eco-chic design

leave a miniature carbon footprint

Travel size products are a great way to try out something new without the big commitment of regular sized ones. I admit that it’s more packaging in the long run, but at least in the case of EO’s personal care products it’s made of recycled PET bottles.

Their signature blue bottles look gorgeous and contain natural and organic ingredients without synthetic colors, fragrances or harsh chemicals. EO actually stands for essential oils, which are steam distilled directly from flowers, leaves, bark and wood. No wonder all their products smell so amazing. The travel products entail shampoo and conditioner in chamomile & honey, shower gel in French lavender and body lotion in grapefruit & mint. And once you’re tired of sightseeing you might want to try the revitalizing lotion for legs & feet as well.

guilt-free vacation

Most of all I really adore the name Bio-Beetle. The two owners Shaun Stenshol and his partner Pamela Miedtke-Wolf cooked up a really great concept in 2003. First you take used frying oil from restaurants on Maui or vegetable oil from sustainable sources and turn them into biodiesel.

Then you take a really cute car like the beetle and turn it into the eco-conscious rental alternative in Hawai. This way tourists like myself can enjoy French fries without the double guilt trip.

In addition Bio-Beetle uses earth friendly coolants, synthetic engine oil and non-toxic cleaners. The company might even ask you to clean off sand and dirt before getting into the cars to preserve electricity instead of vacuuming. It’s just another way to give the planet a little break as well.

soothes the skin and the planet

To stay with the beach theme a bit longer I wanted to feature Dr. Hauschka’s After-Sun Lotion. I’ve been flirting with the company’s holistic line of skin care for a while, since their natural, biodynamic and organic products are from Germany like myself. Finally I got so sunburned last weekend that I tested their after-sun lotion at Whole Foods Market. Its ingredients contain ice plant to soothe and hydrate as well as almond oil, shea butter, rose wax, quince seed, carrot, and rose hip extracts.

The vast majority of Dr. Hauschka’s products use biodynamically and organically grown ingredients and not a single one comes from an organization that uses animal testing. The packaging is eco-conscious and looks as smart as the products. Next time I’ll use Dr. Hauschka Sunscreen Cream before venturing out into the sun again.

for green beach bums

Fleurville is a San Francisco based company with a focus on products for modern, eco-conscious parents. But you don’t have to be an eco-mom to fall in love with their products. They are so cool that they are great find for the beach, park or pool anyway.

The company offers a huge range of PVC free bags ranging from totes to messenger bags. Having been to the beach last weekend myself I realized how helpful it is to have a bag that’s water repellent. Even better if it looks as great and is a green as the Fleurville Beach Bag, which is a limited edition just for the summer. It’s treated with Fleurville’s Green-LAM™ process ensuring that it’s water and UV resistant without being damaging to the environment. So grab your reusable water bottle and hit the beach in green style.

sexy and sustainable

Who says you can’t have it all? The energy efficient Tesla Roadster is a very high performance sports car with amazing looks to match and finally on the road for people who can actually afford it.

This battery powered roadster is more than a car, it’s a statement about the environment in the sleekest way imaginable. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in under four seconds, drives up to 220 miles before the next charge and costs less than 2¢ per mile. Its battery pack based on lithium ion battery technology will last up to 100,000 miles and is recyclable. It represents the roadster’s biggest innovation and is one of the largest and most advanced battery packs in the world. This supercar is obviously out of most people’s reach, but I applaud Tesla Motors for developing an electric car that’s fun, cool and fast and probably the hottest eco-friendly car alive.

a refreshing take on flowers

Nothing beats the smell of fresh oranges in the morning especially during the summer months. No wonder I’m a huge fan of red flower’s scent Italian blood orange that entails a product line of cleansing body wash, moisturizing lotion, cleansing hair wash, softening hair conditioner, soap and candles.

The cleansing body washes and moisturizing body lotions are created with organic flowers, bio-dynamic honey and wild crafted botanical extracts. The product is certified organic, biodegradable, free of dyes, parabens, sulfates, petro-chemicals, and synthetic preservatives. I love the simple organic icon on the bottles that changes colors throughout red flower’s different scents ranging from Moroccan rose to Icelandic moonflower. All packaging uses recycled and recyclable materials.

make a bold statement

I’ve always loved wood in combination with glass and steel. And I love it even more in John Houshmand’s urban organic furniture collection with its use of salvaged or sustainably harvested wood sourced from his Delaware County farm or other local farmers. His collection consists of stunning tables, benches, and shelving among other pieces.

He embraces the flaws in the wood like cracks or even wormholes, since he believes that every piece of wood tells its own individual story. I love how the organic shapes and texture of wood contrast with the sleek surface of glass or steel. To me one of his greatest pieces is the low table made out of gnawed beaver branches with a ¾” glass top. Every time I look at it I feel very zen. For a simpler version, check out his low table made out of spalted mable with ¾” glass legs.

cutting-edge design on the go

On my weekly run to Whole Foods Market last weekend I passed their wide selection of Sigg water bottles, which reminded me how great these products are. The company combines 100 years of Swiss quality and craftsmanship with cool and constantly evolving design. They are a chic alternative to plastic PET water bottles of which over 30 million land in America’s landfills every single year.

The bottles come in over a 100 different designs utilizing 30 artists from all over the world. Their designs include the playful kids collection, the stylish city collection and the more monochromatic sports/classic collection. I love the timelessness of the classical collection, which is a daily reminder that you can reuse these stylish water bottles over and over. The Sigg bottles are made out of aluminium and 100% recyclable. And that's hopefully only after you used them for a very long time.

reuse with plenty of style

I always love to discover an eco-friendly product that’s fun, colorful and modern like these Envirosax reusable shopping bags. You can roll them up and easily carry them in your handbag, backpack or glove box. They are lightweight, waterproof and very chic. You can buy them as single items or as an assortment of 5, so that you’ll never have an excuse to not have one handy or use them instead of plastic bags. The reusable bags come in many different styles, but the graphic series is my favorite. It’s made out of lightweight polyester and comes in fun patterns like flora, retro graphic or retro kitchen. For the more faint of heart there’s also the greengrocer series which offers a range of plain colors in delicious sounding names like liquorice, avocado or guava. And in case you’re feeling really green you might want to check out their organic collection.

bubbles for any occasion

Seltzer is an eco-friendly company based in Queens that sells fun greeting cards, notebooks and wrapping paper made out of 100% recycled paper printed with soy based inks.

Most of their greeting card designs contain their signature bubble. The bubble designs are as much fun as some of the whimsical greetings. I know it’s odd, but I always wanted a monkey when I was little so that I love the anniversary card entitled “monkey mates” and the baby card “little monkey”. My other two favorite cards with animal motives are the two birthday cards “hamster wheel” with the title “time to get a little crazy” that shows a hamster wearing a helmet on top of a wheel and the “pigeon skateboard” with the title “time to break out your best moves”. Make sure to check out their whimsical gift wrap with skulls, pugs, tumbler monkeys and multi-flavored ice cream patterns.