Tips For A Sustainable Beauty & Skin Care Regime

pexels

We all know by now that we have a social responsibility to shop sustainably as much as we can. Whether it’s our food, clothing, or skincare, the choices we make everyday impact both our health and the environment. Everyone has their favourite beauty and skincare practices, yet there’s nothing wrong with giving our practices a little tweaking in the name of sustainability. To remain eco-friendly and healthy with your beauty and skin care, try the following tips.

Recycle

Rule number one of a sustainable beauty regime is dead simple, and that’s recycling everything. From your bottles to your tubes, and mascara wands, recycle (or even repurpose). Mascara wands can be repurposed to groom your eyebrows or to apply a conditioning treatment to your lashes. If you’re feeling a tad creative, you could even use a mascara wand to create some funky nail art. You could also save a bottle or two, decorate them, and use these to hold your makeup brushes.

Reuse

If you haven’t already ditched the disposable wipes and cotton pads, that’s the next job on your sustainable to-do list. You can buy reusable make-up wipes made out of materials like muslin-cloth, bamboo or cotton. Simply apply your favorite makeup removing cleanser, take off your makeup and then wash the pads with the rest of your laundry.

Eco-friendly tools

We need the right tools for a beauty and skincare regime, yet not all beauty tools are built sustainably. Consider replacing disposable plastic razors with a stainless steel razor built for long-term use. Purchase makeup applicators that are made using eco-friendly and sustainable materials. It’s just all about checking the labels and materials before you part with your cash. Ditch the plastics everywhere possible, try a bamboo hairbrush, bamboo q-tips, and a glass nail file.

Earth-friendly packaging

Many brands are packaging their products responsibly, and it’s important that we support these companies, so that more brands follow suit. As far as possible, choose products that have zero packaging. For example, instead of purchasing a regular bottle of shampoo, try a shampoo bar made of all-natural ingredients. When you shop in zero waste stores, you can take your own containers with you, stock up on your favorite skincare products, and be on your way, guilt-free.

No microbeads or microplastics

These minuscule plastic particles have negative effects on our environment. They are neither biodegradable or recyclable and contribute to polluting the ocean. Marine life often ends up consuming microbeads. When you are shopping for your beauty products, you can recognize the presence of microbeads by ingredients such as polyethylene or polymethyl.

Multi-purpose

Purchasing multi-purpose products is another excellent way to use less and be more eco-friendly. For example, you could try purchasing a cheek and lip stain, eliminating the need to buy a blusher and a lipstick. You could use a dark brown eyeliner that doubles up as an eyebrow pencil? Blending a little white eyeshadow on your cheekbones can do the job of a highlighter. You could also use powder foundations alone, without purchasing a liquid one also.

Simplify

There’s no need to buy so many different skincare products; you can get all you need in one cleanser, one toner and one moisturizer if you choose your products wisely. Many of these products will already contain anti-ageing ingredients, whether it’s retinol, vitamin C or hyaluronic acid. Choose high-quality products containing all the natural ingredients your skin needs, whether aloe vera or jojoba oil.

Eco-friendly products

The most important thing is to shop for brands who are paving the way for sustainably. We should be demanding the same standards from all of the beauty brands out there. It’s not just about sustainably, shopping for healthy and eco-friendly products is also an excellent act of self-care. There are plenty of earth-friendly brands to choose from, let’s take a look at some of the top picks for makeup, hair and skincare.

Makeup

100% PURE are committed to producing healthy and pure products, using natural ingredients and focusing on earth-friendly production practices. 100% pure produce some gorgeous lipsticks which are free from toxins, parabens and sulphates. These lipsticks are made from fruit pigments, cocoa butter, shea butter and vitamin E. 100 % PURE produces a range of other products including foundation, eyeshadow, nail polish, and various tools and brushes. The brand is both vegan and cruelty-free.

