Makeup companies getting eco-friendly makeovers
By Samantha Critchell
Associated Press
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NEW YORK — The most fashionable color in makeup this spring may just be green.
Cosmetics companies are increasingly jumping on the eco-chic bandwagon, not only finding botanical ingredients to replace chemical-based ones, but also focusing on improving their packaging practices and the doings of their business partners.
But can an industry that has long relied on synthetic ingredients to create some of its biggest hits really go all natural, all the time? Probably not. Instead, consumers are more likely to see cosmetic companies continue to pick their spots, doing what they can where they can, and letting the world know about each move.
The best advice for environmentally conscious consumers is to scrutinize those marketing messages, deciding for themselves whether a product is "lite green" — those with a small eco-friendly detail — or "bright green," those that come from a company with strong commitment to protecting the Earth, said Alex Steffen, executive editor of www.Worldchanging.com, a Web site devoted to discussing solutions to environmental problems.
"People are really interested in guilt-free affluence," Steffen said. "People want to be rich but they don't want to feel like they're drowning polar bears. Once you decide to be guilt-free, you need to know the backstory about the products in your life," he said.
Does using recycled paper for packaging make a difference? Do carbon offset programs work?
"The short answer is yes but not enough," said Steffen, who said the companies that are rethinking the process of how they make things will be the ones that catapult environmental change.
"It's a question of gesture vs. impact," added Steffen, who wrote the book "Worldchanging: A User's Guide for the 21st Century" (Abrams).
Linda Wells, editor in chief of Allure magazine, says it makes moral and business sense for cosmetic companies to pay more attention to the Earth, especially when courting younger customers who are keen to find eco-friendly beauty products.
But she points out that consumers who want certain kinds of results may have no other choice than to rely on those made with manufactured ingredients.
"Many anti-aging ingredients are synthetic or chemicals," Wells said. "So you end up eliminating a lot of the benefits of the products for something that might give you peace of mind and do something for the environment, but you might not give the customer what they've become used to."
Here's some of the latest products and companies claiming environmental friendliness:
The candle is made of soy wax, which burns cleanly, sits in a glass container made of 95 percent post-consumer recycled glass and is scented with organic Bulgarian lavender oil. Aveda says it traces the oil from "soil to bottle" to ensure the distillery follows eco-responsible practices.
Aveda offsets about 7 million pounds of carbon emissions a year by purchasing wind energy for its manufacturing and distribution hub in Minnesota, said Mary T'Kach, Aveda's director of environmental sustainability.
After the serum hits the market in June, Lancome will plant a tree for each of the first 10,000 bottles sold. The company also has done a paperless press launch — creating a Web site for public-relations purposes instead of preparing hundreds of mailers containing a dozen pieces of paper.
The lipsticks themselves also use an environmentally friendly recipe: meadowfoam seed oil, jojoba and shea butter and no mineral oils or petroleums.
The outer packaging of the lipstick box is embedded with seeds, so if you plant the paper you can grow wildflowers.
Between department stores and retail stores, about three dozen more of the new concept shops are planned this year, adding to the 65 already open. Older stores are in the process of updating paints and lighting.
