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!
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.
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.
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
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
I had no clue you could buy mascara in a cake or cream!