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Today’s reader question comes from Karen, who asks…
I have a question for you. I’ve decided to start going green slowly, as you’ve suggested, and have focused first on body and cleaning products. With both of these, I am finding some difficulty in figuring out what products are actually green and which are not. Some products say they are biodegradable, some say eco friendly, some talk about fair trade, and as I’m sure you know the list goes on. How do you choose what types of products to use? Since you seem to really know about these things, I’d love to hear your point of view on this.
Thanks!
Karen.
Excellent question! I’m sure many folks going green wonder about the above. First off, as for the cleaning products part of the question, we’ve discussed how to choose or make green cleaning products in multiple posts here so for this, you can browse the following.
- How to choose green cleaners – store bought green cleaners
- 25 Safe, Non-toxic, Homemade Cleaning Supplies
- Hot Water for Cleaning – Yeah It Works
- Are Sponges A Great Green Choice?
- Reader Question: how long to keep homemade green cleaners?
WHAT ABOUT GREEN BEAUTY & BODY CARE?
To green your beauty and body care product routine use the following tips.
Read labels and learn what they mean: Anyone can write “natural” or “green” on a label and both may mean absolutely nothing. At the very least the beauty/body care products you buy should state that they are natural, free of preservatives, free of chemicals, not tested on animals, and so on. BUT to be more sure, you should look for official eco-labels such as Leaping Bunny Eco Symbol and USDA Organic. However, unlike food, there’s not a massive eco-labeling underway of body care items, so your best bet is to read the label carefully for ingredients.
Read the company’s website: Most beauty companies have an “about us” “eco-goals” or “green page” IF they’re eco-friendly. If they’re forth coming about green company policies and list all ingredients on their website and/or packaging that’s a good sign.
Try bulk: Many co-ops and natural food stores offer bulk body care such as organic shampoo, lotions, and body soap. You simply snag some refillable bottles and keep refilling them with healthy products rather than purchasing new.
Buy recyclable: If you do buy products (vs. buying bulk or making your own) buy products that come in recycled or recyclable containers. Look for the least packaging possible as well.
Buy & use less: Buying and using less of all items is a green step. You cut down on packaging, emissions, and save money to boot. You don’t need to shampoo each day (really) or wear as much make-up. You can try using less of an item, like lotion and get the same effect. You can also use items like dry shampoos to save other resources like water (also a green move).
Score check: You can quickly find our how your favorite products stack up at Skin Deep. Skin Deep rates everything from sunscreen to baby shampoo to make-up and more. They offer a score based on issues like toxicity levels, animal testing, chemical content, and more.
Shop check: As you shop you can check out the safety and greenness of products with the iPhone app, GoodGuide. GoodGuide mobile is a free application that allows you to look up safe, healthy, and green products on the go. There are over 70,000 products and ratings included in the app.
Look for product reviews from green bloggers you trust: Assuming you trust me, you can read up on green beauty care products I’ve reviewed at my green beauty blog or check out our huge growing list of green product reviews here at THF (beauty and body care included). You can also do web searches like, “Organic soap review” and substitute whatever product you like and see what pops up.
Make your own: The best way to know what’s in your beauty and body care products is to make your own. Plus this is greener still because it cuts down on packaging. Some recipes featured here include…
- Homemade Organic Herbal Hair Conditioning Spray
- Homemade Sugar Body Scrub
- Homemade Healthy Hair Care – Hair Masques
- Homemade Organic Facial Toner
- Homemade Organic Cleansing Creams
- Homemade Organic Paint Soap for Kids
- Homemade Organic Facial & Body Cream
- Homemade Organic Honey Beauty
- Fast Homemade Organic Fresh Kitchen Face Scrubs
- Homemade Organic Liquid Handsoap
- Homemade Deodorant
- Strawberry Face Mash
Hopefully the above helps you to navigate the green beauty and body care market. If you’ve got your own tips, share in the comments.
[image via jennifer chait]
947 days ago
[...] I easily make a greener version of the product myself, at [...]
@Karen I’m glad you like the info and the scrub. It makes your skin feel great and is so easy too.
@Caroline I posted on eco-hair before: http://www.treehuggingfamily.com/color-your-hair-responsibly/
Good info! I have a question too! I use to lighten my hair until choosing the “green road” and now I want nothing to do with rubbing those boxed chemicals into my scalp! Ugh. Do you know of any natural products for hair coloring? Thanks! Caroline
Hi Jennifer,
WOW, thanks for all this! This is a great response to my question. I’ll look through all your great information and find things that work for me.
BTW, I have made your sugar scrub (with salt, as we had a lot around since I’ve cut down on eating it) and I LOVE it! It makes my skin feel great, and I feel great knowing that I’m using something with all-natural ingredients that I made myself. And I was happy to see a recipe in your posts for a body lotion that you don’t have to refrigerate. I think I’ll be trying that next!
Karen.