What going green taught me

Jan
06

What going green taught me

 

#NoBuyJanuary gives me the possibility to write less product reviews and reflect about the meaning of going green.

Patience:  It truly is a virtue, do not expect immediate results when you transition to  green products and to a healthier lifestyle (well at least in my experience!).
Some people solely turn to conventional skincare because the results are quick, but it’s only temporary, because the toxins absorbed by your skin can ‘potentially’ have a negative effect. I still have spots or blemishes, but at least I’m not brutalizing my skin. My face has a healthy glow and the overall texture is clean.  I can’t say it looks phenomenal at the moment, but it’s a phase, with hormones kicking in, and the fact that skin renewal occurs after 27 days, there are good days and bad days.  The results of the products I use might not be immediately noticeable, but once they appear, the difference looks major.

Not all that glitters is gold : Unlike some highly marketed brands you see everywhere in magazines or on TV, lots of green or eco brands are still underrated because they spend less money on advertising and put more emphasis on the quality of their product. Sometimes, you stumble accross great packaging, but the content turns out to be disappointing. I do happen to be attracted by new “it” beauty products once in a while, but then the craving goes swiftly away (especially once I get my hands on the ingredient list *gulp*).

Samples, samples, samples are a green beauty blogger’s best friend. I made the mistake once to purchase a full-size cleanser and it turned out to wreak havoc on my skin.
I was so gutted as it wasn’t the cheapest product that I kept using it until my dad – YES my Dad – told me that my skin looked horrendous! So samples or travel size products are now my safety net.

You get smarter :) Actually going green prompts you to develop your analytical and critical mind from checking every ingredient on the list. You are also less inclined to fall for everything ads are trying to make you believe. Do not trust – most of the times – words you can’t even pronounce, for instance: BUTYLPHENYL METHYLPROPIONAL (let’s do a spelling bee competition with all those words 😉 
Sometimes I find myself spending a good hour looking at all those crazy words and the nefastous effects they have on the environment and on us. Believe me, when you hear that some products are using hormonal disruptors, you don’t exactly feel ecstatic about putting them on your body. Through reading and discussions with fellow green enthusiasts, I’ve also expanded my biology and chemistry knowledge. Move over Walter White 😉
Less is more:  It’s nice to let your skin breathe and consume less products. Hence why I’m taking part in the #NoBuyJanuary. Right now, I have enough products and I want to finish those up, instead of accumulating and potentially let some products go to waste. Being green is also linked to sustainability.

The importance of internal well-being and good nutrition :  To me, this is the foundation! Controling your stress level (which is of course way easier to say than do…) is key to a better skin and an overall wellbeing. Having a healthier lifestyle will make a drastic difference: a regular physical activity ( it can be anything from walking to swimming…) and a balanced nutrition have a tremedous positive impact on your mental health.

Sometimes you support local/family/small businesses that are little gems : In my quest for green and natural products, I stumble accross some little companies that make simple yet effective products.  It’s incredible to be able to talk directly to the founders and connect with them. You can’t exactly do that with l’Oréal, am I right ;-)?

And last but certainly not least…

You grow in self-acceptance : I have friends who swear by their ‘conventional’ skin care products, have amazing skin, and won’t change their makeup habits. I have a different mind set, I’m not looking to”erase” those wrinkles or stretch marks, I’m looking to live better with or without them. Since going green, I rock what I’ve got 😉
I’m slowly learning to accept myself.  Every individual is unique (duh!) and is beautiful in its own way. I’m not obsessed with my appearance (despite what people might think of beauty bloggers) and I truly enjoy going bare-faced. I’m striving to treat my body right and feel mentally and physically better.
Here is one of my all-time favorite quotes from Roald Dahl:

           “A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good     
            thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.”

Overall, I feel happier, more educated and certainly more conscious of the people and the world around me. And to top it off, since starting this blog, I get to chat and connect with incredible people! What’s not to love?

How about you? To what extend has going green changed you?
Take care,
Liz

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16 Comments

    • Thank you so much Karen, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Roald Dahl was also my favorite author as a child (along with Frances H. Burnett 🙂 xxx Liz

      Reply
  • Such a great post, all so true- especially the Rold Dahl quote 🙂 he spoke a lot of truth!
    lovely post to read.
    Rach xx
    AllNaturalAspirations.com

    Reply
    • Thank you lovely! I'm really glad you liked this post. It's probably the most meaningful post I've written so far haha. So it means a lot that you enjoyed it 🙂 xxx

      Reply
    • And thank you so much for reading and commenting Evelyn 🙂 I enjoy reading your blog a lot! And yes without samples, I'd be broke 😉 xx Liz

      Reply
  • Lovely to read this and so pleased to have discovered your blog through Twitter! Some great thoughts here. I'm in complete agreement that the internal health is key. Good digestive health seems to be so central to everything, something I've really discovered over the past year! I also like the notion of patience with green products. That said, I've found a good few items that beat conventional brands in terms of performance and expect to keep doing so! Anyway, I'm rambling, thrilled to find your blog and look forward to reading more! 🙂 Gem x

    Reply
    • Wow thank you for your comment! Truly made my day. I'm really glad you agree and please feel free to ramble haha. You are right, there are some incredible green products that are quickly effective, but sometimes I hear people getting frustrated because reality doesn't meet their expectations right away, so this is just a little reminder that taking care of our body and our mind is a journey. It doesn't happen in one day. (now I'm the one rambling haha) Thank you for your kind words, I do enjoy your blog very much as well! xx

      Reply
  • What a lovely lovely post!! I loved reading it and I especially agree with your last subheading-self acceptance! I so agree with you there and I too love going bare-faced (in all honesty, I still don't know how to apply makeup properly! And I'm 31 so that's saying a good deal I reckon!). I also agree that through going green and reading other people's blogs that you get to meet some really wonderful individuals. And with some you feel as though you've known them your whole life! It's a a caring, sharing and beautiful community. Xx

    Reply
    • Thank you so much for your comment lovely! I'm so glad you agree 🙂 I'm 24 and I also struggle applying makeup haha, especially liquid eyeliner. I couldn't agree more with what you just said, the green community is sharing and caring! xx

      Reply
  • I've just spend the last however long going back through your posts for our guest posts…such a lovely post and can't believe I haven't read it before! So lovely to hear your thoughts and I definitely agree with you on everything. Going green for me hasn't just been about my skincare but my daily life, how I handle things, how I look at certain things and it's been so much fun meeting other green people too 🙂 xxx

    Reply
    • Me too! It's been hard just sticking to 5 posts, because I enjoyed so many post of yours! So glad this post resonates with you as well, a year later, I still feel the same about this <3 xx

      Reply
    • Thank you! Yes, beauty boxes are great, I'm also loving when online shops offer the possibility to buy/get samples with your purchases too. xx

      Reply

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