your own products from scratch, or being a bit of a tailor, making sure that this particular product
perfectly suits your needs—I hope you are keeping it as natural as possible. Exclude all synthetic
chemicals, if possible; if not, keep the safe and beneficial ones and ditch parabens and formaldehyde-
containing preservatives, as well as mineral oil and other petrochemicals.
Green Beauty Ingredients
Most green beauty products rely on the same naturally derived ingredients. The only difference
might be the amount of hard-to-find exotic plant extracts, triple-distilled extracts, and rare essential
oils in a finished product. Once you know what works for your skin, you can make a new beauty
product in seconds.
This section describes plant-derived and natural ingredients that are used in popular green
cosmetic products and in recipes in this book. I also share with you some of the newest achievements
in cosmetic chemistry that shed light on traditional familiar ingredients.
Don’t be surprised when you find a synthetic enzyme idebenone next to lemon oil and milk in the
next few pages. Many newly synthesized proteins, enzymes, and acids made this list because they
meet the green beauty criteria discussed in Chapter 3, “Become an Ingredients List Expert.” Some
organic ingredients, such as minerals and clays (technically organic, since you cannot organically
certify sea salt), are also included. Aromatic chemicals are discussed in Chapter 15, “Green
Fragrances.” At the same time, many natural plant extracts didn’t make this list because they are found
to be detrimental for your health.
Now, let’s take a look at the building blocks of green beauty products.Almond (Sweet) (Prunus amygdalus dulcis)
Sweet almond oil is used in moisturizers, hair conditioners, and body oils for its great emollient
properties. A green beauty mainstay, sweet almond oil is prized for its high content of fatty acids that
appear to be close to skin’s own sebum. Almond meal makes a very gentle skin exfoliant rich in
minerals and vitamins. Sweet almond oil is commonly available in health stores and online. Beware
of bitter almond oil, which has a disputable safety record.
Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis)
Aloe has been used as a first aid remedy for wounds, irritations, skin infections, and burns since
the era of ancient Egypt. Cleopatra used aloe as a skin rejuvenator. Aloe is rich in polysaccharides,
galactose, plant steroids, enzymes, amino acids, minerals, and even natural antibiotics. You can buy
aloe juice or extract in health food stores, or you can grow aloe plants at home and squeeze the juice
to use in your beauty preparations.
Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA)
Alpha-lipoic acid is also known as lipoic acid. This naturally occurring substance works as a
potent antioxidant that stimulates cellular metabolism and protects cells against the destructive effects
of free radicals. When taken internally, lipoic acid is effective against liver disorders and diabetic
neuropathy. Recently, Thai biomedics found that alpha-lipoic acid could stave off skin cancer by