Eco-Chic Beauty Treats

It’s difficult enough to be beautiful; so, who wants to decode persnickety labels with ingredients that are pure terror to pronounce? Progressive beauties, I urge you to worry less, and primp more. How so, you ask? The answer is going green.

Tree hugging, has become fabulously posh in recent years; and eco-friendly is the new black. Say goodbye to labels without a recognizable word and hello to ingredients that can easily be found in your cupboard or mum’s garden.

Luv A Dub Dub handcrafted soaps are gentle on the skin, and the environment ($5.50 at luvadubdub.com). Formulated with olive, palm, and essential oils and blended into great scents like Satsuma Jazz and Chocolate Mint, Luv A Dub Dub is, eco friendly, economical and indispensable to your daily showering regimen.

Cheers to WildAid, a non-for profit organization that works to reverse the devastation of our planet’s wildlife. The organization has partnered with actress Kate Hudson, and celebrity hairstylist David Babaii to create the first line of hair care products that supports animal rights advocacy. The genius product line, David Babaii for WildAid, includes an exotic blend of ingredients that are both natural and renewable. The Volcanic Ash Sculpting Clay is the perfect complement to twists, curls, and overall style definition ($13.95 at www.db4wildaid.com). Its lightweight texture is divine, and the mineral-rich volcanic ash adds incredible shine.

LUSH Cosmetics is the purveyor of handmade products that can incite some serious skin envy. Being sure to use safe and gently ingredients, and caring enough to save our furry friends from product testing, LUSH products are the essence of green skin and body care. My vanity is stocked with the Ultrabland, yet ultrafab, Facial Cleanser ($14.75 at lush.com). It works wonders for removing makeup and helps to reduce skin inflammation with the antiseptic properties of honey as well as skin-softening rosewater. After cleansing, I moisturize with the Imperialis Moisturizer to balance sebum production for my oily skin ($21.95 at lush.com). This moisturizer is made up of olive oil, glycerin, and shea butter, along with a dash of herbs such as mullein leaf and St. John’s wort to penetrate the skin, moisturizing from the inside out.

Twice weekly, I sanction any serious product junkie to experience LUSH Cosmetics’ Ocean Salt, a foaming skin-polishing cleanser that is crafted with crushed lime, ocean salt and violet to wash away excess oils ($18.95 at lush.com). Continue your mini retreat with a minty layer of the Mask Of Magnanimity ($9.95 at lush.com). With calming honey and marigold oil, plus decongesting peppermint, I promise you’ll never feel so beautifully green.

While there is no definite standard for what is humanly beautiful, one thing is for certain: There is nothing more beautiful or worth saving than the beauty of our planet. Who knew doing your part meant having great skin and using fabulous products?

Beauty in color is our monthly beauty column aimed at reviewing products, highlighting color trends, and focusing on the hair care and skin care needs of women of color. Please contact Daria V. Wright if you have story ideas or product suggestions.