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Final thoughts from Mother Nature

November 11, 2020

Dear Humans,

 

We have been through a long journey together these past few months. It has been a pleasure to share about the horrors of beauty products, their solutions and how to move forward from here. From production to consumption to the end-of-life of a product, it has all been discussed to a great extent in this blog. Hence, in this post, I will be summarising the key points from theuglysideofbeauty, in hopes that you, my dear humans are on a better path towards green beauty. 

 

Production:

At the beginning, we discussed how the production of certain beauty products resulted in great environmental degradation. The extraction of palm oil has resulted in the loss of homes of many species of biodiversity and caused huge amounts of carbon dioxide to be released into the air. The burning of peatlands to make way for palm oil plantations has resulted in hazy conditions in many countries. Another issue was the fragrances produced, where many do not know about the toxic chemicals inserted into the fragrances. When used, it then releases vast amounts of chemicals into the air.

To work on the problem, beauty companies can modify their sources of production, where they can strive to be deforestation free and use more sustainable forms of production. Companies can also opt for more natural ingredients to be utilised in their products. These efforts will go a long way in achieving environmental sustainability in the production of beauty products. 

 

Consumption: 

In the consumption category, I focused on air fresheners as ‘silent killers’ and microbeads as ‘little devils’. These ‘little devils’ and ‘silent killers’ are hidden in the beauty products that you use everyday and you may not even realise it. Microbeads are in your face creams and moisturizers and as you wash them off your face, these microbeads seep into the oceans. The accumulation of microbeads result in marine pollution. As for air fresheners, the scents used are the likely cause of indoor pollution. It increases the secondary pollutants in the house that are already harmful to you humans in the first place.

As consumers, Rexanne and Crystal have provided some advice on how to avoid these ‘little devils’ and ‘silent killers’. They have listed certain ingredients that contain microbeads and instructed you on how to avoid when shopping for beauty products. Also, solutions and alternatives are listed to avoid indoor pollution such as avoiding scented beauty products. 

 

End-of-Life:

The end-of-life of a beauty product can continue to pollute the environment if not disposed properly. After usage, many beauty products are simply thrown into landfills, leaving them to decompose and resulting in soil pollution. Also, incineration of these products can cause air pollution with the toxic chemicals released into the air. 

In order to mitigate this issue, a new vision can be adopted by producers called the Gaia Hypothesis. With that, each beauty product can be recycled and disposed of  in a sustainable fashion. Consumers can also do their part by participating in take-back programmes organised by companies.

 

Final thoughts

I hope that these posts have helped you understand more about the ugly side of beauty. A simple beauty product one consumes every day may be a large contributing factor to pollution all around the world. Let’s take this seriously and do our part for the environment, step by step. Together, we can work towards beauty in a sustainable and eco-friendly fashion. 

 

Merry vibes,

Mother Nature

 

Green Beauty Influencers

November 10, 2020

Dear Humans, 

After all these blog posts, you may think ‘Yes, I want to be a Green user of beauty products. But how do I start? What brands should I use? What kind of routines should I follow?’ It may all be very daunting at first, but fret not, I am here to help you. Today, I will be introducing Instagram’s top eco-friendly beauty role models. They are very knowledgeable in the field and share their green beauty tips and tricks through Instagram posts. As you look through the profiles of these influencers, be sure to look out for your preferences so that you can see whose routines suit you best. Let’s begin!

 

  1. @gurlgonegreen

@gurlgonegreen started her quest to go green in her beauty routines 10 years ago. She is currently a mother of 3, and constantly sets up courses for her followers to learn new beauty routines. She focuses on natural cleaners so that her children are not exposed to toxic chemicals at such a young age. She does blog posts to share about her favourites that she frequently uses for cleaning  Also, she believes that a clean and consistent routine would go a long way for one’s skin care as well. To mothers out there looking for a green beauty role model, @gurlgonegreen would be perfect for you. 

Figure 1: @gurlgonegreen instagram page 

 

  1. @organicbunny

Many have the misconception that you cannot have a beautiful makeup look if you use organic products. Here’s where @organicbunny proves you wrong. They believe that an organic lifestyle can also be glamorous. They organise Question and Answer sessions where their  followers can clear their doubts. They then use these questions for their blog where it can reach an even wider audience. After researching for a little longer than 5 years, they use their expertise to spread the word about green beauty. They even have an online store that sells organic beauty products and others. If you’re looking for a glamourous beauty routine that’s organic, what are you waiting for? Follow @organicbunny now!

Figure 2: @organicbunny’s instagram page 

 

I have introduced several green beauty influencers that have different specialities. When looking out for these influencers, be sure to find those that you relate with most. I’m sure you’ll be able to find suitable green beauty role models that you look up to. Good luck! 

 

Exuberant vibes,

Mother Nature 

 

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

A Producer’s Perspective: The Gaia Hypothesis

November 7, 2020

Dear Humans, 

 

Have you ever heard of the Gaia Hypothesis? It states that all the spheres of the Earth come together to form a complex system, where it strives to find an optimal environment for contemporary life (Carpenter, 2010). With that being said, it shows that humans depend on nature as much or even more than nature depends on humans. Everything is connected. From the hydrosphere to the atmosphere and biosphere, it is all interlinked with one another. Since you humans require resources from the Earth, why are you harming it? 

 

Producers vision: The Gaia Hypothesis

In the beauty industry, the Gaia Hypothesis comes into good use by providing producers with an aim of the green products they should strive for. As stated earlier, the Gaia hypothesis posits that nature and humans are all connected, hence, protecting the environment would reap benefits for humans as well. A producer should strive for an environmentally friendly production method and ways that help the end-of-life of a product to be sustainable. In order to have a healthy functioning system on Earth, natural ingredients are needed rather than the toxic chemicals that are present in your beauty products today. 

