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.

Valentine’s Day is coming up soon, and you’ll most likely be hitting the mall to pick up a gift for your sweetie. I propose another way of looking at Valentine’s Day, and your love life in general. My knowledge comes from the EPA {Environmental Protection Agency}, Planet Green, Sierra Club, and TreeHugger.com {an awesome source for info about  sustainability}.

1. Use bamboo fiber sheets. Bamboo is a rapidly renewable resource, super absorbent, and antimicrobial {bamboo inhibits the growth of or kills fungi, bacteria, protozoans, and some viruses}. And, no, it’s not like sleeping on a bamboo rod, silly! They’re actually very, very comfy, and you can find them at most bedding stores.

2. Make cards & gifts, don’t buy them. Instead of buying your sweetie a Hallmark card and a CD, or super expensive anythings, make them stuff! Stan {my boyfriend} said that one of the best presents he ever received was the mix CD I made him for his birthday last year. I even maximized the paper I used to make his card by also making a CD sleeve out of it. Plus, a handmade present is so much more personal, and shows you put a lot of effort into your gift.

3. Shower together! Ooh la la! That is, if you’re at that stage in your relationship, of course. I don’t want you jumping in the shower with someone you’ve only just begun dating! Showering together not only uses less water, but some psychologists say that it actually strengthens your relationship, too.

4. Carpool. If your schedules allow for it, you and your sweetie should take one car whenever possible. Better yet, own only one car between the both of you! Or, bike places! Like Michigan State University says, “make love, notCO2!” {They also say “Be Spartan Green!”}

What about you? Do you do anything to green your love life specifically, or your life in general? How are you planning on spending your Valentine’s Day? Let us know!