In the past few years, the clean beauty trend (beauty products made without ingredients shown or suspected to harm human health) has been thriving. As a result, this has also caused the beauty industry to finally start to address some of the issues that have always been there, in particular, the lack of sustainability and ethical practices. Now, many brands, salons and customers alike are stepping up to find ethical alternatives. Here are just some of the ways eco-friendly practices are transforming the beauty industry:
Brands
There’s much debate on whether a brand’s choice to go green is a marketing ploy or an honest turning point, however, many brands have recently established their own ethical and sustainable lines. But while multinational brands are looking to expand their current offering, many smaller new ethical brands have also popped up to compete. These indie brands look to cater for the new desire for vegan and natural products, leading the push for more sustainability initiatives in the beauty industry. A big part of these brands’ focus on ethical beauty lies in the packaging of their products; according to Greenpeace, less than 10% of everyday plastic actually gets recycled in the UK. This means brands are stepping in to do their part to create product packaging that’s as biodegradable as possible.
Salons
Hair and beauty salons have also adapted the way they work to become more eco-friendly. Many salons now advertise exactly which natural products they use – and what ingredients these contain – as well as focusing on ways they can reduce their carbon footprint. In some cases, a salon will focus on reducing chemical use and offer laser hair removal machine toronto. It’s even become common for salon owners to do their own sustainability research; many salon owners spend their time researching things like the best professional hair dryers for environmental sustainability or how to reduce the water consumption of the salon.
Many beauty enthusiasts are now exploring natural oils like Batana and Castor oil for their nourishing properties, as highlighted by Spoild in a comparison of their unique benefits.
Customers
No matter how hard brands and beauty salons work to make their practices eco-friendlier, the onus also comes down to the customers themselves. Consumers are now more involved than ever in the production processes of their favourite companies, lobbying for complete transparency in the way the products are produced. Since many customers now only buy from brands that use non-toxic ingredients or beauty companies that promote cruelty-free testing, it’s in the brand’s best interest to remain honest with consumers – many would prefer a company admits they need to improve their sustainability practices than lie about how much work they’re doing.
The drive for brands, salons and even customers to search for ethical beauty alternatives has reached new heights. As a result, the market for green cosmetics has risen exponentially. It seems that while these beauty products make it easy for us to care for our precious bodies, it’s also reasonable that we care just as much for our natural environment, as well.