In my book THE GREEN BEAUTY GUIDE I mention lots of amazing beauty products made by equally amazing organic skincare brands. It would have been so much easier just to push my own brand on every page, but being a professional journo, I am trained to present the whole picture and give voice to all parties involved. My honesty often backfires.

Two negative feedbacks on my book on Amazon.com were written by vigilant readers who disagreed with my recommendations of Juice Beauty products. And they were right. I was wrong. The angry readers noted that Juice Beauty used phenoxyethanol and other less-than-organic ingredients. Most likely, the icky stuff was added to once-pure formulations at a later date, when I wasn't able to change anything in the book.

As much as I respect all companies who do their bit for the environment, I must say it loud and clear: I cannot recommend Juice Beauty products anymore. Juice Beauty are reluctant to let go of phenoxyethanol, steareth-20, disodium/tetrasodium EDTA, and what's even worse, they defend their choice of preservatives right here on my blog earlier.

"They do NOT use methylisothiazolinone. Their phenoxyethanol is sage-derived and they're working on phasing out disodium EDTA. Without preservatives, their antioxidant-rich fruit extracts would go rancid in days." (a comment made by a visitor, who must be working for Juice Beauty).

I prefer to base my comments on pure facts about Juice Beauty. So here are the sad facts:

Steareth-20 in Juice Beauty Smoothing Eye Concentrate

Methylisothiazolinone in Juice Beauty Oil-Free Moisturizer

Tetrasodium EDTA in Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel

(source: Sephora.com)

And I didn't even check out the rest of the products. For me, these three ingredients would be enough to skip this line entirely and move towards Dr. Hauschka or Dr. Alkaitis (or even Petite Marie Organics). Green beauty industry evolves so quickly these days, no one is going to gawp in awe about green tea or grape juice if there's chemical stuff tucked neatly at the end of the ingredients list.

I am aware of the need for the preservatives. As much as I'd like my Petite Marie Organics products to be totally preservative-free, I am using potassium sorbate, sugar enzymes, vitamins, organic essential oils and lots of other natural blends to keep my products pure without resorting to chemicals. Natural preservatives are expensive. But I believe that my customers are worth the effort.

 

Be pretty, live green,

Julie xx