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  • Writer's picturekathbeasley4

Cosmetics Part 2 - Make-up Solutions

Updated: Dec 6, 2020


(Image from Peacewiththewild.co.uk)


As discussed in my previous article, the cosmetic industry is putting a huge strain on our environment but there are many small changes with can make through the type of products we use and buy. When switching your bathroom cabinet to eco-friendly, sustainable cosmetics and body care products, there is a lot of things you need to think about and consider. It can quickly become quite overwhelming and difficult to find products that tick most or all of these boxes. I hope to provide some clarity on this, providing suggested brands and equipping you with the knowledge to make the best choices for the environment, starting with makeup.


When looking at make-up brands, there is a general checklist to follow, and the more that the product ticks the better.

- Ethically and sustainably sources ingredients

- Zero waste/refillable/fully recyclable packaging

- Palm oil free (or certified palm oil)

- Non-toxic ingredients

- Cruelty free or PETA certified

- Locally made (reducing carbon footprint from shipping)


Sadly, unless you have a local eco-shop near you, a lot of the following brands are only available online, however hopefully this will soon change as there is a push for more sustainable cosmetic brands. Etsy is a great place to browse eco make-up brands as well as Peace with the Wild (which has a huge range of other eco products such as household and food and is worth a visit!). Here are a few examples of some recommended brands:


DabHerbMakeup

This brand, available from Esty, offers a wide range of organic, eco friendly make-up including zero waste products. Their range covers eye, face and lip make-up as well as a variety of skin care products. As most of DabHerbMakeup products come in glass or tin containers, they have a refill option (which is then cheaper when you buy the refill product!). They also offer cheap samples of their products which is useful with them being online meaning you can order a few different foundation samples before committing to the right one! Their products are palm oil free, and ingredients are sourced from fair trade certified suppliers.


The only downside to this brand is that its shipped from the US, so it tickets all the boxes apart from local shipping.


(Images of DabHerbMakeup eye shadow and lip balm, from Etsy.com)


ZAO

Now I have my eye on a few of this brands products for when I need to replace my current make-up! This UK based brand can be found on their own website as well as sold on Peace with the Wild and Plastic Freedom. They are certified organic, vegan, cruelty-free and don’t contain synthetic, damaging chemicals. The majority of their products are found in bamboo and refillable containers. Products range from nail varnish, lip glosses, mascaras, foundations and powders.

https://zaomakeup.com/


(Image from ZAOmakeup.com)


Lush

As one of the few brands that you can go check out in-store, Lush offer a wide range of makeup products from solid foundation bars (I am intrigued to try these!) to refillable lipsticks. Their products are in ‘naked packaging’ meaning no/minimal packaging is used and a lot of their make up offers a refillable option, claiming their pots and bottles are made with 100% recycled plastic and their gift wraps 100% biodegradable. They also used ethically sourced products and are cruelty free.

However, although Lush is working to eliminate palm oil from their products, they still use derivatives in some of their products due to the current lack alternatives. They have also been accused of using toxic chemicals to prolong the shelf life of products, so be mindful of the toxic chemicals listed in my previous article (Sodium Laureth Sulphate, DEA, BHA and BHT) and check the ingredients of the product you’re buying for these. Their website website has a comprehensive list of product ingredients with a separate page providing information on each one which is helpful. Sodium Laureth Sulphate can be found in 229 of their products and is what's used to created the lather from soaps and shampoos. As SLS is derived from palm oil Lush is working to remove it from their products, and also claims that it is in low enough concentrations that it is nontoxic to fish by the time it reaches aquatic ecosystems.



(Images of Lush's lipstick case and one of the lipstick refills and their solid foundation, from Lush.com)


Eco Glitter Fun

If you’re a fan on bold, sparkly make-up then look no further. Throw away your concerns of the terrible tiny plastic that is most glitter as this product provides the solution. Their glitter is certified biodegradable and is made from eucalyptus cellulose. The products are vegan and cruelty free and come in small glass jars which are fully recyclable.


(Image from Peacewiththewild.co.uk)


There are many other blogs that go into more detail and have a more comprehensive list of eco make-up brands, whose links I will include at the end. I’ve just given you a few ideas and pointers as to what to look for in a brand. In general, the smaller the business and the smaller the supply chain, the easier it is to find out if its products are sourced sustainably, and supporting smaller businesses is always better, especially as its for a good cause! I appreciate that a lot of the eco-friendly and sustainable brands are a bit pricier than your classic big brands, but any small swap you make is benefiting the environment and whatever change you make is a step in the right direction.


It's not only the make up its self you need to be mindful of, but the accessories that you use to apply/remove your make up! Here are a few ideas of how to make some sustainable swaps to more eco-friendly or reusable products:


Re-usable makeup pads

A huge amount of waste is created from the use of disposable make-up wipes (as discussed in a previous post on wet wipes!) so why not save the planet and money by investing in some re-usable make up pads. A popular brand is Tabitha Eve with naturally and ethically sourced materials hand made in the UK, but many shops offer a number of different brands such as Bambaw which can be found in Boots to help you reduce your make-up waste!


Make-up Brushes

Instead of using plastic brushes, opt for brushes make from sustainable sourced bamboo or other biodegradable materials. Its also good to consider if the bristles of the brush are made from animal hair or synthetic and therefore vegan and cruelty free. Animal fur in the cosmetic industry causes unnecessary stress and harm to animals. Flawless have bamboo, vegan make up brushes that can be found on Peace with the Wild, or EcoTools offer vegan brushes made from recycled materials and bridgeable packaging which can be found in high street stores such as Superdrug.


Hopefully next time you need to replace your make-up you’ll know what to think about so you can choose to buy a more sustainable, eco-friendly product and do your part for our planet (and help your skin with more natural products!).

My next post will expand on other selfcare and cosmetic products you can make sustainable swaps to! Until then, below are some useful links on other make-up brands if you wish to do your own research!



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