Taking the plunge into greener living is easy in some areas of one’s life, and much harder in others.  One of the hardest transitions for me has been beauty products.

I have rosacea, and though I know I should switch to organic beauty products, I just…can’t.  I’m afraid!  There are so many products, and it’s hard to tell what’s really green, and what’s just marketing.  I’ll admit that researching which ones to try is a little scary, and putting them on my face to see hoe it reacts is even scarier.

However, I do have some lovely friends (via Twitter) who have offered to help me transition into organic skincare and makeup.  Until I get the nerve to work out the details, though, I thought I’d at least give you guys a website that takes the lead by doing the research for you: Spirit Beauty Lounge.  Here’s a snippet from their “About Us” page:

“Reading labels and memorizing an ever growing list of ingredients to avoid can be overwhelming. On top of that, you may never know whether or not even “organic” products are ethically sourced or whether or not their packaging is eco-friendly. Spirit Beauty Lounge is a place where you can shop safe, knowing we’ve done the research for you! All of our organic and sustainable products come from companies who have clearly defined humane, ethical, and environmental policies ensuring the care of our planet and its inhabitants!”

Spirit Beauty Lounge not only offers skincare, cosmetics, fragrances, baby stuff and accessories, but also information: along with the credo above, they also ask that their shoppers check out the Green Guide’s “Dirty Dozen“ for a list of chemical ingredients to avoid in cosmetics, as well as the Environmental Working Group Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database.  Check out more about their own company’s impact, including recycled shipping materials and environmental donations, here.

I know what you’re thinking: on to the shopping!  Here’s what I’d pick if I had some extra cash for new beauty products:

 Jurlique Rebalance Oiliness Introductory Set: $50

Seattle is having a crazy hot summer this year, and the heat and light (plus my heavy bangs) have had a huge effect on my skin: suddenly I have breakouts all over my forehead, as well as bright red, sensitive cheeks (due to that rosacea).  This organic, all natural skincare set rebalances the excess oil with all natural, organic ingredients that are produced sustainably in Australia, and seems perfect for summer.  (During fall and winter, I’d likely go for their cleansing set for normal/combination skin.)

 Chocolate Sun Shea Sunscreen for Body: $30

Speaking of summer, one of the most important beauty decisions you can make is to protect your skin.  Organic SPF solutions used to be hard to find, but we’re starting to see more and more options that don’t contain chemical ingredients we can’t pronounce.  This chocolatey lotion is “a moisturizer first and a sunscreen second,” using shea butter for supple skin and organic botanicals and herbs to keep you from getting burnt.  (They also have sunless tanners, for those of you that want a summer glow.)

 Alima Pure Satin Matte Foundation: $20

I tend to shy away from foundations – the more tempermental your skin, the less you should use – but Alima looks like it pulls double duty: even the product page suggests mixing it with moisturizer for a lighter look.  It’s a mineral foundation, and for those of us that need a sample before we commit to a $20 container of it, Spirit offers customized sample kits for it and all of their other products.

RMS Beauty Lip2Cheek Promise: $36

Most of us lighten out makeup a bit during summer: we trade dark liner for shimmery shadows, matte foundation for powders and bronzers, and traditional lipstick for glosses.  Because it works on both lips and cheeks, my favorite summer product has always been Benefit’s BeneTint.  RMS Beauty’s Lip2Cheek uses a similar idea – it works on both lips and cheeks – but it uses organic shea butter, coconut oil and beeswax for maximum hydration.  (You can even use it around the eyes!)

There’s more, but really, this post is long enough.  (Can you tell I’m a little overexcited about this site?)  Don’t forget: if you dig any of these items but aren’t ready to commit, you can get a customized sample kit - six samples – for fifteen bucks.  At that price, maybe trying organic products won’t be that scary…

And lastly, follow Spirit Beauty Lounge on Twitter to find their Deals of the Day – at 20% off, you really can’t lose!

Tags: Beauty, Makeup, mineral makeup, organic makeup, organic skincare