(Green by Nature Starter Kit)
Judging by the name of the line, Green by Nature, it seems that it is a line that promotes all-natural ingredients. Indeed, this is one of their claims.
To be more specific, they claim that all their products are 91%- 99.9% natural and 100% paraben, sulfate, and DEA-free.
I have to say I am amazed that they are able to make this claim. It shows that no one is properly regulating the claims that cosmetics companies make.
All the six products in the Green by Nature Starter Kit have propylparaben in the ingredient lists, and five of them also have methylparaben. So none of these six products is paraben-free at all.
Personally, I am not adverse to parabens. Preservatives are essential in preventing bacterial and microbial contaminations in skincare products, especially for those that contain various extracts from natural ingredients. It is much more risky to use a contaminated product than to use one with parabens, which are considered to be less irritating than most other preservatives. Overall, parabens are a necessary evil.
Still, it is far from a precise claim that Green by Nature’s products are 100% paraben-free.
I understand why many people are specifically looking for paraben-free products. If you are one of them, products from Green by Nature are not what you want.
The Green by Nature Starter Kit includes:
Ginger Lemon Body Wash (30g)
Mint Green Tea Body Lotion (30g)
Almond Cocoa Body Butter (20g)
Banana Shea Hand Cream (10g)
Banana Shea Lip Butter (4.25g)
Peppermint Lip Shine (14g)
The ones I like are Mint Green Tea Body Lotion and Almond Cocoa Body Butter. Both leave the skin nicely moisturized. The butter-like texture of Almond Cocoa Body Butter is particularly good for dry patches.
Peppermint Lip Shine includes peppermint oil. While it can have antimicrobial properties, it is also considered to be a skin irritant (which did irritate my lips) and should be avoided in any skincare product.
If you are interested in knowing more about ingredients in cosmetics products, do have a look at these entries and article from Paula Begoun’s website, which quote and eloquently summarize unbiased independent scientific research:
Updated on December 16, 2008:
After this review went up, I received the latest version of the Green by Nature Starter Kit along with two other tubes of Lip Glaze (formerly named Lip Shine), Cherry Mint and Strawberry Mint. The ingredient lists indicate that all the products are now paraben-free.
Like the Peppermint Lip Shine reviewed above, both Cherry Mint and Strawberry Mint Lip Glaze include peppermint oil, which, as mentioned above, should be avoided in skincare products.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi PJ! I’m curious about the Ginger Lemon Body Wash. Is it moisturizing at all, or does it dry your skin?
Hi Karen,
Thank you very much for your comment again!
I find the Ginger Lemon Body Wash just a tad drying. It is essentially fine but it is not as moisturizing as some other body wash products I have used.
The two body moisturizers in the Starter Kit are able to effectively bring sufficient moisture back to the skin after I use the body wash. So overall I am relatively fine with it.
Thank you for stopping by my blog again! :)
PJ,
I just love reading your blog on those beauty products =)
Jane
Hello Jane,
Thank you very much for leaving a comment. I am glad that you enjoy reading my blog!
Hope to hear from you again soon! :)
I read your blog all the time but have never commented until now. I’m so glad that you posted this because I was looking to purchase Green By Nature products because they were paraben-free. How can they get away with making such a claim? I really don’t understand why this country makes no effort to regulate the beauty industry.
I also have no problems with preservatives in products, but I do have a problem with ones that have been found in intact breast cancer tissue. I know it sounds like one of those ridiculous internet urban legends, but a breast cancer study honestly did find parabens in tumors. They don’t know how they got there and it wasn’t conclusive, but I’d heard enough to make me decide to cut as many parabens out of my hair and skincare products as I can.
Many companies use urea and BHT to preserve their products (like MAC). I wonder why more companies don’t switch over to one of those.
Anyway, thanks for having such an interesting blog. I especially enjoy your posts on Japanese cosmetics. :)
Hello Taryn,
Thank you very much for visiting my blog and leaving a comment.
You are very welcome! I am glad that you enjoy my posts on Japanese cosmetics. There are always more to come!
Green by Nature (who sent this starter kit for review) contacted me after I posted this review and said that they happened to have sent me older products not sold in store anymore and that their current products are indeed paraben-free.
They also said they would send me their products again. I will re-sample them and check the ingredient lists again, and I will update this review accordingly.
Yes, I have read about parabens found in human breast tumors and indeed there has not been proven a direct link between certain types of parabens and breast tumors. Further research is needed and I can understand why some people try to cut down parabens in cosmetics products.
Thank you again for reading my blog. Hope to hear from you again! :)