Are you considering greening-up your beauty routine? You’re not alone. According to research, three out of four U.S. women consider purchasing all-natural beauty products a must. So, what’s got us happily ditching our old beauty and skincare favourites in favour of a green beauty routine?
Well, synthetic products contain chemicals that are absorbed by the skin—many of them are safe, but not all. Synthetic fragrances, parabens, and phthalates all warrant concern. A holistic approach towards beauty should naturally limit synthetics and include natural, clean products to leave you feeling beautiful inside and out.
Whether you’re interested in becoming more aware of the ingredients that go on your body, or you’re down to completely overhaul for a green beauty routine, here’s how you can make the journey as easy as possible!
3 Effortless Steps to a Green Beauty Routine
Read the ingredients
Unfortunately, just because something calls itself “natural” or “organic” doesn’t make it so. These terms aren’t regulated by the FDA, which means products that outwardly appear natural may still contain toxic ingredients. Additionally, the only way to know what’s in a product is to check the ingredients before you buy. Sure, this requires extra effort, but it’ll soon become second nature. You’ll quickly learn the main ingredients to avoid. Organic products should have the USDA organic seal.
Make changes gradually
You don’t need to tackle everything at once. A gradual approach will make the process less stressful and a lot more enjoyable. Start by choosing a category—beauty, skincare, or hair—and work on finding natural replacements for each of those products one-by-one. How to narrow it down even further? Initially, focus on purging products containing the most toxic ingredients. If you need some help, the Skin Deep cosmetics database lists thousands of products and ingredients along with their toxicity ratings.
Try out new products
Now for the fun part. Try out some products from the best organic makeup brands. If you stick to introducing just one new product at a time, you can note how your skin reacts to each one. You’ll come to know which natural brand works best for your skin, as well as discover a new set of products. In some cases, it may take a while to find a replacement product that matches up to your old standby—and that’s okay.
Adopting a green beauty routine doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing. Make as little or as many changes as you feel comfortable doing and you’ll be all the better for it. Plus, you get to go makeup shopping. And who doesn’t love that?
This ‘Green Beauty Routine’ post was written by Jennie Ogden for The Lady-like Leopard.