The Middle East North American beauty market is estimated at $60 billion by 2025 and it currently sits at $46 billion USD according to The Middle East Market Report. MENA countries include Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Jordan Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Tunisia, Afghanistan, Libya, Morocco, Greece and sometimes Turkey.

Currently valued at $46 billion, the MENA beauty industry is projected to grow to $60 billion by 2025, driven by a young, addicted population and rising incomes.

There is a growing demand for “A-beauty” (Arab beauty) products that cater specifically to regional preferences and color palettes, and skin tone, and a surge in local brands like Saudi-based Asteri and Omani luxury fragrance house Amouage. Israeli-conceived Moroccan Oil and Yes To products are some better known ones in the mainstream.

One standout trend is the region’s focus on heritage and local ingredients, with many consumers in places like Saudi Arabia prioritizing brands that preserve cultural traditions. See the folk Bedouin beauty products of Miriam Aborkeek.

We prefer natural perfumes like Le Labo as they don’t engage with and mess with your endocrine system.

E-commerce is expected to hit $50 billion by 2025, driven by high online engagement, particularly in Saudi Arabia, where 82% of the population consumes digital content regularly.

Beauty categories such as skincare, make-up, and fragrance will see double-digit growth, with the global fragrance market expected to reach $7.21 billion by 2032, largely influenced by the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

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Switching to an eco-friendly lifestyle doesn’t have to involve a complete overhaul. The way to do it is by making one small change at a time. If you’re struggling to figure out where to start, here are some simple alternatives you can do for a more eco-friendly home. 

1. Reusable water bottle

Ditch the plastic water bottle and opt to use a reusable one instead. Use it in your home and wherever you go. It takes some time to adjust to carrying a water bottle everywhere but you’ll find that it’s cheaper and more convenient. Most places offer free refills on water and you never have to struggle finding a store that sells bottled water if you’re thirsty. Or for your home, try the clay purifier above. It’s an ancient idea. 

2. Reusable coffee cup

If you’re an on-the-go type of person, you may prefer to pick up your daily cup-of-joe at the coffee shop. Consider switching to a reusable coffee cup. Yes, it’s an additional thing to carry in your bag but most reusable coffee cups are collapsible thus saving you space! You might even save money as some cafes offer discounts to customers who bring their own cups.

3. Reusable beauty products

Tampons and napkins add up to a lot of waste in landfills. You can make the eco-friendly switch by using a cup or reusable pad instead. They’re a one-time investment that will last you for many years. 

Another beauty item you can replace is the make-up remover. Instead of cotton buds of wipes, you can use reusable cotton pads instead. They’re inexpensive and are made with natural materials that don’t harm your skin.

Shampoo bars are also becoming a big hit in the zero-waste industry. After you’ve used up all the shampoo in your home, make the switch to shampoo bars. They don’t contain parabens or require those bulky plastic bottles and they last longer too!

4. Reusable bags

Always have one ready in your bag in case you need to make a quick trip to the grocery store.

You don’t have to buy those trendy canvas bags in order to make shopping greener. Simply dig up old bags that you don’t use anymore and carry those whenever you go out to shop.

Have some reusable produce bags ready as well. That way, you don’t need to use plastic to separate fruits and vegetables that you buy. For this, you can use old clothes that you don’t wear anymore and sew them to make produce bags.

5. Eco-friendly sleep

We spend a third of our lives in bed. It makes sense then to invest in mattresses, pillows, and beddings that are comfortable to sleep in. The problem is that these items need to be replaced every few years, after which they end up getting thrown in landfills, taking as long as 80 to 120 years to decompose. A way to make this part of your life more sustainable is by investing in sleep products that are made with natural materials. 

You can start with small ticket items such as eco-friendly pillows and beddings. Then once it’s time to replace your mattress, go ahead and invest in an eco-friendly mattress for better sleep. These items are mostly made with earth-friendly materials that don’t harm the environment. Best of all, they’re non-toxic.

6. Natural cleaners

You don’t need every type of harsh cleaner for specific items in your home. You only need baking soda, vinegar, dish soap or castile soap, hydrogen peroxide, and lemons to have a clean home. There are several combinations of these ingredients that make the perfect solution for cleaning every nook and cranny.

