Guest post written by: Emily
Think how much plastic goes into making the casing for your make-up. How many of your products are cruelty-free? Or use recyclable materials? There are lots of things you can do to make your make-up routine more eco-friendly! Here are 7 of my favorite swaps that you can do to make your make-up routine more eco-friendly!
Avoid Single-Use Products
It is relaxing to put on a face mask and take a long bubble bath. But face masks and other single-use products like mascara, bath bombs and lipstick, are not great for the environments. It is unhygienic to share make-up, so it’s difficult to avoid this issue, especially if you’re a makeup artist. Where possible, avoid single-use products, or find eco-friendly alternatives. There are lots of little single-use swaps you can make like:
- Swapping a face mask packet for a tub of face mask. – it will also last you a long time and be cheaper in the long run!
- Using products with thoughtful packaging (this means you can recycle it or it is biodegradable!)
- Use cake or cream mascara, with a reusable brush
- Replace facial wipes with a flannel or bamboo pads
Use Eco-friendly Brushes
Make-up brushes are a whole load of plastic, but there are eco-friendly alternatives! Make sure you opt for brushes with recyclable or sustainable bamboo handles. Make sure the brush is also considered cruelty free! One of the most recommended eco-friendly brush brands is called Ecotools. Their brushes are vegan, eco-friendly and really affordable. They offer every type of make-up brush you can think of! If you’re looking to make your routine even more eco-friendly, you can opt for an eco-friendly toothbrush from Good Brush or Georganics. They are really good for the environment. These brands also do a lot for the community, and have lots of schemes to make things greener!
Refill Your Make-up Where Possible
How many plastic bottles or containers do you throw away in a month? It is probably a lot, depending on how much make-up you use, and how many types of products you use. One eco-friendly swap you can make is to refill your products where possible. There are lots of lipsticks, foundations and eye shadows that you can refill for cheaper than you bought the product for! There are lots of stores that will refill your products, and it doesn’t just end at make-up! A lot of your skincare products can be refilled, which reduces the amount of waste you throw away. It also is cheaper for you to do that buying a new product!
Switch To Cruelty-Free
If you’re swapping to an eco-friendly routine, make sure you’re going cruelty-free too. There is no excuse to use products that are tested on animals, or use animal byproducts in. Nowadays, a lot of make-up is no longer tested on animals, but make sure you look out for brands that are recognized by PETA as animal friendly! There are so many make-up brands out there which you could be using. Please remember, just because they don’t test on animals, doesn’t mean they don’t use animal products in their ingredients. Some of my favorite include:
- E.L.F
- The Body Shop
- Bare Minerals
- Smashbox cosmetics
- Lush
Use Solid Products
Shampoo, conditioner and soap all are stored in huge plastic bottles! To be better for the environment, swap your bottles for bars! You can buy a lot of your daily products in bars. There are lots of online stores which sell shampoo, conditioner, massage oil and soap in bar form. It saves a lot of resources as there is minimal packaging on each product, and the packaging that is used is recyclable. There are lots of eco-friendly online stores that sell these products, so you’ll also be supporting small businesses as you shop! You may also find that it is cheaper for a lot more product! Deodorant is another product you should consider buying as a bar, rather than an aerosol. Just ensure that the casing isn’t plastic or is recyclable!
Check Your Sunscreen
Did you know that a lot of sunscreens contain harmful chemicals? When visiting Florida’s Discovery Cove, we had to use sun cream that was provided for us, as many sunscreens contain environment harming chemicals, and would harm the fish. Sun creams can harm corals, contaminate freshwater and kill wildlife, so be mindful of that when you’re purchasing your protection this summer! Swapping out your sunscreen is one of the easiest trades you can make – you just need to put in some research of what sunscreens are safe. Some of the ingredients you should avoid are:
- Oxybenzone
- Octinoxate
- Titanium dioxide
- Zinc oxide
- PABA / trolamine salicylate PABA
Purchase From Sustainable or Zero Waste Brands
Just like the clothing that you want to purchase from fast fashion retailers, it can be so tempting to purchase the latest MAC lipstick or NAKED pallet. But these aren’t great for the environment due to the amount of waste the products come with! There are lots of brands that use sustainable products, an ethical approach to manufacturing and have zero-waste packaging. Zero-waste products usually have glass bottles or recyclable containers. They do NOT contain plastic, and their contents are sourced ethically and sustainably. It can be hard to find 100% zero-waste products, but not impossible! Some that are affordable, as well as sustainable, are:
- Zao
- Clean Faced Cosmetics
- Fat & The Moon
- Dab Herb Makeup
- Keeping it Natural
- Dirty Hippie Cosmetics
- Kjaer Weis
I hope this list has inspired you to make some eco-friendly make-up swaps! It is really easy to change things when you have the knowledge of how to. I challenge you to make one of these simple swaps this week – see how many you can do! Good luck on your journey to sustainability, there is a lot of other changes you can make, but starting with make-up is the first step!
