The rise in eco-friendly beauty products

Over recent years, as people have started to become more eco-conscious, companies have had to adapt their products to be more sustainable. The beauty industry, which is worth an estimated £27 billion, is no exception to this. Whilst there has been great progress, it can sometimes still be challenging to find sustainable beauty products on the market.

It is very hard to define exactly what makes a product sustainable or ethical. There are a number of factors ranging from the ingredients, the packaging, and the manufacturing process that decide the level of sustainability.  This being said, some companies like to false advertise their sustainability as this is a great marketing strategy to attract more customers.  Therefore, it is important to always check that the company actually has sustainable practices in place. 

Whilst there has been great progress, it can sometimes still be challenging to find sustainable beauty products on the market

The four main criteria that are often used to describe a sustainable product are: vegan, cruelty-free, organic and palm oil-free. It can be quite hard to find products that tick all of these boxes, as they often overlap. However, if you are looking for these labels you are one step closer to making more sustainable choices! 

The terms cruelty-free and vegan are often misunderstood. Cruelty-free means that the product has not been tested on animals at any stage in development. What most people fail to consider is that a product can be cruelty-free but still contain animal products. This also goes the other way around and as shocking as it sounds, some products with vegan ingredients may be still tested on animals. Therefore, if you are looking for a product that has been not tested animals in any way, you should look for the labels cruelty-free and vegan. 

As shocking as it sounds, some products with vegan ingredients may be still tested on animals

Whilst many small businesses are founded on sustainable principles and ethics, when thinking on a larger scale LUSH comes to mind. LUSH is known for being a cruelty-free company that sells a range of products from bath bombs to face masks. They are also commended for using recyclable packaging on 90% of their products. However, not all of their products are vegan. The company is now actively searching for vegan alternatives and I’m sure in a few years they will be able to add vegan to their title. 

Beauty companies are on the lookout for creative ways to help their customers lower their carbon footprint. This has led to many reductions in packaging and limiting plastic use. LUSH has a product that they call a shampoo bar. This bar resembles soap and can be used for 80-100 washes!  Since its launch over 5 years ago, LUSH has saved over 30 million plastic shampoo bottles from ending up in landfill. 

Any step you make to shop more sustainably, whether that is for beauty products or not, will have an impact on the environment

I think the most important thing when shopping for sustainable beauty products is transparency. If a company claims to be totally sustainable and ethical but doesn’t mention how they are achieving this, they’re probably lying. However, if they are open about their products and areas of improvement, as there is always something that can be done better, then they are much more trustworthy in my eyes! 

I personally like to buy makeup from companies such as Elf and LUSH when I can. This isn’t to say I don’t sometimes purchase products from a company that is not as sustainable or ethical. Sustainability is a lifestyle journey that needs practice. Any step you make to shop more sustainably, whether that is for beauty products or not, will have an impact on the environment!