http://www.care2.com/greenliving/retool-your-beauty-routine.html
Retool Your Beauty Routine
By Einav Keet, Natural Solutions magazine
If you think your beauty cabinet passes muster just because you’ve banished parabens, think again. “A health-minded consumer’s responsibility does not end with the purchase of healthy and eco-friendly bodycare products,” says Julie Ebner, founder of Philadelphia’s Juju Spa and Organics. “We must also spend our money wisely on the related accessories.”
Washcloth. Skip the standard washcloth (which can harbor millions of microbes), and try one made of sustainable ayate from agave plants. “The fibers are renowned for their natural antibacterial properties, and these multipurpose cloths can be used wet or dry,” says Ebner. Exfoliate and boost your circulation when you use your ayate washcloth dry, or lather up with it in the shower. Best of all, these cloths resist mildew and can last up to a year.
Makeup Brushes. If you wouldn’t wear a fur coat, you should definitely forgo animal-hair brushes, made from squirrel, mink, sable, horse, and goat hair that’s been inhumanely sourced. “Consumers should demand cruelty-free makeup tools,” says Ebner. Apply your makeup with brushes made from vegan fibers such as nylon. “Not only are these brushes humane, they are non-porous and smooth, providing a more sanitary application.”
Cotton Balls and Swabs. Splurge on organic cotton balls and ear swabs instead of the conventional variety, which often come loaded with insecticides. And while those swabs with the colorful sticks might look pretty, pass on the non-biodegradable plastic in favor of paper sticks.
Body Brush. Dry body brushing sloughs off dead skin, massages tight muscles, and improves circulation and lymph drainage. Choose a dry brush or loofah made of vegetable fibers, and brush toward the heart to maximize the detoxifying benefits.
Natural Solutions: Vibrant Health, Balanced Living offers its readers the latest news on health conditions, herbs and supplements, natural beauty products, healing foods and conscious living. Click here for a free sample issue.
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6 comments
add your comment »How, exactly, are PLASTIC makeup brushes "eco-friendly" or "cruelty-free"? The petrochemical industry isn't exactly environmentally friendly, and the damage it's doing to the ecosystem is probably a lot more harmful to animals than using a bit of scrap fur leftover from the fur industry, which would otherwise probably just end up in the garbage... Nylon bristles are also stiff, scratchy and irritating to the skin.
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Jana, I like most of your posts, but I'm sticking to my cotton washcloths. They last for years--not months--and if they're squeezed out and allowed to air dry instead of left wet in a ball, aren't scary enough for me to worry about microbes. In the summer I use these same wash clothes to dry myself off (including my long hair) so as to retain a little moisture before using olive oil as a moisturiser. Then I air dry while getting dressed.
Additionally, I use the washcloths (we have 5 hanging on a peg rack, the furthest one for defogging the mirror) to set my makeup--using it as a large blotter.
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The blond, stiffer makeup brushes (particularly mineral makeup or foundation brushes) are many times nylon. Eco-tools makes nylon brushes with bamboo handles which are affordable:
http://www.beautyandfashiontech.com/2008/03/eco-tools-affordable-makeup-brushes-full-of-quality-and-and-conscious.html
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Just google the item you're looking for -- the ayate wash cloths come up under www.goodhumans.com
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I've purchased organic cotton balls at Whole Foods. I'm not sure, but they may have the other items as well.
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some good info - but without giving us info on where to purchase nylon brushes, organic cotton swabs, etc. it really offers nothing to the reader.
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