Good for the planet, good for the skin

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What touches our skin or goes into our bodies is of utmost concern for consumers these days. But not only are we interested in the safety of the products we regularly use, we are also interested in items that are beneficial to the planet.

Green cleaning products, sustainable building resources, and eco-friendly automobiles are just some of the green items that now are commonplace. But the trend is expanding beyond ethanol and organic arugula. Even cosmetics are going green.

You may not think of beauty products when you envision natural or green items. However, selecting natural items in cosmetics and other beauty products is a wise thing to do. Choosing green beauty products means being more environmentally conscious and creating less waste.

When Yves Rocher created its first plant-based treatment 50 years ago in the village of La Gacilly, in the Brittany region of France, the idea of turning to nature for beauty was quite revolutionary. Recently, the company has launched Culture Bio, a complete line of Ecocert certified-organic skin care products.

Culture Bio is an organic beauty line with 100 percent natural fragrances and eco-designed packaging that ensure a guilt-free beauty routine, from the moment you wake up in the morning to when you go to bed at night. The line's cardboard packaging is made from recycled sawdust waste and the line itself is manufactured in France, in one of Yves Rocher's European manufacturing plants, which are all ISO 14001-certified for the environment. Moreover, the entire Culture Bio line is carbon-neutral. Yves Rocher compensates for the carbon emissions created in the manufacturing process of the line by funding the production of solar cookers in South America, an initiative that helps to fight global warming.

Additionally, the company will launch Couleurs Nature, a makeup line with 29 new products and over 200 new shades, all presented with an exclusive Botanical Color Chart. From the Moisturizing Cream Lipstick with organic sesame oil, to the eyeshadows with bamboo extract, Couleurs Nature is a multi-colored, eco-friendly tribute to nature.

Going green is a process anyone can embrace. It doesn't require making drastic lifestyle changes, but a few gradual tweaks here and there. Why not try starting with some eco-friendly lipstick or face cream?

The Couleurs Nature and Culture Bio lines are available at www.YvesRocherUSA.com or by catalog at 1-800-321-3434.