Guide to being an Eco beauty bride in Philly

Our area has some stellar organic and sustainable businesses that support beauty au natural. If you don't want to sacrifice health or the environment in the name of beauty, you too can be a green goddess from start to finish for any special occasion.

Start out at a Sustainable Spa- You'll lose inches instantly and naturally with this service:
Eviama Life Spa is a holistic spa offering the first green friendly and organic services offered in Philadelphia. Eviama's mission is to balance beauty with healthy services, making a difference inside and out.  Many spa wraps and facials are filled with hormone disrupting chemicals, even petroleum- the run off of gasoline, that seep into your skin and into your blood stream.  I wanted to find chemical free green services in our area, and it was quite difficult to come across until I found Eviama. I have never seen services like theirs offered anywhere; ranging from light therapy (to beat those winter blues) to sensitive skin waxing. But a clientele favorite is the body contour wrap to lose inches instantly while staying chemical free! The wrap consists of niacin (b-vitamin), ivy, and other organic compounds. Before you are wrapped they measure you to see the before and after. I tried it and lost an inch around each arm, and two inches around my waist! Now it isn't a permanent fix, but will last a few days so it's great for quick tightening up before a wedding or a big event. The wrap also detoxes the body and moves junk out of your system so that means diminished cellulite and varicose veins too! Eviama owner Penny Ordway tells me she has plenty of clients on TV who come in for other services just to "depuff" their face/body before a photo shoot or a big day like a wedding.

Gorgeous nails that don't chip easily and without the harsh chemicals!

So we've all been in a nail salon and smelled those fumes so intense the employees painting our nails wear masks over their mouths. That freaked me out enough that I did my own nails until I could find a place that offered a green friendly manicure I could get for my wedding. Tierra Mia is Philadelphia's premiere organic nail salon that makes you feel transported to a Latin American vacation with their authentic decor from Columbia and personalized boutique feel. The staff offers you everything from coconut exfoliating scrubs to water based nail polish- so no gross fumes here! They even have a chocolate bar with samples for a dollar while you relax and enjoy your high end nail experience. Another pro to the water based nail polish is it could last almost a month before chipping! But that also means if you want to change your polish every few days, it's a lot of work.

Spray Tan that is natural and safe!

The word spray makes you think chemicals, but one of the best spray tan options in the city is actually natural!  Skin Palette owners Susie Celek and Julie Dorenbos personally create a concoction of colors to match your skin best.  You'll never get that orange color, and you'll even notice that you don't have that "tanning smell" most get after a tanning service. My husband will be the first to tell you how bad a spray tan can smell. I tried a spray tan at Skin Palette for my RAW show (you can see from the photos what it looked like), and the first comment out of my husband's mouth was "wow, looks good and you smell nice". I was so in love with the glow they gave me that I had them spray me for my wedding too. I found out they beautify tons of brides and Celek and Dorenbos personally check in with their clients to make sure their color is looking great and answer any questions.

Hair color that is good for your hair?

Kevin Gatto is the man behind Verde, one of the most coveted salons outside Philadelphia in the town of Collingswood, NJ . They have all the regular services of a hair salon but also specialize in organic hair care and color using Pureology – ZeroSulfate products and 100% vegan formulas. Some organic hair coloring systems leave subpar colors in the hair, but Kevin Gatto's brand and hair colorists create some of the most beautiful coifs on Philly's high profile clientele. The key difference in organic color is it doesn't damage the hair's natural proteins and pigments like the corrosive chemicals in regular coloring. That means you can color your hair as many times as you like without damaging it.  The organic color contains coconut by-product and soy oil that prevents fading and nourishes the hair. Their organic color products contain no ammonia, resorcinol, or formaldehyde (yes, that's what's used to embalm bodies). So that also means no fumes, no irritation, no animal testing, and no more sacrificing health for that perfect hair color.

Best Organic Makeup and Skincare line-

Organic products are trending due to research showing dangerous chemicals like lead are in lipsticks and sodium benzoate in skincare, and more brands are opting for no animal testing. So there are a few great brands on the market for makeup that include Josie Maran, Green People, Physician's formula organic line, and Dr  Hauschka.  Josie Maran's Argan Oil line is a lifesaver during the winter months when skin gets dry. I discovered her Argan Oil stick that is great for making your skin hydrated and giving it a glow without the mess of actual oil. I even use it as under-eye moisturizer it's and it smells great. Another great makeup line is Dr. Hauschka with their natural makeup and skincare brand since 1967- way before it became popular. They've really perfected their crèmes, especially the Rose Day Crème that no matter what the skin type it will hydrate without causing break outs. For their makeup line they also change colors and styles often enough that I can't keep up with their lip gloss colors! I fell in love with their berry lip gloss and wore it on my wedding day. It manages to look better than my non organic lip glosses- and stays shiny all day.

As more people see the good in using green, organic/natural products, more sustainable products and businesses will pop up in Philadelphia.  For a full listing of all green businesses in Philadelphia visit sbnphiladelphia.org.