EMILY VS BEAR, an eco-conscious fashion brand that came into its own during the 2016 election season, makes ethically-produced luxury pieces.

Damn fast-fashion

Emily Bell, EMILY VS BEAR founder, knows all too well that the worldwide clothing industry is wasteful.

“As an American female millennial, I realize that I am probably one of the worst contributors to this issue,” Bell says.

After all, marketing campaigns tell women to consume as much trendy fashion as possible.

Building a brand to take down the man

Bell came up with the name of her company after a real-life encounter she had with a bear at her home in western Massachusetts. Her friend suggested the name and she knew that the phrase “was the one”. Bell also enjoys how the company’s name has become a metaphor for the brand and its fight against corporate malice.

Bell creates her clothing by following a simple formula: She takes issues she’s passionate about, such as environmental and agricultural issues, and creates inspired fashions.

“[Everything] is linked on a global scale [and] I want to inspire young people to care and get involved with [finding] solutions,” she adds.

It’s in the material

Bell tries to make all her garments from sustainable, natural, textile material. Currently, the brand prints on American-made organic cotton. EMILY VS BEAR only uses suppliers that follow ethical practices, too.

Bell believes that most everyone would choose to buy ethnically-made items if they considered the larger issues at hand. “I mean, who is going to say that they actually want something that was made by someone whose livelihood is worse because we can’t get enough of their cheap goods,” she says. “It’s a terrible cycle that needs to change.”

Bell thinks that more businesses need to play a role in creating a better future for everyone on the planet. She believes that large corporations have a responsibility to ensure they take care of people and the planet. “The system we’ve created cares only about the bottom line. That simply can’t be the case moving forward.”

She also thinks that sustainably-minded people need to help change the world’s systems by changing what they value. For example, corporations could put profit back into the system. That monetary aid would help solve life-threatening global issues.

Bell adds that while she supports American-made goods because they benefit the country’s economy, all American-made products aren’t ethical. “Part of the problem is that there isn’t really any way to tell without doing extensive research,” she says.

Moving forward

This autumn, she’ll add new items, such as sweatshirts. Bell also plans on adding new designs that depict the issues present in the palm oil and meat industries.

“There isn’t a particular process I go through while selecting each [design],” Bell explains, “they just come to me.”

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images via Emily Bell

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If you’re ready to depart from the customary offerings, then you’ll love these homemade hostess gifts. We’re confident you’ll like them so much that you’d better make a few extra for yourself.

Yes, wine is great, and no one is saying you can’t still include a bottle with each of these presents, but let’s mix it up a bit this year. Some hostess gifts are cringeworthy. I mean, would you really want that decoupaged vase made from old holiday wrapping paper in your house? While others require forking out a lot of dough just to impress. Lavish gifts need not apply.

This season, I encourage you to roll up your sleeves, dear crafters, and let’s get some beautiful gifts lined up for your hostess with the mostess.

1. Infused Sugars

Perfect for coffee, tea, desserts, cocktails, and more, scented and flavor-infused sugars are sure to impress your hostess. A truly unique gift, these can be whipped up in a matter of minutes and will add an aromatic smell and special flavor to whatever you decide to use them in.

It’s as simple as putting your favorite ingredients – vanilla bean, orange peel and bourbon, edible flowers, etc. – in with a coarse sugar like turbinado (usually vegan), and storing in an airtight jar. Feel free to add a decorative label, ribbon, or other personal touches. The tutorial from Food on Fifth is a great place to start.

2. Personalized Tea Bags

In this tutorial from Nellie Bellie, loose leaf tea is transformed into the sweetest set of personalized tea bags. This particular method does not require sewing, although there are some how-tos out there that call for a sewing machine if you’d prefer that route.

These are great because you have control over the color of the twine, the tag’s shape and size, and whether or not you want to include a message on said tag. The DIY uses coffee filters – unbleached is a great choice – and the loose leaf tea and additional spices of your choice. Holiday themed flavors, like pumpkin, cinnamon, or peppermint, would be fitting. Arrange the finished product in a pretty mug or box.

3. Natural Room Scents

Probably my favorite on the list, this tutorial from The Yummy Life is such a pretty, inexpensive, and healthy way to infuse your home with a natural scent. Prepping the ingredients for all of your recipients can be done at one time and refrigerated for a few days ahead of giving.

