stay green after soaking up the sun

Now that you’ve been playing in the sun safely, slathered with your new organic sunblock, you’re ready for even more green skin care treatments with…organic after sun skin care.

After all, your sun-kissed bod needs a nourishing, hydrating lotion that promotes a healthy glow and soft finish to your skin. And I've got the scoop on several of them, so read on!

Organic and natural after-sun skincare

Santaverde Aloe Vera After Sun Emulsion is a calm and refreshing emulsion that boosts moisture with organic aloe vera juice, walnut oil and wheat germ oil. Shea butter promotes skin elasticity and suppleness. I love the intense hydrating feeling! Especially after taking a baking in the sun.

Lavera After Sun Lotion is super nourishing after fun in the sun. You’ll love the feeling of the organic jojoba oil and vitamin E. It’s super-hydrating and even helps prevent fine lines, they say. Now we’re talking!

Lavera Silk Shimmer Lotion is perfect if you’re out on the town after catching some rays. It enhances your already-sun-kissed skin with a subtle glow that boosts your skin tone. Full of organic almond oil and vitamin E, it packs a super moisturizing and hydrating feel you’ll enjoy from head to toe. Let’s go!

Aubrey Organics After Sun Body & Face Maintenance Moisturizer soothes and hydrates your thirsty skin after a day in the sun with aloe vera and shea butter. Horsetail and coltsfoot are thrown in to improve elasticity. (Always good for skin health, especially after sun.) It’s great for sensitive skin. When applied right after sun exposure they say it’ll help prevent the dreaded peel. That’s good news if you’ve overdone it, which you shouldn’t do, right? (There’s the mom in me again, giving you advice. Can’t help it!)

Speaking of overdoing it, if your tan is turning pink or lobster-red, Weleda Burn Care provides on-the-spot relief for sunburn. It even handles minor burns and bug bites. That’s handy to have if you’ve got kids or live in the great outdoors. It’s a miracle homeopathic, fix it all, anti-inflammatory ointment and one of the best organic beauty products I know. The main ingredient is Arnica Montana… Sound familiar? Arnica is also a great remedy for pain, bruising, etc. So you can imagine how quickly it works on your sunburn. Combined with nettle, a natural ingredient that eases itching, this skin wonder is a wonderful companion for camping trips, beach trips, backyard fun and more. Keep a few stashed around the house, the yard, the car—anywhere skin ouches abound.

So get out in the sun with your organic sunscreen then give your skin extra TLC with some great organic after-sun skincare. Follow it all up with your favorite organic makeup and all-natural cosmetics and you’re ready for great spring and summer days safely soaking up the sun and ensuring your skin and the environment are well cared for.

chemical free sunscreen

The Big Green Beauty Cleanout

After reviewing beauty products, both certified organic and not, and all the ingredients good and bad, I've done a major clean out of my beauty arsenal. I can't get that pesky bad ingredient list out of my head and most things that I owned include at least one of them. Yuck!

So now, I’m left with not much in the way of beauty products and a big list of those I need to replace… Hmmmmm, but this could be fun! Changing from traditional to organic beauty products is the perfect excuse to buy makeup. (Not that I needed one.)

I know what you’re thinking… Do environmentally sound beauty products work as well as non-organic beauty products? After all, looking your best is important. I get it. I was in your shoes, too. That’s why I did a lot of research. Now, I’m a firm believer that you can choose beauty products that are eco-friendly and effective. So hang in there. We’ll review products, regimens and answer any questions you have. Then you can come up with your very own excuse, er, plan to switch to natural and organic cosmetics and skin care.

Go green when you get tan

Since summer’s just around the corner, you should be thinking about extra sunscreen protection. And because green is the color even when you’re getting a tan, organic sunscreen is just the ticket.

Organic sunscreen provides sun protection by using organic herbs, plants and minerals and will usually contain titanium dioxide and zinc oxide that are very effective in blocking harmful UV rays.

One of the advantages of organic sunscreen is that it’s absorbed into the skin instantly, unlike its non-organic counterpart, which takes up to 30 minutes to start working.

