Featured 05/05/2019 by Sarah Joan Ross on Culture Whisperer. {{See the full article here.}}
In a new book, Plant-based Beauty, author Jess Arnaudin offers the easy tips to detox and clean up your beauty regime.
The average woman uses at least twelve products each day, exposing bodies to a whole host of different and potentially toxic ingredients, and as we’re all striving to make sustainable and eco-friendly beauty and lifestyle choices, we talk to Jess Arnaudin, a holistic aesthetician & author of a new book - Plant-Based Beauty ‘A conscious guide to beauty’ on how to clean up your beauty regime the easy way.
Tell us about Plant-Based Beauty?
“My ultimate goal for writing Plant-Based Beauty was to educate and empower. Being in the treatment room as a holistic aesthetician for nearly a decade, I’ve had the privilege of working one-on-one with clients from all ages and backgrounds.
Across the board, the recurring theme that I heard most often was that people want to use cleaner products, they don’t know how to break through the clutter (and often, “greenwashing”) to find what’s truly natural and good for their unique skin. In short, clients were either overwhelmed by options or completely paralyzed by where even to start.
The book dives into the connection between your gut health and your skin, how to read skincare ingredient labels, which ingredients to blacklist from your routine, as well as suggestions for transforming your daily hygiene “routine” into a “ritual” that you can look forward to and draw strength from.
Also, Plant-Based Beauty is a conscious guide to beauty because it brings awareness to the idea of sustainability - choosing better beauty for our wellness, as well as the health of the world around us.”
THE 7 EASY WAYS TO DETOX YOUR BEAUTY REGIME
1. Synthetic fragrance is always your skincare foe. Aim to eliminate it as often as you can. Look for products that contain essential oils in place of synthetic fragrance - from your skincare to your laundry detergent, to your toothpaste - synthetic fragrance hides everywhere.
2. Swap mainstream antiperspirant for a natural deodorant. Non-toxic deodorant formulas will often contain moisture absorbing clay or vegetable powders as well as a blend of essential oils to curb odor and keep skin dry without ingredients associated with health problems like parabens, aluminum, and propylene glycol.
3. Find multi-tasking products that you can wear daily. One of my favorites is a cream that acts as a regenerating moisturizer, broad spectrum SPF, and light makeup. Using one product in place of three will expose you to less cumulative ingredients, as well as saves on extra product packaging from a sustainability viewpoint.
4. After bathing, take advantage of vital moisture on your skin by locking it in immediately. Apply 3-5 drops of a plant-based oil to your face just after stepping out of the bath or shower. This is a simple, sustainable way to seal in hydration.
Give yourself some grace. While some may prefer to completely overhaul their beauty cabinet all at once, for some, it can be overwhelming and expensive to swap everything in one go. It’s OK to take your time and make healthier swaps slowly and surely, one product at a time.
5. Find a curated clean beauty store that you trust. When you’re busy, the idea of reading every ingredient label can sometimes not be realistic. Finding a clean beauty shop, whether brick-and-mortar or online, that has already done the research legwork allows you to have access to many different brands and products without personally scouring every skincare brand website on your own.
6. Trade your body products first. Since skin is our largest organ, it’s absorbing everything we apply topically. When you’re in the process of detoxing your beauty routine, it makes sense then to start with the products applied to the largest surface area first. Think: body washes, lotions, creams, and oils.
7. Wear a clean SPF daily. Sunscreen is the most important tool in your beauty bag to keep skin healthy and stave off the unwanted effects of UV exposure. Look for a mineral formula that contains zinc oxide and titanium dioxide to protect from the sun as well as antioxidants to nourish and counteract environmental damage.