Topic: Clean Beauty

Ditch The Lotion: 4 Natural Oils That Are Awesome For Dry Skin

Ditch The Lotion: 4 Natural Oils That Are Awesome For Dry Skin

Winter is tough for skin—cold air, dry air, harsh heat, little sun. If your usual lotion isn’t cutting it (or you just need extra moisture for dry areas like elbows and feet), try one of these four natural oils. As cheap as your typical drug store moisturizers, they work as well or better than pricey products. And they’re totally clean — no synthetic ingredients, no mysterious fragrance, no harsh chemicals. More »

Etsy Black Friday Sales: A Roundup Of Clean Beauty Bargains

Etsy Black Friday Sales: A Roundup Of Clean Beauty Bargains

You can support independent artisans and avoid real-world Black Friday craziness at the same time by shopping Etsy Black Friday sales. Browse to your heart’s content by searching for “Black Friday Etsy” and “Cyber Monday Etsy.” For the less ambitious, we present the fruits of our own searching: A compendium of stellar sales on handmade clean beauty products from vegan soap to organic lip gloss to men’s activated charcoal aftershave. More »

Cosmetic Label Decoder: What Natural, Organic And Cruelty-Free Really Mean

Cosmetic Label Decoder: What Natural, Organic And Cruelty-Free Really Mean

Natural, organic, green, clean, cruelty-free … Cosmetic labels say a lot of things, and it’s hard to know what really means squat. Throw in labels like ‘vegan,’ ‘non-toxic’ or ‘made with organic materials’ and packages gets even more confusing. Don’t worry. We’re gonna (try to) sort it out for you—though when it comes to makeup labeling, the guidelines (where they exist) aren’t exactly stringent, and most products aren’t tested or reviewed by the FDA. More »

Lush’s Shocking Animal Testing Protest: Sexist, Tasteless…Or Awesome?

Lush's Shocking Animal Testing Protest: Sexist, Tasteless...Or Awesome?

Well, this is disturbing. UK-based handmade, all-natural cosmetics company Lush has teamed up with the Humane Society  to help bring an end to animal testing. But they didn’t stop at a petition or a small demonstration–the multi-national company has staged a pretty shocking protest in one of their shop windows, in which the company subjected one woman to hours of injections, forced-feedings, and other procedures similar to those used by other cosmetics manufacturers on lab mice. This demonstration has made me feel a lot of things. I need help.

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How To Wear Less Makeup (And Look Better)

How To Wear Less Makeup (And Look Better)

As we discussed yesterday, the regulation of “clean” beauty products is so loose, it’s hard to make sure what you’re putting on your face is 100% good-for-you, 100% of the time—even if you’re trying hard to stay vigilant. But a sure way to minimize your exposure to toxins and harmful chemicals is to simply wear less makeup—but for a lot of us, giving up makeup entirely is where we draw the line. So we talked to New York City makeup artist Joanna Lily Wong to find out how we can use less (and look better). More »

What Is ‘Clean Beauty,’ Anyway?

What Is 'Clean Beauty,' Anyway?

Like our diets, beauty products have become a huge market opportunity for companies who want to cash in on consumers’ health concerns—so is it any surprise that they’ve also become just as confusing? In the past decade, there’s been a boom in the production of “natural,” “organic,” and even “raw” beauty products, all claiming to improve your health—if only superficially. But very few of us can figure out what’s safe (let alone desirable) to smear on our faces, paint on our nails, and rub into our bodies’ largest organ: skin. What’s emerged as a moniker for smart beauty consumption is “clean beauty“—a term that we think could still use some explaining. More »