Who’s Who in Green: Josie Maran

Josie Maran has graced the pages of many a Sports Illustrated magazine issue, and was the face of Maybelline for many years. But these days, the stunning brunette model runs her own eco cosmetics company, supports a number of green charities and lives in a recycled barn in the Hollywood Hills.

Maran, daughter of an artist and one of California’s top green builders, grew up in an earth conscious household. She became a model at the age of 12 and lived the party girl life in New York City until she realized that she wanted to return to her roots and be green and healthy before becoming pregnant with her first child.

Maran lives in a home made from reclaimed wood from a friend’s barn that was being torn down. Her daughter, Rumi Joon, was born in the backyard. Maran drives a Prius, composts, and does whatever she can to live an authentically green life.

While she’s grateful to Maybelline for helping her get to where she is today, you probably won’t see Maran in any of their ads – or those of any other conventional cosmetics company – any time soon. Maran has devoted herself to living a natural lifestyle, and that prompted her to create her own eco-friendly cosmetics line, Josie Maran Cosmetics.

Josie Maran Cosmetics are free of toxic ingredients like petrochemicals and parabens. The company is also signatory to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics’ Compact for Safe Cosmetics – a meaningful commitment to eliminate carcinogens, mutagens and reproductive toxins from personal care products.

In an April 2009 interview with TheStar.com, Maran says,

I’m into promoting healthy lifestyle products and I don’t like to model for things that aren’t really green. I’m involved in Global Green and National Resources Defense Council. My Bear Naked Wipes are makeup removers and a portion of the proceeds goes to protecting polar bears. All the compacts are biodegradable and made out of corn and the packaging will break down in 30 days. I call it “chicological.” You would never know it was green.

Want to know what Maran’s favorite beauty product is? She told Greenopia,

I can’t live without Argan Oil.  For morning and night, it is my favorite moisturizer for skin, hair and nails. So, it was a must that I include this 100% organic wonder-ingredient in the Josie Maran Cosmetics line. Our Argan Oil, housed in a recyclable glass bottle, is purchased from women’s cooperatives in Morocco, thereby supporting their social and economic welfare. These cooperatives also work within a UNESCO biosphere reserve which ensures the protection and reforestation of Argan trees.

Josie Maran’s Green Score: 38,599

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