Daria Werbowy

You are one of five models (the other four are Selena Breed, Shalom Harlow, Elettra Rossellini Wiedemann, and Ines Sastre) who are participating in Lancôme's 2007 environmentally-friendly initiatives. Can you tell us a little bit about them?

Lancôme has partnered with Carbonfund.org, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating people on climate change. Since we do a lot of traveling as spokesmodels for Lancome, the company is sponsoring each of us to offset the environmental impact of our travel through Carbonfund.org. Lancome is also going to plant a tree for each of the first 10,000 bottles of Cell Defense sold. And later this year, Lancôme's four boutiques [located in New York, New Jersey, Dallas, and Santa Clara, California], will go Carbonfree.

Why did you want to be involved in the project?

As a model, you get used to a certain lifestyle and become comfortable with certain things, so you forget how much you actually consume in the long run—just with travel alone. We're so fortunate, but at the end of the day, we are really part of the problem. So for me, this was a way for me to feel better about myself. I know I'm part of the problem, but I can still do something about it. There are all these little luxuries that have become part of our everyday life and we don't want to give them up, so I think the best way to go about it, is to do something to counteract them. When Lancôme asked me to participate I gave them an instant "yes."

You're so gorgeous you don't really need any more "help," but are you interested in green beauty products?

It's something that I'm trying to get involved in—to push the use of natural products. A lot of people forget how hard it is to make something that's 100% natural—you do need preservatives and things like that to help products last. It's a very difficult thing but I think in time, and with science, companies are going to come up with something incredible.

What does green mean to you?

The word green for me is youth—it's something that reminds me of my childhood. I spent a lot of time in nature, something that we don't see enough of, especially in the city.

You have a reputation for being one of the few VIPS in the modeling world who refuse car service and limos in favor of public transportation. What other green habits do you have?

I walk or ride my bike. I recycle. I do the things I can at home, like compost. It's just little things. Being green is about educating yourself and being interested in finding out all the different ways of helping. I try to eat organic as much as I can. And I tried to feed my cat organic cat food, but he didn't like it. I'll be honest: I fed it to him and he threw it up.

What's your eco-sin?

I drive an SUV. I'm sorry, I do.