By Jeremiah Rojas, Co-Managing Editor
Arrowroot flour, coconut oil, beetroot powder – other than something like a cake or smoothie, what else could someone make with such ingredients? Well, as some Toros discovered on Oct. 9, these ingredients can also be used to make eco-friendly cosmetics and hygiene products, including deodorants, blushes, setting sprays, and face primers.
The Sustainability Club invited students to get their hands dirty during a makeup workshop at the Net Zero Center on campus – the latest program in a series of initiatives organized by the university’s Sustainability Office. During an interview with The Bulletin, Sustainability Club president Kathryn Santos said these programs aim to teach students more about being good stewards of the planet.
“A lot of the workshops are hands-on,” said Santos, a junior studying international business and design. “We’ve done other things like make beeswax wrap, which is a replacement for saran wrap … we just educate students on what life can look like practicing sustainability, because not a lot of students are aware.”
Creating community and fostering engagement among Toros is also important to the club, Santos added.
“When we interact, we grow community and we grow resources,” she said. “It all starts with students being there, because we’re nothing without students, in my opinion.”
Fourth-year design and linguistics student Michelle Gonzalez thought the makeup workshop offered a great way for students to flex their creativity and “be changemakers.” Gonzalez told The Bulletin that she was heartened by the turnout.
“It’s just really amazing to see how [some] students invite their friends too, and all of us just take initiative in creating things as well,” Gonzalez said. “It takes [a person’s] own initiative and time to really think about what small things are we going to do to help our planet.”
Sustainability Office coordinator Aemelia Hellgren shared a similar sentiment, telling The Bulletin that she was on a “high cloud” after the workshop. Hellgren said these workshops and programs act as a “meeting point” for the office and campus. She also cited the campus Farmers Market, which sets up shop on the South Walkway every Tuesday, as one of the ways the Sustainability Office can openly engage with people at Dominguez Hills.
“That’s my passion – it’s to talk to people about sustainability and kind of help people navigate how they can put the dots together of why it is important for themselves, as well as their family and the community around them,” Hellgren said.
Hellgren also pointed to the micromobility and commuter survey as a way for Toros to share their thoughts about sustainability. She said the survey would help the office to develop plans to reduce transportation-related emissions around campus.
Junior biology student Natalie Hart was already interested in sustainability and the environment prior to the makeup workshop. Hart said some people might not realize how accessible and inexpensive it can be to adopt more sustainable practices. She added that homemade cosmetics are not only better for the environment, but also for someone’s bank account
“When people talk about the environment, it can seem very daunting and scary or people [say], ‘Oh, I don’t want to do all of that’,” Hart said. “But then when you find out how fun it is and how much cheaper it is, I think it gives people more of an initiative.”
Santos, the club president, said it was great to see the workshop come to fruition, but even better to watch participants engage with each other and learn together.
“That’s honestly all I want for this club,” Santos said. “I want people to be educated, but I also want people to have fun and have a space where they can just enjoy themselves.”
