Green is Beautiful

By Tania Asnes

Ed is so green he even monitors Rachelle's water usage with a gauge as she glams up for the Academy Awards. What if you don?t have such a hardcore helper, or mindset, but still want to green your beauty routine? You can help reduce your ecological footprint by making smart beauty choices and even save some green in the process.

Let's face it; the beauty industry is a Wild West when it comes to going green. Loopholes in government regulations allow companies to tout their beauty products as natural - and organic, no less - even if they contain toxic ingredients. Bottom line: unfortunately, recycled unbleached paper packaging and a natural-sounding name do not guarantee that a product is good for you or for the environment. Progress toward stricter regulations is steady, but until the industry catches up, it's best to think twice before you reach into your wallet.

Speaking of wallets, it may be simpler than you think to fatten yours while giving the planet a pat on the back. Not all green beauty brands will break you, and Physicians Formula Organic Wear is one of the least expensive and most readily available. It lives up to its leaf-adorned packaging because it has third-party Ecocert certification, meaning that it contains a minimum of 10 percent organic ingredients and 95 percent ingredients from natural origins. If you want more green assurance when it comes to personal care, consult the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics before you hit the stores. Their easily searchable alphabetical database tells you what companies have signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics, which pledges to eliminate harmful ingredients and make information about company practices readily available to consumers. Keep in mind that companies have three years to comply with the pledge's standards after they sign it, so the database should be used as a guideline and not a shopping list.

Some green cosmetics can have different textures than chemically based ones, so you may need to alter your application techniques for the best results. With liquid or cream products, use a brush to ensure that the pigment ends up on your face and not your fingers. Some powders can look dusty or cake up on the skin, so tap your brush lightly on the upturned container's cap before applying. Above all use a light hand, as gentle blending will give you that effortlessly fresh look.

You can save even more green by indulging your creative side and making your own beauty products and accessories. Perhaps you have already learned how to reuse a makeup compact by transforming it into a perfume holder. You can use the same general idea to get more mileage out of your lipsticks. EnKoreMakeup's infectiously cheery host and cosmetic guru, Koren, demonstrates how to melt lipsticks into purse-friendly lip palettes with little more than your own stove, lipsticks and unused containers. Do you seem to be recycling endless food and tissue boxes? Koren's tutorials can teach you how to turn them into eyeshadow, lipstick, and even brush organizers. Koren's videos are directed primarily at makeup artists, so don't let his references to kits or being on-set scare you; his tips work wonderfully for the average person. Koren does use conventional cosmetics and cleaning products in his tutorials, but you can substitute more earth-friendly ones to really green your beauty habits.

Not all of us have an Oscar in our house like Ed and Rachelle do (albeit above the cat box), or an invitation to the statue-centered soiree, but we can take some simple steps to go glam while going green.

Need proof that it's possible to balance being green and still be a supportive partner and parent? See how Ed Begley, Jr. does it on Planet Green TV's Living with Ed.