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This Earth Day there are a few musts when it comes to greening your Fashion and Beauty. And I mean musts. But here's the great thing: They are small changes that make a big difference. Well, that is if all of you make the effort. As the collective yet nondescript "they" say: 1 drop in a bucket makes merely a ripple, but hundreds of drops makes a wave.
Maximum Impact with 3 Easy Steps
Shower with Someone Else
Problem: You use an average of 2.5 gallons of water for every minute that you shower.
Solution: Save water in the shower by...
- Showering with someone else.
- Cutting your shower time in half.
- Turning off the water while shaving your legs, waiting for your conditioner to soak in, or loofah'ing your skin.
Go Au Natural
Whenever I wear more than just a little mascara and some basic blush (even though it's mineral blush), my boyfriend says that he thinks I'm much more beautiful without make-up. And although I don't honestly believe him, for the sake of my health and the health of the planet, maybe I should.
Problem: Every day the average woman slathers her skin with 175 different chemicals in the form of unnatural beauty and skincare products. Daily make-up wearers can absorb as much as 5 pounds of chemicals through your skin and into your body every year! Nasty. And here's the thing, ingesting these toxins through your skin has been shown to be even worse than if you ate them. Why? When you ingest chemicals, the enzymes and acids in your saliva and stomach help to break down and flush out the invaders. Your skin doesn't have the same protective system. Your skin is your body's largest living breathing organ. Slather chemicals on your skin and they are sucked in! So what kinds of toxins are you ingesting and what are the side-effects? The fragrances and colors have been shown to cause allergies, irritation, even cancer.
Solution:
- Go au natural for the day.
- Switch your skincare products to natural alternatives that are just as, and even more beauty-making (I swear) than the nasty chemical-filled ones.
- Make your own skincare products from ingredients you already have in your pantry and refrigerator.
Throw a Swishing Party
Problem: The average American throws away 68 pounds of clothes a year. Approximately 25% of all insecticides and 11% of all pesticides are sprayed on cotton fields (the same cotton that is spun into your t-shirts, jeans, and sweatpants). A Global Cool study showed that over half of all clothing, shoes and accessories purchased in 2008 was never worn. This pile of unused purchases adds up to an estimated 8 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in the UK.
Solution:
- Stop shopping and instead recycle unworn (and gently worn) clothes at "swishing" or "clothing swap" parties. The concept is this: get a group of friends together for a clothing exchange. Swap this dress for those pair of shoes, this purse for that blouse... you get the picture. It's like shopping in your friend's closet! In the end, you've got a new wardrobe and you didn't spend a dime!
- Have old or outdated stuff that you wouldn't wish your worst enemy to wear (let alone your friend)? Put a pile together and donate it to Goodwill or Salvation Army and get a receipt that you can use as a tax right-off.
- Have a garage sale and get rid of the stuff while making a few bucks.
More Content on Green Beauty and Fashion
5 Strategies for Throwing the Perfect Clothing Swap
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Free Shampooing Conditioner! Just Go To The Maui Jungle To Forage for It (Video)
How to Go Green: Water
