This New Year, I wanted to look at being more sustainable with my skincare beauty. If 2020 showed us anything, it’s that we need to look after our planet and start to make a change in our everyday habits. We have to start thinking more about our actions and the consequences they have, and make decisions with the earth in mind.
Like a lot of people, I’ve been trying to be more environmentally-conscious for a while now, starting with reusable coffee cups, bamboo toothbrushes and ensuring my recycling habits are top-notch. Another good one to remember is to use a reusable mask (and if you do use a single-use disposable one, remember to snip the loops off and dispose of them properly to help prevent them harming the environment and wildlife.)
As January is often a time for many people to try Veganuary, I thought I would take a look at any tips the team might have to be more eco-aware. The point of this monthly edit isn’t to try and convince you to go vegan or do a complete 180° on your everyday life, but rather to showcase the little changes that we can make to do better. A thousand snowflakes cause an avalanche remember; it’s the little steps that make the world of difference.
To start this campaign off, we should look at what the Escentual Team does to be more environmentally-friendly with their beauty routine. I’m always on the lookout for hints and tips to be more sustainable, so I was keen to hear what they had to say! Keep reading to discover the little changes the Escentual Team have made to move towards more sustainable beauty habits…
1. Use A Biodegradable Cleanser
Caitlin looks out for certain ingredients when it comes to her skincare and beauty – including biodegradable exfoliators and reef-friendly sun filters. What are your #cleanbeauty tips? pic.twitter.com/8tC9RCVVbL
— Escentual (@escentual) January 26, 2021
Caitlin – Communications & Campaigns Assistant
The main way I’m trying to switch up my skincare and beauty to be more sustainable is to look out for and avoid certain ingredients, and choosing more eco-conscious formulas.
Many brands are changing up their products and reformulating some classics in a bid to be more sustainable – take the Caudalie Vinoclean range, for example, which is now even more natural and held in recycled and recyclable packing. This is definitely a great step as it’s making sustainable beauty more accessible and makes it easier to make eco-friendly beauty choices.
A good first step in your sustainable skincare swaps includes trying to find biodegradable rinse-off cleansers, such as the Nuxe Very Rose Light Cleansing Foam, as well as looking for face scrubs that offer a natural exfoliation, like the Decleor Green Mandarin Scrub, as some exfoliators use non-environmentally friendly microbeads that don’t break down and are harmful to aquatic life and wildlife. Plus, some sun protection filters are also harmful to coral reef and aquatic life, so make sure you opt for suncare that uses reef-friendly filters – you’ll be safe with Ultrasun as they are EcoSun Pass approved and comply with Hawaiian and Palau reef protection laws, so you can stay safe in the sun without causing harm to the ocean or environment.
2. Swap Your Makeup Wipes For A Flannel
Our #sustainability series is kicking off this week, so we’ve been asking the team for their eco-conscious beauty swaps! @EscentualLis uses face cloths as opposed to single-use cotton pads, and even re-uses them as dusters when they’ve finished being flannels! pic.twitter.com/IARyf7osRi
— Escentual (@escentual) January 26, 2021
Lis – Communications & Campaigns Assistant
When you use a makeup wipe and throw it in the bin, it has only just started it’s century-long lifespan. That’s right, one single makeup wipe – that’s used for around 30 seconds – can take up to 100 years to break down in landfill.
And did you know that makeup wipes are the third most wasteful product in the world? And that 90% of sewer blockages in the UK in 2017 were actually wet wipes?
Lis’ recommendation is probably one of the easiest; ditch the wipes and invest in a flannel or reusable cotton pads. Plus, this is better for your skin than using single-use face wipes as a cleanser and water will provide a way more thorough cleanse and won’t just push dirt and makeup around your face. Ditch the wipes, enhance your skin and help the planet – what more convincing could you need?