If you really want to round out the present, then pair the scented jars with a mini crock pot. They have a two-cup capacity, which is perfect for holding the contents of a pint size jar. Have fun with the scents – you can use things like vanilla beans, citrus, cinnamon sticks, extracts, and so much more.

4. Fresh Breakfast Bread

Julie Blanner shared a delicious and economical gift idea. By using one a favorite breakfast bread recipe and a few embellishments, you can bake your way into the heart of your hostess. Since this is so cost effective, we recommend splurging on some really high quality, organic ingredients to make the flavor pop.

The original tutorial used reusable loaf pans that were purchased on sale for a dollar, but you can also use recycled content paper baking pans that can be composted when they’re empty. Tie these up with twine, and add embellishments like cinnamon sticks, herbs, parchment paper, edible flowers, ornaments, craft paper, ribbon, washi tape, and more.

5. Embellished Bouquet

Maybe you’re not the crafty type, or you simply don’t have time for any sort of DIY project this year. Well, we’ve got some ideas on how to jazz up a hand-picked (or store bought, if none are in season locally) bouquet of flowers in a matter of minutes.

Design Sponge has a tutorial on how to turn branches and blooms into something really spectacular. Plus, they had the genius idea of wrapping it all up in a tea towel (linen is nice), and including a wooden spoon attached with a ribbon. There are so many variations you could do here – metal cookie cutters, measuring spoons, a packet of seeds, or an ornament would all work well as a stand-in for the spoon.

Let us know what you think about our homemade hostess gifts on the  EcoSalon Facebook page!

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The post 5 Impressively Simple and Chic Homemade Hostess Gifts appeared first on EcoSalon.

It can be beautiful, strange, intriguing, riveting, and emotionally moving – or a combination thereof. And sometimes contemporary art is the perfect medium for spreading awareness about the environmentally and socially conscious messages the masses need to hear.

Below we’ve chosen four artists to feature who have dedicated their life’s work to raising awareness for social and environmental issues. From illustration to photography to sculpture to fashion, every artist cares passionately about his or her issue, but each method is uniquely their own. 

Jeff Hong

Imagine an illustrated Ariel, covered in oil as she crawls forth from a photograph of the ocean slick with pollutants and petroleum and then you can begin to understand Jeff Hong, the man behind the Unhappily Ever After project who takes iconic Disney princesses and characters and implants them into very real, very modern day situations that are more like realistic struggles than fairytale fantasy.

Plastic surgery, global warming, drug addiction, animal overpopulation and testing, homelessness, and poverty are just a few of the sensitive subjects this artist captures by superimposing illustrated images of Disney characters into the scene of a real photograph. Self-described as a “big Disney fan,” the animation storyboard artist originally from Los Angeles is currently residing in New York City. He has worked as an animation artist on the films “Hercules”, “Mulan”, “Tarzan”, and “The Emperor’s New Groove.”

Marina DeBris

Much like her name implies, Marina DeBris (debris) uses washed up trash to create her works of contemporary art. After moving to Venice Beach, California from Bondi Beach, Australia, DeBris was appalled by the condition of the local beaches. Every day that she went for a run on the beach was another day that she found herself also collecting garbage in an effort to help the growing trash problem. DeBris quickly realized that this was barely making a dent in the effort to solve the issues and was then inspired to make objects using what she had been collecting.

Some of her works include 2D “posters” and “postcards” that use photographic images of several highly polluted strips of California beaches, and goes so far as to inject a bit of sarcasm and humor into these pieces, making mock advertorials advertising all of the individual found items, like sunglasses, cameras, and paintbrushes, as being “for sale.” DeBris has also created numerous 3D sculptural works from found garbage and several pieces of “trashion” (trash + fashion).

Aviva Rahmani

Aviva Rahmani is an ecological artist who currently works with scientists to restore degraded environments, but is heavily influenced by her early life, as well. She was an activist performer in the sixties and had interests in feminist art and city planning from a young age. Rahmani also claims that “dreams, intuitive and ritualized strategies” are a part of her modus operandi. According to her website, the talented multimedia artist’s “presentational means have ranged from found sound mixed with bel canto singing, virtual and digital technologies, to painted murals of geomorphic relationships.”

This artist has even developed her own theory that is the grounds for her scientific collaborative works. DeBris refers to it as “Trigger Point” which she describes as meaning the application of “traditional aesthetic tools for the analysis of small, carefully chosen areas of degraded coastal landscape to leverage large landscape healing.” Her work ranges from a beautiful moment captured in time to an awareness inducing photograph of a landscape in need of repair.

