THE STYLISH STUFF: An A-Z of Sustainable Beauty

6th March 2018

All the pieces of clothing featured in this story have one key thing in common, and it’s not their English rose hue. Everything shares a vintage swing tag – it is all pre-worn/loved and been hanging in my own wardrobe for quite some time. These pieces, amongst others are also for sale to raise money for charity. Some are made sustainably from up-cycled fabrics and responsibly sourced yarns – others are just timeless classics that mean they have forever appeal and are not wardrobe one hit wonders. They are also romantic, fluid and help illustrate today’s story on sustainable beauty.

For many years the idea of green beauty was sidestepped by beauty insiders, considered to be suitably sweet smelling but generally ineffective, possibly because these products boasted none of the ground-breaking ingredients of the big brand products nor promises of an overnight age-defying miracle. However, as our attitudes to the environment and to petro-chemicals in our products have changed, so too the public perception of embracing more ethical choices. My passion has always been to seek out the cruelty free labels, to test drive them and find those that suited my skin and of course – that work. I’ve indulged in natural face oils since my twenties, paraben free shampoos since they first became available and suffice to say there’s been an entire legion of green beauty skincare passing through my bathroom cabinet over the years. Today we round up our A-Z of favourite natural beauty brands – all cruelty free OF COURSE, and all tried and trusted by those in the know. Thanks to Inge van Lotringen, Justine Jenkins, Kate Turner Jones, Jo Glanville-Blackburn and Frances Prescott for revealing their own personal favourites. Without further ado…

The secret to gorgeous glowing skin – yes, genetics but also a more natural and organic approach to your beauty choices…

Understated natural beauty, Daisy wearing archive ‘H&M Conscious Exclusive’ long, blush multilayered dress with tie shoulders. Size M. POA.

Archive H&M Conscious Exclusive backless rose dress with slashed high neck detail at the front. Size M. POA

Slashed detail neckline, Conscious Exclusive as above.

Vintage Stella McCartney blush jersey tunic dress with slashed back detail. Size M. POA.

Slashed back and turn up sleeve details.

Vintage Day Birger rose, multi layered blouse. Size M. POA.

Justine Jenkins – cruelty free ambassador and top celebrity make up artist

“One of the most sustainable brands on the market is Neal’s Yard Remedies. They are carbon neutral, use renewable electricity, are cruelty free and certified organic by The Soil Association. Their Wild Rose Beauty Balm is an amazing product that I can’t do without. I use it on dry skin, as a hair product, on brows, tops of cheekbones as a highlighter, on lips, cuticles and as a night mask.”

Kate Turner Jones – Freelance Beauty Journalist

“I’ve been a lifelong fan of Liz Earle. I love everything about the brand, from the gorgeous botanical ingredients to their green principles. In my job I’ve tried a thousand cleansers but I always come back to Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser. It smells divine and leaves skin perfectly clean and soft.”

Ingeborg van Lotringen – Beauty Director Cosmopolitan.

“The market is flooded with lovely face oils, many of them ecologically sound. But I always go back to Pai Rosehip BioRegenerate Oil. Soil association certified, it’s a cold-pressed Andean rosehip fruit and seed oil – meaning it hasn’t been heated or otherwise fecked about with, leaving this most nutrient-rich of rosehip species with all of its healing and regenerative omegas and vitamin A. The result is an oil that doesn’t simply moisturise, but can actually tackle lines and even scars. It smells of crushed herbs and seeds dried by the summer sun, and it’s very rich; a tiny drop goes a long way!”

Jo Glanville-Blackburn – Lifestyle beauty journalist, author, creator of JOGB Living artisan candles.

A’kin (certified organic) Rosehip Oil – it’s super potent and keeps skin looking replenished, nourished and super ageless. I have used and bought it (even as a Beauty Editor) for more than 10 years!”

Frances Prescott – Make up artist and Creator of Tri.Balm.

“The Organic Pharmacy’s Carrot Butter Cleanser is a one of many products I love to keep on hand in my make up kit, not purely because it’s an effective skin cleanser – it also doubles up as a great skin mask to soothe stressed skin.”

The Stylish Stuff LOVES …

JOGB Living GOJO uplifting artisan candle. Unlike other luxury candles, these beauties (there are two others in the JOGB family- MOJO and SLOJO) – boast a hefty 10% of pure essential oils in a 100% plant based wax of soy and rapeseed oil. They are sustainable, cruelty free and from the minute you open the postal packaging your senses will be assaulted with a whole new kind of scented purity, I thought I was a candle connoisseur until I smelt these. The sense of wellbeing the minute the match hits the wick is quite the revelation.