5 Easy Ways to Make Your Beauty Routine Greener
Change can be difficult, and when the transition in question involves beauty products it can be even more daunting to try something new. However, the experts at Vert Beauty, an organic beauty boutique based in Denver, Colorado, insist that making a switch to greener, “cleaner” products can be surprisingly easy—and it doesn’t have to feel like a compromise. As Vert notes, between the long-term health benefits of using green beauty products and the sustainable principles used to create them, few people would bat an eyelash when adapting their routine for the greater good. Here, they break down five simple green beauty changes to incorporate into your daily routine.
Cleanser. This is one of the easiest switches you can make, because cleansers have just one job —to clean—and so many natural ones do it well. It is important to choose one based on your skin type; we recommend Osmia Organics’s Black Clay Facial Soap for troubled skin, and May Lindstrom’s The Honey Mud for dry skin and a really indulgent experience. The pure ingredients are filler-free and so ultra-concentrated that you don’t have to use as much as their conventional counterparts, and because they don’t contain harsh ingredients, your face will feel calm and balanced instead of parched and tight—meaning less moisturizer and more glowing skin.
Lips. Where do you think your lipstick goes when it fades away? Yes, some ends up on your coffee cup, but mostly we ingest it little by little when we talk, drink, and eat—which is why you should clean up your lipstick collection to include only products with safe ingredients. Jane Iredale Lip Fixation is a great choice for those who love a long-wearing formula; it stays put and won’t go quietly into the night. Before you add color or gloss, remember to exfoliate and prep. RL Linden & Co’s Kiss Like Honey Lip Exfoliant is perfect for clearing your lips after the elements have left them cracked or damaged. Its unique use of sugar crystals actually makes it an edible little treat while you clean and clear.
Concealer. This is one category where women have a really hard time replacing their preferred product because for years nothing seemed to measure up to the weightlessness and consistency of traditional formulas. Thankfully, clean versions have caught up, and they perform just as well as any of the others on the market. Jane Iredale and RMS both offer creamy concealers that look great on the skin, and VERT’s own Beauty Concealer Pencil has an almost clay-like consistency that lets you draw over dark circles, blemishes, and discolorations like you’re using a crayon. It lays down a perfect layer of what looks like enhanced skin with an almost Photoshopped result.
Sunscreen. Traditional sunscreens have some of the most toxic ingredients around which is why there’s such a boom in safer formulas. Coola is a SPF-focused line that does sun care with so much finesse that you hardly notice that the slightly tinted, skin perfecting rose scented cream is actually protecting you from the sun and its aging effects. It’s one of the more elegant green beauty formulas around because it feels (and smells) like great skincare, which inspires you to wear it like you should: every day.
Perfume. Unlike some of the heavy, musky manufactured scents available in department stores, the combinations you can create from essential oils are endless and actually good for your skin. At our in-house Fragrance Bar, we start with a carrier oil of your choice (jojoba or safflower), then combine it with scents you like—light florals, hints of citrus, romantic earthy notes, etc.
TSG Tip 200 from Vert Beauty in Denver, Colorado. Adapted from “The 5 Easiest Changes Toward a Green Beauty Lifestyle” blog post by Neil Pommier on VertBeauty.com. Vert Beauty is featured in The Scout Guide Denver. Photo by Kristen Hatgi Sink.
