BostonEco Partners with The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics to Bring Together Health-Conscious Consumers and Companies
On Thursday evening, July 22, BostonEco, with The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, hosted its fourth Tweetup featuring natural and organic cosmetics and personal care product brands at WorkBar Boston. The event doubled as the Boston launch party for Annie Leonard’s The Story of Cosmetics, a seven minute video revealing the environmental and social consequences of harmful chemicals in everyday personal care products.
Remember The Story of Stuff animated video, which explained to us in clear and simple terms the life-cycle of material goods in America? If you liked this one, you’ll definitely want to check out The Story of Cosmetics. Apparently there are all sorts of harmful chemicals—e.g. carcinogens—in most of our beauty and personal care products. And not one law is on the books yet protecting consumers. Scary, but true.
No one is saying swear off cosmetics and personal care products altogether. Just be aware that some brands are more harmful than others and you have a choice in the matter.
Founded by Janet Morgenstern Passani of Jute Marketing in June 2009, BostonEco is a networking community for anyone interested in eco-conscious living. Last night’s event showcased locally-based brands such as Garden Girl (skincare products), the startup Leap Organics (soaps), and Widu (wooden hairbrushes), and national brands such as Burt’s Bees, Dr. Bronner’s, and Whole Foods Market (see its Premium Body Care line) among others.
With plenty of lovely free samples and Boloco as a sponsor, the event drew an enthusiastic crowd of 90 people throughout the evening. The place was buzzing, not to mention it smelled fantastic.
Why host an event like this? Janet reminded me, “We talk a lot about what we eat, but spend very little time talking about what we use for personal care products. This is just as important for our health and environment.”
A vendor from Whole Foods Market in Brighton, Melissa, echoed this same idea: “Our skin is the largest organ in our body, but people don’t really think about what they put on it.”
What’s next for BostonEco? BostonEco is planning upcoming events, continuing to build its online community, and supporting other events and initiatives dedicated to healthful, sustainable living. Coming up August 19th-21st will be Boston Green Fest at Boston City Hall Plaza, the region’s largest environmental and multicultural festival. Another initiative to watch out for and get involved in is Boston Public Market, a push for an indoor, year-round public market offering fresh produce, meats, dairy, and plants gaining momentum fast.
Stay up-to-date with BostonEco by becoming a fan on Facebook and following @JanetMP and the BostonEco list on Twitter. If you’d like to become a volunteer with BostonEco, email Janet Morgenstern Passani directly at janet@jutemarketing.com.
Watch The Story of Cosmetics video and offer your support to The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.
Alexis is a freelance writer and editor and co-founder of The New Prosperity Initiative (NPi), a media organization dedicated to knowledge sharing in the social justice field. Lex serves on the board of directors of The Writers’ Room of Boston, is a “Connector” for Boston World Partnerships, and holds a B.A. in Government from Smith College
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