Natural Cosmetics have become a trendy word in recent years. But only products that meet the strict standards of the BDIH Guideline in Germany are able to display the "BDIH Certified Natural Cosmetics" Seal on their products. The criteria in the BDIH label are very strict—they must use high quality ingredients obtained from controlled organic cultivation or...

Last week, Rebecca, our in-house esthetician spoke with a customer to help him find a self tanner for his daughter. In the process, Rebecca learned that this customer had develop a severe chemical sensitivity, despite the fact that he lived a fairly clean, healthy lifestyle. Now, many of us have developed sensitivities to food and other allergens as we age and we learn to avoid those substances. But when Allan shared the consequences of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity with us, we were quite shocked and felt we should share his story with you. Read Allan's story...

From sultry smokey eyes to red-hot lips, Lavera has everything you need to try out the trends for the season. Lavera’s new fall cosmetics help you get the look naturally—no chemicals necessary.

Developed with good-for-you ingredients such as organic oils and flower extracts, Lavera develops every formula according to the strictest possible standards of natural and quality, offering products that are as green as they are effective.

The meat and dairy sections of your local supermarket are not the only places GMO ingredients show up. Beauty products often contain plant or animal ingredients with GMO derivatives.

Genetically modified organisms are plants and animals that have had specific changes introduced into their DNA through genetic engineering techniques. These modifications serve to yield higher crops or growth, or to insert a certain trait, like natural pesticide.

You have seen cosmetics labels reading "no animal testing" or "cruelty free". This is a good thing, of course, as none of us wants our personal care or beauty products to put an animals well being at risk. Lavera does not perform any animal testing – Lavera products are tested on human volunteers under dermatogist supervision.

It is important to keep in mind, however, that cruelty free is not synonymous with organic, natural, or non-toxic. While it is true that most manufacturers of natural beauty products are...

Though most conventionally produced personal care products can easily be switched out for organic products, certain items still receive a skeptical response from consumers. Organic deodorants are often met with more uncertainty than other body care products. This wary reaction is most likely due to our familiarity with antiperspirants and the way they perform.

Conventional antiperspirants are made with aluminum to block pores and prevent perspiration from surfacing. While this may give us a sense of security where...

The two largest markets for cosmetics and personal care products are the US and the European Union (EU). And while there are similarities, safety regulations differ greatly between the two.

Cosmetics manufactured under the EU Directive are held to higher standards than those from the US, which are loosely regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Discrepancies are most apparent in the areas of ingredient safety, testing guidelines and labeling.

Though it is commonly assumed that FDA regulates cosmetics the same as it does food and drugs, "FDA's legal authority over cosmetics is different from other products regulated by the agency .... Cosmetic products and ingredients are not subject to FDA premarket approval authority, with the exception of color additives." – taken from the FDA website.

Scientific studies by Switzerland’s of Pharmacology and Toxicology conducted in 2001 prove chemical sunscreens have detrimental consequences. Chemical compounds in sunscreens can accumulate in body fats and in mother’s breast milk. These chemicals mimic estrogen and can cause hormonal changes within the body such as increasing the size of the uterus...

Who are the best? To find out, we evaluated the tests for cosmetic products from previous years, determined average scores and compared the results of all the companies tested. The fact that we are not particularly popular in the cosmetics industry cannot be denied. The ÖKO-TEST principle to advocate cosmetic products, which do not use controversial or other substances of concern, displeases many manufacturers.