Cosmetic companies join 'green' trend

The "Go Green" craze is taking over the world. Cars, food, cleaning products and light bulbs are all part of the products that have been touched by the environmental frenzy. And now, your face can get in on the action. The cosmetic industry has decided to jump on board the environmental bandwagon. With more than 80 percent of women using makeup on a daily basis, it only makes sense that these products be organic and unharmful to skin. Famous cosmetic brands such as bareMinerals, NVEY, Stella McCartney and Smashbox have added "green lines" to their offerings. These products are all more environmentally friendly than their non-green counterparts offered by giants such as Revlon, L'Oreal and Maybelline. Not only is this better for the earth, it's also good for the companies' sales - by bringing in more customers who are green-conscious. Although some may say these companies are simply trying to take advantage of a trend for personal gain, in the end it's still helping the environment. The "green lines" have many selling points. All the green products' packaging is biodegradable and recyclable and none of the products are tested on animals. The Green Room Spring 2008 Color Collection by Smashbox has a special promotion to sell their products. In this collection, every time a Green Room product is sold, a Moringa tree will be planted in a developing country. The Moringa tree is a useful crop because it provides nutritious food for countries in need. Companies have vary in their levels of commitment to the cause. Some have just begun offering these organic products, while others, such as bareMinerals, have been green from the get go. All bareMinerals products are 100 percent preservative- and chemical-free. They don't use oils, fragrances or any other harmful additives to enhance their line. The green line by Stella McCartney, called CARE, was launched in 2006. CARE products only use plant extracts from organic crops where the soil has been prepared for at least three years. They also use 100 percent organic active ingredients. Instead of using chemical preservatives, CARE products come in airless packaging. NVEY took a similar approach to the Stella McCartney line and decided not to use ingredients from genetically modified crops. NVEY creates its products by mixing plant and mineral ingredients to make pure and highly efficient makeup products. While many consumers might consider makeup to be a harmless product that would hardly affect the environment, the use of everyday cosmetic applications could cause serious long-term damage to the user, as well as the Earth. Some of the chemicals found in basic makeup brands have been found to cause cancer, reproductive problems or genetic mutations if used on a regular basis. Not only are these products harmful for the body, but the oils commonly used have also proven to be environmental pollutants. The tiny amount of extra time it takes to find that bottle of concealer stamped "organic" on the products is well worth it. Even if these corporations are simply taking advantage of a potential sales increase by going green, it's still helping the environment, and that's never a bad thing. Big business will always look for ways to attract more clientele, and if contributing to the environmental movement is a new tactic, at least it's a step in the right direction.

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