The package says “organic,” but how do you know for sure?

In the world of beauty schools, beauty products and beyond, “organic” has become one of today’s hottest buzz words. As more and more consumers learn about the importance of Earth-friendliness, an “organic” label can make or break many people’s purchasing decisions.

But who decides what exactly makes a product “organic?” In Europe and the United States, consumers are still trying to decode the organic certifications they find on the labels of their favorite brands.

Amarjit Sahota, the managing director of Organic Monitor, explains that the one word that defines the organic certification process in Europe and the United States is “confusion.”

Companies and manufacturers that produce organic beauty products want their customers to feel confident in the product’s organic certification. But with three different organic certifications in the United States and two different certifications in Europe, many companies don’t know which standard to choose.

Unfortunately for consumers, beauty schools and salons, this means confusion for them as well. Each beauty product on the shelf may carry a different certification logo, and many consumers are torn between trusting that logo, or trusting a brand name.

Like many professionals in the organic product industries and the beauty industry, Sahota would like to see one global organic standard. He believes that uniformity and cohesion within the industry will benefit everyone involved – not to mention, planet Earth!

What are your thoughts on the organic issue? Do you work at a salon or beauty school going green? How do you choose your organic beauty products when you’re standing in front of that shelf in the beauty aisle?

I was blessed with sensitive skin, particularly in the eye area. This wouldn’t be so much of an issue if I didn’t love to wear eye makeup! Ever since I was twelve and my aunt took me to the makeup counter at the department store to get my first makeover, I was hooked on eye makeup in particular.

Unfortunately, I started having reactions to eye shadows and creams during my teenage years. My eyelids would get red, puffy, and itchy, and after a few days, the skin would even start to flake off. I always chalked it up to cheap makeup or not properly cleansing my face and eye area before bedtime. But after years of trying both high and low-end brands and various cleansing techniques, I still had reactions!

It wasn’t until I went to my local Sephora store and had them try two different eye-shadow bases on my eyes that I discovered the cause of my eye makeup troubles. After wearing both bases for a couple hours, one eyelid started to get itchy and red. I immediately looked up the ingredients list on each product label, and I found one glaring difference: the itchy eyeshadow base contained a pigment called ultramarines.

Eureka! Of course this is my problem because most of the eye colors I wear are either greens, blues, or purples, which would all contain a blue pigment. So I began the quest for ultramarine-less eye shadow. It was horribly unsuccessful as pretty much ALL shadows use ultramarines for cool-hued shades.

Finally, I discovered NVEY ECO Organic Eye Shadow in Indigo Gunmetal shade, which is a lovely, medium blue-gray shimmer. I attempted it for the first time last weekend, with ZERO reaction except from others saying “I love your eye-makeup tonight!” So I continued on and have worn it every day this week, with the same success. I would highly recommend this as a healthy option for people with sensitive skin, as well as for people who just want another way to “greenify” their makeup bag. They have tons of nice shades that you can bet I’ll be adding to my collection in the near future!

Since Beautyschool.com has made a commitment to focus on an all natural, eco-friendly  approach to beauty, then you will love this post! I am always searching for the next green beauty product. But, I found one in the most unlikely of places – my pantry!

You have heard of baking soda and how powerful cleaning agent it can be. You can clean your kitchen, carpets, bathrooms and now – your hair. After reading one of my fav blogs, Eco Chick , I found a post on using baking soda as your shampoo or adding baking soda your shampoo to add an extra cleaning kick!

So the next time you want to cleanse your hair and you don’t want to grab a chemical concoction shampoo – then just add baking soda to your hair care routine. It is all natural and can go a long way in the cleaning department.

I am steadily making my way towards a lifestyle that can be maintained with the use of fewer chemicals on my skin and in my household. There has been so much chatter lately on the chemicals in cosmetics and how they are potentially harmful to humans and/or the environment (check out this article on chemicals in beauty products), that I’ve been making conscious efforts to read labels and make safer decisions on the products I purchase.

It can be difficult, though, because it seems like choosing “natural” or “organic” products would be the safest route to go, but a lot of that is marketing hype. I did find a great article about the definitions and regulations in organic beauty product labels. Looks like this summer there is finally going to be a regulating body for products labelled “natural” so not just anyone using coconut oil as a single ingredient can tout “natural” in their product labelling unless they meet other strict requirements.

However, I’ve discovered a unique new beauty product that doesn’t actually have any chemical ingredients, so I know it’s safe for my skin and the environment. It’s the Jane Iredale Magic Mitt.

My grandmother got this for me on Mother’s Day, and I was truly intrigued. It’s a soft wash mitt that you use with only warm water to wash your face - no soap or cleanser needed. It’s supposed to be better for your skin because their are no chemicals to affect the pH balance of your skin. This is important because a normal skin pH balance is what helps block harmful bacteria from entering your pores and causing blemishes and infection.

So, does it work? I thought since I wear mineral makeup it might have a better chance of working than if I used a liquid foundation, but I was skeptical that warm water and a fancy wash rag could remove my eye makeup. But, I’ve used it for four days now, and ALL my makeup has been coming off easily (and visibly on the mitt!). It has a nice gentle exfoliating effect too. My skin feels just as clean as if I used my cleanser, but I don’t get that tight, itchy, almost-too-clean feeling either. The verdict? I will continue using the Magic Mitt.

This change means I’ve successfully cut out another 35 mostly-unpronouncable chemicals from my daily beauty routine! Since I’ve already recently switched to Avalon Organics Vitamin C Toner, my next challenge is to find a new, more natural moisturizer!

We at beautyschool.com are so excited about Earth Day today! It seems this year is one of the first years that so many individuals and businesses are really taking the state of the environment seriously. To celebrate, we’d like to give a shout-out to some of the companies in the beauty industry that are making great strides toward a better Earth.

Aveda - Aveda has been well-known for its organic and eco-friendly products for years, and they keep finding new ways to help the planet.  Buy one of their organic Bulgarian lavender candles at Aveda.com, and know that 100% of the proceeds will benefit the Global Greengrants Fund for global clean water projects. Aveda is also making strides in their beauty schools, using eco-friendly education practices and teaching green philosophies to their students.

Cargo - Check out their PlantLove lipstick. This is the whole green package - literally! The lipstick tube is made of corn. The outer package is made of flower paper with real seeds embedded - you can actually plant them and grow flowers! And the lipstick itself is made without mineral oils or petroleums, so it’s environmentally safe.

Sephora.com  - They have an entire section of their online beauty product website devoted to organic and natural beauty brands. Check it out for easy online ordering.

When choosing eco-friendly beauty products, you may want to educate yourself on some of the terminology, because not all eco-statements are created equal. Here is some of the labeling used and what it actually means:

“100% Organic” - products made with entirely certified organic ingredients and methods. May also display USDA organic seal.

“Organic” - products with at least 95% organic ingredients can use this word in labeling. May also display USDA organic seal.

“Made with Organic Ingredients” - products with at least 70% organic ingredients. Cannot display USDA organic seal.

***In 2004, the USDA no longer monitored “organic” labelling on non-agricultural products, which includes cosmetics and hygienic products.