Do I have anything on my face?
It’s important to keep your face clean (to keep pores clear and breakout causing bacteria at bay), but you don’t want to use something that’s going to strip your face of it’s natural oils. That would just prematurely age your skin and no one wants that. I wash my face twice a day, once in the morning when I shower, and then before bed. I stress the importance of washing your face before bed, so the day’s oil buildup, grime, dust, and any other critters not visible to the naked eye that are camping out on your face, won’t clog pores, cause breakouts, or smear on your pillow. Ew. It gets easier and easier to have truly natural skin care nowadays, thanks to the growing abundance of companies who provide non-toxic products that are not tested on animals and don’t contain synthetic chemicals or animal ingredients. The trick to a good cleanser, too, is to use one that cleanses well enough to make your skin squeaky clean, but not so clean that it’s too drying or causes your skin to over-produce sebum in the effort to make up for the harsh stripping of the healthy oil on your face. There is a fine balance.
CLEANSING OILS Washing your face with oil? It certainly sounds like it shouldn’t work short of turning you into shiny grease ball…But it does! These cleansing oils are water soluble, so they’re supposed to wash off cleanly with water. Certain skin types really flourish using The Oil Cleansing Method (OCM) while others can suffer breakouts. Do some research on the oil cleansing method before trying it. If you happen to have skin that works well with it, it’s fantastic at slowing down the aging of your skin because it doesn’t strip your skin. I combine cleansing oils with another cleanser because I break out with the cleansing oil alone. Cleansing oils are a surprisingly effective cleanser, makeup remover and work better than regular oil alone (like olive, jojoba, or coconut) at removing makeup. I know it’s a hard concept, at first, to wrap your brain around – using oil to cleanse your face of oil. If you really think about it, though, it makes sense. Many cleansers use some kind of detergent that strips your skin of dirt and oils. Oil cleansers, however, are great at gripping onto that dirt, while leaving your natural oils intact, and then washing away easily because they are paired with ingredients that help wash them off your face. But be aware that cleansing oils can dry out those with sensitive skin and exacerbate dryness.
Boscia Makeup-Breakup Cool Cleansing Oil
PROS: Free of preservatives, parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, synthetic dyes, pthalates, GMOs, triclosan. Ideal for all skin types, including sensitive skin. A silky, moisturizing, fresh, balancing, and luxurious cleansing. A little goes a long way, has a fresh smell, and leaves your skin soft. People with sensitive, acne-prone skin have claimed to have no issues whatsoever with this product. Great for the winter time. Has a nice, thick consistency that is very spreadable. Easily removes foundation, layers of heavy eye makeup, stubborn, waterproof mascara, and waterproof sunscreen, with no tugging, pulling, and very little effort. Shouldn’t cause breakouts on dry, breakout prone skin. Doesn’t sting when used on eyes. One user, with eczema around her eyes, said most facial cleansers and makeup removers really irritate her skin condition, but Boscia actually cleansed her itchy, dry skin and helped keep it moisturized while effortlessly removing all of her eye makeup. Feels wonderful going on, rinses off completely clean, leaves no film residue, and leaves your skin feeling cool and clean.
CONS: Some people have mentioned that it can make your eyes cloudy which only happens if you have contacts in your eyes when washing your face. If wearing a full face of makeup(foundation, powder, blush, full eye, etc) two pumps are needed. For simple eye makeup and a powdered face one pump is enough. Some people think it doesn’t foam up and rinse off very well when you add water so you’re left with a bit of oil on your face. Which is fine for me because I wash my face after removing my makeup anyway, but this might not work for others. EWG RATING: Not available but other Boscia products rate between 1-4
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DHC Deep Cleansing Oil
PROS: This water-soluble oil cleanser is my favorite. It’s the one I currently use to take off eye makeup. It doesn’t irritate my eyes and washes off super clean without drying. It’s light and very effective at gently cleaning off makeup without tugging, pulling, or rubbing. I don’t use it all over my face because it puts me at risk for breakouts. But people who don’t have acne prone skin like me love this for all over their face. For some, this makes face washing a one-step, quick process. Personally, I recommend using this as a makeup remover and then using a gentle cleanser after. Leaves skin smooth, pores less noticeable, and will dissolve anything off your face (makeup, moisturizer, sunscreens,…etc.) while leaving it soft, silky, and not at all oily. Can help soften oily plugs/blackheads making them easier to remove. A great, deep cleanser that offers a luxurious cleansing experience – it feels like a light facial massage as you work it into your skin. Apply it with dry hands to your dry face, rub in the oil, and then rinse with water. Truly liquid gold in a bottle. This has a very strong and loyal following of users.
