How to choose a green beauty product

Learn how to read the labels and look for details that will help you to determine if the product is suitable for you or not. Here are a few useful guidelines to keep in mind the next time you go bargain hunting for green beauty products.

Make-up

According to new legislation, all product labels need to list all their ingredients, regardless of their quantity. Professional brands with high quality products will always list all their ingredients and this will enable you to accurately evaluate what is inside your make-up product. Make-up products should preferably be free of any emollients, emulsifiers, preservatives, humectants and surfactants. By reading the label and learning the basic ingredients to avoid, you can choose truly natural, organic make-up products for your beauty routine.

Skincare

When selecting a skincare product, opt for gentle preservatives that will provide a long shelf life without having any harmful effects on your skin. Some excellent examples of natural preservatives include tocopherol (vitamin E), potassium sorbate, and grapefruit extract. Mineral oils are considered healthy overall by many, but do keep in mind that these oils will also often cause excessive dryness.

Hair care

Shopping for hair care products might seem straight forward, but there are a few aspects to keep in mind when you are looking for a truly organic or green product. Avoid sodium laurel sulphate. This is a foaming agent that is commonly used in many shampoo products and its drying properties will remove your hair’s natural oils. Try to use conditioning products that do not have silicone. Silicone does keep the hear from breaking by giving the hair strand a protective coat, but as this builds up, it weakens the hair and will eventually cause more damage than good. If you do prefer to use a silicone-based product, do remember to use a clarifying shampoo product every few weeks to rid your hair of any remaining chemicals and build-ups. Always look for products that come in paraben free containers.

Nails

Always go for a water-based nail polish brand that has no toxins. Natural, high quality products will likely contain a vitamin A as well as a variety of amino acids. If you are unsure of any product on the label, always research the ingredient first, before you opt to buy. Organic, natural nail polish products are also water-based, less toxic, odourless and hypoallergenic. They will last just as long as conventional nail polish products but they are definitely the safer choice to go with. Painting your nails has never been easier and now you can be safe and health conscious too.

Body

There is a huge variety of body products that it can sometimes become quite overwhelming to choose the right one; especially if you are looking for natural, organic items to use. Organic body care has become a popular trend these last few years, as more and more people are becoming health conscious. According to most product regulations, if a product has at least one organic ingredient, the manufacturers may add the word ‘organic’ on its label; meaning that you can never be 100% sure about its effectiveness unless you study the label and look at all the ingredients the product contains. Remember, even if the label contains the word ‘natural’ it might just mean that some of the ingredients have been derived from natural sources as opposed to those that are completely natural. Chemicals have a different effect on every individual and it’s best to completely eliminate body products that contain chemicals.

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