If you are anything like me, a solid skincare routine and minimal makeup looks have been a recent obsession. With the rise in popular skincare brands and new makeup launches every week, it’s almost impossible to not want to get your hands on them. Before you make any purchases, be sure to ask yourself an important question: Is this product eco-friendly? Making your skincare and makeup routine more eco-friendly is a great way to minimize waste in your everyday life and make informed purchases to support the environment. Here are some of the ways we can make our skincare and makeup routines more eco-friendly:
No More Cotton Pads and Makeup Wipes!
For every 15-20 packs of cotton rounds made, 20,000 litres of water is wasted. Unlike purchasing a cotton t-shirt that you wear over and over again, cotton pads simply create daily, unnecessary waste. Makeup wipes aren’t that much better. Most are not biodegradable and come in single use plastic packaging that is harmful for the environment. To avoid using these products, I recommend cleansing oils/ balms or reusable makeup removing pads. Cleansing balms easily take off all makeup and are great before a water-based cleanser to remove any impurities. By using a cleansing balm, you’re avoiding single-use cotton pads and makeup wipes yet still effectively removing your makeup. I recommend the Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm ($12.99 CAD) as it is a gentle yet effective makeup remover. I also recommend purchasing reusable cotton pads that can easily be thrown in the wash after usage. Best of all, you don’t have to go through the hassle of going to the drugstore every few weeks for cotton pads or makeup wipes!
Non- Animal Testing Makeup Brands
Buying cruelty free makeup products is essential in supporting more ethical brands and to protect animal rights. Although many don’t realize this, cruelty free makeup can actually be better for the environment. Most cruelty free products tend to be more natural or have fewer chemicals, which can translate to less toxins being released into the atmosphere. Some cruelty free makeup brands that I would recommend, both from the drugstore and high-end stores include; Elf, CoverGirl, NYX, bareMinerals, Anastasia Beverly Hills, and Ilia. If you’re looking for cruelty free skincare (with some eco-friendly packaging options also!) I recommend checking out The Ordinary, Paula’s Choice, Versed, and Youth To The People.
Watch Out for the Ingredients!
What often goes unnoticed in a skincare and makeup routine are the ingredients. How in the world are we supposed to comprehend a list of gigantic words that mean nothing to us? Here is the quick and easy rundown of what to avoid and use instead in your daily routine. First off, avoid polyethylene. If you don’t know what this is, to put it in the simplest terms- it’s plastic. Polyethylene can be found in both skincare and makeup products and when it goes down the drain, can drastically harm marine life. Another ingredient to look out for are chemical sunscreens, especially with the ingredients oxybenzone and octinoxate. When you swim with chemical sunscreen, the ingredients like oxybenzone and octinoxate can seep into the water and be absorbed by coral reefs which can disrupt coral’s reproduction and growth cycle. If you’re looking for a reef-friendly SPF, try mineral-based sunscreens. They’re less harmful to the environment and for an added bonus, are safe for sensitive skin! I recommend the Versed Skin’s Guards Up Daily Mineral Sunscreen SPF 35 ($27.86 CAD) or the Paula’s Choice Resist Super-Light Wrinkle Defence SPF 30 ($26.40 CAD). Tip: To avoid that unpleasant white cast, opt for a tinted mineral sunscreen.
Making your daily routine eco-friendly isn’t an easy thing to do. It’s hard to be a mindful consumer when we are constantly being advertised for new products! The first step to ensuring that your makeup routine is more eco-friendly is to use up what you already have. Throwing away unfinished products, so you can go out and buy new eco-friendly ones, is not an effective way of limiting waste. Use up what you have before you make room for anything new. When you decide to revamp your routine, look for products with recyclable packaging, this includes avoiding pressurized cans (which cannot be recycled) and switching to recyclable spray bottles when picking out any facial mists or even hair sprays. Try using glass packaging instead of single use plastics and finding ways to multipurpose the containers. I personally like to reuse any glass bottles that I once used for cleansers, as soap dispensers or shampoo bottles. Finding creative ways to be more environmentally-friendly is the best mindset when approaching an eco-friendly routine. Being mindful and willing to change is step number one!