Speaking of synthetic sunscreens, here’s an interesting and scary fact about their ingredients: Studies show a link between synthetic sunscreens and hormonal disturbances in the body. The chemical compounds in synthetic sunscreen mimic the effects of estrogen, storing in body fat and breast milk and can produce undesirable hormonal changes. Yikes! I don't know about you, but I’ll never use one of those again.

The following list of ingredients in synthetic sunscreens mimic estrogen, so you should consider banning from your tanning:

4-benzylidencamphor (4-mbc), oxybenzone, benzophenone-3

homosalate (hms), octyl-methoyl-cinnamates (OMC)

Octyl-dimethyl-para-amino-benzoic acid (od-paba)

Choose your organic sunscreen carefully. After all, you’re putting it on your skin and into the environment.

Organic and natural sunscreens to consider

Sunblock, like most things, is a very individual choice. Here, I’ll review some of my favorites and hopefully help you find one that’s right for you. As always I welcome any comments, questions and feedback you have.

Lavera 2-in-1 facial sunscreen and moisturizer, SPF 20 is one of new favorite products! The first thing I noticed is the almost invisible coverage that the mineral pigments create. Yet it packs a double punch. Strong against the sun and soft on delicate facial skin.

Lavera 2-in-1 moisturizes with plant oils and shea butter and soothes with witch hazel and licorice. Caffeine (yes, have another latte, girls!) boosts blood flow with butcher's broom to firm. Hyaluronic acid and aloe vera gel provide great hydration. Finally, organic cold-pressed sunflower oil treats your skin to vitamin E, beta-carotene and unsaturated fatty acids, all of which add to this luxurious package.

As important as what it does have, what Lavera 2-in-1 doesn’t have is PEG emulsifiers that can irritate, or oxybenzone or cetyl cinnamates, which are estrogenic, as we discussed earlier. Plus, this sunscreen is completely biodegradable.

I put Lavera 2-in-1 on every morning, rain or shine. The invisible coverage goes perfectly under my makeup. I love the convenience of a sunblock and moisturizer in one. It cuts a whole step out of my regimen. And when it comes to beauty, don’t we all feel like less is more, especially when you’re a busy beauty? Love it, love it, love it!

Lavera Sun Spray, SPF 30 is an easy and fast way to spray on sun protection. Not only are you protected from UVA, B and C rays, but you also get hydrated with primrose oil. Great for those with sensitive skin, allergies, dermatitis or eczema.

For all you sun goddesses smart enough to wear sunblock, don't forget that when you’re spending a long time in the sun, you need to reapply sunblock. This spray makes it super easy, leaving you no excuse not to reapply.

Soléo Organics Sunscreen SPF 30 from Australia has just improved their sunscreen product. For starters, though it’s zinc-based (the best and safest sunscreen ever) it won’t turn your skin ghostly white. It’s also fragrance-free, so no worry about the dreaded effects of pharmaceutical fragrances. Soléo provides three-hour, water-resistant protection without the use of chemical UV absorbers, titanium dioxide, Parabens or synthetic preservatives, all of which can cause skin irritation.

All Soléo Organics ingredients are cultivated without the dreaded use of synthetic chemical pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides and are certified. Plus they’re biodegradable and NOT animal tested. Yeah!!

When I applied it, it absorbed quickly, leaving my skin feeling nourished from the natural oils. The company says it’s well suited for all skin types, including sensitive skin. I say it’s one of the best under the sun.

Santaverde Aloe Vera Sunscreen Emulsion SPF 18 is another favorite. You’ll love how this organic sunscreen feels when you put it on. While most sun blocks are water based, Santaverde is aloe based. You can imagine the difference the soothing and nurturing feeling of aloe has going on your skin. Aloe vera not only protects you, it also helps repair skin damage.

In addition to aloe, this organic sunscreen features natural mineral pigments to give you the protection you need. Macadamia oil, Kukuinut oil and white lily combine to prevent moisture loss, support natural cell protection and act as an anti-aging complex.

