How To Become More Sustainable With Your Skincare In 2023

Julie Starr • Feb 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.

Simple Steps To Make Your Office Space More Eco-Friendly

By Julie Starr • 07 Oct, 2024
Becoming more eco-friendly and running a greener business is a responsibility that business owners really need to think more about. The good news is that if you spend a lot of time in your office, there are plenty of ways to make it more eco-friendly without having to overhaul everything and start again (which isn’t just disruptive, but expensive too). So, if you’re ready to get started, here are some simple steps to make your office space more eco-friendly; read on to find out more. Use Energy-Efficient Lighting This idea is a simple one that you can do no matter what else might be on your list of tasks - it’s quick, easy, and really makes a difference; change your light bulbs to something more energy efficient. If you’re still using traditional fluorescent bulbs, it’s time to upgrade to LED which doesn’t just last longer, but also uses a lot less energy. They’re easy to install and they’ll help you cut down on your office’s energy usage almost instantly. If possible, you should make the most of natural light too, so think about rearranging your workspace to let in more sunlight, which saves energy and can boost your mood - it’s a win-win that you can do right away. Prioritize Air Quality The air you breathe matters, and keeping it clean can do wonders for your health and the planet. One way to improve air quality is by adding plants to your workspace because plants are natural air purifiers, and as a bonus, they’ll make your office feel more inviting. Another great idea is to make sure your office’s HVAC system is working efficiently, and having air duct cleaning done by professionals is an easy step you can take to improve air quality and ensure your heating and cooling systems aren’t wasting energy. Clean air ducts mean cleaner air, less strain on your system, and even lower energy bills, so it’s a simple but really effective thing to do. Switch To Reusable Products If your office is still stocking up on single-use plastic items, it’s time for a change - swap your disposable cups, utensils, and plates for reusable ones and you’ll be surprised at how much waste to eliminate. And what about encouraging people to bring their own mugs and water bottles to work? Give them tea, coffee, and water to refill everything with, and you’ll be doing your bit to help the planet and have less waste to deal with as well. And don’t stop with these things either - there are loads of reusable products that could be useful in your office. You could have refillable pens and ink cartridges for your printer, for example. Go Paperless Speaking of your printer, is that an office machine you actually need? If you were to go digital and aim for a paperless office , you might be able to do away with the printer, which means less money spent on ink and paper, and less energy used altogether. You should be able to set up a system where documents can be shared online and stored electronically, and there are plenty of tools around to help you do exactly that (and much more). If you don’t need to print something and you don’t need a physical copy of a document, don’t make one - just use the digital version instead and you’ll be a lot more eco-friendly.

3 Most Unsustainable Industries & What They're Doing To Be More Eco-Conscious

By Julie Starr • 04 Oct, 2024
Sustainability often gets pushed on the common person. Joe Public is told to be more sustainable with their daily habits as the government pushes for more eco-friendly measures. This is all well and good - but does it really matter when 71% of greenhouse gas emissions come from just 100 companies around the world? Small business owners are desperate to prove their sustainability, but what are bigger companies in some of the most polluting industries doing to help? We’ve taken three of the least sustainable sectors on the planet and explored the unique ways they’re trying to cut down on emissions and be more eco-friendly. Mining Any industry revolving around drilling underground will not be very environmentally friendly! Mining causes a lot of pollution, but its unsustainability often comes from the way it damages local environments and ecosystems. So, what is this industry doing to change things? It’s largely focusing on more responsible mining practices to reduce waste and mitigate the impact on local environments. This is done through mining dust suppression systems to prevent airborne pollution, reforesting mining sites when they’re no longer in use, and recycling as many materials as possible. Is it perfect? No, but it’s a step in the right direction. Fossil Fuels Shock horror; the fossil fuels industry is the most damaging to our environment. Finding ways to change the scope of this sector is the key to ensuring a better future for all. Some companies in this industry are trying to do this through carbon capture and storage. This is a technique where CO2 emissions are captured before they’re released into the atmosphere and stored underground. Realistically, the main thing fossil fuel companies should be doing is pushing for more renewable energy sources. Many are doing this - though reports suggest they’re not investing as much as they should. If fossil fuel companies dumped more money into developing biofuels and other renewable sources, pollution from this industry would drop dramatically. Fashion The most unbelievable stat to take from this post is that the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of our global carbon footprint . That’s remarkable (and worrying), considering how most of us don’t view it as a “dangerous” industry. Fast fashion is the main problem; poorly-made goods are pumped out at a rapid rate, and consumers constantly buy new things. Fashion companies are trying their best to resolve this. Most big brands will now have sustainable lines using recyclable materials. Consumers also hold the key to solving this problem: stop buying new clothes all the time and wear yours for longer. Or buy pre-owned clothes to slow down the fashion production line. Companies can still do more as well: they are trying to adopt more eco-friendly production processes that use less water and energy. The moral of this post is that everyone can do their bit to fight for a more sustainable future. Keep this in mind for your small business . It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in; there will always be ways to promote eco-friendly practices.
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