How To Make Your Beauty Routine More Sustainable

Every year, for one hour the world goes into darkness to raise awareness of the ongoing climate crisis: Earth Hour. If you haven’t participated, it’s a dedicated hour where people are asked to turn off their lights (and any other electricals if you can) in solidarity, creating an unmissable sight to draw public attention to climate change.

To celebrate the annual event, we wanted to share our top tips for making your beauty routine more eco-friendly. Ultimately, the beauty industry is a huge contributor to the tons of plastic waste that’s being dumped into the ocean, thereby polluting our planet and harming wildlife. In fact, 40% of plastic is used for product packaging… Just think of all the plastic in your current shelfie.

We’re all guilty, we admit it, but it’s time to make a change. These tips for a more eco-friendly beauty routine may seem minor, but trust us, they can make a big difference if we all make the switch.

1. Choose Multitasking Products

via Giphy

While splurging on the latest beauty must-have is fun, it’s not always necessary or good for the environment. So, why not start investing in multi-use, hybrid products that address two things instead of just one? This will help you save on packaging, waste, and money too! Even if a product isn’t branded as a multi-use product, get creative! A highlighter palette can easily double up as a poppin’ shimmer shadow, and your lipstick can also double up as a cream blush!

DIY masks are a great eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative to splurging, and no matter what your beauty concern, there’s a quick and easy DIY fix; from oily skin to greasy locks.

2. Ditch Makeup Wipes… For Good

While we understand the appeal of makeup wipes; they’re seriously damaging the environment, and in the long term, they’re not good for your skin either. In fact, the plastic fibers in wipes take over 100 years to biodegrade!

Instead, use a microfiber towel and cleanser. Not only are microfiber towels reusable but they can hold up to seven times their weight in water making them the ideal cleansing tool. Our go-to combo is the WISHFUL Microfibre Cleansing Cloths, $15, and the Clean Genie Cleansing Butter, $35, as it removes every last trace of makeup with ease while hydrating and nourishing our skin.

3. Bleed Green

via Giphy

Another way to cut down your carbon footprint is to re-examine your period products. Over 100 billion period products are thrown away every year; most contain plastic and therefore cannot be reused or recycled and end up breaking into pieces and even entering the food chain!

The good news is, there are now SO many solutions so you should be able to find something that works for you. If you prefer to use an applicator tampon, try Dame’s Reusable Applicator, $30. It works exactly like a typical applicator tampon, however, you assemble the tampon each time by placing it into the applicator. Read our full review here.

Another great solution is a menstrual cup like the Mooncup, $30; it’s a small cup that stores the fluid rather than absorbing it. Then you empty the contents into the toilet and wash the cup after every use. Each cup is reusable for up to five years!

If you prefer regular tampons and pads, opt for menstrual products made from non-toxic materials with eco-friendly packaging. We’re obsessed with menstrual care brand Freda, as their tampons are made of 100% certified organic cotton and are biodegradable, hypoallergenic, and free from chemicals and synthetic fibers that are commonly found in tampons. Similarly, their pads contain 100% eco-friendly and renewable materials.

4. Look for the Recycle Symbol

One of the easiest ways to make an eco-friendly change to your shopping habits is to look for packaging that’s made from recycled materials, which can often also be reused or recycled once again. It’ll normally have this little symbol on the front.

5. Opt for a Reusable Razor

via Giphy

If your preferred method of hair removal is shaving, then trade in your plastic disposable razors for a reusable or stainless steel model. Here are three great options:

• Flamingo Razor, $9: This five-blade razor is weighted to help avoid slipping and allow for a smoother shave. Plus, it’s SO pretty.
• Oui The People The Rose Gold Single-Blade Razor, $75: While we totally understand this is a lot of money to spend on a razor; it’s the ultimate luxe choice. The weighted and balanced razor enables you to apply the right amount of pressure for a seamless shave.
• Billie Razor Starter Kit, $9: This razor has five blades that are encased in aloe vera soap that show your skin some love while achieving an extra close shave. The starter pack includes a Billie handle, the mag(net)ic holder, and two razors for only $9, which is insane! After that, you can restock with blade cartridges.

6. Buy Extra Large Bottles of your Fave Products

One easy way to reduce plastic waste is to buy the largest bottle available of products you know you use every day, as one big bottle uses less packaging than two smaller bottles. For example, we always buy XL bottles of shampoo and conditioner, as well as micellar water as we know these are staples in our routine so they’ll not go to waste. We even buy an extra-large exfoliator – our Wishful Yo Glow Enzyme Scrub, $63, which is now available in a 200ml bottle. We use it daily to slough away dead skin and brighten our complexion before we apply our makeup.

7. Repurpose Empty Packaging

Get creative with empty beauty products. We love to use a glass spray bottle for a DIY facial mist or wash out our eye cream pots and use them as the perfect travel-friendly moisturizer container (hand-luggage friendly)! They also work well as jewelry dishes or containers to keep in your purse. We even like to reuse our perfume bottles as a vase, which is probably the most Insta-worthy recycle ever.

8. Switch Your Plastic Toothbrush For a Bamboo Brush

It’s recommended that you change your toothbrush every three months, however, more realistically, let’s assume the average person changes their toothbrush twice a year, that’s still more than 50 million pieces of plastic handles to deal with annually.

Using a bamboo toothbrush is just as effective as a manual plastic toothbrush, however, as the handle is made from bamboo it’s biodegradable and has no negative impact on the planet. It’s a no-brainer! We love The Humble Co. Brush Humble Brush, $4, as it’s developed by dentists and is vegan and cruelty-free.

9. Shop for Beauty on a Loop

The brainchild of recycling organization Terracycle, Loop gives you the opportunity to buy your favorite beauty products but rent the packaging, thereby lessening waste. Brands like Ren are offering six of their best-selling product in glass, label-free bottles. You simply pay for the formula and deposit for the bottle, which is then delivered via a carbon-neutral mode of transport. When the formula is running low, Loop will send a product to your door and you simply return the empty bottle. Other brands like Dove, Pantene, and The Body Shop also take part in the scheme.

Earth hour will start at 8:30 pm GST on 27th March. To find out more about Earth Hour, click here.