7. Use what you already have

Some sustainable options are not always necessary. For example, you can use some old items in your home instead of those new eco-friendly alternatives being marketed to you. Sure, bamboo brushes and metal straws are certainly more sustainable but if you still have a well-functioning one in your home, refrain from buying until you really need to replace it.

Which of these eco friendly swaps are you excited to try? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

The post Your Favorite Items at Home Swapped With Eco-Friendly Alternatives appeared first on Green Prophet.

Coffee can have a secret life beyond your kitchen filter or your Turkish coffee pot. From compost to creative solutions. Give new life to the mountains of used grinds we toss out every week. Your favorite bean just became even better!

1. Keep your garden cat-free

The jury’s still out on this: supposedly grounds spread around my herb seedlings will keep Amman’s gazillion stray cats from making the planter a litter box. Fingers crossed it does the trick.

2. Repel ants

Ants from Shutterstock

One of my friend’s used grounds repel ants: she lays down a line at all exterior thresholds.  Friend Two prefers pouring a pot of brewed coffee on the anthill. (Not sure where the Geneva Convention stands on this.)

3. Kill fridge odor

Fridge via Shutterstock

Pop a bowl of fresh grounds in your refrigerator to zap foul odors.  This odor-absorbent trick works, but be warned, it also imparts a mild coffee-house scent.

4. Reduce cellulite

Cellulite from Shutterstock

Caffeine’s a major ingredient in cellulite creams, as it supposedly revs up fat metabolism. To make a home treatment, mix used coffee grounds with warmed coconut or olive oil.  Massage into your skin using a circular motion, then rinse. Inspired? Go the next step, and tightly wrap your paste-coated self in cling film.  Let it seep in for 20 minutes before rinsing.  Let us know if this works?

5. Exfoliate

Commercial scrubs contain a buffing agent, usually made from salts or ground nut shells. Make a coffee version by blending a spoonful of grounds into a splash of olive oil.  Achieve aromatherapy by adding essential oil.  Use to buff away dead winter-dry skin, works great on hands and feet.

6. De-stink the Chef

Après-cooking, get rid of smelly food residue by rubbing hands in used grounds.  Grab a handful, scrub a dub dub, and rinse. Keep an open container of dried used grounds sink-side; it’ll absorb kitchen odors.

7. Shine-up hair

Turn up the shine by rinsing dry, clean hair with strong, cooled coffee.  Leave it on for 30 minutes, then rinse. Not recommended for blonde or silver hair.

8. Natural dye

I’ve dyed Easter eggs, toned down too-bright curtains, and stained paper for an archival look using coffee.  The dye isn’t permanent (it comes out in the wash), but it’s perfect for one-off projects.

9. Scrub surfaces

Naturally abrasive coffee grounds are great for scrubbing greasy surfaces like kitchen counters, stovetops and appliances. Use them alone or mix in a little dish detergent.

10. Auto air freshener

Wrap an egg-sized amount of grounds in a piece of old pantyhose (steer clear of fishnets!), secure it with ribbon or string, and hang from the rear-view mirror.

11. Deepen Flavors

Add a tablespoon of fresh grounds to meat marinades, it works as a tenderizer and adds mild smokiness. Coffee’s deep flavor naturally partners with chocolate cakes and chili: substitute strong coffee for some of the recipe’s water requirement and rev up the richness.

12. Heal scratched furniture

Make a paste from instant coffee and rub into scuffed wood; reapply until the scratches disappear.

13. Grow mushrooms

Weekend gardeners in bone-dry Jordan are unlikely to master mushrooms, but used grounds are an ideal ‘shroom-growing medium. State-side friends bought a mushroom-growing kit that included soil made from recycled coffee grounds. Kit-maker Back to the Roots also sells coffee-based soil additives:  mushrooms are one of nature’s best recyclers, thriving on old newspaper, sawdust and, yeah, used grounds.

14. Fertilize plants

Coffee’s nutrients hold the right chemistry for azaleas, rhododendrons and other plants that thrive in acidic conditions.  Spread grounds near their roots or, in lieu of regular watering, simply pour a mix of 1/8 coffee dregs to 7/8 cool water into potted plants.

…and back to the start…

15. Make compost

Coffee grounds are loaded with phosphorous, potassium, magnesium and copper.  They’re a tad acidic and as they degrade they release nitrogen which makes for especially rich soils. If you’re tackling vermicomposting, add used grounds to the critters’ habitat.  Seems worms thrive on coffee – your kitchen waste will be chewed up by an extra-invigorated workforce.

