Giving Hands

Besides taking a stand by letting manufacturers know the reasons we've stopped using their products — e.g. they over-package their goods, or they support animal testings in their labs — there are a whole lot of other things that we can do as part of our "green lifestyle". Another example, did you know that the majority of perfumes are made entirely from petrochemical products of which the manufacture is very damaging to the environment? They can contain phthalates that have been shown to damage lungs, liver and kidneys!

These are some little things that you can help save the environment, and yourself:

• Brighly coloured cosmetics are likely to contain a lot more chemicals than natural-looking shades. Choose colours sparingly and go for fleshy ones and browns.
• When buying make-up, choose refillabe palettes, particularly for lip and eye colours or powders. You will have less packaging, less wastage and it will be less expensive in the long run!
• Limit perfumes to special occasions because 95% of chemicals used in fragrances today are synthetic compounds, including some toxins capable of causing serious health problems, e.g. cancer, birth defects, central nervous system disorders and allergic reactions.
• Choose plant-based rather than petroleum-based body products to use in the bath or shower because plant-based products are more natural and require a lot less manufacture.