Natural Origin Makeup and Skincare

So I like to fancy myself an ecologist and this blog and my own personality tend to lean toward the natural side of things. However, pretty much anyone that knows me knows that I can be caught at Sephora, Ulta, or the makeup aisle of any random drugstore on any given day. Can't helps it. Pretty colors get to me.

However - lately I have begun to feel that my makeup obsession runs slightly counter intuitive to my personal thoughts on how we should treat our own bodies. We eat "organic" foods and do healthful things for our bodies but then at the end of the day we've slathered hundreds of chemicals on ourselves.

And after a (very) failed attempt at making my own shampoo, I decided to do simple swaps as I've ran out of items. Basically what I'm trying to avoid are parabens, petroleum by products, sodium laurel sulfate, and harsh synthetics (vague, I know).

One of the greatest resources that I've used during this process is the Environmental Working Group's "Skin Deep" Cosmetic Database. The Environmental Working Group is the same organization that puts out the "Dirty Dozen" of produce and the recent (and controversial) Sunscreen Guide 2010.

The Cosmetic Database is great because you can search by brandname or by ingredient. EWG has compiled scientific research on many of the ingredients commonly found in cosmetic products and ranked them on a scale of 1-10 based on those hazards. It's pretty eye opening to see what some of the ingredients in your favorite products have been linked to. I used to swear by Neutrogena's Healthy Skin Enhancer Tinted Moisturizer. I mean it has "healthy skin" right in the name - how bad could it be!? Well, it ranked at an 8 (with 10 being the most hazardous). But honestly, whether you believe in this stuff or not - is it really necessary? Do I need to put methylparaben on my face? No, I most certainly do not. And so the search for alternatives began.

Later on I will describe in more detail why I'm trying to avoid these ingredients, the reasons and the issues with each group of ingredients are pretty varied and warrant further explanation. But for now - on to the goodies!

I have special eyes just like the 1-800-contacts guy (read: super sensitive). I can't use regular contact solution and apparently any other contacts besides the ones I've had for the past 14 years without my eyes exploding. For real. As a result, I've had some bad mascara experiences. What kind of experiences, you might ask? Well, the eye hives experience, my friends. And it is not a pleasant one. So when I saw that Physicians Formula was coming out with a natural origin mascara - I rejoiced. I rejoiced for two reasons, one - I already dig Physicians Formula, and two - it's super cheapies, which I can definitely get behind.

The Physicians Formula EcoWear Line is 100% free of synthetic fragrances, synthetic preservatives, and parabens. They are also certified organic and cruelty free. According to their website, the Organic Wear line is pretty extensive and they have an offering in most product categories. However, I've only seen the mascara and foundations in store.

The mascara is interesting because the formula is actually orange water and beeswax based. I tried to look it up in the Cosmetic Database, but alas there was no assessment up yet. However, that's the great thing about the database, just because the product you want to look up isn't there yet, doesn't mean the ingredients aren't there. So I popped in each of the individual ingredients and was pleased to find that only one ingredient had a hazard over 2 (Magnesium aluminum silicate ranked at 4, which is still moderate).

As far as performance - I was not overwhelmed. However, to be fair, I like my mascara at Kardashian levels. When I normally shop for mascara, I look for words like "extreme" or "outrageous" or "insane." These are words that I covet when it comes to lashes. I didn't expect to get that from a natural mascara - and I didn't. It's not jaw dropping and it doesn't give me Tammy Faye lashes. It certainly amplifies and it certainly works on the same level as your average mascara like Great Lash. But it's no dragqueen DiorShow. Some reviews I've read have complained about the fragrance. Since the mascara is technically fragrance free, I suppose they are really complaining about the absence of a synthetically derived fragrance. Perspective my friends. The scent didn't bother me in the least. It's a natural mascara that costs about $10 which is pretty fairly priced for any mascara let alone certified organic.

In short, I probably wouldn't buy this if I was not on a mission to eliminate the parabens, petrochemicals, and synthetics from my routine. But it's a great natural alternative for everyday mascara. It's not high glam but I suppose that would run slightly counter to the idea of "natural." From inspecting the ingredients I really feel like Physicians Formula took their "organic" and "natural" labeling seriously. I'm definitely going to stick with this tube and see how I feel about my less pumped up lashes.

For more information check it out online at Organic Wear Natural Origin Mascara

Next up, the Yes to Tomatoes Shampoo and Conditioner.