I love the potential for community gardens: linking local coffee shops with large scale compost operations. Here in Jordan, where waste management is woefully disorganized, it’s an opportunity unlikely to be exploited, but Green Prophet would love to hear if roof gardeners and apartment farmers in other (coffee-living) Middle East countries pick up this ball and run with it.

Image of coffee beans and all others above from Shutterstock

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Like our popular guide on reusing air conditioner water, old tea bags ? … that’s easy. As an avid tea drinker, I was intrigued when I stumbled upon a variety of sources that promoted the eco-friendly use of tea bags, outside the teacup. Arthur W. Pinero, an Englishman, of course, said, “Where there’s tea, there’s hope.”  That’s definitely true.  Brewed tea bags can provide a pick-me-up in ways you’d least expect.  Here are 13 of them. You can use tea…

1. As a cold compress.

Got tired eyes, bruises, or sunburn? Bee stings or mosquito bites?  Did your child just get a shot at the doctor’s but the free lollipop wasn’t consolation enough?  Apply a cool, moist tea bag made from black tea to these kinds of affected areas on the skin to get soothing relief and quicker healing.

2. As a hot compress.

Trying to get rid of pinkeye, canker sores or fever blisters?  Or maybe a plantar wart smack dab in the middle of the sole of your right foot?  Warm, wet tea bags can draw out the infections.

3. To clean your carpets.

For more delicate, Persian or Oriental carpets, sprinkle almost-dry tea leaves on the carpet, and then sweep them away when dry.  Tea leaves on more heavy-duty carpets can be vacuumed.

4. To take a flavored bath.

Treat your skin as you would your taste buds, in the bathtub.  Give your bath salts a run for their money by running the bath water over several used tea bags.  You’ll have yourself an aromatic, skin-softening soak in no time.

5. To feed your garden.

Cultivate your healthy plants and bring your dying ones back to life by breaking open a soaked tea bag and disseminating the contents over the soil.  Roses and ferns do especially well with the acidic tannins found in black tea.

Don’t have a garden? Add the used tea leaves to your enrich your compost pile – and if you don’t have that, make one.  (Remember to take the staples out of the tea bag, if there are any.)

6. To eliminate odors around the house.

Put dried tea leaves in your garbage can and your kitten’s litter box.  They’ll also suck up food odors when stuck in a bowl in the fridge.  And combine them with your favorite essential oils to make all-natural air fresheners.

Odors might also be closer than you think: especially if you’ve been handling fish, your hands might smell…fishy.  Rinse your hands with old tea.  As for your mouth and all that bad-breath bacteria, skip the shocking Listerine and go for a gentle mint tea mouth rinse.

7. To give your locks some love.

Tea acts as a sort of leave-in conditioner: Make your dry hair shiny by rinsing your hair with unsweetened tea.  Leave your head alone to dry, then rinse out the tea. This works well in areas with hard water.

8. To polish your wooden floors.

You might need to amass quite a few tea bags for this one.  Mop your wooden floors with brewed tea, and while you’re at it, shine up some furniture, too.

9. To say goodbye to greasy dishes.

Whatever it may be that is caked onto your plates from dinner, do not fear.  Soak the dishes in hot water with a few brewed tea bags.  The more the grease, the more time will be needed to break it down; soaking the pile overnight is recommended.

10. To recreate potpourri.

Rarely do used tea bags lose their scent completely.  Dry out your favorite teas (any kinds will do) and add the leaves to potpourri; they’ll blend right in, aesthetically and also in form. After all, potpourri is made of dried fruit peels, herb leaves, flowers, and spices.

11. To replace Windex.

Maybe your kids had their hands all over the windows, or maybe the glass is just dusty.  Make them sparkle by rubbing a damp teabag over them or applying brewed tea from a spray bottle, then wiping it away with a cloth.

12. To discover your inner Michelangelo.

Artists have started to use strong black teas to paint backgrounds or accentuate black-and-white sketches.

and my favorite…

13. To make flavored rice.

When cooking rice, add your used herbal tea bags to the water to allow a new, mild flavor to permeate throughout. Jasmine tea, one of my personal favorites, is a great choice for rice-flavoring.