Aurora Robson

Probably my personal favorite, Aurora Robson is a multi-media artist who is best known for her work intercepting the waste stream, with her practice focusing on eliminating the negative and paving a new way for more positive idealisms. Not only are her sculptures and artworks stunning, but she has also worked to found Project Vortex, which is an international collective of artists, designers, and architects who also work with plastic debris.

“Dedicated to intercepting the waste stream,” Robson has honed her craft beautifully and has created colorful and lively sculptures, larger than life installation, junk mail collages, and abstract oil paintings. To put it into perspective, Robson created one on piece titled The Great Indoors for the Rice Gallery in Houston Texas that looks like an ethereal enchanted forest comprise of approximately 15,000 PET bottles cleaned up from the streets of New York.

It’s refreshing to know that contemporary art can be both beautiful and socially and environmentally conscious, because sometimes it takes a unique approach to spread awareness.

Do you have a favorite artist from this list? Have you ever been inspired to dabble in recycled art of your own? Let us know your thoughts on the EcoSalon Facebook page! 

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The post Contemporary Art That Beautifully Raises Awareness appeared first on EcoSalon.

With state of the art technology at our fingertips, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be conserving more time, money, and resources with all of the efficient energy-saving products and their corresponding apps, which is why we’ve rounded up some of our favorite eco-friendly gadgets just for you. 

Some of these products will be more practical and affordable than others, starting at around $200, but with the rapid growth of this particular market, there should soon come a time where the pricier products, currently up to $3,500, become much more attainable for the average homeowner.

Until then, it’s still a good idea to get a feel for the technology that’s available, especially when it comes to saving our precious resources, like time, energy, and money, so that we can spend more of it doing what’s most important to us.

1. August Smart Lock 

This nifty lock saves you time, money, and hassle by allowing your smartphone to be the key to your front door, which means you never have to copy keys again. With the August Smart Lock and app, you can lock and unlock your door from your cell phone, create virtual keys for your guests or residential employees, and have a record of who comes and goes, like notifications when your kids arrive home from school. You can grant access for specific periods of time – down to the day and the hour, plus you can delete guest access instantly.

2. Philips Hue LED Light Bulbs 

Once the Philips Hue system is set up you can add up to 50 Philips hue lights, luminaries, switches, and other accessories all from the specially designed smartphone app. There are many energy saving products to choose from with varying features like smart control, away from home control, light schedules, setting an alarm that allows your lights to wake you up, syncing with music, changing the colors of the bulbs, and so much more. These products can be purchased at your local hardware store and starter kits are available.

3. Nest Learning Thermostat 

In about half an hour you can replace your current thermostat with the Nest Learning Thermostat that adapts to your life and the changing seasons to automatically provide you with the most ideal temperatures. This smart and attractive little gadget only needs a week of programming to learn your habits. It also knows when you’re away from home and will automatically change the temperature in order to conserve energy. The Nest’s app allows you to control the temp when you’re away so you can make sure the house is at the ideal temperature before you, your family, or guests arrive home. These are readily available at hardware stores.

4. LG Smart ThinQ Refrigerator

The large capacity luxury refrigerator boasts plenty of great storage features, but is famous for its built-in 8-inch Wi-Fi LCD screen. This tablet-like monitor is the heart of the refrigerator’s smart design and it works as a mini computer that’s focused on your needs. One particular refrigerator inventory app can keep track of your groceries, letting you know what you need, what you already have, and what’s ready to expire, so you save time, money, and waste less food. It is also capable of running other apps, including one for recipes, groceries, memos, a calendar, photos, temperature settings, and more.

5. WeatherTRAK sprinklers 

A helpful tool for all of your irrigation needs, this advanced controller works with 6, 8, or 12 station sprinklers and can be managed from your smartphone. This is especially helpful for those of you who have water restrictions in place, as it’s EPA WaterSense approved and has a SWAT smart performance score of one hundred percent. You can save time, money, and water thanks to remote alerts and the ability to manage from your app anywhere, anytime. It also has one-touch customer support right at your fingertips.

We hope you enjoyed our selection of energy saving products and their apps. Now that you’ve seen a few of the products available, we want to hear from you. How far are you willing to go to make your life more efficient? Would you like to see any of these products in your own home? Let us know your thoughts on the EcoSalon Facebook page!

