A few of you may be aware that outside of my day-to-day roles working at ValleyPBS and writing my weekly articles for FresYes.com, I am also a blogger with a hobby-level makeup blog.
Thanks to my interest in that arena, I had the opportunity to attend a local event this past weekend hosted by fellow blogger, Amanda Allison, and Whole Foods Fresno. The “Beauty Brunch” event’s goal was to provide education and information about natural beauty products, their benefits, and the lines available here at our local Whole Foods store.
I was very surprised by how much I learned about natural beauty products during the event. I also found the staff from the store to be exceptionally knowledgeable, not only in regard to their in-store product lines, but also of good skin care and beauty practices as well.
Whole Foods beauty advisors are able to offer personalized and professional guidance to shoppers based on individualized needs, skin concerns, and budget, and many possess a background in the field, including Natalie, who educated us at the brunch and is a licensed esthetician who has worked for Whole Foods for seven years. (Ask for her when you shop, she’s amazing.)
With Fresno being one of the top consumer cities for beauty product purchasing in the nation, I thought it would be helpful to share with those who are local beauty shoppers what I learned at the Whole Foods Beauty Brunch about shopping for natural beauty products in their store, and why it may be worth it to consider switching at least some products in our routines to more natural options.
Things I learned about shopping for natural beauty products
at Whole Foods
1. The U.S. doesn’t do the greatest job of protecting us when it comes to chemicals in beauty products.
- Your skin is your largest organ, and over 60% of what is applied to the skin is absorbed, making it very important to be selective about what you apply topically.
- In Europe, there are over 300 chemicals that have been banned from use in beauty products due to the potential health hazards associated with their use. In the U.S., only 11 ingredients are banned. Whole Foods abides by the 300 chemical ban in stores, and does not carry any line that uses harmful ingredients.
- Parabens are preservatives found in numerous conventional (chemical) skin and body care products, however, when the body is exposed to parabens frequently, hormones can be affected and estrogen levels in the body can be increased. Increased estrogen levels have been linked to certain types of cancers.
- A very long shelf life on a beauty product can be a sign of the use of high levels of preservatives–this should serve as a potential red flag and trigger shoppers to check ingredient lists.
2. Quality, natural products are highly effective
- Natural beauty products have active ingredients that are considered “bioavailable,” meaning the ingredients come from plants and are recognized and accepted by the body. This allows natural products to be highly effective.
- People who suffer from very oily skin can often benefit from a nightly facial oil treatment, as the application of appropriate oils to the face on clean skin at night can help calm oil production that is actually most often caused by dehydrated skin attempting to balance itself out.
3. Whole Foods is a great place to shop for clean beauty products in Fresno
- Whole Foods only carries lines that source ingredients ethically and have documented proof of potency. All products that are vegan and/or organic are clearly marked.
- Natural beauty lines are available at a variety of price points, including the popular and affordable Acure line, which is known for its wide range of products, and Mad Hippie, a mid-priced line lauded many times over by fashion and beauty magazines, celebrities, and major beauty bloggers. Other popular natural beauty lines available at Whole Foods include Derma-e, Juice Beauty, Pacifica Beauty, Evan Healy and MyChelle.
I hope you found this information as helpful and eye-opening as I did. I’m excited to introduce more natural skin care and beauty products into my routine after learning how effective and affordable they can be, and how important it is for me to consider the ingredients not just in the food and drinks I’m putting in my body, but also in the products I use on my body, in order to take the best care of myself.
Beauty Week is March 21-27
If you’re interested in trying some of the natural beauty products carried by Whole Foods, there will be a 25% off sale on all beauty products during “Beauty Week” in store from March 21 through March 27.
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Author’s note: I was not asked to write about Whole Foods or their natural beauty products, nor is this article sponsored in any way. I just found the information very helpful, and felt it could be of benefit to others as well, so I chose to share here.
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