The Green Beauty Guide: Your Essential Resource to Organic and Natural Skin Care, Hair Care, Makeup, and Fragrances

(Greg DeLong) #1

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  1. Thou Shalt Notbelieve that you have to spend a lot of money on organic beauty products.
    Many inexpensive natural cosmetic lines have wonderful products that perform just as well as
    expensive ones because most plant extracts, vitamins, and minerals are not exclusive to one
    company. High-quality ingredients do not necessarily cost a lot more; many cosmetic companies
    buy ingredients from the same farm or wholesale supplier. There are many organic beauty
    manufacturers who grow their own ingredients, too. The only difference may be the
    concentration of these plant juices and extracts, and in the next chapters, you will learn how to
    choose products that really deliver.

  2. Thou Shalt Notbelieve there is such a thing as a magic beauty bullet. There are no secret
    ingredients that can instantly cure all your skin’s woes, but there are many new, effective active
    ingredients that can do wonders for your skin.

  3. Thou Shalt Notcompare your skin or hair to those of celebrities and spend hours moaning
    over a pimple, a wrinkle, or a stray lock. All celebrities are humans with their flaws and
    insecurities, and their picture-perfect skin is not due to the use of some secret potion but rather
    skillful hairstyling, makeup artistry, and computer retouching.

  4. Thou Shalt Notshare your mascara or lipstick, keep the jar of moisturizer open, lick the tip of
    your eyeliner, apply face cream with dirty hands, dilute shampoo with water—simply put,
    contaminate your beauty products and shorten their life span. Never use beauty products when
    their “best before” date is overdue.

  5. Thou Shalt Notbelieve that you need a special moisturizer for hands and another one for the
    rest of your body; that you need an eye cream and a separate face cream and a really cute neck
    serum; that you cannot use baby bath gel to cleanse your face; that you should have a different
    sunscreen lotion for each part of your body. In other words, do not let smart marketers
    manipulate you. Less is more, especially when it comes to organic formulations. From an oat
    scrub to a honey mask, the best things in beauty come incredibly cheap, and you don’t need to
    spend tons of money to look great and be healthy.

  6. Thou Shalt Notbelieve that if a famous doctor, chemist, dermatologist, yoga guru, hairstylist,
    or movie star created the formula, it would mean a world of difference. Lots of dermatologists,
    biologists, herbalists, and even aerospace engineers are involved in whipping up beauty
    products. It’s the juice that counts, not the bottle, as Aubrey Hampton, the pioneer of organic
    beauty, used to say, and your skin doesn’t care whose name is on the packaging. Read the
    ingredients list, ask smart questions about the concentration of particular ingredients, check
    reviews, be skeptical, and take everything with a grain of sea salt.

  7. Thou Shalt Notkeep it a secret. Spread the news. Help teenage girls avoid toxic beauty
    products. If you work in a spa or in a health-care facility, explain the dangers of toxic chemicals
    to your patients and clients. Phone the companies whose products you use and express your
    concerns directly. Many product labels carry toll-free phone numbers. Be an informed, vigilant
    consumer because what you know (and what you don’t) can turn really costly in terms of your
    looks and health.

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