Artificial fragrances are rampant in the celebrity perfume business. But why would you even want to smell like someone else in the first place?

I recently read a quote from Emma Watson: “I can’t understand this (celebrity) fragrance thing,” she told the British Press Association. “Why would you want to smell like somebody else? Don’t you want to smell like yourself?”

You know, Emma, I totally agree with you. Why not smell like yourself? Or better yet, why not smell like aromas that you are naturally attracted to, blended in a way that creates a unique signature scent for you? Being a one-of-a-kind is something I think you, Emma, would understand.

‘s because of the years I spent working alongside Horst Rechelbacher, the founder of Aveda and Intelligent Nutrients and a proponent of aromatherapy and pure essential oils, or maybe it’s because I have a very strong sense of smell. I like to think it’s because I appreciate uniqueness. But, like Emma, I don’t understand the appeal of celebrity fragrances.

Is another celebrity fragrance really necessary? There are hundreds of celebrity fragrances on the market. Britney Spears has at least 12 different perfumes. There are not enough days in the week for her to wear all of them. Every time a celebrity launches a fragrance or adds a new fragrance to their portfolio I have to roll my eyes and think “am I missing something?” Nothing personal, Britney, but even though I’ve done your makeup a few times, I don’t know you well enough to want to smell like you.

Each of us is so unique in our tastes (our personal likes and dislikes especially when it comes to scent) that even if you love the celebrity whose perfume you are purchasing, you may not be attracted to the same smells as they are. Remember too: what smells good on one person doesn’t always smell good on others. And commercially available fragrances are created with synthetic and artificial ingredients including chemicals boosters and fixatives that give the aroma a strong longer lasting effect.

Which brings me to another point: the majority of what you’re paying for when you dish out the $50 to $100+ dollars at the cash register is not what’s in the bottle. The largest percentage of your hard-earned money goes to pay for overhead costs, profits for the manufacturer and seller, marketing costs, and sales commissions. Next, you pay for the beautiful bottle specifically created for the perfume as well as additional packaging costs. Let’s not forget that celebrities are not lending their name to a product for free, either: celebrity endorsements or licensing costs you, the end consumer.

Believe it or not, one of the least expensive parts of a fragrance is the actual perfume or “juice” in the bottle. This is because even if the juice contains expensive ingredients they are used in such small quantities and mixed with other, mostly synthetic ingredients and artificial fragrances to create the final product. And here is the crazy thing: the FDA does not require fragrance manufacturers to disclose the ingredients of (synthetic) fragrances because these formulas are regarded as “proprietary” and are protected under the FDA’s “trade secret” law. And by the way, the chances of the celebrity whose name on the bottle is actually wearing the fragrance you are purchasing are pretty slim (unless of course they are at an event promoting the fragrance).

So, what’s the alternative?

A Purefume rather than Perfume (I heard the word purefume for the first time from Horst Rechelbacher): customized scents created with pure essential oils derived from plant materials that harmonize with, rather than mask, an individual’s unique scent.

According to Kelly Holland Azzaro, registered Aromatherapist and former President of NAHA (National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy) there are many reasons for using essential oils instead of perfumes and artificial fragrances:

-Essential oils are natural botanicals aromas not synthetic or chemical laden smells.

-Essential oils do more than just smell good they have therapeutic properties that affect your well being.

-Most essential oils also have antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties.

-Essential oils are not as invasive as artificial perfumes (which can cause health problems for those with upper respiratory issues and breathing difficulties or those hypersensitive to smells or chemicals).

-And for those that want a unique “purefume,” essential oils blend with a person’s individual smell, creating a very unique personal aroma. Can you say unforgettable?

Kelly advises that if you are not sure where to start, work with a professional aromatherapist who has been trained in the safe use of essential oils.

For the record, the word “fragrance” means a sweet or delicate odor. “Perfume” means a liquid substance that you put on your body in small amounts in order to smell pleasant; it can be created with either natural or synthetic ingredients. Only the words “essential oils” mean a substance obtained from a plant (ie from nature).

