Do your part to help protect the beauty of our planet by making a few adjustments to green your beauty routine. Small changes can make a big difference! *Note: all products listed are considered eco-friendly, to make your transition that much easier.
- Don’t shave in the shower. The average shower uses eight litres of water per minute and you really don’t need all that water rushing down while you shave. Instead, fill the tub with a bit of water then shave your legs after you’ve turned the tap off.
- Skip shampooing for a few days. Opt instead for a dry shampoo like Alterna Cleanse Extend Translucent Dry Shampoo in Bamboo Leaf ($15) and enjoy the textured look of second or third day hair. Not having to use a blowdryer will help save electricity too!
- Cut down on electricity use by drying your hair with a micro fibre towel before blow drying. The super absorption will get the majority of the wetness out of your hair to help minimize your drying time significantly.
- Instead of washing your face with water, use biodegradable face cleansing wipes. Careful though—if they aren’t biodegradable, they won’t be eco-friendly and that kind of defeats the whole purpose right? Try Josie Maran Bear Naked Wipes ($15).
- Simplify your life with multi-taskers. There are so many great all-in-one makeup products out there to help you clear your beauty bag of clutter while simultaneously creating less waste in landfills. Revolution Organics Freedom Glow Beauty Balm ($32) is an easy favourite.
- Skip the extra packaging. Although it’s lovely when Sephora wraps your latest goodies up in a pretty bag with pretty tissue paper, do you really need all that extra? Throw it in your purse instead and call it a day.
- Shop at places that don’t over-package, like LUSH, where bars of soap and solid shampoos and conditioners are sent home in recyclable paper bags. Try not to buy bottles wrapped in boxes, wrapped in plastic. So unnecessary.
- Although it isn’t hygienic to keep makeup past its expiration date, you can definitely be sure to use it to the last drop. Transform those last little bits of eyeshadow into liquid eyeliner with a bit of water and a great angle brush. Or revive dried out clumpy mascara by setting the tube in a mug of hot water for a few minutes.
- Use ingredients found in your kitchen for natural skincare. Create a luxurious face scrub with olive oil or brown sugar. Dab a bit of honey on blemishes. Use lemon juice for toner.
- Buy refillable products. For example, Bare Minerals and Stila sell refillable compacts, Anastasia Beverly Hills offers refillable eyeshadow palettes, and Estee Lauder has refillable lip and eye pencils.
- Check for the recycle symbol on products and only purchase those that can be recycled.
- Participate in recycling rewards programs. Kiehl’s gives a free travel-sized product if you bring back 10 empty Kiehl’s containers. Bring back six MAC empties for a free MAC lipstick. Five empty LUSH pots will get you a free fresh face mask (and another pot to start your next five). And for everything else, bring it to Origins where they accept any empty cosmetic containers for recycling, free of charge.
- Read labels. The more ingredients on the list, the less green they become.
- Avoid products that contain parabens, phthalates, sulfates, synthetics and other chemicals. Choose natural, organic or wild-harvested ingredients instead. Your body and your planet will thank you.
- EcoTools are beauty tools and brushes made of sustainable and recycled material. Their packaging is recycled and reusable too.
- Want to know how green and clean your favourite products are? Download the Think Dirty app for product comparison. Scan a barcode to see just how dirty a product is, then search for cleaner equivalents.
Main image via @LUSHCosmetics
