Simple beauty tips for a balanced budget.

Green beauty has flourished in the past several years, bringing clean ingredients to the masses. And nothing ushers forth an ageless natural beauty like products free of harmful chemicals. But the price of clean beauty can sometimes be more than a green goddess wants to pay. The good news? You can still get age-defying, top-shelf products without composting the innards of your wallet.

Here are ten green beauty products that will brighten your age-less beauty on a budget.

Raw Sugar Scrub by Strawberry Hedgehog ($20.00)
For a youthful glow, toner and moisturizer are your best friends. But a good body scrub is your wise, cool auntie who can talk about the days of Woodstock yet still crack you up on Twitter. The key to skin renewal is to make dead skin the enemy, and this organic Raw Sugar Scrub from vegan experts Strawberry Hedgehog does just that. Made with organic sweet almond and apricot kernel oils, vegan sugar, and pure essential oils, this sweet but simple products offers up an excellent exfoliation.

Not to mention it’s in a mason jar.

Sensitive Care Lotion, Chamomile, by Seventh Generation ($7.99)
Dry, flaky skin is the bane of aging—seriously, it should be wearing a cape and twirling a moustache, it’s so evil. But even the most supple-skinned maiden knows to reach for a daily moisturizer to maintain her dewy hue. Green product giant Seventh Generation offers up this gentle, 95% plant-based product which provides deep moisture with a light application.

Bearberry Oily Skin Balancing & Toning Mist by John Masters Organics ($20.00)
Toner is like the available nice guy we’re supposed to live happily ever after with at the end of the romantic comedy. We ignore toner when, the entire time, the answer is right there in front of our face. One of the best ways to maintain and brighten your complexion, toners can restore your skin’s natural pH levels while protecting your skin against stress and pollutants. This offer from organic skin experts John Masters Organics provides a moisturizing coverage made up of certified organic ingredients.

Apple Brightening Cleanser by MyChelle Dermaceuticals ($13.39)
As we age, our skin can take on a dull tone which only works to add years to our complexion. This product from MyChelle Dermaceuticals promises to gently cleanse away the look of discoloration and sun damage, all the while offering up a fun, fruity scent. It is free of sulfates and gluten and is vegetarian-friendly.

Organic Coffee Bean Eye Cream by 100% Pure ($19.00)
Nothing ages you more than puffy, dark-rimmed eyes that look like they just dragged themselves through the sewer after a night of partying. (Or sitting up with a baby, without the sewer part.) This Coffee Bean Eye Cream from 100% Pure offers up anti-inflammatory, caffeine-rich green tea, great for reducing puffiness and increasing circulation. It is 100% natural, 100% vegan, and gluten-free.

Certified Organic Leave-In Conditioner by Intelligent Nutrients (Travel Size—$12.00)
Dry, brittle tresses do nothing for a youthful visage, so it’s important to keep locks feeling hydrated and healthy. From eco-beauty giant Horst Rechelbacher (founder of Aveda) comes this fantastic conditioner from Intelligent Nutrients. Certified USDA Organic, this conditioner offers the mysterious Intellimune ingredient, described as a “blend of nature’s powerhouse antioxidants.”  It is vegan and gluten-free.

Baking Soda and Lemon Teeth Whiteners (Less than $5)
Bright pearly whites are a key indication of youth, but who wants to use the harsh, chemical whiteners gracing our drug store shelves? Try lemon juice and baking soda as a simple, home remedy to freshen up your choppers. In a small bowl, mix together the juice of one freshly-squeezed organic lemon with a small amount of baking soda. After using a tissue to wipe excess salvia from your teeth, apply the mixture. Leave it on for one minute before brushing it off with your toothbrush. (Note: Do not exceed the one minute mark. You don’t want the lemon acid to damage your tooth enamel.)

