Category: Consumers

Solutions – End-of-Life (Boosting Consumer Participation)

November 9, 2020

Dear Humans,

Earlier I shed light on how consumers have significant influence in the effectiveness of brands’ attempts to recycle and reuse post-consumption resources in a circular economy. However, there has been a perceived lack of participation despite some of their willingness to contribute to environmental protection. Today, we need to transform intention into action so I have returned to discuss how consumers’ participation can be boosted. 

Firstly, consumers need to be motivated into participating. Monetary incentives could be a form of motivation. For instance each used item returned would earn them points which they could use for their next purchase. Consumers are then “rewarded” for going out of their way and returning their finished products to producers. The incentivisation of participating in a circular economy can address and possibly offset consumers’ perceived inconvenience and negative sentiments towards take-back programmes (European Commission, 2018). Discounts and point systems set in place can also help create a loyalty programme with the consumers which facilitates greater product returnability and retention of customers in the long run. 

Secondly, consumers need to understand why they should participate. As mentioned previously, consumers lack awareness and interest in circular economies (Kirchherr et al. 2018). If consumers do not understand why they should participate, it is less likely for them to be inclined to do so. To raise consumers’ awareness in their role in circular economy, education and exposure is important. Producers or even the government can work together to help educate consumers about the circular economy and its benefits for the environment. For instance, posters can be put up along public transport networks, advertisements on the television or even producers engaging with consumers through the use of social media platforms. The possibilities are endless. Other than producers trying to shove information down consumers’ throats, the latter can try to be open-minded to new ideas and listen to what the producers have to offer. As the saying goes, “it takes 2 hands to clap”, despite information being readily accessible, consumers must also be willing to learn. With greater knowledge and understanding of the take-back programmes, perhaps consumer participation would increase.

Thirdly, the main bulk of resistance from consumers is due to the perceived inconvenience. To facilitate greater convenience, producers can set up monthly collection points in different neighbourhoods. This “doorstep” solution can possibly address the issue of consumers having to go out of the way to the store just to return a finished product. Producers can partner with recycling companies to facilitate the collection. It should be recognised that not everyone will be willing to participate in these take-back programmes. Consumer behaviour change is generational and does not happen overnight. It would take time for some consumers to come around to accept and participate in these initiatives. 

Cooperation between producers and consumers is largely what makes the circular economy successful and both are necessary for the system to work. Therefore it is important for producers to think from a consumer’s perspective and constantly innovate and keep up with changing demographics. Producers to come up with enticing return programmes and consumers to actively return their post-consumption beauty products. Hand in hand, you can reduce the creation of waste and exploitation of more resources. 

Hopeful vibes,

Mother Nature

 

References:

European Commission. (2018, October). Final Report Annexes. Behavioural Study on Consumers’ Engagement in the Circular Economy. https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/ec_circular_economy_final_report_annex.pdf

Kirchherr, J., Piscicelli, L., Bour, R., Kostense-Smit, E., Muller, J., Huibrechtse-Truijens, A., & Hekkert, M. (2018). Barriers to the Circular Economy: Evidence From the European Union (EU). Ecological Economics, 150, 264-272. doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2018.04.028

Ledsham, N. (n.d.). Engaging Consumers to Reduce and Recycle. The Sustainability Institute by ERM. https://www.sustainability.com/thinking/engaging-consumers-to-reduce-and-recycle/

Solutions – End-of-Life (Consumers Participation in Circular Economy)

November 8, 2020

Dear Humans,

As consumers, you hold greater power than you think. Even if producers make their products recyclable and provide take-back programmes, the onus is actually on consumers like you to participate in them. Producers can offer incentives like cash back programmes to encourage consumers to return their finished products but it is up to you to decide whether you want to recycle that empty bottle. Pressure may be placed on producers to create recyclable facilities or start take-back programmes but it should be recognised that consumers are responsible as well. Today I will delve into the issue on consumers’ participation in the circular economy and how it determines its effectiveness to curb end-of-life pollution. The method of consumers returning their finished products to producers and allowing the producers to recycle them produce new products is called a circular economy. 

