For July’s Etsy Spotlight, I asked Norwegian-born Mati H. Fuller, certified esthetic clinician, homeopathic healer, author of two books and founder of the Green Beauty Cosmetics {GBC} natural skin care line. Her all-natural cosmetics are chemical-free {No GMOs {genetically modified substances}, Parabens, Petro Chemicals, Phthalates, Sulfates, or synthetic dyes & fragrances}, never tested on animals {GBC is a member of PETA}, and her GBC products are rated 0-2 on the environmental working group’s cosmetic safety database, meaning that they pose no health hazard.

Poor & Pretty: Instead of buying products that are labeled “natural” and “organic,” you decided to make your own line of organic products. Why?

Mati Fuller: Many things led to my decision to make my own skin care line. The first thing was when I almost froze to death in the mountains. I barely survived, but my skin was completely ruined; it froze in certain areas, so I ended up with red patches that burnt and felt like sand paper. This started my quest for the perfect skin cream, and I tried pretty much every product I could get a hold of. The second thing was my experience of working in 3 major hospital labs after I finished my chemistry studies in college. While I enjoyed the work, I also experienced the effect of chemicals on the body, and many of my friends there ended up dying from cancer. The thing that really sprang me into action were the effects of menopause on my skin, which increased the dryness and dullness, and I could see lots of lines coming in. So, I started another quest for the perfect skin care products, and this is when I noticed how many carcinogenic and DNA altering chemicals these skin care products actually contained. I switched to natural and organic products until I discovered that even those can still contain as much as 30% pure poison!!! Evidently, it is very difficult to make stable products without using synthetic and petroleum based emulsifiers, and containers that you stick your fingers into, such as jars, must be preserved with parabens, or they can pose a health risk from the continuous contamination! But, that didn’t change the fact that I basically couldn’t trust the products I was using to be beneficial to my skin or to my health. I felt deceived and discouraged, and therefore, decided to make my own skin care line instead. My goal is to make products with ingredients that don’t compromise your health, and so far, all my products are rated green at the environmental working group’s cosmeticsdatabase, which means that they have low or no health hazard.

P&P: What was the most difficult part of starting your own cosmetics line?

MF: The most difficult part of starting my own cosmetics line was to figure out how to make stable solutions without using synthetic emulsifiers. When making creams, you are basically trying to mix water, oils and butters, which is not an easy thing to do. The creams should be stable over time, as well as in extreme temperatures, and it took me a long time and a lot of trial and error to figure this out. I discovered that the recipe books that are available on Amazon don’t even address this issue. They probably figure that if you make a cream for yourself that only sits in the fridge for a week before you throw it away, it doesn’t really matter if it separates. But if you want to sell your creams to the public, this just isn’t good enough. So, it took a lot of time, money, trial and error to figure it out.

P&P: What is the single most important skin care product every girl/woman should use, and why?

MF: The main reason for wrinkles is lack of moisture, so my very favorite product is my hyaluronic acid moisturizer. The main ingredient in the moisturizer is hyaluronic acid, which is basically the best moisturizing agent on the market. Because it can hold its own weight in water 1000 times, it bathes the skin cells in water, and this also allows other ingredients to penetrate deep into the skin. In addition, I also picked the oils that went into this product carefully. I used jojoba and squalane oils because they are so similar to human sebum that the skin can easily recognize this and use it to replenish the skin cells, and I used oils known for their anti aging and restorative qualities, such as rosehip seed oil, carrot seed oil and tamanu oil, which can restore elasticity to sagging, wrinkled, sun damaged skin and are especially good for the eye area. The moisturizer also contains skin softening cocoa butter and shea, as well as antioxidants, such as green tea and acai berry extract, which can repair and prevent sun damage. So, if I had to pick only one product, this would definitely be the one! 

P&P: What are a few quick and easy skin care tips you would give to teenagers and young adults?

