of fantastic skincare products at John Masters Organics. Often made with cold-pressed, non-GMO plant oils, it’s a luxury line well worth the money.
Lavera
Want the high standards of European certifications in your green products? Then take a walk through the Lavera site, which offers up some of the highest rated skin and body products on the market.
Jane Iredale
Finally, if you want high-performing, well-crafted safer makeup, consider the Jane Iredale site. This mineral line of makeup offers makeup that contains no talc or parabens and are cruelty-free.
Image: Dominique Godbout