It’s no surprise to this green beauty girl that Aveda has won the Cradle 2 Cradle’s Gold certification for 7 products. The award-winning news was out faster than the latest hair trends and Aveda garnered the endorsement through their dedication to the environment for the last 30 years. I guess you can say they had a jump-start on things.

Since the new trend sweeping the beauty industry is going green – and with Aveda setting the bar high for not only salons but also beauty and cosmetology schools and engage in this new trend – most of them are stepping up to the plate and going green. And, we have found some salons are making the commitment to go green as seriously as Aveda has.

More and more, we are seeing beauty products change from the old school, chemical-laden concoction that our mothers used in the ‘70s and ‘80s into more organic, preservative-free products. While the movement is still gaining steam, some salons are making a commitment to the environment and their bodies through green products. Not only do people want to see more variety on shelves and in their salons, they want to make sure they don’t carry the laundry list of harmful beauty product ingredients that are bad for them and Mother Earth.

The salons that are changing their ways, including Aveda, range from big chains to locally-owned shops. The public has spoken, and they want green, eco-friendly products and practices. In addition to adding all natural or organic beauty products, some salons and beauty schools are also using water sensors, energy-efficient light bulbs and hair styling tools, and setting up recycling bins.

Only time will tell if Aveda will be the Michael Phelps of the Cradle 2 Cradle certifications for beauty products.

In my more recent efforts to start “greenifying” my life, I decided to replace my usual generic brand value bodywash with Pure & Natural’s Moisturizing Almond Oil & Cherry Blossom body wash. Pure & Natural’s products are 98% all natural ingredients, and they use all recycled materials for their packaging, and of course do not test on animals. I thought it might be a bit pricey at nearly $6 for a 12 ounce bottle at Wal-mart, but it was also a “feel good” purchase since I was making a small but “green” choice.

After a couple days of use, I’m thinking it’s actually quite a good value. The bodywash is extremely concentrated, so it takes very little on the loofah to get a great lather going. Probably half as much as I used of my previous bodywash that was half the price, so you do the math. And the smell – YUM! It’s just soft and sweet and oh, so…well – natural! I’m looking forward to trying more of their products as I run out of my other basics. I’m also hoping they expand their product line, because it does seem a bit limited at this point.

So when you run out of your current bodywash, give Pure & Natural a try. It’s great value, great smell, and great for the environment!

Until next week on the BeautySchool.com blog!