While no beauty products can truly be 100% green or have a zero carbon footprint, green beauty products should be formulated and packaged to minimize their impact on the environment.
What Are Green Beauty Products?
Green beauty products are those that have been made with natural, organic, sustainable or renewable resources. Beauty products can also be considered green if they are vegan, made without animal testing or packaged in green materials like recyclable, biodegradable or compostable products.
A green beauty product is one that has been made while meeting green standards at every stage: from growth, through manufacturing and processing right down to how the products are stored and packaged. Even the energy used can be taken into consideration for a green product. The best green beauty product is one that leaves behind the smallest carbon footprint, which means it has a minimal environmental impact.
Shopping Tips
If a product is truly green, it should have been produced with the environment and your health in mind. However, the term "green" is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA will certify cosmetic products that are made with organic ingredients. If a product is made with 95% or more organic ingredients, it will carry a USDA organic symbol. If it includes more than 70% organic ingredients, the label will say that the product was "made with organic ingredients." You can also look at third-party labels, such as ones from Ecocert and Leaping Bunny.
Even though "organic" and "green" aren't exactly the same thing, a product that is labeled organic was not created with manmade products, such as fertilizers. When it comes to other aspects of being green, consider how the beauty product was made and the amount of packaging. Is there a lot of packaging? The less packaging to dispose of, the better. If there is extra packaging, such as a tube that comes in a box, is the packaging recyclable or biodegradable? Look for the recycling logo on the package, which is made up of three arrows that make a triangle.
A major element of green living is being aware of which ingredients are in a product. If you aren't familiar with an ingredient, you might not want to buy the item. To find out which ingredients you may want to avoid, read about the "Dirty Dozen" ingredients at the Green Guide before you shop.
On the other hand, just because a product has natural ingredients doesn't mean that everything else in the product is organic or has been produced in a way that cuts down on waste. Consider the transportation that went into bringing your product to store shelves. Imported beauty products are luxurious, but, if you buy a product made locally, you'll help support the local economy and cut down on fuel consumption, even if it is by a tiny amount.
Choosing green beauty products can be tough. Your favorite bath soap or shampoo may be off limits if it has extra packaging or contains inorganic ingredients. If you are committed to going green, you may wind up bargaining with yourself on occasion.
Change Your Beauty Routine
Green beauty doesn't stop after you make your first eco-friendly purchase. Some product lines offer recycling programs that let you bring back items for refills or give a free goodie when you make a return.
You can also change your habits. A long, hot shower may feel nice, but a shorter shower that's just long enough to let you incorporate all your beauty routine will help conserve water. Likewise, turning off the faucet while you scrub your face or brush your teeth is a little step that makes a difference.
As you shorten one part of your beauty routine, you can increase the amount of time you spend with your products, specifically by making your own face masks and body scrubs from what you might find at home. Honey, oatmeal and lemon are kitchen standbys that can also be beauty staples. Even better, you'll save yourself a trip to the store.
Perhaps the best way to go green with your beauty routine is to use fewer products in general. You might not need every last hair gel or hand moisturizer. Less is more, especially when you're talking about carbon footprints.
 | Natural and organic beauty products include those that are made with natural ingredients and do not include any chemicals or dyes. However, the terms "organic" and "natural" are not interchangeable. |
 | Using organic skin care products can help you reduce the number of chemicals you apply to your skin. However, you need to look for products that have been certified organic by the US Department of Agriculture, and you still need to read the list of ingredients. |
You can find all natural beauty products as well as organic, herbal and vitamin-enriched products everywhere, but how you take care of yourself has as much to do with how effective the products are as the formulations themselves. |
From the drugstore to chic department stores to online boutiques, all natural skin care products are everywhere you look. How do you know what's good and what's not, and are they really better for your skin? |
If you want to take your skin care to the next level, you should consider experimenting with aromatherapy skin care and essential oils. |
