Every time I go on TikTok, I see beauty creators showing a new product launch, whether it is blush, concealer, or eye shadow. Makeup brands are dropping new products to keep up with trends on social media and sending PR packages to help market their product; from a business perspective, this is foolproof. That’s the problem.
When viewers see their favorite creators raving about the newest “viral” makeup product, they believe that they need it too. But with the sheer amount of new makeup being unveiled daily, consumers are buying more makeup than they can consume. Most of it is similar as every brand caters to the same trends and microtrends, making it wasteful and redundant. Bright pink blush is currently trending, and many brands like e.l.f or Saie Beauty are releasing the same shades. As seen online, influencers are being sent all of it and telling their followers that it’s a “holy grail” when in reality, it’s just like the other seven blush drops in the past year.
Additionally, all makeup expires, and usually, it does so in six months to two years, depending on the product. This leads to all of the makeup room clean-out videos by beauty vloggers, with many of the products being used once or twice, and then shoved into a drawer; it is more than likely thrown out later on.
Looking specifically at the Rare Beauty blush, it went viral because only a small amount is used for a large pigment payout. This means that it can take at least one year to use completely, based on how often it is used and how much is used at a time. However, some creators have every single shade, and sometimes multiple of each, which they cannot possibly use before its expiration. They do not care as much because they most likely got it for free, so in the worst-case scenario, they throw it away and it does not cost them a dime. Flipping the lens to the average consumer, they will either use it past its expiration and risk skin problems or throw it away and waste a large amount of product and money.
Creators today glamorize overconsumption and their in-home Sephoras, but they fail to show the huge waste they create when they get rid of expired products, contributing to the 20-40 percent of beauty products that end up as waste. Right now, the beauty industry produces 120 million pieces of makeup packaging each year, most of which are plastic and are not recycled correctly. While some companies use biodegradable or recyclable packaging, most use one-time plastic.
As a consumer, instead of getting multiple of the same product or stocking up, you can get one of each step in your makeup routine and try out new products when you run out. In addition to this, you can also do research on how to recycle the packaging. Also, it’s important to find products that work for you and your skin type so you are less likely to throw them away.
At the end of the day, there is only one earth and it’s up to us to keep it clean – even if it is one lip gloss tube at a time.