eco-chic design

gorgeously green bath and body products handmade in England

During my last stay in Germany I stopped by the recently opened Müller Naturshop in the spa town Bad Kreuznach. The concept is really cool since an entire section within the big department store is dedicated to natural and organic skincare products. It’s the biggest and comprehensive selection I’ve seen so far with a nice mix of German and international brands. I saw some of my eco-chic favorites such as Korres, Primavera, or SantaVerde but also discovered the really, fun and quirky brand Cowshed. What originally caught my attention was the bold design of their soaps. They feature black silhouettes of botanical plants juxtaposed with cheeky names like “Grumpy Cow Uplifting Soap”, “Lazy Cow Soothing soap”, or “Moody Cow Balancing Soap”. Cowshed’s eco-chic soaps are made from organic palm and coconut oils sourced from sustainable plantations. The company’s “no nasties policy” spells out that their products are free of parabens, sulfates, petrochemicals, and artificial colors. Instead only organic, wild crafted and fairly traded botanicals from sustainable sources are used. Cowshed products have been around since 1998 for use in the original Cowshed spa at Babington House in England. But it was not until 2008 that the products were re-formulated to include more organic ingredients and higher ratios of essential oils without any harmful ingredients. Their organic face skincare line is hand made in England and uses 80% of certified organic botanicals on average. The delicate graphics on the labels look gorgeous - or may I say udderly gorgeous.

organic and fair trade chocolate that’s deliciously good

There’s a cute coffee place in Lambertville NJ called Lambertville Trading Company with shelves full of interesting chocolates. I left the store with a big can of theo's 'chiplotle spice' sipping chocolate since I was really intrigued by the flavor. It’s organic, fair trade and has a gorgeous logo design made out of dripping dark chocolate. The taste is inbetween sweet and savory making it perfect for an afternoon pick-me-up or after dinner treat.

Theo is the first and only organic and fair trade chocolate factory in the US and was founded by Joseph Whinney in 2006. All ingredients are carefully screened for social and environmental practices. Sustainable growing methods include shade grown cacao that allows for biodiversity and offers habitat for many species. The ‘fair for life’ seal on the sipping chocolate ensures that human rights are met at every production stage. Workers are treated under fair working conditions and farmers receive a fair share. It’s quiet eye-opening to hear Debra Music from theo mention during her talk on ted that a lot of farmers have never tasted a chocolate bar. No wonder that theo is committed to support local farmers through education. Another example of theo’s transparent business practices are the factory tours in Seattle as part of their educational vision. I would love to go if it wouldn’t be on the West Coast. But luckily it’s easy for me to support this amazing USDA organic certified and fair trade company by sipping another cup of their amazingly good chocolate.

natural and organic skincare certified by NATRUE

One of my favorite eco-chic stores to visit on my annual trips to Germany is Just Nature in Cologne. It specializes in natural and organic beauty products with a nice mix of established and upcoming brands. One of them is PRIMAVERA with an amazing line of certified natural skincare and aromatherapy products. As mentioned earlier there’s still a lot of confusion regarding the difference between natural and organic products in the beauty industry. That’s why I like that PRIMAVERA is the first company to receive NATRUE certification for their entire range of personal care products. NATRUE is a non-profit organization with three levels of certification to clarify if a product contains organic, natural or near natural ingredients. It’s an international standard for natural and organic products. There’s certified natural with 95% organic plant ingredients, then certified natural with 70% organic plant ingredients, and certified natural personal care. 

PRIMAVERA’s commitment to sustainability considers the entire life cycle of their products from seed to soil to shelf and beyond. Ingredients are sourced from a worldwide community of farms dedicated to environmental sustainability under fair trade conditions. I love the elongated shape of the recyclable glass bottles. Especially since they have an environmentally friendly protective UV coating that eliminates the need for extra packaging. The company’s name, PRIMAVERA, means spring in Italian and features the Goddess of Spring. Over the last few weeks I’ve been using the Organic Orange Blossom Water and can highly recommend it. It has soothing qualities and makes me think about spring in the midst of winter.

eco-chic candles made from 100% natural soy wax

Over the years I bought many eco-chic gifts at the store therapie on the Upper West Side in NYC. The self-powered flashlights were great stocking stuffers and the coin purses made of 95% recycled post consumer material were cute money gift cardholders. Unfortunately Therapie is closing down but some of their eco-friendly products are still online. It also had a wide selection of natural and organic beauty products like Weleda, Dr. Hauschka, and Avalon Organics. Just recently I discovered Ecoya.