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The post 5 Energy-Saving Home Automation Products and Apps appeared first on EcoSalon.

If all U.S. households installed low-flow fixtures with water-saving features, the result would be an estimated savings of 5.4 billion gallons of water per day, according to DrinkTap.org. And with 38.8 million California residents in the midst of what may equate to being the worst drought in history, every drop does count, which is why we’ve provided you with some excellent low-flow fixture options for kitchens and baths.

Saving the environment and everything that comes along with it, like decreasing water consumption, may seem cliché, but if you are one of California’s many inhabitants, then you may be dealing with the unfortunate consequences of what happens when the well (literally) starts to run dry.

Whether you’re in the midst of the shortage, or still organizing your water-guzzling slip and slide lawn parties, then listen up, because this is a resource that shouldn’t be taken for granted.

With restrictions so extreme, rather than risk paying a fine for watering their lawns or consuming unnecessary resources, some Californians have resorted to painting their dried, brown bits of brittle formerly known as grass an acceptable shade of green just to maintain some curb appeal – and that’s only the superficial aspect of things.

In addition to cosmetic work, there are many other factors contributing to this water shortage. Agricultural use jeopardizes a large chunk of California’s water supply, and farmers are relying more and more on communal groundwater. In addition to their stressed out natural water resources, fracking is also to blame for this disaster of a drought.

But before you start blasting “Purple Rain” and jumping around on one foot while praying for a monsoon, get a grip on reality, and make a commitment to start saving some water (and your reputation) the easy way.

Conserving water can be done glamorously, with the addition of beautiful new low-flow fixtures, or by simply making a few quick economical modifications that will have you on your way to conserving water in an afternoon’s time. In addition to a clearer conscience and more resources to go around, you will also be saving some dough in the process. Think of it this way: less water equals more shoes. Now that’s a win-win!

When you’re perusing the aisles for your new low-flow items, keep these tidbits in mind:

• Toilet flushing uses the most water in the average home
• The majority of folks flush five times a day, adding up to 31 percent of overall water consumption
• Most older toilets use 3.6 gallons per flush, but can easily and cheaply be reduced to 3 gallons per flush
• Faucets consume around 15-18 percent of the overall water use in the average four-person home
• Find a faucet aerator that uses 1.5 gallons per minute or less, and save up to 3,150 gallons of water per year
• Shower heads below 2.5 gallons per minute will save you approximately 10 gallons of water per 20 minute shower

Still not sure where to begin? No worries – we’ve got you covered! Below you’ll find several stylish low-flow fixture ideas for kitchens and baths designed to accommodate a range of budgets.

Under $1000: Low-Flow Fixtures for Kitchens and Baths

Moen and TOTO, two environmentally conscious plumbing suppliers, are fans among the style conscious as well. The sleek STo kitchen faucet from Moen uses a 1.5 gallon per minute aerator and meets CalGreen and Georgia SB370 requirements. The Moen 90 Degree low-flow faucet also uses 1.5 gallons per minute, and the 90 Degree handheld shower fixture uses 1.75 gallons per minute. Finally, we have the water-conserving throne from high-end potty maker, TOTO. This two-piece toilet gives its users both 1.28 and 0.9 gallons per flush options, is WaterSense certified, and CalGreen compliant.

1. STo Stainless Steel Kitchen Faucet by Moen $910; 2. 90 Degree Brushed Nickel Bathroom Faucet by Moen $806; 3. 90 Degree Brushed Nickel Handheld Shower Head by Moen $537; 4. Connelly Colonial White Two-Piece Toilet by TOTO $650.

Under $300: Low-Flow Fixtures for Kitchens and Baths

From the familiar neighborhood Home Depot comes four additional low-flow kitchen and bath fixtures. The first is an ultra-shiny, low-flow kitchen faucet with detachable spray head that uses 1.8 gallons per minute. Next is the affordable and stylish Alteo bathroom collection. This three piece faucet uses 1.5 gallons per minute, and the showerhead uses 2.0 gallons per minute; both are WaterSense approved. The last fixture is a WaterSense approved, conservation conscious commode using a miniscule 1.28 gallons per flush and saves its owner up to 16,500 gallons per year when compared to an old 3.5 gallon toilet.

1. Simplice Polished Chrome Kitchen Faucet by KOHLER $167; 2. Alteo Polished Chrome Bathroom Faucet by KOHLER $151; 3. Alteo Polished Chrome Shower Collection by KOHLER $82; 4. Highline Water-Conserving Toilet by KOHLER $168.

