There are a number of carbon calculators available on the Internet that can estimate your carbon footprint according to the consumption habits of your lifestyle. They might question, for example, how far you travel to work each week, what your monthly gas bill is or how many air miles you fly each year. There are none yet which specifically pinpoint brands or product types but there are a few that incorporate the total amount you spend on beauty products like the Government's Act on CO2 calculator. The eco point is of course that it's not whether we configure our calculations correctly, but rather what impact we actually have (or don't have) on the environment.If you want to lower your carbon ‘beauty' footprint a good way to start is by using magic potions and beautification lotions made from organically grown ingredients. Organic farming increases the accumulation rate of soil organic carbon (SOC) in the earth, thereby sequestering more CO2 from the atmosphere. The Rodale Institute estimates that if 10,000 medium-sized farms converted to organic production, they would store enough carbon in the soil equivalent to taking 1,174,400 cars off the road.
The farming practices used to create organic and natural products incorporate less chemicals, pesticides and synthetic substances during production and transportation thereby releasing less CO2 into the atmosphere than traditional farming practices.
With half the UK's CO2 emissions created by industry and commerce supporting our ‘everyday' lifestyles it's a good idea to look at reducing our carbon footprint in all facets of our lives - including our morning face cleansing routines. By taking a closer look at product labels and learning more about the ingredients on them we are able to choose products that are friendlier to our bodies and the earth.
Other useful carbon calculators are Carbon Footprint, Resurgence, Coinet and Carbon Balanced.
