Beauty Products

Review by Alexandra
Rating:
This book is somewhat enlightening — it includes thorough dictionaries of both beneficial and potentially toxic cosmetic ingredients — but the writer seems to be schizophrenic or to have not thoroughly researched the topic, which, as a journalist myself, is highly concerning. I was disappointed with her recommendations of products by Avalon Organics, JASON Naturals, Stella McCartney CARE, and Kiss My Face. These lines are hardly superior and were, in fact, sued by Dr. Bronner’s last year for deceptively using the word “organic” and containing petro ingredients. However, the writer later retracted her recommendation of the Kiss My Face brand on her blog.

The retractions continue. She recommends bismuth oxychloride-containing powders by Bare Escentuals in the book (which I was shocked to read) but later says on her blog that bismuth oxychloride can “irritate sensitive skin like mad.” Half the people who’ve used BE and developed red, itchy skin can tell you this. She spends an entire page on avoiding toners with alcohol (duh), then recommends an alcohol- and witch hazel-based toner by Dr. Hauschka.

Speaking of Dr. Hauschka, Ms. Gabriel recommends nearly every Hauschka product made. (By the book’s end, one suspects her of having too-close relations with the company.) I respect Dr. Hauschka’s biodynamic farming practices, but they use a high percentage of alcohol as preservative. Combined with their heavy plant oils (like peanut oil), their pricey products are infamous for breaking people out in milia on their cheeks and forehead. There are far better organic lines these days. A soap-based shampoo by Aubrey Organics that Ms. Gabriel raved about left my hair like tangled straw.

The book is packed with DIY recipes that require impractical and expensive ingredients, like rose oil, elderflower water, and dried calendula blossoms. What full-time working woman with a kid has the time or money? And tips like “shampoo your hair with plain egg”? Seriously? How would that cut oil and grime?

UPDATE: In addition to her questionable expertise, the writer has begun using her blog to bash other organic skincare lines hoping, most likely, of selling her own organic skincare line. There are now vitriolic retractions on Juice Beauty (certified organic, solar-powered facilities), Jurlique (biodynamic) and L’Uvalla (a new line at Whole Foods). It’s highly suspicious that she would attack these brands while gushing about Bare Escentuals’ mediocre and conventionally farmed skincare line. Not to mention, this is the same Bare Escentuals that’s being sued in California for making false and misleading statements about its sales. Where are Ms. Gabriel’s allegiances and what is her agenda?

Review by Monica Garcia
Rating:
From the founder and owner of the organic skin-care line, Petite Marie, comes a revealing look at cosmetics and skin care that the most of the beauty industry would love to keep secret. For instance, all that a product needs to be labeled as “Organic” is a drop of organic essential oil. This is called greenwashing and most greenwashers spend more money on promoting themselves as environmentally friendly than they do on formulating toxin-free, environmentally sound products.

With The Green Beauty Guide, Julie Gabriel starts with the basics of learning all about your skin and guides you through what you should look for in all your beauty products. She teaches you the how tell the difference between a good marketing campaign and truly organic products. You’ll also find The Ten Commandments of Green Beauty, How to Go Green Without Going Broke and even recipes for your own organic beauty products such as cleansers, toners, facial masks, moisturizers and even acne zappers with simple easy to find ingredients.

For me, a not so environmentally conscious consumer, the realization what most of us are doing to our skin and the environment was initially a bit intimidating and scary really but Gabriel’s information makes it easy to make the green switch. I’ve already been through my cabinets checking labels and packaging. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in making a difference.

Review by Jeannine Wegmueller
Rating:
I found this book to be a bit trendy. Do American women really have the time to mix their own beauty products? No one I know does. Page 57 warns of celebrity endorsements, yet page 75 refers to all the celebrities who use Suki Naturals. She consistently quotes opinions from the makers of natural products, but they are stated like facts. Conventional products do this too, and it is wrong. She loves Dr. Hauschka mascara in the book, but says it runs on her website. Little things like this bugged me. I did learn about ingredients to avoid so all was not lost.

Review by Readingrat
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The Green Beauty Guide (GBG) is a wonderful reference that will have a place on my shelf for quite some time. I personally found this book particularly useful because I have an allergy to the paraben preservatives that are commonly used in beauty products and cosmetics so I have a little experience with what the author is talking about. However, thanks to the GBG I am now aware of several other ingredients that I should also be watching out for when I read labels and I’ve been able to add several new items to my beauty routine with confidence.

However, the Green Beauty Guide doesn’t just put the spotlight on the things you shouldn’t be putting on your face and body, but it gives you guidelines on how to actually find the products that don’t contain the harmful ingredients which, believe me, is not as easy as it sounds. I cannot tell you how many hours I have spent searching through beauty aisles and cosmetic cases looking at itty-bitty ingredient lists – only to find parabens hiding away in products labeled as “pure”, “natural”, or “allergy-free”. The GBG goes a long way towards debunking all of these common buzz word claims and gives the reader straight facts on the whole advertising/marketing game.

Which brings me to the part of the Green Beauty Guide that I love the most – a list (with ratings) of several recommended products grouped by function and suggestions on where these products can be purchased. And for those do-it-yourselfers out there – a list of recipes for making your own green beauty products including information on how to obtain, mix, and store any ingredients you need for the products you want to create.

I highly recommend this book to all women. Even if you don’t have allergic reactions to your beauty products like I do, this guide will really help open your eyes to what you are actually putting on your skin everyday and might just inspire you to make some changes to the products you use. Over the just the past few years that I’ve been aware of this issue, the natural/organic/green cosmetics have really made some steps forward into the mainstream beauty aisles. It can only get better from here.

Review by doublefueltanker
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As other reviewers have noted, there are contradictions in this book that undermine it’s overall credibility. Here’s one that’s particularly egregious: On page 189, Gabriel describes lecithin as a “green emulsifier”; yet, in Appendix B (“100 Toxic Cosmetic Ingredients You Don’t Want in Your Beauty Products”) ingredient #55 is–believe it or not–lecithin. This is inexcusable to me.

Providing beauty, fashion, and fitness tips for both women and men. Skin Care Wholesale

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