Category Archives: ‘Green’ Beauty

The Best Natural Deodorant: Bubble & Bee Pit Putty

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The Whole Foods closest to me doesn’t carry Bubble & Bee’s Pit Putty, the natural deodorant I’ve been using for years now, so I lazily began trading off between a few sticks I had laying around- an Arm & Hammer and a Dove. I was surprised to find that neither worked on me when I thought that mainstream sticks were stronger than anything Whole Foods yields. Again, back to my home Whole Foods where I picked up THIS new Kiss My Face solid that boasts on the label its clinically proven effectiveness. Not for me. I felt like I was rolling on stink. I smelled worse when I used it for whatever reason. So my last Whole Foods trip was to the store a little farther down the road just for this damn deodorant.

But it works. And smelling nice is a good thing.

Yay Himalaya Neem Cleanser, Boo EvanHealy

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When I first found out I was pregnant I was freaked out by changing my skincare routine. Hey later, Retinol. See ya around, Benzoyl Peroxide.. I’m so screwed. Hardworking acids and harsh yet effective treatments were commonplace for my can-take-anything skin so the thought of using just nuts and berries for 9 months had me in a panic. Coming off Botox was bad enough, but now the thought of my true, chemical-free face being revealed was too much to bear. I was doomed to many months of breakouts without any reasonable relief. Always favoring a natural solution first, I headed over to Whole Foods in search of something safe.

Recommended to me were two things, one I love and will buy over and over again- it’s this Himalaya Neem Face Wash, a lightly foaming cleanser I use with my Clarisonic daily. It looks a little like an aloe gel without a discernible scent and works great with natural ingredients, and costs like $7. Sold.

Also highly recommended (as in she practically forced me into buying) was this EvanHealy Blemish Kit $34 containing their Pomegranate Repair Serum, Tea Tree Gel Cleanser, Blemish Treatment Roll-On, Green Tea Clay, and Lemon Thyme Facial Tonic Hydrosol. I found the line to be a shining example of what’s wrong with natural and organic lines. Sure on paper the ingredients used are supposed to be antiseptic and healing for blemish-prone skin, but in practice nothing worked and the scents were gag-inducing – especially the Pomegranate Repair Serum. My skin was decidedly worse after a few faithful weeks of use, it caused a massive breakout that my skin hasn’t experienced before or since I stopped using it. Total waste of money. I can’t speak for the rest of the line, but as far as this kit goes, I’d say there are far better options out there.

I did eventually put together a safe, effective skincare routine (which you can find HERE) that has worked perfect – my skin hasn’t looked so good as is has these past 8 months. Maybe it’s my foreskin cream? I’ve found that I need a little bit of science mixed in with nuts and berries, that’s just how my skin rolls.

Dear Carissa- Seeking Natural Skincare that Actually Works

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Dear Carissa,

I prefer natural skincare but I’m tired of throwing money away on things that don’t work. What’s a skin care line that will make my skin look good without any harsh chemicals?

Thank you!

Heather Allentown, PA

Hi Heather,

There are so many natural and organic lines out there, but one homerun that I see work for women (I’m also a big fan) time and again is Nude Skincare. They started out with a smaller range and have gradually introduced some heavy hitters in terms of advanced skincare like their Advanced Cellular Renewal Moisturizer $92 which is sort of the La Mer of the natural skin scene. Its texture is silky with a medium weight that absorbs into the skin quickly – great for both under makeup and nighttime wear. Their pro-biotic and Advanced Cellular Renewal technologies along with select natural actives are what make it so effective. It’s not that it really works without including chemicals, it’s that it just really works.

Safe Skincare For Babies

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When it came time to choose skincare for my yet to be born daughter, I knew I wouldn’t be reaching for the typical J&J, (you can see what’s in their original formula Baby Lotion HERE.) I knew the formulas I chose would be clean, safe, and effective so after some research here’s the skincare we’ll be using on our baby girl.

Mustela Cold Cream

Cosmetics Database Rating: 5 See HERE

The product that’s linked to the database score is for the stick formulation, this is the cream one that I’m using but the ingredients are almost identical. I think the 5 score is because of the addition of fragrance but it’s a French line which means their fragrances aren’t sourced the same as ours and tend to be much safer.. This has been the only cream I’ve used on my growing belly that has stopped the insane itching. It locks in moisture using beeswax and natural fatty acids leaving a mild slip behind for hours with only the tiniest amount needed. Its dry skin formulation can also be used on red or irritated skin to calm and soothe.

