The mass retail cosmetics marketplace thrives on making the consumer believe that in order to find high quality products you should reach for the department store cosmetics and high end labels like MAC, Estee Lauder, Clinique, Smashbox, or the multitude of offerings by Sephora. Cosmo or Vogue just published an entire half of their magazine on the must-have eyeshadow colors and lipsticks for the Spring and Summer. Women flock to the mall to have their makeovers done and the sales associates cash in on another gold mine of a sale because she's convinced her customer that she's beautiful. The image is so much more important than what's clogging your pores and accumulating in your organs. The talc, chemicals, preservatives, and array of other harmful ingredients that these department store makeup counters do not even give you an opportunity to read the label. Once, I went and did a little research of my own at Sephora. I started with the foundation counter and looked on the back of every compact foundation. There were no ingredient labels!
The handmade marketplace has given rise to thousands of independent cosmetics brands which strive for all natural ingredients and transparency. The conscious consumer is heading over to Etsy, Pinterest, Amazon, eBay, and other online shopping venues to purchase handmade bath and beauty products. Where the ingredients are clearly listed, consumer reviews are not randomly selected for customers to read, and the shop owner truly wants the customer to buy organic, vegan, chemical-free, preservative-free, and all-natural products. The best part of the handmade marketplace is the price point (except for the few shops that are outrageously overpriced. In addition, you must be careful and lookout for the shops that buy direct from wholesalers, retailers, and liquidate stock. In general, the handmade marketplace is all about making the world a better place: offering amazing products and supporting thousands of locally owned businesses across the world.
I started my journey into cosmetics while attending college in my late 20's. It was the beginning of the DIY and Pinterest craze. I purchased a book on how to make all-natural cosmetics and started shopping at TKB Trading for my raw ingredients and packaging. I expanded to buying ingredients via Bulk Apothecary, Etsy, and Amazon. Once I mixed my first foundation, I was hooked. I tested the product for weeks on myself. I spent a lifetime suffering from breakouts and irritated skin from drugstore and department store cosmetics. I used to spend $200 in one small shopping trip to the Bobby Brown counter. Now...I was making my own foundation for under $0.90! I never looked back. This journey started in January 2012 and now I have over 30 foundations, hundreds of eyeshadows, and a multitude of other products (bronzer, blush, luminizer, soap, shampoo).
I love talking about department store products. Let's find one we can pick on...
I searched under Sephora's "Just In" section under makeup and found the Urban Decay Naked Smoky for $54 + free shipping (It better be free shipping! 12 eyeshadows for $54.)
Ingredients:
Armor:
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Talc, Polyethylene Terephthalate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, PTFE, Zinc Stearate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Phenoxyethanol, Polyurethane-33, Sorbic Acid, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer.
Notes: Where exactly is the ingredients for the product itself? I mean the actual color. I linked each of the above ingredients to the Environmental Working Groups page giving the details on each ingredient. Do not simply pay attention to the numerical value associated with the ingredient but also look at exactly what it is. For example, PTFE is TEFLON. I'm sorry...I do not need Teflon in my eyeshadow. The remaining ingredients consist mostly of preservative systems. It's really sad that these million dollar companies haven't figured out a way to buy all-natural ingredients in bulk and make products that aren't saturated in chemicals. All you need to make eyeshadow is the color (mica and/or iron oxide), a filler (kaolin clay, zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, arrowroot powder, rice powder, ect., a liquid for pressing (jojoba oil, other carrier oil, even witch hazel). If you really have to add a preservative...go with rosemary extract or another all-natural alternative. I'll share my ingredients a bit later. This is absolutely nutty.
Other Colors in the palette:
Dirtysweet:
Talc, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, PTFE, Zinc Stearate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic Acid, Silica, Stearic Acid.
High:
Talc, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, PTFE, Zinc Stearate, Silica, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic Acid, Tin Oxide, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer.
Radar:
Talc, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Silica, PTFE, Zinc Stearate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic Acid, Tin Oxide, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer.
Smolder:
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Talc, PTFE, Zinc Stearate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Phenoxyethanol, Silica, Sorbic Acid, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer.
Black Market, Dagger:
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Talc, PTFE, Zinc Stearate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic Acid, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer.
Slanted:
Talc, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, PTFE, Zinc Stearate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic Acid, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer.
Combust:
Talc, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, PTFE, Zinc Stearate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic Acid.
