Our Green columnist Hannah Alderson, shares why it's time to integrate more natural products into our makeup bags.

With the boom of the oh-so aesthetically pleasing, healthy eating campaign, made accessible to the masses by health conscious foodies such as Deliciously Ella; we have all become rather savvy at knowing what we should and shouldn’t be putting into our bodies. However, whilst we have been consumed by fears for our gut health, we have neglected to consider the harm we are doing to our biggest organ - our skin. 

The skin absorbs over 60% of what we expose it to, and therefore the products we use, can have a real effect on our health and wellbeing. Ingredients in cosmetics, such as mineral oils found in some foundations, can effect the liver function and stop the skin from being able to shed toxins. Parabens used as preservatives in many cosmetics, have been proven to effect hormone balance and have also been linked to breast cancer. 

The non-sustainable production of cosmetics also contributes greatly to the damage to our planet, and the issue of animal testing still continues to exist. Although it's important to note, there are a great number of non-green companies that have banned animal testing in their production - something the Body Shop has championed since the 80s.

So what is ‘going green’? 

In a nutshell green cosmetics are made using only natural and (in most cases) organic ingredients, sourced in an environmentally and ethically conscious way. A green beauty product will nourish and enhance your skin, rather than dulling and covering the skins natural goodness.

The products are NEVER tested on animals, with most often being vegan. Nothing harmful is ever allowed, making them the perfect choice for anyone with sensitive or allergy prone skin. Green beauty doesn't have to be a product you've bought either. There are countless natural homemade recipes which we will explore: whether that be a homemade mask or natural hair oil. 

In the past, green makeup has been limited, and there was a sense of sacrifice in terms of quality, when compared with non-green makeup. But not anymore. The green beauty industry is one of the fastest growing industries, with new ethically focused companies being establishing all the time. This new wave of brands, are continually releasing innovative, exciting and trend focused products, that more than match their non-green counterparts. 

Check out these drool worthy Instagrams to see for yourself: @vapourbeauty, @amberreidbeauty @organicbunny  @axiology_beauty @gressaskin @iliabeauty

Whichever aspect of going green speaks to you, whether it’s the health benefits, sensitive/skin allergies, aversion to animal testing, a care for the environment, or you just happened to try a green product and thought it was great. The change doesn’t have to be all or nothing. It just needs to be whatever works for you, any change however small, can only ever be a good thing.