Here’s how to create a signature aroma using essential oils:

Margaret Fink, former Aveda Director of Education, advises that the best way to create a truly individual essential oil blend is to “go on a sensory journey”. Our olfactory system is linked to memory; you may find different smells even affect your mood and emotions. The best way to find what you love is to smell a variety of essential oils (singular notes as they are called) and identify the essences you are most attracted to. Once you’ve identified 3 to 4 scents (or notes) that affect you positively, they can be blended into a composition that is truly original “you bottled.” You can even decide to purchase the individual oils and mix or blend into additional mediums such as bath water, body lotion, and even be diffused into your environment. Layering your aroma makes it last longer without the addition of synthetic fixatives and boosters.

Don’t know where to start? Michelle Moulin Markuson, Aromatherapist and founder of Blending Babes, recommends sandalwood, cedar and rose as great aromas to transition into autumn. As a former Aveda alumni, Michelle started Blending Babes because she was done buying other companies’ scents. Michelle wanted to make essential oils, safe, easily available and affordable. Michelle’s company sells beautiful essential oils blends, hydrosols, and more on line.

Get sniffing and find a scent makes you feel like a celebrity.

Find Fatima on Twitter @fatimaolive 

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Horst Rechelbacher, Austrian-born founder of Aveda Corps., one of the first mainstream companies to eliminate toxic chemicals in products, and enthusiastic-pioneer of mass market plant based beauty, sadly passed away last month at the age of 72. But he left behind a legacy of healthier communities.

Throughout his work and career Horst Rechelbacher shed light on the dangers of toxic chemicals in cosmetics long before the conversation was mainstream. Most importantly, not only was he an outspoken advocate on the issue, he offered solid solutions.

Founder of beauty care companies Aveda and Intelligent Nutrients, author, ayurvedic scholar and organic farmer, Rechelbacher grew revolutionary companies supplying high performing products and a keen awareness to the vital importance of natural beauty.

He would famously drink hair spray and other products made by his company to prove they weren’t simply giving lip service. “Everything we put in and on our bodies must be nutritious and safe,” was Rechelbacher’s signature motto.

Our skin, like a sponge, absorbs mostly anything we put on it; yet cosmetic ingredients are not regulated the same way food is. In the last decade, studies linking cosmetic ingredients to cancer have uncovered the importance of Rechelbacher’s pioneering work. But long before the conversation was mainstream, he was formalizing the best, toxic-free products through Aveda, and later Intelligent Nutrients; safe alternatives in form that didn’t sacrifice function.

Through his companies and tireless advocacy work, Mr. Rachelbacher revolutionized the beauty industry forever.

Mr. Rechelbacher’s plant-based approached stemmed from his mother, an herbablist. At the age of 14, he apprenticed at a nearby hair salon; only three years later to find himself working in Rome. He went on to found Aveda in 1978, fusing plant science and beauty against the modern ideas of efficiency through chemicals.

Thanks to Rechelbacher’s dedication Aveda is the first beauty company to produce with one hundred percent wind power, and the first beauty company to use one hundred percent post-consumer recycled PET packaging.

After selling Aveda in 1997, Rechelbacher founded Intelligent Nutrients, a beauty company using only certified organic ingredients. Most of the ingredients used are grown on his 570-acre organic farm in Osceola, Wisconsin.

Horst left us with fundamental ideas of the power of nature. Below are three revolutionary shifts he brought into the beauty industry forever.

1. The Relationship between Plants and Beauty is Luxury

Horst launched his career at a time when laboratory science was the shining horizon of global industries; food, beauty and others were looking for leaps in efficiency via chemicals as the answer to limits of nature. But Horst held on to the intrinsic benefits plants have to offer, and believed in beauty from the inside and out. His luxurious products free of toxic chemicals offer an alternative to the mainstream, proving you didn’t have to sacrifice form for function.

2. Companies are Greater Than Their Final Product

Rechelbacher’s work went far beyond his products. As an outspoken advocate for eliminating toxic chemicals in beauty, Horst helped finance the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. Today, the organization stands as one of the largest and most influential groups working towards regulating the cosmetic industry and increasing consumer awareness. Their most recent work persuaded Johnson & Johnson to remove two ingredients from their baby shampoo that are linked to cancer.

