Aveda.. a greener and safer hairdo with all the lux of a traditional salon

I just got my hair done at Aveda and I am sooo pleased. One of my favorite things is to go to the hair salon and get a "hair makeover." To sit in the chair and get pampered for an hour or two is just so relaxing. However since making the decision to go green going to the salon has become a little more difficult. The chemicals in traditional hair dyes are not so great & the local salons around me all use traditional beauty products. I have written those off I needed to find a more sustainable solution.

My younger sister works at an Aveda salon & convinced me to come in and get my hair done there. This is the same sister who originally gave me the gorgeously green book and got me started on this green life journey. I had gone to an Aveda salon before, however it was just for a hair cut..... This time however I wanted to get my hair colored. I was a little nervous before going because I have never gotten my hair colored before (only bleached highlights) and I didn't want to damage my hair. However my color looks great and my hair feels better too! If the color was the same I would have sworn she just did a deep conditioning! Depending on the color you choose Aveda's dyes are 93-99% natural. The Aveda website defines natural as derived from plants and non-petroleum based minerals. Also aveda uses a patented process using green tea extract to oxidize their hair dyes instead of the petroleum based synthetics that conventional dyes use. This is good news for those of us looking for a safer way to dye our hair, since normal salon brands are 100 & synthetic with heavy metals,toxins, and petroleum based products. Also these conventional hair dyes have been linked to lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and leukemia. Don't believe me read the results of this study on pubmed. Aveda also used 100% certified wind energy to manufacture their products. To learn more about Aveda's green ingredient policy and how they are phasing out parabens in their products, increasing the amounts of organic herbal ingredients purchased, their 100% post consumer packaging, and other efforts to make their products safer for both you and the planet follow this link: http://aveda.aveda.com/aboutaveda/green_ingredients_policy.asp

All around the Aveda experience was relaxing and luxurious. I got great hairdo and hand massage. (if you get a hair cut they will give you a head & neck massage) Along with the peace of mind that my hair color was safe for both me & the environment!

My favorite eyeliner & mascara

After learning about how dangerous parabens, phthalates, and fragrance were to your body I swore off any makeup that had them in it. Which was great until i realized that was ALL my makeup! uhh-ohhh. I then had to hunt for new makeup that without those nasty little chemicals. I was able to find eyeshadow at the local drugstore. Physician's formula has a line of makeup called Organic wear and Almay has a line of makeup called Pure Blends. Both of these lines are fantastic for affordable, easy to find everyday makeup. You can get them at your local Target. However eyeliner and mascara gave me trouble. I spent quite a bit of money and tried several different kinds from my local whole foods natural beauty section. But they eyeliners were transparent and the mascaras gave no boost to my lashes. I wanted something more vibrant along with those thick lashes you see gracing the covers of beauty magazines!

Then I found out that Tarte was eco-friendly! I was already famliar with the brand and had no idea that they had paraben, phthalate, sulfate, and fragrance free eyeshadows. There tag line is Heath Couture and they state that " Health Couture™ is all about pure style:
the marriage between fashion and nature." To read more about there eco-line go here. I was so excited find this out. I love dark purple eyeliner because it just gives your eyes a little more "pop" than plain black and they have this great liquid eyeliner and eyeshadow stick called Indelible wink. Totally recommend that eyeliner. It comes in black, brown, grey, and purple. There mascara is also fantastic. Great definition and it is waterproof. To make the deal even sweeter their packaging is make from recycled paper and printed with soy ink. Also they have a great recycling program where if you send them your empty makeup containers you can recieve 15% off your next purchase. Be green & save green!!!

Check out their website www.tartecosmetics.com you can also purchase Tarte at Sephora too.