Trying to reduce your impact on the planet is more important than ever but it’s also incredibly difficult. You can do all of the obvious stuff like using low energy appliances, watching what you eat, and trying not to use your car too often. But even then, it seems like everything that you do is damaging the environment in some way. One area that people always forget about is their beauty regime but there are a lot of nasty chemicals in there that can damage the environment. Luckily, the increased focus on environmental responsibility means that there are far more options for green beauty products. Here’s how you can make your beauty regime more green.
1. Check The Label.
This is the most important thing when you’re trying to buy beauty products, always check the label to see what’s in there. Most products should indicate whether they’re made from environmentally friendly products or not. Look out for symbols that indicate whether the packaging is made from recyclable materials or not. When you’re reading over the ingredients, you need to look out for certain things that are damaging to the environment. Things like microbeads have recently been banned because they’re not very green but there are a lot of other nasty chemicals that are still legal. Fragrances tend to be quite damaging to the environment but you can get non toxic perfume so make sure that you’re always going for that. Other products that contain fragrance (like skin creams or shampoo) can also be risky so double check what ingredients are in there.
2. But Also, Don’t Trust The Label Blindly.
So, why are you checking the label if you can’t trust it? Well, you can trust it a lot of the time but in some cases, the companies might not be completely honest. Greenwashing (companies lying about products using green ingredients when they aren’t) is a big problem at the moment. Authorities are cracking down on it and making sure that companies are being honest about what they’re putting in their products but there’s always a chance that they could be bending the truth. Always double check and don’t take anything for granted.
3. Use Fewer Products.
If you looked through the cupboards in your bathroom, you’ll probably find all sorts of different products in there. But the more different products you’ve got, the more likely you are to be using damaging chemicals. If you can streamline your beauty regime, it’ll be a lot easier to make sure that you’re keeping things green. When you’re trying to keep your skin looking healthy, you don’t need 10 different products. Just find one or two good ones that don’t contain any bad chemicals and you’ll get the same results.
4. Make It Yourself.
You can do all of that but if you’re still not sure about the beauty products you’re using, why not consider making your own? It’s the only way you can be absolutely sure that there aren’t any harmful chemicals in there at all. There are plenty of recipes for beauty products that are cheap and easy to make, great for you, and most importantly, don’t damage the environment.
Follow these simple rules and you can make your beauty routine a lot greener than it is right now.
Photo by Anna Sullivan
