There is a sustainable beauty movement happening at the moment, so we thought we’d put together a blog on ways in which you can be more eco-friendly with your beauty product purchases without making any sacrifices to your skin, as well as the available brands in York that are making active efforts to reduce their carbon footprint.
How does the cosmetic industry impact the environment?
Unfortunately, the costs of the cosmetic industry isn’t just limited to the price tags. As it is with most industries, the cosmetic industry has quite a long-lasting impact upon our environment. Over 120 billion units of packaging alone are produced every year within this industry, most of which are made of plastic and not recyclable. The plastics used in the production and packaging of such cosmetic products take hundreds of years to break down in landfill sites, releasing toxins into our environment and negatively affecting our soil and livestock as a result. This isn’t just limited to our consumption of makeup, but also applies to the packaging used for shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, perfumes, creams, facemasks, hair brushes, and so on.
However, this does not mean that the industry remains unaware of the impact it has upon the environment. In fact, many brands are now actively trying to reduce their carbon footprint by switching to more environmentally friendly packaging in order to be more sustainable! We’ve put together some of the most sustainable brands that you can support, as well as ways to be more environmentally friendly with your consumption of cosmetic products.
Which brands should you support?
When you’re out in the shops looking to buy eco-friendly products, consider products that are all-natural/organic, vegan, cruelty free, palm oil free, are made from ethically sourced ingredients, and are recyclable! As for brands, there are many skincare and beauty brands out there that have made active commitments to becoming more eco-friendly. We’ve put together a list of some of the best sustainable places to shop:
● Lush Cosmetics, whose products are 100% vegetarian (with many also vegan-friendly), are sourced ethically and cruelty free, and most of their packaging is recyclable.
● Yorkshire Soap Company, a place right here in York that provides a vast range of vegetarian friendly and cruelty free beauty products, all packaged up in sustainable packaging! We could not recommend this place enough, and stepping into their shop is a treat within itself.
● Balance Me, a UK company who make a wide-range of all-natural and cruelty free products with recyclable packaging.
● Earth Conscious, who make natural deodorants in recyclable or refillable packaging. They also donate 10p from every sale to the UK Marine Conservation Society, who work to ensure that our seas are healthy, pollution free, and protected.
● Green People, a family business who offer a complete range of certified organic products that are cruelty free, ethically sourced, and delivered in entirely recyclable packaging.
● Floral Street, a perfume company who has managed to make their packaging COMPLETELY recyclable and biodegradable, which is something that the perfume industry have been struggling with for a long time. You can buy through their website, or find them in stores in John Lewis!
What other ways can you be more cosmetically sustainable?
Aside from supporting eco-friendly brands, there are many other ways to become more sustainable with your skin and beauty care. This includes:
● Reducing the time spent in the shower and turning off the tap while you brush your teeth to reduce your water usage.
● Ditch single-use bottles plastic bottles for your shower gel and soap, and instead invest in soap bars and products with biodegradable packaging. Better yet, try your hand at making your own soap bars!
● Instead of using a dryer for your clothes, invest in a drying rack! It’s better for the environment to let your clothes air dry (energy wise) and will save you some money in the long run instead of paying for Circuit laundry.
● Swap out your plastic toothbrushes and toothpaste for more sustainable products, such as bamboo toothbrushes and Colgate’s new Smile for Good recyclable toothpaste!
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