Bronzer by Alima Pure ($20.00)
Sun-kissed skin is seen as the signal of health and youth in our culture. However, some bronzers can make you look more Snooki than siren. This bronzer from Alima Pure offers a light color in multiple shades to produce just the right hint of health. Alima Pure is a preservative-free line with a BDIH natural cosmetics certification, putting it on standard with European brands.

Fingerless Gloves by Coolibar ($19.00)
Did you spend your youth, like most of us, waving your hands in direct sunlight with nary a sun block smudge to be had? These fingerless gloves from Coolibar can help halt the march of time across your hands. With a UPF rating of 50+, they keep your hands sunshine-free and, while driving, offer up a nice grip on the steering wheel. Not to mention, they serve as a great visual reminder to keep the sun block flowing. (Here are our picks for green sun blocks.)

Correcting Concealer by Juice Beauty ($18.00)
Dark spots from sun damage are the enemy of the clear, even skin many of us covet. But mainstream lightening products can contain chemicals such as hydroquinone, which is so toxic that the FDA has proposed banning it. Instead, consider this correcting concealer from Juice Beauty, which offers up coverage with certified organic and natural ingredients.

Image: pedrosimoes7
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Charcoal strictly defined is “dark grey residue consisting of impure carbon obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances.” That and it looks like coal. So yes, perhaps when one is thinking about eco-friendly things on this Earth, charcoal probably doesn’t leap to the forefront of our brains. Dolphins playing with dogs, maybe. But what falls out of our camp fires looking like it’s from a coal mine? Not so much.

Nonetheless, charcoal seems to be the ingredient du jour. As one anonymous ecofashionista shares, “I see charcoal in candles, foot pads, soaps and scrubs, and always called eco. But isn’t charcoal – coal? More to the point, how the heck can charcoal be eco-friendly and safe?”

We went straight to a soap maker to get answers. Tracy Perkins is the founder and soap artisan of Strawberry Hedgehog, offering up vegan, green bath and body products. Her soaps are hand crafted from natural plant-based ingredients. Perkins “never uses artificial fragrances, dyes or preservatives – only 100 percent essential oils, food grade natural extracts, pure minerals and whole herbs or spices for naturally beautiful fragrance, color, and texture.” But as it turns out, she uses bamboo in her detox soap.

Here’s how this is possible. As Tracy tells it, “Charcoal is not necessarily eco, but it is naturally detoxifying. In order to create charcoal, you have to char some sort of wood material which in itself releases CO2 while using the wood as a fuel. It can be more eco-friendly if you use a more sustainable wood source, like bamboo, which re-grows rapidly. Also, opting for organic bamboo eliminates the impact of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and so on.”

But is it truly eco? As Tracy shares, “Charcoal is traditionally used internally and topically to draw out toxins. I don’t necessarily think it is eco, but I do think it counters the poisons we ingest, slather on, and breathe every day.”

Skin Deep, the cosmetic database of the Environmental Working Group, gives activated charcoal a zero, the lowest hazard rating possible. This means that as far as they can tell, there is no link to cancer, developmental/reproductive toxicity, or allergies. There are some data gaps in their information, but this still does not nudge its ranking.

So charcoal as an external product – not so bad. But some people take it internally. As this one supplement claims, “activated charcoal (also known as carbon) neutralizes every toxin, including heavy metal toxins.” I asked Mary Vance, holistic nutritionist, what she thought about charcoal as a supplement. According to Mary, “activated charcoal has a pretty strong action in the body: it works as a magnet to pull anything that’s sitting in the gut out before it is absorbed in the bloodstream.”

Charcoal is recommended by some medical doctors in case of poisoning, and Mary agrees. According to Mary, “It is good to have around a house with children in the case of accidental poisoning.” But as a supplement? “As for use in detox products, I don’t really recommend it unless you are under the supervision of a practitioner. There are other, better products to use to help the body detox – such as extra fiber to bind to toxins.”

To read more from Tracy Perkins, check out our interview. And to read more from Mary Vance, click here.

