The 8 Commandments of Natural Beauty

Commandment No. 6

One of the tell-tale signs that a beauty company's "green" claims lack validity is a quick examination of a product's packaging. (That said, responsible — or "green"-themed — packaging does not mean the product inside is safe natural makeup!)

Products enveloped in unnecessary cardboard containers, non-degradable plastic bottles and pumps, or sold with any unnecessary flair (cloth bags, crystal or sequin stud designs, ribbons, tissue paper, leaflets, etc.) should jump out to you as a red flag that the company's green claims could be dubious. Added packaging is nothing more than an expensive status statement that you'll unwrap, trash, and quickly forget.

Always strive to buy products in glass packaging, but if you have to go plastic, look for products made from recycled, recyclable or degradable materials.

Make your own products for the opportunity to use sustainable packaging. Buy cobalt blue jars by the dozen online, or just open your fridge for inspiration. Keep small glass jam, salad dressing, and other sauce jars; clean them thoroughly, and reuse them your own green beauty creations. Or, reuse old plastic bottles, especially those you can't recycle — otherwise, they're landfill-doomed. Before you reuse, check the recycling code against this list of plastics, so you only reuse safe plastics that won't leach suspect chemicals into your beauty concoctions.