Hello my friends! 

I am Crystal, one of the voices behind Mother Nature. Previously, I had a short introduction on the beauty products that I use before I started this blog with Rexanne. Today, I will be sharing about how the blog can help you to change your skincare routine and habits. Firstly, I will be doing a short recap about how I handle my beauty products. Following that, I will be sharing about my tips and tricks to have a sustainable skincare routine. 

Before this semester started, I used to buy beauty products according to recommendations by influencers or friends. I have never been conscious about the ingredients used or the packaging that comes with it. However, doing some research for this blog, I completely changed my mindset. 

Shopping for beauty products: 

Eyes open my dear friends! When you’re shopping for your beauty products, look out for eco-friendly packaging. First rule: No plastic! Most beauty products on the shelf are in plastic tubes or containers, rendering them hard to recycle. Glass bottles and packages are more recyclable so it would be considered a better alternative.

Next, read the ingredient list on the product! 

1. Avoid microplastics — You should be familiar with this particular ingredient as it is greatly talked about in one of the previous blog posts. On the ingredient list, it should commonly be listed as polyethylene or polypropylene. These microplastics will be washed off into the oceans and pollute our marine life.  
2. Avoid petroleum derivatives — These petroleum products can produce 1,4-dioxane which can potentially contribute to cancers. In the ingredient list, it is typically listed as paraffin wax or benzene. 

Lastly, participate in recycling programs! There are many beauty product companies that engage in such campaigns where you can claim a new product by recycling the old and used one. For instance, one of my favourites is Origins. If everyone were to put in a little effort, we would be able to step up and make a big difference. 

Hence, I would like to encourage all of you to come up with your own sustainable habits for utilizing beauty products. I started off just like you, but here I am trying to do my part for the environment. You can do it too! Nevertheless, there are some problems that I face on the quest to a sustainable beauty routine. I will share more about  additional efforts, difficulties faced and compromises made in my next post. See you!

Excited vibes,

Crystal 

Dear Humans,

As I have mentioned previously, your oblivion might not be entirely your fault. Many times, consumers like you are exposed to an extensive amount of advertisements everywhere you go – from subways all the way to your cellphones. Advertisements often include how much good their miracle products can do for you and never the harmful impacts the product has or will bring to you or the environment. For instance, when shopping for shampoo, people almost always look for the “benefits” such as “conditioning”, “moisturising”, or even “30 days miraculous transformation!” and seldom the ingredient list or the company’s production methods. Apart from that, these products are often located everywhere, in every supermarket, in every Mom & Pop store which allows consumers easily accessibility to get their hands on them. Unlike these commercialised and mass produced beauty products, sustainable products are very often less publicised and even accessible to the public. But……… If you really claim to be eco-friendly, you will put in the effort to prove it, right?

Here lies the issue, few of these consumers with eco-friendly attitudes actually walk the talk.

There is a divide between the convenience consumers want and being sustainable. Many consumers would not go out of their way to purchase a sustainable brand and would rather go to their nearest supermarket and pick up whatever that is available.

The underlying issue now can be summarised as the consumer’s purchasing preference and lack of exposure to accessible sustainable brands. However, it is not entirely hopeless. Surveys have recorded that some consumers are still inclined to only purchase brands that are environmentally friendly (Parletta, 2019). There is hope as this could create a new social influence where using of sustainable products is being normalised and humans’ herd behaviour starts to encourage greater usage of eco-friendly products. All in all, it is not too late for consumers to educate themselves and stop talking the talk and start to translate them into real actions. 

Hopeful vibes,

Mother Nature

References

Fleming, M. (2020, March 11). Consumers don’t want to choose between sustainability and convenience. Retrieved 2020, from https://www.marketingweek.com/brands-sustainability-convenience/

Parletta, N. (2019, April 22). Consumers Choose Brands That Support The Earth. Forbes. Retrieved 2020, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/natalieparletta/2019/04/22/consumers-are-choosing-brands-that-support-the-earth/#7d8f595ebf29

White, K., Hardisty, D. J., & Habib, R. (2019, July/August). The Elusive Green Consumer. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved 2020, from https://hbr.org/2019/07/the-elusive-green-consumer

Dear Humans, 

I have been lamenting about many specific problems you humans have caused, however today I would like to highlight an overarching problem that would further amplify your damage. The issue you people have is that you fail to recognise the catastrophe some of your simple everyday choices have on the environment. These choices to you humans would seem as trivial and minute however on the large scale and long term basis, can harm my world. The beauty industry is one of the biggest industries in the world right now with ever changing trends that people seem to chase after.

