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Organic Beauty

Nourish Organic Body Butter Review
Lotion

What We're Sweet On: A Body Butter That Doesn't Leave Grease Stains

The worst part of cold-weather beauty: too rich body creams.
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The worst part of cold-weather beauty: too rich body creams. If you're over leaving grease stains on all the furniture, try the Nourish Body Butter ($10). With less than 10 ingredients, the 100 percent organic formula contains shea butter and coconut oil to seal in moisture, while vitamin E provides antioxidant effects. It's also even gluten-free and vegan. More like a balm than a cream, allow this heavy-duty hydrator to be melted in your hands first before application. So say goodbye to ashy elbows and chapped heels. Winter . . . do your worst.

Center For Environmental Health Sues Over Use of Organic 2011-06-20 11:01:53
organic

26 Beauty Brands Sued Over Use of "Organic"

On Thursday, the Oakland, CA-based Center For Environmental Health (CEH) filed a suit against 26 cosmetic companies, claiming the beauty brands have been misleading the public with their misuse of the term "organic."
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On Thursday, the Oakland, CA-based Center For Environmental Health (CEH) filed a suit against 26 cosmetic companies, claiming the beauty brands have been misleading the public with their misuse of the term "organic."

Even though the California Organic Products Act of 2003 states that any product with an "organic" label on the front must consist of 70 percent organic ingredients (and those with less than 70 percent organic ingredients can only use "organic" on the ingredients list), the CEH discovered that many were in direct violation of the act. (See the full list of claimed offenders here.) Find out what else was discovered when you keep reading.

Natural Bug Sprays That Work
Eco

Stop Bugging Me: Nice-Smelling, Natural Insect Repellents

If you don't think there's anything sweet about smelling like a big ol' spray can of DEET at barbecues and garden parties, take heart.
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If you don't think there's anything sweet about smelling like a big ol' spray can of DEET at barbecues and garden parties, take heart. There are plenty of natural alternatives that actually work. First, Badger Balm's Organic Anti-Bug Balm ($9), which gets rave reviews from us — on a recent vacation, one member of Team Bella found that it protected her better than regular chemical repellent did.

If you'd prefer a spray, there's California Baby Natural Bug Blend ($13), which is nontoxic and made with organic ingredients as well. For people who love towelettes, there are BugBand Bug Repelling Towelettes ($7), which are made with bug-repelling geranium extract that also happens to smell great on people. And if you're running to the drugstore quickly to pick something up? Try Burt's Bees Herbal Insect Repellent ($8), which blends citronella, lemongrass, and rosemary for a lovely, light scent that bugs hate.

Sabon Goes Organic
Shopping

Sabon Goes Organic

Sabon started out in 1974 with one natural soap handcrafted in a backyard in Israel, and the brand now has shops around the world.
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Sabon started out in 1974 with one natural soap handcrafted in a backyard in Israel, and the brand now has shops around the world. Today, it expands into the organic market with its Sabon Organic line.

Even though the "organic" labeling of beauty products (vs. food) often comes under fire for lack of consistency and regulation, this line comes ECOCERT-approved from an international organization that examines organic cosmetics. To be certified, the products must have 10 percent minimum approved organic ingredients, and at least 95 percent of ingredients must be from natural plant sources. In addition, certification requires the absence of synthetic fragrances and dyes, silicones and glycol, petro-chemical and mineral oils, and parabens, and no animal ingredients/testing.

I got a sneak peek and sniff of one of the products from this line. Read my thoughts on the item I tested when you read more

Do You Believe "Green" Beauty Is Safe?
Eco

Do You Believe "Green" Beauty Is Safe?

Even if you think you know what's bad and what's good, how much worse is the bad and how much better is the good?
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Even if you think you know what's bad and what's good, how much worse is the bad and how much better is the good? It's all relative, yet it's unclear who has the answers when it comes to natural vs. synthetic goods.

Quite a bit of time, thought, and money goes into the organic beauty industry, but some people claim there's too much emphasis on the "bad synthetic," whereas the "bad natural" substitutes are left out of the discussion. Given as an example in a recent article are the artificial phthalates versus the natural soybean. The first mimics the effects of estrogen, while the latter is a phyto-estrogen, a plant-based substance that mimics the effect of estrogen in the body. Neither sounds very good.

Even with recent reports of "greenwashing" — giving consumers the impression a product is more enviro-friendly than it really is — I'm not ready to throw in the towel and consider natural, organic beauty goodies a total con yet. Are you?

