More and more people are looking to live sustainably, reducing their impact on the environment and finding ways to respect nature and people. Sustainable skincare is just one way that we can incorporate sustainability into our day-to-day lives.
The beauty industry is notoriously wasteful, from the packaging used to harmful toxic ingredients, and exploitation of animals and people. With more beauty brands labelling their skincare as sustainable or eco-friendly, it can be difficult to know when a brand is truly sustainable or whether they are making untrue claims for marketing purposes.
Below, we investigate exactly what makes skincare sustainable and how we can correctly identify the true sustainable skincare brands and products.
What Makes Skincare Sustainable?
There are a number of different factors that can make skincare sustainable. There is no one definition for sustainable skincare, and most brands won’t tick every single box. However, using products that cover at least some of the sustainability factors can be an improvement, reducing the impact on the environment and preventing the exploitation of people and animals.
The most common factors to look for from sustainable skincare brands are:
- Impact on the environment through ingredients used
- Impact on the environment through the packaging used
- Animal welfare considerations
- The ethics of the company, including how they deal with their workers
- How transparent the brand is with their processes
You may have your own views on what counts as sustainable and ethical. For example, you may prefer to use a brand that does not test on animals, but you may be OK with using products that contain beeswax. Or you may be a vegan and so would not want to use a product that contains any animal products whatsoever. You can decide for yourself which factors are important when looking for sustainable skincare.
How to Identify Sustainable Skincare Brands
There are a number of ways you can identify whether a sustainable skincare brand is truly sustainable and ethical in their practices.
Environmental Impact
The environmental impact of a skincare brand is a key part of determining its sustainability. This includes the ingredients they use and also the packaging. Look for brands that are certified as carbon neutral. This will mean that the brand is committed to decarbonisation and will be offsetting any greenhouse gas emissions produced by their manufacturing processes.
Ingredients
You should also look at the ingredients themselves. You’ll want to look for non-toxic ingredients, and products formulated without sulfates, parabens, phthalates, mineral oil and diethanolamine. These ingredients can cause problems not only for the user but also to the environment. Make sure to check the ingredients list of the products that claim to be sustainable or look for brands that are transparent about what they do and do not include in their products.
You should also look out for information on how the ingredients are sourced. Many farming techniques used by big brands are harmful to the environment and not sustainable. You may have heard about how palm oil farming is causing a huge amount of deforestation which is also displacing thousands of animals. Whilst palm oil itself is not a harmful ingredient, you should look for brands that discuss how their ingredients are sourced and those that cite ethical and responsible farming techniques.
Packaging
Packaging is also an important part of a sustainable skincare brand. Plastic waste is having a devastating impact on the environment, so look for a skincare brand that is working to minimise this destruction. This may be through the amount of packaging they use, especially when it comes to shipping the products. It can also be related to the materials they use. Ideally, the packaging will be free of plastic and/or fully recyclable, perhaps made from glass or aluminium. This will prevent it from going to landfill and instead means it can be reused and recycled over and over again.
Animal Welfare
Animal welfare is a big issue in the beauty industry. Many brands test their products on animals, so if you want to avoid these products, look for those that are certified cruelty-free. This will mean that the brand does not test its products on animals. However, there can be some ambiguity with this term, as some brands will be cruelty-free themselves, but could use a third-party organisation or supplier that does test ingredients on animals. The best way to find a truly cruelty-free brand is to look for one with accreditation from PETA or Leaping Bunny, who will have certified the brand’s practices independently.
Brands that are cruelty-free may still include ingredients derived from animals in their products. You should also look for products that are labelled vegan, as these will contain no animal derivatives at all, including beeswax. Some products that are labelled vegan may still test on animals, so its best to look for brands that are both cruelty-free and vegan if you want to support animal welfare completely.
Ethics
A sustainable skincare brand that values ethics will not only monitor the environmental impact of its products, but they will also respect the people involved in the manufacturing and distribution of its products. This will mean treating their workers fairly. Everyone should receive a fair wage for fair working hours, with no child labour and not causing disruption to communities. You can look for brands that have been audited by the Fairtrade Foundation or those that are clear about where their ingredients are sourced from.
Transparency
Overall, a sustainable skincare brand will be transparent in their practices. Look for brands that are clear about what ingredients are included in their products and where these ingredients are sourced from. You should also look for those who give information about their packaging materials and how to recycle it properly. Lastly, you should look for a brand that has independent certifications and accreditations from third parties, which support its sustainability claims.