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12 Easy Eco Product Swaps You Can Make To Your Everyday Beauty Routine
Green swaps on those all important staples.
The Ingredients List - Breaking down the what, where and why of natural and eco-friendly beauty.
Sustainability. It's a word that a decade ago remained on the fringes of societal discourse, mentioned in passing now and then, as indifferent and casual as commenting on the weather. As long as we took the bus now and then, that was enough to offset our carbon footprint, right? Fast forward to 2021, and it's the benchmark against which we measure almost all of our daily actions, from the food we consume to the clothes we wear, and of course, the beauty products we apply.
When it comes to sustainability, the beauty industry can be bit of a mixed bag. While shifts in 0ur collective attitudes and government crackdowns on banning harmful ingredients such as micro-beads have gone some way to getting the beauty industry to change, it's still got a long journey ahead of it.
According to data from Euromonitor International, almost 7.9 billion units of plastic were used to create beauty and personal care products in the US in 2018. Newer brands gain the advantage of building eco-friendly business models from scratch, while larger, established brands face a longer timeline when looking to overhaul their sustainable practices.
But it's not all doom and gloom. While the big industry players work to change their habits on a global scale, we can also put our best sustainable foot forward on an individual basis. Below, we've rounded up the easy swaps you can make in your beauty routines to do better for the planet, and the brands you can shop guilt-free.
Look For Recyclable Bottles
We all love a fancy hand soap (or five) in our bathroom, but when you realise the majority of hand soap containers are made with non-recyclable plastic parts, washing your hands with them suddenly makes you feel a bit dirty. Thankfully, more brands are creating fully recyclable plastic bottles, such as Ren Clean Skincare's Atlantic Kelp and Magnesium Energising Hand Wash, £18. SHOP NOW
Opt For An Eco-Friendly Deodorant
Try Waterless Beauty
The beauty industry's search for sustainable products has led to the boom in waterless beauty, which is pretty much what it says on the tin. By creating beauty products that only require us to add water when we use it, these brands use less packaging, weigh less and therefore rack up less Co2 emissions through transportation. Plus, who didn't love mixing their mum's beauty products together as a kid?
Keys Soulcare Be Luminous Exfoliator - £22 SHOP NOW
Bedazzle With Biodegradable Glitter
One of the small joys of adult life is throwing maturity out of the window and going ham with the glitter come festival season. Unfortunately, as pretty as it might look, regular glitter is a real ecological nightmare for wildlife because it doesn't break down, so trade it for a plant-based option like EcoStardust's Biodegradable Glitter, £12 and keep on partying guilt-free. SHOP NOW
Refill, Refill, Refill
Refill stations used to be scarcely available, only found in your local co-op store that actually turned out to be three buses, a 50 minute cycle and a small marathon away. Now, you can get your refills as easily as your morning cup of coffee. The Body Shop started rolling out their in-store refill scheme in 2019 and plan for this to be available in 155 stores by the end of 2022.
Don't have time to head to the shops? No problem. You can now order your refills online from brands like KanKan and Fiils, who offer refills on everything from shower gel to body cream and shampoo.
KanKan Starter Set 01 - £24 SHOP NOW
Fiils The Body Duo - £26 SHOP NOW
Buy Beauty That Gives Back
One easy way you can make your beauty routine a bit greener is by purchasing from companies that support the right causes. Plant DPT is a skincare brand with sustainability at their core; the outer packaging is recyclable and printed with vegetable inks, their bottles and tubs replace as much plastic with glass as possible, and £1 from every sale supports Cool Earth who work towards reversing deforestation.
Plant DPT Oryza and Tsubaki Day Repair Cleansing Gel - £17.40 SHOP NOW
Trade In Your Plastic Toothbrush
When we're supposed to replace our toothbrushes every three months, the thought of how much waste this creates is pretty harrowing. The good news is there's a simple alternative: the bamboo toothbrush. 100% biodegradable and just as effective as your standard plastic toothbrush, that's surely got to give you something to smile about.
Spotlight Oral Care Bamboo Toothbrushes (pack of 5) - £12 SHOP NOW
Swap Bottles For Bars
Haircare is a big industry, and with one study reporting that the average household gets through 216 plastic bottles of hair-related products a year, it's clearly a big polluter too. Enter, shampoo and conditioner bars. Offering the same hair-washing and nourishing abilities as their plastic-housed counterparts, these bars are a fuss-free change to your shower routine that will make the world of difference to the your plastic consumption.
Odacité 552M Soap Free Shampoo Bar - £27 SHOP NOW
Swipe, Cleanse, Wash, Repeat
Still using disposable cotton pads to take your make-up off? Stop right there. Cotton not only takes unfathomable amounts of water to grow but also has a murky impact on the surrounding wildlife due to the use of pesticides. Instead, try some of the many reusable make-up remover pads out there; Simply use the pad as you would in your usual cleansing routine, pop in your normal washing machine load and use again and again.
We recommend Face Halo's Makeup Removers, which have the equivalent lifespan of 500 single use wipes or cotton rounds, and only require a bit of water to take off even the most stubborn of mascaras.
Face Halo Original - £18 SHOP NOW
Compromise On Cleansing With Biodegradable Wipes
If you're really at a pinch when it comes to removing your make-up (festivals, backpacking and après a very drunken night out are the only acceptable reasons here people), then make sure you've at least packed some biodegradable wipes, such as the Simple Biodegradable Cleansing Facial Wipes, £3.65. They're made from plant-fibres which naturally degrade in compost, as well as being vegan and compatible with sensitive skin.
Invest In A Reusable Water Bottle
We get it, reusable water bottles of the past haven't necessarily been that chic. But all that's changed, and now you can do good for the planet without carting round a small water tank. Whether you like to take your coffee to go or just want to keep your water chilled, an insulated bottle like the Larq Bottle Purevis, £95 can save hundreds of single-use bottles and cups a year. Larq is also part of the 1% for the Planet networks, where each sale helps to fund environmental non-profits. Plus, this futuristic bottle features a UV-C light in the lid to eliminate bacteria and viruses. Clean for the planet, clean for you.
Plastic Free Periods
It's apparent for those of us blessed with periods that most tampons and pads use a lot of single-use plastic. While there are some great reusable options out there, such as BeYou's Menstrual Cup, £14.99, which not only helps the planet but save you some coin too, these aren't compatible with everyone.
For those who prefer the usual methods of riding the crimson wave, pay attention to brands such as Ohne who are turning the tide and trying to keep your period as green as possible (figuratively, of course). It's the tampons and pads you're familiar with but plastic-free, biodegradable and organic. What's more, the packaging is a cool aesthetic addition to your bathroom and it won't break the bank.
Ohne Organic Application Tampons - £5.80 SHOP NOW
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