Eco-friendly Vanity
After seeing documentaries such as Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth, the world took action in making the world a greener place to live in. And just like your favorte fashion and beauty labels, you, too, can make a difference with these baby steps.
Eat organic. Before you start brushing off the word “organic” as a term coined by diet freaks, stop and think about these facts: Majority of the affordable produce you see in supermarkets, such as vegetables and rice, are processed using chemicals and harmful pesticides. Even if you wash them several times in the kitchen, chances are, there are still harmful chemicals and toxins left for you to ingest. Not only are these harmful chemicals increasing your chances of internal diseases, they are also responsible for slowing down your metabolism, thus making you gain pounds. The next time you go grocery shopping, pick produce that is organically produced. They may cost a little more, but it’s a small price to pay for both your health and the environment. Once the demand for organic produce skyrockets, farmers and sellers will start mass-producing the environmentally safe way: no chemicals, artificial fertilizers, and pesticides.
Wear organic. Other than the food we eat, many beauty products are now also organically made. Most organic beauty brands are very vocal about their environmental cause, so you’ll be sure to see posters and labels highlighting their non-chemical processes and natural ingredients. Do Mother Nature a favor and pick makeup and beauty products that echo your concern for the environment.
Where’s your eco-friendly cloth bag? These days, environmentally friendly bags are free everywhere—in groceries, malls, and even bazaars. Whenever you go out, fold and stash a cloth bag in your pocket or bag. You never know when you’ll suddenly get hit by the shopping bug. Whenever you shop, whether for groceries or retail, tell the cashier that you won’t need the little plastic bag. Just dump all of your day’s purchases into your cloth bag. You won’t believe how much disposable plastic bags you’ll save from being collected at trash dumps, and many more clogging sewers and polluting oceans.
Return the containers. We know you can’t help but use a lot of makeup and beauty products. Every month, we throw out the empty containers and bottles of our favorite beauty stuff. Next time, instead of just tossing these containers in the garbage, read the label. Did you know that a lot of reputable beauty brands actually ask their consumers to return the empty bottles to the stores? These brands take their time to segregate and send these empty bottles to the proper recycling center. Don’t hesitate to ask the salesladies about their “return empty bottles” policy. Who knows, they might even have a promo for eco-friendly customers. Some beauty brands will give you free samplers whenever your return a number of empty bottles. If not, then do your own segregation. Wait until you fill up a sack full of empty plastic bottles. When you take them to a recycling center, they’ll gladly exchange your trash for cash.