Axiology makes some fantastic lipsticks and lip crayons. Axiology lipsticks are ‘100% evil free’, (and let’s face it, no one wants some evil lipstick bringing the drama)! Axiology decided to create the world’s most ethical lipstick, using nourishing and safe ingredients including vitamin E oil, elderberry extract and coconut oil. Try a sassy shade or two from ‘bonafide’ red to ‘attitude’ pink.

Hair

Ethique’s mission is to eliminate plastic waste altogether; consumers are invited to be a part of this journey with a range of delicious hair-care products. The company started back in 2012, Ethique founder Brianne West started making her own beauty bars from all-natural ingredients. Ethique has prevented 6 million-plus shampoo bottles from ending up in landfills. Their shampoo bars are cruelty-free, palm oil-free, non-toxic and vegan. Whether your hair is frizzy, prone to dandruff, or oily, Ethique has the solution.

Acure Organics are an American company specializing in a range of beauty products. They use USDA certified and organic ingredients, producing vegan and cruelty-free products. Acure Organics produce several different hair care products, one of the most popular is the sustainable dry shampoo. This dry shampoo acts fast on your hair, removing the grime and absorbing the oil. Acure dry shampoo is infused with both rosemary and peppermint, so it smells delicious too! With no sulphate, petrolatum or formaldehyde, you can be sure that your product is healthy and safe.

Skin

Babo Botanicals produce a huge range of lovely skincare products, from sun creams to moisturizers, hair care products, and baby care. Babo believes in ‘the power of plants,’ and works hard to produce sustainable and healthy products. Babo provides excellent ewg sunscreen. You may have heard the term before, but what is ewg sunscreen? EWG stands for the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit that sets sustainable and healthy standards for our everyday products. Since Babo products are EWG approved, you can ensure that you're getting the most eco-friendly and safe products out there. Babo are also involved in a ‘plant change’ program which helps to educate children about plants and sustainability.

BYBI is a skincare brand seeking to ensure that everyone can easily access sustainable skincare. Based in the UK, though, they will ship to Europe, Canada and the USA. BYBI like to use easily renewable ingredients in their products including calendula, hibiscus, buriti and cucumber. ‘Babe Balm’ is one of the top-selling products, it’s an all-over body moisturizer which is vegan and 100% natural. This product is perfect for those with sensitive or dry skin. The tasty ingredients of Babe Balm include vanilla, olive, shea butter, coconut oil, and fruit oils. The packaging is 100% recyclable, so simply pop it in your recycling bin, and you’re good to go. BYBI sells a range of products from night creams and hand gels, make up removers and highlighters.

Useful apps

If you want to succeed on the road to sustainable beauty, making your own products isn’t a bad idea either. With nourishing ingredients such as coconut oil, avocado or banana, you can make some super healthy face masks and hair masks. To give you a few ideas, try the Organic Skin Care App. The app provides a range of recipes and ideas for various natural face masks and hair masks. Using this app, you can learn about which types of oils are best for your skin type and how you can use them. There are also tips for bath time infusions, using natural ingredients. If you fancy the idea of giving yourself the spa treatment from home, this is the app for you!

Skin care apps go beyond sustainably; there are also those which focus on skin health in general. For example, the UV Lens App is a simple application that can help users to stay safe in the sun. Using the app, you can plan out which time of day to sunbathe, and which times are best avoided. You can also take a skin type assessment to find out your burn risk, depending on the weather. If you're someone who often forgets to reapply your sunscreen, you can set handy sunscreen reminders to help you out.Further apps to help to keep your skin healthy include ‘Skin Care Beauty Tips App’ and ‘Love My Skin.’

Once you’ve found the sustainable brands that work for you, don’t forget to rave about them on social media. The more that we spread the word about these brands, the better. Natural and eco-friendly beauty products also make excellent gifts, so keep this in mind when you’ve got a friend’s birthday coming up. Use these sustainable tips to rewrite your skincare regime and improve the health of your skin and hair.

| FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA |