GoGreenInside^® recently attended Environmental Defence’s Eco-Beauty Market at the Spoke Club in Toronto. This high energy, day-long event and fundraiser brought together 17 companies and retailers to showcase their eco-friendly, non-toxic cosmetic and body care products. The vendors are among those involved in Environmental Defence’s Just Beautiful Campaign, which urges Canada to ban personal care product ingredients that are known to be harmful and demands full ingredient disclosure on products so we can make informed choices about what we put on (and in) our bodies. Each company has taken the Just Beautiful Pledge declaring their products are free of Environmental Defence’s “Toxic Ten” ingredients, which include phthalates, parabens and triclosan.

Our mission for the day was to find the top “must-haves” for summer from among this great selection of (mostly) Canadian eco-beauty products. Along the way, we couldn’t help notice a key trend: products with multiple uses. We definitely like the idea of a pared-down natural beauty routine – as well as a lighter load in our travel and make-up bags – this summer.

Here’s what made our Top 12 list (OK, there may be a few more than that – we couldn’t decide!)

	Elabloom Nourishing Facial Oil Formulated with a blend of 12 botanical oils and nothing else, this unique oil is made in Ontario twice monthly on the company’s “Bloom Dates” so you always know it’s fresh.  Massage 4-6 drops onto a freshly washed and slightly damp face to replace your moisturizer, toner, day and night creams. 16 ml Elabloom plus 4 ml Travel Size – $48 (launch promotion) at Elabloom.com
	Ocean’s Alive Marine Phytoplankton Nutritionista Meghan Telpner offers this super nutrient and raw food from the ocean, with its abundance of naturally produced vitamins and minerals. Touted for benefits including alkalinizing effects and detox support, Telpner suggests adding it to morning smoothies, dropping it in water mid-morning for an energy boost, and mixing it with salad dressings, dips and sauces. $44 from meghantelpner.com
	Beaulance Argan Oil Used for centuries in Morocco, Argan Oil has recently enjoyed a surge of popularity in the West because of its extremely high levels of Vitamin E and 80% fatty acids, as well as its rare plant sterols (phytosterols) not found in other oils. Argan oil is considered beneficial for tissue healing, as an anti-inflammatory, for its disinfectant properties, and to protect against premature aging caused by oxidation.  Can also be used as a tonic for scalp and hair, and to help strengthen nails. 50 ml $19.99 at beaulance.com
	Consonant 100% Natural Matte Finish Sunscreen Micronized titanium dioxide and zinc oxide give a smooth, invisible finish to this cream instead of leaving a white residue on skin. 50 ml $36 from consonantbody.com
	Cocoon Apothecary Touchy Feely This artisanal skin care company based in Kitchener, Ontario has created an organic body lotion with lavender and rosemary essential oils perfect for sensitive skin. Blended with olive oil and ideal for after-sun care, it doubles as a light facial cream for hot weather. 250 ml $21 from cocoonapothecary.com
	worldPRODUCTS worldOCEAN This organic salt spray “gives your hair a trip to the beach,” says Brian Phillips, CEO of worldPRODUCTS and the eco-friendly worldSALON in Toronto.  Contains organic hydrosols of lavender, rosemary and French Celtic sea salt to add fullness, texture, strength and shine to hair while reducing product build-up. 7 g $8/57g $24 on world.ca
	Eautrois Hydrating Spray This stay-cool infusion of mineralized waters, seaweed extracts, vitamins and herbs combined with aromatherapy will hydrate, nourish and stimulate the skin, says company owner and naturopathic doctor Shirley Zabol. Refrigerate before you hit the beach and spritz periodically to stay refreshed. Can also be used on the face to set makeup and give a dewy finish. $25 at eautrois.ca
	Mini Organics Protective Nappy (Diaper) Balm We don’t want to forget baby’s needs when the temperature rises. To keep little ones cool and itch-free, there’s Nappy Balm from Australia’s MiniOrganics line, just launched in Canada. This blend of certified organic oils and butters infused with chamomile can also be used to moisturize heels and elbows, and for soothing minor skin irritations, insect bites and sunburn. $33 from miniorganics.com
	Kynk In the Raw 100% Fair Trade Organic Shea Butter Used by African women for thousands of years for everything from burns to bruises to baby’s bottoms, shea butter’s natural healing properties are said to be excellent for relieving psoriasis and eczema, which can sometimes flare up in the summer heat. Also check out Hair Honey to tame coarse hair, developed by Kynk owner Esenje Bonga-Hall after years of struggling with her own hair. 90 mg  $19 from kynk.ca
	Clinical Luxury By Nature Lip Stuff Three colourful lip glosses are presented in cute stackable pots in this product from the new line Clinical Luxury By Nature, created by Graydon Moffat. The sheer, light glosses lend subtle colour (from fruit extracts) to wear alone, give to your young ones, or wear over your (natural) lip liner or lipstick to enhance their colour. Formulated with red raspberry seed oil (providing natural sun protection), organic sunflower oil and candelilla wax, as well as pure essential oils such as tangerine, vanilla, mandarin, pink grapefruit, peppermint, ginger and cinnamon for great lip gloss flavour. 3 x 5ml stackable pots $15 at clinicalluxurybynature.com
	Clinical Luxury By Nature All-Over Body Soap Here’s a multi-tasker to take with you to the cottage this summer. Use it for hands, body, face, hair and even on your dishes. Made from Coco Glucoside (from coconuts), rosemary botanical extract and a blend of 15 essential oils and fully biodegradable so the lake and fish will love it too. 250 ml $19.99 at clinicalluxurybynature.com
	Keeki neon nail polishes The neon nail trend continues this summer with a range of fun colours for grown-ups and kids, including Sour Apple Slushy, Orange Sorbet and Lemonade. To minimize chipping and extend the life of your DIY mani-pedi, use with their base and top coats. $11.95 through Sessabeldispensary.com

Eco-Beauty Face to Face

If you’re in Toronto, be sure to visit these eco-friendly beauty hubs to check out more offerings we discovered at the Eco-Beauty Market:

Pretty Bar (@ The Coal Miner’s Daughter)
744 Queen Street West
Shoppretty.ca

Opened in 2011 and run by beautician and beauty blogger Andrea Victory-Lacasse, Pretty Bar specializes in green, clean beauty brands sourced internationally. We were particularly enamoured with the natural fragrances (so hard to find good ones that don’t remind you of your grandmother’s rose water!) – check out the sophisticated lines A Perfume Organic, Tallulah Jane, and Honoré des Prés. Purchase in-store and online.

Green Beauty
3471 Yonge Street  (Flagship location opening June 9, 2012)
Greenbeauty.ca

Donna Bishop’s curated beauty boutique, full service spa and hair studio is dedicated to professional quality products with a conscience. We sampled the Aura MultiUse Radiant Blush and Stain collections by Vapour Organic Beauty ($28) which come in lots of pretty corals and pinks for summer (also available online).

Alma Natural Quick Spa
2105 Yonge Street
Almanturalspa.com

On Wednesday nights, receive a complimentary glass of organic wine with your service — perhaps a pedicure, using natural polishes and removers ($35). Includes a detoxifying foot soak containing Dead Sea salt and select aromatherapy oils.

Keren Brown is a passionate advocate for the integration of effective natural therapies into the conventional health care system, as a means to emphasize prevention and minimize chronic disease. She was co-founder and Executive Director of the Holistic Health Research Foundation of Canada, which, during its seven years of operation, raised nearly $2 million for holistic health education and research, and funded more than 20 university-based research studies.  A writer and editor with a communications consulting background, Keren is the President of GoGreenInside^® and the publisher of gogreeninside.ca.