It’s all the rage. People everywhere are going green. Whether it be a new form of technology being used by a business or just recycling a bit more, everyone is paying more attention to their effect on the environment. And the fad has trickled down to beauty products — mainstream beauty products.
Lush Cosmetics is a line of shampoos, soaps, lotions and more devoted to helping the environment. According to the company’s Web site, all its products are handmade and use 100 percent vegetarian and 70 percent vegan products. Items like soaps, body wash and lotions contain ingredients like lemon, fresh mint and sea salt that come straight from the manufacturer and go directly into the products. Lush also minimizes its dependance on preservatives, using only two (methylparaben and propylyparaben), which have been used in skin care products for more than 60 years.
Lush also tries to protect the planet through limited packaging. “Naked is Nice” is used to describe the packaging policy. Whenever possible, Lush sells its products with no packaging whatsoever. Items like bath bombs, bubble bars and facial cleansers are made in a solid form so no packaging is needed. In all, about 70 percent of Lush’s products are sold “naked.”
It’s facts like these that drew Nancy Boyce, a sophomore in environmental technology, to the products.
“I love that Lush puts so much work into making sure their products are eco-friendly and healthy for the consumer,” Boyce said. “Many people don’t realize what kind of stuff they are putting on their body. There are so many harsh chemicals and preservatives in lotions, make-up and hair products, and it’s just not good in the long run.”
Boyce is a big fan of Lush’s line of hair products. The company offers everything from solid shampoos and conditioners to hair dyes — all from natural products like coconut, jasmine and citrus.
“Their conditioners leave my hair soft and shiny,” Boyce said. “It got me hooked.”
But Lush isn’t the only company on the environmental bandwagon. Victoria’s Secret introduced its own line of eco-friendly products in February called PINK Body. The line has the same basic principles as Lush Cosmetics, but has fewer products to offer right now and focuses mostly on bath and body products. PINK Body also divides their products into four categories–energizing, nourishing, soothing and essentials. All the products are organic and are made from products grown right here in the U.S.
“We were able to incorporate natural and organic ingredients in all of our products and also made sure to remove all the parabens and sulfites which are known to irritate the skin,” Ashli Stockton, Victoria’s Secret PINK body spokeswoman, said. “It’s a nice feeling to be able to pamper yourself and know you are doing something good for the environment at the same time.”
Stockton traveled across the country talking to girls about what they wanted in their body care products.
“She spoke and we listened,” Stockton said.
PINK Body is geared toward the collegiate customer, Stockton said, because though there are certain financial restraints on college students, girls still want to use great products and feel pampered.
During her travels around the country, Stockton found that college students shared a major concern for the environment and wanted to make a difference.
“No one seems more concerned about the environment these days than college students,” Stockton said. “As I traveled around the country talking to girls on campuses, I was inspired by all of the environmental programs they were involved in and how they were incorporating green living into their own lives. It just goes to show that if everyone does a little, it can really add up to a lot.”
Though Boyce said she hadn’t yet tried any of the new PINK Body products, she plans on purchasing some in the future.
“If it’s good for me and good for the environment then that’s what I want to put my money toward. It’s a win-win situation,” Boyce said.