After steeping a tea bag two or more times (because once is never enough) to enjoy my favorite hot drink,  I always felt bad tossing it.  Knowing now of brewed tea bags’ reusability, I’ll be able to leave the leaves out of the trash for a little while longer.

Now read on for 10 surprising green ways to use olive oil. And surprising uses for kitchen salt.

The post 13 Surprising Green Ways to Reuse Tea Bags appeared first on Green Prophet.

The David Suzuki foundation has published a list of the “dirty dozen” chemicals present in cosmetics that are known carcinogens or hormone disruptors, pesticides or reproductive toxins. We’ve adapted our list from there in order to spread the all-important message that women especially need to read labels to ensure that the products they use contain no invisible dangers. Or use sustainable cosmetics made by people like this Bedouin woman in Israel.

1. BHA and BHT

Typically used as a preservative in lipstick and moisturizer, and BHT(butylated hydroxytoluene) is toxic to mice and rats when they are exposed to large doses for extended periods of time. It has been proven to cause liver, thyroid, and kidney problems, and to prevent proper blood coagulation. BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) is toxic to aquatic organisms, according to the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Northeast Atlantic.

2. Coal tar dyes: p-phenylenediamine and colors listed as “CI” in front of a five digit number

“Coal tar-derived colours are used extensively in cosmetics, generally identified by a five-digit Colour Index (C.I.) number,” according to the David Suzuki Foundation. These products are typically derived from petroleum and have the potential to cause cancer. They may also be toxic to the brain since they often contain aluminum compounds and other heavy metals.

3. DEA and related products

DEA (diethanolamine) and similar products are responsible for the creamy consistency of certain facial cleansers, soaps and shampoos, but research reveals that we pay a steep price for that luxurious soapy feeling since “high doses can cause liver cancers and precancerous changes in skin and thyroid,” the David Suzuki Foundation reports. And if that doesn’t freak you out, maybe this will: DEA is used in oil refineries to remove hydrogen sulphide from process gas emissions.

4. Dibutyl phthalate

Dibutyl phthalate or DBP is usually used to keep nail polish fluid and in some fragrances. The same stuff that makes polyvinyl chloride plastic (PVC) so malleable, DBP, an endocrine disruptor according to the European Union, is absorbed through the skin and is known to “cause developmental defects, changes in the testes and prostate, and reduced sperm counts.” It is also profoundly toxic to aquamarine organisms.

5. Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives

It’s hard to believe that our sweet-smelling cosmetics could contain something as toxic to humans as formaldehyde, but they frequently do. DMDM hydantoin, diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea, methenamine, quaternium-15, and sodium hydroxymethylglycinate are all used as preservatives in various cosmetics and all slowly release formaldehyde – an indisputable human carcinogen. Most of the danger comes with inadvertently inhaling off-gases.

6. Parabens

Up to 90 percent of all cosmetics contain a small amount of parabens, but manufacturers are not required to disclose the presence of fragrance since that is considered to be proprietary information. Which means most people are using a known hormone disruptor that is easily absorbed by skin without realizing it. “The European Commission on Endocrine Disruption has listed parabens as Category 1 priority substances, based on evidence that they interfere with hormone function,” the David Suzuki Foundation reports. They also mimic estrogen and have been found in breast cancer tissue and may also contribute to reproductive problems in males.

7. Parfum / Fragrance

If you are like so many women in the Middle East who use far too much parfum, this detail might interest you. Parfum or fragrance is comprised of over 3,000 chemicals that combined can be toxic to human brains. That sweet or musky is actually designed to trick our brain by masking foul odors. Also used in laundry detergents, fragrance can cause allergic reactions, exacerbate and sometimes even cause asthma in children.  Luckily there are plenty of non-toxic essences present in nature so it really isn’t necessary to expose yourself or your children to these poisons.

8. Cancer-causing PEG compounds

Petroleum-based PEGs (polyethylene glycols) are used as solvents, thickeners, softeners and moisture carriers and may cause cancer. “The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies ethylene oxide as a known human carcinogen and 1,4-dioxane as a possible human carcinogen,” and both of these compounds are often found in PEGs – though this depends on how the product is made. Moreover, these products degrade slowly and are therefore toxic to the environment.

