Sustainable beauty has become increasingly popular in recent years, and this is because of the need to take better care of our body’s and the planet.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australians generate more than 75.8 million tonnes of waste each year. As a response, the beauty industry is becoming more aware of waste management and how it will affect our future.

However, there are ways we can do our bit for the planet within our beauty routine. Here are our five eco-friendly beauty tips to embrace into your routine to help save the planet.

Simplify your Beauty Routine

Starting a beauty routine can be tricky, and navigating yourself through all the trends on Instagram can be challenging. Simplifying your beauty routine to three or four steps means that you are not buying any unnecessary products. Doing this will save you time, money and reduce the amount of waste within your household.

Buying What you Need and in Bulk

It’s hard not to buy every product from a brand, especially when a celebrity is endorsing it. But only buying what you need and buying your beauty products in bulk, especially at stores like Naked Foods, means you are saving on packaging in the long run and saving money at the same time.

Have products you haven’t used but don’t want to throw out? Why not donate them to Sydney-based charities like The Beauty Bank creating care packages for women and men for those who may not afford basic toiletries.

Try These Simple Swaps

There are so many single-use beauty products out there, here are a few swaps to try:

• Ditch the disposable sheet mask and opt for a natural clay mask.
• Get rid of disposable wipes and makeup remover pads for reusable microfiber cloths and cotton pads.
• Try out a bamboo toothbrush over a plastic toothbrush. Bamboo is biodegradable and compostable.
• Embrace the bar and try out shampoo, soap & deodorant bars. They use less packaging or no packaging, and they last longer than the bottled products. (You can find these at Naked Foods!)
• Using biodegradable glitter during the festival season instead of regular glitter. Regular glitter is considered microplastic and made with the same plastics found in plastic bags and other products.

Recycle

Knowing how to recycle is important. It can make the difference from a plastic toothbrush sitting in a landfill to something that you can reuse into something useful. Make sure you read the labels on how you can recycle your beauty items. Setting up a recycling bin in your bathroom ensures that you are recycling correctly.

Another way we can recycle is by upcycling. Using old jars and containers for other uses, like using old compacts and pallets as travelling cases for your jewellery. Another way you can repurpose products is by using old lipstick tubes and turning them into bobby pin holders.

You can donate your old mascara wands to animal shelters like Tweed Valley Wildlife Carers. They will use mascara brushes that are clean to help look after and groom baby animals in their care.

Organisations like TerraCycle have established their Zero Waste beauty box where people can go and drop off their used beauty and makeup products. TerraCycle takes the products and is used to create new plastic products for other affiliated companies.

Turn the Tap Off

In Australia, we are amongst the highest consumers of water in the world. We use about 340 litres of water per person, and as a country that has seen some of the worst drought conditions, it is crucial we do our bit to reduce our water intake. Here are our tips on how to minimise our water in our routine:

• Limit your showers to under 4 minutes. You can do this by setting up a playlist of songs in under 4 minutes.
• Washing your hair? turn off the tap while you lather and turn it back on to rinse.
• Turning the tap off while washing your hands and brushing your teeth.
• Wash your makeup brushes in the sink instead of under running water.

Bibliography

1. ABS (2020). Waste Account, Australia, Experimental Estimates. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Accessed <https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/environment/environmental-management/waste-account-australia-experimental-estimates/latest-release>
2. The Beauty Bank (n.d). The Beauty Bank. Facebook. Accessed <https://www.facebook.com/thebeautybankau/?fref=ts>
3. Carter, B (n.d). Truth or Trend: Is Bamboo Sustainable? Eco & Beyond. Accessed < https://www.ecoandbeyond.co/articles/is-bamboo-sustainable/>
4. Lavers, Jennifer (2018). ‘Go Forth and sparkle responsibly’: How to have fun with glitter without damaging the environment. ABC News. Accessed <https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-02/glitter-environment-how-to-have-good-time-without-doing-damage/9390786>
5. Butterworth, K (2019). How to make your beauty routine more eco-friendly. ABC Every Day. Accessed<https://www.abc.net.au/everyday/how-to-make-beauty-routine-more-eco-friendly/11589366?fbclid=IwAR0HAqCmRDNmxe0HXZPyDZhtuuI7toOuttYTrUXwHxRmZxY6QLpKs75-q58>
6. Achenza, M (2020). The Best Ways To Give Your Skincare Packaging A Second Life. 1Million Women Accessed <https://www.1millionwomen.com.au/blog/best-ways-give-your-skincare-packaging-second-life/>
7. Tweed Valley Wildlife Carers (n.d) Accessed < https://tvwc.org.au/>
8. TerraCycle (n.d). Beauty Products Zero Waste Box. Accessed <https://www.terracycle.com/en-AU/zero_waste_boxes/beauty-products-zero-waste-box-en-au#how-it-works>
9. Rapid Plas (2019). A Look at the Average Australian Household’s Water Consumption. Accessed <https://www.rapidplas.com.au/blog/ook-average-australian-households-water-consumption/>
10. Sydney Water (n.d). Love Water, don’t waste it. Accessed <https://lovewater.sydney/use-water-wisely>

About the Author:

Latasha Trenaman is a Sydney based writer who is passionate about healthy eating. Latasha’s partner was diagnosed with diabetes in 2018. She has made it her life mission to share her and her partners’ experiences living with diabetes by promoting healthy food, especially sugar-free options. She believes in the power of writing and how it can inspire others in their journey to becoming more healthy. When she is not writing, she is walking her dog or baking sugar-free treats.