MF: The most important skin care tip for young people is to cleanse the skin daily, and to always use moisturizer. However, you should never use soap on your face. Soap strips the natural oils away and changes the skin pH from slightly acidic to alkaline, which basically means that it puts the skin in a state of imbalance which causes it to be less resistant to bacterial growth (and pimples). Therefore, I recommend using a soap free cleanser. I have made a soap free facial cleanser with cocoa butter and shea, so it’s like a cream. You just apply it to the face with wet hands, massage it around and rinse off with warm water, and it leaves the skin soft and moisturized even before you apply the moisturizer. Forget about squeaky clean skin – skin isn’t supposed to be squeaky, it is supposed to be soft. So, if I were to recommend two products, the soap free cleanser is another must.

P&P: Is makeup on the horizon for Green Beauty Cosmetics?

MF: I’m slowly starting to bring in makeup. Right now, I have a tinted moisturizer in 3 shades. This moisturizer is translucent enough that it will look great on any kind of skin, regardless of age. It just evens out the skin tone and makes your skin look radiant. I have also made 10 different shades of tinted lip balm, which is a fun addition to anyone’s makeup bag, and more is coming. Hopefully, blush will be next.

P&P: What are some of your favorite sellers on Etsy?

MF: I love Etsy! There are so many unbelievably creative people there, and you can find unusual things that are made with so much love and care. Here are some of my favorite sellers: Art2Art Colorado, Natural Selection Studio/makye77, Paper Planet, Designs in Stained Glass, and Gypsy Moon Designs.

When I put the words Summer and skin together, the first thing I think of {okay, after the Death Cab for Cutie song} is tanning. It’s always my goal to work up a nice tan in the summer, even though that never happens. I blame my Danish, Swedish, and Irish heritage. It’s okay to spend some time out in the sun as long as you’re taking care of your skin. Here are a few tips for healthy summer skin:

1. Wear sunscreen every day! Yeah, yeah, you’ve heard this one, I know, but it’s really important. Why? Because repeated sun exposure without protection can lead to premature aging {wrinkles and age spots}, rough skin, and freckles. Even worse, you could get skin cancer. So please, for the sake of your skin, always wear sunscreen on your face, and wear sunscreen on your body when you’re going to spend a good amount of time outside. If you’re heading to the beach or a pool, lotion up before you go, but also lotion up again a few hours later.

2. Drink lots of water. Approximately 60% of your body is water, and you lose some of that through sweat, especially in the summer time. It’s important to keep your body hydrated not only to keep you from getting sick but also to keep your skin healthy and supple. You’ve probably heard that you should be drinking 8 glasses of water a day, but that’s not necessarily true — it actually depends on your weight, the climate you live in, and your activity level. The best way to determine your recommended water intake is to divide your weight {in pounds} by two. This gives you the number {in ounces} of water you should be drinking. So, a person who ways 130lbs should be drinking 65 oz of water each day.

3. Wash your face twice a day. Whether I’m inside working or outside playing, my face will feel sweaty and grimy after only few hours of waking up and showering. Again, because we sweat a lot in the summer, it’s important to to extra special care of our faces. By washing your face twice a day {I sometimes wash mine 3 times; once in the morning, once in the afternoon, and once right before bed}, we keep all of that dirt and grime away that our skin collects from sweat and dust/dirt in the air.

4. Eat healthy. We’ve all heard that eating greasy pizza and junk food will make us break out. Well, that’s not exactly true, but it’s important to eat healthy to maintain healthy skin. WebMD has a great article called Foods for Healthy Skin, which says that we should eat more:

• Vitamin A: especially in the form of low-fat dairy products because the vitamin is already in a form that everyone’s body can digest.
• Fruits with high levels of antioxidants: such as blackberries, blueberries, strawberries and plums. Antioxidants help fight off free radicals. I like to think of free radicals as super villains that seek to destroy cells and make people age faster and antioxidants are the super heroes that fight off these villains and save our skin. {This is how I remembered things for my Nutrition and Biology exams}.
• Essential fatty acids: this doesn’t sound that great, but actually essential fatty acids are, well, essential for healthy skin. They’re responsible for healthy cell membranes, which keep the bad guys out and the good guys in.

I highly suggest reading the whole article, which isn’t very long, but is a great resource for troubled skin. Check it out here.