Australian-based Ecoya produces home fragrances, candles, and body care products. It combines high-end looking design with environmentally responsible ingredients. The company’s name comes from ECOlogical and sOYA (as in soy wax) which symbolizes its commitment to sustainable business practices. I was not surprised to learn that the founders of New Zealand based 42 Below vodka created Ecoya since the branding is gorgeous. The beautifully designed candle range is made from 100% vegetable based soy wax, free of environmentally harmful petroleum, paraffin or beeswax. All soy wax candles are handcrafted and made from soy that is sourced from sustainable farms. The wicks are made from 100% natural, lead-free cotton. What’s great about soy candles is that they generate up to 90% less soot than traditional paraffin wax. This reduces their carbon emissions. I’ve also been using the Ecoya Lip Balm lately. It’s free of parabens, sulfates, propylene glycols, silicones or artificial colorings - great for winter. This is my farewell post to therapie for now hoping that it’ll reopen soon with many eco-chic finds. I’ll make sure to stop by.

green your home with household products from New Zealand

Yesterday an article in the NYT mentioned that niche brands fare better within the green household market than green versions of conventional brands. In my eyes smaller niche companies are more truthful to their green values like ecostore and this shines through in their products. I was fortunate enough to visit the amazing ecostore retail shop in Auckland that also carries a wide selection of other sustainable brands. It ranges from Living Nature Skincare, Apple & Bee cosmetic bags to Merino Kids Cocooi Babywraps. Then of course, there’s also the complete line of ecostore sustainable household and personal care products. 

The current ecostore range has more than a 100 products that are all made in New Zealand with the earth and human health in mind. Lately I was finally able to try their plant based laundry liquid. Until then I was hesitant to try a green detergent made overseas. But my other favorite eco-friendly  detergent brand Vaska was sold out which was a great excuse. The super-concentrated ecostore laundry liquid contains no nasty chemicals such as toxic petrochemicals or phosphates and is highly biodegradable. It’s also grey water safe for gardens, lawns and trees. What I’m really curious about though is ecostore’s new range of skincare products. It just launched in New Zealand and I love the line drawings on the labels designed by artist John Reynolds. They embody the less is more approach of ecostore’s product formulations. And you know how much I love great modern design combined with sustainability.

cool kiwi fashion designs inspired by nature

When I was at Ecostore in Auckland I picked up the handy "good shopping handbook” which is an amazing resource for green and ethical products. It introduced me to the funky and home-grown fashion designs of New Zealand based chalkydigits. Their locally made and sustainable clothes used to be hard to come by. All styles are always limited to keep the collection fresh and original. There almost seems to be a cult following around their cool graphics and eco-conscious designs.

Chalkydigits keeps all production locally in New Zealand and uses sustainable fabrics such as merino and organic cotton as much as possible. The merino wool used in their eco-friendly designs is zque certified to ensure that the production is sustainable, ethical and traceable. Their winter 11 collection is inspired by Codfish Island; home to New Zealand’s precious parrot, the kakapo. Chalkydigits’ website has some gorgeous photographs from Codfish Island and I love that the entire winter range is designed around the kakapos and their habitat. My favorite design is the women’s feathered nest merino tunic made of 100% merino wool that you can wear as a top or dress. I know it’s hard to think about winter but you can wear a lot of their eco-chic clothes all year around. Merino wool keeps you warm in the winter and has a cooling effect during the summer. Here’s the really exciting news: chalkydigits is now available online. All through April, 5% of online sales will be donated to the Red Cross Christchurch earthquake appeal 2011.

eco-chic skincare from New Zealand that’s carbon neutral

During my last vacation in Germany I discovered a store in Cologne specializing in natural and organic beauty products. The brand that caught my eye thanks to the beautiful packaging was New Zealand based Snowberry. I had never seen it in NYC before and was really smitten by the gorgeous paper cut art designed by London artist Rob Ryan. It turned out that the eco-chic packaging is made of biodegradable and recycled materials. Little did I know that a business trip would take me to Auckland shortly after. Of course, I picked up some samples at Smith & Caughey.

