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Is a Sustainable and Cruelty-Free Beauty Routine Possible?

If you’re truly committed to transitioning to a sustainable lifestyle, you need to become much more conscious of how your purchasing decisions impact the planet.

Being sustainable and adopting an environmentally-friendly lifestyle is becoming the norm. People have begun turning away from over-consumerism and have started making an effort to generate less waste and put more thought into the products they consume.

Being sustainable and adopting an environmentally-friendly lifestyle is becoming the norm. People have begun turning away from over-consumerism and have started making an effort to generate less waste and put more thought into the products they consume.

This change in behavior extends to how they approach beauty, too. While brands like Kylie Jenner’s Kylie Cosmetics remain popular, more and more people are starting to pay attention to how beauty products impact the planet. According to data from Marketing Week, sales of vegan beauty products are growing and Google searches for ‘vegan beauty’ have doubled. It seems that many are starting to ask themselves, “Do I care about what’s in my cosmetics when I just want to look good? Does the environment matter more to me?”

If you’re truly committed to transitioning to a sustainable lifestyle, you have to introduce massive changes in your routine. As noted in a previous Alternatives Journal post, living sustainably demands a complete lifestyle shift that requires you to be conscious of how your purchasing decisions impact the planet.

Aside from buying less and generating less waste, you also have to make the necessary changes in your beauty routine. If you want to start cultivating a completely sustainably beauty regimen, you may want to consider following these tips:

Recycle your empties.

Part of being sustainable is making an effort in recycling your empty bottles and containers. Throwing items into the trash without considering recycling them can have adverse consequences on landmines and oceans. Real Simple suggests buying a dual compartment bin so you’re always reminded to recycle whenever possible. You may also want to keep an eye out for beauty brands that offer recycling options in-house. L’Occitane, Origins, and MAC have already been the cosmetic product recycling pioneers.

Go packaging free.

Speaking of empties, you may want to do away with them altogether by switching to items that are packaging-free. Brands like Lush have managed to find a way to remove all packaging from their products, resulting in less waste. Their shampoo bars come wrapped in recyclable paper and lather up as you clean your hair with ingredients that also happen to be environmentally-friendly. Other brands like Ethique and Seed Phytonutrients have followed suit, so you may want to check them out as well.

Buy from sustainable beauty brands.

If you’re worried that you will have fewer options when you switch to sustainable beauty brands, don’t fret. There are many brands out there that offer a huge line of cosmetics for you to enjoy and experiment with. Melissa Butler launched the vegan line Lip Bar from her kitchen, and it has now grown large enough to be sold across Target locations in the US. She emphasizes how while it’s cruelty-free, it offers an inclusive range of shade and products crafted from non-toxic ingredients. Other brands like Credo Beauty, Follain, and Love Goodly are also worth looking into. It’s always best to do your research prior to buying so you can ensure that the products are cruelty-free and absent of questionable ingredients.

Start small.

Switching to a sustainable lifestyle takes time, and you don’t have to pressure yourself into making abrupt changes. If you’re used to a certain routine, Marie Claire explains that it might be better for you to swap things out gradually to make your transition into a more sustainable beauty regiment smoother. You can start by buying and using one sustainable product at a time, and then gradually building your routine up over time.

Bianca Jeffrey is a freelance beauty writer. She’s also a zero-waster and believes we can all do our part to help save the planet.