He also conducted his business as a holistic vision of health: He led Aveda to be the first beauty company to produce with one hundred percent wind power, and the first beauty company to use one hundred percent post-consumer recycled PET packaging. Intelligent Nutrients offers an ingestible product called Intellimune, made of five powerful seed oils: black cumin, pumpkin, red grape, raspberry and cranberry. His companies didn’t just make healthier products, but healthier and more holistic consumer world.

3. Natural is Not Only Good for Our Health, It’s Good For Business

In 1997, Aveda Corps. was sold to Estee Lauder for a reported $300 million, and is still carried in over 25,000 stores and salons worldwide. Now that’s good business.

To leave something behind, greater than ourselves, is a life well lived. Horst Rechelbacher founded and matured healthy companies that have touched millions of people. As the father of safer cosmetics, his legacy will live on; inside and out.

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image: Social Earth

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Red hair is bold, sexy, sassy and fun. It stands out in ways that other hair colors just can’t compete with, especially when it catches the light in just that certain way. But very few of us are naturally blessed with this gorgeous hue, from pale ginger to rich auburn, so if we want to feel like a flame-haired bombshell a la Christina Hendricks or Florence Welch, we’ve got to fake it.

Red can be one of the hardest hair colors to achieve, since it tends to fade quickly, and the wrong shade can send you to the clownish side of the spectrum. Here are some natural red hair color tips, and organic red hair dye brands that can safely get you the vivid shade you’re looking for, including healthy and all-natural henna. 

At the Salon: Aveda Plant-Based Hair Color

Nobody does red hair color better than Aveda, and if you want to avoid the pitfalls that can come with at-home dye jobs, putting yourself in the hands of a pro is your best bet. The brand’s full-spectrum permanent dyes are up to 99% naturally derived, with plant-based formulas instead of the petrochemicals that typically make up permanent hair dye. The nice thing about going to a salon is you can have a color custom-mixed to ensure that it’s just right for your skin tone, and the colorist can blend different shades to give your overall look more depth.

Aveda isn’t the only option for safe, organic red hair color, of course. Look for a salon in your area offering organic, non-toxic options, and check out the brands they use online before making an appointment.

At-Home Permanent Red Hair: Naturtint and Herbatint

If you’d rather just grab a box off the shelf and get it over with, there are a few options to choose from. Whole Foods and other natural food stores offer brands like Naturtint and Herbatint. Herbatint is free of ammonia, alcohol, fragrance and parabens, and uses less peroxide for a more natural-looking result; the Environmental Working Group (EWG) gave it a safety score of 2 out of 10, (lower numbers indicating a safer product). Red shades range from light copper blonde to ‘flash fashion’ crimson red, and they can be mixed to create your own custom shade. The same goes for Naturtint, which scored a 3 from EWG. These box formulas aren’t perfect, but they’re a big improvement over the conventional store brands.

Not sure which shade to choose? When it doubt, go lighter. You can always dye it again if the results aren’t bold enough for you, but it can be hard to fix cherry-red hair that’s darker and more dramatic than you wanted.

Making a Big Commitment: Henna

By far, the healthiest and most permanent option for red hair color is henna. Totally plant-based, henna bonds with the proteins in your hair rather than just coating it in a very long-lasting reaction that’s hard to reverse. Because it has a sheer effect, working with your own natural hair color, the results tend to look fairly natural, with lots of dimension.

You can control the hue of your results using the custom formulas described at HennaForHair.com, which incorporate other natural ingredients like coffee, hibiscus petals and lemon juice. Always try it out on a small piece of hair before coloring your entire head.

Temporary Red Hair: Vegetable Dyes

If you want to give natural red hair color a try, but you’re feeling a little commitment-shy, try a temporary rinse. Vegetable dyes like Manic Panic can be used over your current hair color (assuming it’s not too dark) for a subtle effect that washes out in a week or two. Manic Panic is vegan, PPD-free and never tested on animals, but some formulas do contain parabens. Learn more about the ingredients at Bonzai Aphrodite, and make sure to do an allergy test before use.

Main Image: megan leetz Other Images: Aveda.com

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Aveda is a pioneer in the use of natural ingredients – but are all its beauty products created equal?

