NEW Aveda Enbrightenment™ Line

Aveda just launched a potently natural skincare line called Enbrightenment™ aimed at evening skin tone and reducing hyperpigmentation without hydroquinone.

I've been using the Enbrightenment cleanser, toner, serum and lotion.  (The thick mask and cream contain too many potentially pore-clogging emollients and thickeners for my comfort.)  In just two weeks, I've noticed an impressive evening of tone and a boost in luminosity.

The line is suited for every age and skin type: older women with sun spots, pregnant women with melasma, younger gals with post-acne hyperpigmentation.

Pretty factor: Enbrightenment's star ingredients are not one, but two, forms of stable vitamin C and mulberry extract, a natural melanin-inhibitor.  Every Enbrightenment™ product also contains antioxidant grape seed and rosemary extracts plus redness-reducing aloe.

My favorite product is the pearlescent, moussy Brightening Cleanser.  Being a rinse-off product, it won't lighten your skin much.  But it does silkily remove all makeup and dead skin cells thanks to gentle surfactants, organic aloe, and salicylic acid.

Eco factor: Aveda has been dedicated to environmental responsibility long before "green" entered the public vernacular and celebrities drove Priuses.  Aveda's manufacturing facility in Minnesota is powered entirely by wind energy.  Its products contain organic, sustainably sourced and fair trade ingredients.  Products come in 80 to 100% post-consumer recycled cartons.  No parabens, phathlates, petro ingredients, or animal testing.

To buy: $35 to $52 at aveda.com and Aveda concept salons and spas nationwide

The Best Non-Drying Foaming Cleansers

It's a widely known fact in the beauty industry that Americans are obsessed with foam: foamy cleansers, foamy shampoos, foamy body washes. European and Asian women traditionally have used cleansing creams and oils, which don't strip skin like our detergent-packed washes. Not us. If it don't lather, it don't work!

I've read the articles that say that lather doesn't equal clean, it just equals lather, and that the best way to combat oil is with oil. I've tried best-selling oil cleansers, like Lavantine's and Shu Uemura's. But the heavy, un-clean feeling I was left with plus break-outs a few days later made me run for my Aveeno Ultra Calming Cleanser (a sudser that I used in my pre-green days).

Luckily, there are now lovely soap-free foaming cleansers that thoroughly remove makeup and dirt without drying. Here are the best natural ones on the market in my opinion.

For Dry/Normal Skin: John Masters Organics Rose Foaming Face Wash. This light latherer employs mild surfactants to gently cleanse, aloe and linden flower (an antioxidant) to soothe, and steam-distilled essential rose oil to rejuvenate. $19 at Whole Foods and beauty.com

For Oily/Acneic: Aveda Outer Peace Foaming Cleanser. InStyle recently named it the best cleanser for acne-prone skin, and I concur. Oat amino acids exfoliate without harshness, salicylic acid treats blemishes, saw palmetto extract reduces DHT-thus-oil production, and tamanu oil moisturizes and heals. Has a refreshing herbal-medicinal scent. $25 at Aveda concept salons and aveda.com
Runner-up: Clinique's Acne Solutions Foaming Cleanser

For Combo Skin: Evan Healy Tea Tree Gel Cleanser (click for review). I've gone through three bottles the past year. It's my all-time favorite cleanser.

Aveda Green Science Firming Skincare Review

Aveda has launched a new anti-aging, firming skincare line called Green Science that could easily go head-to-head with any "high-tech" department store brand. The line is composed of a firming face and eye cream, a lifting serum, and intensive line-minimizers packaged in cool, tiny tubes. According to the press release, clinical results show a 41% more lifted appearance and a 37% reduction in the appearance of lines and wrinkles.
Pretty factor: After water, the main ingredients in all four products are rosemary leaf extract and spike moss. Rosemary is a potent antioxidant that's also thought to stimulate blood circulation.  Spike moss helps rebuild the skin's barrier while glucosamine, organic argan oil, and peptides renew and plump the skin.

I've been using the Lifting Serum for 2 weeks and love how it tingles on application and gives my face a healthy, rosy flush. 

