There seems to be an assumption that ethical beauty costs a premium and you need a lot of money to buy green products. In fact this is nonsense and if you are sensible then you will actually save money in the long run.
Here are ten tips to save you money and reduce the amount of chemicals you are exposed to.
Rose water for toner
A good toner not only removes dirt and make up residue it also refreshes the pores and is believed to reduce the appearance of fine lines. You do not need an expensive toner to work wonders on your skin. In fact from personal experience- the simpler the better. It is believed that Cleopatra used rose water to wash her skin with, and it is advocated in Ayurveda to tone skin and reduce blemishes. A simple rose water smells great and is pretty inexpensive compared to branded toners available on the high street. I would recommend Pukka or Neal’s Yard Remedies.
Make your own face masks
This is so simple and will save you a lot of money if you tend to purchase them. All you need to do is raid the kitchen- honey is wonderful for skin. As are avocado, oats and coconut oil. See my beauty section for easy recipes.
Olive oil
Olive oil is a wonderful oil that can be used to cleanse your face, as a deep treatment for your hair and even as a moisturiser for your body. Get rid of hard skin from your feet using a mixture of olive oil and sugar- this exfoliator is also brilliant at eliminating ingrown hairs. If you have very dry skin you can use olive oil as a facial moisturiser too. There is now a skincare company that have based their whole range on olive oil called DHC skincare.
Massage Bar
My choice of massage bar is from Lush – Therapy a lovely lavender and lemon scented bar.
Massage bars are great to moisturise skin, and I also use a teeny amount as a pomade on my curls to protect them from humidity. I now don’t bother with hand or foot lotion- my massage bar is ideal for banishing dry skin. This is another multi use product which feels like a nice treat.
Solid face cleanser
If you really like keeping your cleansing routine simple then I would recommend using Coal Face or other similar solid face wash. A 100 bar of Coalface lasts me about a year and at £4.16 that is a pretty good bargain.
Solid Shampoo bars
Shampoo bars are more green than bottled shampoos as they 
require fewer preservatives- last longer and heavily reduce packaging. My last shampoo bar lasted my more than two years. My current personal favourite multi use shampoo bar is Pure Nuff Stuff’s Hair and Body Bar. It contains no SLS and is just jam packed with natural ingredients. Unusually it also lathers up wonderfully and lefts both hair and skin clean and soft. What else can you ask for? It is the essential holiday beauty item.
Eco perfume
Most designer perfumes contain a disturbing amount of chemicals which include carcinogens and even formaldehyde. I have heard personal accounts of women who previously worked on fragrance counters and had to leave their jobs because of reactions to chemicals in perfumes. Don’t follow the hype and be very careful about what fragrance you purchase. Creating a signature scent should be fun, look at perfumes by Jo Woods, Patyka, Lush, Tsi-La, Florame, Willow Organic, Be Never to Busy to Be Beautiful or you can even make your own!
Luscious Lips
Lipstick or lip gloss is something most women keep as a staple in their make up routine. I know that I feel so much better with a lip gloss or shiny lip balm on my lips. Don’t feel like you can’t buy beautiful ethical makeup that make you feel like a goddess. Splurge on a vegan lip tint from Be Never to Busy to be Beautiful. This leaves lips nice and velvety soft without the rubbery feel you can get with tints. If it is out of your budget at £8.30 then Burts Bees do a lovely Lip Shimmer which is cheaper but still perfects your pout! The Burt Bees Lip Shimmer that is on my wish list is Cocoa. Having a search online tends to brng up a lot of bargains so see what you can find.
Make up
Foundation is a tricky thing to buy- often containing skin irritants. Most of the designer high end 
names test on animals when adding “new and improved” ingredients to their formula. Beauty Without Cruelty do a nice moisturising matte base for only £5.25 (they also do it in satin and a natural look tinted moisturiser perfect for summer). The foundation contains vitamin E and sunscreens and is also vegan. Unfortunately there are only four different tones: Light, Fair, Natural and Beige.
Nails
Nail Polishes generally aren’t very eco friendly. Especially as bottle are sometimes impossible to recycle due to the polish inside. Not to mention the nasty chemicals they contain- formaldehyde, phthalates and toluene to name a few. However if being polish free fills you with dread there is a brand called Suncoat that makes primarily vegan nail polishes without these nasty chemicals. In fact their polishes are even free of acetates and are not flammable. These are not exactly cheap at £10.95 for 8ml, however it will mean you are less wasteful with your polish. Also Suncoat lasts for longer than most brands I’ve tried (especially cheap brands) so it is worth the money.