By Jill Adams

Photography courtesy of Garnier, Consonant Skincare, Cake Beauty, Aveda and Pureology

An empty tube of lipstick or a bottle of shampoo used to the last drop typically isn’t a conversation piece or a treasure. Most often, such items end up in the garbage and, ultimately, a landfill.

But Garnier and TerraCycle recently teamed up, launching a waste management program — the Personal Care and Beauty Brigade — asking you to save your empties. The initiative allows sending in empty product containers at no cost, with the promise that they will be recycled and given new life. The two companies also held a joint event together in Toronto last month that showcased ways to create various home-related items from recycled and reused materials.

Garnier TerraCycle event

Photography by Aleyah Solomon

Garnier is among a number of companies that support environmental causes, sustainable practices and the use of safe, natural ingredients. Despite regulations, the use of harmful chemicals persists.

Unsurprisingly, natural and certified organic cosmetics are in increasing demand as a healthier, safer option. In light of Earth Day, FAJO Magazine has compiled a list of recommendations on natural products ideal for spring and summer.

Garnier Fructis Fruit Sensation is a line of silicone- and paraben-free shampoos and conditioners that are 90 per cent biodegradable. The fortifying collection, which is already available in stores, uses a formula that turns the hair care products into a mousse, lending itself to its light texture.

A few products from the Fructis Fruit Sensation line.

The Fruit Sensation series comes in three enticing fragrances: Citrus Mint Fresh, Grapefruit Tonic and Passion Splash. The products use natural ingredients, such as coconut oil, pink grapefruit and lemon extract, each targeting dull, dry or greasy hair. Even the packaging is eco-friendly; all Garnier Fructis bottles are made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a highly recyclable form of plastic.

Pure Clean, Garnier’s first environmentally-conscious hair care collection, includes shampoos, conditioners and various styling products that contain no dyes, artificial additives, silicone, or paraben. As a result, each product is almost completely biodegradable: the formula isn’t harmful to water and 92 per cent will degrade completely after 28 days.

And something for the hair – Garnier Pure Clean styling gel.

With summer on the horizon, Consonant Skincare offers The Perfect Sunscreen, an SPF 30, fragrance-free formula made entirely from natural ingredients, such as aloe vera and rice bran oil. Released after two years of development, this natural sunblock delivers protection from damaging UVA and UVB rays and uses a smooth, non-greasy formula.

The Perfect Sunscreen provides a much-needed sun protection this season.

Unlike conventional sunscreens, which often use chemicals such as oxybenzone (a potentially harmful ingredient) to penetrate the skin and absorb the sun’s rays, the Perfect Sunscreen forms a protective layer on top of the skin and does not leave white residue behind.

No time to wash your hair? No problem. Cake Beauty, a Toronto-based eco-cosmetics company that began in the kitchen of founder Heather Reier, offers Satin Sugar, a dry shampoo that uses minerals to absorb excess oil for shiny hair without washing.

Satin Sugar is perfect for a business woman on the go – available for hair in darker and lighter hues.

Available in a light and dark hue to match your hair colour, this powder is ideal for refreshing your hair and body. It also comes in a fuss-free spray suiting all hair types.

Cake Beauty offers a range of innovative, natural beauty products from body scrubs and treatments to bath bubbles and hair care. Using at least 90 per cent natural ingredients, each product comes in fun, feminine packaging and is paraben-free.

If you’re looking for certified organic ingredients, Aveda uses essential oils and raw herbal ingredients in all of its hair care, styling, make-up, skin care, perfume and men’s products.

Among Aveda’s bestsellers are Damage Remedy Daily Hair Repair (a leave-in treatment that uses quinoa and wheat proteins to repair and protect hair from heat styling) and Hand Relief and Foot Relief (moisturizers, high in antioxidants, exfoliating fruit acids and plant extracts).

Aveda’s Relief Collection is a great addition to a summer beauty routine.

Aveda is a proponent of manufacturing techniques that use renewable energy and responsible packaging, and the company partners with non-profit organizations to support social and environmental improvement.

Recently, Aveda released its Earth Day-inspired Light the Way candle, tying its sales to another green cause: clean water for all global citizens. This year’s soy candle features a new scent, offering a warm and spicy aroma. The limited-edition candle is made with certified organic vanilla, cinnamon and ylang-ylang grown in Madagascar. The packaging almost entirely uses recycled materials.

In partnership with the Global Greengrants Fund, Aveda will use the full $12 purchase price to fund various water-related projects around the world: each purchase can provide a year’s supply of drinking water to someone living in Madagascar or supply eight meters of piping to transport water in Morocco.

Also joining industry-wide green efforts, Pureology has launched a limited-edition Hydrate Shampoo and Conditioner to benefit a water sanitation program through Green Cross International. Hydrate bottles are recognizable by a vibrant collage, created from hand drawings by children in Ghana, and the duo is ideal for colour-treated hair. A portion of the sales will help supply clean water and sanitation in Ghana, as part of the Save Water, Give Water campaign.

A portion of the sales from Purology’s Hydrate line will go towards charity.