Congratulations on starting your green beauty journey! I can’t stress how important it is to be aware of the toxins lurking in conventional beauty products. From formaldahyde in nail polish to carcinogens in deodorant, your body is at risk of absorbing and collecting all sorts of harmful chemicals.
But it certainly doesn’t need to be that way. The green beauty industry is expanding rapidly. You can find my current go-to’s in the I’m Currently Obsessed With… series that I publish seasonally.
But I also think it’s worth noting that transforming your beauty collection can be overwhelming! And I’m certainly not the sort of person to say “toss out everything you have and start from scratch!” Because unless you have deep pockets, that’s just not a practical option.
So, if you are just starting out with green beauty, or have been collecting for a while, what conventional makeup items should you replace first? In my opinion, you should start with the items that could cause the greatest harm. Read on to see my top 3 recommendations to anyone looking to detox their makeup routine.
This post contains links to partner websites that I regularly use and love!
Whenever someone asks me where to start with green beauty, I always, always, advise them to swap out their lip products. Why? Well, to put it plainly: you swallow everything you apply to your lips.
You should be highly picky with what goes on your lips. If the thought of taking a bite out of your current lipstick disgusts you, it’s time to reassess.
– THE PURIST
There’s a myth floating around that lipstick-wearing women eat 7 pounds of rouge in their lifetime. It turns out that’s not accurate. But some research figures estimate that women who wear lipstick regularly do ingest 21.9 grams per year, equalling 3.7 pounds over an average lifetime. That may not seem like a lot of lipstick. Yet if you consider these estimates would be true for lip balms, chapsticks, glosses, and lip stains, too, that means we’re eating a lot of lip products! Not to mention, all of these products get absorbed by your delicate lip skin. Meaning: we are eating and absorbing everything we apply to our mouthes.
Coming to that realization was a big wakeup call for me. But don’t worry! There are so many wonderful, non-toxic alternatives to conventional lip glosses, lip sticks, lip balms, and lip liners.
My favourite green lipsticks are the ones pigmented with real fruits by 100% Pure. Their cocoa matte lipsticks are the perfect green alternative to MAC lipsticks and other super-opaque lip colours. Axiology lipsticks and lip crayons are another go-to for me. If you like the look of lip glosses, I would highly recommend Axiology lipsticks for their high-gloss finish. Axiology lip crayons are more sturdy than their lipsticks, both in formula and packaging. Don’t forget to detox your lip balms too!
All of these lip products are cruelty-free, vegan, and non-toxic.
Similar to lip products, foundation and primer is absorbed by your skin. Have you ever noticed your once perfect coverage seems to have faded by the end of the day? Wondering where it went? Well, for a portion of it: it absorbed inside you.
If by 6 pm your foundation’s coverage is looking non-existent, there’s a good chance your skin has partially absorbed it. Choose ingredient-healthy primers and foundations ensure nothing nasty is getting into your skin. Keep in mind that many chemicals included in primers and foundations can be both drying and pore-clogging.
I noticed a reduction in facial acne after switching to green makeup and eating cleaner. Because I develop less acne now, I feel less inclined to cover-up makeup. My skin is in a much healthier place now.
All of these face products are cruelty-free, vegan, and non-toxic.
Just like foundations, concealers seep into your skin throughout the day. Choosing concealers made from botanicals and other non-toxic ingredients ensures you don’t just look good, but you’ll feel good long term!
The Purist Picks Non-Toxic Concealers:
All of these concealers are cruelty-free, vegan, and non-toxic.