The Green Beauty Guide

For a long time, eco-responsible cosmetics were confined to basic hygiene: honey soaps, plant shower gel and a few SOS balms that were sold both to moisturize the face and to nourish the body . And then some sharp references, such as serums and anti-aging, started to appear. Since then, progress has been constant and spectacular, precipitated by the development of new life and health technologies. With ever cleaner formulas, a desire to consume consciously and to respect the fauna and flora, “green beauty” is essential and is reversing the trend. The green wave is on!

Also called ecological or renewable chemistry, it is based on twelve principles based on values ​​that make it possible to respect the social, ecological and economic balance of the environment in which it is used. Its objective: a minimal impact on nature. Its goal: to invent new molecules that are both effective and respectful and to obtain them responsibly. To do this, it plans to reduce or eliminate the use or generation of substances harmful to the environment through new processes. The L'Oréal group has thus created Pro-Xylane, an anti-aging active ingredient, from a sugar derived from sawdust. The green chemistry experts of the Pierre Fabre group have for their part worked for a long time on the development of extraction technologies that respect the environment. In 2019, after eight years of research, the group succeeded in creating a process called Green Native Expression, which avoids the use of solvents. Same commitment at the L'Occitane group, which limits energy waste by using cold processes to manufacture its shower gels and shampoos, while Phytomer, a specialist in marine cosmetics, uses clean transformation processes, such as extraction aqueous, enzymatic or supercritical CO2. The Clarins group has been using techniques derived from green chemistry for about ten years, in particular ultrasound, which shortens heating times and uses less energy. Joint efforts in the service of the same ambition: to offer the best possible products, without compromising on safety or sensoriality.

Organic in question

Thanks to the development of green chemistry, organic-labeled skincare products have seen their effectiveness and sensoriality progress to equal those of traditional brands. With their ever finer textures and their proven performance, almost nothing differentiates them from classic products, the great successes of which they now manage to reproduce in a vegetable version. All the reference anti-aging molecules (hyaluronic acid, retinol, resveratrol, etc.) exist organically. Obtained without solvents or synthetic auxiliaries or preservatives, they benefit from a production that respects the environment. And since plant cells are ten to a hundred times more concentrated in active ingredients than "simple" plant extracts, biotechnology also makes it possible to offer enhanced efficiency. Another field long dominated by classic cosmetics, the formulation of sunscreens is now perfectly mastered by biotechnologies, which pollute the environment much less. An organic sunscreen is necessarily made with mineral filters (titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide), powders that do not penetrate the skin but reflect UV rays, which reduces the risk of allergy. On the planet side, these treatments do not contain chemical filters (oxybenzone, octocrylene, etc.) suspected of altering marine ecosystems, but some still use nanoparticles that unbalance their microbiota.

Morality: it is nevertheless better to opt for a product with good water resistance, with non-water-soluble and non-nanoparticle filters. Good news for lovers of organic care who should not lose sight of the ethical aspect, because organic does not necessarily mean fair trade. To be considered as such, cosmetics must meet the specifications of certification bodies such as Fairtrade International, Fairtrade Federation or Fair For Life. These labels guarantee that the raw materials used have been paid for at the right price and come from sustainable crops grown under ethical working conditions. Watch for the acronyms for sustainable and responsible consumption!

In cloudy water

Water can represent up to 90% of a cosmetic product, for which it serves as a solvent, but it does not come from agricultural production and therefore cannot be certified organic. Morality: given its high percentage in the formulas, favor those that use floral water, which can claim organic quality. We want it!

So-Bio Étic is reinventing organic makeup

Things are happening on the makeup side, where the offer is expanding with cutting-edge products that are now accessible, even in supermarkets!

Number 1 in green make-up in supermarkets, So’Bio étic has completely redesigned its catalog. On the program: 61 reformulated and repackaged references for even more vibrant colors, even more sensory textures and lighter, recyclable packaging made in France. Who says better ?

Divine Complexion Foundation, €14.90. Pure Color Corail Lumière satin lipstick, €10.90. Audacieux Mascara, €13.90.

The herbarium of beauty

Nature is an inexhaustible source of inspiration for cosmetics. And for good reason: its ingredients have proven themselves and are reassuring in a context of global distrust of those derived from synthesis and suspected of toxicity. As a bonus: increased traceability, guarantee of perfect transparency.

Centella asiatica

Rich in active molecules that it uses to fight against environmental stress, this plant, widely used in Indian medicine, is also renowned for its healing properties.

1. Vitamin C Intensive Face Cream, Kat Burki, €115at Oh My Cream!2. Serum with pure Centella, Dr Pierre Ricaud, €19.50.

Aloe vera

With fleshy leaves that hide a healing gel as well as a reserve of vitamins, minerals and trace elements, it is a veritable well of hydration that also has incredible restorative powers.

