A Guide to the Best Eco-Friendly Skincare Options
There is a reason for the beauty industry to celebrate everyday. More and more brands are creating products that are not only great for our skin, but are also great for the world we live in. With so many options to choose from, however, finding the best products for your skincare can be overwhelming.
So, here’s a guide to the best eco-friendly skincare options.
Moisturizers
Moisturizing your face and body is a non-negotiable part of your skincare routine. It keeps your skin from getting dry and irritated. And these often lead to problems like acne, breakouts, and even wounds. Hence, doctors often recommend that you moisturize your body and face twice a day.
However, many moisturizers available on the market does more harm than good to your skin. These contain ingredients that may actually be causing that dry skin you are trying so desperately to fix. For example, ingredients like parabens, alcohol, and fragrances actually make your skin more susceptible to skin problems.
Many moisturizers also contain ingredients that are harmful to the environment, such as silicone. Once you wash that moisturizer off your skin, the teeny, tiny bits of silicone end up in the ocean and stay there for 50 to 500 years. Even worse, it makes its way into the human food chain!
If you want to be on the safe side, go for eco-friendly moisturizers this time. These are made from natural ingredients that are totally harmless to your skin and the environment. They are usually organic, vegan, and free of preservatives. The best part is, they are not tested on animals!
Here are some eco-friendly skincare moisturizers for you to try:
- Coconut oil
- Jojoba oil
- Olive oil
- Sweet almond oil
- Shea butter
- Honey
- Milk
- Aloe vera
- Yogurt
- Oatmeal
Cotton Pads
Let’s face it. You can’t live without cotton pads. It’s one of the basic skincare staples you must have. Not only does it help you clean up and apply products easily on your skin, but it also gently exfoliates it for a brighter complexion.
However, did you know that cotton pads are one of the silent killers of the world we live in? The majority of the disposable cotton pads people use require a lot of resources to produce. For example, it takes gallons of water to produce just 1,000 grams of cotton. Unless the world moves on to better practices, we will experience drought in many countries soon.
Growing cotton also involves the use of harmful chemicals like pesticides. Sadly, these chemicals do not just stay within the farm. These contaminate the air we breathe and the water we drink. These are also found in our skincare products, which are then absorbed by the skin.
So, avoid this harmful skincare tool by going for an eco-friendly alternative to makeup pads by TruEarth, OKO Creations or LastObject. This type of product is reusable and made from organic cotton. It’s also compostable and biodegradable.
All you need to do is wash them after each use, and they are good to go.
Wax
Removing unwanted hair from the body has become a normal practice in today’s society. Hairless equates to beauty, and waxing is a popular method used to achieve this. But many waxing products contain ingredients that also pollute the environment.
For instance, many waxing products are made with petrochemicals. These come from natural gas and petroleum, which produce carbon dioxide and endanger the atmospheric greenhouse layer. And as long as we continue to use these products, we can expect the earth’s temperature to keep rising.
If you want to do your part, switch to sugar waxing instead. This method is a safe and eco-friendly way to remove any unwanted hair from your body. You will only need water, sugar, and some lemon juice.
Simply heat the mixture to 120 °C. Once it turns golden brown, let it cool down, and it’s ready to do the job. The results? It will eventually lighten your skin and thin out your hair. It’s also less painful, as it sticks to your hair instead of your skin. Plus, it’s biodegradable!
Who would have ever thought waxing was so much fun?
Soap
If there’s one thing we can never live without, it has got to be soap! It keeps us clean and good-smelling. But do you know what chemicals are in your soap?
Many soaps contain harmful ingredients like parabens, fragrance, triclosan, and sulfates. Such chemicals can strip your skin’s natural oils, promote bacteria, and even change the chemical in your body (yikes!). These chemicals also find their way into the water system and threaten marine life.
But you can do something about this today–switch to sustainable soaps! These are so much better for your skin and the environment, as they contain only natural ingredients. And just like eco-friendly moisturizers, these have not been tested on our furry friends!
Now that you have your guide to the best eco-friendly skincare options, splurging can be tempting. Remember, having too much of anything is bad for the environment! So, make sure to purchase only what you need.