Rachel Avalon and Tata Haper speak at the Eco Beauty Panel

The world will be saved by western women.  Or so says the Dalai Lama. But feminism in the 21st century can be problematic. That is, unless you’re watching Sex and the City 2, where formerly relatable post-feminist characters enthusiastically embrace an outstanding materialism and emotional mediocrity. In this world, even burkas are just fun gift-wrapping for Gucci and Prada! Right?

Wrong – and it was never more wrong than a recent breezy day in Los Angeles. Saturday, June 12th saw the first-anniversary of the Women of the Green Generation with a one-day interactive event dedicated to green women. Founded by eco-preneuer Kris Willey in 2009, Women of the Green Generation aims to create a space where women can share their ideas and passions for solving social problems with economically viable eco-solutions.

Kris Willey, Founder of Women of the Green Generation

Over 300 women and 50 green businesses came together last Saturday to inspire, motivate and empower women in the green world. The event was hosted at Evo-South, the only LEED silver certified eco luxury high-rise in down town Los Angeles. Along with the other guests, I had the chance to check out the latest in eco design, green lit, beauty, fashion and more.

But what was way more impressive that the goods displayed were the women speaking about them. I spoke with green fashion activist Jennifer Miller of Mission Savvy. Marilyn King of Tia’s Bakery offered up her gluten-free cakes. At a panel discussing women in green business, Siel Ju, aka GreenLAGirl, shared tips with the likes of Micki Krimmel of NeighborGoods. Randi Ragan of Green Bliss Eco Spa gave green beauty tips.

And the reoccurring theme of each speaker? We need to get educated. Tata Harper of Tata Harper Skincare stressed the importance of green knowledge. “I won’t put anything on my body that I wouldn’t eat,” she told a crowd of guests and reporters. Randi Ragan of Green Bliss Eco Spa pointed out that the greenwashing in the beauty industry is so bad that many of it is just “bald-faced lies.” Consumers need to teach themselves to read labels and turn to the Skin Deep database for their best information on healthy products. And as Ragan concluded about this gathering of green women, “Everything I see here today is a feminist issue. It’s not about what’s on the surface.” High five, green sister!

Check out Randi Ragan of Green Bliss Eco Spa giving her best tips on how to keep it green: