They always have their pick of the latest and not-so-greatest chemically laden skincare and make-up products, which is why we love reading about celebrity’s who favor natural beauty products instead.

The dog-eat-dog-world of the red carpet means only the fittest and those with the most glowing skin survive. No wonder we sit up and take notice when a celebrity recommends a natural beauty product. Hollywood stars–like the rest of us–are choosing cleaner skincare products that are free from toxic parabens, sulfates, and petrochemicals, and packed with good-for-you ingredients like natural oils, antioxidants, and vitamins. And when they have the pick of the latest and greatest beauty products, you can rest assured that their favorite natural options are still producing great results.

While the rest of us don’t have to dedicate our lives to our personal grooming habits, celebrities certainly do. Happy to discuss their natural and organic lifestyles in interviews, there are plenty of opportunities to note the products that get mentioned the most. Here are the top 5 most effective natural skincare products, and the celebrities who love them.

1. Living Luminizer up by RMS Beauty

Rose-Marie Swift of New York-based RMS Beauty decided to produce a beauty product line that only used natural products. One of the line’s most popular products is Living Luminizer, which uses raw coconut oil to highlight the skin with an ultra sheer translucent finish. Celebrity fans include Miranda Kerr, Karlie Kloss and Gisele Bundchen.

2. 100% Pure Argan Oil by Josie Maran

The signature product from actress and model Josie Maran’s eponymous eco-friendly beauty line, the lightweight and organic argan oil is rich in vitamin E and essential fatty acids that keeps skin glowing and nourished. The line has many celebrity users including Alicia Silverstone, Emma Stone and Julianna Moore.

3. Herbal Recovery Eye Gel by Jurlique

A powerful botanical anti-aging eye treatment, Jurlique’s beloved Herbal Recovery Eye Gel helps fade dark circles, puffiness and smooth delicate skin around the eye area. The potent product is infused with herbs and precious plant oils. Nicole Kidman, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Pamela Anderson are all said to swear by it.

4. Rose Day Cream by Dr. Hauschka

Thirty rose flowers go into each tube of this cult cream making it an incredibly rich and luxurious moisturizer ideal for dry skin. Containing no synthetic ingredients, it is extremely soothing and gentle for irritated and weather-damaged skin. A long list of celebrities rave about it including Madonna, Nicole Kidman and Nina Garcia, Rachel McAdams and Jennifer Lopez .

5. Skin Food by Weleda

This whole-body cream is ultra rich and deeply hydrating. It’s ideal for dry elbows, hands and feet or any areas of rough skin. In addition to essential fatty acids and vitamin E, the deeply nourishing cream contains extracts of soothing rosemary and organic calendula flowers, which have antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. Victoria Beckham, Adele, Alexa Chung and Rihanna are reported to use the bargain beauty product.

Top Image: JenniferLopez

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Are organic sunscreens comparable in quality to their non-organic equivalents?

Does an organic sunscreen work? Don’t I want the highest SPF possible? Will I burn more easily if I use a green sunscreen? Sometimes it seems like organic sunscreen is just one giant enigma surrounded by a sea of chemical rumors. But the truth is out there. Yes, sunscreens containing organic ingredients are as effective as others. You will not burn more easily with a green sunscreen, (unless you don’t apply it correctly), and there is no evidence that any SPF higher than 50+ works better than others.

In fact, green sunscreens work really well. To celebrate this fact, we asked several of our green comrades to share their favorite eco-friendly sunscreen.

Episencial Sunny Sunscreen SPF 35 ($14.99)
Anna Getty, author and green living expert, recommends Episencial Sunny Sunscreen SFP 35. Another top-rated product from Skin Deep, this product uses natural minerals like zinc and titanium with no harmful nanoparticles. It’s also fortified with organic green tea, as well as organic sesame, safflower and avocado oils.

Devita Solar Protective Moisturizer SPF 30+ ($25.95)
Aysia Wright of Chartreuse PR is a Devita Solar devotee. As Aysia tells me, “It’s great for everyday use.” This product received a #1 rating from the Skin Deep database, offering full spectrum UVA/UVB sun protection with a SPF of 30+. Best of all, it goes on extremely light and is virtually free of any sticky residues.

Miessence Reflect Outdoor Balm, SPF 15 ($29.70)
What does Laura Klein slather on her face? The founder and publisher of Organic Authority shares, “My preferred sunscreen is a hat, long sleeves, and glasses. But when I use sunscreen, it’s Miessence Reflect Outdoor Balm.” This product, which scores a rating of #2 from Skin Deep, does not contain any nanoparticles. Further, it creates a physical sun block that bounces the sun’s rays off of your skin, unlike chemical sunscreens that absorb rays.

Badger Balm 30+ Lightly Scented Lavender Sunscreen ($16.00)
Kristen Arnett, makeup artist, Ecosalon columnist, and the founder of Green Beauty Team, recommends this sunscreen for both face and body.
As she tells me, “It does go on rather white, but it’s safe, natural, works well, and lasts for quite a long time. It also doesn’t clog pores and is very hydrating.” This sunscreen also gets a #1 ranking from the Skin Deep database.

COOLA Face SPF 30 Matte Finish Cucumber Natural Mineral Sun block ($36.00)
We’ve made no secret that we’re big fans of COOLA here at Ecosalon. But we’re not the only ones. Another admirer of the brand includes Melissa Tournay, green beauty expert and co-owner of Primrose Organics Salon and Boutique in Los Angeles. This product, which rates a #2 from Skin Deep, is 95% natural with 70% certified organic inactives.

Jurlique Sun Lotion SPF 30+ ($20.00)
Our fearless leader here at EcoSalon, EIC Sara Ost, loves this product from Jurlique. As she tells me, “I adore Jurlique’s products, which are biodynamic. They just smell amazing, and their sun block is nice because it isn’t oily or greasy.” An Australian company, Jurlique is certified under different standards and does not fare as well in the Skin Deep database. However, along with biodynamic principles, the company does employ several sustainable initiatives.

Josie Maran’s Daily Sun Protection SPF 40 with Argan Oil ($32.00)
Anna Griffin, founder and Editor-in-Chief of Coco Eco Magazine, recommends this intense moisturizer from Josie Maran. (Skin Deep rating not available.) Containing some organic ingredients, this product is free of parabens and fragrance.  It’s an extremely hydrating product that is lightweight and fast absorbing.

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How many of you take off your eye makeup with a couple squares of toilet paper and call it a night? Granted, I don’t usually wear a lot of eye makeup, but my remover regime is generally done in a tear, a swipe, and a toss. Sure, I may have bright red, irritated skin afterwards – not to mention the delicate skin I’m giving the sandpaper treatment. I usually end up looking like something between a boxer and raccoon after I take off my makeup. Why? Because I don’t like putting chemicals in my eyes simply take off my mascara.

Growing up, I was a big fan of a certain department store brand eye makeup remover. (Let’s just say they have a French-sounding name and large bottles of yellow moisturizer.) I insisted on using their eye makeup remover because it seemed the most gentle on my peeps. Nonetheless, I always felt like I was shampooing my eyeballs with the stuff with all the sudsy chemicals flying around.

So between chemicals and making your eyes looks like something a clown might envy, there has to be a better way. Luckily, ask and ye shall receive (a natural solution). We’ve got a great eco makeup remover – plus some natural homemade solutions. So put the toilet paper down and rest your weary eyes on the following suggestions.

First, you can swap your eyes with organic full milk. Apply with a cotton ball and swab off your eye makeup. You can also swap a cotton ball with organic olive oil to wipe off your eye makeup. Others recommend a mix of green tea, almond oil, and vegetable glycerin. Take one ounce of brewed organic plain green tea, mix with one ounce of sweet almond oil, and ½ ounce vegetable glycerin. Place into a glass jar and shake. Be sure to keep solution refrigerated to preserve it as long as possible.

You can also invest in an eco eye makeup remover. Recently, I checked out Jurlique’s Eye Makeup Remover ($25). Containing biodynamically-grown calendula and organic sunflower and jojoba seed oils, it goes on like a light moisturizer and has a pleasant scent. And it works like a charm – I waited for a night where I was glammed up and it took off mascara and eye shadow in one clean swoop. It’s not the purest product you will find, as it does contain Phenoxyethanol (fragrance). But most of its ingredients are sourced from their biodynamic farms in Australia.

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For many of us, the second we feel a tinge of stress, anxiety, or fatigue, it’s immediately plastered all over our eyes like a mask. I call it Zorro face. I could be sporting an awesome Carol Young Undesigned dress, killer organic kicks and as much USDA certified lipstick as my pucker can handle. But if I’m tired, I might as well be wearing a black mask across my eyes.