Password, Thirteen, Whiskey:
Talc, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, PTFE, Zinc Stearate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic Acid. [+/- (All Shades May Contain): Mica, CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77491/77492/77499 (Iron Oxides), CI 75470 (Carmine), CI 77000 (Aluminum Powder), CI 77007 (Ultramarines), CI 77163 (Bismuth Oxychloride), CI 77400 (Bronze Powder), CI 77400 (Copper Powder), CI 77510 (Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide), CI 77510 (Ferric Ferrocyanide), CI 77742 (Manganese Violet)].
JenJoi Eyeshadow Ingredients
kaolin, mica, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, magnesium stearate, Vitis Vinifera (grapeseed oil), Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary antioxidant extract) may contain iron oxide
Pay Attention
I say this with all good intentions. We, the consumer do not owe these high end companies anything. We deserve transparency in everything we purchase. Especially, the products that enter our bloodstream every time we apply them. If you're pregnant and wearing this stuff...STOP! Read up about bioaccumulation.
Shop Etsy (Support Local & All-Natural Products)
I own and operate JenJoi Cosmetics on Etsy. I opened shop on December 28, 2014 and thus far, I've sold 525 units of makeup and have 5 star reviews. My shop offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee or I refund your purchase including shipping. I also offer to send additional samples for free if the foundation does not match your skin tone. Potential customers send me their photos and I help them find just the right products to match their skin tone and type. JenJoi's motto is "Beauty in Simplicity." We only use essential ingredients and limit our use of preservatives to 100% all natural ingredients. Our entire line of cosmetics is under $9.99 each. Our loose mineral foundation is only $4.99 this month. We've offered amazing prices to boost our sales and customer base. We will increase the price to $7.99 in August. Our liquid foundation is currently $7.99 and will go up to $9.99 in August.
Several people told me to raise my prices or no one would buy my products. Quality = Higher prices in the consumers eyes. I do not agree with this perception and want to change it. Customers give my products a chance because I offer sample sizes under $4 (most are $1.99). Once they try it, they come back for the full sizes. I hope to change potential customers mindsets by providing information about cosmetic ingredients and how easily manufacturers can purchase raw ingredients in bulk for a reasonable price. For example, my kaolin clay (I use this for most of my loose mineral products) costs $19.80 for 5 lbs. I use less than 1 ounce to make over 10 foundations. Large manufacturers could purchase the same kaolin clay for pennies per once.
Let's Go Shopping!
I love searching for products on Etsy! Try this...
- Go to Etsy
- Type "organic makeup" into the search bar
- Find "Refine your search" on the left side and choose "Handmade"
- Narrow down your search by price $1-$9
- Finally, choose "United States" under Shop Location
- This yielded 5,782 Results!
- Go one step further and change shop location (select Choose a Custom Location) to your state (mine is Oregon)
- Now...I have 330 listings to look at (so much easier)
I found an organic mascara. I personally do not sell mascara and could really use some right now. The shops name is SkinSolutions.
Some things to look for...
- Skin Solutions has 22 shop reviews. They've been open since July 5, 2011
- Every review is a 5 star review
- Ingredients
- Materials: Organic aloe vera, Organic green tea, Organic kauai bees wax, Organic kokum butter, Black oxide, Emulsifying wax, Vegetable glycerine, Vitamin e, Rosemary extract
- Product cost $8
- Shipping $2.95
- They have a physical location and website
- What else can I buy here?
I'm going to go ahead and purchase a mascara. I can write a review on my next blog.
Let's do one more search...
- Go to Etsy
- Type "all natural body wash" into the search bar
- Find "Refine your search" on the left side and choose "Handmade"
- Narrow down your search by price $1-$9
- Finally, choose "United States" under Shop Location
- This yielded 823 Results!
- Go one step further and change shop location (select Choose a Custom Location) to your state (mine is Oregon)
- Now...I have 77 listings to look at (so much easier)
STRAWBERRY PATCH Handmade Soap - HUGE 5 to 6 oz. Soap Bar - Shea Butter Soap - Cocoa Butter Soap - Cold Process Soap - Strawberry Soap
Using my same guidelines above "Some things to look for..."
Ingredients: Saponified Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Sunflower Oil, Castor Oil, Palm Oil, Essential Oils, Fragrance, Colorants
I absolutely love bar soap. I used to hate it! Then...I found all-natural and super amazing bar soap. I use a loofah to get a rich lather without all the additional chemicals and ingredients needed to create a liquid soap. The ingredients in The Soap Nut's bar soap is minimalistic and exceptional. The only two ingredients I usually stay away from are fragrance and colorants. This is just a preference. I prefer essential oils over fragrance and don't really mind if my soap is the color of strawberries.