3. Body and face soap with aloe and avocado, Forever Living, €7.15.

Hemp

The cannabidiol it contains is a super-antioxidant that promotes cell renewal, nourishes and plumps the skin. As for its oil, it has a ratio of omega 3 forty times higher than that of argan.

@obemio27 @AshleyBeegan Are you asking how to be a ghostwriter?

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4. Lift + Bio anti-aging day cream, Diadermine, €10.60. 5. Sativa cannabis elixir, Les Urbaines, 29 €.

Nopal or prickly pear

Very effective in fighting free radicals thanks to its antioxidant content, it helps maintain the water flow of the epidermis, which is essential for delaying the appearance of wrinkles.

6. Good Genes Serum, Sunday Riley, $95 at Sephora. 7. Prickly pear body milk, Pure Greek Olive,Korres, €13.90.

Immortelle

This little yellow flower that never fades has fabulous anti-aging properties thanks to its regenerating and healing action. Popular in cosmetic care, it is the everlasting flower from Corsica that has the highest content of active molecules.

8. Unusual Cream, Nucca, €52.9. Immortelle Reset Night Oil-in-Serum, L’Occitane, €59.

Chaga

This parasitic fungus of birch thrives in arctic climates: rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, it is fermented to be incorporated into skincare formulas and stimulate immune defenses. - nitarians of the skin.

10. Rich quenching cream Hydra Malva, Saeve, €24.75.

Also read. Organic beauty: deciphering natural products

Vegan makeup is making its mark

Activist, ethical, natural, vegan makeup is on the rise. Since the shocking videos of the L214 association and a general awareness of animal suffering, more and more of us are looking for committed cosmetics that are more respectful of living things and the environment. "Being vegan means refusing any use of the animal world for food, clothing, treatment but also make-up," explains Pascal Le Clech, co-founder of the Véganie site (veganie.com), specializing in cosmetics. Exit therefore beeswax – replaced by mixtures of vegetable waxes – or lanolin (an animal fat used for its strong emollient power), swapped for veganoline, its equivalent of vegetable origin. As for hyaluronic acid, formerly extracted from rooster combs, it is now obtained through a process of bacterial fermentation. Consequence: a real formulation puzzle and sometimes complex references to compose, which explains a still rather poor mascara offer or an under-representation of the bright reds which come in classic cosmetics from crushed cochineal shells. Fortunately, the labs are working hard and today manage to obtain more and more sheathing waxes and colors that are both strong and luminous thanks to clever cocktails of pigments.

1. Lolita Por Vida eyeshadow palette, KVD Beauty, €49.90. 2. Brick red varnish, Boho Green Make-up, €5.99. 3. Future Skin Cushion Skincare Foundation, Chantecaille, €136. 4. Lipstick N° 6 Winter Rose, Pomponne, €26 on pomponne-makeup.com. 5. Clear Brow Gel, Anastasia Beverly Hills, €29. 6. Stay Naked tinted treatment, Hydromaniac, Urban Decay, €34. 7. Matte lipstick 886, All Tigers, €22.80. 8. Born This Way 3-in-1 Powder Foundation,Too Faced, €35 exclusively at Sephora. 9. Paradise Dream Velvet Lip Mousse matte liquid lipstick, Dear Dahlia, €25.50, exclusively at Galeries Lafayette. 10. Mascara Lights, Camera, Lashes, Tarte, €27exclusively at Sephora.

Vegan or cruelty free, what's the difference?

The "vegan" logo guarantees a product made up of plant and mineral ingredients that do not include any substances of animal origin. On the other hand, a product can be "Cruelty Free" without being vegan, because if the label assures that the product has not been tested on animals, it can contain components such as jellyfish collagen, bee products or milk derivatives.

Goats and badgers are also worth it!

In response to the call from Peta, the L'Oréal group has just announced the definitive cessation of the use of hair from animals for the manufacture of his brushes.

Garnier becomes cruelty free

All Garnier products are now globally approved by Cruelty Free International. A strong commitment since if China accepts the import of cosmetics exempted from these tests on animals, it does however require a certificate of compliance with good manufacturing practices, which is currently being put in place.

To avoid ingredients of animal origin, the easiest way is to bet on vegan brands. If in doubt, refer to the INCI list (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients), which appears on the back of the product... and learn how to decipher it!

100% vegan?

CI 75470 or guanine: this is the chemical name of carmine, this bright red dye obtained from crushed cochineal and used to color lipsticks.

Mustela: refers to mink oil. Serica or Silk: silk, you have to kill the caterpillars to get it.

Marine collagen: protein from cartilage and other connective tissues of marine animals.

Keratin: it is found in the hair, feathers, horns and skin of animals. It is used as a smoothing agent in hair care.

Sodium tallowate (or saponified tallow salt): refers to beef or pork fat.

Chitosan: extracted from the shell of crustaceans.

