Procter & Gamble

As one of the world’s largest companies, Procter & Gamble (P&G) keeps close tabs on its environmental impact. One of its brands, The Gillette Company, is the founder of the Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership, through which it has donated millions of dollars to the restoration and preservation of ecologically critical wetlands. Through its Children’s Safe Drinking Water initiative, P&G has purified more than 500 million litres of water around the world. The company’s Herbal Essences brand uses recycled and recyclable plastics for its packaging and creates formulas with renewable botanicals, like palm and coconut oils. “Consumers will reward the companies and brands that give something back,” says Susan Arnold, vice-chair of P&G Beauty, Health and Corporate Sustainability.

Herbal Essences Body Envy Volumizing Shampoo

Price: $3

Availability: At drugstores, grocery stores and mass-market retailers across Canada

Yves Rocher

With the company rooted in botanical makeup and skin care, Yves Rocher has a long-standing concern for its environmental impact. It was the first beauty company to be triple certified by the International Organization for Standardization for safety, quality and environmental protection. Its beauty catalogue is printed on paper made from pulp harvested from managed forests, and product orders are mailed out in recycled and recyclable cardboard boxes. Its products are biodegradable and sold in recyclable-and sometimes refillable-packages. The Yves Rocher Foundation also leads the Women of the Earth Awards, which recognize and financially reward women around the globe for their efforts to improve humanity and the environment.

Yves Rocher Inositol Végétal Optimizing Moisturizer Day 1st Lines

Price: $25

Yves Rocher Inositol Végétal Eco-Refill

Price: $21

Availability: At Yves Rocher beauty centres across Canada, 1-800-361-2746,
www.yvesrocher.ca

L’Oréal

This fall, L’Oréal Paris will launch products containing Pro-Xylane, an ingredient processed by “green chemistry.” Pro-Xylane is found mostly in anti-aging products and is entirely biodegradable-it’s made with Xylose, a molecule produced by beech wood. Pro-Xylane imitates the natural process of Xylose, which is to absorb and retain water into the skin. One of the company’s brands, Lancôme, is working with Carbonfund.org to offset the environmental impact of its spokesmodels’ travels for the brand. On the production side, L’Oréal’s hair-dye-manufacturing plant recovers water from certain processes and reuses it for others. Also, heat given off by the plant’s compressors is recirculated, keeping its workers toasty while minimizing energy usage.

Vichy Laboratoires Neovadiol Intensive Densifying Care with Pro-Xylane

Price: $46

Availability: At select drugstores across Canada

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