Green Skin Care

Cris Robinson, co-owner of Purple Carrot Health Foods & Wellness in Lethbridge, Alberta, remembers the early years of natural skin care—about 15 years ago. Back then, options for natural products were hard to find. For instance, “the only eyeliner available felt like you were drawing with a pencil crayon on your face,” says Robinson.

Since then, she says, there has been a revolution in variety and quality of natural beauty products, including advances in sustainable packaging.

Four years ago, Robinson opened the Purple Carrot, a refillery, health food, supplement, and local product store, alongside her co-owner, Cathy Lancaster. Before that, Robinson was a nutritional consultant, who had to send her clients running around the city for the natural products she suggested. They opened Purple Carrot to offer a one-stop natural shop.

Robinson invites you to think carefully about your skincare product choices. “We’re bombarded with junk all the time in the various products we use, such as cleaning products. When we can make the choice, we should,” says Robinson.

Perks of going green

Lindsay Coulter, green living expert as David Suzuki’s Queen of Green for over a decade, who continues to share her insights through @saneaction, says there are other benefits to going green in the beauty aisle.

For one, natural products are pure, and often multipurpose. For instance, you can use rosehip oil to moisturize and cleanse, for osteoarthritis relief, and as aromatherapy for stress reduction. The ingredients also won’t strain the environment when you wash them off.

What’s more: Some new products, including shampoo and conditioning bars, dispense with the packaging altogether. Going green for your beauty and skin doesn’t have to be an expensive endeavour either, says Coulter. DIY options could help keep your costs down.

Lane Edwards, founder of Edmonton-based Pura Botanicals, also advocates for the benefits of going green and natural.

Infused with empowerment and self-love

Edwards was inspired to found Pura when, while pregnant with her first child, she became sensitive to conventional beauty products. She created her own line of plant-based, eco-friendly, nontoxic, and synthetic-free products, infused with a strong culture of empowerment and self-love.

Edwards uses essential oils in many of her products. “They really amplify a formula if done in a conscious way and in small doses,” explains Edwards. Essential oils are often used to uplift mind, body, and spirit. Although research is not definitive on its role in some areas of health and well-being, some studies show that aromatherapy may help improve mood, decrease anxiety, assist with sleep, and ease pain.

Edwards, who views Health Canada certification as an intense process, but essential, also certifies her products through Leaping Bunny, PETA, and CertClean.

Staying safe in the sun

When you’re choosing a sunscreen, scan the active ingredients on the label. Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are considered safe and natural sunscreen ingredients. One caveat, though: even if these natural ingredients are the only ones listed, the nonactive ingredients could be synthetic and potentially harmful to your health or the health of the environment.

Coulter suggests checking the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database (ewg.org/skindeep) to see how your sunscreen—and other products—stacks up.