Spring has sprung! Well, at least according to the calendar it has! And as the weather slowly catches up, I’m itching to freshen things – in my house, in my wardrobe and with my beauty routine.

As you know by now, I’m passionate about finding the cleanest products possible to put onto and into my body. Knowing that our skin is our largest organ, it is super important to me that what I put on my skin doesn’t contain any toxins. So in the interest of going from “already clean to truly green,” I’ve been researching the best in organic cosmetics that aren’t just clean, but perform as well or better than the toxic stuff. I’m so excited to share my findings with you!

When I first started out on the mission of cleaning up all of my cosmetics, it was a bit daunting. After all, who the heck knows what all of those 24-letter ingredients really are?! My number one tool for research has been the Skin Deep Cosmetics Database, created by the Environmental Working Group. I have painstakingly copied and pasted each of the ingredients from every product I’ve considered into their search engine to find out if it has any toxic or hormonal impact. Did you know that many of the ingredients in regular cosmetics have been linked to cancer and reproductive problems, among many other major health concerns? It’s true, but fear not! There are some amazing companies out there producing some amazing products that are totally clean and perform beautifully!

Today I’m going to share my favourite basics for getting started – foundation, concealer and powder. After testing and trying several different products, these are my top picks from two of my favourite organic beauty companies.

FOUNDATION: I don’t know about you, but I want a foundation that evens out my skintone and leaves me glowing without looking like I have a thick layer of “fake” on my face. Basically, I want to look natural while hiding my flaws and imperfections. {Hmm…maybe I’m not just talking about skin when I say that…ha!}

My one and only choice that I am now RAVING about for foundation is Vapour Organic Beauty’s Atmosphere Luminous Foundation. Oh. My. Goodness. It applies like a dream and miraculously “airbrushes” out my unevenness and imperfections without looking heavy. Instead it gives me a dewy, radiant glow and leaves my skin feeling as soft as a newborn baby’s bottom. It smells incredible, too, and is of course organic and completely non-toxic. Celebrity fans like Gwyneth Paltrow and Jessica Biel are spreading the word like wildfire on this incredible product, and I’m officially a convert!

CONCEALER: I have two choices for you on this one, both beautiful. First, Vapour’s Illusionist Concealer. I love the texture and buildable coverage of this concealer. Again, it looks very natural once it is applied and they have a great range of colours available to match different undertones and shades of skin. I would choose this one if you are in your twenties and don’t have too many places for the concealer to “settle in” as the day wears on.

Now that I’m in my thirties {ahem}, I need a concealer that will stay put. The problem I’ve found {until now} is that the ones that don’t settle into my creases are too thick and actually tug at my delicate eye area, looking really heavy once they’ve been applied. But the search is over thanks to RMS Beauty and their “Un” Cover-Up. I can’t thank the lovely ladies at Saffron Rouge enough for sending me a sample! This brilliant product flawlessly covers up my dark circles, brightening the eye area and leaving me with a healthy, radiant glow. On stripped-down days when I want to touch up slightly before a Pilates class, for example, I just cover my circles and a few of my spots with this and I’m good to go. It seems to just melt into my skin while doing its job and not creasing up throughout the day. Magical, and totally clean and organic!

POWDER: Last but not least on my list of basics is a good setting powder. As I’ve said, I love a glowing, radiant face, but I have combination skin which means my forehead can go from “glowing to greasy” if I don’t use a setting powder. The trouble has been finding a clean, non-toxic powder that doesn’t leave me looking dried out and caked up. Once again, RMS Beauty saves the day with their “Un” Powder. The ladies at Saffron Rouge sent me this one and only option to try and – having already tried MANY others – I am now a diehard fan. This super-fine milled powder is made up of one simple ingredient: Silica. It is non-toxic, doesn’t clog pores and goes on so fine it has a true airbrushed finish without over-matting my skin. I find I can selectively set my foundation and this doesn’t compete with the gorgeous glow the Vapour Luminous Foundation gives me. So I can leave my cheekbones glowing while powdering my t-zone and I don’t look like I’ve got two different, competing makeup looks going on. It blends seamlessly and keeps things where they should be all day long!

Those are my top picks for basics, and in weeks to come I will be sharing my top picks for eyes, cheeks, lips and more!

In order to empower you today to start doing your own research, I also want to give you a list of chemicals you should watch for and avoid in your products. These are the top 12 biggies, but I highly recommend doing your homework and researching every ingredient through Skin Deep’s amazing search engine. It is quite the education!

Bensoyl Peroxide: You’ll often see this one in acne products, and it’s a possible tumor-producer among many other things!

DEA (Diethanolamine), MEA (Monoethanolamine) + TEA (Triethanolamine): This foam booster is a skin and eye iritant and causes dermatitis. It is also absorbed through the skin and can accumulate in your organs and brain!

Dioxin: This one is often found in antibacterial ingredients like triclosan, PEGs and ethoxylated cleansers like Sodium Laurel Sulfate. It causes cancer, reduced immune function, nervous system disorders, miscarriages and birth defects.

DMDM Hyantoin + Urea (Imidazolidinyl): These two preservatives relaease formaldehyde. Formaldehyde has been linked with joint pain, cancer, skin reactions, allergies, depression, headaches, chest pain, ear infections, chronic fatigue, dizziness and insomnia. Yikes!

FD&C Colours + Pigments: You see this one a lot if you’re reading your ingredients lists. These synthetic colours – made from coal tar – contain heavy metal salts that depost toxins into the skin, causing sensitivity and irritation. Animal studies have shown that almost all of them are carcinogenic.

Parabens (Methylparaben, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben): This is another one that is super common because it is used as a preservative. The tricky thing is it’s not always labeled! It often shows up in deodorants, sunscreens, face creams and foundations. It has been found in breast cancer tumors and may contribute to hormone imbalances and early puberty.

PEG (Polyethylene glycol): Dangerous levels of Dioxin (see above) have been found as a by-product of producing PEG. PEGs are in just about everything including personal care products, baby care products and sunscreens.

Phthalates: This is another one that isn’t always listed, but it can damage your liver and kidneys and cause birth defects!

Propylene Glycol (PG) + Butylene Glycol: These are basically petroleum plastics. They are considered so toxic that products containing them are BURIED when they are disposed. They can cause brain, liver and kidney abnormalities.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) + Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES): This one shows up in 90% of personal care products that foam. Finding a good shampoo without these suckers is a mission unto itself! They can lead to eye damage, depression, respiratory problems, diarrhea, skin irritation and even death. What? Yup. Nasty stuff.

Tridosan: This is a synthetic antibacterial ingredient. It’s actually a PESTICIDE and is a risk for human health as well as to the environment. It is suspected of causing cancer.

Sunscreen Chemicals to avoid: Avobenzone, benzphenone, ethoxycinnamate and PABA. They all generate free radicals and are believed to cause damage to your DNA and/or lead to cancer.

Whew! What a list! Many thanks to Natural Healthy for compiling this list of top toxins to watch for.

I hope today’s post has inspired you to know more about what you are putting on your skin. I hope it has also encouraged you to know that there ARE amazing, non-toxic, non-carcinogenic options that you will LOVE!! Replacing the dirty stuff with clean, organic products will only leave you looking and feeling MORE beautiful, inside and out!

Wishing you a healthy + beautiful Thursday!
xo
s.