Under $20: Low-Flow Fixtures for Kitchens and Baths

If you’re strapped for cash, or just satisfied with the fixtures you currently have, then look no further than these water saving kitchen and bathroom modifications. The first item is an aerator that easily attaches to most faucets and brings water consumption down to 0.5 gallons per minute. The next is an affordable standard shower head that, at 1.5 gallons per minute, can compete with the big boys in terms of water savings. Lastly, we have what is essentially a bladder-like reservoir that fits inside of your toilet tank. It’s better looking than a brick and also saves you around half a gallon of water with every flush.

1. Water Saving PCA Faucet Aerator by NEOPERL $3; 2. Eco-Friendly Shower Head by Pfister $13; 3. Toilet Tummy Tank Water Saver by AM Conservation Group $6.

Whether you’re broke, or prefer to spend money like the water you waste, there’s room in your life for some new low-flow fixtures in your kitchen and bath. Enlist your husband, partner, handyman, or plan a get together with your bestie and install a new water saving fixture. You’d better act quickly though…when you’re suddenly faced with a sea of paint swatches trying to decide which shade of green you should spray paint your lawn, don’t say I didn’t warn you!

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The post Every Drop Counts: Low-Flow Fixtures for Kitchens and Baths appeared first on EcoSalon.

Happy New Year, and by the way…what’s next for socially responsible companies?

Sometimes it seems like the world is on fire. The politics of the USA, the politics of the world, Ebola, elections, wars, hunger, pain, suffering, sadness, gun violence in the US, the Monsanto monster, drought, floods, homelessness, mental illness, cruelty to animals, fraud, deceit, and I could go on for a long time but you get my drift here. Hopeless? I don’t think so. All of these and more imbalances exist and yet, there is an opposing force(s) working to neutralize them. It is made up of dedicated people, organizations, institutions, professionals and the like. Most powerfully, it is made up of you and I.

OK the “I” part. I guess that’s me. The man in the mirror, the hombre. What answers do I have? Good question! I try to do my part, my politics are balanced (at least I think so), I get a flu vaccine each year, I vote, I meditate for world peace, I once started a group in Central Florida to fight world hunger, I try to inspire others, make people laugh, give them hope, hug them, let them know they are not alone. I grow an organic garden in big giant pots on our back patio, I love animals, got a dog from Humane Society last year (best decision I ever made, I think). I promote gun safety and gun education, try to be honest in all my endeavors, and conduct my business with the highest principals I can attain, knowing that there is always room for improvement.

Business? What does that have to do with it? I am in the manufacturing business. It is part of who I am. Our small, family owned company, Soothing Touch, located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, creates various skin care products for the natural industry, massage and spa industries, massage schools, consumers, and anyone else who wants, what we think, are very good, effective skin care products at good prices. My point is, our company gets a chance to participate in all of the above ways to change as well. We do our best to take care of our employees, provide them with a nice, safe workplace, with lots of support and some fun to go with it. Manufacturing can be tough work and it usually is but if you are singing with a little dancing in your day, well, it’s just more fun, trust me on that.

We work hard to be among the ranks of the growing number of socially responsible companies, but it seems every time we look at things, we find more we can do. We cut down on waste every chance we get. It is amazing how much gets thrown away if we are not careful. What can we reuse that for, is a common question.

In the past year or so we have introduced ten retail products that carry the USDA Organic seal. We are proud of that. We have introduced four Ayurvedic body lotions that aren’t organic but are completely free of petroleum by-products whatsoever. All the ingredients are plant-based with a paraben free/ petroleum free preservative system. We are committed to organics and know that is a good start to our contributions to the planet, the organic industry, the small family farmers, ourselves, and to our customers. After all, what goes onto the skin goes into the body. Have you thought about that lately? What are the ingredients in your favorite product you put on your skin every day?

Our latest massage lotion, Ayurveda Massage Lotion, is also completely free of any petroleum by-products, parabens, phthalates, PEG, TEA, formaldehyde releasing agents, and propylene glycol. It is one of the first of its kind in the massage industry.

As a company we are cruelty free, work hard to keep GMOs out of our products and we are also vegan except in a handful of topical pain relief balms and gels that contain beeswax.

There is so much opportunity in business to make changes, improvements, and contributions.

With all we have done, we know there is so much more we can do to get better, to improve people’s lives, to make a difference, to affect change, to create the change we want to be as individuals.