 

Fig 1: Circular Economy

Fig 1: Circular Economy (Calvo-Porral & Levy-Mangin, 2020)

 

Fig 2: Linear Consumption Model

Fig 2: Linear Consumption Model (Calvo-Porral & Levy-Mangin, 2020)

Unlike the linear consumption model (Fig 2), a circular economy creates a closed-loop system between the producers and consumers (Calvo-Porral & Levy-Mangin, 2020). The circular economy is considered to be more environmentally sustainable than the linear consumption model. In a closed-loop system, producers use post-consumption waste to create new value which promotes the return of waste and minimisation of resource consumption (Tunn et al., 2019). This positively contributes to controlling environmental pollution as it reduces the producers’ need to extract new resources through degrading means like deforestation and burning of fossil fuels for energy. Consumers’ acceptance and participation in circular products is crucial. Research has shown that consumers are willing to support environmentally sustainable products but the real incorporation of these products are lacking (Cronin et al., 2011). Studies found out that consumers are willing to take necessary steps to contribute to environmental protection but on the condition that it is convenient for them (Field, 2020).

Despite knowing that there are options for them to reduce environmental pollution from their products’ end-of-life, consumers’ lack of action render initiatives ineffective. These circular economy and take-back programmes are highly reliant on consumers’ participation to return their used products in order to recycle them. With consumers’ reluctance to participate, the loop system cannot be closed and would lead to a leakage and loss of resources. It is paramount for consumers to know that they have a part in recycling their products to help producers reuse resources. The lack of participation from consumers could also be due to their lack of awareness and interest in circular economies, therefore it is vital to address this issue and help consumers be greener (Kirchherr et al. 2018). In the next post I will go deeper into how consumers’ participation in take-back programmes can be boosted to help recycle used beauty products.

Cool vibes,

Mother Nature

 

References

Calvo-Porral, C., & Lévy-Mangin, J. (2020). The Circular Economy Business Model: Examining Consumers’ Acceptance of Recycled Goods. Administrative Sciences, 10(2), 28. doi:10.3390/admsci10020028

Cronin, J. J., Smith, J. S., Gleim, M. R., Ramirez, E., & Martinez, J. D. (2010). Green marketing strategies: An examination of stakeholders and the opportunities they present. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science,39(1), 158-174. doi:10.1007/s11747-010-0227-0

Field, A. (2020, February 29). Consumers Like Circular Economy Practices—If They’re Not Too Much Of A Hassle. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/annefield/2020/02/29/consumers-like-circular-economy-practices-if-theyre-not-too-much-of-a-hassle/?sh=1e23c12977c4

Kirchherr, J., Piscicelli, L., Bour, R., Kostense-Smit, E., Muller, J., Huibrechtse-Truijens, A., & Hekkert, M. (2018). Barriers to the Circular Economy: Evidence From the European Union (EU). Ecological Economics, 150, 264-272. doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2018.04.028

Tunn, V., Bocken, N., Hende, E. V., & Schoormans, J. (2019). Business models for sustainable consumption in the circular economy: An expert study. Journal of Cleaner Production, 212, 324-333. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.11.290

Solutions – Personal Experience (Rexanne)

November 4, 2020

Hello friends,

This will be the last post that I will be posting as Rexanne. Today I have compiled some suggestions for your beauty routine to help you do your part as a consumer of beauty products. 

Source: Google Images

  1. Look for alternatives

I have been repeating this for so many posts because I believe that our consumption behaviour can be altered which would benefit environmental protection. Replacing your everyday products with greener alternatives like liquid shampoos in pumping bottles to solid bar soaps. This eliminates the usage of unnecessary components that are difficult to recycle. You can also replace your automatic artificial air freshener sprays with a natural aroma diffuser which counters the issue of toxic chemical emissions into the atmosphere. Simple tweaks and turns can have huge impacts on the environment. 

 

2.  Know your products and retailers

I know it is enticing to purchase a product because almost everyone around and online are endorsing it. For instance, during the quarantine period around the world, the Ordinary’s AHA BHA Peeling Solution went viral online and got sold out almost everywhere. The desperation to get a hold of this product would have motivated people to purchase lower priced and available counterfeit products. This is extremely dangerous as consumers like you and I put ourselves at risk of chemical burns and breathing in poisonous toxins. By supporting counterfeit producers will also contribute to greater environmental pollution as most of these products are cheaply produced using unsustainable methods. I advise all of you to know what you are purchasing – in stores or online. You should also read up on the retailers and what they put in their products. 

 

3. Think before you buy

Sometimes we buy products because we just want to try new items and to look pretty. Personally, I do this a lot with facial cleansers because I would jump to the next one whenever I feel like the current one I am using is not helpful. This creates a build up of facial cleansers in my inventory and these products expire and become obsolete. MY carbon footprint becomes greater due to my spending habits. Unfinished products tend to be harder to recycle and the leftover creams or whatsoever are often emptied into the trash and eventually the landfills. So, you should always think twice – “Do I really need this product?” before you swipe your cards.

