What would be your plan for the ultimate green prom at your high school? Answer that question in a video, three minutes or less, and you just may win an incredible green prom prize package from Teens Turning Green, including a trip to New York, an eco prom dress, and eco makeup, skin and haircare products.

Check out their video about the contest:

ENTRY RULES: Anyone who enters must be going to a prom (High School Juniors/Seniors). Fill out entry form at http://www.teensturninggreen.org/events/project-green-prom.html.

Submit video to info@teensturninggreen.org.

All entries are due by the 30th of March. Winner would travel to New York in early April for the Press Conference.

Hey everyone! Just wanted to invite you all to the 4th Annual Teens Turning Green National Summit, which is coming up in Marin County, California on February 6th + 7th. Teens (and adults, too!) from around the country are invited to RSVP online and join us. It is all moderated by teen campaign members and will feature extraordinary “green” industry leaders. I already can’t wait; it will be an amazing and empowering two days that you will not forget. You will hear from inspiring teens and eco leaders about a variety of green issues including lifestyle choices, green chemistry, and the health impact of toxic chemical exposure in our daily lives. Even if you aren’t that into green body care or cosmetics, these issues apply to everyone and there is a topic or speaker that everyone will be interested in.

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Imagine a wonderful green Christmas day. The scent of fair-trade hot chocolate fills the air as you sip from a recycled / recyclable cup. You look at your beautiful living tree with hand made ornaments and LED lights adorn the entire tree – thankful that your energy bill will not take a bite out of you this year. It’s easy to green your holidays, here are some simple tips!

Wrapping Gifts
Under the tree, sustainable gifts wrapped in recycled paper. Reuse the things you have around the house such as bags, boxes, fabrics, newspaper comics, magazines, and gift wrap from last year.

If you have to go with gift wrap, more sustainable choices include: tree-free paper available in woven grass, Lokta tree bark (made from the inner bark of the Lokta bush quickly re-grown in Napal), banana fiber (made from the bark of the Thai banana tree), spun silk, recycled office paper and recycled rag. You can also buy recycled wrapping paper.

Cards
Send an e-card or search the National Green Pages for cards made from kenaf, hemp, and other tree-free resources. Or instead of sending a card, make a phone call to a loved one.

The Tree
Christmas trees, lights, and ornaments are a classic tradition. If you don’t have a living tree, make sure you find a tree-cycling center after the holiday. Ornaments can be a very fun craft and reuse project for your friends and family made out of items that you normally recycle: paper towel rolls, old calendar pictures, and holiday wrapping paper. If you have any ornaments you no longer want from last year donate them to your local thrift store. Christmas lights can be a real energy consumer over the holidays.  Fight back the energy bills by using a timer on your tree.

Dinner
When buying your Christmas dinner, shop your local Whole Foods Market and support locally grown products to reduce your eco-footprint. Instead of buying all new paper and plastic products, use dishes, silverware and cloth napkins. Make sure you recycle post-party cans, bottles, wrapping paper, etc. and compost food scraps.

Thoughtful Giving
This year instead of buying that video game, movie, etc. for a loved one or friend, offer your time. Make them dinner, walk the dog, or help with things around the house. Or you can make a donation in their honor to their favorite charity or organization. Shop for green gifts over the computer and save gas. Avoid toys and tape made with PVC plastic. PVC contains a chemical called vinyl chloride, a known human carcinogen. Also, there is lead and cadmium in some PVC  plastics to keep it from breaking down – these ingredients can be particularly dangerous for children. To buy PVC free tape, check out this site.

Have a great green holiday!

Hayley Leibson is a high school freshman and a member of the Teens for Safe Cosmetics chapter in Marin, California.

From Aline, The Hockaday School • Dallas, TX

This past Saturday (October 4th) The Hockaday School, located in Dallas, Texas, was introduced to the excitement and passion of the Teen for Safe Cosmetics campaign. After an enlightening introduction about the campaign by Judi Shils and two campaign members, Hockaday students were convinced about the important cause and ready to get involved. I personally never knew the seriousness and potential harmful ingredients in beauty and personal care products that and my fellow peers and I use daily. I believe it is crucial for young women to raise awareness, advocate for change, and make a difference in today’s world.

Teen for Safe Cosmetics has been the most dynamic cause that I have encountered and I am in awe of all the possibilities and achievements of this campaign. Hearing about experiences like traveling to Sacramento to lobby for legislation and the success of their events was inspiring and invigorating.

After the meeting, everyone flocked to Whole Foods Market for the Teens Turning Green Collection launch event. The event was a huge success! The campaign’s new products were on display for purchase and girls enjoyed makeovers, manicures and an eco-friendly fashion show.

The Teens Turning Green line was also inspiring. I discovered that all the products were designed and created with the help of teens and I was amazed at how refreshing, practical and effective the products are. I plan to visit Whole Foods Market again this weekend and buy more of the line’s wonderful products. From this campaign I learned that teens can truly make a difference in their communities as well as the future of this country, and that action is the best way to bring about positive change. Hockaday is very excited about the Teens for Safe Cosmetics campaign and we cannot wait to join the fun!

The Teens Turning Green line launched exclusively in Whole Foods Market stores this week. Check out the video to hear some of the Teens talk about the line and read on for three Teens saying what this means to them.

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Hi!  My name is Hannah and I am a member of Teens for Safe Cosmetics: New York.

Each September, I look forward to the start of the new school year; but this September, all I can think about is the “Teens Turning Green” collection.  In just a few weeks, this fabulous line of products will be available at Whole Foods Markets nationwide!