Source

Organic Beauty Magazine
Eco

Organic Beauty Magazine Hopes to Deliver the Green Goods

2008 was a rough year for magazines — CosmoGirl and Radar were only two that folded — but one new title is hoping to thrive amidst the doom and gloom.
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2008 was a rough year for magazines — CosmoGirl and Radar were only two that folded — but one new title is hoping to thrive amidst the doom and gloom. And considering how well the "green" beauty market is growing, Organic Beauty might do just that. The bimonthly magazine focuses on eco-friendly skin care, makeup, and hair care, with additional information on organic supplements and fitness techniques.

Want to check it out? Preview some stories online, and if you like what you see, pick up a copy — because these days, new magazines need all the love they can get.

Lovely Links, 6/7
Nail Polish

Lovely Links, 6/7

Kiss and Makeup tells us about the official hairspray of Hairspray the movie.
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Sunday Giveaway! L'Occitane Shea Travel Treasures Set
Hair

Sunday Giveaway! L'Occitane Shea Travel Treasures Set

Hey, guess what? Since we had so much fun with last month's BellaSugar giveaways, we're extending the partnership with our very generous friends at Sephora through the end of June!
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Hey, guess what? Since we had so much fun with last month's BellaSugar giveaways, we're extending the partnership with our very generous friends at Sephora through the end of June! So all month, we'll once again be giving away a different product every day, including weekends.

We're starting the month off with a healthy conscience by celebrating the booming organic beauty movement. As we beauty junkies grow concerned about the chemicals we put in our bodies, beauty brands are responding with eco-conscious products. Today's organic giveaway is a L'Occitane Shea Travel Treasures Set ($56 value). I am a big fan of L'Occitane, so I was psyched to read that the brand is in the process of making all of its products organic. This kit includes travel sizes of some great L'Occitane goodies, including Shine Enhancing Shampoo and Conditioner, Shower Cream, Body Lotion, Pure Shea Butter, Milk Soap, Lavender Soap, and Shea Butter Hand Cream.

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment in the comments section below by 5 p.m. PDT / 8 p.m. EDT Sunday, June 3, and we'll announce the winner on Monday, June 4. Please, only ONE comment per person; duplicate comments will be discarded, so commenting more than once won't up your chances of winning. Also, you must be a TeamSugar member to comment, so if you're not a member, please register here for an account. For all of the rules and regulations, just click here. Good luck!

Giveaway of the Day! Juice Beauty Organics to Go
Skin Care

Giveaway of the Day! Juice Beauty Organics to Go

Hey, guess what? Since we had so much fun with last month's BellaSugar giveaways, we're extending the partnership with our very generous friends at Sephora through the end of June!
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Hey, guess what? Since we had so much fun with last month's BellaSugar giveaways, we're extending the partnership with our very generous friends at Sephora through the end of June! So all month, we'll once again be giving away a different product every day, including weekends.

Let's start the month off with a healthy conscience by celebrating the booming organic beauty movement. As we beauty junkies grow concerned about the chemicals we put in our bodies, brands such as Care by Stella McCartney and L'Occitane are responding with eco-conscious products. And the Juice Beauty Organics to Go (a $45 value) is a great starter kit. It comprises an entire organic skincare routine, including Cleansing Milk, Antioxidant Serum, Green Apple Peel, Hydrating Mist, Oil-Free Moisturizer, and a bamboo washcloth.

Let's take a moment to congratulate Lulis, who won yesterday's giveaway for the Limited-Edition Fusion Beauty LiftFusion Duo. As for today's giveaway, you can enter by leaving a comment in the comments section below by 5 p.m. PDT / 8 p.m. EDT Friday, June 1, and we'll announce the winner when we post the next giveaway. Please, only ONE comment per person; duplicate comments will be discarded, so commenting more than once won't up your chances of winning. Also, you must be a TeamSugar member to comment, so if you're not a member, please register here for an account. For all of the rules and regulations, just click here. Good luck!

Wal-Mart Gets Organic Beauty
Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart Gets Organic Beauty

A lot has been made lately of Wal-Mart's efforts to go green.
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A lot has been made lately of Wal-Mart's efforts to go green. That environmental push is even expanding to its beauty merchandise, namely the Noah's Naturals brand, which features three different lines of natural products. The organic It’s All Good line includes rosemary and mint-infused hair and body products; Honest to Goodness includes face, skin, and bath formulas; and Heal Thyself focuses on aromatherapy. The very affordable goods have a high-end feel and are available in Wal-Mart stores nationwide, and online on the Noah's Naturals site. Here are some of my picks from the line.

Heal Thyself Energizing Clementine Ginger Shower Gel, $7.68, available here.

It's All Good Sea Salt Soak With Lavender, $14.43, available here.

To see the rest, read more