What's in yours?
By Charlotte Hope-Shannon, intro & edited by Lauren Silvester
During my time away from creating and consuming content, I’ve developed a new mindset. Without being face to face with the constant ‘new! new! new!’ everyday on my scroll, I’ve become become more aware of our societal flaws. The times where I’ve come back and dipped my (not so perfectly pedicured) toe in the social media proverbial waters, I’ve been aghast at what we’re all being sold or lied to about. It seems like brands will use anything these days to get you to buy their stuff and since taking almost a year away from it all, it feels like it’s on steroids now! The tugging at your heart strings or more so, trying to exploit your mental health. Note to all – buying more ‘stuff’ will not improve your mental health.
So with my new, more mindful awareness of our impact on the environment, I started making small changes in my life. It began with the easiest place; my beauty cupboard. Below, Charlotte Hope-Shannon has written about how you can too. – Lauren x
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links
Fake versus Reality
You don’t need to be Gwyneth Paltrow or own a beauty retreat to be mindful of what ingredients you use on your skin. As sustainability and a desire for a ‘cleaner’ planet has intensified, so too has the desire for transparency in the beauty industry. However, with this desire comes confusion, as brands seek to monetise a growing trend without any clarity on what clean beauty truly means. By intention the term is encouraging, by performance it is somewhat damaging. The demand for ‘natural’ and ‘green’ products has resulted in a change in the way products are labelled. With this change comes confusion, misinformation, and false marketing and ultimately, what was once deemed a pleasurable experience buying beauty products, is now a stressful one.
So, what really is clean beauty and how can we transition into a more environmentally conscious beauty regime whilst avoiding false marketing?
Simply put, Clean Beauty means safe for human practice and sustainably conscious. However, skincare and the idea of ‘clean’ is all relative. The crux of it is this. ‘Clean’ is a marketing term. Whilst some brands have good intentions, they are often camouflaging the truth. So, by restricting information, brands are ultimately contradicting the very nature of what ‘clean beauty’ means and saturating the beauty industry with misunderstandings. For instance, science is often branded as ‘bad’, when in fact, science is the key to a good product. Clean beauty doesn’t mean everything is or must be ‘natural’. Instead, it means acknowledging the environment in a way where sustainability, transparency, and common-sense work together with science and your own personal requirements. After all, everyone’s skin is different and what works for one, may not work for another.
Five Easy Ways To Becoming More ‘Clean’ In Your Beauty Regime
- Reusable Cotton Cloths.
Say goodbye to daily cotton pads and hello to reusable, washable face cloths designed specifically for makeup removable and cleansing. Simply wash with your laundry and not only reduce waste for the planet but save money in the long term. - Refillable Beauty.
If you’re worried about recycling wastage then refillable beauty may be the solution. From refillable perfumes and lipsticks to shampoo and foundation, many brands are embracing a ‘no waste’ policy where the original packaging lasts forever. - Go Bamboo.
Bamboo-based products are natural in their antibacterial properties and kind on the skin. - Solid Beauty Bars.
When you think of a beauty bar, you often associate the term with the skin drying bars of soap of times past. Now however, solidified beauty has taken a new turn, as body lotions, shampoos and soaps are produced in a package free, waste free way without causing harm to the skin. - Product Free.
Exfoliation has never been easier with product free body brushing. Not only does this reduce product waste, but it encourages increased circulation around the body.
Brands Who Are Using Their Instagram To Champion Clean Beauty
From specialised shopping edits to fusing the best of science and botany, these accounts champion clean beauty in a forward thinking and conscious manner.
Shop our favourites…
Green Fibres Organic Cotton Terry Wash Cloth
Kjaer Weis Cream Foundation Refill
Savon Stories Ottoman Rose Solid Body Lotion
