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Logona: The Best Green Beauty Products You've Never Heard Of

Last year, when deciding which skin care lines to offer at Natureofbeauty.com, I wanted a selection of high quality products for every budget. In a perfect world we could all use ethically- and sustainably-sourced organic skin care. The reality is that doing so would burn a big hole in most people’s budgets. The next best thing, I determined, was to go with a BDIH-certified line of natural beauty products.

Why BDIH certified? Because in a world where “natural” has no meaning, buying BDIH is really one of the few ways of knowing the products have met a high standard for natural and naturally-derived ingredients. Every ingredient in a BDIH-certified product has to have been demonstrated safe, the list of allowed synthetics is teeny-tiny (and again, must be proven safe), no animal testing is allowed at any stage of production, and the company must meet high standards for ethical and responsible sourcing and manufacturing. Batches are randomly tested to assure against contamination, and all fragrance must come exclusively from essentail oils.

The most well-known BDIH-certified brand is Dr. Hauchka, followed by Lavera, both based in Germany. As their celebrity has increased here in the U.S., so have their prices. Logona, also German (founded in 1977), has never invested much in the American market. Their reputation in Europe, however, is strong and the products are sold alongside their German peers. Here in the U.S., Logona’s neglect is your gain. We can get skin care, hair care, and makeup that is of the same quality as the more expensive German brands, but pay much less for them.

Of course, because you don’t hear much about it in the American press, it’s easy to overlook Logona’s vast selection. So I thought I would point out some of what I have found to be their most extraordinary products that are now available at disproportionately low prices.

1. Ginkgo Repair Shampoo, $13.50. Rated the top natural shampoo in the British best-seller, The Green Beauty Bible, this is a wonderful daily hair cleanser. Very nourishing, I once forgot to use conditioner afterward and didn’t notice much of a difference due to the shiny, soft hair this shampoo imparted.

2. Tinted Moisture Cream, $18.50. If this tinted cream had SPF, it would be a miracle product. As it is, this is my favorite tinted moisturizer, commercial or natural. Great for dry skin, this creamy face lotion – with organic soybean oil, organic palm oil, organic shea butter and organic jojoba oil – provides more coverage than your typical tinted moisturizer, but feels much lighter than a creamy foundation. I also love that it comes in a “matte” version for women like me who prefer to tone down the shine.

3. Logona Eye Makeup Remover Pads, $11.49. A little over a year ago, I purchase Jason’s “Natural” Cosmetics Quick Clean Makeup Remover Pads at Whole Foods, figuring it would be free of the nasty stuff I was trying to move away from. Then I got home and saw that it contained two parabens. It’s now collecting dust in my Discarded Beauty Products Box, replaced with Logona’s version. No parabens here, just organic soybean, jojoba and rosa canina oils in a water and grapeseed oil base. Oh, and the pads are made from 100% organic cotton. Plus, they leave no oily residue and are extremely gentle on the eyes.

4. Logona Lip Gloss, $15. No polybutene here, just 100% natural ingredients in a formula that is neither too sticky nor does it come off after one sip of water. The 5 beautiful shades are pigmented enough to be worn alone, but also look great over lipstick. The Cassis Gold is a perfect match to Logona’s Lipstick pencil in Bronze, another one of my favorites and a top seller at The Nature of Beauty.

5. Logona Age Protection Eye Gel, $38. Organic aloe vera, eyebright, quince and natural caffeine make up the bulk of this super-light gel that is perfect for morning and night. I use it religiously, it really works, and it’s way more affordable than most other effective anti-aging eye gels or creams.

If you’re in England, you can purchase all Logona products on beautybazaar.co.uk. A number of U.S. natural foods markets also carry Logona, so be sure to look for them at your local co-op!

Written by Terri Bly

Terri Bly is the founder of The Nature of Beauty, LTD, an all-eco website, shop, and spa. She is a freelance writer, currently residing in Minneapolis.

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