If you’ve ever turned over your beloved container of foundation, lipstick, blush, or bronzer, you’ve likely read a long list of ingredients you can’t pronounce. While many brands advertise themselves as being “natural” or even “organic,” the truth is, many of these labels are false in terms of their truly natural ingredient list and seemingly healthy profile. Superficial beauty comes with a price, and that price in this case, is pure chemicals. Chemicals that aren’t just dangerous for us, but also dangerous for animals. Many products in the make-up industry today directly include dead animal parts, or they may be tested on animals while animals are alive such as pouring certain items in their eyes or exposing them to deadly fumes. This isn’t just cruel, but also a little insane when you think about it. If we’re not sure something we’ll be putting on our skin that directly seeps through our pores and enters the bloodstream is safe, why are we even considering it in the first place?
How did that become beautiful?
Make-ups can also contain gluten, soy, and other allergenic ingredients people often believe only come through their diet. Then there’s the reaction to the chemicals in beauty products many people face. Eyes watering, rashes, dry skin, sneezing, oily breakouts — these might all be a reaction to a product you are using and can even lead to swelling, hives, and even headaches if you’re highly chemical-sensitive.
The Easy, Breezy, TRULY Beautiful Answer
Mike Mikune/Flickr
But all make-up doesn’t have to be bad. In fact, you can create your own healthy, chemical-free and yes — really — natural products at home from 100 percent real food. That’s right friends … make-up can actually be made with certain foods without the need for pricey cosmetic products at all. Now, before you think we’ve gone all hippie on you, hear us out. Really, all make-up boils down to are products that are made with dyes and coloring agents. So, if we feel just dandy relying on chemically-produced products for these, what makes food (with actual real colors created by nature) that strange? Many make-up companies, such as 100 Percent Pure, are actually already onto this trend. Known as fruit-based makeups, these products are made of only real fruit and other natural foods — that’s it! Other companies like Simply Divine Botanicals also make natural skin and beauty products that are made only of real foods and essential oils, with nothing else included.
If you’d like to keep things simple, easy, and cheap, try these five foods below, using them in the suggested formats. Read each food item carefully to see how to use it best. There are a few tips that really make these products pretty incredible options for make-up. In fact, you’ll probably have everyone asking you where they can get some!
1. Blackberries
Seher/Flickr
Blackberries may not sound like something you’d put on your face, but their natural, colorful juices are where the magic lies. Blackberry juice contains a beautiful, pinkish, slightly dark berry hue that you can use as a natural lipstick. Either take one fresh blackberry or let a frozen blackberry thaw for five minutes. Then rub a bit of the juice on your lips, and there you go! It will naturally stain your lips and looks much more genuine than those goopy lip products do. It also won’t dry your lips out and as a bonus, adds a nice dose of antioxidants directly to your skin! You’ll still need to keep these in the fridge, but you can reserve a small container to keep for your makeup use, and then put the other berries aside for lots of delicious recipes.
2. Cherries
Like blackberries, cherries also have beautiful hues that make a wonderful lip product. You can use them the exact same ways, either frozen or fresh, just as you would blackberries. Cherries have more of a wine-toned, deeper red color than blackberries, so they can also serve as a lovely blush if you use just a small amount. To make a blush with cherries, use a couple of frozen cherries and let them thaw. Then, dab your index and middle finger of your predominant hand in the juice, and dip just slightly enough to get some color on them. Dab on your cheeks and rub in a circular motion, just enough to add a touch of color. If you get too much, don’t worry; it dabs right off, but will also naturally set in your skin after a few seconds so you won’t have to worry about it rubbing off later.
