If you are looking for detoxifying beauty treatments, now is the right time to go for it. Of late, the term “sustainable beauty” has gained a lot of traction and created much hype. It refers to personal care products that are clean, organic, natural, and eco-friendly.
Increasing awareness about the environmental impact of beauty products has led to this revolution. But is the hype justified? Can green beauty make a difference? Find out below.
What Exactly Comes Under the Banner?
The term Sustainable or Green beauty refers to clean beauty products that use harmless, non-toxic ingredients and produce actionable results. They can be vegan and cruelty-free products or items that come with eco-friendly packaging. Remember that the personal care industry creates a staggering 120 billion packages a year.
Now, when these packages go to the landfills, they create a lot of toxic waste. Hence, the brands are making efforts to introduce reusable, compostable, or recyclable packaging for their products. Nearly 33% of consumers prefer buying such products.
Elements of Green or Sustainable Beauty Products?
Ethical and sustainable personal care products come with several certifications and labels. When buying these products, you should carefully read the labels to see the ingredients and other specific markings. Sometimes, natural ingredients can also contain several nasty chemicals that harm your skin or environment. So, the idea is to look for toxin-free products. Here are a few things to look for.
1. Preservatives
Before buying any beauty products, check the list of ingredients to see if they contain preservatives. These are the chemicals used to ward off bacteria, oxidation, or microbes from the product. But not all preservatives are safe. So, pick products that come with natural preservatives. Also, some products like facial oils don’t need preservatives at all because they contain antioxidants to enhance their shelf-life.
2. Look for the Sources
During the stage of product development, brands need to keep an eye on the sources of their raw materials. Some endangered resources can be depleted to fulfill the supply chain. Unethical sourcing also leads to massive deforestation. As a consumer, you can be attentive and check the sources from where a company gets its raw materials.
3. Look for the Eco-Friendly Packaging
It is unfortunate to see that many beauty and personal care brands still use virgin plastic-based packaging for their products. A considerable portion of these packages ends up in landfills. Alternatives like bamboo, cardboard, glass, or paper can cut down this waste production. You would do a lot of good for your ecosystem by choosing sustainable beauty products having eco-friendly packaging.
What’s the Future of Sustainable or Green Beauty?
The concept of sustainability in the beauty industry is fascinating and evolving. The companies can take several concrete steps in this direction to make their products safer for the earth. Here, thoughtful and cruelty-free manufacturing can make much difference. The brands should strive to minimize waste by producing smaller batches, using natural ingredients, and staying away from animal testing.
The studies suggest that a majority of beauty brands will adopt sustainability by the end of 2020. With 66% of the global millennials willing to spend on sustainable products, it seems to gain more popularity in the future, justifying the hype it created.