Because it’s so gentle, Santaverde Aloe Vera Sunscreen Emulsion is great for all skin types, including sensitive skin. Hey, it feel so great, you may even look forward to putting on this sunblock.

Living Nature Daily Defence SPF 15 moisturizes while offering great sun protection with zinc oxide. That's hard to beat. Yet it immediately absorbs into your skin, without the white color. Other key ingredients include Manuka honey and harakeke, a natural alternative to synthetic gels. It’s from the plant of the same name that’s famous for its healing, soothing and hydrating qualities.

In a nutshell, Living Nature is all about luxury from the packaging to the ingredients to how silky smooth it feels on the skin. Splurge, I say. Your skin deserves it.

John Masters Organics SPF 30 Natural Mineral Sunscreen is made by a company that I really love. They are super-committed to furthering the organic beauty movement. All ingredients they purchase are certified organic, biodegradable , come from local farmers, must be harvested in an eco-friendly way and obtained through fair trade methods. No artificial colors or fragrances. No animal testing. Are they great or what?

This sunscreen is packed with shea butter and jojoba, which give it a great moisturizing effect. Green tea acts as an antioxidant and antibacterial. The titanium dioxide and zinc oxide provide great protection from UVA and UVB rays. Green up. Sunscreen up. You can’t go wrong with this one.

Burt's Bees Chemical Free Sunscreen SPF 30 is produced by a fabulously eco-conscious company. This sunscreen is 100% natural. But wait...Weren't we supposed to steer clear of natural products? Well, in most cases, so-called natural beauty products are not up to snuff, however, this 100% natural sunscreen passes with flying colors.

Burt's Bees helped develop The Natural Standard for Personal Care Products. That means....

Natural. Product must be made of natural ingredients that are processed in a way that maintains their purity.

Safe. Product must not contain any ingredient that is even suspected to put humans at a health risk. (Nice way to raise the bar.)

Cruelty-free. No animal testing.

Sustainable. Ingredients must be biodegradable. Even the packaging must be environmentally friendly.

Burt's Bees is also committed to fair trade. Gotta love it!

This natural sunscreen goes on with a slight white coloring but absorbs fast and is effective as soon as you apply it. Titanium dioxide , the protective ingredient, is a mineral that reflects harmful rays and is considered a natural sun block. In addition, you’ll find ingredients like hawthorn, calendula, sunflower seed oil, golden seal and rosemary. This sunscreen is so plant-based, it’s practically a salad.

bareMinerals SPF 30 Natural Sunscreen is different than all the others in that it is a natural mineral sunscreen in powder form for face and body.

Micronized titanium dioxide is the powerful ingredient that protects you from the sun’s harmful rays. And in doing so, it prevents sun damage and premature skin aging. We all love that, right?

This non-greasy natural sunscreen won’t clog your pores, which is a nice benefit to anyone who measures each slather of sunblock against potential breakouts. It also blends easily and beautifully under or over makeup. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never found a sunscreen that I can put on top of my makeup without ruining its finish. And I mean ruining, like turning it into some kind of modern art project. So this is a nice option, especially if you’re like me and remember to sunblock when you’re halfway down the driveway.

Speaking of which, the other thing that I like about this product is how convenient it is. Easy to keep in your purse or car for unexpected sun exposure or reapplication. How many of you forget sunscreen? Raise your sunburned little hands. Me too. And reapplying? Forget it. Seriously, because I do forget it. This easy-to-carry natural mineral sunscreen will help you out. Now all you have to do is set your cell phone alarm to remind you to reapply and not drop your phone into the pool and you’re set. (More on natural mineral makeup later, by the way.)

California Baby No Fragrance SPF 30+ Sunscreen Lotion is a great bet for your little ones.