Also read.The new cosmetics gurus

It's not always easy to find your way around the jungle of labels: to differentiate cosmetics formulated with organic ingredients from products that are only called "natural", follow the guide.

The Ecocert label

This French inspection and certification body ensures that a minimum of 95% of the plant ingredients of the

formula are from organic farming and that a minimum of 10% of the total ingredients are from organic farming. It prohibits certain ingredients such as GMOs, silicones, parabens, synthetic fragrances or nanoparticles, and imposes biodegradable or recyclable packaging.

The Cosmebio label

Its specifications are very

demanding: 95% of the ingredients used must be of natural origin and 20% of them must come from organic farming. 5% of the ingredients can therefore be derived from chemicals, but there is a black list that manufacturers must exclude: synthetic fragrances, phthalates or even mineral oils.

Nature and Progress

Created in 1964 to promote organic products, its specifications were extended to cosmetics in 1998. It is the most drastic of all since it requires that

100% of the ingredients come from organic farming (except water, minerals or marine products which cannot be certified). The manufacturing processes used must be mechanical or derived from simple chemical and physical processes.

Slow Cosmetics

“Our label has existed since 2013,” explains Julien Kaibeck, its creator. It focuses on the naturalness of the cosmetics that wear it, it also validates the structure of the companies that manufacture these products. They must be rooted in local craftsmanship, committed to the environment and encourage reasonable consumption. »

They already are!

1. Small eyeshadow brush #20, LimeLife by Alcone, €18. 2. Foundation Brush 1402,Real Techniques, $10.99. 3. Angled blush brush, Bachca, €16. 4. Mr Right perfect powder brush, Too Faced, €37. 5. EcoTools Tapered Powder Brush $9.99. 6. Bare Skin Glow Complexion Brush, The Body Shop, €17. 7. Biggest Fan Brush, Lush, €30. 8. Lock-it Edge Foundation Brush, KVD Vegan Beauty, €33.

Perfume goes green

It blows a smell of sulfur on traditional perfumery, accused of containing allergens likely to act as endocrine disruptors and dyes with a carcinogenic risk. How about going green? Formulated without preservatives, mineral oils, parabens, phthalates or fixing agents, the so-called natural fragrances are made from an organic alcohol base obtained by fermentation of wheat and favor the use of essential oils as well as ecological extraction: cold pressing, water vapor or supercritical CO2 extraction, which allows to collect a substance without any trace of solvents or heavy metals.

But if natural juices have removed synthetic molecules from their formulas to favor 100% plant-based, they are much more complicated to compose than their classic counterparts. In traditional perfumery, noses have nearly 5,000 raw materials to develop their creations; a range reduced to only 500 for natural perfumery, with ingredients sometimes ten times more expensive than those derived from chemicals. In addition, some large families, such as citrus fruits, are more difficult to develop because citrus fruits only have a hold of two to four hours maximum on the skin without synthetic molecules to fix them. On the other hand, the woody and oriental notes are well represented in their natural state, since vetiver, vanilla or ylang-ylang show good persistence, and the noses also know how to work with juices endowed with resins which allow create powerful wakes. And they continue to develop natural preservatives, guaranteeing better diffusion stability.

Natural perfumes have therefore banned all active ingredients suspected of being endocrine disruptors, artificial musks that do not degrade in the environment or synthetic dyes. But the enduring effort does not stop there. On the packaging side, they rely on eco-design, with recycled and recyclable glass bottles, ideally refillable, vegetable glues and cardboard from eco-managed forests. The young brand Nout, the only luxury French perfume house whose entire range is certified organic, has thus made demanding choices: no cardboard or plastic packaging (each bottle is protected by an unbleached cotton pouch and organic and ethically produced), labels printed on 100% biodegradable or recyclable PEFC/FSC certified paper, white glass, easily recycled, and wooden caps from sustainably managed French forests. An example recently followed by traditional perfumery, spearheaded by the Rochas brand and its latest, Girl, 90% natural and enhanced with a neroli extract with relaxing properties. Its packaging? A bottle made of 40% PCR recycled glass from the collection of household glasses, for a production with a 9% reduced carbon footprint and water consumption

4. Eau de parfum Une Verveine, Obvious, €110 only at Sephora. 5. Eau de parfum 103,Bon Parfumeur, €38. 6. Eau de parfum Bois Impérial, Essential Parfums, €72.50. 7. Eau de parfum Davana Sauvage,Nout,165€surnoutparfums.com. 8. RochasGirl Eau de Toilette, €89. 9. Doux Sapphire Eau de Parfum, Aimée de Mars, €39.10. Desert Green Eau de Parfum, Virevolte, €75 on parfumsvirevolte.com.

Slolie, the latest product: the power of plants

This 100% natural, vegan and made in France range is the latest skincare brand. With its light textures and compositions based on essential oils, Slolie has everything it needs to tone, purify and soothe your skin. The brand is committed with Reforest'Action so that each purchase of a product corresponds to a planted tree.