3. Reuse The Bubble Wrap From Your Escentual Order
There’s nothing quite like the excitement of opening your #MyEscentual package, but have you ever thought of reusing the bubble wrap to save on future packing and being more sustainable? That’s the advice Kate has given us to be more eco-friendly with our beauty. pic.twitter.com/l3RRFJkl0E
— Escentual (@escentual) January 26, 2021
Kate – Communications & Campaigns Assistant
Kate’s advice is perfect for people who love to order their favourite beauty online but don’t know what to do with all of the packaging that comes with it.
Kate keeps hold of any bubble wrap that she’s sent with her Escentual beauty order (it’s always easy to undo without ripping it!) to reuse it in the future when she’s sending presents to friends and family in the post. Not only does this reduce waste, but it also helps her save some money protecting the items. We are guilty of using a lot of bubble wrap but this is because we want to ensure your order arrives to you in a pristine and undamaged manner, so it’s definitely a good idea to save and reuse it.
The contents are much less likely to get damaged, and Kate feels better for reusing the bubble wrap and extending its lifespan.
4. Change To Biodegradable Q-Tips
The sustainability swap that @EscentualKeavy made is she uses biodegradable cotton buds to perfect her makeup and wipe away pesky mascara smudges. Have you been trying to be more sustainable with your skincare and beauty? Let us know your tips! pic.twitter.com/CCXn3FBekm
— Escentual (@escentual) January 26, 2021
Keavy – Communications & Campaigns Assistant
Keavy’s step toward sustainability is to use biodegradable cotton buds instead of using single-use plastic ones to wipe away her smudged mascara.
Like Lis, Keavy made this change to stop contributing to everyday waste that ends up in landfill for almost a hundred years, despite being designed to be used for a matter of moments.
Like the makeup wipes, switching to biodegradable Q-tips is a great first step to take if you’re thinking about ways to be more sustainable.
Plus, Keavy walks to and from work too. This makes her daily commute better for her health as well as for the planet.
5. Recycle Your Beauty Empties
This is @EscentualCeryn‘s #sustainablebeauty tip! When she finishes a product, she either recycles it or cleans it out and reuses it! This is something we’re all trying to do with our #empties, what do you do when you finish a product? pic.twitter.com/too5DC41sI
— Escentual (@escentual) January 27, 2021
Ceryn – Communications & Campaigns Editor
Ceryn’s sustainable step is to recycle the packaging from her old beauty products. This is an easy way to be more conscious with your beauty, especially if your eco-journey is just beginning.
This is an easy one to adopt that doesn’t require you to make any drastic changes or alter your spending habits. This one we can all definitely be more conscious to make sure we implement in our lives.
Every time we finish off a beauty product, it’s a smart idea to check with local recycling, or check with the brand themselves to see if they offer a recycling back scheme.
6. When You Buy New Beauty, Give Some Away
Chelsey – Communications & Campaigns Manager
In a bid to be more sustainable, eco-conscious and less wasteful, Chelsey has vowed to give something away every time she buys a new beauty product. This helps to combat the “no-buy” rule that many people have been adopting in a bid to be more sustainable as she’s helping to reuse an item rather than throwing it away. It also means that the person she’s giving it to can have something new without having to worry about contributing to creating new waste.
And we know Chelsey’s makeup, skincare and beauty collection is one to be admired, so this is a great thing for both the planet as well as for Chels’ family and friends!
7. Repurpose Old Packaging For Storage
Richard, our Merchandising Manager, re-uses his #AcquadiParma Colonia Futura hat-box as a pen and spare change holder. They pay so much attention to the design of their packaging, and it’s even made from recycled and recyclable materials, too! pic.twitter.com/X0cf1Q2G2m
— Escentual (@escentual) January 27, 2021
Richard – Merchandising Manager
Richard re-uses his Acqua di Parma Colonia Futura hat box packaging as a pen-holder and a spare change-holder for the office vending machine.
If you’re a fan of Acqua di Parma fragrance, then you’ll know that the luxury begins way before you even get to the product; they pay so much attention to detail with the hat boxes that they’re too good to throw away anyway, so I love Richard’s way of using them.
Plus, the Acqua di Parma box he’s using is made out of recycled materials too!
It is also recyclable itself, but it’s always better to reuse and prolong the life of something – especially when it looks as good as this!
