I have to admit that I am not the most ecologically friendly person; even with all this talk of going green, the most I have done is recycle my cans and bottles. But since today is Earth Day, it got me thinking – I really need to start caring about the environment.

In honor of this revolutionary day, I have come up with a list of actions to take to be a little more eco-friendly.

Walk more, drive less: Instead of driving short trips around the corner, such as to pick up milk and bread, take a stroll instead. Not only are you saving on gas and not polluting the environment, you’re also getting a mini work-out in the course of it. A few days ago, my roommate and I had to return a movie to the video store and we walked there instead – it only took us 20 minutes and it felt great to get some fresh air.

Recycle, Reuse, Reduce (and close the loop!): Not only should you do the obvious and save your cans and bottle, but find uses for other products lying around your house. I like using old pieces of clothing as cleaning rags.

Invest in eco-friendly fashion: Nowadays, you can purchase anything from dresses to handbags that are all made out of organic fabrics. Not only do some of the eco-friendly fashion lines use fabrics friendly to the environment, they also use minimal packaging and guarantee livable working situations where they manufacture their products. Here is a list of retailers who manufacture for the eco-friendly and socially conscious.

Switch to organic beauty products: In pursuit of becoming more environmentally friendly, a lot of beauty companies are going all-organic. You can get anything from nail polish to lip stick with all-natural ingredients.
Some companies to consider that offer organic beauty products:
Foxy Mineral Make-up: has a wide range of selections of eye shadows, lip glosses, and foundations, which contain no chemicals and oils that can oftentimes be bad for the environment.
Karma Organic: offers organic spa products, such as organic nail polish removers, nail polish colors, scrubs, lotions, and oils.

Cut the amount of time spent in the shower: Do you really need to take a 45 minute shower? The less time you spend in the shower, the more water you are saving; long, hot showers are not good for your skin anyway, it dries it out and strips away its natural oils.

Little by little, changing everyday habits and incorporating more natural products in our daily regimens is helping the environment, plus it’s good for your own personal beauty health.

What are you doing to become more eco-friendly?

Photo Credit: GenGreenLife and Karma Organic