5. Don’t take hot showers or baths. Let’s face it. In the summer time, there really is no need to take a super hot shower or bath when it’s averaging 85-90 degrees outside. Take lukewarm showers and try to keep them short because showers and baths strip natural oils from our skin — oils that work to keep our skin soft and moisturized.

Have a happy and healthy summer, readers! :)

1. Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Cream Cleanser. I have always loved Neutrogena’s original cream cleanser. I’ve tried more expensive cleansers and I’ve tried less expensive cleansers, but Neutrogena’s has always performed the best — getting rid of acne before it happens and without drying out my skin. I like the new pink grapefruit products because besides clearing away dirt and blackheads, it gives your skin a nice wakeup call.

2. Fresh Soy Face Cream. I am constantly trying new moisturizers because I have skin that gets oily in some places and very dry in others. Most moisturizers I’ve used are either too oily or not thick enough or they don’t absorb quickly. Fresh’s Soy Face Cream is the diamond in the rough. Not only does it perform beautifully — smoothing even the most stubborn of dry spots — it contains no parabens, is naturally fragranced, and contains lots of natural ingredients to improve the health of your skin rather than just moisturizing it. Soy protein, cucumber extract, rosewater, green, white, and red teas, jojoba seed oil, and more all combine to hydrate and rejuvenate your skin for scientifically proven lasting results. I think I’ve found my missing piece!

3. MAC Studio Moisture Tint {Light}. In her infinite cosmetic wisdom, Mish recommended this to me to also tackle my dry skin while providing a solution to even out my skin tone. MAC’s Studio Moisture Tint is lightweight and can be worn underneath makeup or by itself for a more natural look. It’s available in 5 different shades — from light to deep dark — and it’s paraben-free.

4. Lollibomb Vegan Lip Balm {Strawberry Margarita}. Even though I’ve been very happy with my own homemade lip balm, I picked this up at the BUST Spring Craftacular and its made itself at home in my handbag. This lip balm is vegan, paraben-free, long-lasting, and smells/tastes delicious, as Lollibomb’s products always do. Luca Cusolito never ceases to amaze me.

Though significantly less dangerous than parabens, scientists have found that Propylene Glycol is a skin irritant even at low doses and is an environmental hazard especially to aquatic life {though certainly not more dangerous than the BP oil spill right now}.

Propylene Glycol is an organic alcohol which is colorless, nearly odorless, clear, and viscous with a faintly sweet taste. It is used to absorb extra water and maintain moisture in certain cosmetics, medicines and food products.

Products: Propylene Glycol can be found practically everywhere! It is used in moisturizers/lotions, foundation, hair dye, shampoo, hand sanitizer, deodorant, tooth paste, mouthwash, fragrance oils, and is even used in pharmaceuticals, as a food additive, in electronic cigarettes, and in UV or blacklight tattoo ink.

Scientific/Chemical Names: Propylene Glycol (PPG). Anytime you see PPG in an ingredient, it is a form of Propylene Glycol.

Hazards: Propylene Glycol actually poses more of a threat to the environment than to the human body. As it degrades, it acts as a water pollutant and also consumes the oxygen in water that aquatic organisms need to survive. As for us humans, Propylene Glycol has been classified as a skin irritant by the Environmental Working Group. Because it makes the skin more susceptible to absorption {which is why it is used in lotions}, there is a concern that Propylene Glycol will contribute to the skin’s absorption of other toxic chemicals found within cosmetics.

Propylene Glycol-Free Products: The Natural Health Information Center has put together a comprehensive list of products that do not contain Propylene Glycol.

After browsing NYLONmag.com I discovered one of my favorite cosmetic companies (LUSH) has stepped into the makeup world.  They mainly deal with skincare and bath products but they have come out with a foundation!!!! (This is so weird because I was just thinking the other day how I love them so much and I wish they would come out with makeup.)  They come in four shades and they’re called Colour Supplements.  I’m super excited to try them!!!  They are made with rose petal infusion to calm redness and glycerin to help skin stay moisturized.  You can buy them online here for only $13.95.  Has anyone tried these!?!?!! I would LOVE to hear any feedback about this product.

<3 mish