How to make your beauty routine more sustainable

Have you ever considered how much trash your beauty routine generates? Daily? The most damaging product in the beauty sector is probably waste. Numerous goods we use on a daily basis are single-use and non-biodegradable, and their packaging is frequently comprised of virgin plastic, which cannot be recycled. When you consider only the packaging, it is nearly entirely made of plastic, which is frequently recycled improperly or not at all. Before they ever reach your home, those chemicals even generate a ton of trash during production. And think of the crappy components used in so many products. They not only harm the environment but also have a number of negative health effects. Although many clean beauty businesses are working to reduce the amount of plastic in both their components and packaging. As an individual, you could actively take care of your skin and the environment at the same time with some of these helpful tips.

Go make-up free whenever you can

Go makeup-free as much as you can. Show off that unique face of yours! It’s kind of freeing to embrace your flaws and just be happy with your appearance. Simply wash your face in the morning, rinse with a warm wet towel, and go throughout the day without covering up it with tons of makeup. You know that wonderful feeling you have after washing off your makeup at the end of the day? If you stopped wearing cosmetics, you could always feel that way. Try it. It feels so much better on your skin.

Since clogged pores are the cause of breakouts, it should come as no surprise that wearing no makeup results in healthier pores. Although the foundation gives the impression of having skin that is smooth and free of blemishes, it occasionally does more harm than you may expect. Because of the bacteria and oils in the foundation, especially older brands, the pores get infected and inflamed, which can last up to a week to cure.

By doing this, you may also save some time in the morning and perhaps attempt a new type of self-care, such as dry brushing. By using fewer products, you’ll not only reduce your waste but also the number of chemicals you expose both the environment and your body to. Women use an average of twelve items daily, which might expose them to up to 200 chemicals, according to research by the Environmental Working Group.

Try using shampoo bars rather than bottles.

Without a bottle, cosmetics may clean just as well; simply add water to make a lather. Many liquid shampoos include damaging substances like silicone, sulfates, and chemicals that may strip your hair of its natural oils and irritate and dry up your scalp. Shampoo bars are a great and simple way to start cutting back on your use of plastic. Consider the convenience of your everyday bar soap, which is not plastic-wrapped. Even some natural soaps could be used for both your body and your hair. The bar has a higher concentration of the other components since there is less water in its formulation. Without being diluted, cleansers and conditioners can function at their peak effectiveness. This ultimately implies that your hair is receiving a high dosage of crucial ingredients.

Soap bars are also perfect for travel lovers as they won’t set off any red flags with TSA. Additionally, you won’t need to be concerned about it maybe leaking into your luggage. This problem is resolved by shampoo bars’ convenient, portable tiny packaging. While your travel plans are put on hold, you may easily include a shampoo bar in your gym bag for a fuss-free post-workout hair wash.
These bars are beneficial for the environment as well as your hair. In essence, it’s basically a win-win. They contain biodegradable substances including natural oils, vitamins, and minerals in addition to sustainable and recyclable packaging.

Choose plastic-free alternatives

Not only do we need to use fewer plastic bottles, tubes, and tubs, but we also need to think about cosmetic essentials like brushes. According to the Eco-Friendly Living Co, CEO Joanne Maclachlan claims that plastic hairbrushes, makeup brushes, and toothbrushes are all part of the problem with plastics that we are currently experiencing. Each year, 111 million plastic toothbrushes are dumped in landfills. Bamboo toothbrushes are toxin free, vegan, eco-friendly, long-lasting, and come with gentle bristles. 

Static is caused when a plastic hair brush glides through your hair because plastic brushes make your hair more electrically charged.  This will show up as flyaways, tangles, and frizziness.  Because bamboo and wood contain a neutral to negative charge, static is decreased and your hair remains silky smooth. Your hair appears glossier and shinier after being brushed through with a bamboo brush that teases the natural oils from your scalp along each thread. With repeated usage, you should notice that your hair is healthier, stronger, and smoother all the way to the ends as these natural oils work to protect your hair.