Many celebrities like Rihanna, the Kardashians, Selena Gomez and even congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are sharing their go-to make-up looks and skin care routines online:

Source: Vogue Youtube Channel – Beauty Playlist

Many young girls who follow these celebrities would be inclined to try and follow their footsteps to achieve their signature look and flawless skin. Many of these celebrities’ routines would include a number of beauty products for both skincare and beauty. Products would range from facial cleansers to eyebrow pencil to makeup sprays. This would leave younger audiences with the impression that they need a myriad of products to look as good as the celebrities. 

Apart from seeing public figures as role models, many of you consumers are on the journey to explore and seek the product that “best suits you” (Kestenbaum, 2018). With greater demand and desire to keep up with beauty trends, higher levels of consumption magnifies the impacts of pollution on the environment as levels of consumption rises. Furthermore, the issue of brands greenwashing to cater to a greener audience has become a pressing issue.

With such a booming beauty market, it motivates producers to pledge their allegiance to “greening”. Many products however come up with misleading and untrue declarations, many brands claim to be “natural” and “organic”. But, these words carry no regulated meanings. Similar to product disclosure where ingredients would include “fragrances” however the chemicals used to create them were conveniently excluded. The lack of proper disclosure and misleading statements motivated consumers to purchase greater levels of unsustainable beauty products. This led consumers like you to indirectly and unknowingly support unsustainable brands which amplifies environmental pollution that I have mentioned previously. 

It is of utmost importance for you all to recognise that the choices you make daily can lead to devastating impacts. Hence, it is important to educate yourselves and understand the products you choose to commit to.

Worrying vibes,

Mother Nature

References

Ahmed, D. R., Seedani, S. K., Ahuja, M. K., & Paryani, S. K. (2015). Impact of Celebrity Endorsement on Consumer Buying Behavior. SSRN Electronic Journal. doi:10.2139/ssrn.2666148

Biron, B. (2019, July 09). Beauty has blown up to be a $532 billion industry – and analysts say that these 4 trends will make it even bigger. Retrieved September 29, 2020, from https://www.businessinsider.com/beauty-multibillion-industry-trends-future-2019-7

Breast Cancer Prevention Partners (BCPP). (2018, September). Right to Know: Exposing toxic fragrance chemicals in beauty, Chemicals Linked to Breast Cancer in Skin Care (Rep.). Retrieved September 2, 2020, from Breast Cancer Prevention Partner website: https://d124kohvtzl951.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/26092837/BCPP_Right-To-Know-Report_Secret-Toxic-Fragrance-Ingredients_9_26_2018.pdf 

Kestenbaum, R. (2019, September 9). The Biggest Trends In The Beauty Industry. Forbes. Retrieved 2020, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardkestenbaum/2018/09/09/beauty-industry-biggest-trends-skin-care-loreal-shiseido-lauder/#4287093d6982 

Morosini, D. (2019, April 22). How To Spot (And Avoid) Greenwashing In Beauty. Vogue. Retrieved 2020, from https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/how-to-spot-and-avoid-greenwashing-in-beauty

Dear Humans,

I have returned with ways to improve your indoor air quality. As I have mentioned, using products with synthetic musks can greatly reduce air quality indoors. These products are commonly used at places like homes, workplaces and schools where you spend long hours at. These fragrance products are usually used to lift one’s mood, create an ambience or even freshen up the area (Fox, n.d.). However, there are healthier alternatives to these harmful chemicals that can prevent detrimental indoor pollution.

Some alternatives or solutions are:

1. Improve air ventilation. Natural air ventilation would commonly include opening windows and doors to allow air movement into the area. This reduces the concentration of pollutants indoors and can allow clean fresh air to enter the place. (USEPA, 2020).
2. Avoid scented products. If you really want your rooms to smell like lemons or oranges, you can get their peels and boil them to create your own natural scents.
3. Switch out scented or air purifying products with natural air purifiers like potted plants. Some plants have microorganisms and utilise plant roots to purify the air. (Wolverton, Johnson & Bounds, 1989). 
4. Assess damage on furniture. As pollutants can stick to them, it is better to assess and remove polluted furniture to prevent them from emitting the retained scents. 
5. When picking candles, go for natural ones like beeswax, palm wax or soy wax candles. These candles burn cleaner than the usual paraffin candles. Also, remember to burn candles in a well-ventilated room.
6. Baking soda can also help remove unwanted odour and lower reliance on air fresheners to “freshen up air”.
7. Lastly, nothing beats clean and fragrance-free natural fresh air.

It is paramount to recognise that your “air cleaning” products can create more damage than good. Your man-made fragrances and purifying products may create the illusion of cleaner or better-smelling air however long term exposure to them may lead to adverse health impacts. I advise you all to come to your senses and look for greener and more natural alternatives that can do the job as well or better than whatever inventions you’ve created.