The history of Aveda is one of sustainability firsts: the first beauty company to use 100% post-consumer recycled PET packaging, the first beauty company to manufacture with 100% certified wind power, the first privately-owned company to sign onto the CERES Principles, a groundbreaking 10-point code of corporate environmental conduct created in 1989.

But despite Aveda’s impressive eco-credentials, the company has its critics, who say that its line of haircare and beauty products isn’t as “natural” as marketing materials imply.

Aveda’s roots lie in the Himalayan region of India, where founder Horst Rechelbacher, a German hairstylist, traveled in the early 1970s. There, Rechelbacher was introduced to ayurvedic practices and developed an intense interest in holistic health and the use of natural, plant-based solutions. When he returned home, he developed a Clove Shampoo and Cherry Almond Bark Conditioner in his kitchen sink, and in 1978, he founded Aveda.

Today, the Aveda brand encompasses hundreds of natural products, including hair care, skin care, cosmetics, and “pure-fume.” The company was acquired by Estée Lauder in 1997 for $300 million, but it continues to operate as a separate entity.

The Good

Our mission at Aveda is to care for the world we live in, from the products we make to the ways in which we give back to society. At Aveda, we strive to set an example for environmental leadership and responsibility, not just in the world of beauty, but around the world.

Aveda doesn’t just talk the talk; it walks the walk too. Over the past decade, Aveda has improved its environmental track record even more, increasing its purchases of organic raw herbal ingredients and organic essential oils from 20-25% of total tonnage to 89-90% of total tonnage. With its Green Ingredient Policy, Aveda aims to incorporate more ingredients that are defined by one or more of the following:

• Sourced from organic, sustainable or renewable plant-based origins
• Represent ecological and cultural diversity by being sourced from different habitats all over the world
• Provide fair compensation to suppliers
• Do not negatively impact the ecosystems from which they are sourced
• Are biodegradable
• Involve environmentally responsible processing
• Are animal friendly 

To implement this policy, Aveda has partnered with the EPEA, an environmental research institute run by Cradle to Cradle co-author Michael Braungart. The company has also embraced other elements of C2C philosophy, which focuses on creating things that are “eco-effective” (good for people and the earth) rather than “eco-efficient (things that are simply less bad). Among Aveda’s fundamental principles are eliminating waste and creating good, using renewable energy, and celebrating diversity. A handful of Aveda products have received Cradle to Cradle^® certification, signaling that they have been created with this rigorous approach to production.

Aveda has also pioneered a new way to trace the ingredients in its supply chain, which it calls Soil to Bottle^SM. Central to Aveda’s sourcing policy is developing long-lasting relationships with suppliers in certain communities, such as Nisarga, a firm based in Maharashtra, India, from which it sources turmeric and amla. Aveda also works with producers to source urukum and babassu from Brazil, argan from Morocco, rose and lavender from Bulgaria, sandalwood from Australia, and cistus from Spain.

The Bad

While Aveda is transparent about where its natural ingredients come from, what about everything else in the bottle? A beautifully designed natural ingredient glossary showcases the nuts, seeds, and herbs used in select Aveda products, but online ingredient lists for individual products are nowhere to be found.

Skin Deep, a cosmetics database run by the Environmental Working Group, has audited a select number of Aveda products, assigning health concern ratings from 1 (low hazard) to 8 (high hazard).

Aveda Control Paste Finishing Paste, which received an 8, was rated as having high health concerns for allergies and immunotoxicity, endocrine disruption, and occupational hazards, among other things. Its ingredient list includes:

Aqueous (Water, Aqua Purificata, Purified) Extracts: Althaea Officinalis (Marshmallow) (Organically Grown), Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Linum Usitatissimum (Linseed) Seed Extract, Organically Grown), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, (Coconut), PEG-25 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Tribehenin, (Rapeseed), Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, (Coconut), Glycerin, (Coconut), Cetearyl Alcohol (Coconut), Dipalmitoylethyl Hydroxyethylmonium Methosulfate (Palm), Fragrance (Parfum), Citral, Geraniol, Linalool, Farnesol, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate, Citronellol, Eugenol, Limonene, Hydroxypropyl Guar, Disodium EDTA, Chlorphenesin, Methylparaben, Isopropylparaben, Butylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Annatto (Cl 75120), Mica, Titanium Dioxide (Cl 77891).

