8 Simple Ways to "Green" Up Your Everyday Beauty Routine

Today it is more important than ever before to focus on being a responsible citizen and to do your part to act in "green" ways. Many families understand the importance of recycling at home, not littering and not polluting the air. However, there are ways to be "green" with your beauty routine, as well. If you like to use safe cosmetics or are looking for makeup and beauty ingredients that are natural, use this guide to learn how to "green" up your beauty routine.

1. Take Shorter Showers

One of the easiest ways to be friendly to the environment is to conserve water. You can build water conservation into your daily routine, by taking shorter showers. If you don't want to waste water, consider being intentional during your shower. Instead of standing in the shower, doing nothing, be sure to immediately start to soap up or shampoo upon entering the shower. When you make this a habit, you'll save tons of water each year, without even realizing it.

2. Make Natural, Homemade Facial Masks

You won't find green beauty products "greener" or more
ecofriendly than a homemade facial mask. Homemade facial
masks not only help you stay away from chemicals, but they can also help you keep your face healthy, in a natural way. Creating a simple facial paste from baking soda and water or from apples and honey can be an easy way to save money and use organic products on your skin.

3. Use Coconut Oil Instead of Lotion

Instead of buying bottle after bottle of expensive body lotion, try using coconut oil. Keep it in a container that's reusable and it will trump even recycled body lotion bottles. Coconut oil is a solid but if you keep the jar in the shower, it will heat up during your shower and after you wash you can rub it on your skin.

4. Use Olive Oil for Eye Makeup Removal

Many makeup removers have skin pollutants that will indeed remove makeup, but can be terrible for your skin. However, olive oil is a great makeup remover that is natural and safe for your skin. It can easily remove eye liner and mascara, as well as lipstick and other cosmetics.

5. Use Witch Hazel for Clearer Skin

Women of all ages experience acne on their face, chest, neck and back. Many turn to extremely harsh chemicals and medications to help them rid their body of blemishes. However, witch hazel is natural and can do the same thing. Rub it on the face, neck, chest and back to prevent acne.
6. Purchase Products in Ecology Responsible Packaging Obviously there are going to be cosmetic products you'll prefer to buy instead of make at home. Companies who create their products with sustainable intentions are the best choices. One of the most natural brands is The Body Shop.

7. Use Bar Soap to Lather Up

Although many companies are making attractive body washes and liquid soaps, using bar soap is a "green" choice. When you use up body wash, you're left with an empty bottle. You can certainly recycle it, but it's still not as "green" as a bar of soap that you use in its entirety.

8. Utilize Cross-Use or Double Duty Products

To avoid buying multiple products that could possibly give
you the same results and in order to reduce your use of
bottled products, think about cross-using products. For
example, hair conditioner works to condition your hair and
can also be an amazing shaving cream.