Want to green your beauty routine but don’t know how or where to start? I find this is one of the easiest way to start without too much effort.
 
I have created threelevels of sustainability when it comes to greening your beauty routine. I call them eco-attitudes. The idea is that if you start at the most elementary level, “Green Beauty Beginner,” with time you will move into “Green Beauty Pro” and perhaps even “Green Beauty Master.” I believe in giving women choices and taking baby steps. Making the switch from your favorite products and premium brands takes time. There is a mental shift that needs to take place, and there is a learning curve, too. You won’t go from using Armani and Dior to using Jane Iredale and ZuZu Luxe in one day. Not that you can’t—you can—but everyone works at a different pace. Some people are all-in right away while others need a little more time to transition. No judgment here!
 
Which best describes your eco-attitude?
 
A)  You are just being introduced to chemically safe cosmetics and go for the green products that have removed some of the major offenders. Your eco-efforts include reusing your shopping bags, drinking out of a SIGG bottle, and ordering fair-trade coffee. At the end of the day, you want to reduce your cosmetic footprint but can’t live without your signature scent. 
 
B)   You are well versed in green cosmetics and enjoy trying a variety of green products that are chemically safe, natural, and organic. You are highly concerned about the welfare of the earth. You make sacrifices and are committed to better health. You can’t imagine not helping to maintain a healthy planet. You drive a hybrid or other low emissions vehicle and only buy organic produce from the local farmer’s market. You refuse to drink bottled water and yet you don’t get your knickers in a twist if others around you do.
 
C)  You have a deep knowledge of toxic chemicals in cosmetics and the environment and seek out only the purest products often with few ingredients. You passionately advocate for the health of our planet and reuse, reduce, and recycle with zeal. No expense was spared when you installed your gray-water system in your solar-powered home. You’re committed to creating awareness about our planet’s resources and are involved in your community to inspire others to make the same efforts as you.
 
 
If you said:
 
A)        You’re a Green Beauty Beginner: you seek out products that have taken out the major offenders such as parabens and fragrance but do not dive much deeper into the ingredient label. Strive to keep these products to 20 percent or less of your total product usage a day.
 
B)        You’re a Green Beauty Pro: You are highly interested in clean, non toxic products and do your research to ensure your products are free of harsh chemicals and petrochemicals. This is where you want to live 80 percent of your products should fall in this category.
 
C)        You’re a Green Beauty Master: You are a purist and want products that are 100% natural and chemical free often with few ingredients. These products are wonderful and the more the better but consider them a bonus not all your products need to fall in this category.
 
Are you pleased with your eco-attitude? Remember, there is no wrong or right level. We all have to start somewhere. It’s what you can handle at the time that will best support your long-term success. An eco-attitude is a mind-set that can last anywhere from a moment to a decade. You’ll see. The deeper you get into the process, the more you will find your actions toward greening will become second nature.  Bounce between the three eco-attitudes if you feel like it, and you probably will. I certainly do. The goal is to have the majority of your products falling in the Green Beauty Pro category with only 20 percent or less coming from the Green Beauty Beginner category or traditional products you’ll be in good shape.
 
Paige Padgett, Author of The Green Beauty Rules, is a celebrity makeup artist and green beauty expert living in Los Angeles. For more info go to http://paigepadgett.com/