Weleda Calendula Baby Cream

Cosmetics Database Rating: 5 See HERE

Again, pesky fragrance is to blame for the misleading 5 score, but I’m comfortable knowing that it’s safely sourced without chemical compounds. We’re big Weleda fans in our house so we knew their baby line would be a good fit for what we wanted. It’s rich in Almond Oil, Beeswax, and calming Calendula. I’ve heard for years how people use this formula to get rid of chicken skin on the backs of their arms because it’s so moisturizing and healing. It’s also rich and really creamy so just a little bit goes a really long way.

Olive Remedy Natural Diaper Cream

Cosmetics Database Rating: Unknown

A basket of goodies from this made in Colorado line was a gift from friends and it has me totally obsessed. It’s formulated by a pharmacist dad of three who was desperate to cure his children’s constant diaper rash. The line is outstanding- their Body Butter is the best I’ve ever used, a creamy solid that quickly melts into a rich oil upon skin contact for maximum absorption. I can’t obviously speak to the effectiveness of the rash cream yet, but the ingredients are the cleanest I’ve found (olive oil, grape seed oil, zinc, beeswax, jojoba oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, vitamin e, shea butter, palm oil, and almond oil) with a high 21% zinc to fight off skin irritations. If it’s as good as the rest of the line, I’ll be happy.

Dr. Bronner’s Unscented Baby-Mild Castile Soap

Cosmetics Database Rating: 1 See HERE

This and a foamer are all you need to clean just about everything. We ditched the Dial long ago and found that Dr. Bronner’s used as an everyday hand soap makes the biggest difference in the softness of your skin. I’ve gotten everyone hooked on this wash for their hair, skin, hands, dogs, kids, and whatever else needs mild cleansing. It’s ultra concentrated and the best castile soap you’ll find. Their unscented baby formula is what we’ll use for our little one’s bath time.

Alima Pure Let Them Eat Cake Collection

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If you’re named after something it’s called a namesake, but if you’re named after a cake would it then be a cakesake? Namecake? Anyway…These 4 totally adorable shadows from Alima Pure’s Let Them Eat Cake collection are the ‘cakesakes’ of the yummy desserts they resemble. I like Alima Pure’s shadows – versatile with good pigment and with one of the cleanest formulations around. Each of these 4 shadows are of the everyday variety with the deeper shades allowing for some options in depth. Red Velvet reminds me of Stila’s epic Twig shadow while Angel Food gives a nude shimmer similar to their popular Kitten shade minus the orangy tint that can make Kitten a challenge on fair skin. Strawberry Shortcake is a delicate pink shimmer while Devil’s Food can be used for a punch of drama or as a liner.

Check it-


Left to right: Red Velvet, Strawberry Shortcake, Angel Food, Devil’s Food

I’m slowly transitioning into mineral formulas when I find ones with good pigment and wear time, not an entirely easy task but these 4 made the cut into my kit. You can use them wet to punch them up, or pat them right over a still-tacky layer of shadow primer for a better grab and a heightened look.

Vapour Organic Beauty Stratus Instant Skin Perfector

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Don’t be confused by the stick applicator, just think of it as a makeup primer/skin perfector with a hint of moisture. Infused with 70% certified organic ingredients and 30% vitamins and natural pigments, it’s the first naturally sourced primer that I can actually use in my kit because it gives a professional result as soon as it touches the skin. Use it as a quick primer under makeup, or because of its soft focus pigments that blur pores and imperfections, as a perfector in place of foundation so your skin looks really great without adding color. Great for for hitting the gym or for days when you just don’t have the energy for a full face of makeup, which for me is admittedly most days.

It comes in 3 very subtle skin tone balancing shades, but the one I have is 903 the yellow-based one that I’ve used successfully on all skin types. The carry less of a ‘color’ and more of a ‘tone’ that’s so slight that the yellow cast disappeared immediately.

I especially love it for crow’s feet pre-makeup to blur out fine lines and give a good base that makeup doesn’t settle into. For a while my go-to for this was L’Oreal Studio Secrets but I honestly get a better result with Stratus not to mention how much better I feel about using a chemical-free formula.

I also found that if you rub a little onto your finger tips, you can press it on top of areas where your foudation looks heavy or chalky to help it warm into the skin a’la Mercier’s Secret Finish.

Check out Stratus and all things Vapour HERE.