Green glamping: 7 eco-friendly beauty products that double as first aid essentials

Date May 16, 2014

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For the May long weekend, going au natural means more than donning a little lightweight foundation and lip balm—getting out in the great outdoors and enjoying nature is the best way to go green. Whether you want to be comfortable while camping or consider cottage country your version of roughing it, a weekend spent (mostly) outdoors is all about planning ahead, paring down and chilling out. Here are a couple of beauty aids to toss in your kit bag in case of unexpected nature-induced discomfort or to replicate a low-maintenance glamping beauty routine.

Start with keeping H. Gillerman Organics Travel Remedy ($53, freshfaced.ca) close-by during the long drive to your destination. Avoid travel sickness by rolling the lavender and orange formula rollerball over your neck and shoulders. Plus, in a pinch you can use it as a natural deodorant during your time away.

Hopefully the weekend is a bright one, so there will be plenty of time to sit at the end of the dock and get some much needed Vitamin D. Play it sun-safe by applying Skinlove Sun Love Sunscreen ($35, thedetoxmarket.ca). It’s the dream cream of sunscreens: lightweight, non-sticky and totally natural: Containing coconut oil, zinc, watermelon extract and vanilla, among other beneficial ingredients. It’s an elegant cream that doesn’t scream icky sunscreen.

Nothing can ruin a hike like a bunch of bugs. Mother nature may have given us mosquitoes, but she gave us the ingredients to keep them at bay, too. Thankfully, we can find them in natural bug sprays like Meow Meow Tweet Insect Repellent ($22, healthhutboutique.com) which features witch hazel, apple cider vinegar and a list of essential oils including citronella, lavender and lemongrass.

Double up on fending off flies (you’ll likely have to share with your pals) with Zoe Organics Insect Repellent ($20, zoeorganics.com). This spray contains a different concoction of fly-repelling ingredients like eucalyptus, thyme and peppermint.

Don’t be a pain. A day outside spent hiking or playing sports makes for a great night’s sleep, but might find you later nursing a sore leg or pulled muscle. Take five and treat aches and pains by massaging Aromacentric The Rub ($29, aromacentric.com) into your sore spots. Ginger and pepper numb the pain and help circulation.

CV Skinlabs Restorative Skin Balm ($32, healthhutboutique.com) is the go-to that you’ll be lending out all weekend. It’s petrolatum-free formula is perfect to soften rough, dry skin but it can also soothe cuts, scrapes, abrasions and burns with Carnauba, beeswax and Vitamin E.

Keep clean at camp with biodegradable Kaia Naturals Juicy Bamboo Cleansing Cloths ($19, kaianaturals.com) containing vitamins B12, C and E. No one will even know you’ve done your whole face washing routine with a quick swipe of one of these. They’ll also come in handy for quick clean-up of messy hands after sticky s’mores at the campfire.