 Your daily makeup and skin care regimen may seem inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, but if you think about the impact of the millions of people using these products, it adds up rather quickly.
The good news is that there are ways to green your daily routine. Here are some simple tips to make your cosmetics and beauty products a bit more environmentally-friendly.
Try to avoid cosmetics with petroleum in them. It’s just a small step, but a step in the right direction towards decreasing our dependency on fossil fuels, namely oil. The most obvious one to avoid is petroleum jelly. However, you can be proactive, rather than just practicing petroleum-avoidance.
Manufacturers are making petroleum-free cosmetics more and more. Badger makes an assortment of balms for face and body. Burt’s Bees makes all natural products for lips, face, body, hair, men, hands and feet, baby and mom, and sun and outdoor that are all free of petroleum. To verify that cosmetics do not contain petroleum, check the ingredients. If they contain mineral oil, petroleum, propylene glycol, or isopropyl alcohol, put them back on the shelf!
Organic & natural cosmetics. Many cosmetics Web sites and retailers are now selling organic and natural makeup. Be sure to look closely to see what each deems as natural. Obviously, avoid products with petroleum and petroleum derivatives. Here are a handful of manufacturers of natural cosmetics: Bare Escentuals, Bieux Skin, Boscia, Carol’s Daughter, Caudalie, and Decleor. Organic cosmetics’ manufacturers include: Care by Stella McCartney, Juice Beauty, and NVEY ECO. While these products might not always be sold in your area, you can very easily browse and buy online.
 Opt for products with minimal or recycled packaging. Try to choose products with the least amount of packaging, particularly plastic (as it is a petroleum product!). Recycle the packaging from your cosmetics whenever possible. Investigate manufacturers’ efforts to be environmentally conscious. For example, MAC cosmetics back to MAC recycling program allows customers to return its primary packaging. If you return six MAC containers to a MAC counter or online, you receive a free MAC lipstick of your choice as their thanks.
After you have chosen your green beauty products, be sure to decline the fancy wrapping and packaging at the checkout. Many specialty cosmetics and department stores wrap your purchase in extraneous tissue paper that serves no real purpose. If you forget, be sure the tissue finds it way to your recycling bin. Lastly, bring your purchases home in a tote bag or your purse – don’t accept the store’s ubiquitous plastic bag!
Best of Both Worlds. Cargo and Stella McCartney’s Care line are coupling natural products with environmentally-kind packaging. Cargo’s completely biodegradable lipstick: Cargo Plant Love is a greenhouse gas neutral lipstick! The case is made from bio-plastic that is completely compostable. The box is eco-friendly. The box can either be recycled or moistened and planted to grow wildflowers! Stella McCartney’s Care line offers 100% organic ingredients with recyclable containers, as well. Reducing your carbon footprint with pretty lipstick… What a great idea!
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So now, I can look pretty and save planet earth! What a win-win!