About The Guest Writer!
Em is a Cambridge based blogger who loves to talk about business, lifestyle and sustainability on her blog, “Love, Em“. You will often find her helping out small businesses or testing out eco-friendly products. You can find her blog and other social media below!
Blog – https://www.loveemblog.com/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/LoveEm_blog
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/loveem.blog/
Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.co.uk/LoveEmBlogger/
I’ve been really conscious of using cruelty free products this year and I’ve honestly seen a difference in my skin too which is a benefit I wasn’t even expecting! I’ve also made the switch to reusable makeup pads and they’re so much better – one pad does the entire job and the material actually helps take more off too!
This is all so great! I’m glad you your skin has seen an improvement too!
I have been using eco-friendly skincare products for a long time now, I have sun sensitivity and I remember 5 years ago somebody suggested The Body Shop brand and I have stuck with them ever since.
That’s great!
These are pretty challenging since we’re used to having all those kinds beauty products, but I know it’s gonna be worth it to shift to eco-friendly makeup routines little by little ❤ Thank you for this.
It’s worth it to buy these products because they will be better for you skin and the planet!
I’m really conscious about what products I buy now in terms of beauty etc. I use those re-washable cotton pads to remove makeup or apply my toner, they’re so much easier to use and much better for the environment than wipes! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
I use those reusable makeup wipes for taking off my makeup every night!
Omg this post has been humongously helpful! I rarely wear makeup but it’s made me reconsider some of my skincare choices. For example, I’ll use the face masks I’ve already bought but I may refrain from purchasing any new ones, unless it’s a big tub.
– L || https://lauraorvokki.com/en
It’s always good to use items that you already have rather than going out and buying it new.
I had no clue you could buy mascara in a cake or cream!
Yes you can!!
I definitely need to make an effort to do more of these, thanks for sharing!
So glad you enjoyed the post!
Thank you for this helpful post! I have been wanting to make some switches for a while and I will be saving this post for when I go shopping for more eco friendly options when I run out of the products I currently have!
Tracy
https://www.findyourdazzle.com
I’m so glad that I could help you with buying new products!
Wonderful tips! I am only really recently thinking about the number of single-use items I use every day and I know that my beauty items can definitely be better!
It’s great that you are starting to think about your product usage. We all need to do our part to reuse more and buy less!
Great post! I had no idea just how much damage makeup/skincare products can do to the environment. I’ve recently started to switch all natural skincare products, but it looks like there’s more I can do. Thanks for sharing! x
Everything we use and throw away has an effect on the environment. We all need to do our part to by less product and reuse and recycle more!
This is such a useful post! I’ve been becoming more eco conscious and when items run out or can no longer be used I’m replacing them with eco-friendly alternatives so that going forward, I can re-use the products. Thank you for posting, some really great ideas!
That’s amazing! I’m so proud of the choices you are making to be more eco-friendly!
Great post! Thank you for sharing this! I recently purchased a tub of face mask and it is so much better than single use ones! I am gonna try to do more of these things!
That’s great because it will last you a long time! Good job!
Fab tips! I’m starting to be much more conscious of the products I buy and although I have a long way to go in regards to the plastic usage, I’m focusing much more on ensuring my beauty and skincare is CF and Vegan where possible!
That’s great Jenny! Baby steps to becoming more eco-friendly!
I’ve been slowly making changes to be more eco-friendly. From reusable cotton rounds, to using solid shampoo, conditioner, bar soap, and toothpaste tabs. The one things I’m seriously trying to implement is eco-friendly clothing. I have already slowed down my spending in general, but that’s my next step! The one thing I never thought about is buying eco-friendly makeup brushes! Great post xx
Melina | http://www.melinaelisa.com
Thanks for sharing, I will hopefully use some of these tips in the furture 🙂
Nic | Nic’s Adventures & Bakes