Stuff Good For You, Good For the Earth

Favorites that you and the environment will love all year long

Origins

Looking for a skincare or beauty product that helps you and the environment? Origins might have your answer. A long-time company with a history of formulating skincare products targeted to a variety of concerns, Origin’s ingredients are derived from nature by bio-tech lab scientists who “identify the high-performing, bioactive elements of plant- and earth-based ingredients –then use innovative technologies to unleash and amplify their benefits.” Scientists “consciously formulate” each product with clean ingredients that are researched and evaluated for purity, efficacy and safety. Since 2009, the company has planted and cared for over 2.3 million trees in Asia, Europe, and North America. The company also uses minimal packaging, 100% renewable electricity in its manufacturing process, and offsets carbon emissions from shipping for every U.S. order. www.origins.com

Sun Bum Sunscreen

A day at the beach can turn sour with a sunburn, and it can feel even worse when you’ve used a commercial sunscreen that contains gnarly chemicals that can harm marine life. In addition to being free from parabens, gluten, and Vitamin A, Sun Bum products are vegan, crueltyfree, hypoallergenic, and Hawaii Act 104 Reef Compliant - which means they don’t contain contain oxybenzone or octinoxate, so they’re safer for marine life. Sunscreens come as a spray, roll-on, or lotion, and the line is completed by various hair and lip care products. Sun Bum’s nonprofit organization, Protect the Groms, partners with elementary schools and other organizations to provide shade structures for playgrounds and sun safety education with the intention of “moving the needle on skin cancer.” www.sunbum.com

Kapa Nui Nail Polish

Direct from the beautiful Island of Hawaii, Kapa Nui Nail Polish is safe for you and the environment. Founders Terry Lam and Dr. Lyn M. Lan searched for a way to develop nail polish that is devoid of toxic chemicals and ingredients and safe for all users. They found it with the help of an organic polymer chemist who developed the nail colors with an acrylate copolymer made from carbon, nitrogen, and water that degrades to naturally occurring forms of these elements, making it both human- and ecofriendly. According to the company's website, pregnant women, children, and people with cancer can use Kapa Nui Nail Polish. The company is PETA Certified vegan and cruelty free, and no wheat products are included in the products, as well. In addition to a wide range of colors inspired by the beauty of Hawaii, the company offers base and top coats, nail strengthening and repair, polish remover, and cuticle oil. www.kapanuinails.com

Sand Cloud

If you’re still toting that heavy, always-damp-never-dry, scatterssand-everywhere cotton bath towel to the beach or pool, do yourself a favor and ditch it for a Sand Cloud towel. Sand Cloud towels are Turkish organic cotton towels that are lightweight, easy to roll up, and sand resistant. Even after a swim in the ocean and a walk up the beach, these towels still chase away the sand with a few shakes and dry faster than a basic cotton towel. They’re also warm enough for cooler beach days. Sand Cloud was started by three friends in San Diego, California, who wanted to reinvent the beach towel and help marine life. The company’s tag line, #SaveTheFishies, points toward the company’s mission of donating 10% of all profits toward marine conservation through partnerships with several nonprofit foundations that benefit marine wildlife and the ecosystem. www.sandcloud.com