I hope this resonates with at least some of you, but I have a complicated relationship with my beauty products. I’m happy they are around and functional, of course, but just like a pushy parent, I always think it could be trying maybe a little harder and doing better. It’s Halloween, aka the perfect time to educate you guys about the horrors of our beauty products (and packaging) finding our way into the oceans. It’s not comforting knowing that over 100 million sea creatures die annually because of plastics, because the turtle I want to see will disappear in my Lush bath bomb, which is also in the shape of a turtle.
The first step is to understand ingredients and packaging materials, so you can make smarter decisions about the brands to support and what formulae to lookout for. Nobody does it better than Lush. Not only are they the first to use biodegradable glitter (!!) but they also support several small grass-root organisations in their fight to secure environmental and animal rights. They even sell a lot of “naked” products, which come without packaging — like solid shampoo and conditioner bars. What’s more, is that they give you a free product if you bring back five containers back to Lush, which they proceed to recycle for you.
Another thing to look out for are glass containers, which are recyclable or reusable. Look for brands that print their labels on harvested paper, like Herbivore and Meow Meow Tweet; or brands like Tata Harper, which prints directly on the glass bottles, eliminating the need for paper entirely. Origins takes back your empties regardless of the brand they are from. Kiehl’s also has a fun, if not slightly expensive, recycling program in place. You receive a stamp on a card for each empty product you return at the store.
Once you reach 10 stamps, you get a travel-sized product. This is not as fabulous as what they do at the MAC Cosmetics stores though, where you get a free full-sized lipstick for each six empty products you return.
If this is not enough incentive to recycle, I don’t know what is. In all seriousness though, find out if your favourite brand has a recycling programme in place. There is really nothing more heartbreaking than diving into the ocean and seeing disgusting plastic wrappers floating around.
Speaking of beach season, did you know that most sunscreens contain Oxybenzone and Octinoxate — two ingredients that are destructive to coral reefs? They ultimately contribute to coral bleaching, and it’s best if you look for Zinc, which is a great alternative to this. Also, skip the traditional glitter, which you find in everything from face masks to eye shadows. Same goes for micro beads in scrubs, as they are all microplastic. Don’t be a science denier.
Saumya R Chawla
@pixie.secrets
The writer loves to over-share, drink wine & watch period dramas