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Eco-friendly products are all the rage nowadays, especially as more people are looking to adopt a sustainable lifestyle.
The beauty industry is no different. The demand for make-up isn’t going to go away any time soon, with many using their blushes and eyeshadows as an avenue for self-expression. Since demand is likely to stay, brands have been listening to customer demand and creating products that cater to a more sustainable lifestyle.
Sustainability as a recent development
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The Obagi Skinclusion event that took place earlier this year is a testament to the shifting perceptions of the beauty industry. The days of a standardized model-esque beauty are soon to be over, with beauty and skincare brands encouraging everyone to accept their natural appearance. On that note, sustainable beauty is on the rise as a way to make customers more thoughtful of their purchases.
Incorporating sustainable beauty into your routine
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The first step to sustainable beauty is ensuring that the products work for you. There’s a whole slew of natural products being used in soaps and creams, making it difficult to know where to begin. As a start, you might want to consider looking at specific ingredients. For example, Asian skincare products typically center on one or two key ingredients, like green tea extract or sunflower oil.
If you don’t already, you should develop the habit of spot-testing new products before fully incorporating them into your routine. Beauty website Pretty Me’s Kojic Acid Soap review recommends testing products on a small patch of skin (preferably the inside of your wrist or forearm) and observing the effects for 24 hours. This isn’t just recommended for potent products like Kojic soap, but anything with ingredients that are new to your skin — even if they’ve been recommended by friends. After all, every person’s skin is different.
With this in mind, don’t feel the need to go full-on organic and sustainable straight away. Our skin needs time to get used to products, and overloading your face with new formulas may end up causing you more harm than good. Don’t worry about swapping out your tried-and-tested favorites just yet. You can wait until one of your products goes empty before swapping it out for a more sustainable pick.
Shopping wisely
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Vox’s study on the beauty industry underlines the very real danger of some brands taking advantage of this sustainability craze. Phrases like “all natural,” “ethical,” and “organic” have become co-opted as fancy marketing terms, which is why it’s important to do proper research in order to find truly sustainable products.
One good trick is to start by looking for products that are USDA Certified Organic. Juice Beauty’s products have received this certification, along with Nourish Organic. Fair Trade is another label that you might want to look out for, as this certifies that the farmers who produce the raw materials are treated and compensated fairly.
As more brands are pushing for diverse and inclusive representation, it’s only natural that sustainability follows suit. After all, sustainable beauty is built around the idea that products should also be all-natural and not harmful to the planet, thus ensuring that more beauty products can be made for all.
