sierraclub.org - sierra magazine - march/april 2012 - trendsetter: josie maran
By Avital Binshtock
Cheese Graders | Trendsetter: Josie Maran | Eco-lighting | Green Biz: Second Growth
TRENDSETTER: JOSIE MARAN
Josie Maran, model, mother, and cosmetics maven | Photo by Peter Graham/courtesy of Josie Maran
Josie Maran has landed some of the world's most competitive modeling gigs: the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, the Victoria's Secret catalog, and cover after cover of Glamour, Maxim, Self, and other big-name glossies. These days, though, the porcelain-faced beauty, 33, focuses on promoting her eco-makeup brand (josiemarancosmetics.com) and raising her 5-year-old daughter, Rumi Joon. A chunk of the proceeds from her company goes to a variety of charities, including ones that help protect polar bears and argan forests.
I used to ask makeup artists, "Is there anything that's healthier or more natural?" and they'd always say it's impossible to do. I wanted it for myself, and I didn't understand why it couldn't be done. So I did it.
"Companies have to care about making eco-efforts because consumers are demanding it."
—Josie Maran
: I went to a lot of conferences. I talked to people in the natural-beauty realm about ingredients, and they introduced me to labs. So I went to the labs with all the makeup that I wanted but that I considered toxic and said, "I want all these products but without the bad stuff." I worked on my line for three years with four labs and lots of chemists. It took a long time because they'd never done that before—pulled out those ingredients to make a good product.
I really think the most toxic ingredients in the world are synthetic fragrances. None of my products have synthetic fragrances. Or parabens or talc or phthalates. I also do my best not to have petrochemicals.
Less is more.
To read a longer interview with Josie Maran, go to sierraclub.org/greenlife.
Eco-lighting