w3llpeople – Green Glam Girl

Happy Thursday Ladies! I hope everyone is having a good week. Today I want to talk about what has been in the news lately. This topic has actually been on my mind for quite some time. The subject is teenage girls and personal care products! I say girls specifically because it is us women who are the primary consumers of personal care products like shampoo, deodorant, makeup, feminine hygiene products, perfume, etc.

Right around 13, maybe even a little younger girls are introduced to shiny lip gloss, scented and glittery body lotions, fragrance sprays (i.e. remember dousing yourself in Pear Glacè from Victoria Secret 20 years ago or was that just my friends and I) and the list goes on. Teenage girls may be at particular risk since it’s a time of fast reproductive change and development. Research shows that they use more personal care products per day than the average adult woman. Some say up to 14 products per day!! Think back to that time for yourself and what you were using! Or maybe don’t, it may be too scary to think about.

What’s all the fuss about?

Recently there has been studies and more talk about the correlation between early puberty and the ingredients in the personal care products that young girls use. My friend Janis Covey of Kosmatology sent me 2 articles about this subject when I told her this would be the subject of my next post. The study out of UC Berkeley and Clinica de Salud del Valle de Salinas shows how even a short break from makeup, shampoos and lotions with toxic ingredients can lead to a significant drop in levels of hormone-disrupting chemicals in the body.

The study did an analysis of urine samples before and then after a three-day trial in which the girls used lower-chemical products. They saw a drop in toxic chemicals like parabens (found in hair care, body lotion, & makeup), phthalates (found in fragrance), oxybenzone (chemical found in sunscreen), and triclosane (found in antibacterial products) in just 3 days! WOW!! That’s crazy!! All of these chemicals are feared to be natural hormone disruptors.

The article in the Guardian mentioned that “over the past 20 years studies have shown that girls and possibly boys have been experiencing puberty at progressively younger ages.” With that comes the link between early puberty and a ‘increased risk of mental illness, breast and ovarian cancer in girls and testicular cancer in boys’. I was thinking too of all the young women nowadays in their late 20’s, early 30’s experiencing difficulties in getting pregnant. It makes you stop and think if nothing else. Of course this all raises more questions and more research is needed. The point is we need to be aware that there are toxic chemicals in our personal care products that are messing with hormones in our bodies, in our kids bodies!

Now what if it’s never introduced in the first place?!?! What if girls (and boys) can just be exposed to products that are devoid of these chemicals?!?! Is it possible? ABSOLUTELY!

Affordable Green Beauty

If you have been reading my blog you know one of my favorite quotes that can be applied here “When we know better we do better.” That can be said of us moms with our kids, girls and boys! In my case I have a son but a few of my friends have girls that are at that puberty stage, some experiencing it early than their moms had. It’s the perfect time to start changing personal care products over.

Now you may be thinking, ‘this is great and all but I don’t have the resources to pay crazy prices for organic products for my kids’. I feel you girl! You’ve come to the right place because thankfully you don’t have to. I’ve been trying and researching a few brands that are perfect for mom and daughter but don’t have the big price tag. Let’s talk about a few of my picks.

MAKEUP

1. Clove + Hallow

From concealer to beautiful lip products you can’t beat the clean ingredients and the price. Founder Sarah Biggers has knocked it out of the park. They recently came out with their eye shadow palette which I just got! Let me tell you…GORGEOUS! The Sunrise palette is $34 and comes with 6 different shades – 4 shimmers and 2 mattes. For an added boost, an antioxidant complex of Rosemary, Rice Bran, and Sunflower extracts soothes and protects the delicate eye area, so you can feel good about wearing your makeup all day long. 100% cruelty-free and vegan. I am hooked. So will you and your girl. I haven’t mentioned their lip velvets which I’m obsessed with. At $18 this is one of the best lip products I own! Not being dramatic. LOL! I love the C&H Clean15 Guarantee which is No cheap fillers or unnecessary fluff. Just the good stuff, delivered in 15 or fewer ingredients per base formula. Their products are between the price range of $15-$34. Amazing value for such a great brand

2. W3ll People

This brand has been one of my favorites in green beauty. Founded by a makeup artist, a dermatologist and a wellness entrepreneur this company is making amazing, clean products at an affordable price. W3LL People can be found at many Target stores. We know your teenage loves that beauty isle at Target! A couple of my favorites is the Expressionist Mascara ($21.99) not only is it non toxic but it delivers on making those eyelashes sing! My go-to especially during the summer is their Bio Tint Multi-Action Moisturizer SPF 30 ($28.99). It is 3-1, moisturizer, sun protection and a little coverage. I love this stuff. Always have it on hand. It’s really great year round too. Perfect for the on-the-go teenager!

