natural beauty

› By Lisset Lanza

As a consumer, it’s important to know what you’re buying. When you purchase food, you know that what you buy will be put into your body, and you’re mindful of the way food can a ect it. The same thing can be said for beauty products. Your skin loves healthy nourishment, and organic, fairly traded ingredients aren’t just beneficial to you. They help the environment, too. Read on to learn about products that pass the test, performance-wise and ingredient-wise.

Tarte

Lush

Lush Cosmetics is a leading company in the fight for ethical consumption. Lush’s products are handmade, fresh and eco-conscious, down to the recycled packaging. They boast a 100 percent vegetarian line with more than 80 percent of products being completely vegan. Lush emphasizes the importance of conserving ecosystems by denouncing the use of palm oil, a highly destructive ingredient sourced from palm trees. Palm oil plantations are responsible for deforestation and the forced migration of indigenous wildlife and people. Lush’s lineup has something for everyone, from bath bombs to hair care. The detoxifying face mask contains kaolin clay, soothing honey, exfoliating ground aduki beans and cooling peppermint oil, delivering a tingly deep clean for troubled skin.

Lush Mask of Magnaminty, $15 lushusa.com

Tarte Shape Tape contour concealer is a cult favorite, and for good reason. This long-lasting concealer is thick enough to be used under eyes or on blemishes without looking streaky. This product is vegan and cruelty-free. Ingredients include mango seed butter, rich with vitamins, and licorice root extract, responsible for the brightening e ect of the product. Tarte does not test on animals, and their cosmetics are formulated without synthetic fragrances, parabens and mineral oil, among other chemicals.

Tarte Shape Tape contour concealer, $27 tartecosmetics.com

They have a knack for using some of the freshest, most natural ingredients around: think coconuts, avocados and watermelons. You’ll find a long list of hydrating oils, including grape seed, jojoba and orange peel. Milk is all about no fuss, multi-use products. If this interests you, try their Lip + Cheek stick, which provides a blush that can be applied with one swipe for a sheer wash of color or built up for more impact. It’s used the same way as a lip stain.

Milk Makeup Lip + Cheek Stick, $24 milkmakeup.com

Kiss My Face

Milk Makeup

Milk brings a refreshing new spin to makeup, with ultra-cool modern packaging and mattes, metallics, glosses and holographics. As an added bonus, their entire line is now completely vegan.

Hydrating, antioxidant rich and nutrient packed, Kiss My Face body lotions are just a sample of the wide range of cruelty-free products o ered. The brand was founded by two vegetarian men on a mission to provide products that o er both e ectivity and high-quality ingredients. Plant-based ingredients are only part of their commitment. Their brand is economically friendly and loved by many for the transparency and activism shown since their establishment in the green marketplace.

Kiss My Face olive & aloe body lotion, $10 kissmyface.com