Distressed vibes,

Mother Nature

References:

Fox, K. (n.d.). The Smell Report: An overview of facts and findings (Rep.). Retrieved http://www.sirc.org/publik/smell.pdf 

United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). (2020, February 13). Improving Indoor Air Quality. Retrieved September 23, 2020, from https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/improving-indoor-air-quality

Made Safe Organisation. (2020, August 24). Toxic Chemicals in Air Fresheners Lead to Indoor Air Pollution. Retrieved September 23, 2020, from https://www.madesafe.org/toxic-chemicals-in-air-fresheners/

Wolverton, B. C., Johnson, A., & Bounds, K. (1989, September). Interior Landscape Plants for Indoor Air Pollution Abatement (Rep.). Retrieved September, 2020, from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) website: https://strives-uploads-prod.s3.us-gov-west-1.amazonaws.com/19930073077/19930073077.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIASEVSKC45ZTTM42XZ&Expires=1600873951&Signature=8YsmEUwvsgszP9jY6EcX74zxtMU%3D 

Dear Humans,

How much time do you spend at home? Do you enjoy having your rooms smell like lavender? Or rose? Or even orange? Coconut? There are so many different types of poison flavour for you to choose from. Today I will apprise you of the danger your fragrance products like air fresheners have.   

This makes indoor air extra crucial to your wellbeing. As I have mentioned before, fragrance found in your vanity items contain harmful chemicals that are potential carcinogens or even neurotoxins. However, the danger of fragrant chemicals is not isolated to the items you slather on your bodies. The most dangerous silent killer actually is the air freshener. Similar to the image above, air fresheners often offer synthetic scents like lemon, lavender, rose and more. Air fresheners release high levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like “benzene, formaldehyde, toluene, m,p-xylene, phthalates, and more” (SCHER, 2005). These VOCs can contribute to chemical pollution in the air.

Apart from emitting harmful chemicals into the atmosphere, usage of air fresheners increases the concentration of secondary pollutants in the air as harmful chemicals react with readily available primary pollutants. Some examples of secondary pollutants would include: “formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acetone, picric acid, and methyl vinyl ketone”. The increase of secondary pollutants can often linger around the household for a period of time and can lead to long term adverse health impacts like dysfunctional lungs and sensory irritation (Kim, Hong, Bong & Cho, 2015). 

If you are constantly exposed to these artificially made scents, there is a high chance that the air inside of your house is more polluted than the air outside. Here is a short video to further explain and elaborate some chemicals found in air fresheners and how it can lower air quality levels:

As you understand the threat posed by your unsuspecting everyday product, you should find ways to counter and avoid these risks. Next, I will equip you all with methods to improve your indoor air quality. 

Calm and cautious vibes,

Mother Nature

References

Kim, S., Hong, S. H., Bong, C. K., & Cho, M. H. (2015). Characterization of air freshener emission: the potential health effects. The Journal of toxicological sciences, 40(5), 535–550. https://doi.org/10.2131/jts.40.535

Made Safe Organisation. (2020, August 24). Toxic Chemicals in Air Fresheners Lead to Indoor Air Pollution. Retrieved September 23, 2020, from https://www.madesafe.org/toxic-chemicals-in-air-fresheners/

Rösch, C., Wissenbach, D. K., Franck, U., Wendisch, M., & Schlink, U. (2017). Degradation of indoor limonene by outdoor ozone: A cascade of secondary organic aerosols. Environmental Pollution, 226, 463-472. doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2017.04.030

Scientific Committee On Health And Environmental Risks (SCHER). (2005, January). “Emission of chemicals by air fresheners Tests on 74 consumer products sold in Europe” (Rep.).  Retrieved September, 2020, from Scientific Committee On Health And Environmental Risks website: https://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_risk/committees/04_scher/docs/scher_o_026.pdf

Steinemann, A. (2017). Ten questions concerning air fresheners and indoor built environments. Building and Environment, 111, 279-284. doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2016.11.009

Dear Humans,

Now you may ask, what’s so bad about having some plastic in the oceans? Is it really harmful to the environment? As I gather from some of you, your current understanding of the toxicity of these little devils are still limited. Today, I will enlighten you on the consequences suffered when these microbeads make their way into my water bodies. 

Toxicology of microbeads

A tiny microbead can in the ocean can lead to massive repercussions. When an organism of a lower trophic level ingests it, chemical additives and pollutants attached to it will be released and transported into the tissues of the marine organism (Miraj, Parveen, & Zedan, 2019). To make matters worse, these little devils are likely to bioaccumulate and biomagnify in living cells including organisms such as zooplanktons (Miraj, Parveen, & Zedan, 2019). When these organisms are consumed by other fishes, they too, are vulnerable to the toxicity of the microbeads present. Furthermore, the pollutants present on these microbeads may leach out and contaminate the waters. 

Now, pause for a moment and think. Who drinks the water from my oceans? Who loves the fishes caught from my oceans? YOU are the one at the end of the food chain. YOU are the ultimately the one suffering from the toxicology of microbeads. 

