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Welcome to my beauty column! This month, we will review an entire product line by Good For You Girls™. The Normal Skin Trio line, made especially for tween and teen girls, includes 4 oz. sizes of Gel Cleanser, Purifying Toner and Daily Moisturizer.

The products are the brainchild of Kimberly Grustas and Grace Hvasta-Petrarca, two moms who saw a void in organic personal care products for young people. “By creating Good For You Girls™ skincare, we hope to give girls the confidence to face the world, knowing how truly beautiful they are on the inside and the outside,” says the team.

This is an important step towards health, even more so than beauty.

According to experts, girls are reaching puberty earlier than ever before, which puts them at greater risk for breast cancer. A March 2010 study by researchers associated with The Breast Cancer and Environment Research Centers (BCERC) links chemicals (phenols, phthalates and phytoestrogens) found in personal care products to the phenomenon.

Every being on Earth is being bombarded with chemicals, but the difference between the way youngsters are effected, compared to adults, is even more concerning. “Children's biochemical and physiological functions are relatively immature, and their developing organs are more vulnerable to injury,” according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.

So, children's bodies are just more susceptible to damage. Good For You Girls™ is a good-for-youngsters start. Its 100 percent natural and organic ingredients are specifically formulated for young skin. You won’t find words like methylparaben or propylparaben on the ingredient list and there are no dyes. The bad stuff in conventional brands (sulfates for suds and synthetic fragrances for sniff appeal) have been replaced by coconut- and sugar-based surfactants and essential oils of grapefruit, orange, lemon and bergamot. The plant ingredients the brand does use haven't been treated with Genetically Modified Organisms. Impressivo!

I couldn't very well test this product out myself, since I'm a teeny bit older than teen age...just by a smidge. So, this month, I handed over my reporter’s hat to Halle Speregen, 14. The New York native says she was eager to test out the line.

“I’ve tried so many skin care products that haven’t worked and I wanted to find the right one,” says Halle. “I have combination skin, but it’s closer to oily in the summertime and sort of dry in the winter. I have used products from Clean & Clear and Neutrogena, but sometimes they are too rough on my skin or the toner stings when you apply it, or it just feels like they do nothing to improve my skin at all."

“I’ve never tried organic before because I just use what’s in my drug store, but I like the fact that this product is all natural.”

Halle tested the line for ten days before her report.

For the Good For You Girls™ products:

Safety

• Has signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics and enjoys full member status

• Ranked 1-2 out of 10 in safety on the Skin Deep database (low hazard)

• Free of Sulfates, Parabens, Dyes, Fragrances, Animal Byproducts, GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms)

Environmental responsiveness: Cruelty-Free, 100% Vegan

Packaging: Recyclable

1. Gel Cleanser
The soap-free cleanser washes away dirt without irritating skin. Natural surfactants and organic extracts create the lather (rather than sulfates) and chamomile, green tea and vitamin E soothe and protect.

Results: I really liked the cleanser because it made my skin really soft and it didn’t leave it looking red or blotchy, which sometimes happens with my other cleansers.

Practicality: $13.99

2. Purifying Toner
Alcohol free toner combines which hazel, organic aloe vera gel and antimicrobial meadowsweet extract to deep clean pores. Chamomile and calendula help balance skins’ pH.

Results: The toner made more pores shrink and it tightened my skin. It was my favorite of all of them. It didn’t sting at all, like some other toners do. Plus, it didn't have that chemical, medicine smell. I think it even made my skin glow a little bit. I will definitely use it every day.

Practicality: $13.99

3. Daily Moisturizer
Lightweight facial moisturizer with organic extracts and aloe vera to replenish nutrients while green tea and organic chamomile extract protects from free radical damage and inflammation.

Results: The moisturizer made my skin oilier, so I stopped using it after 5 days. It would be better for people with dry skin, but I have combination/oily skin.

Practicality: $18.99

OVERALL:
After using the line for ten days, my skin cleared up and it was less red!