What You Can Do This Earth Day
Happy Earth Day! Since 1970, this global annual date on 22nd April demonstrates support for highlighting environmental issues and how we can protect our planet.
For Earth Day 2022, we need to act (boldly), innovate (broadly) and implement (equitably). This means that everyone is accounted for, and everyone is accountable. Earthday.org urges us all – and I mean everyone – to work together to #InvestInOurPlanet… and therefore our future.
You can’t take all the plastic out of the ocean and the food chain. You can’t solve the issue of the hole in the ozone layer. But you can make small changes to your daily life, including making your beauty routine more sustainable!
Replace plastic bottles
Did you know it takes 450 years for a plastic bottle to decompose? An easy way for you to help the planet is to reduce the plastic that you use in your day-to-day life. Think about all the bottles in your bathroom: hand wash, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel… you can swap them all for solid bars of soap!
I love Dove Beauty Bars (especially the pink one) for my hands and body. Lush were ahead of the game as they started selling shampoo bars in 1988! Lush say that they sold 6.6 million shampoo bars in 2019, saving over 19 million shampoo bottles from going to landfill. Solid shampoo and conditioner bars have risen in popularity in recent years with many brands jumping on the sustainable beauty bandwagon. Don’t forget a soap dish or two!
Ditch the face wipes – even the ‘eco-friendly’ ones
An eyewatering 11 billion wet wipes end up in the bin or down the toilet every year. They take up to 100 years to biodegrade and if they are flushed down the toilet, they end up in our oceans!
Not only are they harmful to the environment, they also don’t clean your skin effectively. Instead, opt for a hot cloth cleanser and muslin cloth or use a makeup removing cloth that only requires warm water… magic!
I LOVE Glov’s mask remover. This hot pink face cloth is shaped like a mitt and removes my heavy eye makeup – brightly coloured eye shadow, liquid eyeliner (I always wear winged liner) and mascara. I still can’t get over how effective they are! Another product that is equally as magical are the reusable cotton pads from Magnitone. Not only are these products reusable and easy to wash, but they are so effective at removing makeup!
Switch to mineral sunscreens
Most sunscreens on the market, both cheap and high end, are chemical formulas because they are absorbed more quickly into the skin. They contain filters such as oxybenzone, octocrylene, avobenzone and homosalate. However, according to the National Geographic, “when you swim with sunscreen on, chemicals like oxybenzone can seep into the water, where they’re absorbed by corals. These substances contain nanoparticles that can disrupt reproduction and growth cycles, ultimately leading to bleaching.”
Not swimming? If you shower or bathe, the sunscreen on your skin still goes down the drain and is washed into our oceans.
Fortunately, there is a solution. Mineral (or physical) sunscreens contain zinc oxide and titanium dioxide which deflect UV rays. I only use mineral sunscreens! I like the formulas from Jason and REN.
Refillable beauty options
Do you have a favourite beauty product that you buy and buy again? Instead of binning the bottle and buying a replacement, how about opting for a refill instead? Brands like L’Occitane, The Body Shop, and Kiehls have refillable pouches so you can top up your favourite beauty products. There are also refillable makeup products from brands such as Lush, Benecos, Clarins, Charlotte Tilbury and Mac.
Together, we can work together to reduce the amount of plastic we throw away and be mindful of the ingredients in our beauty products. Will you be making your beauty routine more sustainable to Invest In Our Planet?
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