3. Honest Beauty

For me Honest was the first that I tried in cleaner beauty. They are super affordable and can be found at Target and Amazon. You can’t beat the price of $14.99 (sometimes lower) for a clean mascara that everyone has been raving about lately. Also their eyeshadow palette that I personally just received. When Honest Beauty first launched I tried all of their eye shadows and I have to say this palette is bigger and better and at $18.99 on Amazon it’s a homerun for mom and daughter!

SKINCARE / PERSONAL CARE

1. Cocokind Skincare

Now if you aren’t new to Green Glam Girl you know that I love Cocokind since discovering them at Whole Foods Market. Founder Pricilla Tsai and her team have done an incredible job of creating a clean, conscious, and accessible skin care line that performs! I have been using Cocokind for a little while now and obsessed is an understatement. Also, you know by now that I haven’t been a teenager for quite some time 🙂 But I think it’s the perfect product for your teenager (boy or girl) and their ever-changing skin. From the Organic Rose Water Toner ($17) to the Mymatcha All-Over Moisture Stick ($9) they are all delicious and amazing products.

Let’s talk for a minute about the price point! So affordable. Nothing is more than $25 and Pricilla is determined to keep prices down but quality top-notch. The products that I have in my bathroom is: The Turmeric Spot Treatment Stick ($9) and Raspberry Vinegar Toner($16) for those pesky breakouts. The Rosewater Toner for all day long moisture. The Facial Cleansing Oil ($9.80 on Amazon) is a great way to remove makeup and dirt from the day. I love the Chlorophyll Mask ($13.70 on Amazon) which is great for calming breakouts and detoxifying the skin. Last but not least I am never without the Organic Skin Butter ($14)! Then there is the Macabeet Tinted Moisture Stick. This is a great product for your budding makeup enthusiast. It’s makeup and skincare with beetroot to tint and maca root to create smooth and even skin. You can even use it as a lip tint as well. Perfect touch of pink! Such minimal ingredients in all of their products. You and your teen will love. All of these products you can find at your local Whole Foods Market.

2. Schmidts

Deodorant is one of the first personal care products that should be non toxic. Conventional deodorant contains many ingredients you don’t want going on your skin but one of them is aluminum zirconium . There is much conflicting things out there about aluminum and more research is needed. For my family we have decided to stay away from it! Another thing to keep in mind even if research isn’t very conclusive regarding aluminum being carcinogenic, is that it prevents perspiring.

What’s the big deal about that you may ask? Well sweating is our body’s natural way of eliminating what it doesn’t need. Messing with that whole process can have negative health consequences. Which makes sense when we stop anything the body should be doing naturally. Schmidts ($17.49 for 2) is an easy to find, affordable and clean deodorant. Most importantly it works!! And that my friends is a hard combo to find in green beauty! In fact it is the one that my 10-year-old son has started to use and the one my husband can’t be without. As I mentioned in my last post, this brand can be found at Target and even TJ Maxx.

3. Acure

Check out my post about chemicals found in hair care products. It will make your hair stand up. Pun intended! One good brand that I started with is Acure ($9.99 or less). You can find at Whole Foods Market, Amazon, Target, Pharmaca (love) and even TJ Maxx. I love that these clean brands are so accessible and affordable. One more thing about this brand is that they have bath and body options too. Have fun trying!!

The Next Generation of Natural

So now for the really fun part! DRUM ROLL PLEASE!! I collaborated with my good friend and super talented local photographer Kelly Ann Long Photography. We put clean beauty and photography together and boom we have a beautiful photo session with our gorgeous model Naya who is 16 years old. She is wearing all green beauty. Style and makeup by Kelly.

If you are local to Fairfield, New Haven or Hartford County, Kelly is the one for you. She specializes in children and teens modern portraiture. I am so excited to share with you this photoshoot. So proud to call Kelly my friend. Check her work out for yourself. Her pictures are gorgeous. Thank you for being here and following my journey. My hope is that I’ve helped you in your journey in one small way. xoxo

Please see below all the make-up details and click on the links to find! For more check out my Products I love page.