Snowberry was founded by Soraya Hendesi and is the first New Zealand beauty company to achieve carboNZero certification for every product. This means that every carbon generating activity is offset through carbon reducing projects such as forest regeneration or wind power generation. Snowberry is not certified ‘natural’ or ‘organic’ but contains no petrochemicals, sulphates, artificial coloring, silicones or glycols. Its mission is to achieve a highly functional anti-aging skincare line that’s as natural as can be. Therefore it contains some ingredients that are not available from organic sources. The eco-chic beauty products incorporate a unique natural preservative system instead of parabens. It’s based on a mix of herbal extracts including Totarol from New Zealand’s rainforest. Currently I’m testing Snowberry’s lite day cream and night cream. Please leave a comment or send me a tweet if you want to hear how it goes. One thing is for sure: it’s the most beautiful packaging on the beauty market I've seen.

tread lightly this spring with eco-friendly footwear

Shoes just like jeans I need to try on before purchasing. That’s why I like that Naturalizer carries Naya’s selection of eco-friendly shoes. To be honest I was not aware of the toxic effects of chrome-tanned leather until my studies in sustainable design. Not only is the chrome-tanning process unhealthy for the eco-system but also humans. Instead Naya offers vegetable-tanned shoes that combine style and sustainability. The word “naya” means renewal and their eco-friendly collection is a great way to kick off the new season.

Naya’s designs reflect their commitment to the environment through material selection and process. Their eco-chic shoes use vegetable-tanned leathers and natural or recycled content fabrics. Even the footbeds contain natural cork and the heels are made of the renewable resource bamboo. Naya looks at the full life-cycle of their eco-chic shoes by ensuring that the boxes are made with 80% recycled paper pulp, soy-based inks and water-based glue. I personally always opt out of boxes to save space and natural resources. But reusable shoe bags I love and theirs are made with recycled PET. Many of Naya’s designs take inspiration from nature such as the Natural Leaf collection. My favorite new styles are the Halima Slides and Alpine Sandals. Both are made with vegetable-tanned leather and the Alpine sandal has a recycled cork outsole with a bamboo heel. The cute designs are a perfect incentive to leave a lighter eco-footprint this spring.

eco-modern felt rugs based on ancient traditions

Due to the snowstorm in the North East last week I had an unexpected layover in San Francisco. Trying to make the best of it I came across the sustainable felt rugs by Peace Industry on Hayes Street. I was impressed that an artist at the store was making bowls and ottomans from leftover felt pieces while consulting potential clients. It was really cool to witness her creative process while she explained the company’s story.

Peace Industry’s founders Melina and Dodd Raissnia established their own felt rug workshop in Iran to honor the ancient art of felt rug making. It took them several trips to Tehran and lots of research to identify a small number of villages where a few old men practice this unique art. Their ancient felting process uses only very mild soap to wash the wool instead of chemicals or toxins. The only other ingredients for the eco-friendly rugs are wool and biodegradable vegetable dyes. Just last year Peace Industry had to relocate their shop to Turkey due to US sanctions against Iran. But they kept the same sustainable and fair trade principles. All eco-modern rugs are hand-made in small batches from 100% wool felt and natural dyes. I love the modern patterns that are achieved by adding felt shapes, dyed loose wool or yarn for finer details. The result is a very strong and dense textile that is naturally stain-resistant and non-absorbent. Something that certainly comes in handy for the occasional spills at eco-modern homes and families.

ethically designed organic sportswear from New Zealand

Before my trip to New Zealand I didn’t know much about Maori culture so that I started reading Richard Bang’s “Quest for Kaitiakitanga”. The one thing I learned so far is that they live in harmony with their eco-system. While scouting sustainable fashion in Auckland I was excited to realize that Untouched World’s logo represents a Maori kite to symbolize an ideal relationship between man and nature. Instinctively I loved the design before I even knew what it stands for. 

Untouched World was the first fashion company in the world to be recognized by the United Nations for sustainability in 2007. The sustainable fashion and sportswear brand looks at the full life cycle of their products in regards to their environmental, social, cultural and economic impact. Their garments carry the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (UN DESD) logo on their labels - made of organic cotton of course. Untouched World uses materials such as GOTS certified organic cotton, Biogro certified organic merino, sustainably farmed merino, and chemical free bamboo fabric. Even the finishing process includes sustainable materials such as recycled cotton buttons or nut buttons. I love their sportswear collection like their rei hoodee that has some super-cute kangaroo pockets with a tapered waistline for women or the zip shirt for men. Both sustainable garments are made of Untouched World’s Organic Mountainsilk from 100% organic Merino fibres grown without the use of toxic, synthetic pesticides or herbicides. Check out the performance cycling collection as well.