The Going Green Tag

This tag was started by Rachel from All Natural Aspirations in her attempt to learn more about other bloggers’ experiences of “going green”. I was tagged by a favorite green beauty blogger of mine, Mary from Makeup by Mary B.This was a fun way to reflect on my green journey and it was so interesting to learn from and read other bloggers’ stories. I think this tag is an awesome way to share our stories and encourage others!
(The image above is a photo I took from my travels abroad in China.)

What started it all off for you?
When I got my first job out of college at a fancy French luxury brand, I became caught up in the beauty and fashion world. I started wearing a lot more makeup than I ever had until I realized my face and skin were suffering. I had a couple bad cases of eczema which sent me to the dermatologist for some quick-fix prescriptions but left me wondering more. That’s when I started doing my own research, reading ingredient lists and learning about the beauty industry and the potentially dangerous chemicals that were in my products. I studied Environmental Studies in college so green beauty, chemicals and my health become even more fascinating to me and an area where I could further use my passion for writing. I stumbled upon some amazing green beauty blogs, read No More Dirty Looks and felt so at home within the green beauty community. Discovering natural and organic products revealed a whole other world to me and it was so exciting!

What was the first thing to go? (Ingredient or product)
The first 2 ingredients to go were talc and parabens. I had extremely bad eczema on my eyes and face and I’m pretty sure products I was using with harsh preservatives and drying, pore-clogging additives were the cause of it. After I cut out products with tacl and parabens, my irritations subsided. The first skincare product to go was my facial moisturizer. I definitely saw a difference in my skin after switching out my daily moisturizer which was loaded with fragrance, alcohol, parabens and other ingredients that had made my skin prone to irritation, dryness and breakouts. After the moisturizers, I changed up my whole skincare routine and saw amazing results.

What are you/did you struggle to let go of?
I’m still struggling to let go of conventional perfume. I haven’t quite found an organic/natural scent that I love or that can replace my old perfumes. I’m not a huge fan of herbal scents although I also have a very sensitive nose to alcohols and strongly-scented chemicals. I’m still searching for a product that can bring together both worlds and also not break the bank.

What has been your best find or change? (i.e. a green product or a tip that you’re really glad you’ve found/learnt)
I’ve always thought makeup was fun but going green has taught me that natural skincare products can be just as exciting, luxurious and provide amazing results not only to your physical features but emotionally too. I now feel as though I prefer having good, regular skincare products over more makeup products.
My best find has honestly been facial oils. I’d always doubted using facial oils but I’ve found that these products are amazing for treating my dry and reactive skin. I prefer cleansing my skin with facial oil as it not only effectively rids my face of makeup and grime, but also works to nourish and hydrate the skin. Using a daily facial oil before going to bed has made my skin smooth, lightened dark spots and kept my face from freaking out too often. I’m obsessed with facial oils!

What has been the worst thing about going green? What has been the hardest to transition or find an adequate green replacement of?
The only downside to going green for me is the ease of walking into a local store to buy products or being able to physically touch and test out items. I don’t really like online shopping and it can get frustrating when most products I like are only available online. The lack of physical availability and accessibility of green beauty products has been tough for me. Now thanks to more online sampling programs and more local drugstores and markets carrying cleaner products it has gotten a bit easier.
The products that I’ve had a hard time finding adequate green replacements of are hair products and eyeshadow primer. I don’t even know if that’s an oxymoron: does a natural, effective eyeshadow primer even exist? I still haven’t found a natural cure for my creasing eyeshadows but I’m trying not to dwell on that.

Anything else to add? Any tips or tricks to pass on?
One thing I do love about going green is all the knowledge that I’ve learned all on my own accord. It is so empowering and interesting to learn about ingredients and chemicals as well as brands that are actually making a difference to improve your health and the environment. I also love the strong sense of community and encouragement I have felt from the green beauty blogosphere.
Tips or tricks:
1) Do your research. If you don’t know what an ingredient is, look it up. There are a lot of good resources out there! Find reviews and commentary of products on blogs or forums. Ask questions, don’t just accept what a company is marketing to you at face value.
2) Get out of your comfort zone. Going green has opened up a whole world of local brands, luxury products, DIYs and beauty trends that I may not have ever tried before. Doing a bit of research and trying brands or products that aren’t so mainstream can help you discover some amazing beauty and skincare gems that work best for you. Going green has also made me value feeling beautiful in my own skin, without makeup. Sometimes it feels amazing to go outside with just moisturizer, lip balm or lipstick on!
3) Write your own green beauty journey. Remember that you hold the power to create your most beautiful self and with knowledge, passion and understanding, you have all the necessary things inside of you to love yourself on the outside. Everybody’s “going green” journey is different and there is no set path or method. Don’t follow the trends, go at your own pace and with what makes you happy.

Thanks, Mary for tagging me! I now tag: Jennifer and Kathryne from Unsullied, Jade of Nephriticus, Mayah and Sabrina from Call It Vanity, Brenda from The Wanderlusting Beauty, Sarita from Edible Facial, Bellina from Nibella and anyone else who wants to join in!

What’s your “going green” story?

Follow me on Bloglovin’, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook!

 

*Image is copyright Kasey Michelle, pleinvanity.com. Please link back to me if you use this image.