 

4.  Learn to share

For more common products such as shampoos, conditioners or even make up removers, you can learn to share it with your family members. My sisters and I share our shampoos and conditioners so we tend to buy those “value packs” which are bigger and lasts longer. With products in bigger containers, it reduces the need to constantly purchase a new one which then requires ANOTHER container. By sharing, you reduce the number of bottles that end up in the landfills or incinerators. For instance, for the same 1000ml product – instead of 2 500ml bottles, ours is in 1 1000ml bottle. 

 

5.  Pass it on

After learning and making some changes in your lifestyle, you can pass it onto the next person. Help them improve their consumption of beauty products and together the entire beauty industry can move towards a more sustainable growth. So this is me passing to you some advice that I have gleaned from doing up this blog. Hope it enlightened and inspired you to look at your beauty pouch and think about what you can improve. 

 

Lovely vibes,

Rexanne

Solutions – Personal Experience (Rexanne)

November 2, 2020

Hello friends,

This is Rexanne again! Today will be a short post as I share with you some tips and little habits that I have grown to love after trying to greenify my beauty product consumption. 

Personally, (other than taking a bath + deodorant) a simple day out would usually involve beauty products like sunscreen, moisturiser, facial cleanser, primer, concealer, eyebrow pencil, mascara, blush,…..and so many more. I can also list out the items I use at the end of the day but that will make this blog post way too boring. Sitting down and reflecting on my own beauty routine and product consumption made me realise that there is room for so much improvement. After so many weeks of research for this blogpost and learning so many new alternatives, I wondered whether I can make some changes to my beauty routine to reduce my contribution to environmental pollution. Simple changes like replacing disposable cotton pads with washable cotton pads, buying a product in one large container instead of multiple small ones, using refillable shampoo bottles and so many more possibilities. I realised that tiny alterations on our daily routines can accumulate to become big changes and help reduce environmental pollution at the products’ end-of-life. For instance, by replacing my liquid shampoos and soaps with solid ones, it significantly reduced my consumption of excess plastic packaging. Every time I run out of body soap, I would just pop a new bar of soap into my exfoliating gloves and recycle the paper box packaging and then the cycle repeats. This way, I limit my carbon footprint and my beauty waste hence be able to control my contribution to pollution.

Another habit that I have developed would be to ventilate the room if someone uses a fragrant product or even inform them about the risks of long term exposure to chemicals contained in them. Previously mentioned in the blog post on usage of air fresheners and issue on lack of disclosure of ingredients list have an influence on chemical pollution. Now I have learnt to research the product and understand its content before I give in to temptation. I learnt that even though celebrities endorse the product, it does not mean that it is good. Irresponsible celebrities like Khloe Kardashian and her sisters are known to promote controversial products like weight loss pills, hair growth supplement and slimming tea (Viswanath, 2019). Apart from being careful about what I am purchasing, I also learnt to be skeptical of online retailers and wary of buying counterfeit products. As I have shared in another post, we need to be careful while shopping online, especially for beauty products because it can be extremely dangerous to us and the environment. We all need to realise that we all have the power to address environmental pollution brought about by consumption of beauty products. That is all, catch you in the next post!

Happy vibes,

Rexanne

 

References

 

Viswanath, J. (2019, March 22). Jameela Jamil Called Out Khloé Kardashian For Promoting More Weight Loss Supplements On Insta. Bustle.

https://www.bustle.com/p/jameela-jamil-called-khloe-kardashians-instagram-ad-for-weight-loss-supplements-irresponsible-16974444 

 

Zoellner, D. (2020, January 9). Khloe Kardashian is branded ‘morally bankrupt’ after promoting flat tummy tea AGAIN, insisting it really ‘works’ – despite admitting she uses a trainer and a nutritionist to keep her in shape. Daily Mail UK.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-7870425/Khloe-Kardashian-slammed-promoting-weight-loss-product-AGAIN.html

Solutions — Personal Experience (Crystal)

October 31, 2020

Dear Friends,

Here I am with my second post about my personal experiences in finding the solutions in my endeavour to becoming a sustainable user of beauty products. In my latest post, I narrowed it down to two key areas, where I focused on how i avoided microbeads and did my research before shopping. In this post, I will be sharing more about the takeback programmes and recycling of products that I personally participate in. If any of you resonate with these routines, do let me know on how to be more involved in them too! Without further ado, let’s begin.

