How To Green Your Beauty Routine In 5 Simple Steps

So one of your resolutions of 2015 was to “green-ify” your beauty routine, but you’ve already cheated. We don’t blame you. It’s hard to know the difference between products that are actually organic and the ones that just dub themselves “natural,” whatever that means. Leave the dirty—or in this case clean—work to us. We created a survival guide for going green with 5 fool-proof tips to set you on the right path.

Go Green In 2015

Shop Smart

Start by exploring online organic beauty retailers like BeauTeaBar.com. Making all your beauty purchases on a site that is curated with only organic skincare products and makeup is a super-easy way to stay on track.

Try To DIY

You’re always better off knowing exactly what is going on your body. Making your own lip balms, body oils and hair masks allows you to customize your beauty routine and leave out harsh chemicals.

Our Favorite Facial: Mix chickpea powder and whole milk to create a paste. Add a dash of turmeric and apply to a clean face. Let sit for 15 minutes and then rinse. Skin will look brighter and feel smoother after just one facial.

Photo: Vanessa Jackman

Be A Loyal Customer

Experiment with a few organic skincare lines–some might work better for you and your budget than others. When you find a brand you love, stick with it and buy the essentials (cleanser, toner, serum and moisturizer). That way you won't be stuck reading ingredient labels every time you go to purchase something new.

Abandon Your Inhibitions

Common misconceptions about organic makeup are that it's not pigmented enough and doesn’t work as well as other brands. Wrong! Some of our most tried-and-true lipsticks, foundations and other beauty buys come completely free of harsh chemicals. What could be more beautiful than that?

Get To Know Your Ingredients

We don't expect you to thoroughly inspect every ingredient on every product you use, but if you're concerned about what you put on your body, here is a cheat sheet of 5 chemicals to always avoid. End of story.

DEA (diethanolamine), MEA (Monoethanolamine) & TEA (triethanolamine): These chemicals are hormone-disrupting and can form cancer-causing nitrates and nitrosamines in the body.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) & Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES): These chemicals can create a foam in products that has caused eye damage, depression, labored breathing and severe skin irritation in laboratory tests.

Photo: Vanessa Jackman