9. Petrolatum

If you haven’t already thrown away every bottle of moisturizer and hand cleaner in your bathroom cabinet, read on, because there are an additional four chemicals that you ought to keep away from your skin, or in this case, your hair. Often used to create that perfect shiny hair depicted on glossy magazines, petrolatum is a petroleum-based product also found in some lip balms. Often contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, it too is a known human carcinogen when used over an extended period.

10. Siloxanes

The David Suzuki Foundation recommends that all consumers watch out for ingredients that end in the words  “-siloxane” or “-methicone,” which are used to “smooth, soften or moisten” skin. Probably both an endocrine disruptor and reproductive toxicant, siloxanes are also harmful to fish and wildlife when released into water and soil.

11. Sodium laureth sulfate

If it ends in “eth,” it probably isn’t good for you. Used to make cleansers foamy, sodium laureth sulfate containing 1,4-dioxane may cause cancer. Others containing ethylene oxide is also worthy of attention since “Ethylene oxide can also harm the nervous system ⁱⁱand the California Environmental Protection Agency has classified it as a possible developmental toxicant based on evidence that it may interfere with human development,” according to the David Suzuki Foundation. Ditch the foamy stuff and opt for herbal soaps that left the “eth” behind.

12. Triclosan

What is perhaps so disturbing about this list is the sheer ubiquity of toxic chemicals in all of our daily products, even in our toothpaste and – most sinister of all – antibacterial soaps billed as being “good” for keeping germs away. Used as an antibacterial agent in a variety of products, Triclosan may actually create antibiotic resistance. It is also a possible endocrine disruptor that is absorbed into the skin. “U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientists detected triclosan in the urine of nearly 75 per cent of those tested (2,517 people ages six years and older),” according to the David Suzuki Foundation. Try tea tree oil and other natural bacterial and fungus agents instead or consult your doctor.

Visit the David Suzuki Foundation for a more exhaustive summary of the dangers present in all of these chemicals.

Image of brunette woman applying makeup, Shutterstock 

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Sugar wax, sugaring or Persian waxing, whatever you want to call it there is an old, tried and true way to wax, naturally. Many beauty regimens do more harm than good as many products contain harsh chemicals including toxins, hormone disruptors and even pesticides!  That’s why we have scouted out an ancient Arabic beauty regimen that does not threaten your body or your bank account for that matter.

It’s an attractive recipe. This all-natural sugar wax is most popular in Egypt and Lebanon.  There are plenty of videos which present efficient instructions on how to proceed with the depilatory “cooking.” But we like the video better below.

Sugar wax sugaring recipe

Sugar, white or brown (1 cup)

Water (2 Tbsp)

Lemon juice (1.5 Tbsp)

Salt, optional (1 tsp)

Sugaring Wax Method

Combine these above natural ingredients in a saucepan and simmer on low heat. Allow the mixture to thicken and turn golden-brown.  (Just like freshly baked cookies you know it’s good when it’s golden-brown.)

Stir the mixture with a spoon, making sure the sugar crystals dissolve.  Within roughly eight minutes, it will thicken considerably and take on a syrupy consistency.  Be careful not to let it burn.

Watch as the mixture turns a darker brown, turn off the heat, and let the forming wax cool for a couple of minutes.

And voilà (as this is also called Persian waxing), there you have your wax.  Apply where desired and pull in the opposite direction of hair growth.

The wax is totally reusable so stick the leftover portion in plastic and put it in the fridge.  10 seconds in the microwave will be enough when you want to use it later.

The sweetness of this sugar wax cannot be denied: it’s sticky, like toffee, and the color of caramel.

It’s also effective, cheap, and non-harmful.

Great for sexy legs. So try it at home. I know I will!

UPDATE: Link here for my trial and error attempt (and part success making my own sugar wax). Or go in the reverse and do a Januhairy.

The post Make your own sugar wax appeared first on Green Prophet.

I’ve always been incredibly lazy about beauty. This isn’t because I don’t dream of being an illustrious goddess who rides into the sunset with an equally exotic suitor, but because tending to my mind and soul has always taken priority. Every so often I’ll spend money on a nice haircut, but most of the time I do as little as possible to retain my youthful looks.

This philosophy used to work pretty well for me and my friends were jealous of my unblemished skin – until I lived in Viet Nam for four months. My skin has never recovered from Ho Chi Minh City’s pollution, and I’ve done a terrible job of bringing it back to life. Don’t be like me. Avoid the following five things to keep your skin looking so much better than mine.