I also know that what we do in business, how we make a living, is an extension of what we do and who we are in our individual lives. At least it should be in my opinion.

The cool thing about the concepts here is that it does not matter what business you are in. You can make a difference every day. If you sell cars, do it honestly with passion; if you work as a school teacher, educate yourself and teach well; if you answer phones, do it with integrity and good service in mind. Each and everyone one of these service touch people’s lives and that is exactly the point where the difference is made. That difference can literally change our lives.

So I guess my point is, even with all the challenges around us every day, we can make a difference. We can commit to higher ideals. We can be positive in our outlook. We can be better people and better companies. We can affect global change by focusing in our small, little lives and remember to allow the great multipliers of the universe do their thing ( 1 x unknown = unknown and unlimited). One thing leads to another, to another, to another…

I am grateful for all that I have received on this planet and commit to making a difference one breath at a time, one person at a time, one customer at a time. If we join together, we can truly move mountains or anything else we want to accomplish. I look forward to meeting you along the way!

Gurukirn Khalsa is co-owner and sales manager of Soothing Touch, a family-owned massage lubricant and body care manufacturer located in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Organics is a big passion of his, he has been growing various organic vegetables since college, and now he is bringing that passion into Soothing Touch as they transition to more and more organic ingredients. He believes that small organic farming is the answer to many of today’s health and environmental challenges. His family is most important to him, and he has a beautiful wife, 4 grown children and 7 incredible grandkids. 

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Giving the gift of organic beauty products can also give back to the world around you. 

We are deep into the holiday season and I am ready to get glam. The most stylish presents are the ones that make you feel beautiful inside and out. Here are our top organic beauty products for the holiday season. Whether you gift them or keep them for yourself, they’re guaranteed to bring lots of smiles.

1. Bite Beauty Mix & Mingle Lip Minis $12: This brand has a cult following for its lipsticks. They claim their food grade ingredients are “healthy enough to eat”. For an indulgent stocking stuffer, it packaged its lip duos into cute ornaments for the holidays.

2. Kahina Giving Beauty Glow Box $75: This luxurious set features three products made with argan oil. Kahina Giving Beauty uses recycled packaging. The company sources its argan oil from cooperatives of Berber artisans from the Atlas Mountains. Kahina contributes to the One Million Tree campaign that plants in rural areas of Morocco. The foundation also provides drinking water to girls schools in the region.

3. RMS Beauty Glowing Gift Set $120: This collection includes four of RMS Beauty’s bestselling items. You can choose your favorite shade of luminizer, cream eye shadow, lip2cheek and ‘un’cover-up. RMS uses certified organic ingredients like castor oil and shea butter that are nourishing to the skin. The containers are made from recycled glass and recyclable aluminum.

3. Juice Beauty’s Spa Infusion Essentials Set $28: For a pampering spa experience at home, this box includes the organic beauty brand’s popular ylang ylang products. It even gives you tea and honey to sip while you relax. The company is proud to be cruelty-free. This set is made without toxic ingredients like pesticides, artificial dyes or synthetic fragrances.

4. Caudalie’s Premier Cru Anti-Aging Set $99: Are the holidays not complete without champagne? This gift has two travel-friendly versions of their best anti-aging products. The key ingredients are plant based antioxidants like polyphenols and resveratrol, found in some wines. Caudalie is adamantly against using toxic ingredients like parabens in its products. Each product purchased from Caudalie contributes to 1% for the planet  to help the environment. This initiative supports projects like building a sustainable, Fair-Trade shea butter industry  by communities of women in Burkina Faso.

5. Zoya Dream Box $36: Nail polish is one of the most difficult beauty products to make non-toxic and eco-friendly. This is due to the fact that the ingredients like formaldehyde and toluene have always been needed to make nail laquer work. Zoya is one of the pioneering companies to formulate nail polishes without the classic toxins. For the gift season, the Zoya Dream Box collections offer trios of complementary holiday shades.

6. NVEY Eco Eye Shadow Palette $40 and Brush $9: NVEY Eco is an organic beauty brand from Australian brand dedicated to using natural ingredients. The makeup brushes are environmentally friendly and use cruelty-free fibers. The beautiful eye color palettes contain five complementary shades for a complete look.

Now what organic beauty gift will your BFF receive? Feeling good, having your friends and yourself look good, isn’t that what holiday spirit is about?

