You already recycle, maybe even drive a hybrid - but have you ever considered greening your beauty routine? Simple choices you make every day, from the soap you use to the makeup you wear, can make a big difference.


Liquid hand soap dispensers pile up in landfills just like any other plastic containers. Opt for bar soap instead. It dissolves entirely, which means less garbage. Look for brands that wrap their bars in uncoated paper that's biodegradable.

The average shower uses 2.2 gallons of water per minute. A quick 5-minute lather and rinse equals 11 gallons - that's more than 4,000 gallons a year, down the drain. Cut your water waste in half by shampooing every other day and getting a fresh-from the shower look in seconds with Shampowder Dry Shampoo Hair Powder.

Just a sprinkle of Shampowder is all it takes to add life and lift to hair. Mineral pigments in the most natural tones blend seamlessly in with your own hair color. In seconds, you look like you just stepped out of the salon!

Hypoallergenic. No chemical dyes or preservatives. Great for sensitive skin. Unless you've been banned from the cosmetics department for the past two years, you're probably well-versed in the benefits of mineral makeup.

But upstart brand Raw Natural Minerals™ is proving not all mineral makeup is created equal. Its coup d'etat is natural-looking coverage that lets you hide pimples and fine lines without looking like you're trying to hide pimples and fine lines. The always-flawless, never-overdone coverage has the company hearing kudos from customers.

So you can be healthy, do good, and look amazing. Who says you can't have it all?

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Not crazy about the idea of a fuzzy little bunny suffering through cruel cosmetics testing in the name of your beauty? Just look for the rabbit symbol on product labels. It denotes that a product is cruelty-free. You'll find it on brands like Pure & Natural, which also donates a portion of sales to the World Wildlife Fund.

Conventional nail polish often contains the solvents toluene and amyl, butyl and ethyl acetate, which are known neurotoxins, as well as the controversial plasticizers known as phthalates. Bad stuff for you and your manicurist - not to mention bad for the environment!

For your next mani-pedi, go with soy-and corn-based Priti or the water-based Suncoat, which hydrates the underlying nail and is available in 32 colors. Sally Hansen as well as companies like Avon, Estee Lauder, and CoverGirl have also removed phthalates, making the polish safer for you to use.