 

Take-Back Programmes

Kiehl’s

For Kiehl’s, I speak for my entire family. We’re major fans of their products and since we’re big supporters, we tend to have many bottles and empty product containers used up. Hence, it definitely pays to take part in their take-back programmes. For Kiehl’s, all you have to do is bring back the used up bottles to collect stamps. Once you earned 10 stamps, they will then reward you with a travel-sized item of your choice. With a big family, we easily earn stamps from them and it is definitely worth it. Free Kiehl products and saving the environment, what’s not to love? Thus, if your family is also a huge Kiehl’s lover, do take part in their take-back programmes!

 

Lush

Another popular choice is LUSH, which my sister and I purchase from regularly. We enjoy their scrubs and lotions especially. They use this packaging called pots and if you are able to bring back five pots, you’re rewarded with a Fresh Face Mask of your choice. We tend to take about 3 months to finish our products, then accumulate them together to take the pots back to LUSH. From these 2 take-back programmes, I’m sure it’s obvious that it’s much easier to achieve by working together. So grab your friends & family!

 

 

Recycling

For the brands I use that do not have take-back programmes, I try my best to purchase those with packaging that can be recycled. Glass bottles were a first step when I first started out. After I finish the product in the bottle, I ensure that I rinse out the bottles so that the residue does not attract insects. Also, I ensure that I tear out the label so that the process of recycling can be more efficient. I then head out to the nearest recycling bin near my home to dispose of these products after I have cleaned it. Although it may seem like something that’s out of the way, remember that we should all do our part for the environment. Small steps can go a long way! After it turns into a habit, it will be a norm for you like it is for me now. 

 

With that, I hope that all of you can gather your friends and family and start participating in take-back programmes and recycling routines on your own! Let’s all do our part!

 

Merry vibes,

Crystal

 

Solutions — Personal Experience (Crystal)

October 29, 2020

Dear friends,

A few weeks ago, I shared with all of you some tips and tricks on how to become a more sustainable consumer of beauty products. But, I was not able to tell all of you my current beauty routine and plan and the intricacies of how it has changed since I started writing this blog with Rexanne. In this post, I will show all of you a before-after edition of the steps I took on my endeavour to become a sustainable user of beauty products. 

 

Microbeads

Before:

Previously, I used to use a moisturizer and exfoliating product that contains microbeads. I was not aware that a simple act of washing my face with this product could pollute the marine environment and cause harm to biodiversity. After I blogged about it, I immediately started researching about the products that I could use that did not contain microbeads that would harm the environment. 

 

After:

I immediately found this website (Do check it out!) https://www.herworld.com/gallery/beauty/skin/10-exfoliating-face-cleansers-do-not-have-harmful-microbeads/

which guided me into choosing the perfect moisturizer for me. Personally, I ended up choosing the one from FRESH as it is made with real strawberry seeds and brown sugar (which i absolutely love) and it did a really good job in exfoliation and moisturizing. Thus, there is really no harm in changing your product and becoming a more sustainable user, it may even be good for your skin 🙂 

Also, I tried out this new product which I never used before from Mamonde. It is good if you have dry skin and yet need a good exfoliating product (Still no microbeads here!). This product does not include exfoliating bits, but rather uses enzymes to break down the “glue” holding the dead skin cells together. 

(Source: Dhaliwal & Ang, 2019)

 

 

Reading the ingredients on the product &  Support sustainable brands

Before: 

In the past, as I said many times before, I would not even take a second look at the ingredients on the beauty product that I purchase. As long as it was affordable and good to use, I would immediately consider it. However, after I blogged about it in the ‘Consumer Tips & Tricks’ post I realised the true importance of doing so. Reading the ingredients is crucial so that you know what kind of products you should avoid. Also, I would not care to research about the different brands before I go to the store to get my beauty products. All that has now changed……

 

After:

Now, I would make it a point to do thorough research before I get my beauty products. Before I leave the house, I use this website called sustainable jungle. They have different categories of what constitutes ‘sustainable’ and ‘ethical’. This really helps me to choose my products as it provides a rough guideline of the brands that can help me in my quest of being a sustainable beauty product user. You can find the website here! https://www.sustainablejungle.com/best-of-sustainable-beauty/best-ethical-sustainable-beauty-brands/

 

Hopefully my first 2 before-after habits have somehow encouraged you to start your own sustainable routines! There’s more to come in the next post, so stay tuned and I’ll see you soon! 

