3 posts tagged "Dr. Bronner’s"
Summer Beauty Secrets, From Us To You
Today is the solstice, and if New York’s 90-degree temperatures yesterday didn’t already tip you off, summer has officially begun. What better way to welcome the season than with an abridged version of the best skin salves, fragrances, and humidity-friendly makeup out there? To save you the googling trouble, we polled our favorite bloggers from across the Web for their seasonal favorites in our new Summer Beauty Guide, and provided our own below. Enjoy the warm weather (and don’t forget your sunscreen!)
Celia Ellenberg, Senior Beauty Editor
“Full disclosure: I don’t wear deodorant in the winter. I don’t really need it, nor do I like the way it feels, so I just forgo application altogether. In the summer, though, I break out La Vanila’s The Natural Deodorant. It’s free of aluminum, propylene glycol, and parabens, yet still manages to work pretty well. Go for the lavender scent—very refreshing.”
La Vanila The Natural Deodorant, $18, www.sephora.com.
Phyllis Fong, Copy Editor
“I use Dr. Bronner’s liquid soaps year round, but I especially like the Peppermint version for summer. It leaves skin feeling cool and a bit tingly—better than air-conditioning!”
Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Castile Soap, $15, www.drbronner.com.
Kimberly Sentner, Photo Associate
“My hair is wavy, and summer in New York is humid. Without Bumble and Bumble’s Grooming Crème, my hair becomes a bottle brush; with it, I actually enjoy looking in the mirror at the end of the day. Another big plus: It takes minimal effort.”
Bumble and Bumble Grooming Crème, $25, www.bumbleandbumble.com.
The Battle Against “Green-Washing” Is On
Going green is hot, and everyone wants in on the action—from large corporations to smaller niche brands. But the rush to release soaps, shampoos, skincare, and makeup with “natural” or “organic” on their labels is causing a quality-control issue. Or so say certain pioneers of the green movement, who have filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program (NOP) against 13 personal care companies they allege have made false claims on their products. Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, Intelligent Nutrients, Organic Essence, and the Organic Consumers Association have called out Jason Pure Natural and Organic, Kiss My Face, Nature’s Gate Organics, and Stella McCartney’s Care line (which was discontinued in 2008), among others, for claiming that their products are organic without actually using any organic ingredients. What does this mean for you and me? Some argue that stricter regulations from the government would stifle innovation in the organic personal care category; others say that without them, it will become increasingly harder for consumers—and legitimate operations—to seek greener pastures. If anything, take this as a call to action to be more diligent about reading the labels on the back of your favorite products since, unfortunately, you can’t believe everything they say on the front. For more information on how to decode all the jargon, visit the Environmental Working Group and Labels for Life. [WWD]
A Global Phenomenon Turned Local Favorite
If, like us, you’re in the habit of checking out the local beauty offerings when you travel abroad, Euoko might be old news to you. Specializing in skincare divided into five categories based on skin concern—whitening, acne, radiance, protection, and aging—rather than skin type, the brand has been a bestseller in Europe, Asia, and Canada since 2002. With 25 products formulated using emerging innovations in biotechnology, nanotechnology, biology, and peptides, the line boasts an impressive laundry list of over 135 active ingredients from Switzerland and Spain to the Amazonian rain forest and the Kalahari Desert—including a very buzz-worthy, age-killing peptide that mimics Waglerin-1, a.k.a. temple viper venom. (A unique delivery system powered by red marine algae, which maximizes the penetration of these ingredients into your skin, is also one of the brand’s big selling points.) Now that the line is available stateside, we recently had the pleasure of sampling a few choice offerings and are legitimately taken with the A-10 Matte Foam, a sebum-restraining gel cleanser that smells like Dr. Bronner’s peppermint soap and produces that coveted “it’s really working” tingle without totally stripping your skin (Note: Pure castile soap that is also recommended as a grease-fighting dish detergent might not make for the most gentle face wash. Just an FYI).