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Face serums are like the tabloid stars of Hollywood. They are pre-packaged all fancy like, but in the end are they worth all the trouble of court dates and rehab under protest? In some cases, yes, aka Robert Downey Jr. And in other cases involving former Disney film stars”¦the jury is still out. (Literally? Has anyone checked TMZ.com today?) Serums claim to moisturize, balance and tone. But do they really?

Serums by construction are more concentrated than other products. So in other words, while your organic face cream might contain active chamomile, a serum would be at least 70 percent active chamomile. In fact, up to 70 percent of all serums are packed with active ingredients. This is a big boost from your daily products, which may contain only around 5 percent active goods. So they are a great choice if you want to dose your skin in a lot of ingredients.

Some serums are designed to be moisturizing agents. They often claim to give your skin a healthy glow – and many do, as they are packed with essential oils. Consider Sea Chi Organics Facial Serum ($69.00). This product contains organic golden jojoba seed oil, and organic sea buckthorn berry extract. It’s designed to replenish and moisturize your skin – and it does. It has a nice, almost floral scent and certainly leaves your skin glowing. The product itself is orange and gives your skin a bit of an instant tan. Place a few drops on your neck and drier parts in the morning and at night. And yes, I found it to be a highly – moisturizing product. Score one for serums.

Other serums are designed to tone and balance the skin. Another serum to consider is Strawberry Hedgehog’s Balancing Lotus Face Treatment Oil ($20.00). It claims to “restore balance to combination skin prone to break outs and promote a youthful, radiant complexion.” It certainly moisturizes without leaving your skin feeling slicked out. It is wonderfully fragrant and a great pick for a cheaper, at-home facial. Does it tone? Certainly. Balance? Definitely my mood.

So are serums the saviors of our skins or a complete waste of cash? I’m going with “all hail skin saviors” – but only if they are made with purer ingredients. After all, if you’re going to put a concentration of active ingredients on your epidermis, don’t you want them to be greener? And with such a high concentration of good ingredients, you’re going to get your money’s worth.

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You know when you see a candle shaped like a cupcake – and you’re debating just how chewy and gross wax might taste because now you want to eat a cupcake? If so, then you will relate to my current dilemma. At the recommendation of Primrose Organics Salon in Los Feliz, I decided to check out Strawberry Hedgehog’s Whipped Body Crème.  This product contain organic and fair-trade ingredients. The problem? It looks so good, I want to eat it.

Strawberry Hedgehog is the eco-baby of artisan Tracy Perkins, who founded the line when she couldn’t find any good vegan soap alternatives. She is well known for her lines of glycerin soaps, and she also carries body care items. Her products are vegan and Perkins emphasized that they are free of any animal products, preservatives, weird chemicals and artificial dyes or fragrances.

And they are pure. Her Whipped Body Crème ($22) has no preservatives; it has a shelf life of one to three months. It comes in a clear mason jar and is packaged like a jar of Grandma’s preserves. Perkins urges you to “always use clean hands when reaching into the jar; you keep the lid clean of crème as it may darken and oxidize with the metal lid, and you may choose to refrigerate it.” Its ingredients include organic fair trade unrefined shea butter infused with herbs and organic fair trade cocoa butter.

It does contain the slightly controversial grapefruit seed extract, which some argue has its problems. (And many others argue that it is perfectly fine.) Regardless, Skin Deep rates grapefruit seed extract as relatively low hazard. You can read a complete list of the product’s ingredients here.

So you’re getting a good green product that looks like something you want to put on top of a sundae. But how does it work? I. Love. It. It goes on light and absorbs quickly, and it really leaves your skin hydrated. It has a neutral scent, which makes sense as it is fragrance free. And $22 gets you quite a bit of crème.

Want to know more about Strawberry Hedgehog? Check out our articles on their soaps, plus our exclusive interview with Tracy Perkins.

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