[Watch Do It Gorgeously video on Vimeo]
This week, my HuffPost column focused on avoiding toxic chemicals in cosmetics; since then, I’ve received a bunch of emails asking for eco-friendly skincare recommendations. I’m happy to oblige, but here’s the deal: A lot of the truly natural, nontoxic products I’ve discovered (and I mean truly nontoxic, as in an EWG rating of 2 or lower) are also gloriously expensive.
I know there’s a market out there for high-end green beauty products, but I think the whole eco-luxury thing in a horrendous economy is a bit of a turn-off. People shouldn’t feel like going green is only for those who are privileged enough to afford it. If you have the budget to spend $120 on a certified organic anti-aging mist/serum combo, then great; otherwise, there have to be attainable solutions for the rest of us.
That’s why I’m loving New York Times-bestselling author Sophie Uliano’s new book, Do It Gorgeously. In it, she shows just how easy, inexpensive, and gratifying it is to make eco-friendly beauty products yourself — including every indulgence from luxurious exfoliating scrubs to anti-aging face creams.
I know what you’re thinking — I’m not really the DIY type — but I’m telling you: Having read the book, this is not complicated stuff. In fact, a lot of it is what our grandmothers knew how to do, but what we forgot how to do over the past several decades of mind-numbing consumerism.
Once you see what minimal work it takes to make your own minty fresh mouthwash or a gift of gourmet herb salt to give to a friend (two of the many fun projects Uliano details in the book), you’ll never want to pay retail for them again.
And if you’d like to meet Uliano in person, don’t forget to buy your ticket for next weekend’s Women of the Green Generation Conference, at the Evo South in Downtown Los Angeles. (I’ll also be there, moderating a panel on environmentalism and the media — hope to see you then!)
–Jennifer Grayson
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