10 ways to be a natural beauty: we've asked experts for simple ways to infuse your beauty routines with good-for-you, plant-based ingredients — while helping the Earth - Earth Month Special

Shape, April, 2003 by Valerie Latona

If you're like most of us, the last thing you think about when slathering on a skin cream (or applying an eye shadow or blush) is exactly where the ingredients come from--or where the empty packaging will end up. But this month, Earth Month (Earth Day is April 22), the challenge is to think about that--for at least a minute, an hour or a day. So before you turn the page, consider this: Every one of us leaves what's called an ecological footprint on the Earth, essentially a stamp that has an effect for generations to come. (To measure yours, click on www.earthday.net/footprint.) Even tossing that lipstick tube or shampoo bottle in the trash creates a footprint. To help reduce the potentially harmful impact we're having on the planet, we've asked experts for simple things we can do to enhance our own beauty--while making the world a better place in which to live.

Know that botanical (plant-based) beauty is holistic beauty. It's a healthy body (including what you put into it), a healthy mind and a healthy Earth all working synergistically. That, according to Aveda's founder Horst Rechelbacher, is "the business of being" -- "a daily regimen of nurturing rituals that continually promote health, happiness and beauty within both the microorganisms of our bodies and the macroorganisms of the world."

Look for beauty products packaged with recycled materials -- or, refill your empty containers. The more waste we can recycle and reuse, the better for the Earth, says Mary Thach, executive director of environmental sustainability for Aveda. "We need to connect what we do and the choices we make with the impact these have on the environment -- and ultimately on our own health," she explains. (Labels will indicate whether the packaging is made from any recycled materials.) Environmentally conscious beauty companies like The Body Shop (bodyshop.com) and Aveda (aveda.com) are increasing the recycled content of their plastic bottles and jars.

Other skin- and haircare companies like Body Time (bodytime.com) will refill your containers at a discount, and Kiehl's (kiehls.com) collects empty containers for recycling.

Choose bulk-size shampoos and conditioners as well as products with minimal external packaging. The fewer small containers you use, the less garbage you'll produce, Tkach explains -- and the less of a footprint you'll leave on the Earth. Likewise, items with simple, minimal packaging also help reduce waste, explains Cammie Cannella, assistant vice president, global education, for Kiehl's which has been following this and other Earth-friendly principles like recycling since its founding in 1851.

Understand what organic means. Up until late last year there had been no federal regulation governing what an "organic" food product was -- whether it was 100 percent chemical-free or made from just some organic ingredients. Under its new National Organic Program, however, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has created strict guide-lines about what can be labeled "organic" (at east 95 percent organic) or "100 percent organic" (must contain only organically produced ingredients) on grocery shelves.

But what about cosmetics and personal-care products? California is leading the nation in helping consumers better recognize organic beauty products. Under the California Organic Products Act of 2003, which went into effect Jan. 1, all products sold in California and represented as "organic" must be made from at least 70 percent organic materials. If you don't live in the Golden State, look for products from forward-thinking companies like Avalon Natural Products (avalonnaturalproducts.com) and Kiss My Face's Obsessively Organic facial care line (kissmyface.com); both print the percentage of organic ingredients on product labels. Other organic best bets: Aubrey Organics (aubrey-organics.com) skin and hair care and Kimberly Sayer of London skin care (kimberly sayer.com).

Take time out to enjoy nature. Go for a walk, run outside instead of on a treadmill or plant a tree or garden. What do such activities have to do with beauty? Everything. Connecting with nature helps you relax--and keeps you in balance. And the more de-stressed you are, the more radiant your skin, hair and nails will be.

Try all-natural cosmetics made from ingredients like minerals and natural pigments (instead of synthetic dyes), suggests holistic beauty expert and makeup artist Kat James, who has worked with celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker and LeAnn Rimes. "Up until three years ago, anyone with any aesthetic sense would not have been satisfied with the pickings in natural makeup," says James, who founded the Web site informedbeauty.com. "But all that has changed. Now I can use all-natural makeup in a photo shoot and have my clients look great."

Not only are the ingredients in these cosmetics good for your skin, they're also made from renewable resources (read: once used, more of them can easily be grown). That's unlike nonrenewable resources, which, once used up, are gone. While petroleum, for example, occurs naturally in the Earth, once it's been processed into an ingredient and used by consumers, the Earth cant renew it, explains Robin Michel, owner of The Alternative Salon in Chappaqua, N.Y., who uses natural products in all of the salon's services.