Big Green Purse Tip of the Day - Give Your Body a Cosmetic Breather
Posted on April 21, 2008 by
I wear make-up. I wish I didn’t feel the need to ever, but I’ve been wearing makeup since I was 13, and I feel like a little mascara helps me put on my brave face to take on the world. Big Green Purse has great advice for wearing makeup responsibly, and taking a break from it all.We come into contact with so many chemicals every day. In small doses, many of the ingredients of concern may not be harmful, but our exposure is compounded when we layer on moisturizer, foundation, mascara, etc. and all of it contains the same ingredient.Shifting to green cosmetics is a great way to go. Big Green Purse recommends Everyday Minerals, Alima Cosmetics, and Monave. The book also warns to watch out for “greenwashing” when it comes to make up purchases. Natural is not a word that necessarily holds weight. Read labels. There are tons of beauty products out there advertising ingredients like avocado oil or fruit essences, when other ingredients on the list are things like parabens and SLS.And no matter what products you use, give your body a break from it all.From Big Green Purse:
- Use fewer or no cosmetics on days you don’t go to work.
- Reduce the number of products you use overall by three.
- Pick one weekend a month to “go natural” — apart from washing your face and brushing your teeth, just leave your body alone
- What else can you do to take a break?
Excerpted with permission from Diane MacEachern, author, Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World, www.biggreenpurse.com.Want to get your hands on a copy of Big Green Purse? There’s a givaway!Sign in with a valid e-mail address to comment on the Big Green Purse Tip of the Day posts from Monday, April 21st through Friday, April 25th. For each comment, you’ll get an entry (one per day, please). The giveaway will close on Sunday, April 27th, at noon (Eastern), and I’ll draw a name out of a hat to determine the winner. The winner will be announced on Monday, April 28th. Comments that appear to be spam will not be counted. Good luck!
CONTEST CLOSED — SUNDAY APRIL 27th
I have no problem trying this one out. I hate spending time doing makeup anyway.
weeee! count me in — there’s really no need for me to get all dolled up just to sit in front of a computer all day.
I love the way I look with makeup the moment I put it on, but I’ve never found anything that doesn’t leave me with ginormo raccoon eyes by noon. Again, this is another green moment where my laziness and my respect for the Earth team up and create a winner on most days!
Woo, blue mascara! I haven’t owned any of that since 1986. Maybe it’s time to revisit. As for wearing less makeup when you don’t go to work, I think I’ll stick to less makeup AT work (who cares if the 12 year olds see me mascara-less?) and more on the weekends.
I’m a complete makeup addict, and Ive been thinking that I should switch over to some safer products. I’ll definitely look into those recommendations!
I usually only wear makeup one day a year. Groundhog Day.
I already wear so little, but what I do wear, I feel like I NEED. And I’m forever peeved that I walk past a cosmetic counter or store at the (dreaded) mall and see “go green with our natural line of beauty” campaigns everywhere! bah!
I’ve heard that shaklee has great cosmetics and want to try them, but I need to check into their ingredients lists too. It’s really disturbing the claims allowed by cosmetic companies… as well as the toxins they are allowed to use when we essentially consume it with our bodies.
Good call, Allie!
I think it’s good to go makeup free every now and then. We should ask ourselves if our confidence and personality are coming from inside, or from our makeup? Why do we feel so powerful with makeup on and so embarassed without? A little bit here and there is fine, but I think it’s also important to look our own feelings when using it.
I went to the Everyday Minerals site and ordered myself a free sample kit- only had to pay shipping! I can’t wait to try this it out, hopefully I’ll love it : ) .
I love this idea!
i was into wearing make up to work almost every day for a while. now i sort of lost motivation and hardly wear make up at all. i like being able to itch my eyes without worrying if I just smeared something across my face.
plus, the process of getting it off my eyes with make up remover irritates my eyes even more. my esthtician friend once told me make up, leaving it on over night, and or taking it off frequently adds like 10 years to your skins life appearance. Bleh.
Likewise, I rarely wear makeup. But when I do wear it, I’ll be more conscious of what I’m putting on my face.