How to shop for earth friendly beauty products
With environmental protection a hot-button issue, consumers are more concerned than ever about their purchases’ impact on the planet. Still, it can be hard to decide on the right environmentally friendly product if you haven’t shopped for them before. This is especially true for beauty products, where product labeling is confusing at best. These few tips can point you in the right direction so that you can buy products that are effective—and help save the environment, too!
Start with some basic research. A few simple searches on the internet can reveal which chemicals and additives are harmful to the environment. Then, look at the products you currently use and check their ingredients list. Do any of the ingredients from your search match the ones in your collection? If so, you know it is time to find a new product. There is also the chance you may be unknowingly using a product that is already safe for the environment, so there is no need to blindly throw out all your products.
Look on the label. When shopping for new products, always read the ingredients first. Choosing a product merely because the bottle says “organic” or “natural” won’t necessarily give you the most Earth-friendly product, due to loose labeling standards. Instead, look for genuine certifications from third-party ecological organizations that examine products with close scrutiny before giving their seal of approval.
Less is more. Seek out products with minimal ingredients. Typically, the fewer ingredients there are in a given product, the better that product is for the environment. Keep an eye out for “whole” ingredients, as well. In general, products that processed less also tend to pollute the environment less.
Recyclable (and recycled) packaging is important. It’s common knowledge that a huge factor in environmental deterioration is the excess waste produced by consumers. To cut down your contribution to this problem, be sure to use products that come in recyclable packaging. To determine if a bottle, tube, or other container is recyclable, look for the recycle icon imprinted on the package’s surface.
Buy in bulk. Environmentally conscious lines of products tend to cost more for the consumer. Sourcing the ingredients for these items can be harder for manufacturers than it is for normal products, and that is reflected in the price. To get the most value, first buy the products you will use the most, such as lotions and soaps. Buying in bulk is usually cost-effective for most products, so go with this option whenever possible. Look for opportune sales to buy specialty products like makeup. As a guideline, the more resourceful you are with the products you have, the better, so be sure to use each product you buy to its fullest extent.
How a Beauty Girl Can Reduce Her Carbon Footprint [InStyle]
Buying Eco-friendly Beauty Products? Try These 3 Tips [Empowher]
Eco-Friendly Beauty Products [WebMD]