Sephora earns extra kudos for consistent listing of ingredients and clear, accurate color swatches.
Sometimes the online shopping experience is far more pleasant than dawdling around the store and
bickering with sales associates who cannot always grasp why you want a humble Dr. Hauschka’s
lotion if there’s such a gorgeous, shimmering, luxuriously smelling and fast-absorbing dermatologist-
tested cream that “contains natural ingredients.” Green brands handpicked by Sephora experts include
CARE by Stella McCartney, Juice Beauty, Bare Escentuals, CARGO, Lavanila, Nvey Eco, and
Caudalie.
eBay.com
This is the route to take when you want to save up to 50 percent on organic beauty products, create
your own green cosmetic products from scratch, or try a new, niche brand. Many stores sell organic
beauty products with a substantial discount, although shipping charges may be on the high end, and be
prepared to receive a Dr. Hauschka lotion from Germany with instructions in German, or even to
spend up to a month waiting for your purchase or not receive it at all.
A word of online shopping wisdom: be ruthless and file the claim with PayPal after ten days of
waiting. But the savings make it all worth the trouble. I head to eBay for plant hydrosols for toners
and masks, rare and discontinued Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab perfume oils, powdered plant extracts
for creams and hair treatments, pure henna, inexpensive antioxidants, organic soy wax chips for
homemade candles, organic essential oils from all over the world, and, of course, for vintage perfume
bottles or cobalt glass jars that will contain my homemade beauty creations.
Skin Actives Scientific (www.SkinActives.com)
If you are a cosmetic DIY enthusiast, make this online store your source of continual inspiration.
All Skin Actives products are synthesized in an Arizona lab by acclaimed chemist and research
scientist Dr. Hannah Sivak and her team.
Be prepared to frantically jump from one active to another, pretty much like a kid in a candy store:
active ingredients include potent antioxidants idebenone, kinetin, resveratrol, and green tea extracts;
collagen boosters matrixyl and epidermal growth factor; antiwrinkle Boswellia serrata and
hyaluronic acid; anti-inflammatory bisabolol and copper peptide, and the bestselling fermented sea
kelp that will allow you to prepare your Creme De La Mer duplicate without petrochemicals or
parabens. All active ingredients are shipped in sterile containers, complete with detailed instructions,
pipettes, and spatulas.
MountainRoseHerbs.com
If you prefer to blend your masks and toners from scratch, head over to this online store that has
been selling certified organic plant extracts, essential oils, and hydrosols since 1987. Aloe vera gel,
almond meal, borax powder, castile soap, witch hazel, vegetable glycerine, and all other basic
cosmetic ingredients are sold in various amounts, depending on your needs. You will find bulk
organic herbs and spices, butters, waxes, carrier oils, clays, natural flavors, boxes and bottles, as
well as seaweeds, sprouting seeds, and herbal teas to complete your green journey. The store has a
no-hassle return policy and reasonable shipping fees.