Green Beauty, Clean beauty, Vegan beauty, Sustainable beauty — What does all of this mean and why has this become a trend in the beauty community?
I would like to start this article off and exclaim I am cynical of these “buzz words.” Do I own some sustainable beauty? Yes, for sure. Am I being hypocritical? Yes, I probably am. See, the thing is I am a beauty lover who loves the earth we live in. I recycle regularly, pick up trash where I can and veganism is the centre of my diet. BUT… I work in marketing and do know that unfortunately once some buzz words become trendy it’s marketed to sell that way. Not every brand is like this but I do not trust every “sustainable” product on the market. Sure, some companies sell re-usable packaging but what is the company itself doing to help with our planet behind the scenes. The beauty industry produces more than 120 billion units of packing every year around the world. The kicker is, most of these units are not even recyclable. If you think about it, that is finished products sitting in a landfill. We re-purchase our beauty items on a monthly if not weekly basis. Now that is something to think about…
Let’s unpack this first – What does SUSTAINABILITY mean?
In the beauty world sustainability can mean having recycled packaging so that we are reducing single used plastics. Looks at all your products on your shelf, I bet you every single bottle is plastic. We are trying to reduce our carbon footprint. Some celebrity brands such as the latest on the market — SKKN BY KIM (Kim Kardashian’s latest business venture) They are selling refills of their products once the initial product is finished. See below —
I am not completely cynical, I do believe this is a great inclusion in brands but are consumers really buying these refills? I know I am completely guilty of just buying a new bottle or tub of the moisturizer I enjoyed.
Are you guilty of this as well?
Now, let’s talk “Green Beauty.” What is Green Beauty? Often times Green Beauty simply means products are made with natural ingredients. If you have read some of my last blogs you would know I am not a fan of “natural ingredients” all the time. The reason for this is because some of these are not regulated. I have sensitive skin and I know a lot of people do. Not having regulation by some of our natural ingredients can cause flare ups and breakouts. Some can be harmful to your skin. Natural does not always mean safe. So do your research before diving into only having “natural ingredients” on your face.
The reason why Green Beauty skyrocketed in the industry is that products that are made with natural ingredients are derived from renewable resources which is better for our planet. You are probably thinking this article is quite wishy washy. It is because you are damned if you do and you are damed if you don’t. Moral of the story is –Always do research in a product before including it to your daily routine. Take into consideration our beautiful planet and make smart choices. Do not let the marketing fool you.
My hope for the industry is that we can reduce the use of plastics and keep our skin safe in the process.
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