 

Gleeful vibes,

Crystal

 

Solutions – Sustainable Brands available in Singapore

October 28, 2020

Dear Humans,

I am back this week to share with you some sustainable brands in Singapore. You can make a difference by choosing the right brands to support. By supporting sustainable brands, you are also watching your carbon footprint and controlling what you emit into the very planet you live in. To inspire your next shopping spree, I will recommend some eco-friendly beauty brands. 

  • Balm Kitchen

    • Botanical-based skincare brand
    • Sustainable supply chain and ingredients
      • Utilises ingredients sourced from eco-friendly suppliers and manufacturers who participate in preservation of the environment
      • Ingredients sourced from USDA, ACO, ECOCERT and Soil Association approved farms and manufacturers  
    • Recyclable product packaging
      • glass, PET and BPA-free packaging 
      • Customers’ orders packed in reused bags
      • No external product packaging to reduce unnecessary waste
    • E-invoices for all orders to avoid printing invoices 

Source: Balm Kitchen

You can check out more about Balm Kitchen here: https://balmkitchen.com/pages/about-balm-kitchen

 

  • Liht Organics

    • High organic content
      • Formula made up of 90% organic ingredients, 100% natural content
    • High performance makeup
      • Extremely long lasting makeup and pigmented for various purposes from indoor to outdoor shoots or even daily wear
    • Shade for everyone
      • Use flower petals and mineral rocks to achieve different shades across various products

Source: Liht Organics

To learn more about them: https://www.lihtorganics.com/our-story/

 

  • Mandy T

    • Singapore’s 1st all-natural and the most-awarded eco-friendly bodycare brand
    • A range of products for your perfect spa day – bath salts, ambient aroma essentials, body scrubs etc

Source: Mandy T

More about Mandy T: https://www.mandytskincare.com/mandy-t-brand-philosophy

 

  • Nail Deck

    • Effective and chip-resistant nail lacquer that eliminated harmful toxic chemicals like Formaldehyde, Toluene, Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP), Camphor, Formaldehyde Resin, Xylene, Ethyl Tosylamide, Phthalates and Parabens
    • Mission One Billion: Incentivises consumers to return empty bottles with $0.25 each bottled recycled
      • Accumulative point system for next purchase with them

Source: Nail Deck’s Instagram page

More about Nail Deck: https://www.naildeck.com/our-story

 

  • Solos Cosmetics

    • Affordable makeup products without palm oil and chemicals like Paraben

More on Solos Cosmetics: https://soloscosmetics.com/pages/about-us

 

  • 13rushes

    • Worked closely with manufacturing partners to minimize resource wastage during production
    • Sustainable materials such as aluminum (highly recyclable) were chosen to reduce our ecological footprints

      Source: 13rushes

More on 13rushes: https://www.13rushes.com/pages/about-us

 

By supporting these sustainable brands available in Singapore, you can effectively reduce your environmental footprint and do your part in the fight against pollution from beauty product consumption. These recommendations can also set the bar for other beauty brands out there as it has been proven that beauty and environmental protection can both be achieved at the same time. Perhaps, beauty doesn’t really need pain.

Lovely vibes,

Mother Nature

 

References:

Hong, S. (2020, September 28). Sustainability in Singapore: All-natural local beauty brands that are kind to the environment. AsiaOne. https://www.asiaone.com/lifestyle/sustainability-singapore-all-natural-local-beauty-brands-are-kind-environment

Consumers – Personal Experience (Rexanne)

October 4, 2020

Hi friends, I’m back!

Previously I shared with you my experience with shopping for beauty products, today I will share more about my experience with beauty products after learning more about the environmental consequences. As I have mentioned previously, I have never purchased my beauty products with an environmentally friendly mindset. After understanding how my actions and choices would have an impact on the environment, I took the chance to change my ways and be a greener consumer. In the past posts about the harmful consequences and air pollution that air fresheners and fragrance products can bring about, I threw away the gel air freshener that I have in my bathroom. Prior to this, my family would often purchase the Glade Gel Air Freshener in hopes to freshen up our bathroom with the artificial lavender scent. The alternative that I have adopted was to allow greater ventilation to allow fresher air into the bathroom. 

Apart from discarding my air fresheners, I have also learned to share my beauty products with my sisters so that we can collectively reduce our individual spending and usage of different products. By sharing the products that we already owned with each other, it reduces our need to purchase newer items. For instance, my sisters and I would share a bottle of shampoo (x1) instead of each of us owning our own (x3). Through sharing, our carbon footprint was shared by 3. For those who do not have siblings, you can consider sharing shower products with your parents instead. 

