Is that lipstick eco-friendly?

Do earth-unfriendly chemicals lurk in your box of face powder? Will your bathing soap endanger the earth’s forests? Is your tube of lipstick safe for you and the planet?

These are the questions women are asking as they head to the stores to pick up cosmetics and skin care products.

Companies are also making an extra effort to project themselves as ‘green’ companies, either by using recycled packaging, working with botanical ingredients, adding fewer chemicals or sending the proceeds of the sale of some of their products to green initiatives across the world.

A company that makes it a point to follow environment friendly methods is Lush. Their products are made of natural ingredients, using carefully blended plants, flower absolutes and fine essential oils, and they do not do any animal testing either.

Says Sangeeta Kamath, spokesperson for Lush Fresh Handmade cosmetics in India, “We are always working around green initiatives. We have many ‘naked products’ by which we mean they are not packed or wrapped, nor do they come in a box. We are saving on paper, plastic and other wrapping material.” The products are packed in recycled newspaper wrapping and handed over to customers on purchase, says Kamath.

As Christmas approaches, the company is going one step further. They will be using the Japanese style of gift wrapping called Furoshiki. “We will be using a scarf to wrap gifts. These scarves are made of recycled plastic products and look exactly like fabric,” she explains. It is estimated that 50,000 trees are cut down to make Christmas wrapping paper each year; using fabric to wrap gifts means the wrapping can be reused or preserved.

Adds Kamath, “We believe what we eat is what we should apply on the body. Our pots and bottles of product are all recycled. We never use any virgin material for packing anything. Our methods of preparation are eco-friendly too. We buy as many organic ingredients as we can and follow fair trade policies.”

Indian skin care and cosmetic products are also becoming very eco-conscious too. Deepa Pillai, Manager, Retail Operations, South, Forest Essentials, a company that sells luxurious ayurvedic products, says: “We follow traditional ayurvedic recipes.” Forest Essentials came into being after many years of development with trained Ayurvedic physicians to create a range of natural skin care and hair care products.

“All the ingredients we use are completely organic,” adds Pillai. “No chemicals or preservatives are used in them. Even our method of extraction is by cold press which is done by hand using hand grinders. This retains the natural ingredients and nutrients and we also save on the use of machinery. I think that women should keep a watch on how many chemicals are going into their skin. It is good that so many cosmetic brands are going the green way and we should all work together to make the green movement happen.”

Fab India also has a range of natural skin care products. Says Meetu Rawat, merchandiser, Fab India, “We offer natural and authentic products, and a wide range of aromapathy products too. All our products are made of organic ingredients, and this includes hand made soaps, naturally derived butters and herbal extracts. Most of the products are made in trays and they are hand-cut and hand-made.”

Being eco-conscious is the way to go, says Manjusha Maheshwari, noted image consultant, who tries to use eco-friendly skin care as much as possible.

“Every woman should be aware of the chemicals in the products they use. They should get as much information as they can and read the list of ingredients on each product that they buy. Your mantra should be “know before you use.’ Going the eco-friendly way in skin care is the best way forward now.”