How To Become More Sustainable With Your Skincare In 2023

Julie Starr • February 28, 2023



As a skincare buff, you may be proactive enough to have your skincare routine already in place. If you’re one of those that started their skincare routine in their 20s, you’re already winning. Investing in your skincare is important, especially from a young age. 

After all, you want preventative measures for aging rather than trying to find products to fix what’s already happened. Sustainability is important, especially within the beauty and fashion industries in particular. There’s so much manufacturing, and equally a lot of waste being disposed of that’s harming the environment.

While the brands themselves can be active in their change for the better of the environment, you should be making a similar effort. How do you become more sustainable with your skincare in 2023? Here are a few tips to help you find sustainability in your skincare routine!

Recycle and reuse any empty skincare bottles or packaging 

A good way to help ensure you’re being environmentally conscious is by recycling and reusing any empty skincare bottles or packaging. Thankfully, many beauty businesses are rethinking their packaging to make it more sustainable and eco-friendly.

Try to opt for refillable skincare products and those that come in eco-friendly packaging. The type of packaging that’s biodegradable or could at least be reused for something else.

When you’re finished with any skincare products, ensure you’re disposing of them correctly. A lot of the packaging is likely going to be recyclable and in some cases, could be passed onto charities to make use of for those who may be able to refill them with other lotions or products.

Try to minimize the amount of waste you’re creating by reusing and recycling where possible. It makes all the difference.

Minimize your routine to just a few products

Try to keep things minimal when it comes to your routine. While the seven-step routine is embraced by many, you are likely to find that you can condense this down into just a few products at a time.

For example, you might not need to have a night cream and serum. There are creams out there that offer a mix of both without needing to buy two separate products. If you love a cleanser, why not buy a double cleanser so you can skip buying any makeup remover?

Not only does it help minimize the number of products you’re buying, but it also helps save you a lot of time during your skincare routine. Granted, it’s a blissful experience for many to do a skincare routine in the mirror every evening. 

However, for those who don’t have a lot of time, reducing the number of products you need for the day ahead or before heading off to the land of nod can be helpful.

Make use of small and independent businesses

Sustainability is often about buying from the right businesses. There are lots of big businesses out there; as a result, a lot of waste comes with these big corporations. However, smaller, more independent businesses will often buy less to sell so that they don’t end up with waste themselves.

Wasted products are a waste of money for a business, so as a customer and skincare user, it’s worth buying from those smaller brands. Brands like Medik8 specialize in skincare products that work.

Opt for the smaller brands when shopping for skincare products. This can also translate with anything you buy from any business in any industry. Looking for a new outfit? Try a sustainably conscious brand instead of one that mass-produces clothes at a worryingly low cost. It’s important to be part of the crowd making an active effort to be more sustainable.

Use reusable cloths and pads for removing makeup

To help reduce the amount of waste you’re creating daily, consider those cotton pads or cleansing wipes you use to take off your makeup. They go into the bin and end up in landfills, where they take a long time to break down properly.

While there are some now that are made out of biodegradable materials, it’s well worth using reusable cloths and pads when removing makeup. If you do a skin care routine daily and wear makeup daily, you’re likely getting through a lot of pads and makeup wipes.

Try investing in one or two reusable clothes and pads to see how you get on. 

Try making your homemade face masks

If you want to get creative with your skincare, why not make your own face masks? Homemade face masks can be done with a lot of stuff you might already have in your cupboards or fridge.

For example, a coffee scrub is great for those who want a natural exfoliant. You’ve got turmeric which is good for helping brighten the skin. There are plenty of opportunities to make quick face masks out of simple products found in your kitchen.

You can easily mix the food ingredients with a bit of shea butter or coconut oil to make a homemade mask or scrub that you can then keep in your fridge.

Look at ingredients carefully

When it comes to sustainability, it’s all about the products you shop for and what those products are made from. With skincare, there are some ingredients that will be sustainably sourced and others that might not be so kind to the environment.

It’s worth taking a good look at the back of your skincare products and the ingredients that each one has. Parabens, for example, are notable for not being great for the environment, and so it’s important to avoid products with these where possible.

Becoming more sustainable with your skincare is doable and is a great way to help the world that we live in. Therefore, if you’re looking to make a few changes to your skincare habits for the environment’s benefit, use the tips above.

