[UPDATE: This story was originally published on October 18.]
L.A. can be a pretty inescapably toxic place — and we don't mean that socially. The city's tap water is totally off-limits and the smog can sometimes be so thick you wish you had a mask for your morning commute. That's precisely why so many Angelenos prioritize wholesome eating, drinking, and beautifying.
Plus, if you're anything like us, you apply so many products per day you don't even want to count 'em, so it seems downright silly to add even more chemicals to your already-tainted daily routine. Instead, we suggest taking a ride in this Prius of a green-beauty guide filled with L.A.'s top au naturel supply stores, products with short and sweet ingredient lists, and the most indulgent eco-friendly spa treatments. Pollution be damned, the glow you'll get from these get-pretty tips is anything but faux.
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The ARCONA Studio
We swear so solemnly by this all-natural line and lineup of aestheticians that we even snooped inside founder Chanel Jenae's beauty cabinet! Located right near the Promenade in Santa Monica, you can score enzyme and oxygen treatments, LED therapy, and a slew of other beauty must-dos. And, you can bet your bottom dollar we've been using the Brightening Gommage every day to erase all that summer-sun damage (sometimes the UVBs have you beat even with SPF and a wide-brimmed hat!). We love that the seemingly innocuous and delicate mix of daisies, cranberries, and blueberries demolishes dark spots.
The ARCONA Studio, 425 Broadway Street (at 5th Street); 310-458-3800.
Arcona Brightening Gommage, $52, available at Arcona.
Aveda
It's no secret that this Beverly Center spot is a mecca for enviro-friendly items of every kind, but we've only recently discovered the power of its makeup. The Mineral Tinted Broad Spectrum SPF 15 is paraben-free, portable, comes in a post-consumer recycled carton, and is the ideal light coverage for everyday occasions (a.k.a. the beauty equivalent of a bestie you never get sick of). And, once you add the refillable Professional Environmental Compact to your makeup bag (eight Eye Colors, one Dual Foundation or Pressed Powder, and one Face Accents), there's seriously not a thing more your skin could ever need!
Aveda, 131 North La Cienega Boulevard #601 (at Beverly Boulevard); 310-659-5067.
Aveda Mineral Tinted Moisture Broad Spectrum SPF 15, $28, available at Aveda.
Aveda Professional Envirometal Compact, $28, available at Aveda.
Origins
We fell for this brand back in the day when it gave us the first scent of our adolescence! And it remains one of our faves because it's green, mean, and thoroughly committed to potent products that are fueled solely from the fruits of the earth. The scientists traverse the globe to find exotic elements that span from Anogeissus (aids in age defiance) and Trehalose for hydration. Much better than 17-syllable ingredients that sound more like a disease than ease, right? Lastly, if you're sensitive, this is the mascara we swear by — it's gel and easy on the eyes, literally and figuratively!
Origins, 10250 Santa Monica Boulevard (at Avenue of the Stars); 310-772-0272.
Origins Full Story Mascara, $15, available at Origins.
rA Organic Spa
Using all organic oils and herbs, this Burbank bliss factory is the bee's knees. If you ask us, the Fruit and Creme Bath is the best way to start a Saturday, with real bits of produce floating in the tub! Plus, it's one of the only brick-and-mortar vendors that carry Éminence, one of our all-time top organic brands (Olivia Wilde, Jessica Biel, and Courtney Cox swear by it, too!). The Tropical Vanilla Sun Cream smells so yummy that we lather it on even if we don't need a sun shield!
rA Organic Spa, 119 North Fernando Boulevard (near East Olive Avenue); 818-848-4772.
Eminence Tropical Vanilla Sun Cream, $68, available at Dermstore.
Other Notables:
Pure Beauty By Diana, 148 North Weatherly Drive (near Beverly Boulevard); 310-385-0643.
Color Me Green Eco-Friendly & Organic Nail Boutique, 2001 North Sepulveda (near 19th Street); 310-545-7474.
Erewhon Natural Foods, 7660 Beverly Boulevard (at The Grove Drive); 323-937-0777.
Green Line Beauty, 7123 Melrose (at Santa Monica Boulevard); 323-933-5369.
