Your Green Beauty Guide

10 easy ways to make your gorgeous self eco-friendly.

By Paul Aguirre, Cassandra Padmore and Nikki Yeh

1. SMART TEETH. Turn the water off while you’re brushing your teeth and turn the tap on for rinsing. Use only short bursts of water for cleaning your brush. According to Environment Canada, this deed alone saves approximately 80 percent of the water normally used — what an impact!

2. BAG IT. Here’s another great way to reuse those plastic sandwich bags: turn them into
mini make-up sachets. Since they’re clear, you can quickly see what you’re looking for.

3. LIP SERVICE. Utilize one of the three R’s with your lipsticks. ere’s no need to throw
away those empty lipstick tubes. Use them as mini sewing kits or turn them into travel
containers for your daily vitamins.

4. FRIENDLY BLADES. The Environmental Protection Agency has reported that more than two billion disposable razors appear in landfi lls every year. Want to minimize your environmental impact? en use a razor that allows you to change the blade (this replaces throwing away plastic, nonbiodegradable razors into the garbage can).

5. GOT OLD SPECS? Then visit your pharmacy to find out where you can donate them. According to the World Health Organization, 153 million people around the world have uncorrected near-sightedness, far-sightedness and astigmatism — many of these people are living in developing countries.

6.GREEN THUMB. Read the labels on your bottles of nail polish and refrain from those
with formaldehyde*. Formaldehyde — a colourless gas used as a preservative — has
been shown to cause cancer in animals, says the Environmental Protection Agency.

7. LASH OUT. Even though your mascara is fInito, don’t throw it away just yet. Clean off the mascara wand and reuse it as a comb to separate clumpy eyelashes.

8.BE CHEMICAL FREE. Consider SLS* (sodium lauryl sulfate)-free products. SLS — a
detergent in engine degreasers — is frequently used in conventional soaps,
shampoos and facial cleansers for lather. SLS can even be harmful to freshwater fi sh as it travels from the drains into the waterways.

9. FIERCE FOUNDATION. Use foundation that’s packaged in a recyclable (and often reusable) glass container. According to Elizabeth Rogers and omas M. Kostigen,
authors of e Green Book, if one out of 20 women chose glass over plastic packaging,
the energy saved could fi ll a 20-gallon gas tank once a week for 24 years.

10. BE DYNAMIC. Ask your naturopathic doctor about any beauty lines that use ingredients from biodynamic agriculture. is new trend consists of a variety of sustainable
farming techniques such as composting, seed saving and crop rotation, while taking
infl uences from the moon and other planets into consideration.

Bonus tip

Just because your socks have holes doesn’t mean you have to toss them out. If you have leftover knee socks, cut off the ankles and create eco-chic leg warmers for the gym. Moving to a new home? en slip socks over your glass items to protect them in their boxes.

Give these a try...
	Kiss My Face Moisture Shave in Cool Mint (325ml, $8.99) “ It rubs on very easily and it makes my legs feel so smooth after a shave.” - Michele, 27, receptionist
	Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer in Rhubarb (2.6g, $5.99 “ Very cooling on the lips and the colour stays on all day.” - Brenda, 48, sales associate
	Jamieson Natural Radiance Moisture Lotion (2.6 fl .oz, $13.99) “ Keeps my arms and hands soft all day long. Two thumbs up!” -Cheryl, 40, insurance manager

References:
Complete Guide to Healing Foods, Amanda Ursell, 2000.
New Encyclopedia of Vitamins, Minerals Supplements & Herbs, Nicola Reavley, 1998.
“Products to eliminate wastefulness in bathroom,”
Virginia Linn, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, September 19, 2007.
“Recycling Centers,” Lions Club International, 2009.
“Water-Dos and Don’ts,” Environment Canada, 2008.