The girls of Teens for Safe Cosmetics, myself included, cannot wait to walk into the Whole Body section of our local Whole Foods Market and see this amazing collection sitting on the shelves.  The collection is something I have always wanted: a line of products made from safe and healthy ingredients, formulated for teens!  And not just for any teen, but a teen turning green!  I think that becoming an educated consumer is a key aspect of turning one’s life green, and by learning about these wonderful products you are doing just that.

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Hi my name is Mattie and I am a member of Teens for Safe Cosmetics: New York.

Sure, the end of summer can make any teen feel a bit sad with a new school year beginning, and the weather starting to turn. But the girls of Teens for Safe Cosmetics are looking forward to the fabulous launch of the Teens Turning Green Collection, featured exclusively at Whole Foods Markets nationwide. The Collection will land on shelves by the last week in September.

It is the first line of truly eco-skin care that’s been formulated specifically for teen skin! And as if that fact alone isn’t enough, each of the products included in our line attains Whole Food Market’s new Premium Body Care Standard, the most comprehensive in the industry. Knowing what you’re putting on your skin is free of parabens and PEGs means that one less thing to worry about every day. Besides picking out a cleanser or moisturizer is almost an overwhelming task, all by itself.

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Hey! I’m Emily, and I am a sophomore in High School and a part of Teens for Safe cosmetics. A few weeks ago, Teens for Safe Cosmetics had our kickoff meeting for the 2008/ 09 campaign. It was a great meeting with tons of fabulous ideas for our Teens Turning Green Collection, for events, and for new advocacy strategies. However, the most exciting new change was all the new faces in the room! About 10 new teens came to our meeting, and I was reminded of the first time that I went to a meeting and everyone else seemed to know what they were doing while I, unfortunately, was leagues behind in comprehension.

I talked to my new friend Bonnie to figure out what exactly confused her about the new environment and how I could help. We figured out that the best way to understand the science, health effects, and to get familiar with green alternatives was to evaluate her own products. We decided to get informed on a really cool site called Skin Deep. This site, put up by the Environmental Working Group, lets anyone search their favorite brands, products, and the ingredients in them. Each of these are rated on a 0 to 10 scale for how healthy the product, etc, is (10 being the worst, 0 the best). The page then tells you why it was rated that way and what health affects it is known to cause.

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Hi I’m Emily. I’m starting my sophomore year in High School and have been part of Teens for Safe Cosmetics for almost a year. I am in this campaign because I believe that what my mom, sisters and friends put on our bodies daily should not be toxic. I’m looking forward to the national launch of the Teens Turning Green Collection at Whole Foods Market in a couple weeks as a way to educate my generation about greener alternatives in skin and body care products. It is truly inspiring to know that teens are making a difference when they stand up for what they believe in.

These tips are not only about health but have me thinking about the impact that I can have on the planet as I get back into my routine of endless homework, emailing and talking on my cell phone. And even though we are heading back to school, the sun’s rays are still really strong — so find a non-toxic sunscreen (check link below) when you’re hanging on the beach the last few days of summer or biking to school. It’s pretty simple to start back to school with an eco outlook. Check out these tips and links, and watch Jessica talk about greening her college life in the Big Apple. Have fun!

• Protect your skin year-round with sunscreen. Choose a safe sunscreen that actually protects your skin (look for UVA and UVB protection) and is free of toxic chemicals. Look at Environmental Working Group’s new report and complete list of safe offerings.
• Cell phones have become indispensable tools in today’s society, but too much use can pose serious health risks. To minimize exposure to the electromagnetic energy, limit calls, turn cell phones off, wear a headset or use speakerphone, text message, and use landlines for long chats.
• Turning off your wireless network at night not only conserves energy, but also lessen EMF exposure while you are sleeping. Even when you are not using it, the wireless signal is still transmitted throughout the home / office / school / building, etc. Take that simple precautionary step!
• Purchase 100% post-consumer and alternative fiber paper, reuse lightly-used sheets for scratch, print on both sides whenever possible, and designate a place to keep paper isolated for easy recycling and to lessen what goes into landfills.

About Teens for Safe Cosmetics
Teens for Safe Cosmetics is a coalition led by dynamic and passionate young women raising awareness about potentially harmful ingredients in beauty and daily use products that may be linked to cancer, reproductive harm and other health risks. Their mission is to educate the public about harmful chemicals found in cosmetics and personal care products, advocate for legislation that protects one’s right to health and to inspire teens across the nation to work together around these issues and create change within their communities.

Teens for Safe Cosmetics launches Teens Turning Green Collection
Teens for Safe Cosmetics has brought together phenomenal eco-conscious companies to create a line that attains Whole Foods Market’s Premium Body Care seal, the most comprehensive retail standards. Companies have used a holistic approach in the creation of these products, incorporating how age, variation in skin type, and environment can effect teenage skin. The line will launch exclusively at Whole Foods Market nationwide in October 2008. For the first time in history, Teens Turning Green will offer teenagers a line made specifically for their skin that is safe. Hand-selected by teenagers for safety, sustainability, and practicality, the Teens Turning Green collection is a cross-section of the best products on the market.

Hi. I’m Danielle, a high school senior in Northern California. There are simple changes that we can make to better “green” all aspects of our daily lives. Below are four more tips that will get you started as we head back to school. If you CAN make healthier choices, why not?

This past year I replaced my plastic water bottle with a Klean Kanteen. I feel much better about drinking from a bottle that it is not contaminated with phthalates, a chemical used to make plastic softer that is a known endocrine disruptor and toxic to our bodies.

In the process of doing my own research, I’ve come to realize that there IS a “greener” alternative for pretty much every action you do and every item you use.

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