At a recent meeting of green spa professionals, a participant remarked that “helping clients make the connection between greening and health isn’t that hard, but making the connection between greening and beauty can be tougher.” She pointed out that spa guests have a specific idea of what natural beauty is and they may not choose a treatment labeled “natural” if it doesn’t fit with their perception of how a more glamorous or stylized treatment ought to look. Another participant agreed with the statement and told the group about her spa guests’ surprise when they experienced the beauty and quality of a non-toxic manicure; the assumption was that to be pretty nails must be painted with layers of chemical-laden lacquer.
| | Summer Rayne Oakes – The gorgeous supermodel is re-defining the image of eco-conscious beauty. A high profile advocate for environmental causes, she embodies sexy, dramatic green style. |
Not so very long ago natural or “green” beauty implied an aesthetic that was stripped-down, bare and for some women -a bit boring. Less than a way of linking health and the environment with one’s choice in beauty products, “natural beauty” was a niche look associated with neutral colors, minimum application and restrained style. As the market for natural beauty grew, advertisers helped to reinforce the notion that natural = earthy by picturing fresh-faced models with flaxen hair drawn in a middle part, their wholesome faces without a speck of eyeliner or a smudge of shadow. Never mind that product lines using safe, natural ingredients can be applied with as much drama and flair as a line made with petrochemicals and toxic preservatives; the assumption was that consumers looking for clean personal care products are minimalists when it comes to styling their hair and making up their face.
The assumption was not completely erroneous, as many of the women who pioneered the market for natural cosmetics were not interested in cat-eye liner or cherry-red lips. But times have changed, and just as organic produce and hybrid cars have become must-haves for a green-chic lifestyle, more women are seeking beauty rituals that are not threatening to their health or natural habitats. And yet the bias in the presentation of most natural beauty routines still tends largely toward an earthy aesthetic, leaving more colorful and dramatic looks out of the eco-beauty picture.
But the face of natural beauty is changing, most notably in the realm of eco-fashion where haute-couture is welcoming designers that use organic cotton, hemp, reclaimed textiles and other eco-friendly components to create fashion that rivals unsustainable runway competitors. Within the last five years green fashion has transformed from crunchy-bohemian designs to sexy, trend-setting styles that call for kitten heels rather than Birkenstocks.
It is true that some preferences can not be satisfied by an eco-healthy beauty routine; at this time it is difficult (sometimes impossible) to safely produce some shades of hair color and nail color. But this by no means excludes glamorous, sexy looks from the portfolio of green beauty. Together, as advocates for a cleaner, greener and healthier spa and beauty community we can banish the mis-impression that to be green spa guests have to forgo style, color and drama. |
Spa Greening News 
