Ever feel like you spend too much trying to match today's standards of beauty? Make-up, lotions, and moisturizers, hair care...it all adds up to an out-of-this-world monetary expense for you; but have you ever thought about what it does to our environment? That sounds like a predictable question given my topic but I'm not just talking about our outside, world-around-us environment. I am also talking about our internal environment, our own health. From simply changing what you buy to inexpensive replacement tricks, here are some ways you can stay beautiful while staying green.
UTILIZE YOUR TOOLS!!
If you don't have the time for homestyle beauty tricks, prefer the convenience of buying things, or just have the money to spare on store bought beauty products - why not do your part by taking the green road. There are a huge variety of companies that take pride in creating green beauty products. Burt's Bees is one you have probably heard about. They make lipstick, lip gloss, lip balms, soaps, lotions and other such products with natural ingredients. If your local stores don't carry such things, don't fret - places like Amazon does.
Natural ingredients are all fine and dandy but let's take it a step further. Did you know that there are companies that donate a percentage of their sales to good causes...causes that you may support as well. For example, the Bluefin Tuna, a popular fish in sushi, is at risk of extinction but the mother-daughter duo at Chantecaille donates 5% of the proceeds from their eye and cheek compounds to Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation, who strive to prevent overfishing. Deforestation is a big problem too. Lisa Hoffman donates 20% of the sales of her Spa Bath and Shower collection, the Japanese Agarwood collection and the Madagascar Orchid collection to the Rainforest Foundation. There are many others out there too - you just have to look around.
The internet is a plethora of tips and tricks that I may not mention or even know. Just make sure you do your own research! There are also a lot of books and programs out there. Two of my favorites are Real Beauty and The Daily Green.
DIY AND OTHER CHEAP ENDEAVORS
If you are a little more do-it-yourself, have time to spare, or simply do not have the money there are tricks you can do with common household items too!
I'll start with a easy reminder: keep those sturdy bottles and lidded containers that store bought products come in and reuse them. If you use liquid hand soap, keep the container and buy the large, bulk size bottles to refill the smaller ones. The small bottles get expensive and if you don't save or recycle those containers, they get to sit in landfills longer than an immortal cockroach. Why not use bar soap instead? The paper wrappers take a drastically shorter amount of time to biodegrade and soap bars are generally cheaper anyway! If you are a do-it-yourself-er try making your own all-natural soap bars.
Vaseline (petroleum jelly) is your friend. It is great for removing eye make-up and as a fix for chapped lips!
Put conditioner, water, and olive oil in a spray bottle. Microwave it for 10-15 seconds (without the lid) then shake it up. Ta-Da - you've just made your own detangler.
Lemon juice or peroxide in a spray bottle is a low-cost, green alternative if you want to add highlights to or lighten your hair. Just apply, let it dry and rinse.
Applying olive oil to your hair for 30 minutes or more every two weeks is a great, natural way to get sofer, tamer hair.
Want whiter teeth? Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda will make an inexpensive whitening paste. Peroxide also makes a good whitening mouthwash.
Sugar scrub is great for your body. Why not make your own? You can ever store it in one of those sturdy plastic containers you decided to re-use earlier.
1 1/2 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of olive oil
A couple of drops of massage oil for fragrance (or cooking extracts work too).
This scrub will also take dry paint off your hands like a charm!
Brown sugar and honey make a good exfoliator too. Just mix into a paste and use like any other body scrub.
Hair not shiny enough? Rinse it with apple-cider vinegar. It is cheap and effective.
Do you have rose bushes? Take a cup of firmly packed rose petals, pour 2 cups of boiling water over it, cover and let sit until cool. Then strain and get the excess liquid out of the petals. Store the rose water in the refrigerator. This mixture makes a good toner and has good astringent properties.
There are tons of tips out there! If you have one that you would like to share, please comment below.
Savone Johnston
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