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Stay natural…stay beautiful…go green!

-Robin

I decided to try the foundation because after going organic, I found it hard to find a truly pure liquid foundation which provided enough coverage but wasn’t too thick and cakey. When I first tried Health Glo, I was in heaven! At last I found a natural foundation that was blendable, light, provided good coverage and had ingredients I could identify and pronounce! This miracle make-up boasts 5 simple ingredients: distilled water, vegetable glycerin, kaolin clay, rice bran oil, and iron oxides. Have you ever looked at the ingredient list on your foundation? Probably many different unidentifiable words (a.k.a. manmade synthetic chemicals.) When you use this foundation, you can feel good about it because you know you are using a safe yet effective product. It truly does make your skin glow! I either use a makeup brush to apply or use my fingers. You can leave as is, or dust a light coating of mineral powder over it. It’s available in eight versatile shades and sells for $23.95 (worth every penny, believe me!) It comes in a 1.5 oz pump and can last you for months, depending on how often you use it. I tend to save it for those special occasions. So if you want dewey, glowy skin, I highly recommend Health Glo Foundation by Real Purity. Until next time, stay natural, stay beautiful…Robin

A major disaster! What was this, you say? I was out of pressed powder. Now for someone who is an “organic girl” at heart, this was a pretty rough thing since it’s tough to find good organic cosmetics locally. Previously I had spent oodles of money on a pressed powder from Whole Foods which I was not totally impressed with. So I knew if I was going to invest $15-$20 I wanted an excellent product. I have not had a chance to use it yet, but I really want to try the pressed powder by Real Purity (my favorite company.) I already use and enjoy their liquid foundation, mascara, and deodorant. I know their products contain minimal ingredients (the less the better) and are truly pure. Unfortunately the color I needed (medium) was out of stock……noooooo! So what’s a girl to do? Enter….Wal-Mart.

I went to Wal-Mart to pick up a few things and found myself in the make-up section (of course.) I had been reading blog posts about how discount stores are starting to carry more organic cosmetics and beauty products so I wanted to see if this was really true. I did a little browsing and came to Physician’s Formula. I had previously used their eye shadow but stopped when I found out they were made with talc (bad!) I looked and saw that they had a line called Organic Wear. It’s been out for a while but I hadn’t yet had a chance to check it out. The box said, “100% Natural Origin Pressed Powder” and was made with EcoBlend featuring Organisoy (helps even out the skin tone) and Eco-Olive (helps shield skin from environmental factors.) O.K. Sounds good so far. But I know how these companies like to say their product is natural and then throw in some crummy ingredients along with the good stuff. So I perused the ingredient list….and did not see any offending ingredients. No synthetic colors, fragrances, parabens or GMO’s! Sweet! Another cool thing is that it comes in eco-conscious packaging, with 93% less plastic than other powders. And the best of all, it is certified organic by EcoCert.

Needless to say, I was thrilled to be able to get this powder. I bought the powder and used it later that night…it gives you a smooth polished yet natural look. The only thing I am not too happy with is that it comes with a brush not the usual powder puff that pressed powders come with. But that is something you can buy separately if you desire. For under $13, this is a great product for a great deal and can fill in nicely until I can get my hands on the Real Purity powder. Stay tuned for my next post where I will share my love for Real Purity foundation. Until then…stay natural, stay beautiful…Robin.

   The organic path does not have to be rushed. A lot of people become overwhelmed with everything they have to buy to start going organic. Like I have said before, it’s a process. You have to take it step by step. Prioritize what is most important to you and start there first. This goes for me too. Up until recently, I was still using eye shadow I bought at the discount store. For the most part, you can either use up or throw out what you currently use. In this case, I loved this color so much, I didn’t want to throw it out. Well I ran out, went back to the store and was able to see the ingredients on the package. I was horrified. One of the top ingredients was talc, a substance I stay far away from. Talc has been shown to cause cancer, especially in women as women use make-up and products containing talc more often.

   So instead of walking away empty-handed, this discount store provided me with another option. Some mainstream makeup brands are starting to see the light and come out with all natural versions. I was able to purchase Almay pure blends, a new line which is hypoallergenic and 98.2% natural. It contains fruit and flower extracts and no parabens (which mimic hormones in the body) or talc! They make eye shadows, blush, lipgloss, powder, and foundation. If you can’t find the time to get to the natural grocery to buy your cosmetics or wait for it to come in the mail, this is a great way to get what you need in a safe, eco-friendly product. By the way, I purchased the eyeshadow in ivory, a great every day color for $6.44!

   On most weekends you can find me strolling down the aisles of the local discount price club store. This past weekend, I was doing just that when a display caught my eye. Mineral make-up! This store usually does not sell any natural cosmetics and when I saw this, I was excited. It’s tough to find good (and affordable) natural cosmetics in a discount store! When I went over, the array of eye shadow and blush colors were beautiful! (Yes, this type of stuff thrills me.)

   I found out it was a traveling display. They would only be there for the weekend (so of course you would have to buy now to get the discount.) Immediately the saleswoman put a facial lotion on my arm for me to test. I was able to look on the back to read the ingredients. For a supposedly “natural” line, it sure had some unnatural ingredients. I saw propylene glycol and methyparaben to name a few. Both of these are chemicals used to enhance or preserve the shelf life of the product. Unfortunately, she had already put the lotion on my arm or I would have stopped her. Studies show that these ingredients cause serious diseases and should not be used!

   I did not have a chance to see the ingredients of the make-up, blush or eye shadows, but since I had seen the contents of the lotion, I was now mistrusting of the rest of the products. Be careful when buying so called “natural” products because this term is not regulated. They were claiming to be natural and were totally not. Become an educated, vigilant label reader and use safe beauty products!

   Many women use liquid foundation to even out the skin, cover slight imperfections and give a smooth overall appearance.  I like to use foundation sometimes but for me it’s not an everyday thing. Some days I go without, letting my natural skin shine through. But a lot of women like to use it more often, letting the skin absorb the ingredients on a daily basis. What is going directly into your bloodstream? Toxins!

   Check out the ingredients and you will shudder. It may list propylene glycol, lanolin, formaldehyde, mineral oil, or cocoamide DEA to name a few. All of these are petrochemicals which serve a purpose in the foundation’s formula. But the scariest thought of all is what they do to your body. These synthetics can cause allergies, eye irritation, pimples and cancer. When products containing these harmful irritants are put on the skin, they block pores and don’t let the skin breathe. But don’t worry, you don’t have to give up wearing foundation. There are safer alternatives.

Just the other day I walked into my local drugstore to look for some natural mascara. I was almost sure I wouldn’t find what I  was looking for but I thought I’d try anyway since more and more mainstream stores are carrying organic products. I went to each makeup company and looked at the ingredients that were common in most of the mascaras:  chemicals that I know are not good for me. Unfortunately that day I came away with nothing.
The convenience of purchasing make-up in drug and discount stores is undeniable . But is it worth the true price…health problems, skin conditions, and putting toxins into your skin? I don’t think so.

The easiest and  cheapest way to buy organic cosmetics is online. One of my favorite companies is Pure Complexions. They refuse to sell any unnatural cosmetic or beauty product. They show a true commitment to protecting the health of the consumer. Companies like this are hard to find. I found my favorite mascara through this site, made by  Real Purity. Pure Complexions carries Real Purity as well as many other organic lines. Click here to search for  Real Purity mascara or click below to explore Pure Complexions.