Other than splitting my carbon footprint with my sisters to reduce my environmental footprints, I also learned that I do not need 50 different eyeshadow palettes where most of them are being chucked aside and I really only use 1. Instead of committing a buying spree every time my favourite make-up line releases a new collection, I should reconsider and think about what I already own and only buy what I need. All right, I will stop here and next time Crystal and I will share more tips and tricks on how to minimise your environmental footprint by changing your consumption patterns!

Cheerful vibes,

Rexanne

Consumers – Personal Experience (Rexanne)

October 2, 2020

Hello friends!

Today I’ll be sharing my own personal experience as a consumer of beauty products. Before starting on this blog, I did not know that my ordinary everyday routine would have such a significant impact on the environment. Personally, when I am looking for a product, the first thing that I would look for would be the brand and then the benefits it offers. Terms for beauty products (ranging from shampoos to make up products) that often catch my eye would include: moisturising, hair fall control, long lasting, smudge-proof and so many more. But I have never considered my shopping from an eco-friendly perspective. My consumption patterns have largely been motivated by perceived effectiveness of the beauty product and not how sustainable they are and I believe that many of you here are just like me!

Before the COVID19 lockdown, I used one-third fewer skincare products than I do now. With all the spare time I had, I binge watched celebrities’ and influencers’ skin care routine videos online and added so many new products to my collection. Seeing how effective they were and that these public figures were endorsing these products, I wanted to have a go myself! However, I am not the only one, as I live with 3 other ladies at home, we were receiving multiple parcels filled with new beauty products almost every week. The lockdown period was when the entire world was online, this raised consumers’ exposure levels to many new products and online shopping made it easy for us to get them. In just a week I bought a moisturiser, toner, shampoo and so many other make up products.

One thing that I would do every time I purchase something online would be to consider past users’ reviews about its effectiveness, whether its cost-efficient and does what it claims. All this time I could have taken the time to consider and research whether the products I bought were eco-friendly. Were they using sustainable methods of production? Do they include harmful chemicals? Will they harm the turtles? From this I understood the need for all of us to recognise the power we hold in the limiting environmental degradation. So now that you’ve learnt more about the environmental impacts of our consumption of beauty products, I hope the next time you are buying something, you would think twice about its environmental pollution. 

Happy vibes, 

Rexanne

 

Consumers — Tips & Tricks (Crystal)

October 1, 2020

Hello my friends! 

I’m back with more tips and tricks. Today, I will introduce some new tips and also the difficulties possibly faced while trying to improve my routines as a consumer. In the end, most of you will have to reach a compromise. Hopefully, after reading about these difficulties and tips, all of you will be inclined to try a more sustainable beauty routine of your own 🙂 

One trick that really worked wonders in the quest for a sustainable routine is to simplify one’s skincare routine once and for all. There is no need to use multiple face creams and moisturizers. Usually, it is wiser to just stick to one after you have found the one most suitable for your skin type. After choosing your favourite products, you will realise that you also produced less waste overall (or none at all) with the recycling programs you participate in. An added bonus would be that it also allows you to save more money and time!

For girls, it is common to use our cotton pads for toners and makeup removers. However, cotton pads are extremely wasteful as it can only be used once and are thrown away after. A useful suggestion would be to buy reusable or washable pads. Also, I read this in another blog — you could even cut up an old clean rag where you could make about 8 small pads! Remember, it is important to be innovative and open-minded. 

 

Difficulties faced & Compromises made

To be honest, I understand that it is very hard to find a beauty routine that is sustainable at first. It is normal to struggle with finding the right products as you have to be aware of the ingredients to avoid and find the acceptable packages. It seemed almost impossible to find these products as everything seemed to be contributing to pollution in some way. Also, it may seem like a hassle to deliberately put in effort to research and experiment before you buy the product. However, do not give up! It is all worth it. If we do not make a change, we would all continue to pollute the environment in our everyday lives which would in turn harm us in the end. Don’t you want clear skies and clear waters? 

If you’re facing difficulties, do it step by step and find a compromise. When you first start, focus on avoiding microplastics in products and only bought products with glass packaging. Moving on, start to participate in recycling programs. From there, you will be able to see what more and you can do with your current progress. So don’t worry, just make small efforts! Most importantly, encourage others to do the same. That way, we can protect both our beauty and the beauty of the environment. 

 

Lovely vibes,

Crystal