Health and beauty products play a huge role in our lives. In fact, the beauty & personal care market is projected to generate $646 billion in revenue worldwide in 2024! That’s a lot of products and a huge opportunity for each of us to make simple changes that can have a positive impact on the planet.
The beauty industry is putting large amounts of waste and plastic into the environment annually. It is estimated that the beauty industry is responsible for about 30% of the plastic waste in the world. So, as we explore how to make change for a more sustainable life, let’s look at different ways that we can be more eco friendly when it comes to our beauty products. We’ll delve into 5 specific beauty changes you can make today and show you how to implement each change as well as the impact that lever can have on the world around us!
1. Pay attention to packaging.
How?
The goal is to reduce or eliminate packaging waste and there are several impactful ways to do this. Take a look at this list and see what seems attainable as a start.
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Choose plastic free packaging.
Commit to this single step for 6 months and you will suddenly notice how much plastic is in your daily life. Consciously choose to replace plastic shampoo bottles, compact cases with plastic film, bars of soap wrapped in plastic with non-plastic alternatives like glass bottles items wrapped in paper.
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Choose products with minimal to no packaging.
Refillable stores are a great option, but you can also choose multi use products and refillable bottles. Soap bars, shampoo bars, and bulk purchasing items like lotion to refill a bottle are great sustainability steps.
Why?
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The beauty industry generates 120 Billion units of packaging annually, most of which is not recyclable
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Plastic from beauty products is especially hard to recycle due to factors such as residual products in containers and the variety of plastics used.
Impact!
If you value an earth-centric approach, this is an important change to make.
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It is estimated that If an individual switches to plastic-free alternatives for their beauty and personal care products, they could eliminate approximately 8 to 10 pounds of plastic each year, based on the average packaging weight of these products.*
2. Ditch single use disposable products.
How?
While disposable products such as makeup wipes and disposable razors are convenient, there are ways to be eco friendly without giving up convenience.
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Instead of makeup wipes, consider reusable, washable pads. You can simply wipe and throw it into your laundry, instead of the landfill.
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Instead of disposable razors, buy a high quality refillable razor. It will give you a better shave and will save you money in the long run.
Why?
Disposable products fill the landfill. Wipes are often nonbiodegradable and contain chemicals and microplastics. They leach chemicals and plastics into the environment and our water supply for years after a single use.
Impact!
If you value an earth-centric approach, this is an important change to make.
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If a person were to eliminate a wipe a day for a year, that single change could reduce waste by as much as 4-8 lbs per person*. Imagine that multiplied by over 360 million people in the USA! The full impact of this is greater if you consider things like the energy used for production and the impact of chemicals and microplastics.
3. Reduce new purchases.
How?
Reducing use is one of the most important beauty changes we can make. This doesn’t mean going makeup free or doing anything drastic! Instead, it means;
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Using up what you have. Don’t waste what you have already bought.
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Simplify your routine. Do you really need five types of moisturizers or three types of concealers? Influencers promote complicated skin care routines with many products to boost their sales. Be an independent thinker and decide what matters for you and your skin.
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Use multi-purpose products.Think lip tint and blush combined, moisturizer with SPF, foaming face wash with makeup remover. There are many products on the market that are multi-purpose.
Why?
Overconsumption in beauty and self care products has been a large driver of depletion of natural resources (especially with recent push towards natural products). Beauty is a big contributor to deforestation. Consumer culture, combined with the desire for low cost products, has also driven human abuse in manufacturing especially in lower income countries with poor labor laws.
Impact!
If you value a holistic approach, this is an important change to make.
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Buying fewer beauty products naturally leads to saving money. This can add up over time. Consider tracking your savings and do the math over a year!
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Using fewer products can save time and reduce stress due to clutter and decision-fatigue.
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Reducing the number of products will also reduce your exposure to potentially harmful chemicals and allergens,
4. Go cruelty free and vegan.
How?
Avoid products which are tested on animals and have animal byproducts. You can do this simply by reading labels and looking at certifications.
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Look for vegan products (avoid misleading labels such as plant based)
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Look for the Leaping Bunny and/or PETA certifications
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Shop fair trade certified brands to ensure suppliers are paid fairly
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Avoid ingredients such as collagen, lanolin, glycerin, beeswax and gelatin.
Why?
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It is estimated that 115 million animals are used in laboratory testing annually including for beauty products.
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Ingredients like collagen are a major driver of the cattle industry and amazon deforestation.
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Animal agriculture (including all co-products) is among the largest contributors to climate change.
Impact!
If you value a life-centric approach, this is an important change to make.
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You can feel good knowing that you are not contributing to products that cause animal and human suffering.
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As more and more people make these choices, consumer choice will influence industry.
5. Recycle your packaging.
How?
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Buy cosmetics and self care products in packaging that is recyclable or reusable – this usually means glass or aluminum.
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Reusable or refillable is best since you don’t discard the bottle, many brands now offer this option.
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If you do need to recycle your bottle, remember that cosmetics bottles, even if they are glass, are often not recycled. There are several alternatives and you can learn more here.
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Use free services such as Sephora (re)purpose and Nordstrom Beautycycle where you can drop off your old packaging.
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Buy products which partner with programs such as Terracycle.
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Try a paid services such as Ridwell – bonus, you can recycle many other hard to recycle items.
Why?
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The beauty industry generates more than 27 packages/person and most of these end in the landfill.
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In the USA, less than 5% of glass actually gets recycled, so we have to do better than simply throw it into recycling.
Impact!
If you value an earth-centric approach, this is an important change to make.
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Better recycling saves thousands of pounds of garbage ending up in landfills annually.
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Recycling allows for more products to be made with recycled materials.
*According to KindHub internal calculations!