I bet all moms out there can relate to this. When I became a mom, I was suddenly hypersensitive to my daughter’s environment. From cleaning products to dish soap to the products that I put on her body. I mean, benzophenone on my little bundle? Nope. Not gonna happen. Nor was I going to risk exposing her tender baby skin to sunburn. So, while it’s not recommended to take babies under the age of 6 months into the sun, sometimes you just can’t help it. You’ve gotta get out of the house, especially in the spring and summer months. Thankfully, this natural sunscreen is safe to use on them. What a relief.

Not only does it really protect our cherubs from the sun, California Baby No Fragrance SPF 30+ Sunscreen Lotion is made for super-sensitive skin. No fragrances, no chemicals. It’s designed for face and body. And hooray! It won’t sting the eyes. Even better, it’s water resistant. So let the kids hit the pool. You can stop worrying about them getting sunburned and save it for more important things, like who just ate a bug. And by the way, California Baby goes very smoothly onto Mommy’s face, too, and works great under makeup.

So now, no excuses. You’ve got oodles of organic and natural sunscreens to choose from. Don’t forget, WEAR SUNSCREEN EVERY DAY! (C’mon, I’m a mom. I can’t help telling you what to do every now and again.)

As always, your comments and thoughts are welcome. Happy greening!

how to tell the real natural and organic beauty products from the fakes

So the alarm goes off and your day begins... You kick it off with an invigorating shower, slather on great smelling shower gel or body wash, work shampoo and conditioner into your hair, exfoliate your face, towel off, then moisturize your body. Last but not least, splash on the toner, moisturize those rosy cheeks, sunblock for safety, and top it all off with your favorite makeup. Throw on a little antiperspirant and you’re good to go. (Whew!) 

But wait a minute. 

Did you know that during this daily process, you’ve exposed yourself and the environment to an enormous amount of dangerous chemicals? That’s right. On your face, on your skin, in the air and all around. Scary, isn’t it?

The good news is, you can do something about it. Now’s the time to take the first step and replace some of the favorites in your beauty regimen with certified organic products. Because, as I’ve said before, you don’t have to do it all overnight. Just pick one or two of your favorite products and take a deeper look. 

Know what’s going into your natural and organic beauty products

The truth is, natural and organic skin care products can be a bit of a myth. The label “natural” can merely mean that a small amount of ingredients came from a natural source. So even all natural makeup and all natural shampoo may not be all natural. And products labeled organic can contain toxic ingredients. So, what's a girl to do? 

When greening up your regimen, start with the ingredients. Read carefully, looking for the worst offenders. Once you learn how to decipher these labels, not only will you find the right products for you, but you’ll also avoid those cosmetics that claim to be organic or natural when they’re not.

Ingredients to avoid

Parabens. These are petroleum based. You know, the same stuff that makes plastic. Paraben actually acts as a sealant on your skin and interferes with its ability to breath and renew itself.

Artificial fragrances and colors. These ingredients can cause a lot of trouble. Everything from headache and dizziness to vomiting and skin irritation. In fact, they’re the number one cause of allergic reactions in cosmetics. Artificial colors are simply used to make things look better, but they can be carcinogens. Aaaaaah! My advice: run screaming.

Propylene glycol. This is highly toxic in amounts more than 5% and known to cause allergic reactions such as eczema and even hives. Yikes! Again, avoid like the plague.

Mineral oil. We’ve all heard of it. But did you know it’s another petroleum-based ingredient, similar to Parabens? You’ll find it in lotions, lip balm and moisturizers. Though it makes your skin feel smoother at first, mineral oil also makes your skin more likely to be damaged by the sun. And in the long run, it leads to dry skin. A definite no-no.

PVP/VA Copolymer. Yum, yum, doesn’t that sound tasty? You’ll see this little gem in hair products. It’s petroleum-based and can be toxic if inhaled.

Sodium lauryl sulfate. Known for its foaming abilities, sodium lauryl sulfate is found in shampoos, body washes and soaps. It causes allergic reactions such as skin irritation, dandruff and even hair loss. Sodium laureth sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate, and sodium myreth sulfate are close cousins to watch out for.