CONS: Have to order it. Its not in any stores around me and I live in Los Angeles and New York where there is an abundance of stores. Not the most inexpensive cleanser, but definitely well worth the cost and lasts a long time. I have noticed a small number of people saying this is drying for their skin or has caused breakouts. It’s a small percentage of users who have these complaints though. Texture wise, DHC’s about the same as Fancl, but some don’t quite like the strong floral scent in DHC. EWG RATING: not available but other DHC products rate at 3
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Nude Skincare Cleansing Facial Oil
PROS: A remarkable cleanser that effectively removes stubborn make-up (including smokey eyes). Many celebrities are quoted on using this as cleanser and an eye-makeup remover. Omega 3 and Vitamin E deeply cleanse and nourish resulting in soft skin. The liquid is clear and the scent is quite light and floral. A fairly gentle cleansing oil. Great for those with dry or sensitive skin who find that other cleansing oils are a bit much for their skin. For normal to dry skin. It works like a normal cleansing oil – you work it into dry skin and rinse it off – it will turn into a milky emulsion. Like the fact that its one of the most responsibly packaged beauty products on the market – with an entirely recyclable plastic bottle that uses 100% Post Consumer Regrind (PCR). One user claims that they’ve been using this for a month now and the oily parts of their face have greatly improved and have much less noticeable shine and leaves their face clean, conditioned and soft. It shouldn’t dry out your skin and many have said their acne cleared with this facial oil.
CONS: Some think this oil cleanser doesn’t rinse clean enough. Should work well for people with very dry skin, who are not prone to breakouts. Cleanser leaves me with a film of oil on my skin that won’t work for some, but I always follow oil cleansing with another cleanser, so its fine. One user complained that it didn’t even manage to shift her make-up, let alone keep her pores clean. She said after three days of use, her skin got so congested that she broke out in cystic spots. EWG RATING: not available but other Nude products range from 1-4
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© 2011 by Michelle Liberman. All rights reserved
Cotton Canvas Tote Bags – it speaks for itself. These natural, original fibers that our parents and grandparents used to use, before everything in this generation turned it into plastic, unauthentic crap, is the type of product we all need to go back to. You can wash these bags in the laundry, use them for years, and if they eventually make it into a landfill, they will eventually break down without leaching toxins into our soil and streams.
Burlap Shopping Bags – Burlap is an organic, biodegradable, reusable, recyclable, and incredibly durable material by its very nature. It’s one of the strongest natural fibers and is perfect for a reusable shopping bag.
Jute Burlap Shopping Bags – This bag is a very green option at an affordable price. Jute Burlap is made from the Jute plant, which absorbs more CO2 than a tree. AmeriGreenBag sells these and other types of bags at their website.
Lavanila – This is a great product with many fans. It has a fresh and clean smelling scent, not too vanilla-y, and is great with keeping odor at bay. It also has moisturizing properties that smooth and soften the skin and a nice texture that is not sticky. Depending on your individual body chemistry, it easily lasts 4-6 hours, without reapplication, but you probably would need to reapply at least once a day. The down side of this product is it’s cost, it has a slightly higher price tag than most deodorants. Another not so good thing is that one of the main ingredients in The Healthy Deodorant is propanediol, which is a petrochemical used in the production of plastics and antifreeze, like propylene glycol. This is not a non-toxic deodorant, but it’s cleaner than most mainstream deodorants.
3. Miessence Organics – Imagine an explosion of fresh tropical juices and fresh, clean mint merging to create fresh, tropical, nirvana under your arms. This fresh, citrus/herbal cocktail deodorant works very well and boasts a large customer following. Created by an Australian company called 
5. Dr. Hauschka – This deodorant is gentle and effective. If you aren’t accustomed to a roll-on you might find the initial application slightly cool and “wet” (which, of course, it is!), but it really takes care of business. This product is fabulous, effective, long lasting, and healthy for you. A great deodorant but it has a few cons: it’s too expensive and not enough product in the container. Comes in a recyclable glass bottle.
6. Weleda Citrus Deodorant – A very nice and natural deodorant. It has a higher price point but it lasts a long time. Both the Rose and the Citrus scents are popular, but the citrus is lovely and fresh and a little milder with a very nice authentic smell. Plus, for some, it dries to fragrance free. I’ve heard the sage is a little remniscent of cooking a turkey, so you’ll probably want to stick with Rose or Citrus. You can also use it as an all over body spray. The deodorant lasts about half a day to a full day, depending, and probably requires one re-application a day for most people. The main ingredient is alcohol, so some have experienced a slight sting when applying right after shaving. Many think the re-application is worth it for this deodorant’s benefits.