means understanding nature and the human body as a whole, improving your looks naturally and
holistically, and abstaining from synthetic, hazardous chemicals.
When I started writing this book, I planned to name it The Organic Beauty Bible. In this title, I was
thinking about “organic” in its general meaning, as it was used in the beginning of the 1990s before
governments started to regulate organic foods and certify producers that meet standards for organic
production. Today, organic is better defined and less inclusive. When someone claims their fruits or
juices are organic, they must produce proof that it’s really so. Back in the 1990s, though, organic was
still associated with all things holistic and esoteric. So instead of focusing on a few cosmetic brands
that use only certified organic ingredients, I decided to come up with “green beauty.”
Today, organic is better defined and less inclusive. When someone claims their fruits or
juices are organic, they must produce proof that it’s really so.WHAT DOES “GREEN PARTY” REALLYMEAN?
The term “green” was first introduced by the German Die Grünen (Greens) Party in the 1980s. In
1995, the Finnish Green Party was the first ecoconscious party to become part of a national
government. A few years later, Ecolo in Belgium and Les Verts in France followed the lead. Since
then, any party or politician could be labeled “green” if environmental causes are focal points of their
platform. A Green Web party exists in Communist China, and even though green is a color of Islam,
only a few “green” parties have formed in the Middle East region (mainly in Pakistan, Iran, and Saudi
Arabia), and many of them are underground organizations since they are often in conflict with Islamic
law.
In this book, “green” means that a cosmetic product has been formulated without harmful toxic
chemicals—including paraben and formaldehyde-based preservatives, sulfate-based detergents,
synthetic penetration enhancers, and artificial dyes and fragrances. Such a product should ideally
contain certified organic ingredients whenever possible. It may be packaged in recyclable or recycled
boxes and bottles, and it shouldn’t contain chemicals that poison the environment, such as phosphate
and sulfate detergents, petrochemicals, and phthalates.
Green beauty does not need to be completely plant-derived. Minerals, such as zinc oxide, titanium
oxide, mica, and others, as well as vitamins, glycerin, and certain claysmake wonderful and very
beneficial additions to cosmetic formulations. Other newly developed active ingredients, such as
coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinone), kinetin, human growth factor, and various peptides cannot be obtained
by simply distilling themfromfruits and herbs. These ingredients are derived from natural sources, but
undergo complex chemical treatment before they become suitable for use in cosmetics.
Green beauty isn’t necessarily certified organic. Many plants cannot be grown in certified organic
farms. Many excellent green beauty products use plants that are wild-harvested or grown locally on
clean soil without any chemical additives. When you mix and blend homemade masks and hair
treatments, you are not exactly doing that according to certified organic standards.
“We use natural ingredients, but this does not mean we use rosemary stems straight out of the dirt
and bottle them,” says Suki Kramer, the founder of Suki Naturals, favored by Eva Longoria, Jennifer
Garner, and Edie Falco, to name just a few ecoconscious celebrities. “We process and refine
ingredients down to their essences. Exceptionally powerful and potent ingredients do exist in nature.
Science has created more natural sources to create potent active ingredients, and as consumer