A rain forest that was once considered the "lungs" of the world is now a mere seven percent of what it used to be.

That's the plight of the Atlantic Forest in South America, which spans from the Atlantic coast of Brazil inland to Paraguay and Argentina, and is home to a number of highly endangered species like marmosets and lion tamarins. The victim of sugar cane farming and urbanization, the forest has now been relegated to mere hilltop islands.

Avon has succeeded in changing that, and was recently honored for their green efforts by Ladies Home Journal.

At a stylish lunch in uptown Manhattan LHJ editor-in-chief Sally Lee awarded Avon CEO Andrea Jung with the magazine's "Do Good" Stamp, recognizing the company's "Hello Green Tomorrow" campaign, which is helping to make a sizable global impact on reforestation of the critically damaged Atlantic Forest.

Kicked off in late March in 60 countries worldwide, Hello Green Tomorrow taps Avon's network of six million reps to solicit donations from the brand's 300 million customers, along with teaching them to live a greener life. For every $1 donated to the cause (at HelloGreenTomorrrow.com or through an Avon sales rep), Avon and The Nature Conservancy will plant a tree in the Atlantic Rainforest. This effort will build upon Avon's initial donation of one million dollars to plant one million trees.

After only 80 days, Avon's green army has raised one million dollars, putting the company's total reforestation efforts at two million trees, restoring 5,000 acres of rain forest.


"It's a great privilege for Avon," Avon CEO Andrea Jung told StyleList of the "Do Good" Stamp. "It defines the company's vision and mission, and makes it tangible. For 125 years the purpose of this company has been to give back to the public."

"We're really happy to be recognized," she said.

Hello Green Tomorrow is Avon's first foray into green preservation, but the company does have a long history of giving – through 2009 it has raised over 725 million dollars for charities benefiting breast cancer and domestic violence.

Other "Do Good" honorees in Ladies Home Journal's July issue include Lands' End's coat drive for the homeless, Hershey's Milton Hershey School in Hershey Pennsylvania which gives disadvantaged kids first-rate educations, and the organic skincare company Four Truffles' efforts to empower women both locally and globally.

For more beauty the gives back, check out It Cosmetics' Brow Power pencil, which benefits those undergoing chemotherapy.