5 Everyday Items That Can Quietly Boost Your Brand

By Julie Starr • July 17, 2025
The best branding doesn’t always come from big campaigns or expensive graphics. Sometimes it’s the smaller stuff that leaves the biggest impression. Things people actually use, touch, or carry with them. That’s where your brand can quietly make its mark without needing to shout about it. If you’re only focusing on social media and business cards, you’re leaving a lot on the table. Here are five overlooked ways to get your name out there that feel natural, useful, and more personal. Thank-you slips If you’re already sending out orders, there’s no reason not to include a short thank-you slip. You can easily get these made through any decent online print shop , and they’re usually pretty cheap to run off in small batches. Just a simple note that says thanks, maybe with a reminder to follow you online or a cheeky discount code for next time. It’s quick, thoughtful, and makes the whole order feel more finished. Customers notice that kind of detail, especially when everything else they buy online comes with zero personality. You don’t need a complicated design either. Just something clean with your logo, a message that sounds like you, and maybe a social handle. The point is to give them a reason to come back or remember your name without it feeling forced. Branded zip pouches If you sell physical products, offer services, or run events, small zip pouches are surprisingly effective. Think of the kind you’d use for stationery, receipts, or travel bits. You can get your brand printed on the side and hand them out with purchases or include them in welcome packs. People keep them because they’re actually useful. They get tossed in handbags, school bags, or glove boxes and your logo just keeps turning up. Cleaning cloths for glasses or screens This one works brilliantly if you’re in tech, health, beauty, or anything involving screens or eyewear. A simple microfibre cloth with your branding on it can go a long way. Everyone needs one. Whether they use it for glasses, a phone screen, or their laptop, it’s something they hang onto. It’s not the kind of thing people throw away, and that means your name sticks around too. Receipt envelopes You might already use little envelopes to hand over receipts or business cards. Branding those envelopes is a small change that makes a big difference. Instead of someone getting a scruffy bit of paper in a plain sleeve, they’re handed something that feels a bit more finished. You can even add a message inside. Doesn’t need to be anything dramatic. A simple “thanks for visiting” or “see you next time” is enough to add a personal touch. Wet wipes or mini hand gels If your business is in hospitality, food, or anything hands-on, branded wet wipes or pocket-sized hand gels are surprisingly popular. People actually use them, especially at festivals, food stalls, pop-ups, or kids’ events. They end up in handbags or cars and stick around longer than you think. They don’t scream “marketing” either. They’re practical, and when done right, they make your business feel thoughtful. That’s what good branding does, it shows you’ve thought ahead.

How Student-Led ‘Energy Audits’ Are Cutting School Costs (and Lighting the Way Forward)

By Julie Starr • July 14, 2025
What happens when students stop waiting for adults to fix things and start conducting their own energy audits? Money gets saved. The lights get switched off. Data gets analyzed. And a quiet revolution in sustainability begins—inside schools that once overlooked their own inefficiencies. Across the globe, student-led energy audits are proving that change doesn't always need to come from a policy shift or a major capital budget. Sometimes, it begins with a clipboard, a spreadsheet, and a group of curious minds asking: Why are the hallway lights on at noon when sunlight floods the building? The Energy Detectives These audits aren’t science fair projects. They’re rigorous investigations, often done in collaboration with facilities staff, local environmental nonprofits, or even engineering mentors. Students go from classroom to classroom measuring electricity usage, checking for phantom loads , and identifying where heat is escaping in winter or air conditioning is leaking in summer. One high school in Ontario saved over $12,000 a year after its Grade 11 physics students ran an energy audit and suggested simple changes—LED upgrades, motion sensors in bathrooms, and smarter heating schedules. They didn’t just propose ideas. They pitched them with spreadsheets, thermal images, and payback timelines. It worked. Learning That Pays Off—Literally Unlike textbook learning, these audits blend real-world math, environmental science, economics, and persuasive communication. Students aren’t just learning about sustainability. They’re doing it. And the savings add up. From dimming overlit hallways to reprogramming HVAC systems that run all weekend for empty buildings, students are surfacing blind spots that administrators often overlook. In some districts, their findings are influencing energy policy. Elsewhere, the audits have inspired school boards to hire sustainability coordinators—often alumni of the student programs themselves. There’s something poetic about a school funding new books or laptops from money saved by students who found out the vending machines didn’t need to be plugged in 24/7. Why This Matters More Than Ever With education budgets tightening and utility costs rising, every dollar saved is a dollar that can go back into classrooms. And here’s where it gets interesting from a family finance perspective, too. If you’re a parent setting aside money for post-secondary savings, every bit of school efficiency helps. Fewer energy costs might mean more programming, better STEM facilities, or even bursaries. That raises a broader point: when families save for their children’s future, they often look into RESPs (Registered Education Savings Plans). And many wonder—is a RESP deduction available on my taxes? While contributions themselves aren’t deductible, the gains grow tax-free, and students often pay little to no tax when they withdraw the funds during school. A Movement Worth Replicating These audits aren’t just an exercise in environmentalism. They’re leadership labs. Students learn how to spot inefficiencies, speak up in board meetings, and make a business case for change. They don’t just flip switches—they shift mindsets. And they carry these habits into adulthood. The result? A generation growing up not only with climate anxiety, but also with tools to tackle it.