 

Outcome: Zero Waste

If beauty companies are able to adopt the concept of the Gaia Hypothesis, Zero Waste can be achieved. During production, it is crucial that biodegradable materials are used for the packaging. After consumption, the packaging can then be easily recycled, hence allowing a zero-waste situation. This also requires the cooperation of the consumer, but this will be covered in another post. Stay tuned!

 

Successful example of The Gaia Hypothesis: Seed Phytonutrients

In terms of production, their bottles are made from paper where it is 100% from recycled materials (Young, 2019). They partner TerraCycle, where their entire bottle and pump can be recycled. As an additional incentive, they even have an heirloom herb seed hidden in their packaging for consumers. This is to encourage their consumers to support more resilient plant growth across the planet. From production, to end-of-life to giving back to nature. Isn’t it perfect?

(Source: LO’real, 2018)

Producers, I leave you with this. I hope that the Gaia Hypothesis has inspired you to lead your company differently where beauty and nature can be seen as a single entity. 

 

Hopeful vibes,

Mother Nature 

 

References: 

Carpentier, C. L. (2010). The Vanishing Face of Gaia – By James Lovelock. Natural Resources Forum, 34(4), 333-335. doi:10.1111/j.1477-8947.2010.01335.x

L’Oréal. (2018, May 03). Seed Phytonutrients: Farmer Fresh and Seed Obsessed. Retrieved November 10, 2020, from https://www.loreal.com/en/news/brands/seed-phytonutrients-farmer-fresh-and-seed-obsessed/

These Biodegradable Natural Beauty Brands Are Giving Back to the… (n.d.). Retrieved November 10, 2020, from https://pebblemag.com/magazine/living/biodegradable-natural-beauty-brands

 

A Producer’s Perspective: Solutions (End-of-Life of a Product)

November 6, 2020

Dear Humans,

As previously mentioned, producers have been major culprits of pollution in the cosmetic industry. They have vastly exploited the palm oil industry to produce beauty products such as moisturizers and inserted numerous harmful chemicals in your fragrances. These methods of production have caused the beauty industry to contribute to air, marine and land pollution in many ways. Also, when cosmetic waste is discarded in landfills, they seep into the soil and cause other pollution hazards.The end-of-life of a beauty product continues to pollute the environment and it tracks back all the way to the producer. Hence, this post will propose two ways of attempting to solve the issue of the end-of-life pollution caused by a beauty product in the perspective of a producer.

 

 

  1. Take-Back Programmes

 

Take-Back Programmes are programmes for beauty products that allow the customer to return the packaging of a product once they have finished using it. This will give the producer a chance to recycle their product and ensure that it is not thrown away and discarded unethically. To encourage customers to take part in these programmes, companies usually have an incentive or freebies for consumers who do their part. While most companies simply offer to recycle used packaging, some companies even go a step further to send boxes to their houses to get their customers to fill up the boxes and recycle all their products. This would definitely help with the problem of soil pollution where cosmetics

 

TerraCycle 

TerraCycle is an innovative recycling company that works with companies like Kiehl’s and The Body Shop and they strongly encourage their consumers to participate in their take-back programmes. They even have the TerraCycle Zero Waste Box, where they send it to you at a small price and allow you to send back all the products that you want to recycle. From hair gel tubes to lip balm tubes to lotion dispensers, you name it! To know more about what they do, feel free to visit them here https://www.terracycle.com/en-AU/

Figure 1: The Body Shop launching their Take-Back programme (Source: Edie, 2019)

 

2.  Research & Development for Greener products 

In order to take a step forward towards greener production, beauty companies have to take the first step to invest in research and development for greener products. A notable company that has invested in research development is Shiseido from China (Lim, 2020). Shiseido believes that their mission is to create green products and that it is just the right time to start as both producers and consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious. Also, an additional benefit for companies is that many consumers associate greener products with good health which will further spur the support of consumers (Tolnay, Koris, & Magda, 2018). With this trend, iot is beneficial for companies to invest in R&D for greener products in the long-term. This will most definitely help to close the life cycle of a beauty product greener products are usually biodegradable or can be recycled. 

(Source: Shiseido, 2020)

Hence, in order for us to move towards greener products and not contributing to end-of-life waste, producers have to take the first step to initiate take-back programmes and invest in research and development for their beauty products. By stepping forward, it is indeed a good effort towards reducing the negative impact that the end-of-life of beauty products has on the environment.

Chill vibes,

Mother Nature 

 

References:

Lim, A. (2020, April 08). Eco-friendly beauty for China: Shiseido’s new R&D centre to focus on development of green products. Retrieved November 10, 2020, from https://www.cosmeticsdesign-asia.com/Article/2020/04/08/Eco-friendly-beauty-for-China-Shiseido-s-new-R-D-centre-to-focus-on-development-of-green-products

Shiseido Co., L. (n.d.). Research Areas. Retrieved November 10, 2020, from https://corp.shiseido.com/en/rd/development/

The Body Shop launches in-store take-back scheme for plastic packaging. (n.d.). Retrieved November 10, 2020, from https://www.edie.net/news/5/The-Body-Shop-launches-in-store-take-back-scheme-for-plastic-packaging/

Tolnay, A., Koris, A., & Magda, R. (2018). Sustainable Development of Cosmetic Products in the Frame of the Laboratory Market. Visegrad Journal on Bioeconomy and Sustainable Development, 7(2), 62-66. doi:10.2478/vjbsd-2018-0012

 

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