By Franchesca Flack
We, as consumers, buy makeup to enhance features and feel our absolute best each day. And just like how in recent years we’ve started to care about what foods we’re feeding our bodies and how much exercise we’re doing, we’ve also become more conscious about what products are sitting in our bathroom cabinet and makeup bag. Beauty, after all, is a billion-pound industry.
When we talk about natural or organic makeup we mean cosmetics with no harmful synthetic chemicals and ingredients that cause possible irritations – our skin does, after all, absorb 90% of what we apply. The European Union has banned more than 1,300 ingredients from cosmetics, while America sits far behind with 30 banned, monitored by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic act.
Organisations such as PETA and the Leaping Bunny are in place to let us know whether a product has been tested on animals. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (or PETA) is the largest animal rights organisation in the world and the Leaping Bunny logo stamped on beauty products let consumers know what brands have and haven’t passed extensive tests to become cruelty-free certified.
Organic line RMS Beauty was created when esteemed make-up artist Rose-Marie Swift, who’d worked backstage at fashion shows and looks featured in Vogue, was suffering from severe health issues. She found that the toxic chemicals and heavy metals found in her body were also in her everyday beauty products.
Believing that the skin is a ‘life force’ that ‘will react to anything that you apply to it’, Swift dedicated her time to ensure all her products are free from any harmful chemicals and synthetic preservatives. Instead, they’re made in an environment that uses minimal heat during the manufacturing process to preserve the organic ingredients in their purest, living state (or as close as possible) saving all the enzymes, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and healing properties – everything your skin will be thanking you for in many years to come. And it’s all offered in environmental-friendly recyclable packaging.
With a focus on the face, lips, eyes and the skin within, RMS Beauty uses ingredients such as coconut oil which thanks to its anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-microbial properties it helps acne-prone skin, and anti-inflammatory turmeric promotes skin elasticity, reduces skin pigmentation and evens out skin tone.
Founder Sasha Plavsic was raised in Vancouver, Canada, where her mum helped heal her younger brothers acute asthma and allergies with homoeopathic remedies. Ilia Beauty was born from Plavsic’s mother asking her to read the ingredients list on her favourite lip balm. She discovered many were unsafe so set out to create a balm that would be both effective and safe.
Ilia doesn’t forget about the packaging either. It’s made from sustainable materials. For example, recycled aluminium, glass components and recycled paper printed with vegetable-based dyes.
Just like when we shop for food at the supermarket, to make a change is simple. To protect not only your skin but the environment and wildlife we can start educating ourselves on the ingredients in the beauty products we’re using each day. Try and look for those that are associated with plants and nature and produced as close as possible to their purest state.
If you need some inspiration to switch to natural makeup, in our Toxic Free Make-up Edit we have a list of our clean cosmetics, that works wonders.
Franchesca Flack
Franchesca is a fashion writer and health and lifestyle blogger, advocating for Crohn’s Disease sufferers through a humorous tone. You can find out more about her on her blog Under The Spotlight and online portfolio.
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