Earth Day is this Wednesday, April 22nd, so we wanted to talk a little bit about how you can make your beauty routine more eco-friendly.
You may think there’s no way beauty and planet health can go together, but there are actually several ways they can. By making more conscious choices about what we buy, how much we buy, and who we buy it from, we can do our part even in this small arena to better protect the health of the planet.
The Beauty Industry Is Becoming More Earth-Conscious
For most of its history, the beauty industry has largely ignored the environment. Products have filled up landfills and polluted waterways without much thought from either manufacturers or the public.
But thankfully, things are changing. As more consumers demand better, manufacturers are making smarter choices, prioritizing the responsible sourcing of ingredients, choosing more Earth-friendly manufacturing processes, and encouraging recycling.
We want to assure you that at CV Skinlabs, we have always been aware of how our products may affect not only the health of your skin but the health of the planet as well. We chose from the very beginning to use only safe and non-toxic ingredients, and to put our product information on the inside of our packages, to avoid having to use extra resources.
Our packaging is recyclable, safe, and free of toxic chemicals. We use PET bottles (#1) and PE tubes (#2) which are picked up through most curbside recycling services and are not known to leach any chemicals linked to cancer or hormone disruption into the formula.
We use a stable preservative system approved by major worldwide natural/organic standards bodies that guarantees appropriate shelf-life without contributing to environmental harm. We use only biocompatible, natural and/or organic ingredients that help the skin recover its natural balance— our shea butter, for example, is fair trade and certified organic—and we’ve always shunned animal testing.
We want you to know that you can enjoy skincare and beauty products from us with complete peace of mind. But there’s more you can do.
5 Ways to Eco-Up Your Beauty Routine
1. Buy from Reputable Companies
Though we just told you what we have done from the beginning to make our products more Earth-friendly, not all cosmetic companies are doing the same. Many still produce products with toxic ingredients in them, and some even perform animal testing. We encourage you to do your research and know who you’re buying from. We must all patronize those companies that are doing what they can to take care of our environment.
In addition to buying from conscientious companies, try to purchase products that have a high percentage of natural and organic ingredients in them. Organic ingredients, on the whole, are grown with fewer pesticides, and as we all know, pesticides are bad for the environment and our health.
2. Avoid Petrolatum in Your Products
Some types of petrolatum may be contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which have been linked with cancer. The European Union (EU) requires the full refining history of petrolatum to be known before it can be used in cosmetics. The U.S. has no such requirement.
When properly refined, petrolatum doesn’t have these health concerns, but it can be drying for skin over time. It doesn’t add moisture, but simply forms a film over the skin to keep moisture in. This may be helpful in the short-term, but long-term it can backfire and leave skin even dryer than before.
Of course, since oil is a non-renewable resource, it helps to cut back on our use of petrochemicals whenever possible.
It’s sneaky sometimes, so you have to read the label carefully. Look for ingredients like mineral oil, paraffin oil, and petrolatum. This is a byproduct of petroleum (oil) refining, and though it may have been useful in times past when we didn’t have a lot else to help moisturize our skin, now we have much better options, so there’s no reason to use it.
3. Choose Multi-Tasking Products
It’s so fun to check out new products, isn’t it? But the result is more products and more packaging dumped into the trash. If we care about the environment, we’re wiser to choose just a few products that can do several things.
Our Rescue + Relief Spray, for instance, can serve as a refreshing, moisturizing mist; a hydrating toner; and a soothing aftershave solution. When you use it this way, you use just one product rather than three, and that saves resources.
You can do the same with our Restorative Skin Balm. It works as a soothing balm to help moisturize and heal wounds; a cuticle softener; and an on-the-go lip balm.
You can find makeup products that work this way too. A hydrating lipstick can double as a blush in a pinch, and a smudge stick may serve well as an eye shadow.
4. Look for Recyclable and Refillable Packaging
As mentioned above, we took care to make sure our packages could be recycled. You can check other packages to see if they’re recyclable by looking for this symbol:
Many companies are taking care to use recyclable packaging now, and some are also offering refillable options where possible. Eye shadow packets that you refill yourself are good examples.
As you stay on the lookout for more options like these, it may help to keep a bin for recyclables in your bathroom. Then you’ll be sure that the recyclable options aren’t tossed out by mistake.
5. Rethink One-Use Products
We all love our cotton balls and makeup remover wipes, but the truth is they are filling up our landfills. There are Earth-friendly options that can work just as well:
- A muslin cloth
- Reusable cotton pads
- Reusable face cloth (wash after one use)
- The YES brand facial wipes—they are made from 100% plant cellulose which means they’re renewable and compostable and come in a recyclable package
- Oil cleanser and water
- Washable Face Haloes
How do you green up your beauty routine?
