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Our beauty routines are created as a way of caring and feeling good about ourselves. We pick products we love that really enhance that feel-good factor. When choosing new products to incorporate into your routine do you ever stop to think about sustainability? Do our favourite products harms the environment? It’s something we are prompted to question more now than ever. It’s easier than you think, below you will find simple sustainable beauty swaps we can all make.
From packaging filling up landfills to harsh chemicals being rinsed down the drains damaging marine life, our routines can have a huge impact. We are seeing a rise of products that are sustainable and kind to our planet making sustainable beauty swaps easier than ever.
Wondering how much of a difference your small changes will really make? Well actually a lot, imagine if we all make little changes. The impact on the environment will be huge and for the better. It’s like that age-old saying, every little helps, right?
Ready to make some green changes? I’ve listed 7 easy sustainable beauty swaps that are also affordable.
Reusable Cotton Pads / Face Cloth / Muslin Cloth
We can’t deny how convenient a face wipe is or grabbing a single-use cotton pad and covering it with micellar water. Unfortunately, they’re no friends of the planet. Reusable cotton pads are a great alternative option to switch to. They work in the exact same way as a regular cotton pad but when you’re done you pop them into a net pouch and wash with your regular laundry. Muslin cloths and flannels are fab too and the best bit, you can treat your face to a hot cloth cleanse.
Bamboo Cotton Buds
Another source of nasty plastics hiding in our bathroom is the traditional cotton bud. It’s estimated around 2 billion plastic-stemmed cotton buds are used in the UK alone. Around 20% are flushed down toilets adding to the 150 million tonnes of plastics in our oceans. Switching out plastic-stemmed cotton buds for bamboo-stemmed ones is a brilliant swap.
Reusable Razor
Disposable razors that last a handful of uses are both harmful to the environment and your wallet. They’re mostly made up of plastic and ultimately end up in landfills where they’ll hang around for 100s of years. There are so many great reusable razors on the market to suit every budget. They are a far better way of saving on waste as you only need to swap the head out. Want to go one step further? Why not try a bamboo razor that contains zero plastic and will actually last years not weeks. You just switch out the blade when it needs to be changed and secure the razor back together and you’re all set.
Solid Cleaning Products
Soaps are back and nothing like the ones of days gone by where they sit shrivelled by the side of the sink looking like they’ll leave you less clean than before. There’s a soap out there for everyone and every need and they’ll generally come in plastic-free packaging, bonus! It’s not just the humble soap that comes in solid form these days, you can just about get anything in solid or naked form. Facial cleansers, body wash, shampoo, conditioners, body lotions, deodorant, heck even dental products have gone naked. There are so many brilliant options on the market. Lush is a great place to go for a wide range of naked and plastic-free products.
Bamboo Toothbrush
In the UK we are disposing of approximately 200 million toothbrushes each year, and each toothbrush can take up to 400 years to degrade! Electric toothbrushes help to save on waste but even they usually have a plastic head that needs to be replaced. If you want to go that extra mile and don’t want the outlay of an electric toothbrush then the bamboo toothbrush might be for you. Made up of solid bamboo and biodegradable bristles it is a green way to care for your pearly whites and the planet. You can actually get bamboo electric toothbrushes if you want the best of both worlds!
Reusable Period Pants / Menstrual Cup
Period products are a huge source of waste each month. In the UK alone we flush over two million products down the toilet. On top of that, there’s the waste that goes in the bin which is largely made up of plastics. So yeah, periods are pretty heavy on waste products. Now is a great time for change as we are seeing a rise in zero waste period products from menstrual cups to period pants. I’ve tried both and prefer them over single-use products and it’s a great way to help the planet too. With a comfortable and suitable option for everyone, there’s never been a better time to have a green period. In the long term these options will save you so much money too so it really is a win-win.
The Saalt Cup is my personal favourite as it is hypoallergenic comes in two size options and two firmness options to cater for everyone.
Modibodi have some of the best period pants on the market and have a wide range to choose from.
Recyclable and Reusable Packaging – Refillable
Where it isn’t possible to go packaging free try to make more conscious choices by option for aluminium or glass packaging over plastic. Both are fully recyclable and can be refilled too. There are a lot more brands offering refillable product options over replacement products. The Body Shop, L’Occitane, Fenty Skincare, Rituals, Kiehls, REN, MAC Cosmetics, Dermalogica, Olay, Bleach London are just a handful of the brands championing refillable products.
Have you made any sustainable beauty swaps to your routine?
Before you go you might also enjoy a few of my other beauty posts by sustainable brands.
Tropic Broad Spectrum Sun Protection
5 Must-Have Dermalogica Products
