The more I learn about the lack of regulation of chemicals in products, the pickier I get about the products I use on my body. Gone are the Pantene hair products and the Olay moisturizers that I used in days gone by. Now I try my best to stick to personal care products made with natural and preferably organic ingredients, that are free of nasty additives like parabens, sulphates and artificial fragrances.
Made From Earth is a brand that fits my criteria for cleaner, greener, healthier body care line. The products contain high levels of certified organic ingredients and are free of the usual list of suspect ingredients. I had the chance to give some products a test drive. Here are my thoughts:
Eco Strengths
Most products in the line contain at least 95% organic ingredients. Just a few are below this threshold, but still contain at least 70% organic ingredients. While reviewing the products, I noticed that most did not have the USDA Organic seal on the label so of course, I asked why. Turns out that it's quite expensive to certify every individual product. Since Made from Earth is a relatively small company, they made the decision to certify their ingredients instead of each product. This makes complete sense to me, I just wish it were easier for consumers to tell the difference between legitimate companies like this and organic fraud.
- All ingredients are grown in the United States.
- Facilities are USDA Organic and cGMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) certified.
- All products are cruelty-free.
- The company is a member of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.
Second Thoughts?
If you are used to buying beauty products at the drug store, you might find the prices a bit steep. Most products run in the $15 to $40 range. From my point of view, it's worth it to pay more for safer beauty products, and find ways to save in some other way - like buying used clothes at the consignment shop or lowering your thermostat to save money on heating bills.
Favorite Products
If I had to pick a favorite, it would be the Olive Night Cream. It's made with antioxidant rich, organic olive oil and it moistuizes my dry skin like nobody's business.
The Grapefruit Glycolic Scrub is another winner, made with skin regenerating glycolic acid (in small amounts that won't irritate your skin) and a bright grapefruit scent.
Sale!
Good news! If you want to give Made from Earth a try, they've got a few products on sale right now:
- 25% off Olive Night Cream
- 33% off Holistic Honey Body Lotion
- 50% off Tea + Protein Shampoo
Shipping is a flat-rate of $5.95.
Are toxic chemicals in skin care products a concern for you? Are organic ingredients a priority or a luxury?
(Full disclosure: I was sent free samples of Made From Earth products in exchange for my honest opinion.)
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Organic ingredients is a plus, but at this point I'll be very happy with the absence of dangerous chemicals in my body care products. Both suspected and proven carcinogens and endocrine disruptors (stuff that messes up your hormonal serenity) abound in a lot of conventional skin care products. We recently vetted our various lotions & potions at the Skin Deep cosmetics database run by the Environmental Working Group - and ended up tossing a lot of stuff.
Posted by: CelloMom | January 12, 2012 at 03:57 PM
Hi CelloMom - good for you for going through all your personal care products on Skin Deep. I know it's tough to get rid of things that you spent good money for but sometimes it's the right thing to do. Fortunately, there are many, better-for-you products out there now!
Posted by: Micaela | January 13, 2012 at 07:30 AM
i would use night cream as leaving olive oil on your face will block your pores keeping dirt in and giving you loads of spots.but you could put olive oil on 5 mins before you go to bed wipe it off then add the night cream.hope i helped:)
Posted by: acne scars treatment | January 24, 2012 at 02:30 AM