Brightly is the ultimate destination for conscious consumers. By partnering with Well+Good, we bring you stories to recognize that small daily actions add up to a big impact on the world around us and help us to be (and live) sustainably well.
The beauty industry is booming. According to NPD, in the first half of 2022, those with household incomes of $100,000 or more increased their consumption of cosmetics by 14 percent year-over-year, spending nearly $9 billion on makeup, skincare and the like. And while many of the mainstream beauty brands are making strides in the sustainability space, the industry’s growth rate coupled with the general confusion about what qualifies a product as “sustainable” makes the conversation about consumerism be complicated.
As with most marketing terms that aren’t tied to a verified certification system, descriptors like “clean” or “sustainable” are commonly attached to beauty products to direct your money while diverting your attention from what they actually contain. “The cosmetics sector is one of the most unsustainable industries in the world,” says Lorraine Dallmeier, biologist, certified environmentalist and CEO of Formula Botanica. “Most of these cosmetics have not been created with eco-design principles in mind, which means that our use of beauty products has the potential to contaminate ecosystems around the world with non-biodegradable formulations.”
related stories
Although many of our topics end up being discreetly poured down the drain, out of sight definitely doesn’t mean out of the environment. “The chemicals we use on our bodies maintain their properties in seawater,” says Lea d’Auriol, founder of the NGO Oceanic Global. They are ingested by marine life and can then re-enter human bodies, where they can increase the risk of endocrine disruption and disease.” The World Ocean Assessment has found chemicals from consumer products such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products in every part of the ocean. “The wastewater management systems that we have globally were not made to filter out these types of chemicals,” she says. “Everyone is always talking about plastics, and yes, that’s a big problem, but this one is just as complex, we just can’t see it.”
Opting for more natural ingredients is indeed the better environmental choice when considering product runoff, but their inclusion doesn’t necessarily make a beauty product sustainable.
What is a sustainable beauty product?
This question is tricky, but Dallmeier favors a simple definition: “A sustainable beauty product is one that can be produced to meet the sustainable demands of consumers without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs,” he says.
Packaging issues aside (and those issues are numerous), Dallmeier points out that there are very few ingredients that are unquestionably sustainable, as natural and synthetic additives take a lifetime to reach their prized products. “Sustainability depends entirely on how an ingredient is grown, harvested, sourced, processed, synthesized, shipped, and used in manufacturing,” she says. “The sustainability of growing, synthesizing, and sourcing ingredients will vary from location to location, grower to grower, lab to lab, and potentially even batch to batch.”
Dallmeier says it’s important to source our ingredients sustainably, but that “it’s a side effect of the rampant consumption encouraged by the mainstream cosmetics industry,” he continues. “We cannot drive infinite economic growth when we use finite natural resources at all levels of the supply chain.”
From a production standpoint, a truly sustainable future will translate into volume reduction and broader adoption of circularity. But for those of us who want to make a change today, there are a handful of things to look for when switching to sustainable products.
1. Organic ingredients
To start, keep an eye out for organic ingredients whenever possible. “Organic agriculture promotes wildlife and environmental stewardship of the land, and is based on a set of internationally recognized principles around health, ecology, equity and care, which have an overall vision of sustainability” says Dallmeier.
A USDA organic seal means that the ingredients in your beauty products have been regulated through the National Organic Program. NSF International indicates a formula that is 70 percent organic, and Ecocert’s COSMOS certification also takes into account the production and packaging of organic products.
2. Sustainable certifications
While a USDA organic certification is great, it’s just the beginning on the sustainable certification front. Many beauty products, including skin care, makeup, and hair care, can be Fair Trade Certified, indicating that the product was made according to “rigorous standards that promote sustainable livelihoods and conditions safe working conditions, environmental protection and a solid and transparent supply”. chains”.
There are also FSC-certified products, which indicate that wooden or bamboo items, such as makeup brush handles or skincare bottle caps, “come from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental benefits, social and economic”. Not every product is going to represent every sustainable label, but it’s a good sign when a brand takes the time to get one.
3. Multi-function formulas
Once you’ve compiled a list of beauty brands you’d like to support, try to select products that serve multiple purposes. While we all love a luxury cosmetics line, choosing offerings that are long-lasting and multi-functional is undoubtedly the more sustainable option.
We are not talking about two-in-one conditioner here. Instead, think about pigments that can be used on the lids, cheeks, and lids, multipurpose balms, anything in stick form (a solid formula means a reduced water footprint and less plastic), and more.
4. “Free From” Statements
While it’s important to look at what ingredients a beauty product contains, it’s also helpful to find out what’s not included. Looking for “free” listings on the packaging of a product you’re interested in can tell you a lot about its sustainability. For example, a product that does not contain parabens, synthetic dyes, or petrochemicals will be more environmentally friendly than a product that does.
5. Circular end-of-life plans
Most beauty brands say that their plastic packaging is recyclable. In reality, despite having a recycling symbol, only 32 percent of recyclable materials are recycled in the United States. That’s especially true of beauty products, as they usually require extra care to avoid landfills.
That’s why looking for brands that share end-of-life plans for their products can make all the difference. Do you have a recharge program in place? Do you accept empty containers for recycling to ensure that those materials are not thrown away? Companies that focus on circularity are thinking about all stages of a product’s lifespan.
Just remember: you don’t have to be perfect to lower your environmental impact. Like everything else, sustainability is about the long game. If you make sure that most of the changes you make to your beauty regimen are sustainable for you and the planet, you’re sure to make a difference.
Source: news.google.com