Getting Back to Green

After my eco-UNfriendly spring break where I flew to San Francisco and drove about 18 miles from my boyfriend's house in Tempe to my parents' house in Chandler twice a day, I decided to get focused on my original goal of this blog.


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During my break, there was a lone green instance where my mother and I rode our bikes to the local Whole Foods Market. While looking for my mom's favorite flavor of Celestial Seasonings brand tea — which uses only natural products — I noticed the vast amount of skin products and makeup the store carries.

Each product has the market's stamp of approval — the Premium Body Care symbol. After two years of research, the company created the standard for more than 1,200 beauty and skin care products.

The market's Web site also reveals the falsities that surround natural products:

• The U.S. government does not require health studies or pre-market testing for personal care products.

• There are many non-natural components and processes in most U.S. body care products. Even those labeled "natural" may contain harsh preservatives or ingredients with environmental concerns.

• Sunscreen is recommended by experts, yet many chemical sunscreens have been shown to have questionable safety. Our Premium standard allows only those that physically screen sun as a safer alternative.

• Science never stops. Our customers trust us to stay on top of the latest breakthroughs, so the Premium standards are designed to evolve as new science-based studies and research come to light. We are excited to consider them as a starting point, a work in progress, an opportunity to raise the bar ever higher.

There is even a video, in which people were asked what they think natural means when it comes to skin products.



I just hope that these products will get me back on the right track after I fell off the wagon during my break.