May 03 2021
5 steps to a sustainable beauty routine
(and a few of our favorite products)
When my sister and I moved into our new apartment, it was obvious that it was also a fresh start for our minimalist bathroom. We had both been downsizing our beauty stash for a few years and it was time to make them collide in our new (smallish) cabinet. It still isn't perfect and we're not going to judge ourselves for that. It's not always easy to find responsible products that work the way we want them to as the market is still very young. But we do follow these 5 steps daily to make sure that we don't continuously buy disposables and plastic containers.
I'm not going to lie we're super invested in our skincare, but we also find tips and tricks to keep our entire routine clean, minimalist and sustainable. From nail polish products to shampoo, we believe not always in purely natural products, but in a clean and professional approach where non toxic chemical substances (like stabilisers and conservatives) blend with natural ingredients. This way our products remain effective and perfectly balanced for our type of skin and hair. We'll let you into our best kept secrets in this article as well !
1. Be aware of packaging
biodegradable, reusable or recyclable
As we're creating our skin routine and scouting for new effective products, we always pick out brands that have responsible packaging. It can be glass containers that we reuse infinitely, or simply packaging that can be refilled. We also sometimes go for recycled plastic containers. If there are plastic parts on the package (which is very often the case), make sure you separate them as you throw out the empty product.
Ere Perez, Atinge, Evolve Beauty and Merme Berlin are all brands that use glass bottles. They can be cleaned and reused for other products. In the make up section, Kjaer Weis has a refill system where you can get recharges for each product.
2. Look closely at ingredients
watch out for plastic derivates
Although it seems pretty crazy, many beauty products contain petroleum based particles. This happens mainly in scrubs and exfoliators, where conventional brands use plastic beads as scrubbing agents. But not only exfoliators are concerned, other products like deodorant, shampoo, anti-ageing creams, masks, sunscreens, make up and even baby care products. These micro plastics are so small that they actually pass through human skin. Scary !
Going for partly natural and non toxic brands makes this problem way easier to avoid. Brands like La Eva, Nuori or 27 Rosiers are made with ocean safe ingredients. For sunscreen, it's difficult to find clean versions but we finally found our natural sun oil that's great for tanning the body while being protected with a 30SPF.
3. Use multi purpose products
mix and match
Aside from facial skincare products, there's room to swap things around in your bathroom. Oils can be used for hair, face and body for example, like our wonderful Jasmina oil. A solid soap can easily become shampoo for someone with short hair. In the make up area as well, I typically use the same mascara on my eyebrows and eyelashes, made possible by our best selling Aloe Vera Gel. Just like lip tints can be used for blush on your cheeks as well thanks to RMS creamy eye polishes. Optimizing each product is key as well as using it until the end to avoid waste.
4. Choose quality
as always
We're always talking quality on this platform but for good reason. Getting a high quality beauty product that perfectly suits your skin is the best way to make the best use of it. And if it doesn't, swap it with friends, make sure it's not wasted. Avoiding half used products is already a huge step in the sustainable direction. One of the main problems we face today is overconsumption, so if we put a little bit more thought in the things we buy, it also goes a long way.
5. Do some smart swaps
for all bathroom products
Working towards a more sustainable beauty routine involves going for waste free products as much as possible. Imagine all the things that we endlessly buy, like razors, face cottons, ear swabs, toothbrushes. Many of these are made from plastic and generate insane amounts of waste. Did you know that all of the toothbrushes you have every used are still in nature somewhere?
Some great swaps are a bamboo toothbrush, cotton face wipes, solid shampoos and conditioners, metal razors, natural sponges and dry body brushes for exfoliation. You can even find silk thread tooth floss and solid toothpaste nowadays ! Disclaimer though: not all products will suit your needs, don't be too hard on yourselves. We for example hate solid shampoos, but there are other options.
Doesn't this plastic free copper tongue cleaner look amazing?
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