TORONTO - From buying local or organic to using reusable totes to bag goods, the shift toward eco-conscious consumption continues to gain momentum, and the evolving landscape of the supermarket is no exception.
But will transitioning from the produce department to the beauty aisle be the next move for consumers seeking to become more environmentally friendly?
Producers of natural and organic personal care products are banking on it, creating items from shampoos to shower gels that infuse a little green into grooming.
Canadian-born Bob MacLeod and partner, Steve Byckiewicz, co-founders of Kiss My Face, were among the early innovators of Earth-friendly cosmetics.
What started from selling olive oil soap has become big business for the New York-based duo's natural body care company, which offers more than 200 products including organic facial care, shampoos and lotions, and a new line for children free of parabens, artificial colours and fragrances.
While Kiss My Face has been in business for more than two decades, MacLeod, a native of Fredericton, said during a visit to Toronto this week there has been a noticeable surge in interest recently in natural personal care products, and that concern about the environment has been "the tipping point."
"I don't know if it's Al Gore or it's just this alignment of the planets, but the last two or three years have just seen this huge spike," said MacLeod, referring to the former U.S. vice-president and his much-publicized crusade for action on climate change.
Provided that they are kept out of direct sunlight and under normal conditions, Kiss My Face products have a shelf life of up to two years after being opened.
Alain Menard and his wife, Karen Clark, decided to transition toward using natural products more than a decade ago, but recalled the lack of availability of items didn't make it easy.
"Back then, it was difficult to find even organic food," he recalled. "It's really come around. It's unbelievable."
Menard, a microbiologist, and Clark, a biochemist who worked in pesticides, had had concerns about the chemicals used in personal care products.
Menard said while the shift had been a gradual one, the birth of their son, Joshua, now six, was "the clincher."
The couple, based in Hawkesbury, Ont., about halfway between Ottawa and Montreal, quit their jobs and started The Green Beaver Company five years ago, crafting formulas for locally made natural care products sold in more than 1,000 stores.
The company has also launched a line of shampoos, conditioners, body washes and lotions comprising homegrown ingredients like lavender from British Columbia and wild cranberries from Prince Edward Island.
Menard said he thinks part of the reason for the growing interest in natural products stems from concerns expressed by some about what's contained in conventional products.
"Before you would never question the ingredients in a cream or lotion, and now it's like, 'What is this chemical?"' he said. "And then there's studies coming out showing that these chemicals are linked to pretty bad stuff."
One such study cited by Menard that made headlines earlier this year was a small study that appeared in the February issue of the journal Pediatrics which found baby shampoos, lotions and powders may expose infants to phthalates, which have been linked with possible reproductive problems.