(Source: Zakaria, 2018) 

What is the situation now? 

Currently, you humans have yet to figure out how these plastics in the oceans are really harming the environment. According to Curren & Leong (2019), natural particles present in the oceans have characteristics similar to microbeads and may not be entirely harmful. However, it is also important to note that plastics are likely to be ingested and there are significantly more additives present in these plastics (Rochman, Hoh, Kurobe, & Teh, 2013). To add on, these plastics contain toxins which are bioaccumulative and have harmful pathogens that are adsorbed on the surface (Rochman, Hoh, Kurobe, & Teh, 2013). Thus, one thing is for sure, human and environmental health are affected by these little devils. Hence, my advice is to gather your resources and continue your investigations on the toxicity and bioavailability of  microplastics in our environment. 

Optimistic vibes,

Mother Nature 

References: 

Curren, E., & Leong, S. C. (2019). Profiles of bacterial assemblages from microplastics of tropical coastal environments. Science of The Total Environment, 655, 313-320. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.11.250

Miraj, S. S., Parveen, N., & Zedan, H. S. (2019). Plastic microbeads: Small yet mighty concerning. International Journal of Environmental Health Research, 1-17. doi:10.1080/09603123.2019.1689233

Rochman, C. M., Hoh, E., Kurobe, T., & Teh, S. J. (2013). Ingested plastic transfers hazardous chemicals to fish and induces hepatic stress. Scientific Reports, 3(1). doi:10.1038/srep03263

Zakaria, B. (2018, October 05). Danger posed by microbeads: New Straits Times. Retrieved September 09, 2020, from https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2018/10/418079/danger-posed-microbeads

Marine pollution caused by Consumers of beauty products 

Dear Humans,

Have you ever had a really important event to go for? Perhaps a first date, or a job interview? During these events, you’d want your hair to feel perfect and skin to look flawless. Without a second thought, it is habitual to give your face an additional facial scrub or use a little more hair product. When you wash these products off your bodies, what you do not realise is that you are unknowingly polluting my marine ecosystem. Your beauty products contain small particles known as microbeads which seep into the oceans and affect my marine biodiversity. Let me tell you a little bit more about these little devils hiding in your everyday facial cleansers and lip sticks……

(Source: White, 2016)  

More about Micro-beads

What are Microbeads?

Microbeads are tiny solid plastic particles hidden in your beauty products to create a glossy surface and act as fillers (Miraj, Parveen, & Zedan, 2019) . Microbeads are present in numerous types of beauty products such as skincare products and cosmetics, most of which you use in your everyday lives (Miraj, Parveen, & Zedan, 2019). 

How to identify Microbeads? 

Microbeads are present in several different forms (Lei et al., 2017). These are the common microplastic ingredients: 

• Polyethylene
• Polypropylene
• Polymethyl methacrylate
• Nylon
• Polyurethane 
• Acrylates copolymer

Why is it a problem?

Microbeads are designed to be small enough to wash off from our bodies. With it’s small size, it is to no surprise that it escapes wastewater treatment systems and slips into my water bodies (Möhlenkamp, Purser, & Thomsen, 2018). Over the past 50 years, 3 x 10^5 tons of microplastics have accumulated in the environment (Sun, Ren, & Ni, 2020) . Currently, there are 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic in my oceans. 

Now that you’re familiar with these little devils, I’ll delve into the consequences and extent of marine pollution in my next post. Till then, I’ll leave you with a video to get you more acquainted with these microbeads.

Video: 

Troubled and concerned vibes,

Mother Nature 

References: 

Lei, K., Qiao, F., Liu, Q., Wei, Z., Qi, H., Cui, S., . . . An, L. (2017). Microplastics releasing from personal care and cosmetic products in China. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 123(1-2), 122-126. doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.09.016

Miraj, S. S., Parveen, N., & Zedan, H. S. (2019). Plastic microbeads: Small yet mighty concerning. International Journal of Environmental Health Research, 1-17. doi:10.1080/09603123.2019.1689233

Möhlenkamp, P., Purser, A., & Thomsen, L. (2018). Plastic microbeads from cosmetic products: An experimental study of theirhydrodynamic behaviour, vertical transport and resuspension in phytoplanktonand sediment aggregates. Elem Sci Anth, 6(1), 61. doi:10.1525/elementa.317

Sun, Q., Ren, S., & Ni, H. (2020). Incidence of microplastics in personal care products: An appreciable part of plastic pollution. Science of The Total Environment, 742, 140218. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140218

White 2016-09-05T16:11:00 01:00, K. (2016, September 05). Plastic microbeads to be banned from personal care products. Retrieved September 07, 2020, from https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/environment/plastic-microbeads-to-be-banned-from-personal-care-products/541555.article