TUCSON, Ariz.— Some beauty and health product manufacturers are only interested in green as a marketing campaign, but others have turned eco-friendly products into a way of life.

“Green has become such a marketing buzzword that it’s really starting to mean nothing,” said Karling Marlatt, esthetician and educator at the Aveda Institute Tucson.

Most cosmetics are based on synthetic processes where the ingredients are developed through the mixing of toxic oils in a lab. As the national cosmetics industry becomes more eco-conscious, some salons and spas such as Aveda, which has locations all over the world, and Gadabout SalonSpas, based in Tucson, are taking steps to create products that are better for the environment and better for their customers' health.

Aveda, owned by Estée Lauder, takes an environmentally friendly approach not only to the products it sells, but also the sources it uses to make those products.

Gadabout SalonSpas has turned its focus to developing makeup more naturally by infusing minerals into its products.

Gadabout SalonSpas: Protecting Nature

Gadabout SalonSpas is the exclusive carrier in Tucson of eco-friendly product line Davines.

Davines is part of Gadabout SalonSpas' mission to carry more natural products.

In the production of its beauty products Davines tries to have zero impact on the environment to reduce carbon emissions, said Megan Davis, vice president of advertising and marketing for Gadabout SalonSpas. Gadabout encourages its clients to reduce their carbon footprint through the use of these products.

The makers of Davines use only plant and flower extract to develop the products and packages them in recyclable materials.

"It's a Catch-22 with the beauty industry," said Maritza Gonzales, educator and advanced stylist at Gadabout SalonSpas. "There is a lot of technology out there, but not a lot of people are willing to put in the effort to use it."



Spotlight on Aveda

Aveda has been one of the leaders in eco-conscious cosmetics for more than 30 years.

"We don't mark things 'natural' or 'organic' because it's not a marketing thing, it's our culture," said Jed Beal, spokesman for The Aveda Institute Tucson.

Beal said Aveda is a vegan company, meaning the company does not use any animals products or test on animals.

"A lot of companies say they don't test on animals because they pay other companies to test on animals for them," Beal said.

According to Brad Van Dyke, spa director for Aveda in Tucson and Denver, Aveda tests all its products on people at the headquarters in Blaine, Minn.

"We have our stylists and estheticians test our products on guests in Blaine," Van Dyke said.

Aveda Ingredients Q & A with Professor of Biochemistry Bill Montfort CatScan: Given this list of unknown ingredients (Acetyl Peptide-8,Glucosamine HCL, Ceramide-3, Stearic Acid and Cepric Trygliceride) found in Aveda products, what are they and how do they affect the skin/body and environment? Montfort: Most of these certainly aren’t going to hurt you. A lot of this is just a marketing name. These could be a number of things but basically are different fatty acids for the basis of oils to rub into the skin. CS: A lot of beauty products are petroleum based. Experts say when petroleum is absorbed into the skin it stays there. How does that affect the skin/body? M: It may cause the skin to dry out. CS: Aveda education material says most products are for the use of anti-glycation. What does that mean? M: First, "anti" means opposing. So, something opposing glycation. Glycation is simply a chemical reaction that has sugar molecules modifying proteins. For example, in diabetics glycation is a problem because there are too many sugar molecules; their sugar is too high. Most beauty products that fight this contain antioxidants that fight oxidated stress, when these cells are being held together. There are anti-oxidants in plants so these products could very well be helping fight this. Montfort is a biochemist at The University of Arizona.

Aveda Sourcing

Aveda looks for raw, untouched plant extracts and oils to use in its cosmetic lines. To reduce its carbon footprint the company has built relationships with indigenous people of Australia, Spain, South Africa, Brazil, Bulgaria and other countries to develop its products.

"We're able to employ more people, give back to the community, and keep it sustainable. We are not leaving a footprint," Beal said.

Instead of interrupting the native way of life in these areas by erecting a factory, Aveda often pays the local people more for the natural goods than they would receive in their local markets.

"We form a bond with those groups and allow them to do what they do naturally, and because they see sandalwood as something spiritual they don't deforest their land, they just harvest it," Van Dyke said. "We pay them to use part of that resource and allow them to keep their way of life."

The new Green Science line was created because of the demand for anti-aging products. One of the main ingredients is argan.

The argan trees Aveda gets its oil from are in Morocco and are indigenous to the Sahara Desert. The company works with a cooperative run by Morroccan women who also work to preserve the tree. The local population has relied on argan for centuries for its medicinal purposes, Van Dyke said.

According to Van Dyke, the company has formed a partnership to buy the argan tree from the Berber women who wanted to bring the tree to a national market.

"We source products that are indigenous to their way of life and their survival mechanisms," Van Dyke said.

Aveda monitors their sources' sustainability practices regularly, company representatives said, and has had to discontinue products whose ingredients they could no longer get in a sustainable way.

Synthetic fragrances, chemicals and even petroleum are common ingredients in many beauty products that can have a negative effect on skin and the environment.

When it comes to skin care, synthetic ingredients are usually what people have allergic reactions to, Marlatt said.

“Petroleum-based ingredients are extremely inexpensive fillers that a lot of companies use to enhance their products, but they really don’t have a huge function,” Marlatt said.

When petroleum is absorbed into the skin, its long-term effects can create dry skin, which leads to fine lines and wrinkles, said Bill Montfort, professor of biochemistry at the University of Arizona.

After finding the ingredients needed, the company tries to further reduce its carbon footprint through eco-friendly packaging. Aveda maximizes the use of post-consumer recyclables and renewable energy to produce and distribute its products. By using 100 percent wind power during the manufacturing process, Aveda generates fewer chemicals because wind energy is produced without carbon and sulfur dioxides.

"All the way to the bottle we are doing as much as we can to be environmentally responsible," Marlatt said.

Green Culture

The Aveda Company promotes a green culture within its salons and to its work force and guests.

For instance, the Tucson Institute features hemp curtains and shaved cork floors. The salon mirror frames are made of recycled wood pallets.

"Forty percent of the world's wood comes from shipping pallets, so we put these up here to remind people of that. We put a lot of time into telling an environmental story," Beal said.

At the official grand opening April 20, the new Aveda Institute Tucson, 845 N. Park Ave., introduced a peel containing nopal cactus, which is abundant in the Sonoran Desert.

Gadabout features eco-friendly products but has yet to incorporate green decor in its salons.

Aveda and Gadabout SalonSpas have recently teamed up to create and open a new salon called Verve, 7025 N. Oracle Rd.