Earth Day 2012 Beauty

This Sunday (April 22) is Earth Day. Recently, I’ve made a conscious effort to include more all-natural products in my beauty regimen, not only because they’re better for my body, but because many of them benefit the planet, too. With more evidence of global warming and the increased risk of losing some of our most precious animals, we need to ensure a sustainable future — and planet — for generations to come. If buying these products helps at all, I think that’s money well-spent.

Tarte Down To Earth Kit ($49, LE): This product makes me super excited. Not only do I love Tarte, but I adore the people behind this particular set! This kit was the result of a collaboration between Tarte and The Beauty Department, aka Lauren Conrad (we all know how much I love her!), her makeup artist Amy Nadine, and her hairstylist Kristin Ess. And not only that — this kit is amazing! Inside Tarte’s signature purple quilted makeup bag, you’ll find a few of their hallmark eco-friendly products (from left): LipSurgence Lip Tint in Enchanted, Gifted Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara, MutiplEYE Lash-Enhancing Liquid Liner, & Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Blissful. And they’re all full-sized products! Such a deal. For every kit sold, Tarte will donate 20% of proceeds to The Beauty Department’s chosen charity, WineToWater, which helps people across the globe access clean drinking water. My advice? Get one now before they sell out. (Image via Tarte)

Prive Concept Vert Earth Day 2012 Gift Set ($58): Prive’s new micro-line, Concept Vert, contains 3 products free of sulfates, phthalates, and parabens. And they’re eco-friendly. The company created these products in an effort to reduce their carbon footprint and make a positive impact on our planet’s future. Everyone from Oprah to InStyle, Vogue, Vanity Fair, & Redbook editors are raving about these products! The brand is running a special Earth Day promotion: you get the 3 products in the Concept Vert line for just $58 in a limited-edition Earth Day Gift Set. The promotion runs through April 30, 2012.

Concept Vert Rejuvenating Pure Shampoo (individual sale price: $28) and Conditioner (individual sale price: $30) are a more natural solution to healthy, shiny hair. They cleanse and nourish tresses without harsh artificial detergents, but still foam into a rich, creamy lather. Formulated with Amazonian acai and babassu oil, this duo is safe for, and will even pamper, color-treated or damaged hair. This is the perfect pair for Hollywood hair on anybody, but they’re a necessity if you’ve recently had a keratin treatment. Plus, if you opt to reuse these bottles instead of recycling them, Prive will provide refills for you.

Concept Vert Volumizing Froth (individual sale price: $30) is a new non-aerosol mousse that pumps up locks to new heights without harsh sprays. It leaves hair soft, shiny, and bouncy…and it’s fun to use! The cream foams into a froth in the palm of your hand, and then you spread it evenly through damp hair before blowdrying. It’s like a regular mousse, but way more fun! (Images via Prive)

Kiehl’s Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque for Earth Day 2012 ($23, LE): Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Mask helps detoxify skin while visually shrinking the appearance of enlarged pores. Made with aloe vera and oatmeal, this soothing masque will help calm and protect skin as it improves its texture and appearance. There are 4 packaging versions of the product, each designed by a “friend of Kiehl’s,” including Florence Welch (Florence + the Machine), Mark Ruffalo, Rosario Dawson, & Spike Lee. 100% of proceeds benefit Recycle Across America, an organization that aims to eliminate confusion from recycling guidelines and implement standardized recycling labels on products. (Image via Kiehl’s)

Click through for more products and organic brands.(Feature image of Lilly Pulitzer’s Earth month print & above image of Lilly Pulitzer art via my 2011 Lilly agenda)

Earth Day Beauty Picks

Today is Earth Day, a perfect time to be aware of things that will help extend the life of this planet we inhabit. As waste and populations rise across the globe, the Earth is in danger now more than ever, as evidenced in global warming, the thinning O-zone layer, and a million other scientific crises. While today is a day to raise awareness of a cause that affects us all, being green is a good habit to get into, and one that won’t impact your life drastically. And going green is easy when you start with baby steps: throw a plastic bottle in the recycling bin, buy local organically-grown food, or look for products that are manufactured by eco-friendly standards. Even a small act can have a big impact on our collective future.

And going green can carry over into your beauty routine, too. Great eco-friendly products are easier than ever to find. From recycled packaging (or no packaging!) to environmentally-friendly manufacturing standards, these products represent not only a more beautiful you, but a brighter future for us all.

Aveda
Aveda is so organic, it’s impossible to choose just 1 product from the brand. Their Earth Month initiative focuses on clean water this year. One in seven people lacks access to clean water, a basic human right. Stylists at select Aveda concept salons are donating a portion of proceeds from each appointment during the entire month of April to the brand’s clean water partners. Talk about beautiful. You can get in on the action by purchasing the soy wax Light the Way candle ($12), in a glass container made from recycled wine cooler bottles, which benefits the Global Greengrants fund.

Preserve Toothbrushes and Razors
Preserve makes toothbrushes and razors from recycled yogurt cups. And who says going green is pricey? You can purchase a Preserve toothbrush in a mail-back pack (the company will recycle the plastic handle upon receipt) for just $2.99.

100% Pure
The company’s cosmetics are colored with natural fruit and vegetable pigments. What a refreshing way to get a dose of healthy color! Bonus: naturally-occurring antioxidants in fruit transfer into the makeup. It’s a win-win situation.

Kobo Candles
These luminaries are made from pure soybeans that are domestically-grown and sustainable. The candles are made using environmentally-friendly materials, and their clean-burning wicks and won’t pollute the air in your home. (Plus, the packaging is gorgeously patterned and perfect for gifting.) Right now, I’m burning the Zapote candle ($38), a mix of passionfruit, strawberry, pineapple, and echinacea.

Burt’s Bees
More than 150 products from this brand are all-natural; labels give you exact percentages of naturalness for each product. It’s green gone simple. All packaging is made from recycled materials.

Josie Maran Cosmetics
The model dubbed her new cosmetics line “luxury with a conscience.” And she’s taking big strides to make her company as socially and environmentally responsible as possible. They print only when necessary, and use recycled paper and eco-friendly products. Even their display units at retail stores have been constructed from sustainable materials. Plus, all of the cosmetics are free of parabens and petrochemicals, so they’re more natural on your skin.

The Body Shop’s Coconut line
The Body Shop has expanded their Coconut line (hooray!), which supports sustainable, fair-trade coconut oil in Samoa. There are few things more empowering than doing good while smelling good.

Lush Solid Shampoo Bar ($9.25)
In an effort to reduce global waste, Lush offers 70% of their products “naked” without packaging. If 1 in 5 people switched from liquid shampoo to a Lush bar, about 22 million plastic bottles would be eliminated. The Solid Shampoo Bar works the same as regular shampoo; simply rub the bar on your scalp to generate a lather that rivals any liquid shampoo.

The good news is, these are just a few examples of eco-friendly beauty. There are tons of green cosmetics on the market today, and selecting them has never been easier. All it takes is a quick scan of a label to know whether you’re buying products that are good for you and the Earth.