5 Ideas for more Sustainable Beauty Habits

 

How can you adjust your skincare routine?

This post is dedicated to skincare lovers, who want to start making a change in their skincare routine without feeling like they have to compromise on having a variety of products or limit themselves to “all-natural” or DIY-type skincare. You don’t have to give up lengthy routines or masking sessions in order to make it more sustainable.

Here are some ideas how!


Products in glass-packaging or refillable packaging

This is a fairly easy switch and even though not all of your favorite products are available in sustainable packaging, even choosing this type of product whenever it’s an option for you, it will add up in the long run. Oils and serums are often available in glass packaging and maybe you already have a few in your stash! By supporting these types of products, the brands will see the increasing demand and offer more of it – of course it’ll be mostly to sell more, but if it results in a slightly more sustainable beauty industry, it’s still a win.

Switch to reusable make-up-removal-pads

If you are using one-time-make-up-wipes or cotton pads, you should use up whatever you have, but after that you can easily switch to more sustainable and in the long run even more affordable options. While it’s not that easy to find the right reusable cotton pads for you, once you do, you only have to remember to wash them and you’ll never run out again. I’ve been looking for quite some time and was hesitating to choose a brand, because I was afraid the pads will just be ruined after machine washing them a couple of times. When I started looking it didn’t seem like there were many options, but now there are so many to choose from. I decided to get this set from BEAU PRO *affiliated*, which comes with 10 bamboo cotton pads: 5 soft dark pads and 5 structured white pads. They come in a little sachet for convenient storage. I already washed them multiple times and they still look as good as new! I’m very satisfied with them, but you can choose any brand that seems right for you and is easily available in your area.

1 Emtpy 1 Newbie

If you don’t know the #1emtpy1newbie on Instagram yet, here is how it works: You only have one type of product for one certain purpose open at a time and you only open a new one, once the other one is empty. This means just one toner, but you could still have one exfoliating and one hydrating toner, because these are different in their purpose. You can also have several serums, as long as they’re not all for the same skin concern. By sticking to this, you will automatically waste less product because you get the full use out of your stash and don’t have too many open products at the same time. It’s also gentle for your skin because you are not constantly switching around different products and you can assess better which product actually gets what kind of results if used consistently and long term.

Solid shower bars, hair wash bars

This might not be for everyone, but if you can commit to the change you can significantly reduce the amount of plastic waste! My body is not nearly as problematic as my face when it comes to skin issues, and while shower foams can be intriguing and there are numerous shower gels out there, switching to solid shower bars (not necessarily soaps!), has been easy for me. There are many options to choose from, so it doesn’t even get “boring” and you can have just as much fun to pick a new product as with shower gels.

Switching to solid shampoo was not as easy, and I still haven’t found one I’m 100% happy with, but I’m getting used to using this type of product for my hair. I still have a conditioner in plastic packaging, but even by switching the type of shampoo I have already cut the plastic waste of washing my hair in half!

Sheetmask less or opt for multipack

Sheetmasking is a lot of fun and can be a real treat for you and your skin, but I don’t consider it as part of my core routine. It’s more of a “luxury” skincare step that I do about once a week or according to my skin needs. Or wants. If you have a good skincare routine, daily masking should not be necessary. So if you find that your routine lacks something if you don’t mask, you should change something in your routine. Another great idea is to get multipacks for your favorite masks if they’re available in that form. I’ve seen many Japanese sheetmasks in multi packs of 5-7 or even big dispensers like make-up-wipes. If you like a certain mask and know you’ll need it in this quantity, it might be worth a try.

Conclusion

Small changes can add up as well and the world will benefit more from many people trying their best than from just a few succeeding at going fully zero-waste. Of course it’s admirable that some people actually achieve that goal, but even if you don’t/can’t get there, it’s always worth it to reduce whatever you can.


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