Luckily, we can rescue our peepers with a variety of natural remedies. Drinking water certainly helps with hydration, and puffiness is best combated with chamomile, green tea or aloe. You can apply tea bags or cooled cotton pads soaked in chamomile, green tea and aloe vera gels. And don’t forget the old spa favorite, cooled slices of cucumber. Cucumber is known for its soothing properties and will help relax eyes, reduce redness and dark circles.

Not into DIY eye healing? I have some suggestions for gentle products you can buy.

First, the age old question: Gels or creams? Gels have a temporary tightening effect, and work well for younger skin since they aren’t as rich as creams – a necessity for mature skin. Gels tend to be more soothing and better at reducing puffiness. Creams are best for fine line reduction. (They plump the skin to reduce fine lines.)

Soothing Gels and Treatments

Best for Your Dark Circles: Dark Circle Defense by Tarte
In short, this product really works. I dabbed a couple swipes over my raccoon circles and they were immediately concealed. It contains finely-milled light refracting minerals which are said to brighten skin, help camouflage dark circles, puffiness, redness, fine lines and wrinkles. I love that this product is completely free of petrochemicals, parabens, phthalates, sulfates, dyes and talc. It does contain ingredients like titanium dioxide and iron oxides.

Best for a Night Out: Lifted by Tarte
Tarte combines firming with cover up. I dabbed a bit of this product on and immediately saw a reduction in dark circles. However, use it sparingly. I got a little too enthusiastic and noticed it flaking off towards the end of the night. It contains Firmitol, which is a clinically-tested, patented, multi-ingredient “performance matrix” combines ingredients like purslane extract, ginseng extract and centella asiatica extract for “an instant wrinkle reducing effect.” It also comes in a biodegradable tube. It’s not certified organic but it is free of petrochemicals, parabens, phthalates, sulfates, dyes and talc.

Most Soothing Gel: Herbal Recovery Eye Gel by Jurlique
Another hit by Jurlique, the Australian queen of the natural skincare! This gel is extremely cooling, light and gives you a mini-spa experience. If you have tired eyes, this is the product for you. It has a pleasant, vitamin scent and is deeply hydrating. It is also “rich in the living energy of arnica and eyebright which help to firm and brighten the delicate skin around the eye area.” Okay! I really like that this product is certified biodynamic from the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture of Australia.

Hydrating Eye Creams

Purely Age-Defying Eye Cream by Jurlique
This eye cream is really rich with a pleasant, floral scent. It made my skin a little pink upon application – but it lasts. Hours later, my undereyes were still extremely moisturized. Apparently, it is “rich in the living energy of Euphrasia and Arnica.” (Arnica is a natural herb known to help with dark circles and bruises.) This product is also certified biodynamic from the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture of Australia and contains natural, wild-farmed ingredients.

Relax Eye Cream by Lavera
This is another hydrating eye cream that will keep your peeps feeling moisturized. It also claims to reduce fine lines. According to Lavera, “In a 3 week test of 30 females with an average age of 42 years young, over 94% said the Intensive Repair Eye Cream visibly reduced small wrinkles and left the skin around their eyes looking well cared for and relaxed.” I don’t know about that, but it is BDIH-certified and contains several healthy plant extracts like tea tree oil, green tea and more.

Firming Eye Gels

Firming Eye Gel by John Masters Organics
This scentless gel is extremely tightening – so much so I was almost inclined to wipe it off after applying it. But if that’s what you’re going for, this is the product for you. It contains oat kernel extract which JMO claims firms and revitalizes while protecting against UVA rays. It is made with certified organic ingredients.

Zia Essential Eye Gel
Like the John Masters Organics product, this eye gel does all the things it promises – it immediately tightens and firms up your skin. It has a pleasant, slightly floral scent. It contains a blend of green tea, cucumber and seaweed. The predominating effect of this product is tightening rather than soothing. If you’re looking for the most organic, this probably isn’t the product for you. It does, however, contain some certified organic ingredients.

The Lip Balm by Revolution Organics
This product, yes, is a lip balm. But I was informed by the company’s publicist that it can be used as an eye treatment, so I gamely rubbed it under my eyes. It’s thick and if you’re looking for an intense, overnight hydration, it could be a good call. But it feels like exactly what it is – lip balm under your eyes. The product is free of synthetic chemicals, parabens, sulphates, artificial ingredients and petrochemicals. It is also USDA certified organic. And, might I add, a fantastic lip balm.

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