Sustainable beauty swaps have become increasingly popular as people seek to reduce their environmental impact and make more conscious choices in their daily routines. Here are just a few of our tips and tricks to make sure your beauty regimine is as eco-friendly as possible!
1/ Minimal Packaging
One of the biggest sources of cosmetic waste is the packaging. If you took all of the pieces of non-biodegradable waste we produce in a year you may be shocked at the percentage of which comes from our beauty routines. Think about all the little pieces of plastic used in a packet of cotton rounds or your shampoo and conditioners, you have to keep in mind that most of the shiny cardboard boxes that makeup comes in aren't as recyclable as you may think. So many brands are now opting to make products that don't require as much packing material, e.g. shampoo and conditioner bars, lipstick refills, cleanser bars etc, at the same quality so you don't have to sacrifice good beauty for a good eco-impact.
We recommend the Coconut Zero Waste hair & body bundle from Faith In Nature. This set includes a coconut & shea butter solid shampoo bar, conditioner bar and coconut soap bar; Silicone, Paraben, SLS and SLES free this product is 100% zero waste & plastic free. The nourishing coconut and ethically traded shea butter shampoo & conditioner bars contain coconut oil for hair that is brimming with tropical aromas and natural hydration for your hair.
Coconut Zero Waste hair & body bundle from Faith In Nature2/ Ditch Aerosol
Of all of the items in your beauty arsenal, aerosols by far have the highest carbon impact. Your dry shampoo while handy, is pretty terrible for the environment and if we're being honest, the convenience really isn't worth the damage! Something as simple as trading a can of dry shampoo for powdered or volume spray for a root powder can have little impact on your look but a fast impact on your eco-impact.
We recommend Detox dry shampoo by We Are Paradoxx. A 90% natural dry shampoo powder, made with activated Charcoal and Kaolin Clay to remove toxins and impurities from the hair and scalp. Kept in an aluminium container, every part of the packaging is recyclable!
Detox dry shampoo by We Are Paradoxx3/ Shop Local
This doesn't just mean buying the same international products from your local Boots, each eyeliner or can of dry shampoo has a carbon footprint from factory to warehouse to the shop floor. When at all possible try and shop in your country, if you're Irish then you're actually in luck, this beautiful country has quite the thriving cosmetic industry and you can find almost any element of your day-to-day regimen being produced just a few counties over!
Look at brands like We Are Paradoxx, Skingredients and SoSu to get your beauty fix with a greatly reduced carbon footprint.
5/ Plan Ahead
Don't just throw out your whole beauty bag in favour of something more sustainable, that in itself is pretty bad for the environment! Think about it like this, the damage has already been done, the products have been made, they've been opened so you can't return them and you're halfway through it, if you want to reduce your waste then don't create more! Plan for when your products run out/get worn out and then replace your old dry shampoo with something more green-friendly. It might sound a little silly but adding a monthly refresh day to your calendar can help avoid unneeded purchasing, and taking time to see what products you've blitzed through and those you've hardly touched can be incredibly beneficial to reduce your overall carbon emissions.
6/ Upgrade Your Tools
It's no secret that higher-quality tools will last much longer (and typically do a better job) than their cheaper counterparts. Take your razor for example, think about how much plastic waste you're generating with a single packet of disposable razors (that quite often cut the life out of your skin). Then think about a safety razor you might have seen your dad using, a stronger piece of kit that uses metal razor blades that you replace after a few uses, instead of having to chuck out the whole thing once a month you're only disposing of a single blade. Not to mention a single razor blade is 100% recyclable when disposed of properly, your all-in-one heads aren't because of the mix of materials.
We recommend the Plastic-Free Safety Razor from Up-Circle Beauty, a sleek plastic-free safety razor that can be used on the face and the body (Although use it with care!).
Plastic-Free Safety Razor from Up-Circle Beauty7/ Ditch Single-Use
There are so many items in our everyday routine that are a one-and-done use, cotton pads, sheet masks, make-up wipes and more. Most of these claim to be biodegradable but aren't (Or will biodegrade in 50 years after living in a landfill), they're made with plastic, soaked in chemicals and shipped out in packets by the millions worldwide. If you think about how quickly you go through a packet of wipes or cotton rounds each month you would be sick to realise the amount of waste you're putting into landfill and the ocean. Swapping your single-use products for multi-use can have a drastic impact on your rubbish output, the secret is painfully simple too, it all lies in cotton. A simple piece of organic cotton, when paired with the right product, can be the perfect make-up wipe/cotton round/sheet mask that you can chuck in the washing machine and use over and over again! Not only will this save you money in the long run, but it’ll also do its bit to save the planet. And you’ll never have to worry about running out!
We recommend the Reusable Face Cloths from Soap Out Loud, made from delightfully soft 100% Organic Cotton, you'll never have to buy a disposable face wipe again!
Reusable Face Cloths from Soap Out Loud- Gráinne