Beauty by Nature
WEB-EXCLUSIVE: You can be beautiful without harming the environment. Check out these three Orange County beauty companies that have gone the way of green.
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In the world of beauty – as in fashion – there is always something new, different or rediscovered that everyone just has to have. These days, beautification has gone back to nature. Because so many green beauty products are available in Orange County, we’ve decided to narrow things down by focusing on three companies based locally that are helping turn the county’s beauty counters green.
MINERALS IN THE MAKEUP DRAWER
Within the broader green beauty craze, there is a sub-trend: mineral makeup. And believe it or not, mineral makeup pioneer, Diane Ranger – who founded Bare Escentuals in 1976 – not only lives in Orange County, but has headquartered her latest mineral makeup endeavor here, in Dana Point. Colorescience Pro, founded in 2000, offers a full line of mineral makeup for the face, eyes, lips, and for sun protection through day spas, resorts, dermatologists, plastic surgeons offices, and makeup artist studios. All of Colorescience’s loose mineral powder makeup and sunscreens contain no preservatives and all products are free of what the company refers to as the “seven deadly skins”: talc, perfumes, mineral oil, harsh preservatives, drying alcohols, emulsifiers, and dyes. Ranger says that what really makes the line stand out in terms of green is their powder sunscreen line, Sunforgettable. The sunscreen stays on the surface of the skin rather than absorbing into the body or sloughing off the skin and into the ocean. Colorescience Pro products are available at The Spa at Pelican Hill in Newport Coast; price range roughly $10 to $75. colorescience.com
SKIN HEMP
Despite some challenges initially encountered from offering an entire line of skin and hair care products based on hemp, Newport Beach-based The Healing Seed (founded in October 2008) is not only surviving the nation’s economic pains but actually thriving: The line is available in health food stores across the nation, including in Orange County, and according to co-founder Theresa Hellings, it should be available in most if not all of the Southern California Whole Foods Markets within the next few months. Topical use of hempseed oil – virgin organic hempseed oil is key in all Healing Seed products – supplies dermal nutrition like no other oil, says Hellings. Hempseed oil contains vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, C, D, and E; minerals including calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc; and omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids, she says. All products are 100% vegan, contain no parabens, artificial colors or perfumes, and there is no animal testing. Instead of using parabens to preserve, The Healing Seed uses natural preservatives like ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and sea salt. “Hemp is one of the most sustainable crops there is since there’s no need for use of pesticides or herbicides,” Hellings says. “Hemp crops also don’t leach nutrients from the soil but actually nourish the soil. Our process of cold pressing the seeds to get the hempseed oil emits no pollution.” The Healing Seed products are available through healingseed.com for $12.75-$13.95.
SUN SAFE
A quick Google search is enough to show you that people are concerned about sunscreen safety. Laguna Beach resident and mother of two, Jennifer Taylor, has taken matters into her own hands through sun care company, Smart Girls Who Surf, which she purchased from a family friend in July 2007. “I am a self-educated skincare junkie that spent most of last year learning about skincare from my manufacturer and a chemist about the dangers of unnecessary chemicals found in most skincare items on the market today,” Taylor says. “When I purchased the company, I inherited existing products that did have some chemicals and parabens in them, so I set out to clean them up.” There are two product lines – Smart Girls Who Surf and Surf-Vival – essentially the same product except with Smart Girls Who Surf presented in pretty, girly, pink packaging. Lines include broad spectrum UVA/UVB SPF 30+ sunblock, after-sun lotion, hair sun protector with SPF 7, glycerin surfer soaps, SPF 15 lip balms, tinted moisturizers with SPF 20, and sun care kits. All products are paraben-free and mostly free of chemical ingredients; the sunblock is chemical-free. The lines are available through many Orange County retailers, as well as at smartgirlswhosurf.com for $12.99-$32.99.
