Balanced Living

Ecobeauty – Getting Pretty the Green Way Pt. 2

Posted by Arja on July 4 in Personal Care and Cleaning

My goal at this year’s Eco-Beauty Market was to check out some products that I’d heard great things about (like Clinical Luxury by Graydon!), and also try and find an effective, natural deodorant once and for all.  Of all the non-toxic success I’ve had, despite not being an overly sweaty person I’ve yet to find a deodorant that doesn’t leaving me stinky within a few hours hours…  Until now.

 

My previous post outlined why I’ve switched to non-toxic, and here’s a quick recap of the products I picked up at the market, and how they’re working for me so far:

Graydon – Clinical Luxury by Nature 

I have been following this ultra-clean line through social media, but hadn’t had the opportunity to actually touch and play with the products in person yet.  Well, I wasn’t disappointed!  I picked up her Green Cream, Skin Stuff, Face Food Mineral Mist, The Cleanser, and All Over Soap + Shampoo.  This product line is really reasonably priced for what it is -  more expensive than the cheapo drug store brand stuff, but less expensive that the higher end department store products.  If you want to find out more, check her out online.  You can even make purchases through her website.

Pros – super clean ingredients, made in small batches, lots of variety, easy to purchase online
Cons – not readily available in all health food stores so may need to purchase online

Purely Great 

Switching out all my personal care products to non-toxic varieties has been a relatively painless process, except where deodorant is concerned.  In 5 years I have never found one that actually works, and I’m not a particularly sweaty person.  I’m not opposed to the idea of reapplying, or even needing to wipe my pits out to really freshen up before reapplying and going out, but I do need something that works for longer than 2 hours.  Enter Purely Great.  This deodorant cream has 3 ingredients, contains no aluminum, and actually works.  And I mean WORKS – all day, all night, and through a sweaty morning workout the next day.  Check them out for yourself.

Pros – actually works even through a sweaty workout, minimal number of ingredients; not sticky; leaves no residue on clothes
Cons – cream application may turn some people off (though it’s really not hard to use)

Jaydancin  

I first met and tried Jaydancin a year ago after being their booth neighbour at a show.  I picked up some of their soaps and really liked them.  The smell was great, not overpowering at all, and it left my skin feeling soft and nourished.  When I saw them at the market I didn’t hesitate to buy some more, and I also picked up a travel size of their Deep Relief, which can be used for muscle pain, headaches, and achy joints amongst other things.  Hubby suffers from chronic shoulder pain and I can get tense shoulders.  It works really well for our muscle pain – kind of like the products that heat up and also feel cold, but without all the toxic gunk in them.  You can order from them online.

Pros – soaps are nourishing and leave skin feeling clean but hydrated, lots of variety in terms of choice of ingredients, deep relief in stick format really easy to apply and provided gentle heat
Cons – must purchase online unless you live in their area

Sappho Cosmetics 

I don’t wear makeup very much, so truthfully, switching to non-toxic products hasn’t been high up on my priority list.  Having said that, for the 2-3 times per year that I put some on, using my old department store brand stuff hasn’t felt good.  I don’t like the way it feels on my skin, and I don’t like the way that it weighs on my psyche.  I’ve heard about Sappho and was really excited to talk to them.  They colour matched my skin to find the perfect foundation, and it feels so good to wear!  I nabbed a blush and an eye shadow as well, and I think I’ll slowly start building my collection using more of their products.  Check them out online.

Pros – foundation feels nice on the skin, high quality with amazing ingredients, lots of colours available ensures a good foundation colour match; blush and eye shadow feel nice too
Cons – product needs to be purchased online, so unless you’ve met them at a show and been colour matched, it will be hard to choose a foundation; limited number of colours for blush and eye shadow

Sweet Pits 

It’s hard to believe that after having so little success with natural deodorants for so long that I could actually find two that work in the same day!  Sweet Pits uses a few of the same ingredients as Purely Great, but also adds things like Shea Butter and Cocoa Butter which lets them create a product that can be dispensed from the more familiar stick format.  I’m using it the same way as my Purely Great and having the same level of success!  Again, check them out online for more information about how and where to purchase.

Pros – it actually works!; nourishing shea and cocoa for skin; stick format is familiar; not sticky; no residue on clothing
Cons – shea and cocoa butter are a bit hard and don’t spread as nicely until warmed up by the skin; may feel like you’re not getting good coverage until it’s on a bit thicker

The best way to start making the switch to more non-toxic personal care is to start reading labels, becoming more aware, and just basically to try new things.  Many companies offer smaller, sample sizes of their products and are more than happy to help you find a suitable product for your needs.  Just send them an e-mail or call them.

Choosing cleaner body care doesn’t mean you need to give up good quality, luxurious feeling products, and you certainly don’t need to give up looking good!

arja pennanen lytle c.n.p. n.n.c.p certified nutritional practitioner

Arja is a Holistic Nutritionist with a passion for balanced living. She loves to help people sleep better, think better, feel sexier, and just generally feel better by putting the focus on eating foods that make you feel good. Arja uses whole foods, lifestyle adjustments, herbs, and some supplements to help people feel their best and achieve their health and wellness goals.