Even products with lower ratings had extensive ingredient lists, like Aveda Shampure Conditioner, which received a 6.

Aqueuos (Water, Aqua Purificata, Purified) Extracts, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Extract, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Extract, Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis) Leaf Extract, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearalkonium Chloride, Hydrolyzed Brazil Nut Protein, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Wheat Amino Acids, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein PG-Propyl Silanetriol, Pathenol, Fragrance (Parfum), Cetrimonium Chloride, Distearyldomonium Chloride, PEG-100 Stearate, Polyquaternium-4, Glycerin, Disodium EDTA, Methylparaben, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Benzoic Acid.

That’s a whole lot of extra ingredients for a product marketed as “pure.” But then, there’s the question of effectiveness: are natural ingredients alone able to achieve the effects that chemical products can? Stylist Manuel Villarreal told the Minnesota Public Radio that his salon recently had to switch from Aveda to other non-natural lines that style and hold better.

“Suddenly you realize [that if] you put in a little bit of chemicals, it works better. You have to go, I guess, to the dark side in order for it to work,” Villarreal told MPR.

The Questionable

Once you start looking closer at the labels, it becomes clear that not all of Aveda’s products are as simple as one might derive from its marketing. But each product has a different intended use, and as a result requires a different chemical makeup and ratio of natural to unnatural ingredients. This is to be expected. But it also means that you can’t assume that Aveda’s emphasis on natural ingredients extends equally across its product line. Some products are going to be more natural than others. To really go “behind the label” on Aveda products, you have to start by actually reading each label. If only Aveda would make that information more readily available to consumers.

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Behind the Label: West Elm Green

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The post What You Need to Know About Aveda’s Natural Ingredients appeared first on EcoSalon.

Tell me if you relate. You’re outside frolicking in the sun (swimming, reading, secretly stalking your cute neighbor who pretends not to notice you walk by his house three times a day) and you think “Darn it, I should have brought a hat.” Sure, you’ve already carefully spackled your skin with all things SPF, but you forgot the hat. Maybe it was too hot, maybe it clashed with your outfit, or maybe you didn’t think you’d be so long in the sun. But now you’re cooking your scalp in the noon-time rays and you know it ain’t going to end up pretty.

Scalp sunburns are never pleasant to deal with. First, they hurt. Second, they flake off like dandruff. I’ve been able to actually peel my scalp, leading to a whole lot of grossed out friends and family members. You can treat a scalp sunburn with organic aloe vera, and some experts even advise against shampooing your hair while your scalp is burned. Harsh detergents can irritate it, so make sure you use a gentle organic product. (And here are some great ones to consider.)

But the best way to treat a scalp sunburn is to not allow it to happen in the first place. Yes, wear a hat. You can also simply slather sun block onto your exposed scalp – though this isn’t a favorite due to the excessive goop that can end up in your hair.

Or you can check out these products!

Aveda Sun Care Protective Hair Veil

I Love This Product. Why? Because It Works. (Caps for emotion are necessary – recall that I have been able to peel said scalp.) For the sake of you, appreciated reader, I just spent four hours in the sun with no hat and exposed scalp. But before I embarked on this experience, I slathered my hair up with this product – and no burn! We’d never suggest our readers head out sans hat – but I can say that I’ve found a product that seems to protect your scalp, and presumably hair, from the sun’s rays.

It has a wonderfully citrus smell that is very appealing. It does leave a little bit of a residue – sort of like you haven’t washed your hair that day. This cruelty-free product comes in a container that is 100 percentpost consumer PET. It contains some organic ingredients, as well as shea butter, green tea extract, and Vitamin E.

Aveda Sun Care Hair and Body Cleanser

Aveda recommends this product for your post-beach shower. It is a “color-safe formula that gently and effectively removes chlorine, salt and product build-up, while helping to maintain moisture balance.” Like the hair veil, this product comes in a container that is 100 percent post consumer PET and contains some organic ingredients. I used it on my hair and really liked it. Sure, it wasn’t after a day at the beach, (I merely hadn’t washed my hair in a couple days,) but it has a terrific orangey smell and really does get your hair squeaky clean.

FTC Compliance

Image: kaibara87

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