1. Don’t Forget to Drink Water

I know that water is good for me, but I get so caught up with my work and coffee that I never remember to drink as much as I should. Hopefully you will avoid making this mistake. Almost all health experts agree that drinking a decent amount of water (approximately 64 ounces a day) is essential to good complexion and pretty much anything else. This is nature’s way of purifying your body from the inside out.

2. Don’t Forget to Clean Your Face at Night

When I was living in Viet Nam, where – like Egypt – unprecedented levels of pollution permeate every pore of the body, I scoffed at the ladies who carried around blotters and wore face masks, but I’m laughing last. Instead of cleaning my face every night and taking care of my skin, I was lazy and paid the price. The problem areas that emerged after just four months of living in HCMC flair up time and again. Do you think I learned? Of course not. Often by the time I drag myself to bed I’m so tired that I don’t remember to clean my face. Please don’t do this.

3. Don’t Smoke

One of the smartest decisions I ever made was to quit smoking, but it seems like that decision took up all my intelligence reserves – at least where my complexion is concerned. People who smoke not only get those unsightly lines around their mouth, but smoking deprives the skin of oxygen and important nutrients, completely altering the chemical composition and appearance. Smoking also destroys collagen, so smokers tend to have looser skin. Some scientists believe that smoking is linked to skin-cancer.

4. Don’t Use Harmful Acne Products

When Sicilian photographer Alex Tricani sent me the lead photograph, which he took while I was interviewing the one-eyed salt carver in Siwa, Egypt, I was mortified to see how terrible my skin looks. Although Alex is a first-class photographer and the overall picture is beautiful, I couldn’t get past the unattractive red craters on my face. After that, vanity trumped my  green sensibilities and I went looking for zit blasting ointments, but I soon found that these can actually make the situation worse.

According to WebMD, products containing benzoyl peroxide “can suck the moisture out of your skin and leave it looking red and irritated.” And if you feel the need to cover them up, as I do, it’s better to use mineral-based cosmetics that “contain added ingredients like silica, titanium dioxide, and zinc oxide, which both absorb oil and hide redness without irritating skin and causing pimples.” OnePure offers eco-products that are also halal. (WebMD)

5. Don’t Scratch!

I recently dated a man I met on one of my adventures. It didn’t last long (maybe he didn’t like my complexion), but he taught me at least one valuable lesson: “hands and face do not go together.” I’ve developed this terrible habit of scratching my face either while I’m working or reading a book. This is absolutely the worst thing to do because one little zit pretty soon turns into a colony of them and now my face is covered in small scars that may never go away. Occasionally I apply Vitamin E oil to my face before I go to bed and it seems to make a huge difference, but it would be so much better to quit this habit all together.

Check out Miriam’s response to my “rueful” post: 5 Natural Ways to Keep Your Skin Beautiful

images via Earl53 and JavierPsilocybin 

More on Beauty and Skincare from the Middle East:

Grapes in Moisturizer are Sweet for Skin, Not Sour

Some Tips to Consider Before Buying Beauty Products

A First in Halal Beauty Products – One Pure

The post 5 Things to Avoid to Keep Your Complexion Beautiful appeared first on Green Prophet.

Green Bar makes local, natural beauty products in an industry pumped with chemicals and toxic preservatives.

It’s tough enough being a woman without having to worry about nasty preservatives in cosmetics, or the loads of other bad things pumped into beauty products.  The natural world is filled with plants and flowers that have been used for centuries as beauty elixirs, and it is only a matter of reviving these methods and bringing them back to popularity.  One of these revivalists is the young Bahraini entrepreneur Reem Al-Khalifa, who founded Green Bar – an online shop for beauty products based on local floral oils and other natural ingredients.

“Time tested in different cultures, precious oils have been around before Queen Cleopatra,” Green Bar claims, “they only needed to be rebottled with some creativity, keeping all their simplicity.  It’s a primitive, effective, and naturally extravagant beauty ritual.”

When asked why she decided to focus on regional ingredients when there are so many other natural essences that could be used from other parts of the world, Al-Khalifa answered that “we have very beautiful exotic ingredients that no one is celebrating.  Just a little creativity and improvisation can go a long way.  They are a form of my expression to celebrate the island.”

