How to Make Your Beauty Routine More Sustainable and More Eco-friendly

make-your-beauty-routine-more-sustainable-and-eco-friendly-main-image

At least 65% of all women in the United States use skincare products every day. At this rate, resources will easily be depleted, and waste will pile up. More than ever, everyone needs to switch to a more sustainable beauty routine now.

Sustainability is about giving future generations their own ability to produce their needs. This goes to say that our generation must take care of our present resources so that everything can still be enjoyed by the next.

And fortunately, consumers are now more environmentally conscious and aware. The good news is that you don’t have to sacrifice your beauty routine to limit your environmental impact.

Here are some tips on how you can make your beauty routine more sustainable and more eco-friendly.

Sustainable Beauty Tips on Shopping for Products

Do your research.

Even before you buy, make the conscious effort to know the different brands. There are a lot of manufacturers that will claim to be cruelty-free, vegan, or sustainable. It is still best to practice due diligence.

Research on where and how they source out their raw materials. What are the steps that they take on how to control and replace the natural resources that they use for their products?

Do they use locally available ingredients? If they source out raw materials from a far place, then, it is a red flag. Transporting these materials translates to a bigger carbon footprint.

Choose natural.

Most consumer products would possibly contain chemicals that may pollute the environment. But as much as possible, use those that do not contain parabens, formaldehyde, sulfates, and other similar ingredients.

Who knows, you may even be allergic to some of these ingredients. And it is always better to opt for natural alternatives that are equally effective for your body and the planet.

If you can DIY your beauty routine using ingredients lying around your kitchen, then that is even much better!

Avoid single-use plastic.

Plastic can take hundreds of years to disintegrate. While it can be durable, there is no guarantee that it will not pollute the oceans and landfills later.

Avoid buying those with microbeads or glitters. These are literally miniature pieces of plastic that may do more harm than good. Some of these pieces of plastic make their way into the gut of marine species who mistake them for food.

For the microbeads, there are a lot of alternatives like ground coffee or sugar for scrubs. And if you want some sparkle, opt for mineral-based makeup like mica.

Also, you can use reusable bags when shopping for your beauty products and other needs even.

Choose eco-friendly packaging.

Choose products that are packaged in glass, silicone, paper, or wood. These are much more recyclable in the long run and environmentally friendly.

Shampoo now also comes in the form of bars that are packaged in paper. Toothpaste can now also come in powder or small tablets stored in plastic-free packaging.

Or, if you can afford to buy in wholesale or those in bigger containers, do so. These use less packaging and are even more cost-efficient.

Some brands also offer refills to lessen the packaging in their products.

Sustainable Beauty Tips on Applying Makeup and Skincare Products

Use reusable applicators.

You may instantly reach for a cotton ball or pad when applying your toner or any liquid product. But think twice the next time as it takes thousands of liters of water to produce one kilogram of cotton.

You may want to just spread it using your bare hands. With this, you maximize the product rather than just soaking it up with the cotton.

Or, get those small pieces of washable cloth pads made with cotton. You do not even need to buy them! Just cut up some of your old cotton shirts or towels for this purpose.

Not just the cotton balls or pads, you can also rethink your use of q-tips for makeup application. Go for the reusable ones that are equally effective in cleaning up your look.

When you reuse, you get to save money and lessen your water footprint.How to Make Your Beauty Routine More Sustainable and More Eco-friendly

Use products in multiple ways.

Investing in a single product for multiple uses is more eco-friendly than buying multiple single-purpose products.

Try to use your lipstick as a blush or your eyeshadow as an eyeliner.

There is makeup now available in the market like the tinted moisturizer that can serve as your makeup base or the lip tint that can double as a blush and eyeshadow. Try them!

Sustainable Beauty Tips on Discarding Your Waste

Segregate.

Help lessen what goes into the landfill by making sure to segregate the recyclables from the non-recyclable ones. May all your plastic containers be recycled effectively by facilities accepting them.

Recycle at home.

Being sustainable does not end when you finish a bottle of your favorite product. Think of ways on how you can reuse and repurpose products.

Empty jars from your skincare routine can serve as containers for small items or as brush holders. Or, use expired cosmetics in your paintings and other artworks.

It is even better if you can return the container to the manufacturer for their reuse. Who knows, you may even get a discount!

Wearing cosmetics and using skincare products need not have a negative impact on the environment. This is possible when you make the conscious effort of tweaking your routine to make it more sustainable and more eco-friendly.

Try these tips and encourage more people by sharing this post!

Written by Megan Taylor
Megan is a beauty expert who is passionate about all things makeup and glam! Her love for makeup has brought her to become a beauty pro at Glamour Garden Cosmetics.