Style Desk: Eco-friendly beauty products

Every month, get the inside scoop straight from Chatelaine senior style editor Deborah Fulsang and assistant style editor Tiyana Grulovic. Have a question? Leave a comment below and you could inspire next month's convo!

On 3/25/08 4:23 PM, "Deborah Fulsang" wrote:
Inspired by spring and my garden, not to mention the homemade beauty story in our April issue, let's share our favourite green-minded beauty products. Lately, I've been using a new shampoo and conditioner from the drugstore called Live Clean. It smells super-fresh and gives a great lather, too. The conditioner isn't excessively heavy so it can be used often. I also use it for my kids since it's free of parabens and many of the controversial chemicals that are found in other hair care products. I also swear by Zoya's nail polish remover. It strips off old polish quickly and comes without nasty formaldehyde, toluene or dibutyl phthalate.

Have you discovered some green products you can't do without? d

On 3/25/08 4:35 PM, "Tiyana Grulovic" wrote:
Let's not leave out Zoya's nail polish. The colours are phenomenal – from muted neutrals to completely nutty colours. Try yellow if you dare! They don't contain any of the bad stuff, and it takes a lot of effort to chip.

In terms of skin, I love the Care by Stella McCartney 5 Benefits Moisturizing Cream (available at Holt Renfrew). The entire Care line is made of 100% certified bio-active ingredients. Stella herself is a bit of an eco-nut, which gives the entire line credibility because it comes from someone who cares. The cream is light but effective even on dry skin. And it smells like a swanky aromatherapy spa treatment!

What about body treatments? Have you found any green alternatives that really work?

On 3/25/08 4:44 PM, "Deborah Fulsang" wrote:
I swear by a little product discovered at Noah's Natural Foods in Toronto called Gator Balm (try your local health food store). It's a mix of super-rich natural oils and has worked wonders on my dry heels, but also on the persistent eczema that irritates many in my family.

I also adore the Linden Leaves line from New Zealand. Its body oils, which come infused with true-smelling roses, peaches, fig work wonderfully straight on dry skin to moisturize, but also in the bath (it's amazing how the scent is retained since the materials are freeze-dried immediately upon harvesting). The body butters are terrific: super emollient and decadently scented. The fig-licorice and the ginger-peach are particular favourites.

How about makeup?

On 3/25/08 4:48 PM, "Tiyana Grulovic" wrote:
Possibly the cleverest innovation last year came in the form of a lipstick from Cargo. The tube is made of corn, which is both bio-degradable and carbon-neutral (it won't emit any nasty greenhouse gasses). The cardboard container is neat, too. Laden with wildflower seeds, just moisten it, plant it and you can grow a garden.

You can also opt for mineral makeup. They're generally made of micronized minerals, without talc or preservatives sometimes found in creams. Bare Esceuticals (available at Sephora.com) is a great cult line, but check out Physicians Formula, too (available at Shoppers Drug Mart). Their products are non-irritating and cover everything from bronzers to foundations to shadows. PF also boasts a non-irritating talc-free mascara. Great for contact lens wearers like myself – I swear by it.

On 3/25/08 4:56 PM, "Deborah Fulsang" wrote:
Two other items that have landed on my desk lately are Crabtree & Evelyn's Naturals Soothing Lip Balm, a peppermint-spiked salve for dry lips that comes without parabens or colourants, as well as Smashbox's new Green Room line of makeup. The packaging is biodegradable or recyclable, and for each purchase of the line a Moringa tree will be planted in a developing country as part of a program called Trees for the Future. But besides being eco-conscious, this collection is great-looking and offers some terrific cheek bronzers and blushers, eye shadows and a two-in-one primer and foundation.

I love it that going green now means you don't have to compromise on quality or good looks. D