How To Make Your Beauty Routine More Sustainable

Each year brings the climate crisis into sharper focus. No matter how insignificant they might seem when compared to the immense challenges facing society, individual choices matter. Your beauty routine is an important pillar. What you buy, how frequently you use it and whether you throw it away. The beauty industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world. Euromonitor International estimates that 152.1 billion pieces of personal-care and beauty packaging were sold worldwide in. Much of this packaging will never be recycled.

“I’m grateful that sustainability has been a major focus in consumer products recently,” states Mia Davis vice president of sustainability at Credo Beauty. “Sustainability means that people can do what they do now, and not sacrifice the resources or the products we produce in the future. Change can be difficult, but it’s not impossible to love your beauty routine and be an environmentally-conscious consumer. “As someone who loves beauty from a young age, I didn’t want to lose that passion when I began to transition to a sustainable lifestyle,” says Jhanneu, sustainability expert and creator of low-waste content.

Many people believe they must give up their lifestyles in order to live sustainably. But, it comes down to finding better alternatives. Ashlee Piper is an eco-lifestyle expert, author of Give A Sh*t: do Good. Live better. Save the Planet knows it can and must be done. Piper says, “While I love a good haul, and especially love discovering niche beauty companies and supporting their growth, when it comes down to creating excess that is detrimental for the planet or our wallets,” Piper explains. Piper cites that the U.S. beauty and personal care industries have produced almost 8 billion rigid plastic packaging units annually as of. I started promoting the importance of reducing our beauty-product consumption and being more mindful of it as a way to personal sustainability.

According to Antonio Guterres, United Nations secretary general, there is no time to waste or wait as climate change alarms are “ringing at fever pitch.” “Sustainability-minded people used to have a longer time horizon,” says Davis, “but as climate change, toxic chemical production, and the global waste crisis have all rapidly accelerated, protecting the future is an urgent mandate!” Here, a trio of sustainability experts break down how to make your beauty routine more eco-friendly.

Make the most of what you have

Piper says that there is often an impetus to do something new, but in sustainable living, you must get rid of all your old, bad, and plastic-cloaked stuff. Piper recommends going out to buy eco-friendly products. Piper says, “That’s not true. In fact, it is worse. I encourage people to use what they have. You should give something that you don’t use a second chance. Piper says that it is equally important to dispose of items when they are no longer useful. If you don’t like the color of something or it doesn’t work for you, think about selling it on Poshmark or offering it to your local Buy Nothing Facebook group (makeup and even used makeup sells like hotcakes in my group) or giving it to a friend who enjoys trying out new products.