by Liz W

Flickr.com user woodleywonderworks

With Earth Day quickly approaching, people, charitable organizations, and even big corporations are using the opportunity to see what they can do to reduce their carbon footprint. Even if you are completely new to the whole green movement, chances are, you have been contributing to Mother Earth’s well being in some way or another.

Many brands you use daily have a strong commitment to improving the environment, so you may be helping more than you think. Tons of makeup and skin care brands are improving their existing practices, or are already completely dedicated to doing their part for a greener, healthier tomorrow.

Tarte Cosmetics is a brand whose vibrant purple packaging might not say “eco conscious” right off the bat, but they are really devoted to creating green products. Tarte consider themselves leaders in earth engineered™ beauty, by formulating their products with “skinvigorating™” ingredients free from parabens, phthalates, sulfates and synthetic fragrances, as well as many others. Their loyalty to their core value of healthy beauty doesn’t stop at their formulations, they also construct their glamorous packaging from recyclable or post-consumer recycled material, greatly reducing their contribution to nasty green house gasses.

If Tarte sounds like a brand you would like to try, they have a great sampler kit, We Wish You Health Set includes four of their many cruelty-free products, in a cute little zipper bag.

Green makeup is one thing, but many people are skeptical about making the switch to earth friendly skin care. Natural skin care can sometimes be misunderstood and have the reputation of being ineffective, due to less potent ingredients. This couldn’t be farther from the truth, however, as many brands are using botanical- and mineral-based formulas to create powerful anti-aging and beautifying products.

Juice Beauty is one of these innovative brands that uses certified organic ingredients in all of its fruit juice-based products. Eliminating non-organic water and replacing it with a concoction of over 30 different juices, Juice Beauty’s products can have up to 98% organic content per product! They have managed to create a highly effective skin care line, that not only uses earth friendly ingredients, but is manufactured with solar power and utilizes recyclable packaging.

Juice Beauty also has an awesome kit in which you can try before you buy (the full products at least). The Organics to Go Kit is everything you need to stay naturally beautiful, while being kind to the earth.

Earth Day is a great time to learn more about our home planet and what big and small things you can do to help repair the damage we have done in the past.