We always hear talks about sustainability surrounding fashion because of the insane amounts of waste that the industry has been producing in the past few decades. However, there is another industry that has grown dramatically in the past two decades that contributes to large amounts of waste and pollution – its makeup! According to Zero Waste Week, more than 120 billion units of packaging are produced globally every year by the cosmetics industry, contributing to the loss of 18 million acres of forest annually. With new cosmetics companies launching constantly, along with multiple launches a year, a lot of makeup is being produced, more than we will ever need, therefore adding tonnes of plastic to landfills. While shopping sustainably doesn’t fully address the issue of excess production, it does reduce the use of synthetic ingredients, replace plastic with recyclable packaging, and promote the use of fair trade ingredients. So, if you need to buy some new beauty products, consider buying them from these eco-friendly brands.
This Canadian cosmetics company has really been at the forefront on all sides of sustainable makeup. The company uses bamboo, glass, aluminum, and seed paper, therefore, making the brand’s packaging about 75% waste-free. The products have also been certified to be 100% vegan and cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny. They have a wide variety of products like colorful lip pencils, beautiful creme blushes, and foundations coming in a wide range of shades. Some of their best-sellers are their mascara, brow balms that come in a few shades, and creme highlights. Elate Cosmetics does really have products for everyone and at very reasonable prices too!
This Etsy-based cosmetics store makes zero-waste cosmetics from either biodegradable or reusable tools like metal palates, bamboo applicators, and organic cotton storage bags. Laura Earle, the company’s founder, was super passionate about ensuring that all the packaging was eco-friendly, even down to the labels being printed on recycled paper with eco-friendly ink. All her makeup products are 100% vegan, palm-oil free, cruelty-free, and a lot of the products are organic too! She has a rather wide range of cosmetics to choose from like fun eyeshadow colors, bold lipsticks, and hued eyeshadows. She even sells skincare products like lip balms, moisturizers, and serums. It is really impressive to see a brand doing so well that started off as a small Etsy shop. I couldn’t be more in love with this little company!
This company loves to say they were founded on the basis of nature to nurture. Dab Herb Makeup started off as a passion project by their founder, Crissy, to create clean makeup. They have now grown into a company catering to your makeup and skincare needs, all while using glass and tin containers and only using vegan and cruelty-free ingredients. From playful lip paints to luminescent highlighters, they have a good collection of products to do a full face of makeup with. In addition, they carry quite a number of skincare products like body butter, scalp treatments, and deodorants, and even sell a weighted flax seed eye pillow that would be fun to use on a self-care night.
Feeling and looking beautiful doesn’t have to come at the cost of your bank account or the environment. These companies are proof that there are eco-friendly beauty alternatives out there that are not only cleaner for the environment but also for your body. So, next time you run out of a makeup product, consider giving one of these companies a chance. I promise you won’t be disappointed and would be making a small difference to our planet.
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