Looking younger for as long as you can is probably important to you. But all those products you use on your skin? Some of them come at a cost– both to your health and to the environment. Fortunately, though, using products that are better for you skin’s health often means using products that are greener and easier on the environment. The hard part is knowing which products pass muster… and which should be left on the shelf to gather dust.

We all want the face in our internet dating profile photos to belie our years. With some of the tips below, you can do just that– without doing too much damage to the environment in the process.

Make your own. This probably sounds a little far-fetched, right? After all, why would Estee Lauder sell it for $75 if you can make something just as effective at home? The real reason is because they can. While it’s true that some ingredients are impossible to find and some textures impossible to recreate, there are still plenty of beauty products you can make at home, reducing your beauty regimen’s impact on the environment and on your bank account. Look online for recipes for different at-home beauty products, such as homemade toners or moisturizing masks with avocado. Or pick up a simple multi-use product like jojoba oil and use it in place of several other products.

Streamline your products. All of those slick packages and clear, smiling faces know how to do their jobs. Just looking at a product suggests to you that you need it– that it should be part of your regimen. But don’t listen! The truth is, most women own far more beauty products than they really need. Concealers, for instance, aren’t really any different from regular foundation; you can get the same effect from dotting foundation on your problem areas and letting it dry out slightly before blending. Look through what you own and decide what really needs to stay, and what can go.

Buy smart packages. The packaging of your product has even more to do with how “green” it is than what’s inside that packaging. Some plastics, such as PVC (marked by a “V” and a recycling code 3), are even harmful to your health. Learn the different recycling codes for the plastics that are environmentally safe and recyclable, and look for those plastics when shopping for beauty products. Or, even better, opt for glass. Glass is always recyclable and has no nasty chemicals that will end up in your product (as with PVC).

Google the manufacturer. Going green is a hugely popular trend right now, and lots of companies want to be seen as jumping on the bandwagon. They know that a little leaf and a claim of environmentally safe packaging will attract plenty of potential consumers. But just because the packaging makes these sorts of claims doesn’t mean the company really means them. When deciding between brands, take a minute to Google their manufacturing processes to see which has a greener reputation. Do they test on animals? Do they use environmentally- and health-safe ingredients? Choosing wisely not only gives you a superior product, it also sends cosmetics companies a message about what consumers want.

Go organic. All of those hormones and fertilizers and pesticides they use on crops and animal products are just as bad for your health as they are for the environment. Products which are manufactured using organic methods can be more difficult to find, but their quality and environmental responsibility make them worth a look. Look for a USDA or your country’s seal to certify them as truly organic.

Check the labels. You can do everything listed above, but if you don’t check the labels you still won’t be doing much to protect the environment. Because some very common beauty ingredients, such as propylene glycol, sodium laureth sulfate, sodium fluoride, most fragrances, etc., can cause all sorts of health and environmental problems, and some are even proven carcinogens.

Choosing the right beauty products isn’t only about doing your part to protect the environment. Natural, organic, and harmful chemical free beauty products are also more effective and better for your health. It doesn’t always happen that what’s good for the environment is also best and easiest for you. But with skin care, you don’t have any excuse not to go green.

About the Author This article was written by Shawn Wilson, a member of the customer support team at Datepad, where we always offer free internet dating. Datepad has a massive directory of informative free dating articles along with a great list of dating site reviews on our dating blog.