The price point is very reasonable ($5.50) and the shipping is only $2.75. The Soap Nut has 297 reviews (5 star ratings across the board) and opened in October 2013. Their shop offers 123 products and pricing is very reasonable. They also offer unscented soaps. I love activated charcoal soap for my face. This shop offers some for only $5.50. If I choose to purchase 5 handmade soaps, I get the 6th free! I have tremendous respect for soapmakers. I tried and failed miserably in handmade soap. I'm willing to pay for these wonderful all-natural products and support my locally-made Etsy community.
Amazon and eBay
I shop a lot on Amazon for my raw products. One of my favorite shops is Dr. Adorable. They carry:
- Body butters
- Skin care products
- Body oils
- Facial creams and moisturizers
- Body paint
- Aromatherapy oils
- Herbal supplements
- Vitamin e supplements
- Healthcare products
- Massage oils
One of my all time favorite products include body butters. If you are searching for a moisturizer, skin cream, body lotion, or raw ingredients to make your own products look no further. My favorite body butter is mango butter.
This mango butter is organic and raw. You can buy 8 oz. for only $13.49. The product has a shelf life of two years without any preservatives. The butter has numerous health and skin benefits. Please follow the link under "mango butter" to read the full list. They include helping treat acne, eczema, skin inflammation, dry skin, and you can use the butter as a shaving cream.
My other favorite butters include: avocado, African shea, aloe, cocoa, kokum, hemp, almond, and neem seed. Once you try these all-natural options, I hope you'll stop buying body butters filled with so many unnecessary ingredients. These all-natural butters penetrate the skin, leaving it smooth and soft. You can easily melt the butters down and mix them together and add some essential oils or all-natural fragrance. The best place to buy uncut fragrance is Bulk Apothecary. They also have the most competitive prices on essential oils. Also, you can whip the butters for a fluffy consistency. Some butters like cocoa butter should be mixed with shea or mango butter, melted down, mixed, refrigerated for a few hours then whipped together.
eBay
I have not purchased any makeup on eBay. I normally buy product containers and shipping materials on their website. Let's try searching for some all-natural makeup. I used the following guidelines for my search criteria:
- Type "all natural makeup" into the search bar (yields 2,055 results)
- Narrow your price range ($1-$9)
- Choose "US Only" under Item location
- Change category to "foundation makeup" (yields 167 results)
This search didn't yield any results except mass retail brands :(
I changed my category to "Face" and yielded a few additional results (338) and found...
The ingredients include: Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxide, Mica, Zinc Oxide, Rice Flour, Clay, Pearl Powder, Arrowroot Powder, Oatmeal Powder, Calendula Flower, Lavender Flower, Essential oils including Rose.
I'm not too keen on the addition of essential oils to a bronzer. They normally irritate my skin. After reading through the listing, I believe this seller would be willing to take a custom order and remove the essential oils. This is another reason why I love ordering handmade products. You can request custom orders! Overall, this product has amazing ingredients and no unnecessary preservatives. I love arrowroot powder and also use it in my mineral veil. It's one of our top sellers.
I'm not too keen on the addition of essential oils to a bronzer. They normally irritate my skin. After reading through the listing, I believe this seller would be willing to take a custom order and remove the essential oils. This is another reason why I love ordering handmade products. You can request custom orders! Overall, this product has amazing ingredients and no unnecessary preservatives. I love arrowroot powder and also use it in my mineral veil. It's one of our top sellers.
Boycott Mass Retail Cosmetics, Bath, and Beauty Products (Save money, stay away from toxic ingredients, and help support local businesses across the USA)
I'm a big believer in supporting locally-owned and operated businesses. When you shop on Etsy (stay away from overseas companies) you're supporting local businesses throughout the United States. If everyone started doing this, think about the number of people you are helping telecommute and be with their families. In addition, we are sending a message to mass retail companies that we the consumer are no longer going to tolerate crappy ingredients in our bath and body products. If you are a seller on Etsy, Amazon, and/or eBay start buying from the numerous wholesalers (United States Companies) that offer amazing deals on product packaging and raw ingredients. I'll try to dedicate a blog to this at a later date. Some of my favorite are:
Lastly, shop for all-natural cosmetics with JenJoi Cosmetics. Mention you read this article and I'll give you a free eyeshadow sample of your choice with any order over $10.
Cheers,
Jennifer Cerf
Jennifer Cerf
Owner
JenJoi Cosmetics
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