Diethanolamine (DEA) gives skin that nice, soft feeling. But it can react with other ingredients in your cosmetics and create a potent carcinogen, according to the Cancer Prevention Coalition. Also, avoid MEA and TEA, closely related chemicals that can be toxic.

All in all, a good rule of thumb to follow is this: if you can't say it, don't buy it. 

Go forth, Green Beauty!

Armed with this information, you’re ready to re-enter the world of cosmetics and beauty products and make good decisions for your skin, yourself and the environment. Happy greening!

why go green?

Organic Beauty Now

An informative and fun organic cosmetics blog

Welcome to Organic Beauty Now blog! My goal is to help you make informative decisions about greening up your beauty regimen. Here, you’ll get the facts plus fun and interesting details on the organic beauty movement, individual products, organic beauty news, tips and techniques and a lot more.

So, who am I?

I’m Tara Verkuil, mother and artist, and I strive to do my part environmentally. Plus I’m a big fan of looking your best and have a great love for beauty products and cosmetics. When I became a mom, I decided to do two things. Keep looking good. And make sure I’m using safe, organic products on my family and myself. Now I’m dedicated to finding the best skin care products and sharing what I learn about organic and natural beauty products with you. So I founded Organic Beauty Now and am the editor of Organic Beauty Now blog. I welcome your input, ideas and feedback.

Organic cosmetics and beauty products: why
go green?

It seems like everything is going certified organic. Food, cleaning products, cosmetics and even pet care, just to name a few.

Using organic beauty care products for your regimen is one of the most important ways that you can green up your life and the environment. Here’s why...

Since your skin absorbs the products that you put on your body, reducing the amount of toxic chemicals and synthetic ingredients is one of the greatest things you can do to promote healthy skin. You may even be reducing your risk of cancer, birth defects, and reproductive issues, just to name a few… all while lessening global impact.

Not only does using these organic beauty products make sense environmentally, it makes sense beauty-wise. After all, these products are plant based, which means they offer unique qualities to your skin, such as regeneration, hydration, healing, stimulation, relaxing and firming. All the great buzzwords of today’s ideal skincare regimen.

By supporting beauty companies that are eco-friendly, you encourage more beauty and cosmetics manufacturers to sit up and take notice. After all, we want to be beautiful, but not if it means slathering a bunch of harmful chemicals on our skin, right? You can help raise awareness about potentially harmful exposure just by making small changes in the beauty products you use.

Who’s green… and who isn’t?

Here’s the tricky bit about greening up your beauty products. Many items that claim to be certified organic beauty products actually aren’t. How can you be sure? It's all so confusing. So let’s simplify matters.

What makes a product green:

Each ingredient has minimal toxicity

All ingredients are manufactured in an environmentally sound manner

Agricultural water (the water farmers use) must be organic

Water added later to products cannot make the product certified organic if the agricultural water wasn’t organic

No conventional petroleum and feedstocks are used. Instead, only certified agricultural feedstocks are used to make the cleansing and conditioning ingredients. (What’s a feedstock, you ask? It’s “any bulk raw material constituting the principal input for an industrial product”… OK, that doesn’t sound good. But basically, it’s the main ingredient or ingredients in your beauty products.)

How you can get started.

Have you thought about greening up your beauty regimen? Starting with certified organic skin care followed by organic makeup?

There are a lot of products out there and a ton of information. And all of it grows daily (Which makes sense, after all, since it’s organic. OK, just kidding around.)

Seem overwhelming?

It doesn’t have to be. You don’t have to change your whole beauty regimen overnight. I recommend making a few small changes at a time. Just one or two products here and there can make a lot of difference.

Perhaps you’re ready for a new night cream and a mascara? Maybe just a lip balm. A new blush for the new season?

In this blog, I’ll give you more information, tips, techniques and product reviews on organic beauty and skincare products that can help you make new choices.

And I’m always interested in hearing from you. If there’s something specific that you want to know about, just let me know.

Whatever you choose, congratulate yourself on making yourself and your world a little bit greener and a whole lot more beautiful.

It's never too late to get started and every step counts. Happy greening!