Make-Over Your Make-Up

It dawned on me the minute I finished my concealer only to find that the case it was manufactured in is not recyclable. What do I do then? Dump the packaging to a popular beautifying tool without a second thought in my mind? That certainly wasn't the case after I had painfully disposed of my concealer in a trash bin, and decided to move onward in hopes of discovering a more Eco-friendly brand of cosmetics.

For those who haven't heard, PlantLove by Cargo Cosmeticsis a company that has become well-known for its environmentally-friendly production of lipsticks. Each lipstick tube is made out of corn, and if you plant the flower paper boxes that the lipsticks are packaged in, then a plethora of wildflowers will begin to grow. Pretty amazing, right? You can find these products at your local Sephora store or online.

Another interesting corporation is LUSH Cosmetics which presents the opportunity to purchase 70% of their products online without the packaging. In addition, they claim that they "use post-consumer recycled, recyclable and biodegradable materials whenever possible" ("Protect the Planet"). Not to mention, they don't test their products on animals and even have videos on their website promoting their environmentally- and animal-friendly mindset. LUSH Cosmetics even goes as far as to dedicate a page to "11 Tips for a Greener Life"! A truly respectable company in the environmental world if ever there was one.

While trash is a major cause of the pollution that is affecting our environment, there is also the issue of the ingredients used in products which lead to toxic chemicals being emitted into the air as well. This is why it is also important to search for more organically-based items during your shopping excursion.

Finally, after much researching, I must say that Verde' Maison is the cosmetic company that deserves a lot of recognition for being the first organic as well as all natural cosmetic, skin, and bath store in the USA. Verde' Maison's decision to sell products without any "parabens, propylene glycols, petrolatum, & sls's" stems from the founder's discovery that parabens contribute to cancer. With this in mind, it is quite obvious that this brand has taken the lives of their consumers into serious account. Unfortunately, they do not present any information on their packaging materials, but it can be assumed that they are just as conscious about their waste as they are the health of the buyers.

It's definitely not easy to constantly be aware of the environment when shopping for everyday products. Fortunately, there are ways to easily discover such Eco-friendly items like surfing the Internet, scanning through environmentally-conscious books and magazines, or even just browsing in your local stores. The Huffington Post, for example, has an online article titled: "Earth-Friendly Makeup: How To Be Nicer To Your Face And Your Planet" (go here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/06/earth-friendly-makeup-how_n_139270.html). Check it out as well as anything else you can in order to better educate yourself on how to live and love an organic lifestyle. :]

& now I leave you with an interesting video I found on youtube of a young girl experimenting and reviewing EcoTools, brushes made from sustainable and recycled materials. Yay Earth!


"Because sometimes the most important ingredient is not what you put in, but what you leave out." -Verde' Maison

Peace&Love, Everyone.
-Dr. Green T


Works Cited:
Cooney, Roxana & Sean. "About Us." 2008. Verde' Maison. 4 Apr 2009. http://www.verdemaison.com/About%20Us.htm.

"PlantLove." 2008. CARGO Cosmetics. 4 Apr 2009. http://www.cargocosmetics.com/plantlove.html.

"Protect the Planet." 2008. LUSH Cosmetics. 4 Apr 2009. http://www.lushusa.com/about/protecting-our-planet/index.html.