When it comes to our beauty regimes, while they may make us look and feel good, their impact could be terrible for the environment. Several years ago, the beauty industry went under scrutiny due to the use of microbeads in certain washing products. Evidence showed that these microbeads were finding their way into the marine food chain, as well as generating a huge carbon footprint. 

While you may not be in a position to adopt a zero-waste lifestyle, there will always be ways in which you can make improvements. Here are some simple tips that will help you to make changes in the right direction. 

Air Miles 

Have you ever looked at your moisturiser sitting on the bathroom counter and thought about how many hundreds of miles it has taken to get there? It’s easy to forget the journey that these products have gone to make their way to the store before you bring them home. This is especially the case if you buy products that are produced overseas with ingredients that can only be grown in specific places. 

Why not try to locally source some of your products from creators, or better yet, try to make your own?

Plastic Waste 

Some countries do better than others when it comes to recycling and reusing. However many people recycle the amount of waste that is sent to landfills is still increasing. The plastic containers used to store our beauty products are a big part of the problem. 

Some brands like Tirtyl have come up with a solution to tackle the use of single-use plastic in our beauty products. They have introduced a ‘just add water’ soap product that is easy to use- you simply add water to a reusable container, drop in the tablet, and you have a soapy solution that doesn’t cost the Earth. 

Hopefully, we will see more companies following suit. 

Ditch Single Purpose products 

One of the biggest contributors to our carbon footprint when it comes to beauty is the amount of products were used for different things. Facial moisturiser, body moisturiser, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, and different facial washes… All of these will soon start to add up to the number of products we have on our bathroom cabinet. Using fewer products means a lesser environmental impact. Nobody is saying you need to make the switch to a Three-In-One shower gel, however, there is scope to think smarter. For example, did you know that you can save your legs using a moisturiser? Carefully rinse your razor after each stroke and you’re good to go. Then there is no need to buy additional shaving cream! Plus, that removes a step from your beauty regime.

Mindful ingredients 

One of the biggest issues that the environment is facing is the extraction of palm oil causing mass deforestation. While it may be the case that you don’t happen to have a bottle of palm oil knocking around in your bathroom, it is common in many of the products we have in our homes. It’s in everything from chocolate products, to margarine, to your conditioner. However, there are sustainable ways of accessing the ingredient. Read the labels of your products to be safe.