By making some easy swaps you can make your beauty routine more sustainable. Image supplied.
Did you know that the global beauty industry produces 120 billion units of plastic packaging every year? Many of which are impossible to recycle, therefore ending up in landfill, being burned, polluting the world’s waterways or simply being discarded on the street. Every conscious decision we make when deciding what beauty products to purchase and use helps to reduce that waste and collectively – if we all become more conscious beauty consumers we can make a difference to the worlds waste problem.
The easiest way to become a more conscious beauty consumer is to swap out your go-to beauty products for more sustainable options and what better resolution for the new year than to help reduce your personal waste-impact by doing just that. So here are a few tips on how to make sustainable beauty swaps this year.
Choose package free products
Gone are the days of everything being packaged in plastic or glass bottles and jars. Now there are many package-free options with New Zealand based brands such as Ethique, Ahhh and Eco Store having multiple options for all of your favourite beauty products.
Ditch makeup wipes
Not only are makeup wipes bad for your skin but they are also bad for the environment. Make the switch to reusable makeup remover pads or microfibre cloths for a more sustainable option. However, if you just can’t find yourself giving up the convenience of makeup wipes then there are biodegradable options now on the market – such as the Nivea Daily Essentials Biodegradable Wipes.
Buy a reusable razor
Think about how often you replace your razor, they really don’t last that long before the blades are blunt and the moisturising gel has worn down. Now think about all of those razors ending up in landfill. Consider replacing your disposable razors with a reusable razor – our pick is the Sustainablah Stainless Steel Safety Razor.
Switch to eco-friendly menstrual products
Did you know that traditional menstrual products such as tampons and pads are made from 90% plastic? So you can imagine how long they would take to break down – Roughly 450 years to be exact. Let that sink in. This is one of the best sustainable switches you can make to reduce you waste footprint, especially when you consider that each woman uses between 9,000 and 11,000 menstrual products in her lifetime. We suggest making the switch to a menstrual cup or choosing a brand that provides sustainable and biodegradable options. Our favourite homegrown menstrual product brand is The Hello Cup.
Swap to natural and sustainable skincare brands
Our final suggestion for making a sustainable beauty switch is to consider the beauty brands you are buying from. What are their processes? Are the ethically producing their products? What is their water consumption? Are their ingredients natural and ethically sourced? There are many questions to ask when choosing a beauty brand and if you do your research you’ll find that potentially many of your favourite beauty products are not only bad for your skin, but also bad for the environment. It’s terrible because the beauty industry is widely unregulated, so it is unfortunately the consumers job to do the research and pick the brands who are environmentally conscious. Some of our favourite brands include Emma Lewisham, Aleph Beauty and Syrene Skincare – all New Zealand based beauty brands who have taken a sustainable approach to their beauty brands.