Ideal for: normal, dry and mature skin

Eco factor: Aveda has been dedicated to environmental responsibility long before "green" entered the public vernacular and every other celebrity drove a Prius. Its manufacturing facility in Minnesota is powered entirely by wind energy, and its cosmetics contain organic, sustainably sourced, fair trade ingredients. Products come in 80 to 100% post-consumer recycled cartons. . No parabens, phathlates, petro ingredients, or animal testing.

To buy: $45 to $85 at Aveda concept salons and spas nationwide

NEW Aveda Men Pure-formance™ Exfoliating Shampoo and Conditioner

I'm thrilled about Aveda's recently launched Pure-formance™ Exfoliating Shampoo—never mind that it's for guys!

I've been hunting for a scalp exfoliator ever since I had a conversation with a co-worker about hair and she posed the accurate question, "Well, isn't the scalp just an extension of the face?" Hadn't thought of that. Well, what works best for my oily face? Non-comedogenic products and daily exfoliation (which prevents oil and grime from clogging pores and forming zits). So, why not bring that strategy to haircare?

I've been using this shampoo every third day with the Pure-formance™ Conditioner and holy heck! After the first use, my hair was so fluffy—it felt as if years of product build up and clogged scalp pores were cleared.

Pretty factor: Ground walnut shell removes hardened scalp oil, dead skin cells and product buildup, which can clog hair follicles and cause hair loss. Astringent sage extract tones the scalp, while licorice, boswellia (a tree resin), and seaweed soothe and reduce irritation. Hydrogenated castor seed and jojoba oils add moisture without weight. Use once or twice a week.

Eco factor: Aveda's manufacturing facility in Minnesota is powered entirely by wind energy and its products contain organic, sustainably sourced, fair trade ingredients. ("Fair trade" means that workers were paid decently and worked in humane conditions.) Most products come in 80 to 100% post-consumer recycled cartons. Also, the company has phased out parabens from their products.

To buy: $24 at Aveda concept salons and spas nationwide

Aveda Pure Abundance Hair Potion

Aveda's Pure Abundance Hair Potion is a newish product that has quickly become a best-selling must-have. The $22 price sticker is a bit outrageous, but it gives my locks Dolly Parton heights when lightly rubbed around my roots. I definitely recommend it to fine-haired women.

Pretty factor: This magical powder thickens hair "up to 17%" according to Aveda thanks to acacia gum and kaolin clay, which coat hair and add thickness. It also contains moisturizing aloe juice and honey, and it doesn't dry hair at all. Distribute a small amount around your scalp and rub in evenly.

Eco factor: Aveda's been dedicated to environmental responsibility long before "green" entered the public vernacular and celebs rolled up to the red carpet in little black hybrids instead of gas-guzzling limousines. Aveda's manufacturing facility in Minnesota is powered entirely by wind energy, and its cosmetics contain organic, sustainably sourced, fair trade ingredients. ("Fair trade" means that workers were paid decently and worked in humane conditions.) Finally, most of its products come in containers made of post-consumer recycled material.

To buy: $22 at Aveda concept salons and spas nationwide

Aveda Inner Light Tinted Moisture SPF 15 Review

If you can't be bothered with the moisturizer-then-makeup process in the a.m. or you find mineral powders drying (me: both of the above), hit up a tinted moisturizer. I'm loving Aveda Inner Light Tinted Moisture SPF 15 , which gives excellent, luminous coverage.

Pretty factor: Mica, malachite and tourmeline gemstone create a flaws-reducing "soft focus," while jojoba gives dewy hydration. Lavender extract provides astringent and anti-bacterial properties, and Japanese knotweed—which contains the potent antioxidant resveratrol (also found in the skin of red grapes and in red wine)—prevents aging.

Eco factor: Aveda has been dedicated to environmental responsibility long before "green" entered the public vernacular and every other celebrity drove a Prius. Its manufacturing facility in Minnesota is powered entirely by wind energy, and its cosmetics contain organic, sustainably sourced, fair trade ingredients. The tinted moisturizer, like many Aveda goods, comes in a 100% post-consumer recycled carton. No phathlates, petro ingredients, or animal testing.

To buy: $25 at aveda.com and Aveda salons and spas nationwide