How To Give Your Favorite Beauty Products an Eco-Friendly Makeover!

1. Reconsider Your Dry Shampoo

Many dry shampoo options contain talcum powder that gets rid of the grease in your hair but can also possibly link to lung cancer and has other negative health effects. Plus, since dry shampoo typically comes in spray-on containers, the aerosol that’s contained in these cans also plays a role in destroying the ozone layer. While the amounts of these chemicals are small in dry shampoo, opting to use the talc-free Burt’s Bees brand, called Baby Bee Dusting Powder, may have a beneficial effect on both you and your surroundings. There’s also Green and Gorgeous Organics, which is made without toxic chemicals or genetically modified ingredients. Rather than getting rid of your dry shampoo altogether, perhaps consider one of these.

2. BaYou With Love

Nikki Reed's cosmetics line also pledges to provide low-chemical options for those looking for a safe makeup alternative. You can find perfume, healing balm, a travel candle, and lip and cheek tint in the actress’s new cosmetics pouch, and every product is safe for pregnant women as well.

3. A Healthier Way to Remove Your Makeup

While they’re certainly handy, makeup remover wipes are typically encased in formaldehyde, which is classified as a “probable human carcinogen". Besides that, after their one-time use, we throw them out and they end up on our beautiful beaches or clogging up our sewer system. However, there are alternatives to makeup wipes that are just as easy to use and safe for the environment. One such example is Jessica Alba’s Honest Beauty Everything Organic Facial Oil that can clean the grime off your face without needing a wipe to do so. This oil is organic and has been approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to be free of chemicals, dyes and other allergens.

4. Say Yes to Yes To

Yes To is a health and beauty brand with a wide assortment of products that are often made with fresh fruits and veggies like carrots and tomatoes. Because of the ingredients the company uses, there are no toxic chemicals inside and the products aren’t tested on animals either. Plus, each product is made with recyclable materials which keep both you and the earth happy.

5. Think About Your Bar Soap

Many generic soap brands that we take for granted actually contain at least one type of toxic chemical that’s harmful to both you and the environment. One brand, though, that uses safe ingredients is Alaffia, a fair trade company that also uses its profits to ensure African resources benefit African communities. Instead of using artificial flavors and chemicals to give the soaps a fragrance, each bar is infused with shea butter, coconut oil, and lavender. This way, you and every aspect of the world around you benefits from this bar of soap.

(Image via Alberto Reyes/WENN)

- Emmy Freedman, YH Contributing Writer