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The post 6 Truly Organic Beauty Products that Make Perfect Holiday Gifts appeared first on EcoSalon.

Believe it or not, 3D manufacturing has been the hottest buzzword in the fashion industry for the past few years. 

Before this, the traditional production cycle of shipping materials and goods back and forth (mostly overseas) has barely changed in the last century. Now, with the rapid development of 3D printing, eco-friendly fashion designers are gearing up for a revolution that could make producing fashion sustainable.

3D printed clothing and accessories made record appearances on the runways in 2014. Pringle of Scotland featured a laser sintered nylon technique for their fall 2014 collection. Victoria’s Secret collaborated with Swarovski and Shapeways to create flamboyant accessories for their show last year.

While 3D printing was initially identified with making plastic models, there have been significant strides in textile development with different fibers. Researchers as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have successfully used 3D CAD software and silk worms to print a dome. With a few adjustments, one could easily adapt the design to produce a finished dress. Knitting machines have already been able to knit fully finished sweaters, but a 3D printed process using silicone coated cotton yarn is being developed. Scientists may be the ones to dictate the next fashion trends.

So how can 3D printing nudge the fashion industry into sustainable fashion?

1.Smaller carbon footprint

Fashion and accessories designers generally start their development process a year in advance of the product hitting the retail market. In that time, there are multiple product rounds and materials sourcing where the designer piles up samples from vendors.

3D printing allows much of the trial and error in product design to be worked out digitally before making the first sample. Deciding on the materials to be used ahead of time saves the mountain of vendor samples that inevitably end up in the garbage at the end of the season.

If you are a designer with your own 3D printer, producing your sample can be as hyper-local as your own studio. Otherwise, most 3D manufacturing companies are domestic. 3D printed patterns are pulled from digital files and the product is made from supplies onsite. Therefore the need to ship patterns or materials to your vendor is eliminated. Designers save shipping costs and their high heels. The planet is spared the carbon output of shipping trucks.

2. No production wastage

3D printing reduces a designer’s production minimum requirement to a count of one. It also allows a designer to produce custom pieces to fit individual customers. Your epic sci-fi couture fantasies can now be a locally printed reality.  This eliminates the cost and wastage of excess production to meet factory minimums. It also saves the space and storage needed to handle extra inventory or returned items that customers do not fit.

3D manufactured products only use the materials required for the product itself. This eliminates the yardage of cut fabrics or excess materials purchases.

3. Recycled materials can be used.

Materials currently being used for 3D printed fashion include everything from nylon filaments, plastics, metal and silk. There are already companies like EKOCYCLE founded by entertainer Will I. Am and Coco-Cola who are marketing the Cube 3-D printer intended for home users. Their cartridges use filament processed from discarded plastic soda bottles.

You can also make your own supplies with recycled materials. Michigan Technological University found that you can make your own printing filament from plastic milk jugs.  They realized that the DIY process for this also used less energy than traditional recycling methods.  Looking trashy can now be a compliment!

Companies like Shapeways offer metal choices like bronze and silver for their designers. Services that recycle and reuse metal products for 3D casting should soon be a popular option.

4. Biodegradable Materials

Bio plastics is a category of materials that is gaining momentum. There are several sources online that instruct developers on how make their own biodegradable supplies for production. The Shapeways blog has instructions online on how to “cook” your own bio plastics from a mixture of starch, glycerin, vinegar and water. While it might be difficult to sell the idea of starch based jewelry or clothing to fashion fans, there might be promising ideas in adapting this for beauty companies making 3D printed cosmetics.

5. Extending the life of existing products

The ability to print your own replacement buttons, manufacture an extra shoe heel or add more charms to jewelry is an opportunity for a new segment in the 3D printed fashion market.

Local printing companies can work with customers to create pieces that extend the life of existing wardrobe pieces by upcycling them with new embellishments or recreating missing parts.

Canadian company Alleles developed a stylish prosthetic limb from a 3D printed process to accessorize the fashion collection of designer label Vawk for their fall 2014 collection. This not only served a functional purpose, but offered a fashionable one for a customer to complement her wardrobe.

New 3D printed fashion techniques are being developed every day. As a designer and entrepreneur, 3D manufacturing offers benefits for cost, time and sustainable fashion that make it impossible not to consider as part of a modern business. Fashion thrives on innovation, and editors love any new reason to bring back the geek style trend. Let’s make 3 dimensional the new black!

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