Green Bar’s “100% super natural” ingredients all come from fruit flowers, herbs, and natural resins and include rosewater, rice bran, henna leaves, lavender, and Christ’s thorn leaves.  The oils extracted from these sources are cold pressed instead of through heat, since heat can damage some of the more subtle ingredients.

Instead of using chemical preservatives the products are naturally preserved in UV protected bottles, and water and oil are not mixed because that combination generally causes preservation issues.  “Natural perfume is natural protection,” Green Bar says.  “Plants are generous.”

Green Bar’s products are currently sold through retail outlets throughout Bahrain, but can also be purchased online and shipped worldwide.

: Green Bar via Mideast Youth

Read more about other natural beauty products::
Citramed Preserves Our Cosmetics the Natural Way
Eco-Conscious Cosmetics: Looking Good Never So Beautiful for the Planet
Dead Sea Herbs Offers Organic and Biblically Inspired Cosmetics
OnePure, a First in “Halal” Eco Skincare Products

The post Bahrain’s Green Bar Offers Naturally Extravagant Fragrances appeared first on Green Prophet.

Stefanie Iris Weiss advocates for a greener shade of love and intimacy in her 2010 book, Eco-Sex: Go Green Between the Sheets and Make your Love Life Sustainable.

For the past few years, Earth Day has turned a racier shade of green thanks to the work of eco-sexuality advocates, such as Stefanie Iris Weiss, author of Eco-Sex: Go Green Between the Sheets and Make Your Love Life Sustainable (2010).  A long-time adviser to the Green Love column, Ms. Weiss isn’t one to shy away from provocations, especially when the wellbeing of the planet and her inhabitants are at stake. From using safer forms of lubrication to advising tree-humpers on how to prevent pregnancy, Weiss dishes out her insights in delightfully green doses.

In our exclusive interview, this committed GINK (Green Inclined, No Kids) explains how her bottom line philosophy combines sexuality with ecology, and why even environmentalists are sometimes afraid to admit to hard truths with regards to the toughest question of all: How many babies should we be having on our overcrowded planet?

Greenprophet.com: You wrote your groundbreaking book, Eco-Sex, in 2010. Tell me when you first heard of eco-sexuality, and why you decided to write this book.

Stefanie Iris Weiss: I think I first heard the term used in 2006 or 2007. I’d been thinking about these issues for years, and finally found a word that perfectly described the natural merging of these two fundamental arenas: sexuality and ecology.

GP: Ecosexuality is a new-ish field, with not a lot of consensus yet on what the term actually means. How would you define it?

Weiss: Ain’t that the truth! It’s a very new field, so we’re just beginning to figure out what it all means. From my book’s perspective, Eco-Sex is about finding healthy, safe, non-toxic ways to be sexual and sensual. It’s a way to enhance your sex life by developing a new relationship with your own body — one built on putting only truly natural substances on it and IN it. (That’s why I go from soup to nuts in the book — from beauty products to sex toys).

For others in the ecosexual world, it’s more theoretical — for instance the amazingly brilliant Annie Sprinkle’s tagline for ecosexuality is: “Make the Earth your lover, not your Mother”. She believes that we shouldn’t see the planet as an entity that’s here to take care of us — we need to treat it as an equal, nurturing, stimulating, and serving it in mutually beneficial ways. I love that concept.

Our kids can learn to recycle, eat organic food, compost, and use the right light bulbs. That’s all good, but the sad reality is that it’s not going to save us from what’s coming. Only deadly serious changes at the governmental level will, and that’s not looking terribly likely when mega-corporations pretty much rule the world.

GP: Changing one’s habits isn’t always easy, and marketers tell us that many of us talk one way, and walk another when it comes to living sustainable lives. What are some baby steps you recommend to folks to help them become more ‘greenish’ in their sex lives?

Weiss: Lube is a great place to start. Ditch the chemical-laden KY and go for something organic and glycerin-free. Or just buy a jar of organic coconut oil and use it for massage, with a few drops of your favorite essential oil. (Be careful, though — don’t use coconut oil with latex condoms, because it will degrade them.)

GP: You’ve made it clear in the book that population growth is a critical component to creating a more sustainable global community, and that to that end, you won’t be having biological children of your own. But that’s a difficult pill for many to swallow, and they’ll argue otherwise. I’ve read environmentalists’ comments that suggest greenies should have babies to raise more conscious citizens! And in the Middle East, where large families are the norm based on census data, many take offense to the suggestion that they limit family size. Care to comment?

