The 'Going Green Tag' (started by the lovely Rachel of All Natural Aspirations) seems to have taken the green blogging/vlogging world by storm and I really feel like I'm the last one to hop on board! Nevertheless, let's not leave it any longer...
What started it all off for you?
I've always been in to all things 'green' and 'eco' but I'd never got round to applying it to my beauty regime. I was always more attracted to natural-ish skincare but never paid too much attention to ingredients. My first introduction to green beauty was through Annabel of Fragmented Splendour. Through her blog, I followed her journey to going green and was introduced to a world of wonderful brands and wonderful ingredients. The other lady responsible has to be Brianna/iluvjesse444 on YouTube who is a true inspiration to us all! She's as clean as clean can be. Also, I've been vegan for about a year now so I see it as a natural progression (heh heh).
What was the first thing to go? (Ingredient or product)
I've always avoided parabens (apart from the occasional Japanese Honeysuckle) so I could say that was the first batch of ingredients to be phased out. SLS in my shampoo/conditioner would be second. I still have a few sulfate-laden shower gels to use up however.
What are you/did you struggle to let go off?
In the beginning, the idea of giving up my makeup collection really freaked me out... sad I know. But recently I've really been embracing cleaner brands of slap and I'm currently loving offerings from The All Natural Face and Honeybee Gardens. I'm yet to try any green mascaras so I can see that being a bit of a tiresome journey.
What has been your best find or change? (i.e. a green product or tip that you're really glad you've found/learnt)
Number one best find would have to be Pai Skincare. I knew about them before, but I've recently fallen head over heels with the brand and can seem them being a long-time favourite. In terms of a 'tip' I'd say shaving with coconut oil. Just try it.
What has been the worst thing about going green? What has been the hardest to transition or find an adequate green replacement of?
I haven't really come across any serious challenges as of yet. Good quality natural and vegan makeup is a real bugger to find though. It's very disheartening seeing all these beautiful products that contain beeswax or carmine (ick). You have to be careful as a lot of natural brands do still contain animal-derived ingredients. Also, just because a brand carries some vegan-friendly products, doesn't mean every product they offer are. Check the ingredients on every individual item.
Anything else to add? Any tips or tricks to pass on?
I haven't been doing this very long so I wouldn't take much advice from me! I'd say the best thing to do is to keep an open mind and stay true to your own personal standards and values. Also, iHerb is your best friend.
Most people I would have tagged have already contributed so... I tag everyone who hasn't!