It can be so hard to find quality, affordable and sustainable products, but as difficult as it may seem, it is possible. The brands listed below are great choices if you are thinking about moving towards a more eco-friendly beauty routine.
Lush
Everyone knows that Lush is amazing, especially in regard to doing their bit for the environment. They have affordable prices and reusable packaging for almost of their products. If you collect five of their black pots, you can return them to the store for a free face mask. I would highly recommend their face scrubs and masks, as they are made of natural and gentle ingredients for your skin.
The Ordinary
The Ordinary are an absolute gem, and can be found on Cult Beauty and Feel Unique. Their ethos is that they use minimal ingredients (they exclude unnecessary things like colorants and perfumes), and packaging in order to reduce their prices. I use their Hyaluronic Acid serum, which was only £5.90, and I honestly think it’s the best thing to have ever touched my skin. They also have a foundation for £6, which is beautiful and comes in an amazing shade range.
All The Ordinary products are free of parabens, sulphates, mineral oil, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, animal oils, coal tar dyes, formaldehyde, mercury, oxybenzone. They also do not test on animals.
Face Halo
Are you sick of spending loads of money on makeup remover? Not only is it expensive but makeup wipes and cotton pads are awful for the environment, as are the chemicals found in many makeup removers. Face Halo are sold in Boots for £7 and are surprisingly amazing at removing makeup. They are made from a microfiber material that removes makeup from all of your pores, and you can use one side for one day and the other for the next. It may seem a bit more expensive than other alternatives at first, but think about how much money you will save in the long run!
Neal’s Yard
Neal’s Yard is an amazing brand, and they have a store in Exeter that is the epitome of calmness and serenity. Whilst some things are on the more expensive side, Neal’s Yard have spent the last few years campaigning to ban microbeads and have an ongoing campaign to save the bees. Even better, they manufacture their products in a solar-powered eco-factory, so it is worth supporting them by purchasing their products.
Dr Hauschka
Dr Hauschka are another relatively affordable brand, and they are doing amazing work in regard to sustainability. According to their website, “We almost exclusively obtain our plants, oils and waxes from controlled organic cultivation (biodynamic quality where possible) and under fair trade conditions”, they also use “rain water or easy-to-recycle packaging materials and when composting vegetal production waste”, and have “procured 100% certified green electricity for many years”. Many of their products are also vegan, and their Melissa day cream is only £27 for a big bottle.
Hopefully you will try out some of these brands, and do your bit to help the environment and your bank account! Most of these brands use really natural ingredients, so your body will be thanking you for the lack of harmful chemicals.