How to Green Your Beauty Routine

Forever on the lookout for natural products that are as healthy for the earth as they are for our skin, here’s a non-exhaustive list of top green beauty brands doing good for our complexions and the environment! —Julia Parfenyuk

nude by nature. This popular Aussie brand is known for its 100 per cent naturally derived and wholly cruelty-free makeup. Recently landed in Canada, these products are made with such active ingredients from Down Under as kakadu plum, lilly pilly and cehami, with synthetics and preservatives completely nixed. Try Nude by Nature‘s award-winning (not to mention, beautifying and nourishing) radiant loose powder foundation and its pressed matte mineral bronzer this spring/summer—your skin will thank you!

zorah biocosmetiques. This high-end Canadian skin-care brand (founded and made in Quebec) uses argan oil as a base for its formulations. Made with organic and fair-trade ingredients, Zorah’s products are not only effective (the company has won multiple beauty awards), they also support women’s co-operatives via the inclusion of raw materials sourced from Morocco, Mali and Brazil.

tata harper. A pioneer of natural luxury skin-care, Tata Harper has redefined the green-beauty game. The brand’s formulas are packed with pure, active ingredients that deliver actual, visible results (the rejuvenating serum is so worth the price tag) to all skin types, from super dry to hyper sensitive, with zero added artificial fragrances, colours, synthetic chemicals, toxins or fillers in sight. (You’ll feel good about its recyclable and eco-friendly packaging, to boot).

subtle green. Another Canadian brand on this list, Subtle Green harnesses the power of effective botanicals to create its organic skin-care range. Products are handmade in small batches and, get this: every formula can be specifically tailored to each customer’s unique request or skin concern. Made with carefully selected natural and food-grade ingredients, the addition of invigorating essentials oils makes these concoctions smell heavenly, too. Our favourite find thus far: the amazingly rich and moisturizing intense hydration cream (it helped our skin survive this dry, cold winter unscathed)!

burt’s bees. The recent launch of this well-known earth-friendly skin-care brand’s makeup range certainly created a buzz. Featuring a full line of natural cosmetics that work because of how they’re made, not in spite of it, we’re in special love with Burt’s Bees‘ nourishing mascara, which lengthens and defines lashes thanks to jojoba oil and naturally moisturizing glycerin (no parabens, phthalates, SLS, petrolatum or synthetic fragrances here).