Planet-friendly Beauty

If you’re going to the effort of buying local produce and eating organic, it makes sense to apply the same commitment to your skincare and beauty routine. Some are dedicated enought to skip the make-up routine altogether, or apply it only sparingly, like Kate Bosworth. But for those of us still fond of the odd slick of lip balm or mascara wand, here are a few simple ways you can improve your popularity with Mother Nature and boost your feel good factor at the same time.

 1.Make friends with a multi-tasker.
The easiest ways to simplify your daily regimen and cut down on excess packaging is by making the switch to a hard-working, one-fits-all product. If there was an award for the most practical product on the planet, it would hands down go to Dr Bronner’s Magic Soaps 18-in-one Pure Castile Soap, from $3.75 (59ml). Perfect for sharing with your brood, it moonlights as a shampoo, face wash, body wash, dish washing liquid, laundry agent and after-shave solution. And to top it off, it’s made using organic oils, is completely biodegradable, is free from preservatives and synthetic foaming agents and comes housed in a bottle made from recycled plastic. You can purchase Dr Bronner’s products at health food stores or online at Lateral Foods

 2. Pick planet-friendly packaging.
Keep your eyes peeled for brands that use post-consumer recycled materials or renewable energy sources to produce their packaging, including printing and labeling. Two brands worth bookmarking in the skincare category are Jurlique and Origins. In addition to its biodynamic farming, Jurlique is also a signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant while Origins uses recycled paper and post consumer fibres as well as hydro power and wind power to manufacture its cartons and paperboards.

 3. Support the do-gooders.
In addition to responsible packaging and manufacturing, there are a host of beauty brands, like Aveda, that are continuing to lead the way when it comes to supporting environmental conservation and awareness programs. This month, veteran eco warrior The Body Shop, has teamed up with The World Land Trust to launch Wood Positive, a world-wide initiative that has The Body Shop committed to protecting and planting more trees then they use in their packaging and transporting goods. As of last week, all products that use paper-based packaging will eventually be labeled with the logo below to make them easier to identify in-store.

 

Feeling inspired? You can make a difference on the home front now by going back to using the humble face cloth to cut down on throwaway face wipes and makeup remover pads and rather than using disposables, try using toothbrushes and razors with replaceable heads.

 Are you more inclined to support brands with a strong eco awareness?

Do you research brands before hitting up the cosmetics counter?

 

 

 

DailyStyle