Cool Hunting

One of the simplest ways to make every day Earth Day is to incorporate some of these new skincare products that make it easier to live an eco-friendly lifestyle. Free of parabens (an ingredient already banned in Europe for its health risks) and other harmful additives, using these products not only helps save the earth while providing a host of benefits to skin but, to our minds, there's no reason to be applying toxins to the largest organ of our bodies.

Wholearth
Launching today, longtime environmentalist Danny Seo's Wholearth is one of the greenest, and most luxurious lines we've ever come accross. In addition to using 100% post-consumer recycled plastic for all product packaging, they also stick to a strict “no ingredient” ban list, meaning no parabens, petrochemicals, sulphates, silicone nor talc.

Instead Seo had to get creative, using such organic ingredients as apple juice, lemon oil, bergamot, cocoa butter, lavender flower and even an enzyme extracted from Kimchi, as an alternate preservative. “As a Korean myself," says Seo, “I love the fact the national dish of Korea is the hero ingredient in our product line." We tried the Wholearth body wash ($22), which exfoliated without stripping the skin and the body lotion, which left our skin silky without being greasy. The line has a light, lingering scent, minus the patchouli.

Wholearth also marks the launch of the first ever USDA-certified organic fragrance ($65), available in three scents, made from ingredients like cassis, davana, rose, ginger, coriander and vanilla.

Starting today, the products are available in all Anthropologie stores. Check out the website for future locations.

by Ariston Anderson

Sponge
Originally developed by an OB/GYN seeking to make products safe for mothers and their unborn babies, Sponge products feature the most pure and highest quality ingredients. Since the initial idea, Dr. Costas Tynpanidis has gone on to collaborate with Athens universities to develop new safety tests without harming the environment and has introduced several more products to the all-organic line.

The process of making Sponge products starts by meticulously and laboriously extracting the vitamins, antioxidants and nutrients from plants without the use of chemicals. Resulting products, like Krema Imeras ($110), a hydrating anti-aging day cream with a light texture and subtle scent, come with the assurance that they're neither hurting you nor the world.

All Sponge products are available on their website.

Caudalíe Pulpe Vitaminée
This new line from Caudalíe uses high concentrations of anti-oxidants, including to combat the early signs of aging. Like all of their products incorporating polyphenols from grapes as a main ingredient, the Pulpe Vitaminée is free of parabens and other nasty additives, but it does include energizing ingredients like ginger, royal jelly, echinacea, lifting fern and ginseng.

The emulsion ($60) is available from Space NK, along with the cream (also $60).