L.A. can be a pretty inescapably toxic place — and we don't mean that socially. The city's tap water is totally off-limits and the smog can sometimes be so thick you wish you had a mask for your morning commute. That's precisely why so many Angelenos prioritize wholesome eating, drinking, and beautifying.
Plus, if you're anything like us, you apply so many products per day you don't even want to count 'em, so it seems downright silly to add even more chemicals to your already-tainted daily routine. Instead, we suggest taking a ride in this Prius of a green-beauty guide filled with L.A.'s top au naturel supply stores, products with short and sweet ingredient lists, and the most indulgent eco-friendly spa treatments. Pollution be damned, the glow you'll get from these get-pretty tips is anything but faux.
The ARCONA Studio
We swear so solemnly by this all-natural line and lineup of aestheticians that we even snooped inside founder Chanel Jenae's beauty cabinet! Located right near the Promenade in Santa Monica, you can score enzyme and oxygen treatments, LED therapy, and a slew of other beauty must-dos. And, you can bet your bottom dollar we've been using the Brightening Gommage every day to erase all that summer-sun damage (sometimes the UVBs have you beat even with SPF and a wide-brimmed hat!). We love that the seemingly innocuous and delicate mix of daisies, cranberries, and blueberries demolishes dark spots.
The ARCONA Studio, 425 Broadway Street (at 5th Street); 310-458-3800.
Arcona Brightening Gommage, $52, available at Arcona.
Aveda
It's no secret that this Beverly Center spot is a mecca for enviro-friendly items of every kind, but we've only recently discovered the power of its makeup. The Mineral Tinted Broad Spectrum SPF 15 is paraben-free, portable, comes in a post-consumer recycled carton, and is the ideal light coverage for everyday occasions (a.k.a. the beauty equivalent of a bestie you never get sick of). And, once you add the refillable Professional Environmental Compact to your makeup bag (eight Eye Colors, one Dual Foundation or Pressed Powder, and one Face Accents), there's seriously not a thing more your skin could ever need!
Aveda, 131 North La Cienega Boulevard #601 (at Beverly Boulevard); 310-659-5067.
Aveda Mineral Tinted Moisture Broad Spectrum SPF 15, $28, available at Aveda.
Aveda Professional Envirometal Compact, $28, available at Aveda.
Origins
We fell for this brand back in the day when it gave us the first scent of our adolescence! And it remains one of our faves because it's green, mean, and thoroughly committed to potent products that are fueled solely from the fruits of the earth. The scientists traverse the globe to find exotic elements that span from Anogeissus (aids in age defiance) and Trehalose for hydration. Much better than 17-syllable ingredients that sound more like a disease than ease, right? Lastly, if you're sensitive, this is the mascara we swear by — it's gel and easy on the eyes, literally and figuratively!
Origins, 10250 Santa Monica Boulevard (at Avenue of the Stars); 310-772-0272.
Origins Full Story Mascara, $15, available at Origins.
rA Organic Spa
Using all organic oils and herbs, this Burbank bliss factory is the bee's knees. If you ask us, the Fruit and Creme Bath is the best way to start a Saturday, with real bits of produce floating in the tub! Plus, it's one of the only brick-and-mortar vendors that carry Éminence, one of our all-time top organic brands (Olivia Wilde, Jessica Biel, and Courtney Cox swear by it, too!). The Tropical Vanilla Sun Cream smells so yummy that we lather it on even if we don't need a sun shield!
rA Organic Spa, 119 North Fernando Boulevard (near East Olive Avenue); 818-848-4772.
Eminence Tropical Vanilla Sun Cream, $68, available at Dermstore.
Other Notables:
Pure Beauty By Diana, 148 North Weatherly Drive (near Beverly Boulevard); 310-385-0643.
Color Me Green Eco-Friendly & Organic Nail Boutique, 2001 North Sepulveda (near 19th Street); 310-545-7474.
Erewhon Natural Foods, 7660 Beverly Boulevard (at The Grove Drive); 323-937-0777.
Green Line Beauty, 7123 Melrose (at Santa Monica Boulevard); 323-933-5369.