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Episode 43: Green Beauty Basics with Special Guest Greta Eagan
Cruelty-free. Organic. All-natural. Green.
A lot of beauty products proudly display stickers with these phrases nowadays, but what do they mean? Are they all just fancy words meaning the same thing?
“[Green beauty is] a really broad spectrum applied to brands jumping on that bandwagon,” says Greta Eagan, editor of Fashion Me Green, author of the bestselling Wear No Evil, and former Just Ask David guest.
“Then I learned your skin is the largest organ and it absorbs what you put on it. But it doesn’t necessarily filter things the way your liver or kidneys would when you ingest something.
Natural Beauty
The same way many of us decided to go green in the last decade, natural cosmetics are carving their own place in the beauty industry. And it isn’t a niche, anymore. People are ditching their beauty products created with synthetic chemicals in favor of natural ingredients.
But as healthy and positive as natural beauty may seem, there’s always a catch. “You have to be careful,” Greta warns. “Because if a brand uses one ingredients that is naturally sourced or even organic… then they can name their products ‘natural,’ even though the rest of the ingredients are not.” The best remedy for this is learning to read the ingredients.
Non-Toxic Beauty
If green or natural beauty products need at least one organic ingredient, non-toxic beauty takes those values a little further.
In some cases, non-toxic beauty brands hold their products to a higher standard of safety than even the FDA. That’s because there are plenty of chemicals that are approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration are banned for cosmetic use overseas due to potential public health hazards. In other words, non-toxic beauty is perfect for people who’d rather be safe than sorry.
“Your skin is the largest organ and it absorbs what you put on it,” Greta says. “But it doesn’t necessarily filter things the way your liver or kidneys would when you ingest something.” In fact, our skin can absorb up to 60% of what we put on it.
“I am always looking out for parabens,” Greta says, referring to the group of suspected carcinogens often used to preserve beauty products.
Vegan Beauty
Beauty products that don’t test on or use animals is vegan beauty. Vegan beauty, also known as cruelty-free beauty, has become increasingly popular in the last few years.
You can easily find out if a beauty product is vegan by reading the ingredients. “You can also look for the little bunny rabbit that means the product is cruelty-free,” Greta suggests.
But it’s also worth mentioning that vegan labelling isn’t a guarantee for non-toxic products. A cosmetic can not use any animal product or testing, yet still use potentially toxic chemicals in a formula.
Stay Green, Stay Beautiful!
Now that you know the difference between natural, non-toxic, and vegan beauty, visit Greta’s website Fashion Me Green for more ways to go green. You can also follow her on Twitter and Instagram @GretaEagan.
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By David PollockCruelty-free. Organic. All-natural. Green.
A lot of beauty products proudly display stickers with these phrases nowadays, but what do they mean? Are they all just fancy words meaning the same thing?
“[Green beauty is] a really broad spectrum applied to brands jumping on that bandwagon,” says Greta Eagan, editor of Fashion Me Green, author of the bestselling Wear No Evil, and former Just Ask David guest.
“Then I learned your skin is the largest organ and it absorbs what you put on it. But it doesn’t necessarily filter things the way your liver or kidneys would when you ingest something.
Natural Beauty
The same way many of us decided to go green in the last decade, natural cosmetics are carving their own place in the beauty industry. And it isn’t a niche, anymore. People are ditching their beauty products created with synthetic chemicals in favor of natural ingredients.
But as healthy and positive as natural beauty may seem, there’s always a catch. “You have to be careful,” Greta warns. “Because if a brand uses one ingredients that is naturally sourced or even organic… then they can name their products ‘natural,’ even though the rest of the ingredients are not.” The best remedy for this is learning to read the ingredients.
Non-Toxic Beauty
If green or natural beauty products need at least one organic ingredient, non-toxic beauty takes those values a little further.
In some cases, non-toxic beauty brands hold their products to a higher standard of safety than even the FDA. That’s because there are plenty of chemicals that are approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration are banned for cosmetic use overseas due to potential public health hazards. In other words, non-toxic beauty is perfect for people who’d rather be safe than sorry.
“Your skin is the largest organ and it absorbs what you put on it,” Greta says. “But it doesn’t necessarily filter things the way your liver or kidneys would when you ingest something.” In fact, our skin can absorb up to 60% of what we put on it.
“I am always looking out for parabens,” Greta says, referring to the group of suspected carcinogens often used to preserve beauty products.
Vegan Beauty
Beauty products that don’t test on or use animals is vegan beauty. Vegan beauty, also known as cruelty-free beauty, has become increasingly popular in the last few years.
You can easily find out if a beauty product is vegan by reading the ingredients. “You can also look for the little bunny rabbit that means the product is cruelty-free,” Greta suggests.
But it’s also worth mentioning that vegan labelling isn’t a guarantee for non-toxic products. A cosmetic can not use any animal product or testing, yet still use potentially toxic chemicals in a formula.
Stay Green, Stay Beautiful!
Now that you know the difference between natural, non-toxic, and vegan beauty, visit Greta’s website Fashion Me Green for more ways to go green. You can also follow her on Twitter and Instagram @GretaEagan.