Weiss: The article that I recently wrote for the Huffington Post about my decision to adopt instead of having biological children indeed generated a ton of controversy. It’s important to note that I never, ever told anyone what they should do with their own lives — I just told my own story. And I think that having environmentally-aware, sustainably-savvy kids is an absolute must if you’re going to breed. I know tons of green mothers raising green kids, and I know they will do their best to make the world a better place.

At the same time, these kids will be growing up in a world where rampant, deadly overpopulation is the rule, and there is nothing we can do to stop that — except have fewer children. I wish there was a better way to address it, because I truly worry about what kids under ten years old are going to have to deal with in fifty years, when the ravages of flooding, hurricanes, tsunamis, drought, water wars, and melted ice caps will be just another day in the neighborhood — everywhere on the planet.

Our kids can learn to recycle, eat organic food, compost, and use the right light bulbs. That’s all good, but the sad reality is that it’s not going to save us from what’s coming. Only deadly serious changes at the governmental level will, and that’s not looking terribly likely when mega-corporations pretty much rule the world.

Happy Earth Day!

More eco-sexuality news:
The GINK Manifesto: Childless, Loud and Proud
The Ins and Outs of Personal Vaginal Lubrication
Five Ways to Make Love to One Another and the Planet

Tinamarie is a regular contributor to Greenprophet.com. Follow her @ModernLoveMuse. She blogs at www.tinamariebernard.com.

The post World-Renowned Author Dishes on GINKS, Green Sex and Making Love to Planet Earth appeared first on Green Prophet.

Eco-conscious beauty company presents a beautiful new look to inspire consumers to do more than put their best face forward.

Since EcoTools’ launch in 2008, the brand has grown tremendously with new beauty products and extensions every year. Hailed as a, “favorite of celebrities, beauty editors and women around the world” including the most famous Jewish vegan, Alicia Silverstone, this eco-conscious beauty brand has recently revamped its website to bring a more fresh and functional feel to its pages, and encourage browsers to “look luscious while living beautifully.”

This international brand from Paris is also available in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates (and we are hoping they’ll branch out into other MENA countries too!), which means that Middle East consumers can join ranks with savvy cosmetic consumers who want to, “live their best as social and independent beings.”

Their collection of cosmetic brushes and bath + body care products features innovative, natural ingredients and earth-friendly materials. The company is also committed to educating consumers on the importance of recycling and sustainability (for example, did you know it takes the average shampoo bottle 50,000 years to decompose?). And with the launch of their newly designed website, they are offering special incentives to consumers. In a continued effort to give back, EcoTools has joined with 1% For The Planet®, an alliance of businesses committed to leveraging resources to create a healthier planet.

EcoTools’ annual donation goes to both EarthShare® and Wildlife Alliance.

EarthShare is awarded 1% of sales from a majority of EcoTools products, while Wildlife Alliance receives a donation from the sales of our EcoTools by Alicia Silverstone collection. “With our love for the environment and Alicia Silverstone’s love for animals, we are so excited to continue our membership this year,” the organization explains.

EarthShare helps individuals and organizations invest in and impact public priorities such as community health and welfare; protection of our air, water and open spaces; energy conservation; wildlife preservation and more. EarthShare’s mission enables more than 400 environmental and conservation charities, some with active presence in this region, to continue their work finding solutions to the most critical environmental and sustainability issues we face as a society.  www.earthshare.org

Wildlife Alliance is an international non-profit organization offering direct protection to forests and wildlife in certain regions of the world including Southeast Asia and South America. They work directly with communities and governments to improve forest management and institute good governance to comprehensively address the devastation of ecosystems and combat the illegal wildlife trade. They also empower local communities by promoting diversified agriculture, community-based ecotourism, and reforestation.

Related eco- news:

Natural Perfumer: Sensual Scents That Won’t Turn You a Pukish Shade of Green

The Toxic Touch of Beauty Products

Some Tips to Consider Before Buying Beauty Products

Tinamarie is a regular contributor to Greenprophet.com. Follow her @ModernLoveMuse. She blogs at www.tinamariebernard.com.

The post Eco-Conscious Cosmetics: Looking Good Never So Beautiful for the Planet appeared first on Green Prophet.