Six easy ways to go green with your beauty routine

Looking for easy ways to go green with your beauty routine? Here are six things you can do to minimize your impact on the earth as you beautify.

Minimal Packaging

Choose products with minimal packaging. Bars of soap are great because there are no bottles to throw out when you finish the product, and the bars are usually wrapped in paper that you can recycle or compost.

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• Pangea Organics Pyrenees Lavender with Cardamon Bar Soap ($8). This is a relaxing, soothing 100% natural cleanser that cleans without drying with organic essential oils. Available in eight more varieties, including Indian Green Tea with Mint and Rose Petals (find them in San Francisco and around the Bay Area at natural health and food stores, including Whole Foods, and online at pangeaorganics.com, where you can get 25% off all products through the end of April in honor of Earth Month).

Recyclable and Biodegradable Packaging

Check to see if the products you buy come in recyclable and biodegradable packaging. Many bottles are recyclable these days; but some companies have become more sophisticated with their packaging and use innovative makeup compacts and cases that can be recycled or composted.

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• Josie Maran Cosmetics Natural Wonders Palette ($35, limited edition). This playful eco-chic makeup for eyes, cheeks and face for spring is made with formulas free of parabens, synthetic fragrances, petrochemicals and phthalates, and comes in a biodegradable compact (find it in San Francisco and around the Bay Area at Sephora stores, and online at sephora.com and josiemarancosmetics.com).
• Josie Maran Cosmetics Magic Marker Lip and Cheek Stains ($19). These offer vibrant color that stays put in a formula free of parabens, synthetic fragrance, petrochemicals and phthalates in a tube you can recycle. Available in six shades (find them in San Francisco and around the Bay Area at Sephora stores, and online at sephora.com).

Sustainable Business Practices

Support beauty companies with green business practices, like Zia Natural Skin Care, which creates packaging with windmill power using 50% post-consumer waste, Jurlique, which operates its own self-sustaining organic biodynamic farm with plants and flowers tended and harvested by hand, and Liz Earle Naturally Active Skincare, which runs their company out of their geo-thermally heated headquarters and holds paperless meetings.

Try...

• Zia Skin Basics Fresh Cleansing Gel with Sea Algae ($17.95). This refreshing paraben- and sulfate-free cleanser nourishes, detoxifies skin and promotes cellular renewal (find it in San Francisco and around the Bay Area at natural health and food stores, like Rainbow Grocery, and online at zianatural.com).
• Jurlique Earth Day Best Sellers Bundle ($114 for a set worth $153). This is a limited edition set of four best-selling products, including Lavender Hand Cream, Rosewater Balancing Mist, Balancing Day Care Cream and Herbal Recovery Gel. A portion of the sales will support local botanical gardens right here in San Francisco and also in Los Angeles in New York City (find it in San Francisco at the Jurlique store on Fillmore and online at jurlique.com, where you can get 25% off all orders on Earth Day).
• Liz Earle Naturally Active Skin Care Cleanse & Polish Hot Polish Cleanser. This is a multi award-winning cleanser coveted by women around the world, including myself. A highly concentrated cream made with cocoa butter and eucalyptus, it leaves skin impeccably smooth and radiant, and removes even the most stubborn mascara without irritating skin (find it online at us.lizearle.com).

Fair Trade

Buy products made with fair trade ingredients, which help sustain communities and natural habitats. The Body Shop has a long history with its Community Trade Program that began in 1987. It improves the financial security, comfort and health resources to farmers, producers and their families in more than 20 countries, in places as far away as Ghana and Guatamala.

Aveda has also been very active in helping communities and the environment. In 1993, they formed their first indigigenous partnership with the Yawanawa tribe in the Brazilian Rainforest to source uruku, a natural red dye used in Aveda makeup.

Try...

• The Body Shop Coconut Body Scrub ($20). This deliciously fragrant, gentle scrub exfoliates with coconut husks and ground coconut shells and moisturizes with organic, virgin Community Trade coconut oil to leave skin incredibly soft, smooth and supple (find it in San Francisco and around the Bay Area at The Body Shop stores, and online at thebodyshop-usa.com, where you can get 20% off all orders through April 25 in honor of Earth Day).
• Aveda Uruku Lip Pigment ($15). This smooth, hydrating lip color is made with moisturizing Brazilian botanical oils and without synthetic pigments (find it in San Francisco and around the Bay Area at Aveda stores and salons, and online at aveda.com).

Skip Petrochemicals

Skip products made with petrochemicals, which are derived from crude oil, or petroleum, and other fossil fuels. These include things like petrolatum (often found in lip balms), formaldehyde (often found in nail polish), mineral oil (found in most "baby oil") and paraffin wax (found in many candles).

Try...

• Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm ($3). This 100% natural lip balm soothes and conditions lips with coconut and sunflower oils, vitamins and essential fatty acids (find it in San Francisco and around the Bay Area at natural health and food stores, including Whole Foods, and Target stores, and online at burtsbees.com). You can also win a tube along with several other great Burt's Bees products in my Earth Day giveaway on my blog Hello Beauty.
• Makana Lulu Pure Soy Wax Candle ($9 and $22). This 100% soy wax candle is all natural, has a lead-free cotton wick and contains no genetically modified organisms, pesticides or herbicides. The wax is derived from soybeans grown by American farmers. The scrumptuous fragrances are free of phthalates and blended with pure essential oils. Each candle is hand packaged in a container that is recyclable and compostable (find these at makanacandlestudios.com).

Reusable Totes

And last, but not least, bring your own bag. You probably have your own reusable totes for your groceries. But how about when you shop for beauty products? Get a stylish tote you can keep in your purse every day.

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• EnV Bags. These are strong enough for groceries but fashionable enough for a trip to the mall or a chic boutique. These come in compact pouches so you don't have to bother with trying to roll up the bag just right to get it to button it back up. They come in several gorgeous designs and are sold in singles ($9.50) or in packs of three ($27) and five ($39.95) for larger shopping trips. And smile knowing you're supporting a local business. EnV Bags is based here in the Bay Area. (Find them online at envbags.com, where you get free shipping through April 23 in honor of Earth Day)