Bamboo is one of the most sustainable resources and environmentally sound plants on earth.  It can be grown without pesticides, has a quick regrowth cycle, and produces 25% more than lumber. It may also be cultivated in soil that has been harmed by excessive grazing or bad agricultural practices.  The bamboo brushes are 100% sustainable and can be thrown straight on a compost heap when it completes their life cycle.

Use washable face pads

Consuming fewer skincare peripherals such as tissue wipes or cotton to remove makeup and exfoliate the skin benefits both the environment and your wallet. The usage of chemicals (particularly pesticides), the use of water, and the destruction of wildlife habitats to give space for agricultural land to grow cotton are the main problems with cotton pads. When you consider the amount of harm it does, using this cotton for only one usage is truly wasteful. Even worse, single-use plastic that cannot be recycled is used to wrap the disposable cotton pads.

Reusable makeup removal pads are worthwhile if you want to make your beauty routine more sustainable. They not only help reduce trash, but they are also cost-effective. As a result, you won’t need to go to the shop every time you run out of makeup wipes or disposable cotton swabs. Instead, you may have a seemingly limitless supply with the aid of two or three reusable cosmetic pads. Applying no-rinse cleansers like micellar water is a wise choice when using reusable makeup removal pads. You may soak the pad and slide it over your face to wash, much like when using one to remove makeup.

You may thus save a ton of money and decrease your environmental effect by making a single minor investment. Reusable face pads made of materials like cotton or bamboo fiber are available in a range of designs. Use, rinse, and then put them in the washing machine. Your skin will certainly appreciate you for switching to reusable pads.

Purchase eco-friendly products

Consider the things you use, their components, and the processes involved in their production. Take the time to study labels and become familiar with the terms for those nasty hidden components. Have you come across or heard of the term “parabens”? Numerous beauty products include parabens, which are frequently used as preservatives. These substances disrupt hormone function, are easily absorbed via the skin, and have even been identified in breast cancer cells. Why wouldn’t we read the labels on the products that go directly onto our skin if we already do this with the food? Did you know that many of makeup-related chemicals have the exact opposite effect on your skin than you would like?

We have a lot of power as customers to create change. Simply by reading the label before we decide to buy a product, we can start making sustainable decisions. The component list serves as the primary distinction between eco-cosmetics and conventional cosmetics. In fact, traditional cosmetics frequently include preservatives, synthetic polymers, mineral oils, silicones, and synthetic fragrances. However, plant-based substances such as vegetable oils, essential oils, active compounds, and natural scents are used in place of synthetic ones in organic cosmetics. 

Support companies that promote sustainable and ethical production. There are now so many mass, high street, and niche businesses offering environmentally responsible beauty products. In terms of packaging, seek out items that are biodegradable and made of recyclable materials, such as glass, plant-based polymers, and natural cork. Alternately, avoid packing wherever you can.

Make everything last as long as you can

Sometimes the greatest advice is simple. The proverb “use every beauty product like it’s going to run out” certainly applies in this situation. With this attitude, you can really prolong the life of toners and moisturizers so that you don’t need to buy new ones as frequently.

A particularly helpful technique to extend the life of your mascara when it starts to dry up is to add a few eye drops or saline solution inside the tube, which helps to prevent it from drying out. Similar to this, you may thin out your nail polish so you can use it again by adding some nail paint remover if it starts to get gloopy.
Something as easy as pushing yourself to finish a product, or even that full drawer of half-empty bottles you’ve held for years…would significantly reduce your waste.

You most likely have beauty purchases that are disliked and underutilized since they don’t work for you. Why not make something fresh out of them? Use a highlighter as eyeshadow, add a lighter founder hue to a darker founder, and the possibilities are endless! You can even make things like cushion blush out of them. The joy of “creating” your own cosmetics will assist to reduce your desire to purchase new ones.

Understanding why these choices matter in the first place is one of the keys to making sustainable decisions. Sustainable beauty is vital because it aids in the preservation of scarce resources. The reality is that beauty is heavily reliant on available resources, from the plastic and hard materials used in beauty product packaging to the water utilized to make your favorite items.

Taking care of your skin means taking care of your health. Finally, the more we can help each other and the greater society by conserving resources and ensuring that everyone has enough, the better we’ll be able to care for ourselves.